Happy Birthday to Lois!

I'm back to work early this morning so no time for a full post but I couldn't let the day go by without taking the time to wish happy birthday to one of the most fun and nicest ladies I've had the chance to meet in a long time - Lois Grebowski!

Lois and her fantastically funny hubby Hank are back on the road again in their trella and heading home to Nashville for a little while before heading back out again in to Michigan before too long. That woman sure is one travelin' fool but she does it so well while she gets to spread her own brand of sunshine to so many people in so many places. Honestly, our government would do well to make her an official ambassador!

So, Lois - wherever you are and whoever's day you're brightening - may you have a wonderful birthday and a fantastic year. Oh, and I put a little something for you in the mail as you can see from the following video -

Three Years of Blogging and Friendships

Holy cats! Has it been three years already since I first started writing this blog? Seriously? For those who never had the chance to read my very first post, feel free to click here so that you can see what this blog was supposed to be about when I first started it back on July 25th, 2006. I think I have more or less, at times!, stuck to my original goal of writing about being a single parent though I'd have to say that has definitely not always been the case!

When I first started blogging, I'm not sure I knew exactly what I was getting into as I had no clue that there was such a thing as a Blogosphere, had no idea what a meme was (a French grandmother?!?), and certainly never knew that there were so many wonderful people out there to meet and become friends with both virtually and in real life.

I was thinking this morning about the wonderful group of people that I have had the privilege of meeting face-to-face; people who have enriched my life and made me laugh and smile and even break down a little bit of that "hugaphobia" that I have!

The very first blogger that I met was Ms. Maggie Moo who, at the time we met, was also a fellow Nutmegger ...

We met on September 2nd, 2007 and of course the very thing she did when we met was give me a big ole' hug. In addition to that one of the things I remember most about our meeting was the "tiny Margaritas" we were served and the fact that we had no problem spending four+ hours laughing and talking!

On October 5th, I got to meet my second blog-friend in real life, Morgen of It's a Blog Eat Blog World. Mo had taken the train down from Michigan to spend the weekend at Mags' house and we had a wonderful time of it slow-dancing in Mags' kitchen, eating some of her delicious food, and then exploring parts of Connecticut in one of the worst heat waves we'd had all year! Ugh!


Still, it was one heck of an outstanding weekend and we had such a good TIME even as we laughed our way through the HEAT of Gillette Castle!

On November 2nd of 2007, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting another blogger from Michigan - Carrie of Asara's Mental Meanderings, and her wonderful family. Carrie and Billy had taken a road trip with their two adorable children and we met at a Chili's not far from the hotel they were staying in. Mags joined us as did Amanda and we all had a really good time. Geesh, I look horrible in this picture so I think I'm going to have to get together with Carrie again to get a new one!


The next time I was to meet anyone from the Blogosphere again wasn't until March 29th, 2008 when I was ushered into the presence of Royalty at a Bertucci's Pizzeria in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

It was there that I met Queen Mimi herself who was visiting the north from her castle in Bloggingham and Princess Patti who had driven in from her estate in Ansonia. My hair looked like crap but in spite of that we had a great time laughing and carrying on and no doubt scaring the locals! It was a night to be remembered and we truly had A Royal Time of It!

On Saturday, August 9th I got together with royalty again when I met Princess Patti's husband and fellow blogger, Prince Ralph of Airhead 55 along with their lovely daughter the Lady Allegra at the local Olive Garden.

We giggled our way through a delicious meal and probably raised the eyebrows of a few other diners but I've come to the conclusion that when fellow bloggers get together, worrying about what other people think is not a problem!

Earlier in the year during a trip out to Stockton, California, I had the extreme privilege of meeting my first two West Coast bloggers - Sandee of Comedy Plus and Katherine of Wading Through My Stream of Consciousness - when we all got together on Friday, May 2nd for dinner at Cancun, my favorite Mexican restaurant of all!

Joining us were my friend Cyndi, Sandee's hubby Zane (the official photographer of the evening), and Katherine's significant other Dave (who now also has a blog of his own!).

This past May I found myself out in California yet again and Sandee and Katherine and I reprised our dinner at Cancun on Monday, May 4th. Unfortunately Dave was out enjoying his Teamster 5-0 Tour and couldn't join us but Zane was there with the camera again recording the event for posterity! We actually ended up closing the place down we were having such a good time and the evening remains one of the highlights of my trip West. Which also gives me good reason to go West again at some point!

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures from the meeting but during my trip to Stockton this past May, I also got to meet another West Coast blogger when I first arrived in Sacramento on May 2nd. Shortly after arriving in Sacramento I had the privilege of meeting up with Carol from A Letter To Me at one of the local IHops where we had a lovely late breakfast. Carol is originally from Massachusetts but has been living in the Sacramento area for quite some time. She truly is a lovely lady and I was thrilled to meet her though I wasn't smart enough to take a picture or have someone else take one!

On September 8th, 2008 I met my very first blogger from Across the Pond when Claire arrived in Connecticut in anticipation of our Blogger Beachhouse Vacation in Rhode Island. What a great birthday present (my 50th was the day after her arrival) but I can't post a picture as Claire has even more of a phobia of cameras than I do. We spent the next day going out to a birthday lunch with my friend Rhonda and then hit the local pub, The Harp & Dragon, with some of my friends from work and Mags who drove down for the auspicious occasion. Because I don't have a picture with Claire from that night (bugger the girl!) I'll post one from our beach vacation ... that's her with her back turned to the camera looking home towards England!

Finally, on Saturday September 13th myself, Claire, and Kai (who had flown into Hartford from Canada the night before) piled in the car with a lot of stuff en route to a week on Matunuck Beach in Rhode Island for our much-anticpated Blogger Beach Vacation. Joining us there was Mo, Mags, and Callie of Scrappin' With Life ... who had flown into Boston from the wilds of Oregon and come down with Mags and Mo.

I find it hard to believe that almost a full year has gone by already since we spent that week at the beach and I can't go back to Rhode Island at all without thinking about at least one or two things that happened during that week which included a ferry ride out to Block Island, a lot of really good cooking, and a ton of picture-taking!

Just last week I met another blogging friend who has found herself in Massachusetts for a few months while her husband is assigned to a job at a local yogurt plant. Lois from Lowdown From Lois is just like she is on her blog - warm and friendly and a real hoot to spend time with. You can't help but smile and laugh when you're around her and her husband Hank is just as nice - he also has that streak of sarcasm that I so enjoy in a person! I'm hoping we have the chance to get together again a time or two while they're on the East Coast.

So ... after all that, the question now begs to be asked ... who's next as I start on my fourth year of asking "Are We There Yet??" Any volunteers?? I have a few blog posts available for future meetings!!

Meanwhile ... Back in Massachusetts ...

As previously posted about last week, I had a spur-of-the-moment, hey-kids-let's-pack-a-bag-and-go-north-to Massachusetts moment last Thursday which resulted in the girls and I driving north through some hellacious traffic and landing at our final destination which was the Fairfield Inn Marriot in Amesbury - just down the road aways from that one and only Nashville Belle and Blogger, Lois.

My post from last Friday described our first get-together at Salisbury Beach, a place that has definitely seen better days but is trying to revitalize. In spite of the fact that we were all waiting to be attacked by pizza-eating zombie clowns, we had a good time and when we parted company we were looking forward to the next day's get-together at lunch with another blogger, Ms. Maggie Moo, who was coming up from Boston to join us.

The Fairfield Inn turned out to be a lovely place to stay with comfy beds, free wireless internet, and a free breakfast buffet that certainly was not lacking in variety. The breakfast room was actually pretty crowded so Jamie and I went downstairs, snagged a bunch of goodies, and went back up to our room where the girls took advantage of the free wireless for a couple of hours until it was time to check out and head over to the Friendly's that was right next to the hotel for lunch.

Upon on our arrival at Friendly's, we joined Mags sitting at an outside picnic table fresh from her drive up from Boston (about an hour south of Salisbury depending on traffic) and then shortly afterward we were joined by Lois and her hubby Hank who had opted to work at home out of the Air Stream rather than make the drive into the plant in Metheun where he is currently assigned to a project. Of course he joined us for lunch because even if you're working from home you deserve a lunch break, right?!?

After sitting outside and laughing and chatting for awhile we moved inside for lunch and ice cream because you can't be at Friendly's without having ice cream (though strangely enough neither Amanda nor Jamie did as I think they were still a little full from the free breakfast at the hotel!). Following lunch Mags was going to head back to Boston for an evening out with friends, Hank and Lois were heading to Haverhill to buy bicycles, and I was going to stop by Shirley, Massachusetts to drop Jamie off at her cousins' house for the weekend on my way to the train station in New Haven, Connecticut to pick up Amanda's friend who was going to be visiting from Brooklyn, New York for the weekend. Whew!

Before we all went our separate ways, though, there were a couple other things we needed to do with one being to try to stop laughing long enough to have our picture taken by Amanda ...

... we seemed to have a major case of the giggles in this one (perhaps it was in reference to Lois and my white pasty legs!) so we tried it again ...

... and managed to stop laughing long enough for the picture to be taken.

Following that, I needed to deliver some hugs to Lois from some other blogging/Facebook friends who had requested them so there was a big bear hug for Mo, a hug for Callie, one hug for Claire and another for her Mumborg, and several more hugs for myself and others. Let it be said that Lois gives great hugs! Actually, it was probably starting to look like a big hug-fest under the tree there at Friendly's by the time we were done but I guess that's just what we bloggers do when we get to finally meet in person!

Lois and Hank plan on being in Massachusetts until perhaps October so I'm hoping to get back up there and visit again (I found out there's an old lighthouse not too far from where we were that I want to check out) as well as perhaps meet up with them again when they come down to my part of New England. No matter where it is, though, I'm sure there will be more giggling and carrying on as that's just the type of people they are! I'm really looking forward to it!

A Quick Trip to Massachusetts

After sitting at home for most of the day on my day off Thursday and debating what to do, I suddenly decided that a trip to Massachusetts to visit Lois, who is temporarily residing on the East Coast, was in order. I told the girls to pack a bag while I saw what I could negotiate on Priceline for a hotel in the Salisbury area. After a couple of clicks I had us booked into the Fairfield Marriot Inn in Amesbury at a pretty good savings (gotta love Priceline!) and we loaded up the car and headed north ... into traffic!

I had thought that getting through Worcester would be the worst of it but that part of the trip was a breeze compared to the traffic we ran into in Lowell, Lawrence, and other places that made no sense at all! I have come to the conclusion that there are way too many cars in the northeast and not enough highways to handle them. Sad thing is, almost every single car had but a single person in it. Sheesh! And people like to talk about the West Coast having commuter problems - ha!

Just a little over two hours later we got off the turnpike and had no problems finding our hotel where we checked in, checked out the room, and then headed down Route 1A to meet up with Lois and her hubby, Hank. Needless to say, Lois is even greater in person than she is on her blog (if that was even possible!) and I absolutely loved Hank - matter of fact, I found myself wondering on more than one occasion if he had a twin brother or a clone hidden away somewhere! Hank and Lois really are the perfect couple and it was a joy to meet them! Amanda and Jamie both thought they were a lot of fun, too.

As for Salisbury Beach itself ... it looks nothing like it did when I was last here way back in 1974 and it was actually purty skeery. We all agreed that it looked like the kind of place Stephen King would set a book in and scare the beejeebers out of people! I would have to say that Salisbury has definitely seen better days but I think we made the best of it and had a good time anyway.


Before heading south today and dropping Jamie off for the weekend at her cousins' house in Shirley, Massachusetts we'll be meeting up with Lois for lunch and another blog friend - Mags - will be coming up from Boston to join us. It should be a lot of fun no matter where we end up dining at - I'll let you know!

Let Them Eat Cake at Their New Home

Taking another short break from the moving stuff (which is really becoming a bit of a redundant refrain I'm sure but no one will be happier to stop saying it/hearing it than I!) to do a quick blog post and send a big thank you and virtual hug to Lois for her friendship, thoughtfulness, and excellent taste in baked goods!

When I went up to the old place the other day to pile more of the 9-years worth of accumulated stuff into the car, there was a Priority Mail box waiting on the front porch that apparently the mailman had just dropped off. Looking at the familiar return address from Boston, I wondered what it could possibly be that Mags had sent me? I had ordered chocolate chip cookies from her Fleur de Lis Etsy shop earlier but those had already arrived and been eaten (and they were delicious I might add!) so I knew that couldn't be it which left me without a clue. I didn't want to open the box while in the middle of the morning's moving activities so I decided that the mystery could wait and added the box to the stuff in the car with plans to open it once I got back over to the new apartment.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I finally opened the box to find a delicious cake and a note inside saying "To Linda and Amanda - Welcome to your new home - A gift from Lois". Of course I had to take a picture before cutting into the cake - much to Amanda's chagrin though you would think she would be used to the whole picture-taking before eating blog-related stuff. Obviously I have been away from the Blogosphere too long if the kid can't remember the simpler rules of Blog Etiquette!

Now, nothing for nothing but I am apparently a complete and total dope when it comes to anything of an alcoholic nature as even though the cake was completely and totally delicious, it didn't even dawn on me that it was a rum cake until Amanda got her piece and said "this tastes like rum". Huh? "You're 16 - how do you know what rum tastes like?" "I tried some when I was in Puerto Rico at Christmas and we were visiting the Bacardi factory. Besides, can't you tell just from the smell?" Er ... no ... Of course, once she pointed it out, I was then able to tell that there was definitely some rum in the cake but I was more impressed with the pecans and the moistness of the cake and Lois' thoughtfulness in ordering it for us. I've never had a "Welcome to Your New Home" cake before but I think it's something I could definitely get used to! Not that I'm planning on moving again anytime soon once I get through the pain-in-the-everything that this move has been, though, even if there were another cake involved!

I really wish I could have all of you over for a slice and a cup of coffee (and to put you to work with some of the remaining stuff I have to do!) but alas, the cake is almost gone already and I've got to schlep over to the old house to load up the car yet again before heading into work this afternoon so I won't be here to put the coffee on. Darn! You'll be happy to know that I am making progress, though, and that the piles of boxes from the other day's pictures are not as high or intimidating or out of control. I'm getting there - slowly!

Hopefully things will return to what passes for normal soon and I'll be as green with happiness as Evra - or something like that! ... Hmm, speaking of happiness, I think I'll grab a piece of cake before heading out the door ... thank you again, Lois!

Lois' Morning Mug Meme

While making my blog rounds this morning I came across a new meme over at Lowdown from Lois that I thought might be kind of fun that Lois calls the Lois' Morning Mug Meme. Lois got to thinking while putting away dishes yesterday just what it was her mug might say about her - and that would be her coffee mug and not her "face" mug! From this bit of wondering she came up with her new meme that has extremely easy rules - as a matter of fact, there's just one rule and this is it ...

Lois' Morning Mug Meme Rules: Most folks drink some sort of a morning beverage, be it coffee or tea, and most likely from a mug. Please share a photo of your favorite mug(s) and tell a story about how it became your favorite. Include what you drink with this mug.

Seemed like a pretty simple meme so I promised myself that I could take part in it once I got my assigned morning chores done and could sit down for a second cup of coffee. What with Amanda being gone for the week, I figured I should live it up a bit and clean the bathroom from top to bottom. Yeah, baby, I know how to take advantage of an empty house! Just wait until I descend upon her room with vacuum cleaner and garbage bags in tow! Maaawaaahaaahaaa! She'll be wishing she stayed home rather than having gone to spend the week in New Jersey once I'm done in there let me tell you! Anyway, I digress ... back to Lois' Morning Mug Meme.

Even though this is a simple meme, I couldn't keep it simple as there isn't just one mug that I use for my morning brew - whether it be coffee or tea. Over the years my cousin Amy has given me quite a few mugs for birthdays or Christmases and they're all great mugs so I tend to rotate them around.

Take these two mugs here for example - the elephant one is HUGE and makes one really big cup of coffee which is sometimes definitely needed to jump start my tired behind in the mornings! The Jiminy Cricket mug not only helps to get me going with a large size cup of java but also makes me smile. Amy and I have a running joke with both elephants and Jiminy the Cricket (something about me needing a conscience or something like that!)

One of my other favorite mugs is, of course, my Death Eating a Cracker mug that was designed by my very own resident artist - Amanda! This cup is especially apporpriate on mornings when I feel like ... well, Death eating a cracker! While I'm on the subject, if you really like this mug you can get one of your own over at Amanda's shop on Cafe Press! Now what kind of Mom would I be to not promote my daughter's work??

This brown mug is one of what was originally a set of four that I bought at a bakery in Stockton, California way back in 1984. There are only three of them now as my clumsy ex-husband managed to break one (men!) but they remain at the top of my list of favorites. When I bought them I just really liked the teddy bear on the front plus the mugs "feel" good if that makes any sense!

Another gift from my cousin Amy was this Maxine mug that I use at least several times a week. "It's my body, I'll have pie if I want to" is just one of Maxine's many mottos that I just love. How can you not love Maxine? Come to think of it, pie sounds pretty good right about now, too, but alas - the house is devoid of pie or any other goodies. No wonder Amanda went to New Jersey!

Another elephant mug (again from Amy) is this cute little china mug that is only about 6 ounces but perfect for a quick cup of tea or coffee. It's also the ideal size for a packet of hot chocolate. I love the colors and the fineness of the china on this one. It's very light even when filled to the brim.

Last but certainly not least is a coffee mug that I like to use when I want to remind myself of where I work (like I could hardly forget that with being there at least 48 hours a week!). Believe it or not, I don't use one of these mugs at work when drinking coffee but have a completely different one hanging on the mug rack in the kitchenette! Go figure!

I have a lot of other mugs in the cupboard but these are my favorites out of them all. I actually took a whole big bagful over to the Goodwill just a week or two ago as every time we opened the cupboard door either Amanda or I were trying to catch one of the mugs that was in danger of falling out and smashing on the tile floor in the kitchen! I could probably weed out a few more but you just never know when you're going to have 25 people over for coffee!

If you'd like to participate in this meme, I'm sure that Lois would be tickled to pieces so please do so and don't forget to link back to her so that she can check out what your mug says about you! Oh, and I ended up having my second cup of coffee in my Jiminy mug not because there was anything wrong with my conscience but because I needed a big cup of coffee after all that work I did!

Happy Birthday to Lois!!

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Yet another wonderful September birthday has arrived and this time it belongs to Lois Grebowski from Lowdown From Lois!

Swing on by and leave the first lady of Life in the Aluminotti some birthday wishes! You can even tell her I sent you! She's the big 45 today (awww, poor thing!) and she's serving up some cake so stop by, grab a slab, and say "Happy Birthday!"