Flying by...

Deja and I are having quit the vacation so far. We survived NYC twice sore feet and all...but loved it! I don't have a favorite moment or site yet...too many to choose from, no doubt! We saw the typical tourist must sees....Empire State bldg, The Today show (was on there 3 times that morning), Tiffany & Co, FAO Schwartz, American Girl store, Toys R' Us (rode the ferris wheel inside too), Times Square, Grand Central Station, Radio City Music Hall, Ground Zero, South Street Sea Port, Chinatown, Little Italy, Statue of Liberty & a broadway show...Phantom of the Opera! Oh...about 1/4 of Central Park. We divided this all up in 2 days and we were going non-stop from early morn till the wee hours of the night.

While in the city we met up with TJ, a friend from H.S....and Diana's brother...and had lunch. So the city was quite the adventure to say the least. Would love to go back when we have more time to cruise on through vs. flying by.

The Jersey Shore and Pine Beach/Toms River were wonderful and relaxing. We had wonderful hosts and couldn't have picked a better place to stay.

So we caught a train out of Trenton, NJ and are now in Quantico, VA with our cousins. Our plan so far is to go into DC for tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't storm!

I'm off to bed. Nite Nite

Summer Vacation

I am so pumped and ready for our trip this week. Deja and I will be joining a long time friend, Shannon, and her two sons to NJ on Wednesday. We will be there for 6 days when we take a train to Quantico to visit my cousin, Carlos, and his family. We haven't seen them in at least 3 years, maybe 4, so I am excited.

Deja and I have never been to any of the places we are visiting and are a bit overwhelmed with all the possibilities. Luckily, Shan is quite familiar with the area and will help us layout an itinerary. I think the plan so far is to go into the city at least 2 days. I know that we may not see everything on my wish list but we sure will try. I really want to spend a day on the boardwalk and beach too.

While in Quantico, we will go into DC to go site seeing as well. Deja is pretty excited to see the White House as well as I am. As I said, I'm so overwhelmed by what all there is to see and do.

Birthday Bash

So another birthday has rolled around and I am starting to feel he uphill battle. This past week was a fun and eventful celebration of another year completed and a new year to come. I got to have drinks and bar food with some friends last week at one of my new fav spots. Please don't ask where because it is embarrassing to admit. LOL My teammates at summer school also brought lunch on Wednesday for me which was so yummy! Homemade enchiladas, tropical salad, brownies galore & ice cream. It was great! Oh...homemade Spanish rice tambien. LOL

As if that was not enough partying...my two best friends suggested that we go out on Friday. So that we did. There were 8 of us total that night...a nice group. Melissa was freakin' hilarious at dinner and I think I am not the only one to think so. Dinner was great....at Mi Cocina. Let's see...who was there: Melissa, Joe, Jay, Jack, Masaki (Jack's wife), Mino (Masaki's sister) and Jimmy. Jay, Jack & Jimmy are brothers....some of the best men you will ever meet!

So after dinner we walked over to 8.0 to party some more...some of us stumbled over there while others walked. They had a great live band so I got my groove on the dance floor. OK...like as if that took much. I did have some help from my wonderful friends. They were just pouring the drink down my throat. LOL I think I even got some random chic to get on the dance floor with me. What's up with that. The night was just filled with lots of laughter amongst friends. I loved it!

Concert in the Gardens

My dear friend Karrie called me up yesterday morning to let me know that she had 2 tickets to the concert in the gardens that night...Friday night. It was actually a concert and laser show. So Jay and I took advantage of the opportunity and enjoyed a great concert.

The weather couldn't have been any better. It wasn't too hot, actually pretty mild with a slight breeze. We listened to the Fort Worth Symphony play some selections from Harry Potter, Star Wars and more while having a picnic & a glass of wine. Oh...they actually played the entire Star Wars Suite from the Trilogy. It was great!

I felt bad because Jay planned ahead and brought his camera. However, after I pointed out that there was a blurb about photography & video taping on the tickets...that it was prohibited...he left it in the car. Well...there were some people in the audience taking pictures. We tried with the cell phones but they didn't come out great.

I have added two pictures I took of the fireworks on my cell and one from their website. That one is the laser show.

Liquid Medicine

As I mentioned yesterday, Deja stayed the night with a friend so I had a "free" night. I had already put a bottle of wine in the fridge to chill so I could relax with a good Lifetime movie. Ha
My two best friends joined me for some beers at one of mine and Mel's favorite spots, The Big Apple. OK...it's quite the dump but you gotta love the Big Apple. This is a place we like to go when we need a "lift me up" so to speak. It is an odd mix/crowd...difficult to describe.

We always manage to meet the oddest people out there but it makes for an entertaining night. So last night we saw this guy who has been there before and who has something wrong with him. LOL He tends to made the oddest noises and yells out things frequently. Then it dawned on me who he looked like...."Edward Rooney" from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I kid you not.

It was a fun evening with good friends.

Staying Afloat

So, I just completed my first week of summer school and I am thrilled beyond belief. LOL I have held out on using a bit of liquid to take the edge off but will open up the vino as soon as Deja heads out the front door to a friend's house for the night.

I think we finally came up with a good system that allowed us to actually breath during class. The kids are starting to adjust to our new faces and the new schedule. We have students who come from various campus' in the district so they are not all familiar with our lovely faces. I have only one student from previous summers and one from my home campus. The other babies are brand new.

One of my dear and childhood friends is one of my assistants, Rosa. She is wonderful and such a blessing in the classroom. She is destined to teach. God only knows...she is a mother of 4 great boys. My other assistant is good and very helpful. I am just not sure how to read her and I am sure she feels the same about me. You see...I am quite goofy with my class. I also have a serious issue with animal noises and I don't quite think she understands me. LOL Who does for that matter! She doesn't always answer Rosa and I when we initiate conversation and she rarely smiles and laughs. You gotta laugh! That is a must in my classroom and it is the best medicine!

Now it is Thursday evening and I am childess and about to hang low. OK...I might step out to get a brewski with my crazy friend Mel.