songbird's crazy world

the fierce cries! the sharp claws! the gnashing teeth! the brutality of it! I only managed to save myself by throwing a can of Bumblebee fancy white albacore at the brutes. memo to self: don't forget to buy the Meow Mix on the way home tonight!

I usually order some sort of souvlaki when I eat Greek, but ever since Suzanne made pastichio for dinner two weeks ago, I have been craving it. craving satisfied, pastichio ordered from a local Greek place. cinnamon makes such an interesting addition to a pasta dish, don't you think?

a little bit about the NYC celebration -- I've never been crazy stupid brave enough to go. Countdown to euphoria BY LARRY McSHANE DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Monday, December 29th 2008, 10:45 PM Related News Articles Still time to have a ball on New Year's This is one celebration you can set your watch by. The annual New Year's Eve bash in Times Square peaks with a worldwide television audience of 1 billion counting down the seconds until 2009 arrives exactly at midnight. With no room for error, organizers spend the other 364 days of the year making sure everything runs like clockwork when New York rings out the old and rings in the new. "People think I only work one day a year," said Countdown Entertainment head Jeff Straus . "Actually, January is my second-busiest month." Revelers will enjoy a new twist with their "Auld Lang Syne" this year: A high-tech, supersize ball will drop down from One Times Square, replacing the previous incarnation....

seen on the way to work this morning --- proof that not all birds fly south for the winter (click on photo to enlarge) the crows I expected, but I especially like how the seagull rules the roost.

just thought I'd get in on the action.... long time followers of Suzanne's blog will know her Webmaster Alex post. I've been banned from the DIS more times than I can count...a few of them actually deserved, but for the most part....banned for being "songbird". I wasn't blogging back in April, so let me say now...Alex, you're an idiot. you banned a lot of good peole for no reason at all. the "meanness" factor at the DIS hasn't changed, but the "stupidity" factor has increased dramatically since April. is that any way to run a business?

my kidlets know how much I like harry potter...i had to buy 3 copies of deathly hallows...so among my gifts this year was a copy of the new book...a charming and delightful book of fairy tales for the wizarding world...and we muggles enjoy them too.

for some reason tonight...I am thinking of my dog Molly. Drew and I went to North Shore Animal League with the intention of adopting a puppy but wound up with a full-grown beagle named Molly. she was the dumbest but the sweetest dog... she liked to dig...I almost killed her when she used her digging skills on the foam cushions of my couch. and who can forget when she escaped from our apartment and I wound up chasing her all through our Brooklyn neighborhood in my bathrobe? I never caught her...she ran around the block and then ran home. but...she won a place in my heart forever...when Jen was a baby and learning to walk, she'd grab Molly's floppy ears and use the poor dog's head as leverage to bring herself to a standing position. and the dog allowed it...even slept under the crib at night to keep my little one safe. Drew got custody of the dog in the divorce...the last time I saw her she was old...had cateracts and could barely see...but I think she recognized me...

so today my wisdom teeth and I parted company. vicodin is our friend.

Call on your angels Come down to the city Crowd around the big tree All you strangers who know me Bring your compassion Your understanding Lord, ow we need it On this New York City Christmas Yeah I'm sending you a merry New York Christmas and a prayer for peace on earth within our time Hear the sidewalk angels echo halleluja We understand more, now more than ever So call on your angels You're beaten and broken It's time that we mended So they don't fade with the season Let our mercy be the gifts we lay From Brooklyn and to Broadway Celebrate each and every day of this New York City Christmas Yeah I'm sending you a merry New York Christmas and a prayer for peace on earth within our time Hear the sidewalk angels echo halleluja We understand more, now more than ever Merry New York Christmas Call on your angels Come down to the city Let's Crowd around the big tree All you strangers you know me Bring your compassion Bring your forgiveness Lord how we need it On this ...

I don't know why the feed from Mandy's blog doesn't update properly here, but I make it my business to check every so often for her words of wisdom. she found the best craigslist posting! what makes me laugh even more...my Becca, my darling 16-year-old "let's-go-see-what's-cute-at-Abercrombie-then-maybe-stop-at- Mecca -Sephora" shopaholic who just got her learner's permit wants an Xterra !

...that if the "check oil" light comes on, the driver might actually check the oil? I've got Jen's Chevy today. I got into the car and saw the message on the dashboard. asked her "how long has the light been on?" "a couple of weeks." granted, she only drives the car when she's home from college, so she's only driven it for a day or two since the light went on....

I've mentioned Becca's involvement with Key club and Spanish Club. Now let me brag on Jen's involvement with Jumpstart . She plans to be an elementary school reacher and she's doing Jumpstart through her college. Jumpstart college students serve in three different roles: Corps Member, Volunteer Coordinator, or Team Leader.The Jumpstart Corps member position is open to college students committed to Jumpstart’s mission to work toward the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed and who are able to serve 10-12 hours per week (for a total of at least 200 to 300 hours, depending on the site) during the school year. Corps members partner with children from low-income backgrounds to help them build skills crucial to school success. Responsibilities include participating in two two-hour Jumpstart sessions each week with partner child and team, participating in two team planning meetings each week, serving four to six hours each week in a preschool classroom ...

happy chanukah!

so Becca went to the party after her boyfriend went home. so I had to wait for both of them to come home. it's going to be a loooong winter.

Becca's boyfriend is here for the evening. so we decided to order Chinese food. on the menu tonight: vegetable and bean curd soup, bbq spare ribs, imperial shrimp, sesame chicken and beef with Chinese vegetables. I was going to pick up the food myself, really I was. but Jen has my car tonight...she asked if she could take mine because hers has no heat. and I just blew out my shouldeer tying to scrape ice off the windshield of Jen's Chevy (my de-icing spray is in my Corolla. which is at a party across town) so I ordered delivery. I will de-ice Jen's car tomorrow - provided we don't get more snow. (looks like Long Island will have a white Christmas this year.) FYI...it makes perfect sense to a 16 year old to wear suede UGGS in the snow and complain that her feet are getting wet, but to laugh at Mom's snow boots as "fugugly". the last laugh is on you, Becca dear...at least MY feet are dry.

Jen has a job tomorrow. She will be playing the part of Minnie Mouse at some corporate Christmas party. my two youngest sisters attended a performing arts high school. one of their dormer teachers runs a talent business. they provide talent to corporate functions. every year they provide cartoon characters to a corporate client's Christmas party. my sisters have been working the party for many, many years. when my kids were younger they would sometimes go to the party with their aunts. but a few years agoone of my sisters gave up her role (though she still goes to the party) and let Jen take over. Jen loves kids and she has a great time working the party.

I was asked to create a trivia quiz for our department. Each person was asked to give a piece of weird ifnormation about him or herself. For example, I once met Sarah Jessica Parker.Another example: This person gave new meaning to the words "business trip" (I used my business trip story). the person who gets the most answers correct wins a small prize. so far we've had some very interesting guesses.

never try a new recipe when you're baking for the company bake-off, you dont' get started in the kitchen until midnight and you have to leave for work by 7.

Suzanne is my inspiration tonight, though I did see one of my friends do this on facebook too. SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, check which ones youve seen, paste this here. (x) Rocky Horror Picture Show (x) Grease (x) Pirates of the Caribbean (x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2:Dead Man's Chest ()Boondock Saints ( ) Fight Club ( ) Starsky and Hutch ( ) Neverending Story (x) Blazing Saddles (x ) Airplane Total: 6 (x) The Princess Bride ( ) Anchorman (x) Napoleon Dynamite ( ) Labyrinth ( ) Saw ( ) Saw II ( ) White Noise ( ) White Oleander ( ) Anger Management () 50 First Dates (x) The Princess Diaries (x ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement Total so far: 10 () Scream ( ) Scream 2 ( ) Scream 3 ( ) Scary Movie ( ) Scary Movie 2 () Scary Movie 3 ( ) Scary Movie 4 ( ) American Pie ( ) American Pie 2 ( ) American Wedding ( ) American Pie Band Camp Total so far: 10 ( x) Harry Po...

or rather, I miss watching the kidlets perform. at various times my girls have been involved in dance, music, cheerleading, acting...activities where it was my job...my obligation, actually...to sit in a theater or on the bleachers, for an eternity while other people's children perform, just for the pleasure of watching my kidlets do their thing for a few minutes. now Jen is in college and busy with classes and volunteer work and her social life. and Becca's high school interests have evolved from "performing" to "participating". I am glad they're pursuing their interests. but I miss seeing my kidlets "on stage".

not sure this is entirely accurate, but.... You're Ulysses ! by James Joyce Most people are convinced that you don't make any sense, but compared to what else you could say, what you're saying now makes tons of sense. What people do understand about you is your vulgarity, which has convinced people that you are at once brilliant and repugnant. Meanwhile you are content to wander around aimlessly, taking in the sights and sounds of the city. What you see is vast, almost limitless, and brings you additional fame. When no one is looking, you dream of being a Greek folk hero. Take the Book Quiz at the Blue Pyramid .

Rabbi is in Florida, and the Cantor is running services at the synagogue. at 8 PM my phone rang - I am in the Cantor's speed dial - he needed me for a minyan (a quorum) for evening services. mourners cannot say Kaddish unless there are ten adults present. it wasn't so very long ago - in my lifetime - that women did not count in the minyan. it was my honor and my obligation to be number 10 tonight.

so I am blogging from my cell phone...lying in bed, on my back...Daisy jumps up onto the bed, plants herself on my chest, wanting to be petted...and pushes the cell phone out of my hand!

from Suzanne 1. Be one of the first three bloggers to leave a comment on this post, where the first word in the comment is "Yes". By saying "Yes" as the first word, you signify you want to participate in this giveaway. Being one of the first three to say "Yes" will then entitle you to a handmade item from ME! 2. Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you then must Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first three bloggers 3. The gift that you send to your Three Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count! 4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love! 5. If you are not one of the Top Three Commentors on Today’s Post, you’re still a Winner in this Time of Grace...

Becca and her friend A. Both girls are members of Key Club and officers of Spanish Club. today Key Club had a day at the local Sears, the members of the club had to help underprivileged children pick out new clothes. later, the Spanish club hit Toys R Us and Bed Bath and Beyond, they'd raised almost $900 and decided to spend it on toys and bedding for underprivileged children. As President, Becca was in charge, and she had all the money -- the adviser trusted her to safeguard the cash. she and A have to bring the purchases to school on Monday. I am proud that Becca is so involved in community service!

let's just say I wish I could make mine disappear right about now. I am not a happy camper. I had one pulled 20 years ago...it was fully erupted but had rotated 180 degrees, so that the back of the tooth faced the front of my mouth. took me four days to recover enough to go back to work - and that was when I was young and healthy. the other 3...the dentist said "watch and wait". we had to revisit the issue today. one must be extracted. one is likely to need to be extracted. oh "joy".

I have that song...and the Snowmeiser version...stuck in my head. wish I had my camera last night when Becca put on the red cowboy hat, picked up the cane (a candy cane prop from a long-ago dance pageant) and began to sing and dance to the music...for her boyfriend.

I was standing in the kitchen this morning, trying to decide between the strawberry yogurt and the blueberry yogurt, when I heard a commotion on the stairs.... little miss Daisy cat, all of 6 pounds, racing down the stairs. with Mr. Kitty, the 20-pounder, chasing her all the way down. she ran into the living room and jumped up onto a chair. and he stayed on the floor but tried to swat at her with one of his paws. he's just playing, but she DOES NOT LIKE IT! not one little bit. as the plaintive meowing proved. of course I rescued her. I sent Mr. Kitty outside to terrorize the neighborhood squirrels. He's too fat to actually catch one, but he does like to chase after them.

so guys, how about honoring a girl's personal space? I know we're called "straphangers", but when you're holding onto the bar over my head I would really appreciate it if you don't use my shoulder as an armrest. and I do NOT like the feel of your backpack or briefcase shoved into my spine! but what happened today takes the cake. Long Island Railroad cars are not meant for comfort, but c'mon, did you really have to...? Picture it: a bench of three seats facing a second bench of three, so that six people can be accomodated (barely), three people with their knees rubbing up against the knees of three total strangers. picture sitting in one of three seats on an airplane, with the row in front of you turned around to face you. so this morning I found myself sharing this configuration with three men....I had an aisle seat facing one of the men, and the other two men sat near the window, leaving themiddle seats unoccupied. As I sat down, the guy facing me decided...

Do you really think you're going to successfully sell it by haranging a captive audience on a moving subway car? today I had a full 15 minutes of someone loudly describing how he knows with all certainty that my fellow passengers and I are going to Hell because we don't "believe". train was full to overflowing, so moving to another car wasn't really an option. I was so glad that this train made A LOT of noise as it travelled between stations. I am sure the preacher is sincere in his belief. but please don't infringe on my relative peace and quiet as I read my newspaper on the way to work!

My sister's best friend, J, has become a member of our family. Every year J and her 3 boys invite us to spend eithe rChristmas Eve or Christmas Day at their house (it depends which holiday J's sons are spending with their father). this year we are invited for Christmas Eve, which also happens to be the 4th night of Chanukah. J always has a tiny Menorah in her house, her late father was Jewish, but it's too small to actually use for lighting candles. So I guess we will be bringing one of ours.

I got it from Suzanne, who got it from Saffa . What you do is highlight the things you've done. Italicize the things you want to do, and leave the ones you don't in plain text. 1. Started your own blog. 2. Slept under the stars. 3. Played in a band. 4. Visited Hawaii. (I will get there, someday) 5. Watched a meteor shower. 6. Given more than you can afford to charity. 7. Been to Disneyland. (I've been to Disney in florida more times than I can count, but never the one in California) 8. Climbed a mountain. (does driving count?) 9. Held a praying mantis. 10. Sang a solo. (I had a very brief solo as Aunt Eller in Oklahoma . and an even briefer one as a chorus member in Plain and Fancy ) 11. Bungee jumped. 12. Visi ted Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea . from the beach-very cool 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. 15. Adopted a child. 16. Had food poisoning. 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. 18. Grown your own vegetables. once -- not very succe...

I can live with cold, I can tolerate snow, but the howling wind....too much.

we have a party for the children -- we hire a magician -- and we also sponsor a crafts fair. I was afriad we'd have a low turnout today because of the snow, but we had a nice sized crowd. my job today -- the social action committee is collecting money for toys -- every year Rabbi goes to Jerusalem and brings Legos, which he gives to children in hospitals. we also collect clothes and etc. for a local social services organization and for a local outreach center. we had a succesful day, $250 for the Legos and a lot of nice things ofr the outreach program. though I wasn't happy about being at the center of the latest drama -- being aTrustee on the board means I have to deal with the bickering and politicking. groan....

I had a delightful afternoon shopping with Becca. Normally I dread shopping during Christmastime, there's no place to park, the crowds are rude and the salesclerks ar harried, but today was not bad at all. the day began with whining. Becca. a/k/a the shopaholic, wanted to add to her copious wardrobe, but I didn't have the cash to indulge her addiction. remember how I had to go to social security to replace our missing cards? the new ones arrived in today's mail. when Becca went to put hers in her drawer, she discovered that she had several gifts cards....they were given to her at her sweet 16 last summer, and she'd forgotten about them. she had cards for Bloomie's, abercrombie & Fitch and sephora. so off we went to the mall. my plan was to park near Bloomingdale's, so I started searching for a spot in that lot. eventually I saw a car about to pull out from a spot as far away from the store as you could be and still be at the mall, and I pulled up...only to r...

Christmas ornaments and outdoor decorations. I've discovered I like taking photos of Christmas displays. n they're all so pretty, aren't they? but I'm not the one who has to clean up the pine needles

that cats with white fur wlll only rub against your leg when you're wearing BLACK PANTS?

as seen in Penn Station....

(last year's photo, but I can assure you, it's the very same decor this year)

there's a woman in my office who sells Avon. I buy a few things from her occasionally. Last year at Christmas she gave me a small "customer appreciation" gift, a small tube of Moisture therapy Intesive Hand Cream for Extremely Dry Skin. I never opened it, I threw it into the desk drawer and forgot about it. until today. I don't have "extremely dry skin", but I do like hand creme. this stuff is amazing. my hands feel so soft and smooth, it's like I spent a small fortune at the nail salon.

(stolen from a friend) (click to enlarge if you don't see the whole image)

my father is a retired school principal.students in his junior high feared him. one technique he loved to use...when a student was sent to his office because of some misbehavior, he'd sit the child down, give him the "look" (I once met a former student of my father,as an adult he still remembered that "look"), hand the child the telephone and say "call your mother." the student would become upset. he'd repeat, "call your mother and tell her what you did." by that point the tears would begin to flow. that's when he'd walk the kid back to class, and everyone else would wonder "what did he DO to you?" well, myy sister's best friend -- actually she's almost a member of this nutso family -- is a high school teacher. she has looked to my father as a mentor. she uses 21st century technology to achieve the same result.... she has studnets who will sleep in her class. she whips out her cell phone, snaps a picture o...

All this talk of Christmas ornaments reminds me of a "bad mommy" moment I had when Jen was 2 years old. we had a Christmas party at my office, and everyone was encouraged to bring their children. Becca was only 6 months old, so I decided to leave her home with her father while I took Jen to the party. She had a great time, running around the cubicles and playing with the other kids. and then "it" happened. I'd received a gift from one of our vendors, a centerpiece from the florist, evergreens decorated with a few glass ornaments. I'm Jewish, what do I know from Christmas ornaments? I didn't realize the ornaments were made of glass until Jen started playing with them, and one broke and she cut her hand. I don't know who cried more -- Jen from the pain of that cut, or me because I was a horrible mommy that day.

every day my commute to the office takes me through the Exchange Place Station (Jersey City) on the PATH train that connects New York with various points in New Jersey. the PATH is like a subway, but runs under the Hudson and is mostly a commuter line. if you get off a train in Jersey and think you've been here before -- you may have seen that old Law & Order: SVU episode where the PATH station stood in for a NYC subway station. the station is six stories below street level and is accessed via escalator. the escalator is decorated with these incredible light sculptures. looking down while riding: looking up from the bottom: you can see from the photo that there are 3 escalators flanked by 2 staircases, all the equivalent of 6 flights of stairs. you can also see that one escalator is currently out of service. and this is where the insanity lies. normally, it's understood -- like an unwritten rule -- that people who want to just stand and ride the escalator will do so ...

this is what hangs over our heads. literally.

I was a little disappointed today, I went into Manhattan for a training class, and neither the tree in Liberty Park (or whatever they are calling it now) nor the tree in front of the stock exchange were lit. the lights were in place, but not illuminated. guess it's a bit too early in the season. so here's a photo from last year, this is the tree in the park on Liberty Street, across from Ground Zero.

took this with the camera in my phone (I love my Voyager!) last spring. those goslings must be fully grown by now.

in addition to the usual trees, fake gifts, poinsettias, etc., this year they've added something -- glass ornaments that hang from the ceiling, each of them probably 2 feet tall. if I can take a photo later I will post it, but in the meantime, here are ornaments similar to what's hanging over my head every time I walk through the lobby:

ever notice that the ads on this blog seem to coordinate with the topics being discussed. marvelous technology, that... one ad that keeps popping up is for something called songbird gee, I wonder why a site with the name "songbird" keeps popping up!

Becca is thinking of running track this spring. apparently spring track is a "walk-on" at Becca's school. her best friend is a member of the team. it means she'd have to go to practice...and I'd have to go to the meets whenever I can. but she can always use another varsity letter -- she got one letter for her two years of dance team (dance and cheerleading are "stepchildren" of the athletic department, no matter how long you're on the varsity team you earn only one letter). and she could win a scholar-athlete award (dance team wasn't eligible for this award, though most of the dance team girls would have qualified if eligible) and if she actually joins the team, I would love to go to the spring sports awards and smile at the dance team bitch coach.

genderanalyzer has changed its tune: We think http://songbirdscrazyworld.blogspot.com/ is written by a woman (76%).

Dancing bears, Painted wings, Things I almost remember, And a song someone sings, Once upon a December Someone holds me safe and warm, Horses prance through a silver storm, Figures dancing gracefully across my memory... Someone holds me safe and warm, Horses prance through a silver storm, Figures dancing gracefully across my memory... Far away, long ago Glowing dim as an ember, Things my heart used to know, Things it yearns to remember. And a song someone sings, Once upon a December

ok, I confess my ignorance, I am not on facebook. my 16 year old is hysterically crying right now. she got a text message from a friend..."what happened to your facebook? I click on your name and nothing happens." I assume the hyperlink is broken. and she can't log in to her account. right now she's wailing "\acebook is my life" and "it took me 2 years to get my facebook the way I want it." back when she used MySpace her page was hacked, the administrators were not helpful and she had to recreate her whole page. is there any hope for her facebook page, or is she starting all over?

The Rules:1. Link to the person who tagged you Suzanne 2. Post the rules on your blog (this is what you are now reading). 3. List 6 random things about yourself. 4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post. 5. Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog. Six random things about me: 1. I secretly fantasize about being on Jeopardy!. Honestly, I don't think I'd be a great player, I do like trivia but I'm not very quick on the buzzer. But it's nice to dream. 2. For many years I was a Trekkie, knew all sorts of obscure details about the show, read every cheap Star Trek novel, even went to conventions and bought all sorts of junk. Stood outside, in the cold, for hours waiting to get into the movies to see the first Star Trek movie on opening night. 3. Peter Gallagher once touched my knee. There's a long story behind that remark, but I'm not about to share it - today. 4. I am such a kid when I get to amusement parks I love the rides (well...

Becca is now the proud owner of an official NYS learner's permit. her birthday was back in July,but this was the first opportunity we had to go to the DMV. it was almost a disaster. we got to the DMV this morning and Becca presented her birth certificate and passport. but she didn't have her social security card...somehow I misplaced her card (and my own). they wouldn't let her apply for the permit without the card. you cannot imagine the tears. so we drove over to social security and filled out the paperwork for replacement cards. we should get the new cards in about a week. but wedid get a print out saying that Becca's number is (her number) and that she applied for a new card. back at the DMV they were glad to accept the letter in lieu of the card. so she took the written test and the vision test, and had her photo taken. and I paid a fee. she got her temporary permit and should have the picture one in about a week.

this morning I saw...rats. this afternoon I saw...beauty. The Garden of Circus Delights/Eric Fischl lovely mosaic under the city streets. Here are a few photos. you can find the whole album here click on the photos to enlarge

In my 18 years of motherhood I have performed many job functions: cook, housekeeper, chauffeur, tutor, entertainment committee, social secretary, ATM... but yesterday I added a new one to the list: GPS device. yesterday jen and a friend drove home (to Long Island) from their college in Rhode Island. so around 3:30 she sends me a text: "when we get off the Throgs Neck Bridge, we take the Cross Island south, right?" when i confrimed that, she sent a follow up text: "so how do we get to to the Throgs Neck?" a little cart-before-the-horse, don't you think? well, anyhow, she arrived home safe and sound.

At least two of them, possibly more. Memo to the NYCTA : you need better pest control at the 34 th Street Subway Station. Seriously. the 34 th Street Station has two tracks headed uptown and two headed downtown, separated by a platform for A train riders. E train riders have platforms on either side of the station. so when you're waiting for the E train, you look across the tracks to passengers waiting for the A train looking back at you. I was standing on the platform waiting for the E train this morning, when what should I happen to spot crawling around on the tracks but....a baby rat. It was it was slender and lithe and almost...cute. It scurried about for a few minutes, then headed uptown. a few minutes later I spotted its older brother. Not so cute.It, too, scurried about the tracks for a few minutes, then headed downtown. then the A train pulled in on the opposite track, and I lost sight of older brother....and saw him again (or possibly a third member of the family) a f...

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but I am a member of the Board of Trustees of my synagogue. We're the governing body of the synagogue. At our synagogue, when a child celebrates his/her bar/bat mitzvah, a member of the board of Trustees will present that child with a gift from the Board. The designated trustee makes a short speech about the chuld (based on information supplied by the parents). I've only been on the board since March, I've never done a bar/bat mitzvah presentaiton. There are two boys celebrating their b'nai mitzvah on Saturday, and I am the trustee who will make the presentation. I am soooo nervous. I'm an attorney, I've had courtroom experience, I've addressed judges and adversaries in front of a room full of poeple. but this is different. these aren't total strangers I'll be talking to, it's members of the congregation. and the funny thing is, I"m not obsessing over what to say. I wrote out a little speech ...

saw a very...interesting...foreign film last night. in Hebrew with English subtitles. Beaufort was a Crusader fotress built on a mountain in Lebanon. in 1982 the Israeli forces in Lebanon set up an outpost at the fortress. the Israelis withdrew from Lebanon 18 years later. the film is set in the last few days before the troops were evacuated. it's a powerful statement about the futility of war.

this mother-daughter stuff is hard! you'd think after 18 years I'd get the hang of it. you'd be wrong. had a knock-down drag-out with Becca this weekend. no need to go into the details, all you need to know is that she's 16, i.e., she's supposed to fight with her mother. well, the fight was over Saturday. sunday morning she went out to breakfast with the boyfriend. I picked her up at his house afterwards and drove her to her best friend's house so that the two girls could work on their English project. but before we went to the girl's house, she said we had to go to Starbucks for some peppermint hot chocolate. she and I are the only two people in our house who like peppermint hot chocolate. I guess that was her way of reaffirming her bond with me. FYI I love the comic strip Zits . they really have teenagers pegged. (if you can't see the whole strip, click on it to enlarge)

these are mine: I just love these earrings. they're long and dangling and they even touch my shoulders when I wear them. I wear a lot of black, so these earrings go with many of my outfits. but more important is that these earrings bring back a pleasant memory. I bought them in "Morocco", or rather, the Morocco pavillion at EPCOT. ( Wouldn't you know we're riding on the Marrakesh Express, Wouldn't you know we're riding on the Marrakesh Express,They're taking me to Marrakesh, All aboard the train, all aboard the train ) we'd stopped at the Tangierine Cafe for schwarma and other Middle Eastern delights. not that I need to go to Disneyworld for good hummus, I get plenty of that right here in NYC,but the food at Tangierine was top notch. and the whole atmosphere of "Morocco" was wonderful - evocative of the Tales of Arabian Nights (Arabian nights, Like Arabian days, More often than not Are hotter than hot, In a lot of good ways) -- in fact, I...

How You Live: one word. Meme via Amy 1. What wakes you: alarm clock 2. Your initial look in the mirror reveals: bleary-eyed 3. You usually first put on: make-up 4. Your closet: stuffed 5. Your mood before 11am: hectic 6. The first thing you look at online after email: blog 7. Something you tend to snack on: anything 8. What you see out your front door: trees 9. Your takeout menus: scattered 10. Number of boxes of tissue out in your home right now: two 11. The way you sneeze would read: 'choo 12. Number of times a day you probably brush your hair: 4 13. The most predominant thing in your pantry: pasta 14. A smell commonly coming from your kitchen: garlic 15. How you sort your books: random 16. The way you keep your place in a book: dog-ear 17. Something you hide when people come over: clutter 18. Number of people normally at your table during dinner: three 19. Something you put on your nightstand before bed: water 20. How high you pull the covers when you go to sleep: neck

for some reason I can't seem to get that tune out of my head today. don't know why.

I got it from Suzanne, who got it from Amy. The genderanalyzer , that is. it said: We think http://songbirdscrazyworld.blogspot.com/ is written by a man (61%). too funny!

that something you thought was absolutely horrible when it happened turns out to be for the best? Jen spent four fabulous years on the high school cheer team. she wasn't always happy -- she didn't move up from JV to varisty as quickly as she would have liked, she didn't get a spot on the competition team until her junior year, and she was not named captain even though she felt she'd be a good leader for the team. but overall, cheer was a positive experience for her, she learned to work hard to move up, and the coaches encouraged sportsmanship, teamwork and a positive outlook -- and would not put up with drama queens. Becca, on the other hand, thought the dance team was where she wanted to be. dance team is one small squad, not divided into JV or varsity. very different atmosphere, the coach is all about "winning". I couldn't believe some of the sentiments I heard come out of my own child's mouth --- 2nd place was considered "losing". g...

Can't wait for the turkey, the gravy, the mashed potatoes, the sweet potatoes, the cranberry sauce....but especially the stuffing. There never seems to be a lot of stuffing left over, and that's what I truly want the most of....

Long Island's own Push Play will be riding the Hess float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Now, why is songbird, 48 year old full-time attorney and part-time blogger, interested in a band that can only be described as "teen wonders"? because not only is songbird the mother of two darling teenage daughters , songbird has actually met the young man who is the lead singer of this band. CJ went to day camp with my older daughter Jen, back when they were in 4th or 5th grade, and the two became friends. they are still friends today, at the ripe old age of 18, though not as close as they were when they were kids. When Jen takes her girlfriends to a Push Play show, she's a bit of a celebrity herself because she knows CJ. that young man's career is about to take off, and Jen will be able to say "she knew him when..."

Pizza for Lunch!

that slice of pizza...that's my lunch walking away.... here's a guy playing harmoinica in Penn Station -- the call him "sleepy Lester"

one word answers only: Where is your cell phone? pocketbook Where is your significant other? MIA Your hair color? blonde Your mother? expressway Your father? expressway Your favorite thing? music Your dream last night? None Your dream/goal? Health The room you’re in? office Your hobby? reading Your fear? multiple Where do you want to be in 6 years? alive Where were you last night? home What you’re not? cool One of your wish-list items? car Where you grew up? here The last thing you did? commuted What are you wearing? red Your TV? home Your pet? felines Your computer? Lifeline Your mood? Tired Missing someone? Always Your car? ancient Something you’re not wearing? ring Favorite store? Book Your summer? work Love someone? always Your favorite color? Purple When is the last time you laughed? Today Last time you cried? yesterday

it's his latest book, a sequel to "The Gold Coast". I've read every novel he's written under his real name (he wrote a few under a pen name but they're out of print). My favorites are the stories set in NYC and Long island, with sarcastic leading men and lots of local color. for some reason those stories ring true for me.

There he is, in all his glory, parading around Times Square. In all the years I've lived/worked/played in NYC, I've never seen him. A group of my friends ran into him once, I was supposed to be with them but had to cancel out. So I've never seen him. I've seen lots of "living statues", you know, people dressed like the Statue of Liberty -- or something similar -- who perform on the street. One time I ran into "Spongebob Squarepants" outside the Toys R Us on 44th Street. And several years ago I saw a group of roller skaters dressed up as butterflies to promots MSN, But the Naked Cowboy...never.

My office is on the 20th floor of a 40-story building. there was an "incident" on the 33rd floor about 20 minutes ago. the fire alarm went off, and the building fire warden told everyone on 32, 33 and 34 to evacuate their floors and walk down to the lobby. the rest of us were directed to stay where we are. it's a little scary hearing the alarms over your head, and the entire local fire department driving up to your building. got the all clear about 10 minutes after the first alarm went off. but people do take these things quite seriously these days. after all, we're in jersey city. all we have to do is look out our window at the Manhattan skyline to realize why we need to take the alarm seriously.

So today I got to suit up at head over to corporate headquarters for an all-day training class in negotiation skills and techniques. You'd think, after 20+years in this business, i may have already developed a few negotiation techniques...but whatever, I don't mind spending a day in the Wall Street office. And if you want to give me CE credit for my various and sundry adjusters' licenses, that's fine with me -- extra fine if you also include some CLE for my law license. so we did a little role playing in order to perfect our techniques and I was cast in the role of irate claimant with a twisted ankle who desperately wants a monetary settlement with the insurance company. and afterwards, the guy who played the insurance adjuster told me I was terrific in the part of the claimant. and I explained: method acting. back in 1995, I was on a business trip to Philly, I was there to attend mediation sessions and to settle cases I was working on. Since I would be there for severa...

I think I am single-handedly keeping the chapstick company in business today....I have so much chapstick on it's a wonder my lips don't slide right off my face...but even with a ton of petrolatum on my lips they still feel rough and flaky...my winter misery is just beginning. how many days until spring?

grandy had once again tagged everyone. this time we must all tell 7 things about ourselves in high school. so here goes: 1. When you say "high school" I say "which one?" because our district had two high schools, and I attended both. In those days, high school was grades 10-12 (9th graders were in junior high). In all the years I'd lived in our town, the school district had only one high school, and when you said "the high school" everyone knew what you meant. but when I was in 9th grade, the district built a second building, about a mile away from the high school, and told us that "the high school" would now be called "High School east" and the new building would be called "High School West." 1oth graders would attend West and upperclassmen would attend East. Wehn I started at West, we were stumbling over construction crews on our way to class. (I still live in the same town, and now both high schools are full, 4...

and the breaking glass shattered the silence. so began our synagogue's commemoration of Kristallnacht. 70 years ago ont his night, the Nazis turned from discrimination to violence. synagogues burned, Jewish businesses were destroyed, Jewish citizens were assaulted and arrested and deported to camps. We stood at sunset, with Yartzeit lamps flickering in the wind. we read recollections of that horrible night. we heard from a survivor. we sang sonds of peace and hope. we heard from our invited guest, a minister from a neighboring church we talked abou the signs of hatred and bigorty still exitant in our community. the grafitti on the walls of our synagogue. on the walls of a church, on the walls of a school. the cross burned on a lawn in New Jersey. and we vowed: Never again.

won't go into details, but may I just bang my head against the wall for a few minutes? there, i feel a bit better. now, if my blood pressure would only drop a few points....

and I wish I could say I was happy about it. but she's coming home because tomorrow night she has to go to a wake, her good friend's mother died last thursday. still, my baby will be home tonorrow, on her birthday. her 18th birthday. can you believe she's actually going to be 18? where has the time gone? she was born on a Wednesday, the day after Election Day. my due date was 11/8, and my last day of work had been on Friday the 3rd. I thought "first babies are always late" and that I'd ahve a few days home alone to get ready for this incredible new role in my life. famous last words. tuesday night, I made a steak dinner, and Drew and I settled onto the couch to watch a Madonna concert on HBO. at first I was not sure I was feeling real labor pains, but eventually the truth dawned on me. we dropped off the keys at my Aunt eileen's (she lived 4 blocks from us, and we wanted her to take care of the cat and dog), and we headed for the hospital. I had a...

this is the button I have: this is the one I wish I'd gotten: tomorrow night I will watch the returns.....it should be an interesting night!!!

So it was Parents’ Weekend at URI….Lord knows why they chose to have parents’ weekend on Halloween , but who am I do question why? So the kidlet says she’s “going to a Halloween party Friday night, came you please come up Saturday morning?” So the ex shows up at 7 AM Saturday. Drew and I have a pretty good relationship these days…we’re remembering what we liked each other before we hated each other – after 14 years of battling it out, the war is finally over. It’s just the two of us, Becca has opted to stay home. We load up with van with such staples as Arizona iced tea and Orville Reddenbacher, as well as Jen’s winter coat and a few things she left home the last time she was here. Drew was all set to just hop onto the expressway after that, but I can’t function without my carbs and caffeine, so we made a brief stop at the local bagel place. Got up to Kingston around 10:30-ish, and on the drive from I-95 to the school we saw lots of farm country – including real live cows and sheep! Go...