songbird's crazy world

Wow, two wantable boxes on the same day!  So excited. By chance I opened the accessories box first. I got the Priscilla necklace, a triple layer necklace with an Aztec pattern and a touch of turquoise.  I'm sure I'll wear this often. I got the Joanna ring.  It has a stretch band, which I like, but again, the ring is a bit large for my very small hands. I got two pair of earrings.   The Jesslyn earrings are pretty silver hoops, very practical and very pretty. The Adele earrings are yellow/gold posts with a large ball on one end and a smaller ball on the other end.  They suggest wearing the larger ball behind the ear.  The makeup box... I got Grande Naturals Grande Lash mascara.   I wear mascara all the time, we'll see how this compares. Marsk Mineral Bronzer.  It looks very dark for my skin tone.  Not sure I'll use it much. Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil.  Looks interesting.   They suggest using on the brow bone or under the eyes.  I'll play. Best th

One of the biggest movies of 2013 was a Disney animated musical, with Oscar-calibre songs and a lead character voiced by one of my favorite Broadway stars. And I never went to see it. The songs, and parodies of the songs, popped up everywhere. I downloaded it from iTunes, but never found the time to watch. Until last night. Too tired to go out, we had Chinese food delivered and watched a DVD. And now I know why everyone is so enchanted with "Frozen". - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Another great night of Atlantic League baseball. Great seats, comfortable weather for a game (felt more like the end of September than Labor Day weekend). A promotional night, we each got a water bottle in bright orange, with the Ducks logo. Great game, they won 7-0. Lots of cheering. And of course, Crackerjacks. For some reason, lately that's become my snack food of choice at the ballpark. We're thinking we might go to one more regular season game, as it seems unlikely the Ducks will make the playoffs this year. I'm loving this ... -Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Jen sent me a text from Paris, saying she never wants to come home. Sigh. I know just how she feels – and I’ve never actually been to Paris. I really need a vacation. She’ll be starting another year as a paraprofessional, but this year she’ll be in the middle school. And she’ll be coaching cheer at the high school. Keeps her busy. I spoke too soon about Drew teaching entirely in his comfort zone. When Drew got his teaching credentials, special education teachers weren’t required to certify in a specific subject matter, so he can be called upon to teach almost any subject. The Powers That Be at his high school recognize his preference for a Social Studies curriculum, and that’s what he always winds up teaching when he’s got a self-contained class. But when he’s the second teacher in an inclusion class --- well, last year he taught Life Science, and this year they gave him an Earth Science class. When they hired me for this job, back in June, they said I’d be working from Lo

Let It Go -- Samantha Echo: http://youtu.be/cS_iLXVwf68

So I was in Penn Station, waiting for Becca so we could enjoy the commute home together. As is typical of Penn at rush hour, there was an artist sponsored by the MTA, a young woman, a singer. She sang some songs from "Frozen". Songs from "Les Miz". From "Phantom of the Opera". Then she moved on to real opera. And then some jackass told her to shut up. But she would not be bullied. I was so impressed with the way she handled herself. Had to look her up. This is what I found. http://thenoisebeneaththeapple.com/2014/03/05/buskers/street-musician-day-samantha-echo/ - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad Location: Penn Station, NY

Work is stressful lately. The job is interesting, but the politics and personalities ....still, I think I'm managing to keep everyone happy. The change has been good for me. Drew's summer vacation comes to an end tomorrow. So now we can both deal with workplace stress. At least this year the classes he's going to teach are in his comfort zone. Becca is loving her job. Some days they run her ragged, but then there are days... She's sent on an errand via car service, then allowed to go home early in the car. She's considering law school, but she's also considering taking a Master's. She's got time to figure it out. Jen isn't working this week. The last day of camp was August 22, and she doesn't have to report to school until September 2. She'll be at the middle school this year. In the meantime, she's on vacation -- in London and Paris. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Another lunchtime adventure. Until this week I had not ventured over to the South Street Seaport, I was afraid to see the ravages of Superstorm Sandy.  But an invitation to join coworkers for lunch changed all that. Cowgirl Seahorse, located on historic Front Street, is one of many small "dives"  in the neighborhood. It's a small, whimsical restaurant, Coney Island Boardwalk meets 1950's Florida vacation.  There are actually strings of game tickets hanging from the lighting fixtures. Food is part Tex Mex, part Southern.  We started our meal with excellent tortilla chips and a wonderful guacamole with just enough spice to make things interesting.  Most of us had sandwiches, served in a basket with cole slaw and French fries -- hamburger, pulled pork, a po' boy.  Mine was grilled chicken in BBQ sauce -- a bit dry, but satisfactory. A bit of a hike from our office, but a fun and tasty  lunch, well worth the trip.

So Saturday we went to the Renaissance Faire. Four of us, though Drew's sister opted out. Breakfast at our favorite diner in Tuxedo, of course, and then on to the Faire. Guess who was hanging out at the entrance? None other than Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Not to mention, Maid Marian, the local gentry ... And some fairies inside the gate. Musicians, too. I was a bit disappointed, they cast a different woman as Queen this year, and Her Majesty did not greet the arriving guests when the gates opened. Rather, she arrived later, after we had moved onto other activities. Stewart and Arnold, our favorite knife throwers. And the humor of Hey Nunnie Nunnie. We did some shopping, then found our way to the Living Chess Game. This is set up as a friendly confrontation between the Sheriff of Nottingham and Robin Hood, and involves hand to hand combat. So Saturday The re