Crosswalks, taking your life in your hands!

Everyday at work I have to cross a busy street. Now this is not a street that is in a city but in a nice little town by the water. You would think people are friendly and would stop. I know it is summer time and i work and live in a tourist trap of a town, but come on people! I think only people who live here should be able to drive on the road!

BUT NO!! You take your life in your hands crossing the street! But we all need to get across the street to get to work!

I think people need to hang up their cell phones, slow down and pay attention! I actually counted 17 cars go by me before someone stopped in a blue mini van on the opposite side of the street!! and to top it off the person behind the blue mini van, was yelling out their window, “hey lady in the crosswalk, hurry up!” Are you kidding me? Traffic had not stopped on my side i was not going to dart out in traffic and hope best!!

Asshole! He desired the hair eye ball!

Lesson in this story, STOP at the Crosswalk!! Be nice! Sorta like the guy who let me cross last week, when i said thank you. He drove by saying “have a good day!”

Never knew you had to have a recipe for PBJ

Summer time brings house guests! My parents house has always been a favorite place to crash in the summer, there have been 16 people plus us! It is so much fun! I grew up in a summer tourist town, it is awesome. I prefer the winters as there are less people wondering around. Anyway being side tracked here….family and friends come and go all summer through my parents house. They live a stones throw to the beach so it is live a revolving door to the beach. Every summer during the 4th of July week my moms sister comes to visit. She comes with her husband and son. She lives in Ohio and we rarely see her. Now my grandmother and her mother live with my parents. Granny is from KY, but lives with us. Long story, for another day….

Anyway, it is sunday and i had to work. My mom said i could drop the kids off early, after we went out to breakfast and she and my aunt would take them to the beach. COOL. So off they went to the beach, played in the sand and ocean all day and they are dog tired.

I picked them up tonight, showered and tired! Thanks mom! Alls i had to do was pack their bags and make lunches. So i was packing lunches and Raymond comes into the kitchen…

Mommy, Aunt Ce-Ce makes the best Ohio peanut butter and jelly in the world. You will have to get the recipe! It was soooo yummy, it is a super secret recipe and you will have to get it!”

Ahhh, what was in it?

Peanut butter and the best strawberry jelly ever! ummmmm!

Ahhh, that’s it? I can do that!

NO MOMMY IT IS AN OHIO SUPER SPECIAL PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY

Okay, let me call her right now and see what i can do!

I called my mom and explained the whole story to her, she was laughing in hysterics. My little Raymond is always in control. My mom and aunt told me it is all how you cut the sandwich. you cut it on the diagonal and using strawberry jelly. apparently that is the secret!

I love kids and what they come out with!!

So if you need to know how to make a Ohio Super special peanut butter sandwich let me know I got it covered!

picture meme

Okay okay, now i saw Elizabeth did this meme and then Sara went and tagged me!  I kinda like doing cool memes i wonder what this will bring.

The rules are simple. Answer each question, plug your answer into Google Image Search, and pick a picture from the first page of images from your search results. 

1. Your age on your next birthday.

2. A place you’d like to travel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Your favorite place.

4. Your favorite object.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Your favorite food.

6. Your favorite animal.

7. Your favorite color.

8. The town where you were born.

9. The town where you live.

10. Name of a past pet.

11. Name of a past love.

12. Best friend’s nickname.

13.  Your screen name.

14. Your first name.

15. Your middle name.

16.  last name

17. Bad habit of yours.

18. Your first job.

19. Name of grandmother.

20. College/grad major(s.)

 

Phew that was harder than i had expected!  I hope you enjoy! If you are reading this consider yourself tagged.  let me know you did it though!! leave a comment!

First week of camp! OVER!! 7 more to go!

so week one of camp is over, my kids are tired! (yeah that means what ever money i am spending on camp is well worth it!) and I am beat (i am not getting paid enough money to be doing what i am doing!!).  We had a small group of 24 kids this week at camp! It was great and the staff did as well as expected for the first week.

how quickly life changes with the season, while school was in session, it was easy! out of bed, plenty of clothes to dress the kids in, no lunches to make, kids have to be at the bus stop at 820am.  Nothing to it!! now you know i am dragging my ass out of bed at 6am to switch the wash, and groom everyone in the house and spray everyone down with sunscreen; having to be to work at 8am takes its toll.  I know this is what happens in the summer and i try  to mentally prepare.  And i am sure i asked last summer in the beggining how did i do this last year?  Well again I am asking how do i do this and stay sane? I mean, the amount of towels and bathing suits that have to be washed a week! OMG!

And then i want to do something fun for me, oh yeah i always forget about me!  where is room service? who will do the grocery shopping?  who will wash the windows, hell i will settle for someone cleaning the kitchen or bathroom once in a while!  you know I still want to sail!!  Tomorrow i will be sailing, racing actually with my brother and father.  It is always is a trip!  LOL, they forget it’s my job, i teach people how to sail or how to use a power boat….so when i suggest something they are always pleasantly surprised I CAN DO IT!

But I have to say, I am having a hard time though balancing work, and friendships.  I am not sure why or what is happening with this one friend.  I am being pulled in so many directions with work and kids, lately though this friend is distant.  Not really there anymore.  something happened.  I am afraid my feelings were hurt a while ago.  and then it festered and now it almost seems like so much time has gone by.  i really do not know what to do.  as i said, life is CRAZY. I sometimes am so tired from the hectic day i do not pull back the covers on my bed, i just collapse into bed where ever i land and fall asleep with glasses on.  imagine if i had a spouse?

so my best action is to let it be and what ever happens happens. I will wait it out.  this is hard because this friend has been such a huge part of my world, a rock when needed.  and now nothing.   I know i should be more proactive, but i always feel like i am the proactive one.   I am afraid i will lose this friend but lets face it i am tired.  Is this selfish? 

“I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions. — Augusten Burroughs

one busy day

Crazy day

got up, pack kids for camp

picked up raymonds new glasses at 8am

got to work with no breakfast

find boat in the middle of the channel stuck all the while our little boats need to go sailing

no gas in power boats…all but one is working at one point and no one can drive it but me!

shuttling kids back and forth for bathroom breaks and trying to fix the power boats on the water

missed meetings, got phone calls while on the water, not even sure what i said yes too!

missed breakfast, got really grumpy…inner thoughts went something like…”what the fuck, are you people that fucking stupid? or Can’t you fucking see i am a bit busy and would really appriciate a little patience or even some fucking help!!!” Outer thoughts were calm, clear and nice…

eat lunch, have a meeting on the fly with my boss.

meet up with Mike. watch him eat lunch catch up on the fact that Sara is really gone. sad.

Go back to office. fight with the computer. fight with the printer, gerta. deal with a few campers that are not feeling well, i just think they were tired, they slept for a couple of hours in the building.

leave work after great frustration with the printer and computer.

race to pick up new most expensive sunglasses ever. my eyes sing with joy!

Race back over the draw bridge before it goes up.

pick up kids, pick up meds, (headaches are back )

come home make dinner. talk to my mom

kids so tired. i am so tired. one hell of a day!

thank god that captain of the boat, white wings, was beautiful!

tomorrow is another day!

dont call send a text

Can we talk about cell phones for a hot second? or even phones….

I have a love hate relationship with my cell phone. for a person who has not worn a watch for over 20 years i love that it tells me the time.  I also love how easy it is to find me when my kids are in need, being a single mom that is important, i am it for these little guys (i do have my parents brother and a few friends on those call lists but i like to be the first to know).

I have always believed the phone is a convenience of the other person. I have four phones in the house and only one is turned on to ring, it is a convenience of the other person, they want something when they call. I get it. But i am very busy!  anyone can find you though if they have your cell phone number!!! your cell phone can follow you around where ever you go. Like a bad curse someone has put over you.

Now lets get it straight, friends, i do not mind you calling me on my cell. You know me, we chat, its cool. I just hate that at work my cell phone is plastered all over the place, being the camp director and running all these programs people need to get in touch with me. I am a moving target at work and being on 17 acres of land and a huge basin of water with a fleet of boats following me….

I have become a huge fan of text messaging. Why you might ask? you know why if you text. It sometimes is much easier to send a text than to call someone. it is so easy to drop a line, even my dad will text message me! that is awesome! I hate calling my dad on his cell, he is a lawyer, he is in and out of meetings, and a quick text message does the trick.

It is a sign of our technology, a sign of the times. but it seems we are really distancing ourselves from each other. what will be next?  What do you think? how do you feel about your cell phone?

Camp has started summer has started

The swirl we call summer has started!  OMG…six days a week i am at camp.  Lets give you a short break down on how my next 8 weeks will go…

Sunday, drop off kids with parents by about 1ish go to camp.  Welcome new parents and such to camp, prep gs, new sailing asstitants as they come.  opening ceremony. deal with any problems go home.  pack the boys for camp the next day.  go to bed

Monday, up at 6am. Shower, dress everyone, feed everyone, make all children stand for their morning sunscreen spray down….i have marks on the floor to prove it! Drop kids off before 8am.  Get to work, the communte to work from the kids camp is NOT long enough, 2 miles at best!  listen to what ever song i can.  Get to work, greet campers at breakfast, get the run down for the night.  Go out in power boats, lunch, water, more power boats, wishing i could sail.  get everyone off the water, leave at 5pm to pick up tired boys.  get them home, half awake, hose them down, feed them, put in bed, repack bags, do laundry as needed. collapse into bed.

Tuesday, wednesday, thursday and friday…..REPEAT MONDAY.  Friday night just hope the boys want to sleep IN!! Sail on Saturday with brother and father….and so it goes!  AHHH it is a downward slide to the end of 8 weeks.  I am sure there will be lots of fun things!

reason, season, lifetime

People always come into your life for a reason, a season, and a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do. When someone is in your life for a Reason, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, or to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or even spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend to you, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they just walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on. When people come into your life for a Season, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season. And like spring turns to summer and summer to fall, the season eventually ends.

Lifetime relationships teach you a lifetime of lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and the people regardless and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. Thank you for being part of my life…

-Author Unknown-

I have always wondered about relationships.  This little “story” sums it all up.

I guess sara really is leaving. No joke, i just thought she wanted a party, but today she was packing up her office and I got the fabulous fisherman lamp!! Thank you Sara, you have taught me so much!!  You have been a great battle buddy! Now we will have to be battle buddies from afar!!

Remember, “Never underestimate the power of your actions, one small gesture you can change a persons life. For better or worse.”

Saturday adventures!!

So yesterday I had high hopes and lots of random things to do. I had a plan! But with every good plan things change right…

Well in calling my parents house, to find out what the “plan” was for fathers day, my mom asked if any of the kids wanted to come help move the boat. The J24 was put in the water but needed to be moved from the boat yard to the yacht club mooring. All three boys wanted to go. Thinking that was unfair to my parents, I said we all will go.

We get to the boat yard. The kids are programed well to put on their PFDs and they are off and running. The puppy, Bessie was with my parents, you know to add to the confusion. I told my dad we should take the power boat just in case the J24 motor breaks down. He agreed. My dad grew up on the water unlike my mother. She she is a nervous wreck! She went out and bought the dog a PFD. I chuckled thinking dogs swim why would she need a life jacket???

We motor out to the J24. Finally get the little 4horse power engine going. There is a scramble who was going with mommy and who was going with grandpa. Jordan put up such a stink i kicked him off the J24. So the twins, and the puppy were with me alone on the J24. No big deal. I have moved boats bigger and i knew my parents were right there. Of course my mother was a wreck, she was convinced someone was going over board!

So I gave Raymond and Nathaniel the rules…if anything happens, someone falls overboard blow your whistles! and if mommy says to sit, YOU SIT. No hanging on to the puppy, it is a sloped deck. Okay we were off! Engine stops. No big deal, gas line was disconnected. Got her going again. Kids are bouncing around with the puppy. Everyone was enjoying themselves.

We were almost into the harbor, and i could see the puppy on the foredeck, twins were back with me.

Yup you guessed it! BESSIE WENT INTO THE WATER!! The boys started blowing their whistles. I could see her go in. So with out skipping a beat, i turned that boat around, just like a man over drill. Thank god that dog had a life jacket on, being black she would have been impossible to see. Well her splashing was huge too. Trail by fire! By the time i had the boat turned around, my parents were closer. I knew i could have let them pick the dog up. BUt in my head i did not want the boys to ever think that if they went into the water i would not be able to pick them up.

Plucked to dog out of the water, thank god for the handle on the PFD or else i would never have been able to pick her up! Just picture me laying down over the stern, foot pushing the tiller so steer, me by myself with two 7 year old twins blowing their whistles!!! I did not panic nor did the puppy which was good, she swam right to me. I could hear my mom I knew someone would go in! She actually thought i was Nathaniel in the water.

It felt good to prove to my parents I know what to do in case of an emergency. I felt good, because i knew what to do and how comfortable i was on the water. (even though my mom had pushed the panic button!! ) OH the adventures we have!!

After putting the J24 on the mooring, this is Bessie after going for her first swim and Jordan hanging on to her so she does not go in again. Personally i think she liked it! she was ready to go in again!!

Random Meme

so I enjoy “tag Surfer” and reading others blogs. Just getting a glimpse into their lives realizing we are all in the same boat. Well this morning wondering what i could do with my blog entry I thought i would do a meme. Now i thought about finishing up an old “draft” but it almost feels as if the time has past.

The boys and I are off to the library today! OH DEAR GOD! More questions I am sure! The DVD player is broken so I need to get a new one. We were unable to have movie night, sorta. We watched the movie on Disney last night. we stayed up so late, the kids are still sleeping at 830am! OMG!! Cool but why am i up so early?? OH well…here goes this meme i found along the way..enjoy.

Copy the questions. Answer them and tag people. Well if you are reading this consider yourself tagged. just leave a comment that you did it and i will come read it!

1. What were you doing five years ago?

my divorce was final. i had been living alone with my three boys for a year by now. I was so confused. So unsure of my life, where i was going, what was i going to do with these three kids. They were the reason i could get myself off the floor. I was so depressed and did not trust a soul. My boys were watching me deal with one of lifes most difficult things and I had to show them, you have to stand up and fight (even if you dont want to) my parents thought i should move closer to home so they could help.

I told my parents if i could get a job at the museum i would move closer if not i was not going to move closer to home. I got the job! I bought the house. i packed my house in Hamden, and within two months sold my house and bought a new one. It sucked. Such a transitional time….

I still work at the museum, i have the job and more than i bargained for. I used to dream of having part of my job as a kid working at the museum. Be careful for what you wish for!!

2. What are five things on your to-do list today?

WOW five things on my list today….

1. Go to the library with the boys so we ALL can learn more about our body parts and why they are used!! (note: i will be that parent under the table blushing through the books.)
2. Perhaps have a picnic lunch by the library or at the park.
3. Get a new DVD player so we can officially have movie night
4. Pick up the house, WITH the boys, their mess too
5. LAUNDRY ALL DAY LONG (I hate laundry, it just never seems to end)

3. What snacks do you enjoy?

Humm snacks, good question. Depends, the strangest thing I enjoy i found when i was pregnant and find i will eat this when i am hormonal, potato chips with whipped cream! MMMM. I also enjoy a raw fruit/veggie smoothie. OMG one way to my heart is hands down one of these from the juice bar here in town…I feel so much better when i eat everything raw!!

4. Things you would do if you were a billionaire.

Well well well, I have actually thought about this. You know when you are driving you see those signs that tell you how much the lotto is. Well i would envision what i would do with the money. So in no particular order i would….pay off any debt i have. Invest in my kids future. Buy a bigger house. Pay off my parents debt. pay off both my brothers debt. most likely keep my job, cause i like it. and travel as needed. Sail more. Own a couple of boats, i want an old restored lobster boat. and a wooden sail boat.

5. Three of your bad habits.

1. Procrastinating
2. not delegating, i need help most days but think i can do it better then anyone else.
3. Procrastinating

6. Five places you have lived.

I have lived

1. Rhode Island
2. New Hampshire
3. San Fransisco
4. Bermuda
5. Connecticut

7. Five jobs that you’ve had?

No particular order:

1. director of a co op daycare center
2. Sailing camp director
3. Sailing coach for a high school team
4. Cold call people to buy the local newspaper
5. Parent (this is the hardest, most tiring, most time consuming, most frustrating YET MOST REWARDING) I think it is the hardest as there are not guidelines or rule book as to what to do to raise good kids. it is a crap shoot most of the time.

8. How did you name your blog?

Its all about hallie….hummm that came from the fact at work working with school groups and such i would tell the kids to “listen up, the sooner you realize it is all about me the easier it will be” The loved it. I know it is not all about me, but sometimes it is fun to say. so i have carried it over to my blog.

There you go! a meme! i hope you enjoyed!! have a great day! kids are up now!! yeah so my day starts!