Thanks, Gramma!

For the wicked cool Pumpkin Shirt!!!

Treat or Treat!

Wegmans once again put on a "Fall Harvest Party." It was a really good turn-out. There was a great big line to get our picture taken (with a backdrop I spent over an hour creating this afternoon). Sam got many ooh and aahs, from parents and kids alike, for being the most adorable Winnie the Pooh EVER!!! Ron and i had picked up a green hairy monster costume from the Sal Val, but it turned out to be too small (and had velcro in the FRONT, which Sam could not ignore). Since Sam has no real exposure (yet!) to candy, he had no idea what it was all about when we went around to the different games being played around the store (each department had a game). I picked out a Tootsie Roll at the first game, just to show him, and then he picked a Tootsie Roll at every game afterward! I don't think he even knows its candy! Now i can imagine his reaction if the buckets were filled with GOLDFISH CRACKERS! Haha. We had such a good time!

This is Sam's 'posed smile' when i tell him to smile!

A Super GHOUL Girls' Night Out!

BWAH-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-HAAAAAAAA!

Happy Halloween everyone! The gals and i had a great time last night. We started off at Murphy's Woodhouse for "cocktails" (as Amanda likes to say). Then we ventured up to Kerrick Hollow Rd. in Hornby for the Seventh Annual Barn of Terror! There was a LINE to get in (donations accepted).

Let's just say that the five of us never let go of one another, and quite frankly, i just about molested my friend Christa from behind! I love and hate haunted houses. Even though i know what's coming (for the most part!), i still get the be-jeezus scared out of me! One room was all black with black-light designs, so it was very easy for people dressed in the same material to hide in the corners and JUMP OUT atcha! What the heck! We all never screamed and laughed so hard in a long time!!!
Thanks, Ladies, for a SPOOKTACULAR Girls' Night Out!

Hello, Ralphie

Ralphie, as in, the little boy in "A Christmas Story." That's our "new" 1994 Ford Taurus' name. Why? Why not?
I guess by default, "Randy" would now be the name of the wagon; Ron pointed out we can no longer refer to the wagon as "The Ford."

Unseasonably Warm October Morning

Sam and I joined Ron this morning on his weekly Corning Hiking Club excursion. It was an amazing, blue sky, super warm morning. We drove up to Harris Hill, tossed Sam into our Ergo backpack, and we hiked up to where the hang gliders take off. WOW!!! What a freakin' view!!! Please visit Ron's site for many more pics from this morning's adventure!

Oh DAH-ling!

You look MAH-velous! We frequent Target's (pronounced TAR-szay, of course!) hat section quite often!

Who's in the basement?

This is my friend Squirreley. He's a squirrel.
We like to play this game where I chase him out of the basement with a broom.

On a Sushi Kick

Over a year ago, a friend of mine at Wegmans sat down to lunch with a tray of sushi from our own sushi bar. I said, "i've never been into that... do you really like it?" She said, "yeah, i love it. I don't get the kind with raw fish." I had no idea (naively perhaps?) that sushi could come with COOKED fish. "Wanna try some?" she asked. So i did. And i didn't care for it.

The seaweed got to me.

There is a very thin layer of seaweed that comprises the roll up. I was familiar with and liked everything else in it: julienned carrots, avacado, rice, sesame seeds. The whole thing sounded really good except for that darned seaweed. It made the whole thing taste a little too much like it was FROM THE SEA.

Skip ahead a year (maybe i tried it when i was pregnant?) and my friend Natalie picked some up (again at a Wegmans) for the drive home. I go thru the story above, and she says, "it's really yummy... wanna try it again?" I'm game. I'll always try anything - even a couple times.

This time, i TOTALLY DUG IT.

The seaweed flavor, this time, added to my experience. I did not find it to be fishy, but rather a unique 'sweetness.'

Since this Second Day of Trying, I've been hooked. It's the kind of Hooked that translates into getting sushi 4-5 times a week. At $5.50 a pop, that ain't cheap. It's also the kind of Hooked that's starting to lose its novelty. I certainly don't HATE sushi, but i've grown tired of its constant presense in my diet. Just like with anything SUPER GOOD (think chocolate, fine wine or that perfect bacon cheeseburger (sorry you veggies out there)), you have to enjoy it in moderation or it loses its "specialness." I had a little too much of a good thing lately... i think i'll give sushi a little time to become NEW to me again.

SO - - if you like seafood, COOKED, and have always wondered about sushi, give it a try. Look for a "California Roll" (all veggies) or a "Full Moon Combo" (variations of shrimp, seafood salad and crabmeat) to start you out.

Devirginized YouTubers!

While this video is very rudimentary and borderline boring, not to mention sideways (still working on that one...) it **IS** Sam being cute doing his Sam "thang," and is now on YouTube for all to enjoy.

For future vids, do a search on YouTube (www.youtube.com) for the name "ceesamron." Clever, huh? Made it up myself. *Shining Fingernails on Shirt*

We've Had Fun Together

We just sold the Toyota yesterday! *Sniffle.*

But this is *Sniffle Part II.* I had emotionally parted with her previously when i sold her to a friend. This friend never put her on the road, and when i met Ron and he needed a car, we brought her back into the family! That was a fun day!

Well, about 3 years later, we've said goodbye again, this time for good. We sold her to a lady in Elmira who had been borrowing various cars to get around. Since we advertised her on Craigslist as very much being sold *AS IS*, she understood this concept fully and was an ideal buying candidate. While I'm sure the Toyota's engine and UMPH would have easily lasted another 100K, its all the little plastic parts (and not so plastic underside parts) of her that were dying.
Interestingly enough, on this very same day as well, we've just about firmed up the buying of another car to replace her. Used as well, of course. Our neighbors have a car that is in near perfect running order that they 'surrendered' to the cause of wanting a newer, flashier, faster car. That's why we exist - to rescue the slower but more faithful loving cars out there. ;-)

Updates on THAT addition to the family as they develop...

(oh yeah... i also got a root canal done this morning too. Ever had your entire NOSE be numb before? That's bizarre)