Nanny Nanny Poo Poo

YOU ARE GETTING VERY THIRSTY...

(Click on image... go ahead, I know you want to do it... click on the image.)

YOU ARE CRAVING COFFEE...

NANNY NANNY POO POO... 

IT'S JUST YOUR MIND PLAYING GAMES!

HOPE THIS MAKES YOU LOL!

8th in a series...

Lunch with friends (had lunch yesterday with gf from grade school, so much fun)
Cup of joe with friends (it's more for the conversation and time spent but the coffee tastes good too!)
Sleeping in (ahhh, I could get used to this)
Checking something off the to do list (such accomplishment!)
Hugs and kisses...

You?

7th in a series...

• The sound of hammers starting the demo at home to make way for the new kitchen.  (although I am sure this sound will soon drive me crazy but I'm very happy for now!)
• Finding what I consider to be a great sale/bargain, and I did just that yesterday <-- Happy, Happy Me!
• Anticipating the week 'off' from work, well, I'll be tethered by BlackBerry but not in the office!
• Catching up with friends.
• Bright sunshine in the morning (especially when down the shore!).
• A great joke (that doesn't fly over my head, obviously!).

You?

6th in a series...

Having the day off from w-o-r-k, BIG SMILE = VERY, VERY HAPPY
No 'plans' so I do as the mood fits
Getting a deep tissue massage
Smell of newly laundered sheets (air dried on a clothes line is the best but it's all dryer dried now)
Good hair days

You?

5th in a series

Santa Claus coming to town (yuppers, he arrived yesterday!)

BLT sandwich - when I was younger, my mom would take me out to lunch and this was one of my favorite choices... the other favorite choice...
Grilled Reuben sandwich - Yummo! Especially when it's sloppy and I have to lick the juice from my fingers to my elbows!
Traveling to other countries
Reading or listening to a good mystery/suspense novel
Sipping a great cup of warm coffee/hot chocolate/tea (with a friend is even better!)
Seeing the flowers on my Christmas cactus
Compliments; giving and taking (easier for me to give than take but I am still working on that)

You?

4th in a series...

Hearing someone tell me, 'I love you.'
Telling someone, 'I love you.
Wearing a piece of clothing that fits 'right'.
Laying in the grass on a spring/fall day cloud watching and thinking of things the clouds look like alone or better yet, with someone.
Going new places.
Sightseeing.

You?

3rd in a series...

Any project that gets completed, done, moved off my plate!
Soft Ice Cream Cone dipped in chocolate and covered with jimmies (aka sprinkles)
Dark Chocolate Non-pareils - YUMMY
Kit Kat bars... reminds me of my much younger days when my Pop Pop walked me around to the corner drug store (with soda fountain) and would treat me to Kit Kats then we'd go across the street to the playground... I loved my Pop Pop, such a gentle man

2nd in the series...

All things Christmas...
Shopping for gifts for loved ones
Listening to Christmas music (like I have playing today)
Smell of cookies baking in the oven
Smell of fresh greens
Decorating for Christmas
Sending AND receiving Christmas cards

What small things make you happy?

Small (and not so small) thing(s) that make me happy...

With the shorter days and things not being as great as they should be, I think I will try to help lift my spirits as we enter the Christmas Season and start posting small (and not so small) thing(s) that make me happy... here's hoping it helps raise me.  Think positive, think positive, think positive.  Feel free to add thing(s), big or small, that make you happy.  Who knows, we may find that similar things work for us all!

Ok, first thing(s) that popped into my mind was...

• birds chirping
• a walk on a sunny day
• a walk on a sunny day with a friend makes me even happier!
• family - Scrump-dylly-icious of course!
• friends
• lunch or dinner with friends makes me even happier!
• having dinner ready when I get home from work (whatever time that happens to be)
• celebrating (anything... I'm part Irish after all but unlike stereotypes, I don't drink much)
• spending a day with my mom (actually doing anything with my mom makes me happy, LOVE her!)

I'm going to do this type of post for a bit, feel free to add onto it at any time.

Cheers!

Wickedly Wonderful

Great show, two thumbs up!

Great windows, two thumbs up!

Great weather to enjoy the city, two thumbs up!

Rants

Yeah, I feel like ranting

hoping it will be cathartic

but I think I'll just 

open a Word document 

and rant there.

This way I'll get it out

of my system and not

bring you down in the

process.

Give My Regards to Broadway...

Remember me to Herald Square.

Tell all the folks at 42nd Street that

I will soon be there!!!!

Whisper of how I'm yearning

to mingle with the old time throng...

Give my regards to ole Broadway and say that

I'll be there long!

So looking forward to seeing 

Wicked on Broadway this weekend.

And on Saturday, I get to celebrate my Godson's 6th Birthday!

I simply cannot believe he's been here 6 years already... 

Love him to death!

Pretty good weekend ahead.... 
come on 5 o'clock!

Soooo.... lemme ask ya...

Did you do any shopping under the 

'New' Black Thursday for your holiday presents?

I mean really, come on.  

Why can't we save Thanksgiving 

for family and friends?

I was appalled at the retailers that

were open on this holiday and 

saddened by those that opened at 9PM 

on Thanksgiving evening.

As a matter of fact, for someone whose

favorite past time is shopping, I didn't

go out to stores on Thursday, Friday or 

Saturday!  Sunday I went out mid-afternoon

to my favorite garden center, Waterloo Gardens,

just to get fresh air and peruse the gift shoppe.

I am honestly considering not taking my 

hard earned dollars to those retailers who

opened on Thanksgiving during the ENTIRE 

holiday shopping season!

So tell me, are you with me or are you one 

of those folks who went out to battle for the 

deals? 

How'd you spend your Thanksgiving holiday????

Hope you made sure to 

add a little bit of F-U-N

to your celebration....

I WE did!

 

 

Oh, and milestone met and continues to grow..... over 10,000 page views!

May God's Wonderful Bounty Surround You This Thanksgiving

Thanking my blogging fans for

stopping by and leaving a comment

or two.

I am thankful for you this

Thanksgiving holiday!

Blah, Blah, Blah, Tuesday!

Here in the NE US, 

it's a dreary Tuesday.

Gray day,

Misty rain,

Cooler temps.

This is the kind of day that I love

to stay in my jammies,

curl up in bed,

and watch a great movie or four!

Great movie? you ask.... you know, like

     - Bridget Jones Diary

     - An Officer and A Gentleman

     - Pretty Woman

     - The Notebook

Heck, even the newer Star Trek could

be considered good if you have the 

right person there watching it with you!

Today, here at work, they are holding a

'Wellness Fair' with various benefit companies

in one room to sell their wares.  

Lo and Behold, what do you suppose

was awaiting associates as they navigated

the room of vendors????

Back massages!! HIP!

No lines!!!!! HIP!

20 minutes long!!! HOORAY!!!

My dreary Tuesday has 

all of a sudden turned into

MY

DREAMY

TUESDAY

Stay awake our there!


P.S. (Closing in on 10,000 page views, so exciting!)

So much to do....

New Kitchen Progress

Well, we're biting the bullet and forging ahead with getting me a
kitchen I can live with for the next few years.

My home was built in 1924.  Stone first floor (with 16" deep window sills)
and stucco second floor.  It's chock full of character.

When we first looked at it back in 1989, it was considered a 'handyman
special' and the only redeeming feature the Realtor could say was,
"The mosaic tile is pretty."  Needless to say that was one of the
many things we've changed over the years.  But I digress, and I
will share the evolution of our home at another point... back to my
new kitchen plans...

We're adding a modest 12' x 12"10 addition to the back of the house
just off the existing 'eat in' kitchen.  The new addition will now house the
kitchen and the existing kitchen will be an eating area adjacent to the
dining room.

Wall between dining room and kitchen is being torn down too to open
up the area.  I plan to have a buffet created where the current wall is.
Again, modest 3' x 5' buffet with cabinet on both sides; dining room side
to have glass doors with mullions & lighting to 'show off' my prized
possessions, kitchen eating area to have solid wood doors.

Cabinet shopping done
'L' shaped kitchen layout (changed from a 'U' shape) cabinets to
all be creme with a mocha glaze... details are oh so pretty.
Small slanted island to have prep sink with disposal and extended to
accommodate two stools.  Trash can will be hidden in the cabinet.
These cabinets will be stained wood with a glaze...same door details
as white cabinets.

Will look similar to this with darker glaze.  Same hood.

Buffet
As described above, cabinets stained like island.

All counters will have granite including island and buffet area.

Kitchen eat in area 
'L' shaped bench seats with heating radiators built into the base.
About 11' on one wall & 5' on the other, plenty of seating for
family and friends to set a spell and visit.
I think these will be painted and glazed to match the main cabinet area.
I will still have to make the cushions, choose fabric, etc....

Last night we went to choose flooring
Wanted cork flooring for comfort while standing but found them
to be available like a floating floor in planks of varying widths or
blocks of 16" squares.  Since my current floor is that style of flooring
that clicks together AND the fact that the dog's water bowl caused
the underlayment to expand, I don't want to have that type of system
in the kitchen again.

Cork flooring cost was about $6.50 sf not including installation and sealing.
I know, I have always been told I have Champagne taste and a beer pocketbook.
Guess I still do.

Alternative flooring I am going with is a Congoleum product that's super durable,
super comfy underfoot and super affordable compared to my cork floor... only $2.70 sf.
It also won't be damaged with water and no gluing needed.  The style I chose
looks like tile and is a great alternative choice.

HVAC
Today, I spoke to a HVAC company about having the Mitsubishi heating & AC unit
installed to supplement heating if needed but definitely will complement and boost
the retrofitted central air we had put into the house a few years ago.

Extra AC unit was not an option, it was a requirement!  And I believe it will increase
the summer comfort tremendously especially since we've opened up the space by
removing the walls.

HVAC will come over, hopefully before Thanksgiving, to provide info and schedule
install within the scope of the project.

Next up, lighting
Oh, sconces, pendants, chandeliers, can lights, under counter lights
Here I come!

Can't wait to get this party started!
I have redone the kitchen before so I know it will be a royal pain in the a$$
and inconvenient, but I also know I have an aggressive timeline in place and it
will be done and over with too.

Perhaps I'll post pix of my nightmares as we progress along...

Why Am I So Tired Lately?

I've started moving more,
Zumba classes & walking.

I've tried to choose better food options,
tuna salads, low fat, portion controlled meals.

I thought I'd get more energy.
Instead, I feel tired.
I go to bed early
(cause my eyes are closing on me.)
I have been getting sleep
(albeit not a full night's rest at one time,
but I sleep nonetheless.)

I have a lot of stress in my life,
I believe the addition of exercise
will help me better cope with and
reduce the stress level.
Stress won't go away, how
I cope with it will help.

I'll stick with it because I know I
am making positive steps but I
just want to begin to feel that difference.

Why am I so tired lately?

Thank a Veteran Today!

For all those who are currently serving,

For all those who served,

For all those who will serve,

My deepest gratitude for permitting

me to live in the land of the FREE.

Freedom does not come for FREE,

There is a price that gets paid,

Sometimes, it's the ultimate sacrifice,

a soldier's life.

Happy Veterans' Day 2011!

and for my Dad,

Semper Fi!

and a Belated Happy 236th Birthday to the Marine Corps.

Hubby's Surgery Went Well YAY!

Hubby had knee surgery today

(that's why I was up well before the 

birdies this morning  and in the office

before sunrise!). 

Dr. was able to fix the tears to the 

meniscus but there's arthritis in 

that there joint so eventually, 

it will begin to bother him again.

Heck, he may even need to have 

a knee replacement someday, but most

likely not until he's in his 60's or 70's.

I am happy there were no complications, 

he's been through so much since his 

injury in 1991.  Anything that can be 

done to alleviate any pains is greatly 

appreciated.

Thank you God!

I Love You!

Meetings, meetings, meetings, meetings & meetings

ARGH.... 

Finally out of marathon meetings!

Now I finally get to do some work...

with the last 45 minutes to my day

(I hope).

Just had to vent before starting to do 

that work!

Ciao!

Let's get ready to Zumba!!!!!!!!!

Ok, in my continuing quest to live a 

healthier lifestyle, I went to my 

FIRST Zumba class last night!

What a workout!

Reminded me of the Aeorobics classes

I used to go to but a little more

bootie shakin'!

I hope I don't throw out my hip

as I try to gyrate and shake it up!

I want to be ripped like the instructors.

Ah, those firm abs, mine are flabby,

firm arms, mine are batwings,

sculptured shoulders, 

mine are turning into Quasimodo!

(Really, if you knew me, you'd see the resemblance!)

I worked up a great sweat and 

left for home without so much

as a jacket on me.  

Opened the windows and the 49 degree

temperature felt oh-soooo-good!

I can feel my calves and thighs today...

Maybe I should have worn flats instead

of heels... nawwww!!!

Plan to attend next week's class.

Til then....my shakin' will be minimal.

Ta ta for now Dahlings!