Rock the Vote!

No matter what your beliefs, who you favor, or what wacky party allegiances you have--go out and vote on Tuesday, November, 7th!!!!!

Still undecided?

Visit vote-smart.org and the candidates' web sites for more information:

MASS CURRENT CANDIDATES
U.S. Senate Candidates
Mr. Kenneth G. Chase - (Republican)
Senator Edward M. 'Ted' Kennedy - (Democrat)

U.S. House Candidates (Boston)
Representative Stephen F. Lynch District 9 - (Democrat)
Mr. Jack E. Robinson District 9 - (Republican)

U.S. House Candidates (Springfield)
Representative Richard E. Neal District 2 - (Democrat)

United States First Circuit Court of Appeals
Court Information
First Circuit Judges

Massachusetts Senate Candidates
Mr. Douglas E. Obey District Suffolk and Norfolk - (Republican)
Senator Marian Walsh District Suffolk and Norfolk - (Democrat)

Massachusetts Senate Candidates
Representative Gale D. Candaras District Hampden and Hampshire 01st - (Democrat)
Enrico John Villamaino District Hampden and Hampshire 01st - (Republican)

Massachusetts House of Representatives Candidates
Representative Robert K. Coughlin District Norfolk 11th - (Democrat)

Massachusetts House of Representatives Candidates
Megan Anzalotti District Hampden 09th - (Unenrolled)
Representative Sean Curran District Hampden 09th - (Democrat)
Robert J. Underwood District Hampden 09th - (Libertarian)

Governor Candidates
Lt. Governor Kerry M. Healey - (Republican)
Mr. Christy Mihos - (Independent)
Mr. Deval L. Patrick - (Democrat)
Ms. Grace Ross - (Green-Rainbow)

You Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog!

This Halloween was pretty fun. We didn't get as many kids as we thought we would, so I started handing out double and triple amounts to the ones that did ring our doorbell. The most creative custume of the night was a young teenage girl who was a UPS person, and her candy "bag" was a UPS package with a slit on the top. Props for being unique. Of course we have lots of leftover candy and all the people at work brought in all their extras too; I'll be gaining a few pounds this week...
The cats were spared custumes this year, though Simba had to try on the retired Johnny Damon wig from Halloweens of old.

I think he looked more like Elvis.








Then the cats tried to ambush our Pumpkin Ale. Darla made friends with the Halloween stuffed animals...











And Simba's true identity was revealed.

There's No Place Like...

So the Hub and I have joined the world of homeowners!

It's very exciting, and feels good to own our own place. We're having lots of fun decorating it and making it feel more like home. I would have to say that the most exciting home furnishing we purchased was our washer & dryer. One of our guy friends who bought a townhouse last year tried to say that it gets old quick when you realize it's still annoying having to do laundry, but I disagree. Laundry has gone from a chore to a treat. Will I some day share the view of said guy friend? Perhaps someday when there is more than 2 peoples' clothes to clean, but for now, I really don't mind it; it's leagues better than going to a public laundramat or, more often, lugging it 90 miles west.

The 2nd best new thing in the house is our king size BeautyRest. Oh baby, this is like heaven! I look at our old full size bed and wonder how we've survived so many years together. That thing looks so tiny now.

The latest addition to the place was a brand new sectional for the living room. After buying a new couch I am starting to really feel grown-up. Not that you need to buy things to feel like an adult, but it's weird like that. I love, love, love the sectional, and it has dual recliners--as if you didn't have enough room. It is sweet. The cats love it too and join us as we watch TV at night, everyone on their own cushion. We had to make sure to only look at certain colors so every piece of cat hair wouldn't show up as soon as they jumped on it. These kitties shed a lot, more than any other short-haired cats I've known.

The cats' acclimation to the new place is a story all its own, and for another day. Let's just say they hate all motor vehicles, actually anything with a motor really, especially vacuums.
Even though I miss the convenience of the city, it's hard to complain, really, since the Boston line is right down the street, and I still pass Comm. Ave every day to work, and see the T going by. That thing is so cute when you don't actually have to be stuck on it everyday for work.

One of the nicer benefits of our new home is that it is only a 15 minute drive to work. It took me longer to commute when I lived in Boston only a couple of miles away. It's funny how that works.

Right now, I am most excited about finally having kids come to trick or treat. Apartment complexes in Boston don't really get any Halloween visitors; they would tend to go to neighboring Brookline or Newton. Now we are in a cute little neighborhood with plenty of children, and even some wild animals. So far I've seen a wild turkey strutting across my lawn, a baby deer, and a little rabbit, as well as numerous types of birds and woodland creatures. Our neighbor's multiple birdhouses really drive the cats crazy! Who, by the way, are doing a great job losing that weight they had packed on from being cooped up in a small apartment. They love chasing each other up and down the stairs, and sliding across the hard wood floors. They're funny to watch!
My new neighbor, Dina, has a cute little dog who looks just like Toto.

All in all, I think everyone's happy here =)

You're out of the woods
You're out of the dark
You're out of the night
Step into the sun
Step into the light
Keep straight ahead for
The most glor ...
... ious place
On the face
Of the earth or the sky

Hold onto your breath
Hold onto your heart
Hold onto your hope
March up to the gate
And bid it open--

Fright Fest

So last Friday the 13th I wanted to see a scary movie. On Demand had only a couple worth buying, so I went with The Hills Have Eyes, and whew wee it sure was scary.

If you're looking for a scary one to view for Halloween check this out, just make sure not to watch it alone, and you might want to put something like a bat or a gun next to the couch...just in case.

You're it!

Seriously? This is pretty stupid.

Not it! Mass. elementary school bans tag

ATTLEBORO, Mass. - Tag, you're out! Officials at an elementary school south of Boston have banned kids from playing tag, touch football and any other unsupervised chase game during recess for fear they'll get hurt and hold the school liable.

Recess is "a time when accidents can happen," said Willett Elementary School Principal Gaylene Heppe, who approved the ban.

While there is no districtwide ban on contact sports during recess, local rules have been cropping up. Several school administrators around Attleboro, a city of about 45,000 residents, took aim at dodgeball a few years ago, saying it was exclusionary and dangerous.

Elementary schools in Cheyenne, Wyo., and Spokane, Wash., also recently banned tag during recess. A suburban Charleston, S.C., school outlawed all unsupervised contact sports.

"I think that it's unfortunate that kids' lives are micromanaged and there are social skills they'll never develop on their own," said Debbie Laferriere, who has two children at Willett, about 40 miles south of Boston. "Playing tag is just part of being a kid."


Another Willett parent, Celeste D'Elia, said her son feels safer because of the rule. "I've witnessed enough near collisions," she said.


What's next? A ban on hopscotch? The swings? Slides? God forbid Junior get a cut or a bruise--not my baby! Pretty soon we'll have a complete ban on fun itself. That's OK since adulthood is much more fun anyway. Right then. Wild and fun. Everyday. Yeah.

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

There's a land that's fair and bright,

I found it funny that my colleagues in other states didn't get Columbus Day off, but we did...suckas! They're all crying about it on the phone when they're like, but I emailed you on Monday, and I'm all, well we had the holiday off, so Tuesday was pretty busy for us. Then they pretend to feel sorry that Tuesday was so busy since they had to work on Monday--and I'm like hey, if you live in New England then Columbus Day is a required holiday off! It's beautiful here this time of year. And besides they can laugh at us when we're freezing our booties off in a nor'easter in January and they're wearing shorts & flip flops in Florida. Yeah.

I'm bound to stay
Where you sleep all day,
Where they hung the jerk
That invented work
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.

So last holiday weekend I went to The White Mountains, home of my great-grandparents and the grandfather I never really knew. My great-grandmother lived to be an active 94- years old. She attributed this to the clean mountain air and the fact that she kept active throughout her life, both physically and mentally. One time I went to visit her in college with my boyfriend and I stopped at a flower shop in town to pick up a potted plant for her since she loved to garden. I sort of remembered how to get to her house, but had never actually been the driver during family visits so wasn't entirely sure. The lady at the flower shop started talking to me and it came out that I was visiting my greatgrammie. Since everyone knows everyone in small towns she asked her name and I said Doris Cawley and she, of course, not only knew her, but knew where she lived and gave good directions to her house. Small towns are cute.

As we set out for the 28 mile drive along the Kangamangus Highway for some hiking amongst the fall foliage followed by outlet store shopping we passed the hotel my family always used to stay at when we trekked up north. It looked the same, but was under new ownership. I looked around to see if I could recognize the flower shop I had stopped at about 5 years ago, but I think it was more off of the main road. I like to think it's still there, and that the lady still remembers my greatgrammie, who at 92 years of age would get down and dirty in her garden behind her little white house. The house where I saw my first hummingbird visit the feeder by her window, and watched the babbling brook running by out back. The place where I listened intently to many stories about my grandpa and greatgrandfather, and the work that they did to help build the little town of North Woodstock, NH.








That was the first time I drove there myself, and the last time I ever saw her.






I'll see you all this coming fall
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

The Cow Jumped Over the Moon

Tonight's full Moon will be almost 12 percent bigger than some of the full Moons this year, according to NASA. For me, this explains a lot.

My week has been unusually weird; Monday was normal, but ever since Tuesday I have faced a number of oddities that I shan't get into on this blog, not only for the sake of sparing my hands from typing a novel, but also for your boredom's sake. I asked one of my co-workers on Tuesday if it was a full moon that night, and saw from my calander that it wasn't. Perhaps weird things happen leading up to a full moon, or perhaps I just have (probably all in this order) crappy/strange/awesome luck lately. I dunno.

Anywho, here is something you may not know about tonight's bigger-than-normal full moon...

The reason: The Moon is near perigee, the point on its slightly out-of-round orbit that is closest to Earth.

This Moon is called the Harvest Moon, owing to its timing of being nearest the autumnal equinox. Farmers in the past relied on it to harvest all night. The Harvest Moon is not always closer and bigger than normal.

The Moon will rise around 6 p.m. local time (compute exact time for your location). It will be officially "full" at 11:13 p.m. ET, though the Moon is never really full.

Some other strange Moon facts:

The Moon is not bigger when on the horizon.
The Moon is moving away as you read this. Far away.
There is no proof the Moon makes people crazy.

Late Monday night and into Tuesday morning, Oct. 10, the Moon will pass in front of the Pleiades star cluster, creating an interesting skywatching opportunity for skywatchers with telescopes.

There you have it folks--there is no evidence that full moons either make people, or machines, crazy, but this has still been a crazy week. If anyone has any explanation, I'm all ears!

The Big E

Yay! I'm going to the Big E today. I'm so excited cause it's been a few years since I've been there and it is a childhood favorite of mine.
The Hub doesn't believe me that the Maine baked potatoes are the best--little does he know that I am getting one today whether I have to wait 5 minutes or an hour! See these baked potatoes are the best you will ever taste, and I don't even like baked potatoes much. They are so popular that back in the day you'd have to wait an hour in line for one, but I've heard it's a much quicker wait now. We'll see...

Seeing as the Big E is a childhood favorite of mine, it's only fitting that my childhood friend called me randomly a few days ago and just so happens to be going today as well! Jeff is the closest thing I have to a brother. We grew up together with one house in between us, and have shared so much. Now he lives one town away.
Should be a good day, and the weather is perfect!

Looks like Ciara is performing tonight at 8pm too.
There's no better place to enjoy the sights, sounds and taste tempting aromas of the fall season than at The Big E, New England's Autumn Tradition and the largest fair in the northeast. It's a New England extravaganza with free top name entertainment, major exhibits, The Big E Super Circus, the Avenue of States, dazzling thrill shows, New England history and agriculture, animals, rides, shopping, crafts, a daily parade and a Mardi Gras parade and foods from around the world for 17 glorious days during New England's most colorful season.

Beware of Teddy Bear's Vengeance!

I saw this news article and thought I was reading the onion or something.

Teddy Bear Kills 2,500 Fish In New Hampshire

(CBS4) MILFORD, N.H. A teddy bear dropped into a pool at a New Hampshire fish hatchery killed all 2,500 rainbow trout living in the pool.

Fish and Game Department hatcheries supervisor Robert Fawcett said the teddy bear, dressed in a yellow rain coat and hat, clogged a drain earlier this month at the Milford hatchery, blocking oxygen flow to the pool, and suffocating the fish.

The fish were worth a total of $1,232.50.

"We've had other things clog the line, frogs, birds, but we never expected a teddy bear coat to come out of the pool," said Richard Prunier, Fish Hatchery Superintendent.

Police are not involved. The Hatchery is waiting for someone to come forward collect the bear.

Fawcett urges anybody who drops objects into a hatchery pool, to find an employee to remove it. "They might save your teddy bear, and keep it from becoming a killer," he said.

The fish are raised for fisheries management, to provide a recreational fishing opportunity for people who purchase a fishing license.

You gotta keep an eye on those Teddy Bears...

The Other Lion King

So my family has this cat who started off as a scraggly neighborhood stray and inched his way into their hearts. When he first starting coming around the house he was literally missing scruffs of hair and looked near death. I would only pat his head cause he looked so dirty and had open oozes. Of course, everyone felt sorry for him and made sure he became well-fed and well-loved. He never really had a name so everyone calls him Orange Boy or Fat Cat. He kind of looks like Garfield, but we already had a cat named Garfield at one point so that was out.

One of Orange Boy's problems is that his long hair gets tangled together and hurts his skin, so my sister, Jen, took him to the vet to get him checked out. When they came back with the cat she really didn't think it was hers! The vet shaved him--pretty much all of him!!!! With the exception of his head, his paws, and the tuft of his tail he is bald, and not as fat as he looked!

The first week or so afterward he was too embarrassed to leave the house. Now his fuzz is growing in nicely, and he is once again out and about showing off his new lion look.

This isn't the best picture of him, but you get the idea...

The mailman says he's the prettiest cat on his route.

Who's Your Papi?

Sometimes it's good to be over the Hill! Congratulations to David Ortiz on # 52!

Known as "Big Papi" to his swelling base of fans, Ortiz blasted his way into the Red Sox history books surpassing Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx's mark of 50 home runs set in 1938.
"Great feeling," said Ortiz. "Especially doing it here at home in front of my fans. I think the whole [Red Sox] Nation really enjoys when you do something like that at home. It's pretty fun. I mean, people were just going crazy out there

Ortiz made the historic hit off Minnesota Twins left-hander Johan Santana in the first inning, receiving a thunderous ovation from the Fenway faithful as he rounded the bases, tipping his helmet to the crowd after reaching home base.In the seventh inning, Ortiz connected on his second homer of the night, a solo shot to deep center helping the Red Sox to a comfortable win.

"It was fun just to be a part of it and to just sit and watch it," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "David means so much to all of us, and I think the best thing I can say, probably the most honest thing I can say, is that as good a hitter as he is, he's probably a better person. That's saying something."

Only 10 players in American League history have hit 52 home runs in a single season.

Une Bonne Anniversaire

Well it has been one year (last Sunday) since we tied the knot, and it has certainly flown by. This September 19th will mark 7 1/2 years of being together and in some ways I've felt like I've been married for more than a year (in a good way). But marriage certainly is different, and I like it. There are some divorcees at work who talk down on it, but one concedes that it wasn't marriage that was bad, it was the guy. Others who are older and still married seem to like it, but some more than others. Some complain about their spouse, and laugh at me when I tell them I like marriage. They tell me in the grand scheme of things I've only been married for like a minute, and warn me that it all changes after kids come into the picture. I'll think I'll ride this out for a little while, even though I love kids.
We had a good anniversary, and took Tuesday off from work to enjoy a long 4 day weekend away. In keeping with tradition we kept the top layer of our wedding cake and defrosted it on our anniversary. We were a little leary to have it since we had heard from others that we should expect it to be pretty gross, but to our surprise it tasted delicious! We could still taste the strawberry champagne flavored filling and it was even soft. Sweetness. Props to Cerrato's.
I'd say the best part about our wedding day was sharing it with so many loved ones. It was a feeling I'll never forget. An older couple told us in Hawaii that sharing your life together with someone you really love is a gift and wished us as many years as they continued to have together. I feel very blessed to have him there through the good and the bad. Come what may, I look forward to the years ahead...

Welcome to the planet

Welcome to existence
Everyone’s here
Everyone’s here
Everybody’s watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next...
Baby David finally decided to make his debut on August 9th at 7:25am!!
He weighed in at 8lbs 2oz and measured 20 inches long.

That weekend the Hub and I went to visit the proud parents, and meet our little Godson. He is such a sweetie, and I even didn't mind changing his diaper. The cats were definitely a bit jealous and kept rubbing against their legs looking for pets when they held the baby. All in all it was a great weekend.

I'm so happy for Princess Sophia and the Doc! Try to get some much needed sleep--you two are gonna be great!

Until the Baptism...
xoxo

Tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be

Hey Mama!

So brown eyes I hold you near
Cause you’re the only song I want to hear
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere
Where soul meets body


So the time quickly approaches for a new little one to come into our lives once again! Yes, I am going to be a mother!



A Godmother that is! I can't wait to meet this little guy, it seems like I've been waiting forever, but without all the "fun" P. Sophie has had! ;-)

She has 22 days until her due date and that means it's about time for some friendly betting. Here's the deal: $10 a guess, winner takes all (and gets the baby a little something). The betting has been upped from $5 to $10 since it's hard to harp on people for $5--so make sure to pay the person who guesses the closest. We already know the sex, so betting will be on the following in order of importance:

1. The birthday
2. Time of birth
3. And baby's weight**

**Guess carefully on the last one or PS may blow steam out of her nose and charge you.

My guesses are:
1. August 2nd
2. 10:16am
3. 8 lbs, 10 oz

So join in on the fun, and try to beat the reigning Brady champ!

The time for your Long Island Iced Tea awaits...

The Baby just 27 weeks ago.

The Princess Bride-to-Be!

My sister's wedding is in 2 days!!! I saw her at her final fitting and she looked gorgeous--best wishes for a beautiful day, Lis!
Love you!