Did You Really Deserve That Tip You TOOK???

Okay Dunkin Donuts Girl, let me ask you this....when someone orders a bottle of water and the total is $1.72 and they give you $2.02...don't you think they want their change back? Was my order of a bottle water so challenging that you think you deserved a tip? The least you could have done was ask me if I wanted my change!!! I know having that co-worker hand you that water and then you having to hand it to me was really exhausting for you....maybe you really do deserve that extra 30cents!

I know I am ranting over 30cents but that is not the point! This is the third time that a Dunkin Donuts employee has done this to me. One time it was 76cents that the kid tried to keep by throwing it in his tip jar. When I asked him for my change, he was so annoyed that he had to pull it out of the jar, that he threw my straw at me! Can you believe this??? The other time it happened it was only 20cents...but still. Tips should only be given for exemplary service and if the patron feels that it is deserved.

I hate that we live in a society where people think that tips are owed to them. I am a little more understanding when it comes the professions where they make most of their money based on their tips (waitressing, hair dressing etc.). I don't think the girl at Dunkin Donuts who handed me a bottle of water deserves a tip! I rarely tip at those types of establishments (call me cheap) but money is tight these days and I should be the one to decide who gets my money!
I am a change person, I save my change all year and then at Christmas time I bring and cash it in for gift cards that I can use to buy gifts.

S asked me why I didn't ask the girl for my 30cents....I was honestly too shocked by the force with which she threw my change into the jar and by the fact that she missed that I had given her the extra 2cents (so she would give me a nice nickel and quarter) that I couldn't speak.

I am finally so fed up that I plan to write a letter. I am sure it will get me nowhere but I can't take it anymore. Who knows, maybe they will send me my 50cents ;)

Well...It Was Memorable!

The game last night did not disappoint in terms of being memorable. However it would have been nice for it to be memorable for a good reason. The final score was 13-4....our guys did not bring their A game and when you face a team as good as Tampa Bay...you need to be come out strong. It was already 3-0 when we first found our seats...poor Wakefield gave up 3 runs while S and I were still in line getting our pizza and beer!

Despite the early blowout...S and I refused to leave. I would guess that 1/3 of the stadium left the game before the 7th inning. Another third was gone after the 8th. That left the few loyal and faithful fans....the true fans of Red Sox Nation :)

S and I had a good time last night, even if they lost. We were out on a date at one of my favorite places and it was nice to be able to have a conversation in between innings ;) We also got a lot of laughs when those fans left with us in the bleachers got very silly!

The TBS booth was above our section of the bleachers in Right Field. We got to see them all (Ernie Johnson, Dennis Eckersley, Cal Ripken Jr and Harold Reynolds) getting ready for the broadcast and these two kids in front of us made sure that they all saw us ;) They all waved and shouted down to us. But the highlight for me was during the 8th when I was looking back and staring at Cal Ripken Jr. I was in awe of how close he was to me and remembering how I had loved to watch him play (infact, I saw his last game ever at Fenway Park and saw him play 3 times that year at Camden Yard). As I was staring at him, he looked down at me....smiled and WAVED! Cal Ripken Jr. waved at me. It was awesome!!!! I think I will wear my Ripkin shirt today to celebrate our moment :)

Well boys...we have been in this situation before in the ALCS.....I know there are a lot of injuries but you can do this! Let's show this Tampa team what you are made of.

BTW...I saw ONE Tampa Fan last night. I don't think I have ever seen a Tampa fan at Fenway before...it was weird.

Goodbye Lake....

It seems like just yesterday we were driving up to the lake on Memorial Day weekend. Z squealed with delight as we pulled up and he saw the familiar pine grove, beach and cottage. It had been 7 long months since we had last been there and we were all thrilled to be back.

The lake means a lot to my family (those of you who frequent this blog have probably figured this out by now ;)). My uncle bought the property in the 60's and since that time it has become a huge part of my family's existence. Our lake is not only a place where we go on vacation...it is our second home and so many important life events have happened here (both happy and sad). Happy life events include, my parents honeymoon, my first birthday (well most of my birthdays), my first summer crush, my middle sister got engaged on the beach and my baby sister will be married on the lake this winter. And two very sad memories....my uncle who bought the lake had his funeral here and was buried on the grounds and my grandfather (one of my most favorite people) passed away on the dock while fixing a boat.

I have been going to the lake since I was a few weeks old and from that time it has become a part of me. I am so blessed to be married to a man who loves this place as much as I do and does not mind spending most of his vacation time there. We now love watching our son fall in love with the lake and giggle with delight whenever we mention going there.

Much of the day Sunday was spent packing and preparing the cottages for the long winter. It was hard to believe that the summer was over and it would be 7 long winter months before we were back at the site (my sister is getting married 20 minutes away). I held in the tears (as I always do in October) as we said goodbye to all of our "lake friends". I then turned to Z and said, we need to say "good-bye" to the lake. He looked at me and said, "NO". He rarely says no (believe it or not) and this took me a back. He looked away and stared out at the water....this is when I started to cry. I hugged him and told him how blessed we were to have such a beautiful place in our lives. I told him that we would be back before he knew it and in the meantime we have lots of beautiful pictures to look at and memories to share. I picked him up just as S came over to us. We had a family hug and turned to walk up the hill to the car.

I know May will be here before we know it but I don't want to rush the time away either. So much can happen in 7 months....in the meantime I will work on Z's scrapbook so that he can remember all of his big summer buddies and his most favorite place in the world...The Lake!

Have You Been Boo'd???

Two years ago my best friend L called me and told me that she had been Boo'd. She explained that someone in her neighborhood had left a bag of Halloween Treats with a note. The note explained that they were to hang the paper ghost on their door to let the entire world know that someone cares about them and that they had been Boo'd. They then had to go and Boo someone else in the neighborhood. I thought that this was the cutest thing :)

Last year, my friend C and my sister also got Boo'd in their neighborhoods. This made me want to get Boo'd! But we live on a pretty busy street and our neighbors have children much too old to care about being Boo'd so poor Z (and his mommy) were out of luck. That was until I decided to go out on my own and find someone to BOO :)

My friend K lives on the same street, although she lives about 5 minutes away. I decided that Z and I were going to Boo she and her daughter A. Now a typical BOO contains candy and other Halloween goodies. I decided that since A was only one, her boo should be appropriate for her. I put together a bag of pasta and sauce (her favorite meal), cheerios, candy for mom and dad and some other Halloween toys and treats. Z and I pulled up to their house, I ran to the front door, rang the bell and then ran back to my car (I looked like an idiot). Her husband saw me through the window and the look on his face was priceless. He had no clue why I rang the bell and was running away from their house :)

Well a week later, Z got Boo'd. His fabulous package was designed just for him. At the time he hated baths and so the bag was filled with bath toys and other fun treats :)

It is that time of year again...this year we have our BOO already for K and A. We have decided to include our friend J and her twins A and O this year, they too live on our street. The bags contain no candy, just fun things to keep 2 year olds busy :) We have also decided to include the children this year in the actual BOO process. The mom will know when we are coming so that the child can answer the door and find the fabulous BOO gift :)

If your neighborhood participates in the BOO....enjoy! If you have never heard of it, this might just be the year to go out and BOO someone. It is lot's of fun!!!

Gaga's Is Going Out Of Business!!!!

I am so sad about this :( This website was an amazing concept and I have used it many times. For those of you know have no idea what I am talking about....Gaga's was a website where you can rent formal wear for children. I wrote a blog post about this site back in March and so you can read more about me going gaga for Gaga's website here.

Z is in two weddings this winter and both my sister and sister in-law had picked out outfits on the Gagas site. Well as sad as I am about them going out of business...the good news is that you can now buy the outfit for the same price that you would have rented it. I just spent $50 on their site (if you spend $50 you get free shipping) and bought Z a tux for the weddings, socks and a nice charcoal suit in a bigger size for next years formal events.

If you have events coming up or just want to stock up on cheap formal wear...now is your chance! I would act quickly because things are starting to sell out already. I wish that the site had worked out...it was a brilliant idea! Sorry Gaga's!!!

Weigh In Thursdays.....

Okay blog readers....I need your help. I have 2 weddings coming up and 12 pounds to lose so that I fit into my dresses!!! My 1/2 marathon training made my Weight Watchers program go out the window and after waisting money on it for 3 months...I really can't justify starting it up again. So that is where you come in (don't worry you don't have to do anything..... :)).

Every Thursday at 4pm (or as close to 4 as possible) I will weigh myself. I will then post how much weight I either gained or lost. Think of yourselves as those nice cheery ladies at Weight Watchers who stand behind the counter and smile as I sweat and shake on the scale :) I hope that by having to post my progress each week...it will keep me motivated.

So here we are at the start....12.2 pounds to go. It will be tough to eat well with all of the delicious fall food and keep up my running as the weather gets colder but I am going to try my hardest :) However, I am going out with my BF tonight for margaritas....so maybe I will start tomorrow!

A Pirate Party to Remember

Last week Z and I had the honor of being part of a very special Pirate Party! One of the mom's in our Mothers Group had thrown the party for her son's 4 year old birthday and decided to do it one more time for the group. It was so much fun!

Z was a little young for some of the activities but he loved them all anyway :) He got to play a fun pirate ship running game, walk the foam plank, dig for treasure, eat snack on a "pirate ship", pop balloon cannons for prizes and take part in a fabulous pirate obstacle course.

Z had such a great time and he could not stop talking about it for two days. He kept saying "Arrrggghhh" and walking around with his new pirate hat and pirate telescope. It is so much fun to watch Z in action and see him experience something for the first time. I was super proud of my little pirate! Thanks C for a great party and so many great memories.

The Red Sox Did It!!!

Well they beat the Angels last night and are off to play the Rays in the ALCS. Red Sox Nation is psyched to be that much closer to returning to the World Series :) Tampa will be tough competition (I never in a million years expected to write those words) but hopefully our boys will pull it off.

In 2004, I attended game 3 of the ALCS against the Yankees (very expensive bleacher tickets). It was the most brutal game of the series and they lost 19-8. I stayed until the end (probably only 1 of 1,000 people to stay until the brutal end) and will never forget that night. It was so cold and we were shocked to find out that they did not sell one blanket in the stadium (After telling my class about this game, one of my students came in the next week with a Red Sox blanket that he had bought for me! How sweet is that?). We went home that night utterly depressed...the phrase, "Wait Til Next Year" going through our minds. The next night the Sox shocked us all and went on to win after 12 innings. This then started a winning streak and they went on to win 4 straight games against the Yanks. They were the first team in Major League Baseball history to win an ALCS after being down 3 games!

After this incredible series they went on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals (sorry A Buns Life) in the World Series. That was the most incredible October I have ever lived! The energy around New England was incredible (despite all of the lack of sleep). It had been 86 long years but that team (those dirt dogs) pulled it off!

In 2007, S and I were lucky enough to get bleacher tickets at face value ($75 each) to see Game 7 of the ALCS. We wondered throughout that whole series if we would even get the chance to go. I remember secretly cheering for Cleveland for a few games (I know I am selfish) just so I could get to game 7 and see them clinch. Well we did get to game 7 and that night was unbelievable. We sat next to two teachers from NJ who drove all the way to cheer on the Sox (and then they were going to drive back and work the next day!!). Well they won and Fenway Park was on fire! It was so much fun to be part of that special night. The Sox then went on to sweep the Rockies and win their second World Series in 4 years :)

Well guess who got tickets again?!? Thanks to my dad, S and I are going to see the Sox in game 4 of the ALCS :) I am so excited, I am shaking right now ;) I don't know what the outcome will be or what is in store for us. I am just so happy that I will be sitting once again in the bleachers with my Red Sox blanket....cheering on my boys in the ALCS! Go Sox!!!

The Perfect Play Date

In my two years of play dates....I have never ever experienced one quite like the play date I had the other day with my friend K and her daughter A. I have had many great play dates where the children all get along and play nicely side by side. What made this play date different from all the rest is that Z and A actually PLAYED together! They not only played together, they chatted with one another and made up games together. It was unlike anything I have ever seen :)

K and I were in the playroom chatting and could hear the two kids in the family room having a conversation! We came around the corner to find them "talking" about Z's birthday. A wanted to sing to him and they were going on and on (most of it not English) about his birthday :)....it was so cute. They then played with lots of different toys together. The final thing that absolutely amazed us was that they started their own chase game! They were running after one another in fits of giggles. It was too darn cute :)

K and I were actually able to visit and have a conversation!!! Something we haven't really been able to do since the children were born (except for at MNO's :)). It was sooooo nice!

A was 2 in June and I guess Z just digs older women ;) He also loves to play with my BF's daughter N. However some of the younger women in his life (A and G) he is either hot or cold about...it is very strange. He is going to have to get over this hot/cold reaction to the younger women or else he is going to have a very hard time finding a date to the prom :) Z will be one of the oldest boys in his class so he better start to love the younger ladies or he is going to be in big trouble ;)

A Wonderful Fall Day

I have said it before and I will say it again....fall is my favorite season (well at least right now it is :)). I love the food, the Oktoberfest beers, apple picking, falling leaves and that fresh crisp air :) I love taking out my sweaters for the first time and curling up with a good book and a nice cup of hot cider :) I LOVE fall :)

Today was the perfect fall day. S had a very busy week (traveled much of it) and had plans to play golf this afternoon with my dad and brother in-law. We knew that our time with him was limited and so we tried to make the most out of our beautiful fall morning. We got up at 8am, dressed in our running garb and went for a beautiful run along our local trail. I love to run in the fall because of the cool air and the scenery today was just breathtaking. After our run, we hit one of the local restaurants for breakfast. It is the cutest little place and we all had a very delicious, laid back meal. It was so nice to spend some quality time...just the 3 of us!

When S went off to play golf, Z and I went to the local fire department Open House :) This was so much fun and I am so sorry S had to miss it (I think he was sorry too). I don't think climbing in fire trucks will ever get old for Z :) He had a blast!!! He got to sit in every fire truck that our town owns and the ambulances too :) They had mini firefighter gear for the kids to try on and Z felt so super special (and was so cute) wearing it. There were balloons, free food, free activity books and tours of the firehouse. Z spent a long time with one firefighter getting a personal tour of the truck. It was so well done and Z was in heaven :)

After the firehouse we went to TRU to return a birthday gift. Z was in heaven once again as he got his Jeffrey's birthday club balloon and crown :) He then got to pick out a new train (he picked Toby) and play with the train table. After about an hour at the store, it was time to go home for lunch and nap. He just finally drifted off to sleep...he spent about 20 minutes talking to his "friends" in his crib about the firetrucks and firefighters he saw :) What a special day!

Later, we hope to head to the park for some afternoon fun on the slides and then S will be home for dinner. It was the perfect day for a little boy, his mom and dad too (I mean I am sure S misses us but he got to play 18 holes of golf on a very private course...what more could a guy ask for??? :)).