The Real 'Old Blue Eyes"

I know Sinatra is known as Old Blue Eyes. But Paul Newman was MY Old Blue Eyes. I came within six feet of him - TWICE!!! Both times were at racing events. Back when the Indy style race car was governed under one body called CART - I was a big fan. I even managed to cajole my husband (who at the time didn't care for racing) to go with me to the annual race held at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Basically they created a course through the roads and parking lots of Giants Stadium and what was the Brendan Byrne Arena (where the Nets play). Well, Norm put up with this for the first year. (He wasn't too thrilled when I got us there at 9:30 in the morning for a 4:00 p.m. race.)

The following year Norm couldn't go for some reason, so I asked my brother, Brion if he wanted to drive over from Long Island and go. He said sure, we agreed to meet in front of Giant Stadium at the main ticket entrance. As usual, I was there early and I wandered around the area where they park the haulers to see if I could catch a driver or two for an autograph and just see the cars. I walked over to the ticket entrance where CART had a trailer for officials and stuff and just as I was going to cross the street I noticed a Volvo station wagon parked in front with a blonde woman sitting in the front seat knitting. I did a double take and realized it was Joanne Woodward. I started getting giddily (I know, not a word - deal) excited. I wanted to go over and say hello - or something, but I was tongue tied and pretty much frozen to the spot. After a few minutes the door to the trailer opened and a man came out with one of those sloped racing caps on. You know, the kind men wear when driving a convertible, and I did another double take because he had a beard and I almost didn't recognize him. It was Paul Newman. You couldn't have blasted me out of my spot. In my head I was screaming and jumping up and down, waving my hands, calling out "Paaauuuulll". In reality, I just stood there and gave them both their privacy. I watched him get in the car, say something to his wife and drive out of my life, ahhhh...

I was still a basket case and couldn't wait for my brother to show up so I could become a babbling idiot to him - "Do you know who I just saw?? Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, Paul Newman - PAUL NEWMAN!!!!"

My brother must have been the charm because the next time I saw Paul and Joanne Newman was at the Nazareth CART race. Again, I was with Brion and one of his friends. We were walking through the garage area and a convertible was trying to navigate through the crowds. Again, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. I was much cooler this time and just gaped as they drove by, trying not to look like a total idiot.

I had seen several of his movies on TV when NBC had 'Saturday Night at the Movies' back in the late sixties, and seventies. I remember going to the movies and seeing 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' and 'The Sting' one of my favorites. I saw him with Jackie Gleason in the 'Hustler' and 'Cool Hand Luke' another one of my favorites. Lately, he was the voice of the old car in 'Cars'. But those blue eyes, oh, those blue eyes - piercing, warm, funny, seductive, charming, roguish, intelligent, soulful, and just plain gorgeous.

He was a good American, a good actor and a great human being. He bucked the Hollywood norm and lived a honest, meaningful life. He didn't just show up and give a sound bite. He put his actions and his money and power to meaningful and good use, giving back to society. Newman's Own, started on a lark - a bet between two friends has given over $175 million dollars to charity and the 'Hole in the Wall' camps, established for children with serious illnesses are two of the most public examples of his generosity.

He was a good man and will be missed by many for many reasons, but I personally will miss those wonderful blue eyes.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

Last night Norman and I said goodbye to a old and dear friend. We didn't see her as often as we used to these last fifteen years or so and that made me a little sad last night. We try to made it down to New York City to see her at least once a year but this final year I'm sorry to say we missed saying goodbye in person.

My husband was born a Yankee fan. His dad and cousins growing up in Rochester and then later in Connecticut served as the foundation of not only his love of the Yankees but of baseball. Nothing brings Norm more pleasure than announcing to us how many days until pitchers and catchers report to spring training. Norm was there the day they honored Mickey Mantle and placed his plaque out in Monument Park. (I remember listening to that pre-game show on the radio.)

I should have been a born Yankee fan as my dad grew up in the south Bronx, just off the Grand Concourse and sold peanuts at Yankee stadium as a boy. Harry M. Stevens - the concession company that sold us mountains of peanuts, cotton candy, soda and hot dogs - there is nothing better on this earth than a hot dog at a ball park - my dad remembered working for him.

However, I grew up a Met fan. My dad may have worked at Yankee stadium, but he wasn't a big fan of the game, my mom was :-) My dad used to get tickets for the new team that played in Flushing - the Mets. I'll tell you more about them in another post because they are also saying hello to a new home next year.

But this is more about goodbyes. I used to tease people that I had a mixed marriage. I was a Met fan married to a Yankee fan and in New York, you are either one or the other. I had very little knowledge of the Yankee's when I met Norm. What I did know were distant memories of my childhood. When I was somewhere between 6 and 9 years old my dad took me to a Yankee game. We had great seats, right along the third base line, right in the first row! A friend of my dad's even gave me an autographed ball. I think Mantle played that day but he didn't do well. What I remember the most is that after the game, they let the fans walk out on to the field and cross over the outfield and walk out under the bleachers. I thought that was really cool. My only other early memory was seeing the New York Giants play in very cold weather in Yankee Stadium. Again, my mother was the Giants fan and my dad was just the ticket broker.

Fast forward to the early and mid 70's. Here I am married to this Yankee fan who says "Who?" whenever I ask what the Met score is! We managed to live in harmony through the 70's. We even went to one of the playoff games in the Reggie Jackson, Tommy John era. Norman and one of his grad school classmates drove into the Bronx just to buy tickets and a group of us trekked into the city on a cool and blustery Friday night and had 'nose bleed' seats. Last night they talked about the stadium rocking when a crowd of 60,000 get excited. Well, I can testify to that! We shook!

I had a bit of a Met's heyday in the 80's but I was coming over to the 'dark side' after 10 years married to a Yankee fan. You can get the Yankees on the radio almost anywhere in the US. "The New York Yankee Radio Network" - it's called, so for the next ten years or so, it was all Yankees all the time. The Mets became more of a fond distant memory and a lot of them migrated over to the Yankees, Tom Seaver, Doc Gooden, David Cone and many more. I began thinking of them as Yankees not Mets. Then in the late 80's early 90's we were living in New Jersey and for Norm's birthday I got him Saturday, season tickets - 13 games. We would pack a lunch or hit the deli and drive across New Jersey on Route 80, across the GWB (George Washington Bridge) down the Major Deagan and into the parking lot under the Degan and the Metro North line. We'd cross the bridge with the flutist playing the F-Troop theme (among others) with his case lying open with a buck or two of change in it.

We'd come down the stairs to the big metal bat, cross into the stadium and walk up the ramp to the greenest, most beautiful stretch of grass you'd ever want to see. The interlocking NY right behind home plate, the arched facade in the outfield and beautiful blue sky overhead.We'd attended a number of 'Old Timers' games over the years and very early in our lives they would always introduce Mrs. Lou Gehrig and Mrs. Babe Ruth. I rarely ever got a good luck at these ladies because they didn't come down to the field. They sat up in the owner's box and received the ovation their husbands would have. Last night, God bless her, Julia Ruth Stevens, Babe Ruth's 92 year old daughter threw out the ceremonial first pitch!Norm and I celebrated two very important events at Yankee Stadium. We were at a game in the summer of 1991 and after we got to our seats I got up to go the stadium store. I had something to buy. I came back and handed Norman the bag and a card. He opened the bag and found a little Yankee's onesie. He looked a little puzzled then opened the card that had a lion on the front and the sentiment inside said "Shhhh! you don't want to wake the baby!" I had chosen Yankee stadium to tell Norm that we were pregnant.

Fast forward six years. We had arrived back from China barely a month earlier, 40 days to be precise and we were back at Yankee Stadium with Alexa and my brother and sister-in-law and nephew. I managed to get this welcome request in...

It was a surprise more for Norman than Alexa. As you can see she was a little young at the time to know exactly what was going on!In the top shot she's being held by Maggie with Norman right in front and in the shot directly above she's sitting on favorite uncle Brion's lap wondering what cousin Joe and aunt Maggie have. She wasn't hugely impressed! We did manage to take Alexa to several more games over the years and even though she won't admit now, she did have a favorite player in the mid 90's - Paul O'Neill! She even flirted with an interest in Jason Giambi, but she'd deny it vehemently now.

So last night we sat there and watched the Old Guard, Yogi, Whitey, Larsen, the middle guard, Reggie, Willie Randolph, Chambliss, Nettles, Winfield, Mattingly, O'Neill, Williams and young guard, Pettite, Posada, Mariano and Jeter say goodbye to the House that Ruth built and that we have all come to think of as our home away from home. I wasn't sad until Jeter gave his thank you to the fans. I teared up a little during that. Norman, he cried through the whole thing. The pre-game honors and the post game celebration. Like Jeter said, we will carry our memories across the street next year and the fans will still do the roll call, ask for a curtain call and buy another hot dog and toast to the memories of old and the beginning of new ones.

I'm in a rut...

I think I've been down this road before (that's why it is beginning to have a groove down the middle). I'm in a rut. Well not exactly a rut, it's more like massive indecisiveness. I have all these great ideas at night (after 12:00) of what I'm going to do the next day and the next day comes and ...nothing...I have a massive clean-up to do in the house and my scrap room in particular. I've got to call Dell about getting Alexa hooked up to the Internet because she spends her homework time on my computer! I've got laundry piling up that needs to be done, I need to take a shower and get ready for class - colored pencils, tonight and I'm still contemplating -- taking a nap ZZZZZZ!!!

I had one semi boost of energy one evening and started going through the mountain of magazines that I've accumulated and flagging the pages of layouts and cards and projects I like. We got the cutest cards and stamps in for Halloween from Memory Box and I went on line to find out how they did them because they are so cute and reminded me of Edward Gorey in their simplicity. So now I've got 4 stamps to make Halloween cards and Thanksgiving cards. Oh, did I mention that I don't send Halloween or Thanksgiving cards (I haven't sent Christmas cards out in two years) and I DON'T STAMP!!

I know it's not a requirement but a treat, but I desperately need to get a pedicure. My fingernails are in terrible shape and a manicure wouldn't hurt but my Anglo Saxon guilt complex is saying I shouldn't do any of those things until I at least do the laundry so that my poor indigent daughter has clothes to wear to school...I don't have any new photos for you but as we are still waiting on hearing about a puppy I thought I'd share my 'niece' Montana. Isn't she a sweetie!!

Well, Priss gets home in an hour so I better at least do her underwear. Gymnastics tonight so the joint will be jumping after five. Time to get up and dig that groove a little deeper.

OMG!!!

OH! MY! GOODNESS!!! What a summer, what a first week of September. Are you like me and totally overwhelmed and feel like you've lived a whole year in just the last two or three weeks? It's been a whirlwind at our house and my head is buzzing like the last lightning bugs of summer.

Where to begin?? Alexa is back to school - Oh, happy days! I know, I'm a mean mom. In my defense --- I have no defense, I'm so happy to not have to deal with the daily "Mom, I'm bored, can I have a friend over, go to the pool, have a sleep-over, go to Darien Lake, go shopping for school clothes, take a class at the store, come to work with you..." it went on and on and on...

So here's the first day of school...

Norm is such a softie. He stayed home to see Alexa off on the bus for her first day of 6th grade.

Here is my yearly new shoe photo. As you can see it's missing the shoes...well, you get new flip flops at least. If you asked Alexa, the most important part of the photo is the pedi she talked me into the night before.

We really liked this photo of her with her new Abercrombie tote getting ready to get on the bus. I'd like to say I did the happy dance and got a ton of stuff accomplished once she was on her way, but I decided to do something much more enjoyable --- I went back to bed!

We had a bit more of a peaceful time shopping for school supplies. However, (I always have a but!) WHAT A LIST!! I thought last year was bad, I could open my own Office Depot for what I had to get for this child. We moved to this house and town because of the quality of it's school district. Little did we know we needed to take out a home lone to afford the yearly school supplies! Here is a small sampling...

You will note we have everything from swimsuits to safety goggles, pencils to post-its (all 24 required packs!) Antibacterial wipes to over 20, count'em OVER 20 pocket folder in specified colors. Three, not one, not two but THREE locks and three or was it four jumbo cloth book covers at $4.99 apiece! What happened to cut up groceries bags - oh, yeah I fogot - "Is plastic OK?"

ARRRGGGGGG!!!!!!

Lastly, my parting shot is of this gorgeous looking specimen of male youth...Alexa had to take another bag of stuff to school. You had to know she used one of her multitudinous (my word, deal with it) Abercrombie shopping bags. Thus begins the 6th grade!!

I'll be back, really!

It's been a bit of a whirlwind two weeks or so since my last post. We did another road trip, this time to Connecticut to visit my father-in-law and his wife, then I had to make a quick trip to Long Island two days ago to attend the funeral of my sister-in-law's mother. Today may be another catch-up day as I have kits to make up for the class I missed, Alexa is chomping at the bit to go school shopping and she's conned her dad into taking her...(don't even want to deal with that one!)

The countdown for the start of school is on - only a torturous 11 days to go! I'm getting my dancing shoes out and polished. Mind you, I'm going to be more than broke before it's over, but what's a mom to do!

So, I'll be back with more details, hopefully pictures and hair pulling commentary (mine of course) soon. Wish me luck! (and Norman too as he's going with her today)

Vacation - Part IV

The endless summer...and I haven't even been to beach and let's not even consider me on a surfboard. Anyway...the last portion of our vacation was our annual trip back to Keuka Lake and Keuka College for Chinese Culture Weekend. As I've mentioned before, our Rochester Families with Children from China (FCC) organizes and runs a fabulous weekend of fun, camaraderie, Chinese daughters and sons (we have a great deal more than we used to!) and Chinese arts, crafts, culture and history.

Alexa has been lukewarm on this event for the past two or so years but this year she was anxious to go and to see her friend Rebecca. This is the only time all year the girls can get together in person as Rebecca lives a good three hours away.

We've had a few challenges the last two or three years in that our first group of children are starting the pre-teen and teen years. Finding activities for them to do without abandoning what we do for the younger ones has been a challenge. This year we had a DJ driven "Sock Hop" on Friday night. I'm told it was a big success - but we missed it as we came after work and didn't arrive until close to 9:00 p.m.

Another big part of the weekend is what we call the Culture Trail. We use the first and second floor of Hegeman Hall (classroom and offices) and set up stations according to a theme. This year I believe we did the Silk Road (a retread for the older girls, but new for the younger ones). The older girls had "Free Time" during this part of the weekend or many of them are CITs - Counselors in Training. Alexa was not interested in being a CIT last year when the program was formed but she expressed an interest this year to do it next year. Our parents do a wonderful job! Here is a prop designed to be a Chinese fishing boat. At each station the kids get a little history/fact background and do a little craft or activity. They get a sticker that they've completed the stop and go to the next. At the end of trail they get a bigger gift. They year they got a nice red canvas tote and a really cute stuffed panda bear! The Bradley-Donnelly family live near Keuka in Penn Yan and they have a large barn on their property and they are kind enough to not only store our props but they make many of them. This boat was just awesome!

We also had the mountains (above) the plains and a walk across the great wall!

As we live so far away, we only do this one event with FCC. However, I've taken it upon myself to do a scrapbook page each year for the past four to five years. This year I had a new design team member - Alexa! She designed the page you see and helped tremendously in getting all the letters cut, bagged and the kits assembled because I had to work on Friday. We put together 85 kits!

One of the themes of the weekend was Famous Chinese Americans. Alexa designed a 'Facts About Me/Just Imagine..." page. Each of the circles with the picture on it is attached to the page with a brad. Just swivel the picture circle aside and you will see facts about the person underneath. We used Yo-Yo Ma, Michelle Kwan, I.M. Pei and Amy Tan. The kids could put a picture of themselves on the mat provided and then fill in the questions on the bottom with facts about them, favorite food, favorite sport, favorite person, etc. and what I want to be when I grow up.

Because I had to work, I 'contracted' out the job of finishing the kit ingredients and packing for the weekend to Alexa! She had a specific list of things to do and a pre-set, agreed upon price for accomplishing this list with a bonus clause for work above and beyond what was contracted. Needless to say, with the money incentive -- she got the bonus!

The page went over very, very well. I gave complete props to Alexa for her design and to Dove of the East, a paper company that specializes in culturally themed scrapbook papers for giving me the papers at a wholesale price. Here are some of our girls and families working on their pages.

As you can see, we not only have Moms helping out but we have Dads helping out too! That is what I love the most about this group. Our Dads are just as hands on with our girls and boys as Moms are! The page may seem a little simple but my challenge this year was to make a page that could be a complete 'take away'. The page had to be simple enough for totally non-scrapbookers to do with minimal tools (glue sticks and kids scissors) to something that could be taken away by the older kids and done at home again, with only minimal supplies. I enclosed an instruction sheet in each kit with a picture of the final page as a reference. I think next year I'll probably have the same kind of challenge. I'm already thinking about what I can do!
Here are all our girls and boys on the steps inside the newly renovated Ball Hall. (Alexa is in the top row all the way on left with the turquoise top). We ask the kids to dress in Chinese clothes if they have them and want to. Alexa usually balks at this but this year she was willing but we didn't have anything that fit her anymore. Norm will have a shopping list the next time he goes to China! We usually use the horseshoe sitting area in the back of Ball but the weather was not our friend this year. We had to squeeze ourselves in a very little area. We had a total of 51 families registered with 89 kids! WOW!!

This marks the end of the Muir Family Summer 2008 Vacation Tour. Do I get a T-shirt with the tour dates and locations on the back? School starts in approximately 3 weeks. Next, school shopping!! Can't wait...

Vacation - Part III

I'm getting to old for this! I thought we were going to have a quiet, boring, "There's nothing to do Mom!" summer. We haven't stopped since school let out. Vacation part II was a couples only affair. Norm and I went to Indianapolis to see NASCAR's Brickyard 400. We had been to the Indianapolis Speedway before, 15 years ago to see the Indianapolis 500. You and 250,000 of your closest friends - major league fun!

This year Norm's boss sold us his tickets (he goes every year) and we flew into Louisville, KY on the Friday before the race. We lived in Kentucky for three years before moving back to NY and I really enjoyed it there. We got to lounge around on Friday and Saturday and then drove up to Indy on Sunday. We used my new favorite bit of technology, the Garmin.

We used it in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana. I just love this thing! Normally I'm a map girl but this little toy is so much fun to use and didn't steer us wrong once. In Kentucky we went to the Louisville Slugger museum and Norm ordered his own personalized, signature bat

This isn't it, a little small don't you think? The real one will be coming in the mail in a few weeks. Norm is standing at the base of a bat that is outside the factory and as tall as the building.

Just down the street there were these delightful red penguins atop a downtown hotel. The chandelier was outside the hotel also.

We headed up to Indy on Sunday. We intended to get some sandwiches and drinks and fill a couple of ziplock freezer bags with ice from the hotel so we wouldn't have to fight the crowds during the race. We forgot that Kentucky has different blue laws than NY does. Businesses don't open until 11:00 a.m. or noon. So we ended up with nothing. Not a problem except that we parked about a mile away from the raceway in a church parking lot and walked to the speedway. Once there we found that we had another mile and half walk around the outside of the speedway to the short chute between turns three and four to get to our seats. I'll try and give you an idea of the crowds...

People for a mile and more from the Speedway sell space on their lawns, driveways, whatever to people coming in for the race. Yards are decorated. They sell water bottles, ear plugs they have grills going and banners and flags of their favorite drivers flying. It's like a parade walking to the Speedway.

Once inside and as you approach the gates there are vendors everywhere. From the semi-truck size driver based souvenirs, to the official Speedway gift shop kiosks and the food vendors.As you walk around the Speedway, there are these big banners hanging from the stands. They show famous milestones of the Speedway. This next one is for all you oldsters who remember Andy Granitelli. He owned the car the year Mario Andretti won the 500. His suit is covered with the sponsor's logo, STP.

Once inside we found our seat, which continued our tradition of sitting in nosebleed land - we were the top row, the third and fourth seats from the end of the row. This was - good because we could see more than anyone else. Bad, because they were impossible to get out of if you wanted to get something. Good, because it was 85+ degrees and we had a wire fence to our back with a breeze!

We had a large screen in front of us so we could see the front stretch and the cars when they were in turn one and two. At the end of the national anthem they released the balloons from the start finish line. I tried to zoom this shot but I hope it still gives you an idea of how far away that was from us - a good mile.

Here the cars are coming around during one of the pace laps and in the next photo the race has begun.I wanted to get a photo of my man, Smoke - Tony Stewart, but let me tell you, it was hard at the speed these guys go around. I was able to get this shot because THIS WAS THE WORST RACE I'VE EVER SEEN OR BEEN TO!

Now, don't get me wrong, I loved going to the race, but the race itself was awful! Apparently, the tires they had for the cars would only go about 8-10 laps(20-30 miles) and then need replacing. This was a 400 mile race! Finally, we heard through the people with earphones and radios that Goodyear was bringing the tires it had set aside for the Pocono race the following week because they were going to run out of tires and were trying to get a longer lasting tire in hopes of actually having a real race!

It was a race of yellow flags and caution laps interrupted with the occasional green flag racing! Jimmy Johnson won and our man Tony finished well behind in 23rd.

Well, that's about it for chapter III. One more chapter to go - Chinese Culture Camp!

Vacation - Part II

It was pure, blissful, undisturbed silence for the almost 4 hour trip from Hershey to Williamsburg...ahh! Again, technology comes to our rescue. The first leg of the journey Alexa was more than occupied with her Nintendo DS and the Guitar Hero game. Ear plugs are a wonderful thing! She could jam away and we didn't have to hear it! Then from Hershey to Williamsburg, a portable DVD player and '27 Dresses' was our salvation.


We arrived in Williamsburg and the tradition of the cheking out the hotel continued along with the evaluation of the other swimmers - how many adults, how many children, how many kids Alexa's own age. You get the idea.


Next morning we dived into Williamsburg. Now, to say that Alexa wasn't totally on-board with this portion of the vacation would be an understatement. History - blah! pilgrims* - blah! Watching the re-enactments - blah! The village is a little different from when we were there last about 15 years ago. Today they have actors recreating scenes from Williamsburg 's history and they have townspeople talking about their lives. We got to 'listen-in' to two slaves talking about how to help a slave child whose mother had been sold. That evolved into a scene between a young man and woman on the brink of an engagement - being interrupted by his family leaving for England as his father was a loyalist. The son, a young man, was a patriot and refused to go back with his family. He was leaving for Massachusetts and was signing up to join General Washington. The young woman, the daughter of a patriot family was torn over her suitor leaving. Alexa was bored...

*My incredibly intelligent daughter was a little mixed up with the historic time line - colonists not pilgrims, dear...

We had to cajole, fight, demand, insist Alexa take this picture of us! The obligatory trapped in the stocks photo! Could we get her in the stocks - NO WAY! (she just wanted to get to the shopping at the end of the street!)

We traveled down the street and heard the governor, speaking from the balcony of the capitol building announcing he was suspending the Virginia House of Burgesses due to the people's sympathic response to the Boston Tea Party. We walked down the street some more and came across a public tar and feathering! A man had been accused of spouting loyalist sympathies and putting down the patriots and was subjected to a 'court' of his peers (toursits) right there on the street.

He was saved at the last minute from the man you see on the far left. 'Jack' managed to convince the men to let the 'prisoner' go if he apologized and praised the patriot cause. As the prisoner hurried away he was heard to say he was boarding the next boat back to England.

We moved from store to craftsman working our way down the Duke of Glouster Street. Alexa did seem interested in the tradesmen as they talked about what they did and how they did it. The photo below is from the wig makers store. Oh, those folks had some serious fashion issues!

I've got some more pictures for another day. My color-artsy-fartsy photos that I'll post another time. Tomorrow we're off to Louisville and Indianapolis for the Brickyard 400. Norman's boss has yearly tickets and he sold them to us. So we're going to fly into Louisville, do some sightseeing there and then drive up to Indy on race day. Alexa is staying with Laurie and Ryann which is a very good thing because she and her grandmother have not been getting along (what's new!) So hopefully, the MIL will have some peace from her wicked granddaughter and Alexa will behave at Ryann's. Us, we'll have a blast at the race! Gentelmen, START YOUR ENGINES!!!

Vacation - Part I

We're back from vacation. What a trip. Seven days in a car and a hotel room with an 11 yr. old! Thank heavens for hotel pools! It's the first thing Alexa does when we go anywhere - check out the pool. Heck, she checks out the whole hotel! She has her standards of excellence, so far the pinnacle is the Cleveland City Center Marriott. We stay there each fall when we attend a Browns game. It's within walking distance to the stadium and the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame and most everything downtown.


Anyway, we left for Hershey in a downpour and it stayed that way almost all the way there. The hotel was mobbed! I think there was some kind of cheerleader or dance competition in town because besides all the families there was an inordinate number of young pre and teen girls. Some were even dancing in one of the meeting rooms. Very crowded - glad we stayed only one night! But the chocolate, the CHOCOLATE!!!!

We went straight to Chocolate World. Hershey's combination retail center, tour center and activity center. They take you on a simulated factory tour to show you how chocolate is made and have a movie you can watch and what Alexa wanted to do more than anything - make chocolate 'stuff''! So, needless to say, we bought a lot of chocolate, shipped some home, because idiot that I am I did not connect Chocolate + July + Virginia + 90 degree heat!! I also went out the first night a bought a little cooler and we refilled freezer bags with ice cubes from our hotels the whole trip so that the chocolate we didn't ship would survive our trip.

The next day was Hershey Park! Alexa is a roller coaster freak of nature! She is totally and completely fearless. She never hesitates, questions or even considers if a coaster might be too much. Scare doesn't enter her vocabulary - just "Hurry Up!!" and "It's not THAT bad Mom, really!" I used to love roller coasters when I was her age. I just never had the opportunity to go on many and they simply didn't have the amusement parks they have today. But all I have to do is look at some of these monsters and nope, not happening, not today, NOT EVER!!

The biggie at Hershey Park was something called "Fahrenheit", 90 degrees straight up and 97 degrees straight back down...No way Jose! Alexa, however, was determined to go on it, and she did - alone! Norm couldn't go on the rides because of his kidney stone situation so it fell to me to go on as many as I could handle, just not this one!

I did manage a few other ones and to be honest I could have handled this ride if not for the top photo. The rest seemed pretty harmless as shown directly above. But that straight up and straight down, FUGETABOUTIT!!!

Part II of Vacation 2008 to come soon - along with my new BFF!!

Planned Obsolecence...a.k.a. getting older...

We're going on vacation next week and I stopped in at AAA to check our arrangements and make some changes. Was I adding a fun new stop to our itinerary? Checking on different and new attractions where we were going? Looking into some nice romantic getaway?

No, I was checking for when I had to give cancellation notice for our destination in case my husband's kidney stones started REALLY acting up. Now I know what the American couple has in common with the American auto - we both go for only so long then we start to break down, one part at a time!

This week alone we've dealt with kidney stones, follow-up laser zapping for previous cataract surgery and renewing a handicap parking tag for my 75+ yr. old mother-in-law! All the while wondering how we're going to handle the highlights of our vacation, not restricted to, but including...(the)Battering Ram, Escape from Pompeii, Alpengeist, Roller Soaker, Wildcat, Griffon, SOOPERDOOPERLOOPER and last but not least, Loch Ness Monster.

I need to make sure I pack Tylenol, Extra Strength Tylenol, Tylenol PM, Back and Body Ache Bayer Aspirin, Claritin, my thyroid pills, Preparation H, support shoes, a portable fan for me, oh, and sun block and bug spray for Alexa. (They say to be prepared when traveling with children).

I'm why I won't buy and American car - I know it's going to break down just the way I am! Our last three cars have been Japanese or Korean and they were and still are great! Going stronger than we could have hoped for (considering we ran two of the three into the ground, well past what an American car could have tolerated)!

Now to solve the problem of how two over-the-hill, past the warranty date, 50+ American model parents are going to keep up with our super-charged, shiny, mint condition 11 year old Chinese daughter!

Wish us luck!