We bought a bag of crap

Thrifty people that we are, the Mr subscribes to a variety of deal making websites. One of his favorites is Woot. If you're not familiar with Woot, it sells one item a day for a discounted price, until it sells out. We've seen everything from laptops to aqua scooters. But the piece de resistance is the elusive bag of crap, available only when there is a woot off. The bag of crap is the holy grail for bargain hunters. One "bag" for $1, plus $5 shipping could result in a variety of overstocked goodness. The BOC can contain any of the previously featured products and runs quite the gamut. There are entire websites dedicated to "logging in" your crap.

Maybe we'll get one of these

Donald Rumsfeld Talking Action Figure $29.95

Or some of these:

Vicks Junior Thermometer $8.00

The hubs is hoping for this

irobot Roomba 510 $279.00

But I'm thinking it will have one of these

Lowepro camera bag $10.00

This isn't his first BOC though, he lucked up the day after Thanksgiving during a 24 hour woot off. He waited like a small child watching for Santa, it was cute. He had an unwrapping (people post the opening of their boxes on youtube. seriously. do a search.) complete with play by play. But alas, there was no big ticket item, just a 12 pack of Southpark key chains, 2 GoDusters, a stocking and a Christmas spinner. His heart was broken :(

Let's just hope this time is better. I'll let you know when it arrives!

NYC Day 2

Our second day in the city was dedicated to scouting out all the places the high school would be visiting. Which meant a very long day. Since our final stop would be West Side Story and I have a consatant fear of being under dressed I wore dressy boots. Did I mention it was a very long day?

First stop was the Lincoln Center to catch a rehearsal of the New York Philharmonic and special guests PercaDu. Pictures aren't allowed, and the outside was under construction, so no pictures to share. I can share a piece of advice though, don't even think about sitting on the floor there. Even if you're feet are killing you.

Here's the Mr with his favorite composer:

Next stop took us back through Midtown, by way of Radio City Music Hall. We didn't take the tour, but we did peruse the gift shop. And they let you sit down. Just around the corner (Thank Goodness!) we stopped at 30 Rockefeller Plaza for a bird's eye view of the city. The Top of the Rock was incredibly windy, but provided such gorgeous views and those fun binocular machines. Which only takes quarters. Which I did not have. Which I traded some other tourist nickels and pennies for so the young un could have a chance to explore. Oh yes I did.

On my list for the day was a visit to Serendipity III, due to it's Travel Channel fame as home to world's most expensive sundae. I did not order the sundae, alas there is a 48 hour notice required, but I did snag some frozen hot chocolate. Service left a lot to be desired (we waited over an hour for our lunch) and the food was average. But the frozen hot chocolate was divine! Plus, I got to rest my feet!

Thankfully there was a subway close to Serendipity, which I cried tears of joy to ride. It took us down to Ground Zero for my first look. It was late in the day, so we didn't get to go in St Paul's, but the firehouse across from the WTC was open and we visited the memorials there.

It was such a different vibe to the city, so we continued down to Battery Park to watch the sunset on the river. So crazy to think that a plane landed on it not too long ago.

The young un was impressed with his first view of Lady Liberty, and I was impressed with the new Staten Island Ferry station. Right up until our subway broke. And we had to get off. In the midst of evening commute. (I should probably point out here that I am a huge fan of personal space. A crowded subway car does not allow for personal space.)

By the time we emerged in Times Square, it was show time. West Side Story re-opened this year for a revival run. This time around, the Sharks spoke Spanish, and "I Feel Pretty" was harder to sing along with, as it was "Siento Hermosa". But it was Broadway, and a fun show, and 2 hours of having my shoes off.

I'll be honest and say that 11:00 P.M. is probably not the best time to take the subway, but I was crying by that point, so take the subway we did. The young un fell asleep on the trip back to the hotel. I wish I could have, but I was to panic stricken with the guy walking from car to car asking for handouts. Thus ended Day 2.

Six Word Saturday

Sometimes I just need a break.

This week totally got away from me. Nothing was accomplished the way I planned. Freak hail storms, allergies from hell, unpacking from the trip, grading papers, baseball practices, and a kickball tournament. I promise I'll catch up on comments, blog stalking and posting later this afternoon.

If you want to be a part of SWS, visit Cate @ Show my face.

Interruption

I totally intended to blog about Day 2 of the NYC trip, but the Texas weather decided I could do without technology for a bit. The whole city spent the day waiting for the rain. Seriously, coaches were sending out hourly e-mails for us to stay tuned for after school activities. By the time we finally made it home after school, rain still hadn't arrived, so we readied for the usual evening rush of baseball practice and the gym. Then we saw the weather report. The weather report that showed black as one of the radar colors. Within 15 minutes I found out what the black means.Yes, that's hail. All over my front yard. Did I mention this accumulated in about 10 minutes? Check out that flowerbed... it looks like snow... not to mention the massive amount of rain.

The Mr was stuck at work when the storm hit, so I called to check on him. He spent the time watching golf ball size hail pulverize his ride, a black H3. He was a very sad man. Very. Sad.

So sad the he had to buy a new Canon 40D to make up for his crappy day. To make up for the 25 minutes he spent on hold with the insurance company. To make up for the 80 something pings on his vehicle. To make up for having to wait till May to get it repaired. Yeah, he feels better now :)

NYC Day 1

Alright, I realize this is a long post, but remember that I tried to pack in as much as possible, and I just want to share it all :)

First day in NYC was St Patrick's Day. Don't know if you're familiar with the saying everyone's a little Irish on St Patrick's Day, but I can assure you that everyone in NYC was indeed Irish for the day! Our first stop was Times Square, in an effort to get a lay of the land. One word: People. Everywhere I turned there were people. A. plethora. of. people. Once the initial shock was over, we joined the crowds of revelers and (map in hand) headed for a few of our don't want to miss locations.

The young un spotted Toys R Us right away, though he refused to have anything to do with the Ferris wheel. This place was huge and the Mr even found a sports memorabilia section he could browse through.

After the toy store, I made a beeline for the Ed Sullivan Theater, home to the Late Show with David Letterman. I had one objective, find Craig Fergison, his guest on that day's show. Alas, I did not get any quality time with Craigers, but we did snap a couple of pics with the sign. Leaving Letterman we mosey-ed on over to the M&M store, which I must tell you smelled scrumptious! I'm talking mouth watering. The young un found plenty of things to spend his vacation money on, and I fell in love with all the colors. What are the chances I could get a wall like this in my house?But, I managed to leave the store without buying any chocolate. I was saving up for something bigger :) A trip to Magnolia Bakery. I had a yummy banana nut cupcake frosted with pineapple icing and sprinkled with caramel and walnuts. The young un went for a regular chocolate vanilla combo and the Mr settled on white chocolate cheesecake. The smell was divine, the taste was average, the t-shirts super cute.

Walking off the cupcakes led us to Central Park, which is mind blowing when viewed from the top of a skyscraper. The young un found some rocks to climb (Epic!) and we people watched for a little bit.

Leaving Central Park we stumbled into the midst of the St Patrick's Day Parade, which began over 5 hours earlier. The Mr had a couple of friends involved in the parade, so we waited to meet up with them. The plan was to hit an Irish pub for some dinner. The problem: Irish Pub on St Patrick's Day = Police. There was no way I would even think about taking the young un inside.

No joke, as we arrived at the pub two NYPD cars came screeching up. A quick change of plans and we found ourselves at Hard Rock Cafe with good friend and fellow Texan, C. Yes, rather than drive a couple of hours to hangout, we met for dinner in New York. We swapped city stories and enjoyed a few adult beverages (after all, I had survived my first day in the city; clearly a toast was in order!) while the pulsating beat of Adam Ant filled the room. (Side note- Twisted Mac & Cheese with Chicken was delish!) After dinner we headed back out to Times Square for a few more photo worthy moments.

Now I should take a moment to explain that the Mr, being super prepared and cautious, decided to wear the video camera bag under his jacket that day. I told him at the hotel it looked like he was packing heat. Well, the NYPD agreed with me and he was approached by a female officer as we crossed a street. Not thinking, he goes to swing the bag around, so she instinctively reaches for her gun. Oh. yes. We nearly had a take down in Times Square folks. C & I are both in a bit of shock for a moment then quickly try to explain his reasoning for wearing it under his coat. The officer's reply, "People scare me around here". Um hello? When the cop tells you that, it does not bode well.

So with that exchange, we head back to the hotel and plan out our second day in the big apple.

First Impressions

Why is it that when you get back from vacation you feel like you need a vacation? I spent most of Saturday in bed, and today tackled the laundry and unpacking and the enormous task of uploading 223 pictures from our trip. I did not get a chance to write a review of our trip, nor share the adventures we found ourselves in. But I can't not post about New York, so I thought I'd share our first impressions.



I'll be the first to admit that my knowledge of NYC comes from TV (The Apprentice, Law & Order, ANTM, CSI:NY, The Today Show), and I couldn't wait to find those familiar landmarks. Since we arrived late in the day on Monday, we stayed at the hotel to plan out course of action. On Tuesday (St Patrick's Day), we took the subway from Newark Penn Station to Times Square. First thoughts on stumbling out into the sunshine: Where the hell did all these people come from?


The young un's first impression? Upon learning that we would be staying in Newark and not New York: Well, what's in New Jersey anyway?


More to come a little later this week. Suffice it to say, we had a blast, I don't know how people can wear anything other than athletic shoes while walking around, and you must look twice before crossing the street. Oh, and #2 on my list? Done! (Which ironically, led to the completion of #23 as well!)

Six Word Saturday

Spring Break can't be over already.

or how about

My body isn't compatible with travel.

or

Can I stay in bed today?

That pretty much sums up a week spent pounding the pavement in New York followed by nearly 12 hours of travel in 2 planes and a taxi. I have so much to do before school starts back up on Monday, but all I really want to do is curl up in bed and spend some quality time with the dvr.

To play along with six word Saturday, visit Cate here.

With apologies to John Denver

My bags are packed, I'm ready to go.

I'm leaving on a jet plane.

This blog is officially on Spring Break, and headed to New York City. Yep, this Southern girl is heading to the Big Apple and will try to cram as much as possible into the 120 hours I'll be north of the Mason-Dixon (cause you know they might not let me visit again!).

I want to go here.

Ellis Island Museum

And of course, we have to stop here.

American Museum of Natural History

And I have to see this.

Ground Zero
Who could pass up a parade? I mean aren't we all a little Irish on St Patrick's day?

The young un wants to stay in the hotel all week, but maybe the promise of a trip here would help convince him to leave the room.

Toys R Us Times Square

Or maybe a flat out bribe from here.

Dylan's Candy Bar

How amazing would it be to have lunch here.
Central Park


Followed by a sweet treat here.
Magnolia Bakery= yummy cupcakes

Which I'll probably have to walk off here.

Brooklyn Bridge

That's just a little preview of the next week. I'll be sure to post our adventures in the big city as whenever I find wi fi and convince the Mr. that I do know how to operate the mactop. In the meantime, I guess we'll always have Twitter :)

Spring Break here we come!

Interview with the Young Un

Interview with the Young Un, age 9.

First some questions about mommy.

JSJ: What is something your mommy always says to you?

YU: No.

JSJ: What makes mommy happy?

YU: Me being good.

JSJ:What makes mommy sad?

YU: Me being bad.

JSJ: How does your mommy make you laugh?

YU: You tickle me.

JSJ: What was your mommy like when she was little?

YU: *giggling* Um, you were expressive and energetic. I guess.

JSJ: What is mommy's favorite thing to do?

YU: Be on facebook and the blog

JSJ: What does mommy do when you're not around?

YU: Go shopping. And go one facebook for hours and hours.

JSJ: If mommy becomes famous, what will it be for?

YU: Be a famous blogger.

JSJ: What is mommy really good at?

YU: Doing laundry.

JSJ: What is mommy not very good at?

YU: Music. Directing.

JSJ: What does mommy do for her job?

YU: You teach US History 8th grade.

JSJ: What is mommy's favorite food?

YU: I don't know you have a lot of favorite foods. Ravioli, hamburgers, Chinese food and lots of other stuff.

JSJ: What makes you proud of your mommy?

YU: That you love me.

JSJ: If mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be?

YU: Amy Rose the Hedgehog, she's Sonic's girlfriend.

JSJ: What do you and mommy do together?

YU: We watch tv & movies. We go to Target and Game Stop. We take care of Loki.

JSJ: How are you and mommy the same?

YU: We like crafty stuff. We both love Loki and our family and Roxie.

JSJ: How are you and mommy different?

YU: I play Super Smash Bros. Brawl and you don't.

JSJ: How do you know your mommy loves you?

YU: Because you wouldn't do anything to harm me and you take care of me.

JSJ: What does mommy like most about your dad?

YU: His smile and his band directing and you like that he doesn't snore too loud.

JSJ: Where is mommy's favorite place to go?

YU: Las Vegas. Louisiana. and Dallas.



Now for the questions he told me to ask:

JSJ: Do you have any experience with swords?

YU: Yes, I have a lot of experience. I sometimes play swords during commercials, and I sometimes swing it too fast and the dent in my sword goes "what-tooo".

JSJ: How do you feel about Loki?

YU: I love her and want to take care of her just like Roxie.

JSJ: Do you have any other questions you would like me to ask you?

YU: You can ask 'em if you want. I don't really care. there's not much going on on TV but for Spongebob.

JSJ: What do you want to do in New York?

YU: Stay at the hotel. Because I feel like it's safer there.

JSJ: What do you like about the blog?

YU: I like how you can interact with friends and family.

JSJ: Is there anything else you would like to tell the people on the blog?

YU: That I'm a really good gamer. That I hope to get Sonic and the Black Knight and have a good experience on that game. That's all. Thanks for listening folks. goodnight.

Rain Rain go away...

The rain is depressing me. It's been here since Saturday, along with a cold streak. Add to that the extra hour of darkness I've got in the mornings and it's made for a very gloomy mood. Spring Break is supposed to be sunny and happy and fun. Not cold and rainy and dark. To that end, I raided the craft stash for anything that screams "spring is here!" and would bring a smile to my face.

Some scraps of cardstock, flameless candles thrifted from the living room and a flower punch were all I needed to bring a little light to a dark boring coffee table.

I got a little carried away with the flower punch, and used a few extras to add some color to this little teapot display.

And since it's been too wet to do anything else, I tried my hand at some homemade gifts. A friend's little girl turned one and I have been waiting to use these Amy Butler fabrics for just the right project. What could be better than a butterfly applique?

And I couldn't resist adding a little detail to the back as well.

So now I'm off to pack for an action packed week in NYC. It's my first time to go there and I'm sooooo excited, but so overwhelmed with all there is to do and all the "must sees" I have on my list. Any suggestions? Places that don't live up to the hype? Things to avoid at all costs? I feel so unprepared!!!