We Want To Know: About Yo' Celly

Because I just don't think I've talked about myself enough here and because Mamarazzi is one of my favorite bloggettes, I'm trying out this little thing called "We Want To Know Wednesdays" hosted by Mama and her friend Queso who I don't know yet.

But the girl has cheese on her blog so, yeah, I'm sure we're meant to be besties.




Here's what we do: they ask questions and I answer them.

You'll catch on.

{1}Do you prefer to text or call?
I think I've made it very clear to most people that I greatly dislike talking on the phone.  I never have anything to say that can't be said in under 100 characters.

However, I still don't text as much as my darling husband.  When talking to a Verizon rep:

"It looks like we can put you on such-and-such plan.  It doesn't look like you use....oh wait, No.  Your husband texts a lot."


{2}What is the last text message in your phone and who is it from?
Corey: "Plan on getting it done by early next week."  I asked him to look into plane tickets for our Indiana/Mississippi trip in October.

Yay!

{3}What are your favorite phone apps?
I hang out on Twitter quite a bit, and I enjoy my ongoing games (in which I consistently lose) of WordFeud with my BFF Jill.

{4}At what age do you think kids are ready for a cell phone?
The age when they throw a fit for one.

Was that the wrong answer?

{5}Share a current pic or video taken with your phone.

We have an issue with our tomato plant.

...

And that's it!  Now go visit my friends and see what they had to say.

Dreaming of an orange fall

Tomorrow is September. 

By the Lord's mercy and grace and determination to use me for other projects I am sure will prematurely wrinkle me, I made it through the summer.

There were a few things going on.

This was my July:

(keep in mind there was a 9-5 work week and endless laundry not noted here)

(how two people can generate so much laundry is beyond me.)

And then August:

Even after the event that consumed me I still have a very full schedule.  Why??

But then the gates of relaxation and good mental health open up and I get a September that looks like this:

Dear, sweet, sugar snowflakes do I need a month that looks like this.  My October is even more sparse and November is completely free of all commitments....

...which leaves me an entire month to fret about Christmas presents.

But that's far enough away.

In the meantime I'm going to enjoy the last day of August knowing it's finally over and my favorite season is practically here!

Ten on Tuesday

1. What is your favorite brand of shoes?
JCrew: every now and then I like to splurge, and when I do I know I'm getting something that's going to last.  Srsly, they'll stink to Hoboken before they fall apart.

2. How old were you when you learned to tie your shoes?
I was young enough to not remember.

3. How do you feel about freckles?
I love them.  When I see be-freckled faces I am instantly jealous.  All I get are these random dark brown dots and a couple of moles.  Bo-ring.

4. I can count to ten in ___ languages.
Two.  English (obviously) and Spanish.  I used to know Italian and Japanese.

5. What is your favorite store-bought ice cream flavor?
The kind that goes with hot fudge.

6. Were you in ballet or gymnastics as a little girl?
Ballet.  Gymnastics never crossed my mind as an option.  Good thing, because based on the few classes I took as an adult I know I probably would have ended up with major cranial damage.

7. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?
(I got this question wrong last time) Grover, not gonzo.  Although they are the same color.

8. What’s your bedtime?
I try to crawl into bed around 9:30, start a DVRed Matlock and then fall asleep by 10.  But then I get woken up by Corey, who stays up to watch the news in the living room, to tell me a funny story he heard during the day or to just pet the dog.

9. Do you have any jewelry that you wear every single day?
Just my married lady rings.  I try to pop in some earrings most days.  Other than that it's a necklace here, bracelet there, and, when I remember, my watch.

10. Who is the bug killer in your household?
I am the bug releaser in our household and Corey is the centipede killer.

Centipedes...uuuuggggghhhh.

...

Happy Tuesday!!  And good luck getting that picture out of your head.

Happy Belated Travers' Day!

What in the name of monkey feet is she talking about??

Sometimes I forget I don't carry you all around in my pocket to see and experience everything I do.

I also forget there is a world beyond Saratoga...

...despite the fact that for 22 of my 29 years I was actually in that world.

My friends, this place in which I reside is not your typical small town.  Sure, we have restaurants you can barely fit your entire body into and boutiques that sell art and tattoo permanent makeup onto your face all in the same place.

We got ourselves a racetrack; the most historic racetrack in the world.

And this track is home to the longest running sporting event in the country: the Travers Grade I stakes race worth $1 million and the rights to be in the running for horse of the year.

(scroll down to comments for Corey's correction of my statement above, rest assured, there will be one.)

We get something like 45,000 people for the day, including a few celebrities.  Corey and I have run into Bobby Flay, one of the guys from the Sopranos, Bill Parcells, John Walsh, Rod Stewart*, etc.

Every year to celebrate Corey and I throw a pre-Travers party where we invite everyone and their mothers (literally, we had moms there) to hang out in our driveway to eat pastries, drink mimosas and try to avoid being pestered by the dog.

I try to spruce up the asphalt with a few flowery table clothes and flower arrangements.  Last year I managed to swipe some beautiful purple loosestrife from the side of the highway in the cover of darkness.  This year I went legit and swiped flowers from my own yard.

We eat and chat and then head down for the races.

We usually have a story to tell afterward.  For several years it was, "Can you believe how hard it rained?!"

Then there was, "Can you believe all the dang bees?!"

Last year, "Can you believe Betsy fell and had to spend the day in the hospital?!"

This year, "Can you believe we let Jennifer eat the crackers out of the dog's bowl?!"

I really get a kick out of this one.

See, after the party was over and we started to clean up I put a handful of leftover crackers in the dog's bowl because the trash was still downstairs and I didn't think five crackers would drastically affect O-dog's waistline.  Corey took them out.  Apparently our dog does not eat crackers.  He set them on the counter and we both walked out of the room.

Enter Jennifer.

Five minutes pass.

Enter Stacie.

"Ohmigoshthosecrackerswereinthedog'sbowl!!"

She had eaten all but two of them.

Poor thing was horrified.

And disgusted.

I told everyone I know.

And then we headed down to the races.  Another eventful year.

...

*It was actually one of the Vice Presidents at Corey's office who just happens to look exactly like Rod Stewart. 

Friday Confessions

1.  I was told by one 10 year old that I must know everything because I educated her on what's the deal with hiccups (irritation of the phrenic nerve that runs alongside the lung), a fact that I learned in a biology class that somehow stuck with me.

2.  I found a little ball of chocolate under my arm Wednesday.  Something I don't like admitting.  I've hit a low point, people.

3.  If you live in a box you may not have heard about the little 5.8 earthquake that hit the entire east coast Tuesday.  By the time we felt it way up here in northern New York it was just a little rumble but that did not stop me from putting the years of earthquake drills to use.

"C'mon Oliver!  Let's get under a doorway!"

It was dumb.  Most people I talked to didn't even feel the thing.

4.  Tuesday was my shift to work at my boss's booth at the Washington County Fair.  As far as food goes, I wanted to do it right: bean burrito the size of my head, basket of fried pickles and ice cream cone.

5.  My stomach hurt until Thursday.

6.  When Corey gets excited he yells, "BANG!"  But when he's not around someone to yell it, he texts it and the recipient just has to picture the fist pump and bulging eye balls.

7.  Speaking of Corey, we were hanging out with friends one night when one of the girls couldn't find her phone.  It was getting dark so we're using flashlight apps on our own phones to check the ground.  This goes on for at least 15 minutes when my little genius says, "Oh, I have it right here in my pocket!"

8.  I have to cut Friday Confessions short.  First, it's not even Friday anymore (my bad), and second, we've got a little thing called Hurricane Irene threatening to shut off our power. 

Stacie Lucas, over and out.

Weekend Wrap Up: Kids and Dresses and Ice Cream

Advice to newlyweds: before you agree to bring four 10 year olds into your home for a sleepover make sure your husband is already 100% on board with having children in the near future.

I'm pretty sure Corey and I have now put ourselves on the five year plan.

Saturday afternoon I packed up a trunk load of pillows, sleeping bags, more pillows, make up, clothes, dress up clothes, and more pillows.  Then four giggly girls piled into my car and we were off.  To my house.  To spend the day, night, and morning together.

Before we were even five minutes into the 25 minute trip to my house we were on the subject of public assistance.  I had to think back to my days as a pre-teen....I'm pretty sure I was more concerned with what outfit Ken was going to wear on his date with working girl Barbie than the state our welfare system.  Luckily the conversation quickly shifted to their mutual dislike of Justin Bieber.

Here is a brief synopsis of the day/night/morning:

We pet horses, had a picnic in the park, and loaded up on ice cream on more than one occasion.  I learned my stomach is actually not in the shape it was when I was 10.

At one point in the day we aggravated the workers at a Lily Pulitzer store.  Apparently it is not acceptable to shove sweaty girls into $200 dresses.  Then we aggravated an entire toy store and soon after we aggravated a family of four while arguing which Red Box movie we all wanted to see.

We all did not want to see any of them.  So two of us sucked it up and we ended up watching Soul Surfer.

Which, by the way, the two of us who didn't want to watch it were the only ones actually watching to the end.  But that's beside the point in this totally pointless post.

Before we finally settled down for dinner and dessert there was this small matter of a fashion show to attend to.  The girls put on all their outfits, did each other's hair and make up (read: lip gloss) and paraded through my apartment.  I was put on music duty.  Karaoke, to be more specific; Amy Winehouse, Taylor Swift and Jackson Five in a sparkly blue hat.

Eventually Corey came home.  It was later that night after I had given them the rules: no running, no jumping, no stinky feet on the couch, and absolutely no waking of Stacie unless something was broken (skin, Kate Spade vase, bones) and I had gone to bed.

"Um, I think you should go check on the girls."

"Why?  I don't hear any screaming."

"They are hanging off the stairs..."

"But I don't hear anything."

"No, really.  You should go check on them."

At least those girls were quiet about being defiant.  And lucky for me (thanks to my forcing them to walk all over Saratoga) they were asleep pretty quick.  Like 1am. 

I tried to get up early enough on Sunday to be completely ready when they woke up to be a buffer between Corey and the girls.  But they stirred.  And then the dang dog just had to snuggle every single one of them.  Before we knew it, they were up.  Twirling these little twirly-gigs that landed in our plants, bounced off the walls, and sent each one of them into a fit of laughter.  At 8am.

I caught a glimpse of  "ain't gonna happen" from Corey, which I concurred in that moment.

But then we ushered them out the door for pastries, a little horse warm up watching at the track and then to church.  Afterward, each one of them was dropped off and I'm pretty sure there are five more girls' nights in the works.  I cried a little inside.

I came home, laid on the bed and swore I would not get up for anything.  But then Monday came.

Now a note to the parents:  I tried my best to be diplomatic about the whole welfare thing because, you know, they're 10, so I basically shoved the whole "love everybody!" down their throats in a totally sappy way.  I also told them how important  Sunday afternoon naps are so hopefully they'll give you a break once a week.    And I really did have a good time; they are great girls with great personalities, but I am seriously considering being the fun aunt that has lots of dogs.

Ten on Tuesday + One

1. Do you listen to the radio in your car? If so, what type of station do you like?
When I am reeeeally busy I spend my 35 minute drive to work trying to mentally keep track of what I have to do that day.  Otherwise I listen to our local Christian radio station with commercial breaks spent touring every other station under the sun...that is, the ones in my area.

2. What is the best concert you have ever attended?
I don't know if this counts: in July I saw the Philadelphia Orchestra play during Casablanca.  It was magical.  My few other experiences were eventful but not in a good way.

(nearly passing out at Third Eye Blind, contact high and witnessing a couple making a family at Dave Matthews Band, etc.)

3. What is the most embarrassing concert you have ever attended?
See above.  During the encore at a Dave Matthews Band concert the couple behind us, uh, succumbed to the moment and had maritals right there at our feet.  Luckily, the torrential downpour blurred most of it.

4. If you could have the singing voice of anyone in the world, who would it be?
Carrie Underwood.  Girlfriend gives me chills.

5. You’re auditioning for American Idol. What song do you sing?
"If you like pina coladas...."

Just kidding.  I really have no idea.

6. If your previous weekend had its own soundtrack, what would be a few of the songs?
It would be everything from the latest Kidz Bop.  For sure.

More on the weekend adventures later.  If you follow me on twitter you've had a preview.

7. Most annoying television show theme song ever:
I don't have one.  Just a lot of favorites including What's Happening, Fresh Prince, and, of course, Matlock.

8. Are you and your significant other music-compatible?
We are, but he takes those few songs we both like and plays them until I cannot stand them.

9. A song that brings me back to middle school:
All things Boyz II Men.

10. A song that brings me back to high school:
The Abercrombie and Fitch song.  I'm embarrassed to say I know several lyrics.  Would you believe me if I said I learned the words so I could make fun of the song??

11. A guilty pleasure song (or three):
Jump Around by House of Pain, I pretty much lose it when this song comes on.

Fantasy by Mariah Carey, same.  Then I sing and do that stupid head bob with my eyes closed, like it's the most important thing going on in that moment.  Because it actually is.

...

Happy Tuesday!!