Category Archives: travel

Jun22

We’re here in the Big Apple!

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Wow-what a journey for the three of us as it took us from about 10:15 to 4:00 to get here (we only stopped once and missed the 95 connection). The guys took turns driving. The city traffic is crazy! Poor Brian! We went through the Lincoln tunnel and didn’t stay over ‘to the left’ and didn’t know where we were going until Bri asked a police officer in a cruiser next to us where 42nd St was and she pointed left. The next problem was where the parking garage was. I had to call and it was right around the corner. The Doubletree in nice and recently rennovated. I am on Sean’s laptop (not use to it) right in the room. By the way, we’re on the 10th floor!

We did a little sightseeing after eating in a small Italian restaurant. We walked a few blocks and went into St. Patrick’s Cathedral where we will go tomorrow for church. There were a lot of people (tourists) inside. We then went a few blocks to Rockefeller Center. The ice skating area looks smaller in person. We went into the NBC store and that’s when Bri and I pooped out! Sean bought a Conan O’Brien t-shirt. The ‘tours’ and going to the top of the building were $18 each, which we didn’t do.

We’ll be off early tomorrow for the wedding. Can’t wait! You may get an update too.

Have a great Saturday.

Jun20

Busy, busy

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We’re getting ready for the trip on Friday. Both Sean and I have been trying to get our guts in gear. We did venture out to Kohl’s yesterday as Brian needed some nice shirts. I usually am not disappointed by that store. I got him 3 shirts-a printed tee, a pull-over light blue golf shirt and an olive green with a design cotton button down. I got a few tops myself-I couldn’t help myself! ☺

Sean got the suitcases out of the attic this afternoon-no easy feat. I have everything ready to pack. Also got all the over-the counters (Tylenol, etc) bagged up. I take a goodie bag with those little bags of chips, etc. I also bring tons of beverages as I refuse to pay the hotel’s prices.

This is going to go by way to fast, I’m afraid. I realized if we don’t see the bride and groom on Friday, we’ll only see them from like 12:30-3:00 on the day of the wedding. The reception is only 2 hours before their honeymoon cruise sails. I guess it will look a little like this (clickable):

NYC skyline

So that’s my life lately in a nutshell. I will say the IBS herbal stuff my mom got for me seems to be doing the trick. Plus things with the air conditioning are better, no water on the floor, but it still needs that part.

Hope to drop in again tomorrow.

By the way, I know most of my readers are women, so click on this and read about heart attacks in women. My friend had originally sent me an article about how you shouldn’t drink ice cold drinks with your meals and I found the above.

Apr25

Solar power

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I did a little shopping in Big Lots earlier and you guessed it, I bought two new solar power lights for around the pond. They aren’t the ‘yellow glow’ kind, they are the blue LED ones which look neat. I also got a ball that floats in the pond as the one I have now doesn’t work anymore-it lights up at night too. I saw the manager and since I looked spiffy (I’ll explain why later) I told him that Sean was going to be free in a few weeks to work. He said to tell my boy to give him a call. I looked nice in my flowing peasant skirt and orange top that I found in a bag next to the closet. The weather has been so warm, I had nothing summery that is where I can get my hands on it. Mom got me the top last year and it even has beads and buttons that hang down in the front-I looked like a modified belly dancer!

We’re trying to decide where to stay for my friend Karin’s wedding in June. It looks like midtown Manhattan! I’ve never been to NYC, so I am excited and scared. It’s not going to be cheap, but the place where we will probably stay is within walking distance of so many places, especially the cruise ship where the wedding will be held. We were thinking of staying in New Jersey and getting a cab-but that’s about a 14 mile trip and would cost the same as staying right in the city. I have to book the place soon or we’ll get in a jam.

Update!!! We are staying here! It has parking garage near by and it’s about 1/2 mile or so from the ship. I was looking at the map and Allentown, PA, where I’ve been before is parallel to this area (like an hour away or so like us to Philly).

I must do some more yard work one of these days. I can’t do it in all this warmth and in clothes I don’t want to sweat to pieces in.

Squirrel and hyacinths

Feb20

Cape May, NJ and other beaches, etc.

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The crusty snow is still around us. I keep taking trips down ‘memory lane’ and today it’s ventured to the beach. I’m having sinus problems now (especially on the right where I had the new crown inserted), so I wish I was taking a deep breath of fresh salt air. We are experiencing warmer temps today, so that means the heat won’t run as much! Yeah!

When you live in suburban Philadelphia, taking summer trips to the New Jersey shore is just something that you do almost every year. If you don’t go just one year, you miss it!

I love Cape May where the streets are lined with Victorian houses. We stayed in one only once-Poor Richard’s Inn– (the room we stayed in on the second floor has been redone since 1999).

Poor Richard’s Inn, Cape May, NJ

The parking is horrible, but to sit on the porch on the second floor and watch the people go by at night was pretty neat. So was using the bathroom down the narrow, winding staircase (reminded me of a cover of a Nancy Drew book). The beach was a stone’s throw away.

Sean and me a long time ago

Lately we’ve headed to the beaches of Delaware and Maryland for a change of pace. We live about an hour closer. My brother and his family go to Ocean City, MD every year. It’s a huge place and you hardly feel crowded out while sunbathing and enjoying the ocean. Unfortunately, the Jersey beaches tend to get crowded-well Wildwood has such a wide beach, so not so much. The boardwalks are usually crowded at night. People walking off sunburns and eating fattening foods like salt and vinegar fries or huge ice cream cones seem to be in a happy, but tired daze. I love to look out on the dark expanse of beach and to hear the waves crashing on shore. Sometimes there are bands on the beach and that’s a cool experience to stand in the dark watching the lit up stage. I also love to walk by the outdoor restaurants and check out what people are noshing on.

I always have to go to the cross stitch shop on 8th and Broadwalk called ‘Salty Yarns’ when we vacation in OC, MD. It’s a pretty decent shop and I always have to get ‘a prize’ to remember my trip to the beach.

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I have some bananas that need to be used or tossed. I figure if I make a cake that will get my mind off my sinuses. I found a recipe for a pineapple/banana cake. Yum! Toto is watching over that piece I just cut!

Pineapple banana cake

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Ice falling off vehicles has been a terrible hazard around these parts! There have been a few people on the news, one of which was a 2 yr old boy-so sad-his lips were all swollen from a hunk of ice that flew off a van (his mom said the size of her windshield) and crashed into their windshield! Mom is 38 weeks pregnant. Was she ever lucky just to have cuts on her face.

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and to end on a happier note (while I hope the music has helped)
Jo, my heART winner received her goodies-they all arrived in New Zealand fine. Thanks for the nice post Jo!

Aug27

What I like about vacations…

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This one in particular was a bit different as we had Sean as the main driver and he was driving his car. That gave Brian a tremendous break. Brian tends to be uptight on the road. I definitely felt a bit more relaxed in my cocoon in the backseat. I loved seeing Sean frolic in the ocean on his boogie board. He isn’t really a swimmer, but he had a grand time catching the waves. I love the familiarity of a place. We stayed in the same hotel we stayed in 5 years ago and forgot how convenient it was to the beach and boardwalk. We ate at the Marina Deck right next to the bay and watched boats come in.
Sean wanted to go to a pre-21 club his friends had gone to. He had to walk a few blocks to the place and the cover charge was only half price until 8:30 pm. He did go and we were watching out the window worrying about him being out until 11 in a strange town. He said he was ‘holding up the walls’ but he talked to a girl from the Pittsburgh area too.
I love the outlet shopping in the Ocean City and Rehoboth Beach area. We go to the outlets in Lancaster a few times a year, but the ones down at the beach seemed to have a ton of things to chose from. The Bass and Old Navy stores had the best buys.
Most of all, seeing something different is what keeps me going for a long time. I get tired of the same old thing and a trip, even a short trip does me the world of good.

Aug26

Cool OC shots

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We ate at our favorite restaurant last night! A server comes around with a big basket of homemade coconut muffins, bread and raisin bread with icing. I got the tropical salad that includes baby shrimp, pineapple, mandarin oranges and a sweet dressing. My entree was a baby lobster tail. Scrumptious! I love the verbena on the posts.

No, this isn’t one of us parasailing. I liked all the action and color in this shot.

The clouds and sun looked heavenly. : )

Jun30

Vacation Bottleneck area

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AOL was featuring this on their Welcome screen. We have about 4 areas that are trouble areas highlighted on this CNN map. That’s out of the entire country! They mention Lancaster, PA (about 35 minutes from me) , the Delaware/Maryland shore, the Jersey shore and the Poconos. I can get to most of these areas in around 3 hours or less. So you can see what a pain it is to travel for us. I have to say I love the Delaware/Maryland shore area and Lancaster. When you go to places a lot, you learn the back roads, etc.
Speaking of traveling, even venturing down to Philadelphia is a trip and a half. We were thinking about going to the Live 8 concert, but with all the masses of people it’s a turn-off. I am sure people will be sleeping around the concert area (if this is allowed). It’s all they talk about on the news. I had forgotten the tickets to the Live Aid concert back in 1985 were $50 each. It was in the old JFK stadium and it was hot! I was pregnant (not with Sean, had a miscarriage), so we taped it all. It doesn’t seem like it was 20 years ago.