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Posts Tagged ‘Starbucks’

Day 2- iPhone 5C She Can’t Wait

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Finley Ray, Frankie, Friends, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 8, 2013| 1 Comment »

English: The logo for Apple Computer, now Appl...

Early Apple Logo

Friends and family have been calling, emailing and texting since the birth of the baby.  Appointments  have to be made, times worked out as to who can visit when and calls to be made acknowledging the many beautiful floral arrangements that arrive daily.  Not to mention as room mother for Finley’s class, Chiara has to organize events and liaison information to the other mothers AND she needs her cell phone to do so.  This is not her house, there is no land line.  

Well you know what happened last night;  Finley wanting to do Facetime with Tia and having to pee too equals one iPhone in the toilet!  NOTE to parents:  The rice trick doesn’t work!  So I would guess, it wasn’t 5 minutes after she woke up this morning that the order was issued: “I must have a phone”.  Tom hopped online to see who sells the iPhone and is relatively nearby.  This took some time and then he left to go buy the phone reminding us all that really he is supposed to be working from home!  

Before all that transpired I drove the girls to their respective schools and even stopped at Starbucks.  Oh yes, I am already a seasoned Tahoe driver.  By the way, do any of you know just how big the Tahoe is? It is 16 feet long and 6 1/2 feet wide!  My Rav4 is 15 feet long and just under 6 feet wide.  If you don’t think another foot makes a difference when you are trying to back up 5000+ pounds, you should try getting out of the driveway without hitting the privacy wall on the opposite side of the road!

More friends today, more gifts, more flowers and again a wonderful caring neighbor friend sent over a huge pan of baked ziti. Frankie went to ballet, Finley negotiated herself out of tennis so she could make a rubber band bracelet.  We tried, we failed, we tried again and failed and in  while doing so discovered just how gently one must loop one band over another!!!!  The REALLY embarrassing part is that the instructional video is narrated and demonstrated by two 8 year olds!

There has been a LOT of talk about losing baby weight.  I mean after all, it has been 5 days since she gave birth.  All of her friends are big proponents of the belly band and if there was any hesitation on Ki’s part, Frankie gave her the convincing argument.  QUOTE OF THE DAY: Frankie: ” Why is your belly so big?  Do you have another baby in there”?  

Yup that clinched it!

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Comings and Goings

Posted in Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , on July 17, 2013| 1 Comment »

NYC Subway 6 Train

NYC Subway 6 Train Otherwise Known As The Green Line.

 

Oy has it been a crazy past couple of days.  I left the shore on Sunday (a glorious sunny day I might add) to return to New York City by train so I could conduct an open house at one of my listings.  I gave myself just enough time with a very narrow margin for error but that wasn’t because I like to live on the edge, rather, I was dependent on the NJ Transit system to get home.

 

I made it to the train on time in New Jersey and as I sped away from the station, I reached into my handbag for my cell phone and uh oh it was still at the shore.  I decided not to panic, well there was nothing to be done anyway.  My concerns were not phone calls as much as possible emails and texts from brokers trying to register customers or worse from my seller who would not know why I was incommunicado at this time.

 

Things were moving along nicely;  the connecting train at Long Branch was there and so we took off on time.  I had my Kindle with me and not much else since the plan was that Peter and our grandson return sometime on Monday.  In the meantime, Cash’s mom arrived in NJ to spend some beach time with her father and son.  They got the sun and the sand and I got the Open House   😦Just outside of Secaucus the train stopped and I started to fidget.  THIS is exactly what I was afraid of!  What if? I don’t even have a cell phone to contact either the seller or a colleague to pinch hit for me. And since we are all now SO DEPENDENT on our electronic devices, I don’t even know what time it is because I don’t have a watch on!

 

The train eventually got moving and we slid into the tunnel of Penn Station and I prayed I would be able to find a rest room quickly and get on the subway to head uptown.  Oh but I forgot to tell you, I didn’t have my Metro card;  No, that was still in my apartment!  After a quick trip to the ladies’ room and boy did I ever luck out!  The line coming in as I was leaving would have given me the figurative heart attack.

 

I headed for the red line – Peter hates it when I refer to the subway lines by their color dots;  he sometimes refers to the IRT, whatever that is lol lol.  Really, I’m from Connecticut, to me the colors make sense.  Anyway, in order to get on the subway I had to buy a Metro card because I left mine in my apartment (like I somehow forgot I planned on taking the train back on Sunday). The line to the ticket booth was about 20 deep.  There were two lines to the two machines and each was LONG and filled with tourists.  I figure they were tourists because three quarters of the line did NOT know how to use the machine.  I tried to practice some form of total Zen zoning and not tap my foot too much.  When finally it was my turn at the screen don’t you know the cursed hunk of no good metal and electronics would not let me purchase a Single Ride.  Ever mindful of the crowd behind me I just said, “what the f__?” and bought a $10.00 card.  I have a senior citizen discount Metro card and am totally annoyed that I had to buy this card so I could get home and work.

 

I thought I should take a cab across town on 86th St but since everything else was going  askew and downhill, of cou

 

English: An Old sign for the IRT at the Wall S...

 An Old sign for the IRT at the Wall Street 2/3 stop. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

rse there were no cabs.  I wondered if they were on strike.  A bus came along and I hopped on and at least had the gratification and satisfaction of getting a transfer for my $10.00 splurge.  The bus made pretty good time or so I thought because as you know, I had no watch or phone.  I dashed across the street and flew into my building only to come face to face with the seller who was as surprised to see me as I was her.   “Did I get her text?”  Uh no, and I have to explain how I left my phone in NJ.  And by the way, please excuse me I have to run upstairs, change my clothes, brush my hair and teeth and get to your apartment if you please.

 

Peter on the other hand and in the other state had his daughter and grandson to entertain.  He’s not really used to being a solo host.  Well, at least they had great weather and spent two days at the beach.  They were supposed to come home on Monday which turned into Monday night and then he called to ask what did I think about them spending another night at the cottage and he would return during the day on Tuesday.  I had appointments to show my listing on Tuesday but our cat, Nicky also had an appointment at the Vet’s on Tuesday.  It was going to be grueling round trip to bring guests back to NYC, take the cat to the veterinarian and when I finished doing the laundry he brought back, we would return to NJ.  In between appointments and his return I even managed to go to Starbucks and get a pedicure.  He looked like he had been doing battle for two days.

 

Back and forth, up and down and around and around we go.

 

 

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The Friday Finale – Au Revoir Quebec – A Bientôt

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, Friends, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »

The Friday Finale – Farewell Quebec – See You Soon

The last day of your vacation always comes too soon, whether you’ve been gone two weeks or 4 days!  We planned this trip with that i mind so we booked return flights just after 5:00pm with the thought that we would have a good part of the day to continue our exploration of the charming village of Vieux Quebec.  

After a breakfast of crèpes and the usual assortment of toasts, bread, ham, cheese, a pork breakfast paté, and about 100 jams, jellies and spreads – whew! We went back to our rooms and packed. Marjorie graciously allowed us to store all of our belongings for the rest of the day and so out and off we went!  

The day was significantly warmer than it had been all week but there were some clouds so it was hard to decide what to wear now and on the way home because everything else would be packed.  By now you must know what our first stop was – Yes we went to the Starbucks in the Frontenac.  The Chateau is clearly the focal point of the town, if not by its sheer size then certainly by its magnificent facade.  Each side of this historic structure is different and impressive in its own right.

Looking Up, Up, Up

Looking Up, Up, Up

The Morning Fix

The Morning Fix

We took a different route to Starbucks this morning and passed by a beautiful Art Deco building.  Known as the Price building, we discovered it was the very building that we had admired for the past several nights.  In the evening, it was lit up and bore a striking resemblance to the Woolworth Building in New York City.  The Price family was in paper and in the dazzling lobby were some plaques depicting the industry.

Logging is the backbone of the paper industry

Logging is the backbone of the paper industry

Matt and Stacey wanted to walk up to The Plains of Abraham and I had had it with walking up any more hills so we accompanied them part of the way and then we meandered through some of the more residential streets of Old Quebec.  From the top of the hill on the Plains, Matt captured some beautiful photos of the city below and beyond.

View from the Plains of Abraham. The south side of the Frontenac is in the distance.

View from the Plains of Abraham. The south side of the Frontenac is in the distance.

A closer view:

A bust of Samuel Champlain in the forefront

A bust of Samuel Champlain in the forefront

All good things must come to an end and so we joined each other for lunch at a restaurant we had discovered the first day we were in Quebec but had not frequented.  Restaurant 1640 proved to be a great place to have our farewell meal.  The cream of vegetable soup was delicious and my quiche was just the right size.

Farewell lunch at Restaurant 1640

Farewell lunch at Restaurant 1640

So it’s au revoir Quebec, à bientôt!

All photos courtesy of Matthew Weinstein

THIS IS MATTHEW!

THIS IS MATTHEW!

 

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THURSDAY- Mais évidemment, il pleut de nouveau!

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Friends, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 20, 2013| Leave a Comment »

THURSDAY – But of course, it’s raining again

The weather did a 360 and went from sunshine to clouds with the threat of rain and the temperature dropped a bit.  Already totally acclimated as true Québécquois, we didn’t let a few clouds and raindrops deter us from our mission.  Today’s sojourn was to be a walking tour of the Upper City;  Quebec City consists of an Upper City and a Lower City.  Hardly surprising as I’ve tried to relate to you the many ups and downs of the town.  Armed with umbrellas we set off;

"Neither snow nor rain nor dark of night..."

“Neither snow nor rain nor dark of night…”

We headed straight to the Starbucks located on the Grande Allee for a shot of caffeine and warmth.  Note the girls are wearing gloves today!  The Upper City is outside the walls of Old Quebec and the size and magnitude of  the buildings was a far cry from the stone houses in Vieux Quebec.  Below is a photo of the street and doorway of our B & B.

Chez Marie-Claire 64 Rue Sainte Ursule

Chez Marie-Claire
64 Rue Sainte Ursule

The Ursuline nuns are a real presence in our neighborhood.  There is a museum devoted to their order, they run a school and there are several plaques in the area with historical information regarding their historical contribution to the town.

As I said, the Grande Allee is home to several government buildings, the largest being The Parliament (pictured below).

The Parliament of Quebec

The Parliament of Quebec

The ediface is adorned with multiple life-size bronze statues depicting the heroes, statesmen and other historic figures.  We went inside just to see the lobby and went through a security check just a shade less than an airport.  Built in the late 1800’s it’s 8 stories high and quite elegant inside.

From there we took a quick look at The Plains of Abraham which on this day looked rather dismal and empty and certainly it was windier there than on the streets where the large buildings buffered us from some of the wind gusts.  We passed a very large castle-like building which was the Mènage Militaire.  

Time to eat again (quell surprise)!  This afternoon we seem unable to make a unified decision as to where and what to eat!  Everyday, I say I don’t care because I don’t usually eat lunch, however in the end I try to find something on the lighter side.  Since we couldn’t agree on a restaurant or an ethnicity, we opted to go to Epicerie Europeenne, which was essentially a small market with a superb cheese and olive selection as well as pre-prepared sandwiches.  Good choice for all!  We decided to pick up some local cheese, a baguette, some olives and some gin and Bloody Ceasars for a pre-dinner at home cocktail hour. Another good choice!

Au Revoir!

All photos courtesy of Matt Weinstein

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100 Word Challenge – I NEED coffee!

Posted in 100 Word Challenge, tagged , , , , , , , on February 28, 2013| 5 Comments »

I NEED Coffee

Of course I know it’s silly, well actually I’m only saying that; I don’t really think it’s silly at all. Every morning I gotta have a Grande Americano!

Wherever I find myself – at home, or in another city or state, finding the nearest Starbucks is first on my list. Like any other addict, I have to make sure I know where my next fix is coming from!

One day last week, I had a cup of java-no Starbucks in sight. Soon my temples were pounding and then I knew my addiction was to Starbucks not caffeine.

24/365: Grande Americano from Starbucks in Kro...

Grande Americano from Starbucks in Kroger. (Photo credit: kalebdf)

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Living Life On The Cheap in NYC and Murphy’s Law on Steroids!

Posted in Only in New York, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , on February 19, 2013| Leave a Comment »

OH I had so many titles in my head today for this blog; It was a day of making do, a day where if it could go wrong, it went wrong…oy what a day!   And why? Well if I ask my sister-in-law, Juanita, she would say,”Mercury is in retrograde” and if I asked my friend Susan, she might say, “It is what it is”.  I say when you don’t have a lot of money,  you have to go  outside your comfort zone to get something done and along the way, if it can go wrong it will.  I’m not a total pessimist and I’m not saying every day is like that BUT today….!!! and I’ll try to be concise.

I woke up with oozing eye and a puffy eyelid as a result of trouble that began last night when I was out and of course did not have my lens case with me so I couldn’t take it out.  I got on the bus with my $1.15 in change because my metro card rang NOT VALID yesterday. YIKES I thought my account must be overdrawn since the card is an EZPay auto refill. I tried making a quick call to the bank – Oh ha, ha, ha, like anyone could ever make a quick call.  I’m sure the woman on the other end was in a foreign country anyway since I couldn’t hear nor understand her.

English: image edited to hide card's owner nam...

English: image edited to hide card’s owner name. author: Arturo Portilla (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m on the bus headed to West 114th Street for a bone density test. Why there? Well, I had no health insurance from 2009 till mid 2012 when I went on Medicare. I had to find a way to get mammograms and some general health care should I need it. Seek in this City and ye shall find!  Hence I’m on my way to St. Luke’s Roosevelt.  And from them, I learned about the Ryan Health Center which is located also way uptown on the West side but is  heaven sent for people who don’t have insurance and need general health care.  The difference is, as you can guess, no frills but good skills and long, long waits.

Just before I left the house I looked at my phone and of course  it was on critical battery. It is always on critical or almost dead.  I’ve just been procrastinating doing something about it because I haven’t found 2 hours of my life I can give over to do battle with Verizon!  So I grabbed my charger and figured I would have time in the waiting room to charge it.  I checked my emails before it died completely and there it was…an email from the broker telling me that his buyer was backing out of the deal we had just accepted the night before and in doing so broke some couple’s heart who really wanted the apartment. Uh huh, this was going to be quite a day!

I had asked Peter to call the MTA to find out what was wrong with my Metro card  while I was gone  and should have known better.   It’s hard enough dealing with any public agency person to person let alone trying to have a 3rd party do it. Of course, there were no outlets in the waiting room and Peter called on the dying cell trying to get info from me for the MTA and of course they called my name at that moment and I had to hang up. Then the woman behind the desk said she didn’t see any Lori on the list and where was my referral? Of course this was the morning I left the referral home.  A supervisor happened by while I was explaining I DID have an appointment and she asked me my name to which I replied, “Lori or maybe it’s under Lorraine”.  Oh yes, there it is ! I guess looking at the list and seeing the same last name but with a shorter-but-also an L name did NOT ring a bell.

In the test room I was asked to remove  the ID bracelet I had on my right arm. This was actually my husband’s high school bracelet with a very old fashioned kind of double lobster claw clasp.  I couldn’t see the clasp (no lens, no glasses) to undo it. The woman couldn’t get it off either.  We were both laughing as I told her he put it on and maybe he would have to take it off  since it seemed locked on like a chastity belt!!

I left the hospital and headed for the clinic thinking I’m in the area and I could be a walk-in to see the ophthalmologist. Along the way, I stopped at a Starbucks to get my caffeine fix.  I ordered my usual Grande Americano with a touch of steamed brevi.  I said a touch! The counter boy charged me 60 cents for the brevi.  I protested I only wanted a splash and that on 85th St they didn’t charge! He said his manager was here and he would get in trouble, of course! I spoke to the manager and Starbucks being the customer-driven company they are, in 2 minutes I had a card for a free drink!

At the Health Center, they told me it would be an hour, so I plugged my phone into the only outlet I could find which was in a hallway and watched it so no one would steal it and waited for someone to come by and ask me just what was I thinking plugging my phone into their wall?  I tried to call Peter to find out about the Metro card and of course, they called my name immediately. I’m in with the preliminary doctor who wants to know what meds I put in my eye last night and the brand of lens I use.   I need to call Peter but my cell is dead so the physician’s assistant says I can use the office phone.  I do and of course, he’s  in the shower.  I insist he get out and get me the info because I have to have it NOW! Then back to waiting room to wait for ophthalmologist and plug in the phone charger again.  Immediately they call my name, of course!

I left the clinic and of course,  now it’s raining. I had only 20 minutes left to use my bus transfer so I race to Columbus Avenue to hop on a bus and when I put the transfer card in, the bus driver says it’s not valid – because I’m back on the same bus line I got on before! Dear God!  OK, I’ll take the cross-town bus at 96th St and then buy another fare to go south on Second Ave.  I see a bus approaching and run across the street and just make it onto the bus, drop my transfer card in the slot and I’m on my way! At Fifth Avenue, I hear a fellow passenger tell some other riders that if they want to continue East on 96th they should get off now because otherwise the bus turns – WHAT?  Of course, I’m not on the real crosstown bus!  I realize right then and there that I’m only a new New Yorker!  I inch my way to the front of the bus and ask the driver where are we going?  Luckily, at 106th St, the bus will go East again.  

On my way down Second Avenue, finally going home I decide to get to Gracie’s Diner and have Peter meet me there for a very late lunch. Uh, of course, I don’t have a cell phone to call him.  I asked the cashier if I could use her phone to call him, hoping he was home and he could just come across the street. Of course, he wasn’t home and he didn’t answer his cell phone either so I left and went home.  I did reach him and we did meet and had the best time eating brisket sandwiches and cole slaw!

So happy to be home…

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Tuesday’s A Wrap – Tears of Sorrow, Tears of Joy

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Finley Ray, Frankie, Friends, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 17, 2013| 1 Comment »

Well it’s finally here; Tuesday the 15th and I’m going home today.  Back to New York City, back to my husband who I have missed and  back to my two cats who I hope have missed me.

Finley goes off to school and Francesca and I have breakfast and  I decide to give this blasted kitchen floor one more washing to see if I can get it really clean. I did and it didn’t.  I think Chiara is right, she has to get the floor steam-cleaned or try a scrub brush because the swifter dry-wet combo hasn’t worked and neither has a sponge mop.

Chiara returned and said, let’s get ready to go to the store;  We have to return the lamp for the toy room which was broken and  I’m sure as we stroll through the aisles of Target, any number of things will jump in the cart.  I’m looking forward to Target’s because Starbucks is there and this seems like a Venti morning for sure.  I have been packing up my stuff since yesterday and now I’m just about done.  It’s been a lugubrious task 😦

It’s really lovely and sunny today as it has been for the last week and I’m sure I will miss the weather.  Target was a bit empty but then again how can you really have any idea how many people are in a store the size of a football field?  Today it was less than 20 minutes before Frankie moved from buckled to un-buckled and in the basket to out of the basket.  She’s getting really good at this!  She enjoyed the Bath an dBedding department  because we saw Mickey Mouse towels and a Spider Man drinking cup and toothbrush holder.  Chiara is a feminist, there are three females and only one male in the house, well two if you count Pasha but he is neutered after all.  So what is the first thing Francesca says when she sees the Spider Man stuff? “That’s boy’s”? Yes she did and she often ends her phrases and sentences with a questioning rise in her tone.  Very cute!

She managed to try on at least 5 pairs of shoes on her own in the shoe department and pointed out the gender of a lot of toys while she and I waited for Mommy to make a decision about a lamp and a rug.  Eventually we filled two carts…oh didn’t I mention that we had two carts today?

images

It’s time to pack up and head for the airport.  Feeling blue is an understatement but I try to make small talk along the way with Chiara and Finley.  Timing was perfect because when they dropped me off at the Delta departure terminal, all they had to do was drive over to the Jet Blue arrival terminal and pick up Tia who will stay with them for 2 weeks.  Help is never far away…and I learned later that evening that Tia wept tears of joy at seeing Finley and Frankie (and we all know Frankie is her favorite).

I got my suitcases, gathered up my blazer, swung my computer and handbag on my shoulder and kissed Francesca goodbye, hugged and kissed Chiara and went around to the other side of the car to kiss Finley goodbye and tried VERY hard to control my voice which was quivering and say goodbye and I love you very much to her.  She looked at me and saw my eyes were brimming so I just kissed her again and closed the door.  I decided to go into the airport to check my bag and there were no lines.  There was a reservations clerk and another Delta employee alongside of her who seemed to be a greeter. She was all smiles and cheery and asked me how I was.  AND that’s when I began to cry.  I couldn’t stop myself even though I knew I was making a scene. Thank God the area was almost completely empty.  I told her I had to leave the grandchildren and she immediately extended empathy and said she understood as we all love our grandchildren so much.  Asked me where I was going and assured me I would be back soon.  Valiantly I pulled myself together to get checked in and PAY for the suitcase which I find really ridiculous that you cannot have even ONE piece of luggage stowed!  When I got to the gate and sat down I called Peter and of course started crying tears of sorrow again.  This was going to be a rough ride home…  

Before boarding the attendants asked passengers to surrender their carry-on bags and allow them to go into cargo because the flight was full and overhead space as always limited.  Considering that Delta charges to put bags in cargo, gee what a surprise that everyone had a suitcase with them.  They also repeated company policy dictating only two pieces per person allowed and your handbag was one and my computer the other one.  I did have a bulging carry-on bag with me too.  I debated about what to do because I did not want to be embarrassed at the entrance to the jetway so I went up to the desk and asked if they were charging for the bags that they were now storing. “No” – well okay then, here’s my bag.  How nice to go down the narrow aisle carrying nothing more than my handbag and my laptop!!

And guess what? It was! NOT because I was teary but because there were two children in the row in front of me. One with her mother and grandfather and the other with the grandmother.  At least the one with the grandmother in front of me was well-behaved BUT OMG the one across the aisle was wild.  I think she was around two and she would NOT stop screaming.  You know that awful loud shriek and make-believe tears because there are no real tears just a long whining whimper and it went on and on.  The couple behind them were beside themselves.  They tried to change seats, they asked for earplugs.  I’m telling you she would not stop and the mother remained calm and did try several things to placate her but nothing worked.  I mean REALLY what did she want?  If it was to sit with Grandma, couldn’t they have switched seats?  Well actually they did pass both kids twice back and forth OVER THE HEAD of the man sitting on the aisle seat in front of me!!!  At one point the mother took the crying kid to the back of the plane and managed to get caught behind the food service which meant although I could still hear the crying (we all could), can you imagine what it was like for the people in the rows behind me who now had this kid right next to them?

The best part of the trip was yet to come.  Tom had a car service waiting for me at LGA. The nice young man took my luggage which came out almost immediately and had me home in record time.  

It’s always nice to come home!

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It’s Wednesday And We’re On Target

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Finley Ray, Frankie, Friends, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 12, 2013| Leave a Comment »

English: Logo of Target, US-based retail chain

English: Logo of Target, US-based retail chain (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The store that is!  There’s just something about  the allure of big box stores.  Give a woman with a new house to set up and a car to get around and sure enough the GPS has found Target, Walmart, Home Goods, Pet Supermarket and Lowes. 

By midweek, the house is really shaping up and the only problem is each room that we tackle ends up needing something she doesn’t have or needs to be replaced.  So we set off for Target pronounced Tar-zhay when you want to pretend you’re shopping on Madison Avenue in Manhattan instead of a strip mall in Florida!  And this was no ordinary run-of-the-mill Target store.  NO, this was a SUPER TARGET.  Really it was like a Mall unto itself. And one of the best things about it was that there was a Starhucks cafe inside it.  Nothing like that extra shot to get you moving down those aisles.  Fortified finally with a Grande Americano I’m ready to roll.  I say finally because unlike my home in New York City where I can walk across the street and get my morning fix, here you have to really be dressed and get in the car and drive into the commercial district of Delray Beach to get to a Starbucks.  AH, but who knew that
Target was on target when it came to keeping the shoppers in the store and fueled to buy nonetheless.

Of course we have two carts because one of them is for bouncy bouncy child and one for the loot.  This store is SO BIG that Chiara gives me some of the items to locate and she goes off in another direction. She needs an ironing board, they don’t have any! Really!  She needs a small dish drying rack, like my sleek stainless steel one.  They don’t have any. She needs a few good knives, they only carry one line and they weren’t very good.  I have to continually return to her and report in what I have found that might replace what she really wanted, which of course she doesn’t so I have to return it to its appropriate aisle.  Mind you the store is ginormous and I’m not saying Francesca was crying…but let’s just say I dnn’t have any problem locating them – I have a good ear!!

Frankie always starts out in the carriage, even buckled in, but sometime between the “I hold it”  and “I’m cold” she is out of the buckled seat and into the basket itself.  This neccessitates cargo transference as 4 boxes of padded hangers and a toaster oven go into my basket which heretofore held only a small bottle of eye makeup remover and tinted moisturizer.  Now I’m hauling Vitamin water, Pampers Pull-Ups, and other assorted sundries.

The sun was extremely intense that day and believe it or not, with all the things I did pack to go to Florida, I forgot my sunglasses.  I knew I had to buy a pair today because I could hardly keep my eyes open in the car.  I ask a store clerk where they are and by the time she finished giving me directions, I knew the last sentence was going to be “….Turn right at the second star and straight on till morning”.  The sun glasses were truly at the opposite end of the store and it so happens that children’s shoes were there  too.  As I met up with Chiara I note that Frankie is no longer is the basket, she is now on the loose.  Francesca is a climber, a runner and a mischief with a mind of her own.  In other words she is TWO.  Chiara wants to go get something so couldn’t I just keep an eye on her for a minute? Well I could if I could spin my neck around 360 degrees!  She is moving at the speed of sound between the aisles and trying to keep her in one place while maneuvering my cargo barge on wheels and carrying a handbag is not an easy feat. For a while I had her amusing herself with the brightly-colored wristwatches but she was able to grasp them and soon she was trying to buckle a lime green Swatch-like watch to her arm all the while repeating, “Frankie’s watch”.

After the watches we moved on to Jewelry and the rows of dangling beaded necklaces were soon the source of a color-identifying lesson. Some she would lightly touch and say the color, otherls like silver and gold she looked to me for an answer.  She is so funny because of course she wants (and often does) touch everything but when you say to her, “Don’t touch”, she looks at you and holds both hands up in front of her with palms facing outward and says, “Just see”.  It is so cute, I can’t stand it.

By this time I am really wishing Chiara would return.  Frankie ran off so fast and into a main aisle, that in order to catch her, I had to abandon the cart with my handbag in it, so I could catch her and bring her back. Just as Chiara returned, Francesca removed her shoes and proceeded to walk around barefoot.  She was cruising down the center aisle with no shoes and Chiara and I were following her.  I turned to my daughter and said something to the effect that I found it rather interesting that she yelled at Tom and me for walking into the playroom with our shoes and here her daughter was walking barefoot in a public store, for God’s sake and let’s not forget that while the other one is in nursery school eating an organic  lunch, Frankie wolfed down a box of 4 chocolate truffles and wouldn’t even give me a bite. Oh how much easier life is for child number

two.   I reminded her that it was I who bought the lollipops about an hour ago but regardless she wasn’t sharing.  

Sticky fingers and all we headed for the check out counter.  We still had time to hit Walmart before Finley got home from school!

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Ho Ho Ho Santa’s On His Way!

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Ha-P 2 B in OG, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 24, 2012| 3 Comments »

Christmas postcard, 1911

Christmas postcard, 1911

T’was the day before Christmas and all through the morning

No one was talking but I could hear all the groaning.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, not a good day to be mad,

‘Cause Santa knows who’s good and who’s bad!

No breakfast to eat, no paper to read,

Please go get me the Starbucks, I so desperately need.

Oh my how the years have come and gone by

No turkey to roast, no baking of pies.

The tree is much smaller and actually pink

Because we’re in the cottage, what did you think?

One or two gifts litter the floor

Hardly like Christmases years before.

It’s quiet around here, no sirens or noise

And of course no grandkids and noisy toys.

The cats hung their stockings in hopes that St. Nick

Will show up tonight and bring them  cat nip.

A different Christmas eve’s about to begin

Left-over pastas and martinis with gin.

Not trusting the programmers of commercial TV

We stocked  the house with Christmas DVDs.

First on the list is The Bishop’s Wife and 

Soon to follow, It’s A Wonderful Life.

Only the classics for us old folks you know

We like what like from years ago.

Last year was a gala ugly-sweater event

Tonight  a few friends but there’s no lament.

Although there’s no sitting by the fiery log

Or getting tipsy on killer egg nog,

None-the-less, we’ll enjoy the leftover food

And glasses of wine put all in a good mood.

As we clink our glasses filled with good cheer,

We wish all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I’ll put out the cookies and milk with a wish

That tomorrow morning I’ll find an empty dish.

Then I’ll know that dear Santa Clause stopped by to see

How clean the house was and how pink the tree!

I sent him my letter early on in the season

I wanted him to know I had a good reason.

It would take him some time and certainly some doing

Some planning, some cutting and lots of gluing.

I hope, I hope,  he thinks I’m not  too absurd

For wanting a “55 pink Thunderbird!

Oh YES!!!

Oh YES!!!

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Too Many Cooks…The Prequel

Posted in BY THE WAY, Friends, Ha-P 2 B in OG, tagged , , , , , , , on August 5, 2012| 2 Comments »

English: Costco in Moncton, New Brunswick

The Discount-if-you-want-to-buy-large store

Just like Hollywood, I think I figured out a way to make one good idea into two!  LOL LOL, seriously but not too seriously.  I had started my blog post last week with what I’m about to write.  At that time I realized I was going way too deep into my day up to the point of my cousins arrival and not adhering to my title and topic.  I had saved the draft and my intention was to post this the next day.  Well we all know what the road to hell is paved with, now don’t we??   Or is that the seed of yet another blog post about the origin and meaning of well-known and often soon-to-be-obscure phrases?  We’ll see…. But back to the back story of last Friday’s visit with familigia and our subsequent dinner.

My day started out early enough, I had my list written from the night before. Where to go, in what order as well groceries needed.  However, I had also promised a friend to go to his new house twice to open up the door for  deliveries AND I would have to pick my husband up from the train.  AND I wanted to make some gazpacho before my cousins arrived.  I figured they wouldn’t want to go to the beach today, having just returned from Cape May and they would probably stay for dinner.  It was such a hot day, cold gazpacho sounded just right for tonight.

Ah but the best laid plans of mice and men (and yet another little catchphrase!)…. Too many phone calls to get out of the house really early but OK, I’m finally on my way and first stop is the dry cleaners to pick up clothes I need for Sunday.  Oh dear, the dry cleaning will not be in till later this afternoon.  Mmmmm  okay I’l come back later.  Then to Laurie’s vegetable & fruit stand to pick up the ingredients for the gazpacho and snag a couple of peaches too and maybe a few ears of corn – mission accomplished.  Next to Aldi‘s to pick up some staples; park the car, lock it walk to entry, oh I forgot my shopping bags.  A minor delay but nothing to worry about, I flew around the store grabbing what I needed and rushed out.  I just finished putting the bags in the car and my cell phone rings and it is the friend telling me that Lord & Taylor did NOT call him a half hour prior to delivery (so he would be able to alert me) but rather they were waiting at the house.  This turned out to be not so inconvenient because if I went to his house now, I could then go to The Lillagaard to drop off the refrigerated stuff.  I meet the driver and he has only 2 chairs!  That seemed odd for a dining room and especially one whose owner is an interior decorator.  But I signed for them, proceeded to drop off the refrigerated stuff and called him informing deed was done, and why only two chairs?  Answer – apparently, L&T goofed up the delivery.  Oh and by the way, would I be around on Monday for the Target delivery?

Back in the car and off to Starbucks for some well-needed caffeine and a cup of Pike’s for Pete upon his arrival and per his request.  Off to   Costco,  noting the gas price of $3.35 per gallon whereas two weeks ago it was $3.15!  I made a really quick trip through the mega discount-if-you-buy-giant-size store picking up what I needed for Sunday’s tea service.  I still have one more grocery store to go to but decide I should call Peter and see where he is.  Well,  apparently he is and has been waiting at the station to be picked up. So I step on the gas as I wheel out of the Costco parking lot and thereby cause the tray with his cup of coffee  to tip.  It’s an interesting maneuver to be driving, talking on the phone and trying to retrieve a full cup of coffee from the floor of the passenger side.  Of course I got coffee on my pants. I must have a full body magnetic field because food and drink stains are consistently drawn to me.  At home in Manhattan, I believe I am personally responsible for sending at least Korean children to college.

I picked him up and we did NOT go home or Pass Go and collect $200.  We went back to Neptune and to Wegman’s where the two of us set off  in different directions in order to shop twice as quickly.  Time was not on my side!!! I happened to pass the International aisle and the Goya bean display caught my eye.  Mmmm maybe I should make my hot summer night stand-by-Tuna Fennel Cannellini  Bean salad.  Last words heard as we left the store, “I wonder if I have enough gin at home?” Hey I don’t check everything!

Of course Peter didn’t have enough gin! So leaving me at home to begin chopping, peeling, dicing, and  juicing in the course of making gazpacho, Peter left to go out and buy some gin.  Which turned out to be helpful to me because now he could drop off the rest of the refrigerated stuff at the hotel.  And then my dear friend, Susan called.  I believe  she will read this so now she’ll know why I sort of rushed her off the phone and said, “Call me Sunday night when you get home!”

I don’t think it was much more than 10 minutes later that my cousins arrived and I realized I needed tomato juice.  Funny how some things go together!  I called Peter and asked him to pick it up, knowing full well, this would never be done without another phone call.  After quickly greeting my guests, I excused myself to the kitchen to try and get this gazpacho underway.  

If you’re wondering what happened after that and did not read the previous blog post, here’s the link;

https://pbenjay.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/too-many-cooks…in-the-kitchen

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