Driver Tips...

So you know how much I love driving over the bridge to get to work and go home - not. Friday I actually ditched to the right to avoid getting on the bridge is a downpour/thunder/lightening/wind storm. Something I've never done - I mean it's only rain right? Wrong - it's wind and maybe a tornado and for some reason I don't know if the bridge would remain standing through a tornado. I was not the only one - and there was a huge mess when it was time to finally get back into traffic. Hiliarous in one way, but I was able to jump back in. Others were not so lucky and traffic was then snarled for hours. Ooops.
Yesterday there was a jumper or stalled car so they shut down 2 of the 3 lanes during rush hour. Brilliant. Just brilliant. Jump off a bridge in rush hour. I prefer to think his car was stalled. You know how it is when they are narrowing the lanes from three to one. Those who think they are better than the rest of us race up to the very end. Rude, rude. I learned a trick from another driver that made me laugh for quite some time. He was driving a big red van and pulled up just in front of me and I attempted to let him in. He just waved and motioned me forward and then we went neck and neck until everyone behind him was forced to pull in. Then I let him in - it worked really well. The guy behind him was so pissed, but really he was supposed to get in about a half mile back and didn't so it was his problem. He actually still tried to get ahead of me when the red van got in and I cut him off - take a hint you are not more special than anyone else on the road in your tiny gas saving car. Big truck vs. little car - hmmm... I win. they told us to all get over at the beginning of the bridge so if you didn't you can just sit with the rest of us patiently or get on over to keep things moving.

yard works

since the backyard is sort of wet we are working on getting the front yard in shape - today was barking day and we had just enough to do it all!

Cherry Pickin'

Don't they look yummy?

When you live in the middle of the orchards it's hard to ignore fruit picking season. Signs are all over the place. The Japanese certainly are on top of it as well because I was the only person speaking English other than the college kids working there. It sounded like they were tourists for sure. I would guess they can't read or think they are exempt from stuffing their faces full of fruit while picking. Oh wait - they were sitting on their buckets plucking from the tree's and putting it right in their mouths even better. I bet they only walked out with a couple pounds. Wonder if they know that they are sprayed and should be washed before eating. hmmmm... probably not.

With all the rain we've had the sour cherries are the best crop - the sweet reds are split and not worth picking. The white ones are the favorites of the Japanese - and I think they were tasteless, but whatever makes you happy. So tonight it's cherry crisp! Yum!

And I just thought these were pretty - they grow along our road.

Sonic Sighting...

A great discovery was made by us this week. It happened on the same day for both Mark and I - we heard it on the radio. Upon further investigation of this news flash we discovered that a Sonic had opened less than 20 minutes from our house back in May - how did we miss that? Pretty easy when we don't go that way much. Kingston is north of here and we usually just go to Poughkeepsie or New Paltz for stuff on Saturdays. First I will admit that we've never lived near a Sonic and it's always something we talk about when we are on vacation down south. Most of the time we don't make it there... so off to Sonic for lunch I went today. Mark was still out of town and it was Saturday and I was bored. Great excuse to go shopping too. I know, I know it's fast food and I don't do it very much, but it's so fun to watch them rollerblade out with your food on a tray - and try to not get wet. It was raining here again today for the bazillionith day.
oh yes the important part - what did I eat? I know mom is dying to know. She loves Sonic. We both had it in El Paso with Julie and it was so good. So I ordered a large ice tea, Califorina Burger and onion rings. California Burger ... kind of like a Big Mac without the extra bun in the middle and only one burger. It was quite good. Could have used some ketchup. I would order it again. The onion rings were a bit sweet and I think covered in a thick cornbread coating. Again ketchup would have been good here, but there was no way I was going to get wet in the rain to get it. No way! I guess you have to tell them with your order that you want it. I also discovered that it only takes about 3 onion rings and I've reached my limit of them.
While waiting for my food I read that they have happy hour from 2-4pm with half price drinks. No alcohol involved with this happy hour so don't get too excited about it. Since I didn't get a slushie for my lunch (because that would have been super piggy!) I figured maybe I could hit it after shopping and get my cherry slushie for a $1 - so yes, sad to say I went to Sonic twice in one day. Good afternoon snack. haha... I also saw a really yummy looking chocolate cake with ice cream and hot fudge on the menu board - it's probably a good thing Sonic is in the opposite direction of almost every place I go because going there three times in one week would be sorta silly - right? I didn't get the cake thingy in case you are wondering - I was a bit full still from lunch. Good excuse to go back and do dessert sometime. My other discovery of the day... the Target in Kingston is top notch and PetSmart may soon become a regular haunt as they now sell this really cool cat litter system. That is a whole post of it's own - later. Complete with pictures if you're lucky.

Boston Rocks!

Mark at his first Boston Red Sox's Game - notice he is wearing red to fit in?

shot from our seats - downtown Boston skyline in the background

when buying on e-bay it is common courtesy to inform the buyer that the view is obstructed! This was taken by Mark from his seat. We were saved by the very nice family next to us - they moved down and we moved into their seats - Boston fans are nice.

It's been a long week and finally I am getting around to uploading my pics - and really they are not all that great. Not sure what we were thinking cause we didn't take many. Thursday night we went to Foxwoods - great hotel/casino destination in Conneticut. Hard to pass up a free room and I was surprised it was so nice because it was in the "old" part. Friday morning we took off for Boston - it was about two hours with several stops to snag some deals at Shaws. I mean how can you pass up 5 cases of pop plus a 22 snack pack of chips for $11? LOL! Mostly for my work for lunches we do. We were also hunting for this litter than our cats think is the only litter they can pee on - nothing else, but the rug will do. Kind of kidding and kind of not. The hunt resumes tonight. Back to Boston because I really digressed there.

We stayed at the Copely Square Hotel and wow - they do it right. Free coffee and tea in the lobby, plus wine at 5:00. They come in and turn down your sheets and leave a little bed time story, plus two bottles of water. And the bed was heavenly making it hard to get up. They had a cool bar scene, but you had to dress right. Trust me that is not how I dress - it was dressy club clothes. I was in my ball game outfit. LOL! Don't think my sneakers cut it.

Fenway Park is full of history and was fun to go to - we even got to watch them lose. The park was close enough for us to walk too and we managed to get dinner on the way back after.

Day two was a the trolley tour and lunch at the pier. Then we toured some more and hit some little shopping areas. I probably should mention that without cats to wake us we slept in until 10am! yes 10am! unheard of for us. So that shortened our day a bit. Saturday night we hit Vinny T's for an Italian dinner and while it is a chain it is only in the Boston area. Great food - more normal Italian than fancy. We'll go back there sometime I'm sure.

Boston has some edges over NYC, but each has their own fun things. Would love to take a whale or harbor cruise, hit the North End and shop more next time... obviously we will be going back.

this is sort of a freak show in progress - he is very talented to say the least... the crowd is entertaining too ...

Cured of a Chinese food craving

big note to self the next time it strikes... wait for the weekend and go to PF Changs! I am guessing amid all the onions and a couple carrot slices there was about an ounce of thinly sliced real chicken - I picked it all out and ate that only (will regret later I'm sure)! Recipe for hot and spicy chicken or my guess of what was in it.... a jar of chicken gravy and few pepper flakes mixed in for good spice. And there were two containers of it. For $7 I don't feel bad about only eat a tiny bit.

I should have wondered what was up when the sign said buy one get one free - and I got two boxes of take out. I thought it was alot. All I can say is thank god for the two egg rolls and two fortune cookies! Tums here I come! Mark got bbq at work - lucky dog! He deserves it though - it was for a safety award picnic - yay!

Ok so does that catch me up?