Night in NYC.

Wednesday I had to attend a conference in South Orange, NJ so I couldn't resist the temptation to hop the train to New York's Penn Station and walk around the city for a while. I wanted to visit the New York Hard Rock Cafe again (last time I was there was a couple months before the September 11th terrorist attacks). Here are some pics that I took with my iPhone - not too bad if I say so myself!

I gave him crabs for his birthday!

Hal's birthday is tomorrow so today we tried to celebrate a little. He wanted to go to Baltimore's Inner Harbor to tour an old Civil War era ship called the USS Constellation, so he did that while I drug Sarah over to the Hard Rock Cafe's merchandise shop. Finally joined the All Access Club which is pretty neat! Hal was able to leisurely tour the ship without a gazillion questions or comments from the little tot, and I frantically chased her around and talked her out of a Hard Rock teddy bear. After a while longer in the Inner Harbor, we headed back to Westminster. On the way back I suddenly was hit with the idea of taking Hal out for crabs. Here in Maryland, eating crabs is a big deal and I don't see how we've been here so long without having done this. So we pull into the Full Moon Pub and order a bowl of crab dip, a bowl of cream of crab soup, and then our nice waitress bops over and asks us if we'd like the $1.50 crabs. We both get blank looks on our face and explain that we're not from 'round here and if she was willing to show us how to eat them, we'd be happy to entertain the idea. She happily obliged and we waited for our crab extravaganza. Her name turned out to be Sarah Jean so she and our Sarah had a chat about their names while she patiently showed us how to hammer open the shells and pull out the crab meat. I have to say, it was very strange. I felt sorry for the little crabs. I felt a bit cannibalistic too. I mean, it was a whole crab, eyeballs and all. When you go for a steak, you don't have to break apart the cow, and when you go for chicken you don't have to break off its legs and scrape out its innards. So I did this for the experience of having done it, but I probably will not ever do it again. Sarah Jean explained about how the crabbing industry works, and also about the social crabbing culture up here. She was the best waitress I've had in a long, long time. She hovered nearby even though she was busy just so she could help us if it looked like we might eat something we weren't supposed to! Hal very much enjoyed his early birthday present. I'm glad because that man stresses me to no end each year as I try to come up with something unique that he doesn't already have.

Unfinished Business

You must read this book by James Van Praagh, no matter what your religious or spiritual beliefs are. It's simply amazing - I read this book in a 24 hour time span - with work and a 4 year old distracting me! It literally made me gasp a few times. There are many good lessons in this book, and many good tips for living, whether you "believe" or not. Wish I could write more about it but I'm exhausted from reading.

Third place.

Lance will take 3rd place in the Tour de France, with teammate Alberto Contador snatching the famed yellow jersey. Sucks. But the good news is that Lance is forming his own team next year and Contador won't be on it. Texas based Radio Shack will be one of the sponsors. Here's to next year Lance. :(

What's wrong with my torso?

Okay. Now I have a hernia, that I actually diagnosed myself but got my doctor to confirm. What the heck? First gallbladder surgery and now I have to have surgery for this? Moral of the story? Avoid childbirth. (oh, and that was a surgery too) :)

In a funk.

I'm in a super dooper major huge funk lately and I'm not sure why. I don't feel like writing, working, playing, or reading. I want to sleep. A lot. But I don't get enough sleep at all so that actually might be the problem.
The New Kids on the Block wrapped up their year of touring this past Saturday and I'm sad about that - believe it or not that was a major source of fun and distraction over the last year. There are many sad twenty and thirty-something women out there!
Lance Armstrong is now in a decidedly second place in the Tour de France behind Alberto Contador - and I don't think he can win at this point. This is also majorly disappointing.
My child is growing up too fast. She's getting ready to start school and I still have much weight to lose.
I'm still in the middle of my career crossroads. Thinking I might be done with Student Affairs. Very little money in it and it's much less fulfilling than the work I did in the ER. Funny how we stumble upon something that changes everything we thought we wanted to do. I'd also like to go back to school and pursue creative writing and journalism - like I wanted to do way back when I was 19. Dad wouldn't allow it - said I'd never make any money. So that dream got put on hold. I started writing stories when I was only 13 years old. I've always wanted to write and publish a book. I think 34 is too young to be having a mid life crisis!

New Kids on the Block concert on the web!

Go to www.nkotb.com and click on NEWS to read all about it. July 17th! Can't make it to a concert? This is your ticket! :) Only $12. Great show - won't be able to record it, but just seeing it will be worth it!