I started the new job this week and it is supposed to be a ton of travel. As I sat at the airport on Monday AM with the rest of the road warriors, I wondered about each person's story and what they were thinking as they board their plane every day.
I thought it might make for some good blog posts moving forward - frantic mom's travel blog! Hummm.
So, as I mull it over in my head this week, I find myself laughing to myself and sometimes even out loud (despite the stares people are giving me and the wide arcs they are taking to walk around me), thinking about all of the quirky things that I see each and every time I travel. We'll see, I may decide to make a few more entries on this subject and see where it goes.
For now, I'm in Dallas for one more day and I even made it down to the gym this week - 3 times. If nothing else, this travel may help me with my commitment to fitness and weight loss. Oh, but who can resist those overpriced boxes of snacks that they call food on the planes. ME, that's who. My last flight - Philadelphia to Dallas - US Airways. $7 for a snack pack. They should call it a heart attack in a box. Smoked Salami slices, large chocolate chip cookie, bag of chips, fruit roll - like a fruit roll up, small block of cheese, and a few wheat crackers. Other choices - a container of Pringles, a container of Oreos, and I think that maybe a dried out sandwich. HUMMMMMMMMMMMMM......no thanks. I've learned that I can get a better cheaper meal and bring it on the plane with me. This time, a slice of pizza, and I had brought a bag of dried apricots and some raw almonds with me. Still beats the Heart Attack snack box for the kings ransome. Besides, I have to save money as I have to pay for that "choice seat", but that is an entry for yet another time.
Let's see what my trip home holds tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Thu March 18th
So, tonight is the big Science Fair at school!
The project this year, MOLD, although we never really got mold as a result. Who would guess that grocery store bread has enough preservatives in it to last for more than 12 days sealed in a plastic bag and not get moldy. Ok, it showed "signs" of mold, but no actual mold appeared. What to do when you have a science fair that depends on mold? Don't laugh, we must be science fair failures. We did plants 2 years ago and the plants never grew (of course, growing plants indoors in Upstate NY in Jan/Feb was probably not the smartest idea on our parts).
I'm proud though that my daughter was able to quickly recover and think clearly enough to document the results, or lack thereof, in a scientific way. She recorded and charted "the amount of change" and suggested that given more time, she would see mold on the Rye bread as it had the most amount of change.
We'll see how it goes this evening, but more to come.
Oh, and if you are a McNamara parent, check out the new blogspot http://www.mcnamarapta.blogspot.com where we'll be posting all the latest PTA news. We are hoping to go green next year and send home less paper. Tell you friends about this new spot for updates and information. Feedback appreciated as always!
The project this year, MOLD, although we never really got mold as a result. Who would guess that grocery store bread has enough preservatives in it to last for more than 12 days sealed in a plastic bag and not get moldy. Ok, it showed "signs" of mold, but no actual mold appeared. What to do when you have a science fair that depends on mold? Don't laugh, we must be science fair failures. We did plants 2 years ago and the plants never grew (of course, growing plants indoors in Upstate NY in Jan/Feb was probably not the smartest idea on our parts).
I'm proud though that my daughter was able to quickly recover and think clearly enough to document the results, or lack thereof, in a scientific way. She recorded and charted "the amount of change" and suggested that given more time, she would see mold on the Rye bread as it had the most amount of change.
We'll see how it goes this evening, but more to come.
Oh, and if you are a McNamara parent, check out the new blogspot http://www.mcnamarapta.blogspot.com where we'll be posting all the latest PTA news. We are hoping to go green next year and send home less paper. Tell you friends about this new spot for updates and information. Feedback appreciated as always!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Mon, March 15th
Precious and few are the moments we all can share! How true the words to that song.
This week is a two year milestone as we remember my mother in law's passing and how she touched each of our lives. We are also praying that our niece has positive results with her tests at Mt. Sinai Hospital in a quest to help stabilize her seizures as a result of a brain tumor that has stolen so much of her youth and her laughter.
Tonight I went scrapbooking with some friends, a passion / hobby turned addictive behaviour at some times. I love capturing all of the memories and all of the details of my family's life. I've found my daughter sometimes sitting quietly in her room or in the living room looking at the scrapbooks that I have made for her - vacations, baby pictures, milestones. Many times we have the chance to sit together and look through them and I'm able to tell her so much about her life and our family. She laughs too when she comes across some of the stories that she has written in school carefully mounted amongst those pages. She too has stories to tell and memories to recount in her own way, and oh how special they are too.
Truly, precious and few are the moments we all can share! Enjoy every one!
This week is a two year milestone as we remember my mother in law's passing and how she touched each of our lives. We are also praying that our niece has positive results with her tests at Mt. Sinai Hospital in a quest to help stabilize her seizures as a result of a brain tumor that has stolen so much of her youth and her laughter.
Tonight I went scrapbooking with some friends, a passion / hobby turned addictive behaviour at some times. I love capturing all of the memories and all of the details of my family's life. I've found my daughter sometimes sitting quietly in her room or in the living room looking at the scrapbooks that I have made for her - vacations, baby pictures, milestones. Many times we have the chance to sit together and look through them and I'm able to tell her so much about her life and our family. She laughs too when she comes across some of the stories that she has written in school carefully mounted amongst those pages. She too has stories to tell and memories to recount in her own way, and oh how special they are too.
Truly, precious and few are the moments we all can share! Enjoy every one!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
We want spring so badly here in Upstate NY, and we are getting just a few short days as a taste of it now. This AM I got up and the sun is beautiful and it may even top 40 degrees today. Of course, we still have snow mounds as tall as the trees and the yards still have a blanket of white, but we take small miracles and cherish them up here is what I like to refer to as "Siberiacuse".
This morning, I'm working on the details of our share in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Farm in Pulaski, NY. We are hoping to split a share with a neighbor this year and add on some organic eggs. The name of the farm is Grindstone Farms (www.grindstonefarms.com) and the share is an exciting venture for us as a family. It will be very different than going to the local mega grocery store for our products. I've found lately that the food bill is going higher and higher and we have less and less to show for it. That said, we wanted to support local farms and find better alternatives for our family and better products for our money. We may be a drop off location as well, so check out the site if you are in Upstate NY. The CSA coordinator is great to work with!
I will keep you posted here on how the CSA plans are coming along and some great new recipes and ideas that we find to use the great produce that we get.
Off to the supermarket now, to be held hostage by the prices - URGH. Just another reason for spring to come quickly and the growing season to start!
This morning, I'm working on the details of our share in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Farm in Pulaski, NY. We are hoping to split a share with a neighbor this year and add on some organic eggs. The name of the farm is Grindstone Farms (www.grindstonefarms.com) and the share is an exciting venture for us as a family. It will be very different than going to the local mega grocery store for our products. I've found lately that the food bill is going higher and higher and we have less and less to show for it. That said, we wanted to support local farms and find better alternatives for our family and better products for our money. We may be a drop off location as well, so check out the site if you are in Upstate NY. The CSA coordinator is great to work with!
I will keep you posted here on how the CSA plans are coming along and some great new recipes and ideas that we find to use the great produce that we get.
Off to the supermarket now, to be held hostage by the prices - URGH. Just another reason for spring to come quickly and the growing season to start!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Nov 4th - Sure signs that snow is coming....
In Upstate NY, you know that snow is right around the corner when the plow stakes go up. You know the ones.....they line most driveways and now the town even puts them around bends in the road to help the plow guys find the turns and helps them not tear up front lawns.
My snow plow guy is putting ours up this weekend, so until April, my driveway - like many others here - will be lined with small stakes typically spray painted at the top with neon orange.
Hard to imagine too while I look at them against the green of the grass, that in a few short months, it will be hard to even find many of these in the snow mounds.
My daughter, however, is thrilled to see these stakes go up. They are a sure sign that the white stuff will be falling from the skies soon. And for her, that means hours upon hours outside having a blast.
I'm trying to embrace winter this year and I'm thinking up fun things to do outside during the winter months. I'll post it here to remind me in February why I like the snow sometimes.
My snow plow guy is putting ours up this weekend, so until April, my driveway - like many others here - will be lined with small stakes typically spray painted at the top with neon orange.
Hard to imagine too while I look at them against the green of the grass, that in a few short months, it will be hard to even find many of these in the snow mounds.
My daughter, however, is thrilled to see these stakes go up. They are a sure sign that the white stuff will be falling from the skies soon. And for her, that means hours upon hours outside having a blast.
I'm trying to embrace winter this year and I'm thinking up fun things to do outside during the winter months. I'll post it here to remind me in February why I like the snow sometimes.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Nov 3rd - Life in Upstate NY
I'm not a native Upstate New Yorker, but am from RI. The smallest state of all 50 of them.
Coming to NY almost 18 years ago was for work....a stopover, on my career path. I was working for Marriott / Interstate Hotels at the time and my plan was to move from my then home in Pittsburgh to Upstate NY and then head to Florida to be with my sister for a bit and then back to New England. I never truly envisioned myself anywhere else. I had moved from RI to East Rutherford NJ (because I told my company I was relocatable anywhere except NYC and LA...so they sent me to NJ - just 2 miles across the river from NYC). From there it was on to Pittsburgh, and then here to NY.
My plan for Upstate NY, was like most other cities that I have lived in, be here for a short period of time - 7 months to a year max and then move again. Hummmmmm.....where did my plan derail? I'm going on 18 years and my parents have now moved here and my sister has also left warm sunny Florida for Upstate NY. Well, along the way I have picked up a wonderful husband, his entire family is here and my two stepsons were here. So, here is where I call home.
We definately have a bad reputation though - all people know is about the many many inches of snow that we get, and the dreary days of winter. Looking out my window today, I have to remind myself what I love about Upstate NY and why we are blessed in so many ways:
* Great springs, mild summers and spectacular falls that take your breath away with color and magnificence
* Long country roads that twist and turn, with surprises around each corner
* Local farms and farmers markets with FRESH produce
* Places where everyone knows your name
* Finger Lakes where you can still afford to buy a house on a lake and let your children jump off of docks and swim carefree in non polluted water
* Horse farms and corn fields
* Pumpkin patches, apple orchards and dairy farms
* Very little congestion and traffic
* Families and values and comfortable places!
Although it is definately threatening snow and those clouds overhead are dark and dreary....I'm going to remember the things that really make me happy to be here. I'm going to pull out my warmest sweaters and snuggle into them for just a few months and look foward to the calm of winter too.
Coming to NY almost 18 years ago was for work....a stopover, on my career path. I was working for Marriott / Interstate Hotels at the time and my plan was to move from my then home in Pittsburgh to Upstate NY and then head to Florida to be with my sister for a bit and then back to New England. I never truly envisioned myself anywhere else. I had moved from RI to East Rutherford NJ (because I told my company I was relocatable anywhere except NYC and LA...so they sent me to NJ - just 2 miles across the river from NYC). From there it was on to Pittsburgh, and then here to NY.
My plan for Upstate NY, was like most other cities that I have lived in, be here for a short period of time - 7 months to a year max and then move again. Hummmmmm.....where did my plan derail? I'm going on 18 years and my parents have now moved here and my sister has also left warm sunny Florida for Upstate NY. Well, along the way I have picked up a wonderful husband, his entire family is here and my two stepsons were here. So, here is where I call home.
We definately have a bad reputation though - all people know is about the many many inches of snow that we get, and the dreary days of winter. Looking out my window today, I have to remind myself what I love about Upstate NY and why we are blessed in so many ways:
* Great springs, mild summers and spectacular falls that take your breath away with color and magnificence
* Long country roads that twist and turn, with surprises around each corner
* Local farms and farmers markets with FRESH produce
* Places where everyone knows your name
* Finger Lakes where you can still afford to buy a house on a lake and let your children jump off of docks and swim carefree in non polluted water
* Horse farms and corn fields
* Pumpkin patches, apple orchards and dairy farms
* Very little congestion and traffic
* Families and values and comfortable places!
Although it is definately threatening snow and those clouds overhead are dark and dreary....I'm going to remember the things that really make me happy to be here. I'm going to pull out my warmest sweaters and snuggle into them for just a few months and look foward to the calm of winter too.
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