Ok, today's topic is in the spirit of "Things I know..." and brought to you by the stream of consciousness when I have insomnia.
(It's 4:53 Am as I start this entry and I have been up for a while - "thank you" to the ravenous little beasties in utero that I call the twins.)
So here it is, New Jersey is a fabulous state.
I don't come to you without substantiation either,
1- it is almost October and here in SoCal, we are still occasionally hitting the triple digits. New Jersey has a Fabulous Fall starting soon, if indeed it hasn't already started. Colors exploding out of the forests of green which cozy up and around every bit of constructed civilization - Some of you may have only seen the airport or industrial meccas of New Jersey, but let me remind you that it is in fact "The Garden State"
2-Bagel shops and Delis. I could leave it at that, but no, actually I can't because bagel shops dot the landscape in Jersey, you can usually walk to one on a Saturday morning and get a bagful, while they are still hot and slightly chewy on the outside. Sure you can get a blueberry bagel if you want to, but that is not the only choice. A cinnamon raisin, or egg bagel for those wanting sweetness, or a base for sweet condiments, and for me? an everything bagel that tastes like everything, not just burnt garlic on the outside. (can you tell I've been spurned by west coast attempters and grocery store impersonators?) And the deli, the deli....ooohhhh right now I am craving some fresh sliced roast beef, fresh sliced Muenster, and some spicy brown mustard. In Jersey there is a local deli for every locale, the places that smell of spicy meat and dill pickles when you walk in the door, places where cappicola means something more than red food coloring on the outside of ham, ahhh deli - I miss you.
3 - Diners. some of you think this should go with the food entries above, but diners earn their own place in the list of proofs, because diners stay open late! In Jersey you can go to a diner at midnight and you could order greasy comfort food, but depending on which diner you choose you might also have the option of Greek Spanikopita, or fresh carved Gyros, Italian Manicotti or canoli, Etc. Etc. Etc. and they aren't diners, but Jersey has Chinese take out places open till all hours as well. (I am in a land of tacos, really yummy ones with fresh cilantro and hand rolled tortilla, but still that's about it in my neck of the woods)
4- Location, location, location,... When I first moved to California, all people could go on about was how SoCal has everything, you can go to the beach in the morning and the mountains in the afternoon, yadda, yadda, yadda. In Jersey you can go to the beach in the morning, the mountains in the afternoon, and still go see a Broadway Show that night! You might visit 3 other states in the process, but that is another great thing, none of this pretentious need for isolation, Jersey is ensconced in a sea of good states.
5 - Lack of pretension. I don't say lack of ego or pride, Jersey got plenty of people with plenty to say, and they will say it loudly, and with a variety of accents, but there is something about the rest of the country making jokes at your expense that draws the citizens of Jersey together in humble unity.
I could go on and I invite you with the spirit of Jersey to chime in with your contributions, but it is now almost 5:30 and I think that with visions of baklava dancing in my head I might be able to sleep for an hour before my little chickens rise for the day.
Go Jersey!
*****I stand corrected by my younger sister, Pizza places do deserve their own number, not only do you get a perfect balance of crusty and chewy but at most you can order an authentic anti-pasto or Italian salad - complete with fresh mozzarella, olives, and paper thin red onion. I am salivating right now.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
preview of coming attractions
I haven't posted much lately, mostly because my creative juices are being used up in the creation process of the twins (Oh yeah, update for those of you not on Facebook, we are having one boy one girl, very exciting!)
Today I thought that one way to get myself into the bloggin mood would be to have a theme for a while, so here it is:
Things I know something about.
Notice I am not making any grand statements like "important things" or things I know "everything about".
Just some stuff I know, or at least that I think I know at the moment.
So here is one thing I think I know something about, picking names for babies can be hard.
First of all, you have to figure out which kind of namer you are, do you think that because you like a name your baby will grow into it? or do you believe that your baby already "has a name" and you just have to find out what it is? My husband and I each fall into somewhat different arenas. He likes to hunt for names and have a list and then eliminate undesirable names for reasons like "it sounds like a bodily function" or "No, I dated a girl with that name" etc. , the elimination process should yield the suitable name and the decision is done. I suspect He would prefer to have the names decided well in advance, indeed he felt like he knew Ella was Ella during a routine ultrasound. I like to have a long list of names and a short list of names, and finally after the baby is born I like to look into it's eyes and say "Who are you?", I will say the contending names aloud to my child and look for signs of recognition or affirmation, and generally see if I can picture that face and that name together. Nina's name wasn't on the short list, but had only recently been cut off the long list, if we had used the short list she would have been Annalise or Madelaine (which has been on every short list but will not be on this one.)
Also a word of caution, don't ask people what they think in advance if it is a name you are serious about, or at least make sure you preface it with "this is the name I really like" because other wise you will end up with that persons criticism in your head when ever you see them with your child - and in most cases they will not even remember they didn't like the name.
I was out with some girlfriends recently who have very distinct and unique names, and I wondered if their names had anything to do with the fabulous people they are. I always felt that my name while not bizarre was different enough to set me apart, for the good and bad of that. In Kindergarten I lamented all the extra letters in my name, but by High School I was glad not to be one of 3 Ashley, Kelly or Tiffany girls in my class differentiated only by bizarre spelling or last initial. Of course there was a long period of time in Middle school when I would have loved to have been a Jennifer and fit into a clique or group by that name genre. Which leads to another question, what effect does the name choice have on the child? If I had been named Kelly/Kellie etc. would I have been a cheerleader instead of a drama geek?
What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet, but then again, Rose is easier to say and spell than oh, let's say Chrysanthemum and has no embarrassing mispronunciations waiting to happen, like Peony.
I actually "know" very little about naming babies, I didn't plan it but ended up naming all 3 of my girls with a name ending in "a". I don't know if the last girl will have a similar ending to her name or not, though I am sure our son's name will not end in "a". And I know I will not have a boy named Sue.
Today I thought that one way to get myself into the bloggin mood would be to have a theme for a while, so here it is:
Things I know something about.
Notice I am not making any grand statements like "important things" or things I know "everything about".
Just some stuff I know, or at least that I think I know at the moment.
So here is one thing I think I know something about, picking names for babies can be hard.
First of all, you have to figure out which kind of namer you are, do you think that because you like a name your baby will grow into it? or do you believe that your baby already "has a name" and you just have to find out what it is? My husband and I each fall into somewhat different arenas. He likes to hunt for names and have a list and then eliminate undesirable names for reasons like "it sounds like a bodily function" or "No, I dated a girl with that name" etc. , the elimination process should yield the suitable name and the decision is done. I suspect He would prefer to have the names decided well in advance, indeed he felt like he knew Ella was Ella during a routine ultrasound. I like to have a long list of names and a short list of names, and finally after the baby is born I like to look into it's eyes and say "Who are you?", I will say the contending names aloud to my child and look for signs of recognition or affirmation, and generally see if I can picture that face and that name together. Nina's name wasn't on the short list, but had only recently been cut off the long list, if we had used the short list she would have been Annalise or Madelaine (which has been on every short list but will not be on this one.)
Also a word of caution, don't ask people what they think in advance if it is a name you are serious about, or at least make sure you preface it with "this is the name I really like" because other wise you will end up with that persons criticism in your head when ever you see them with your child - and in most cases they will not even remember they didn't like the name.
I was out with some girlfriends recently who have very distinct and unique names, and I wondered if their names had anything to do with the fabulous people they are. I always felt that my name while not bizarre was different enough to set me apart, for the good and bad of that. In Kindergarten I lamented all the extra letters in my name, but by High School I was glad not to be one of 3 Ashley, Kelly or Tiffany girls in my class differentiated only by bizarre spelling or last initial. Of course there was a long period of time in Middle school when I would have loved to have been a Jennifer and fit into a clique or group by that name genre. Which leads to another question, what effect does the name choice have on the child? If I had been named Kelly/Kellie etc. would I have been a cheerleader instead of a drama geek?
What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet, but then again, Rose is easier to say and spell than oh, let's say Chrysanthemum and has no embarrassing mispronunciations waiting to happen, like Peony.
I actually "know" very little about naming babies, I didn't plan it but ended up naming all 3 of my girls with a name ending in "a". I don't know if the last girl will have a similar ending to her name or not, though I am sure our son's name will not end in "a". And I know I will not have a boy named Sue.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Big Brother P-Tah
Yesterday was my Older Bother's birthday - Oh I mean Older Brother! I thought I might take a tiny trip down memory lane to honor that occasion,
Let me start with the era that I actually have no memory of, in this picture my eldest brother is holding me (a wise decision given the ages of the options) But you will notice the charming expression on my other Brother, the birthday boy, "P-tah".
This expression could be saying many things "How you doin?" comes to mind as one option, but I like to think it is more "I am plotting the overthrow of this crying usurper, my baby sister!"
It was around this time that my mother came into my crib and found her small fragile infant daughter surrounded on all sides by Tonka trucks which had been lobbed over side of crib by the aforementioned brother in her absence - these were not the friendly plastic trucks of today either, Oh no, you may remember the die-cast metal construction that made them almost indestructible, and deadly weapons.
The next photo comes from an era I actually can recall sometimes, not vividly or in strong detail, but I remember being grossed out at the lunch table when he put ketchup on everything, including his Kool-aid. He had a nifty western style plaid shirt that I think had snaps on it in stead of buttons, and I remember more that once enjoying his "Incredible Hulk" impression as he burst his shirt off in anger. There were some tender moments during this era as well, I often got to play the kidnap victim or helpless (sometimes hog tied) hostage while my brothers played "A-team" with their friends.
I hove no photographic evidence of the next phase of life, I think this is due to the craftiness and intelligence of agent P-Tah, you see during the next phase he learned how to tie hangman's nooses at Boy Scouts (what else would you teach a young boy?)
Oh yes, I clearly remember walking to my back yard and seeing a dangling row of barbies and baby dolls in varying states of undress, swinging from nooses under the large tree in our backyard.
Shortly after this next little gem of a photo our family moved from Utah to Texas and then New Jersey, this ushered in a new era. Any torment dished out during this era may have been warrented, with that hairstyle and those glasses I was practically begging to be teased.
In some ways it was a more peaceful era, after all when the whole world is suddenly full of strangers your family becomes more important to you. In some ways it was more volatile, cuz when you are a frustrated kid who can you take out your frustrations on?
A specific torture moment I remember is him standing just inside the door of my room with his hand on my forehead as I tried desperately to reach him to get him out of my room. His reach was of course longer than mine and I flailed my arms in vain (ala the three stooges) for longer than I care to remember.
There were good times too, when I was a freshman in High School he was a senior and He made sure I wouldn't even think of getting into trouble. When he got his driver's licence he drove me a lot of places with minimal complaint. We watched "Better Off Dead" a few million times together. Bless his heart, even when there were no viable options he warned me against dating losers.
When we were at different universities he arranged a ride for me to come up to his school during "parent's weekend" The fact that it turned out to be the worst road trip of my life and that the driver in question was a little creepy, and continued to call for months after to say hello, really was not the fault of my brother, I really enjoyed being there with him, I was honored to be his family.
Later when we were at the same university he came to my productions, chatted up my roommates, and refrained from dating any of my friends. All admirable qualities that added to the quality of my life. He married a fabulous girl who doesn't let him get away with too much crap, which shows that he has good taste and is smart after all. He is very successful in his career and makes me proud to be his sister!
When we were children fighting constantly my mother would often say things like "Someday you'll pay long distance to call and talk to your siblings" She was right, and I was especially honored when My brother had his oldest daughter call me the other day to ask
"What should I do about my annoying brother, Dad said you would know."
The only answer I could really think of was something else my mother used to say
"It's just a phase, ignore him and he'll get bored, and someday he'll grow out of it."
Finally, after 30+ years I can say that it's true, I am no longer annoyed.
Happy Birthday P-Tah!
Let me start with the era that I actually have no memory of, in this picture my eldest brother is holding me (a wise decision given the ages of the options) But you will notice the charming expression on my other Brother, the birthday boy, "P-tah".
This expression could be saying many things "How you doin?" comes to mind as one option, but I like to think it is more "I am plotting the overthrow of this crying usurper, my baby sister!"It was around this time that my mother came into my crib and found her small fragile infant daughter surrounded on all sides by Tonka trucks which had been lobbed over side of crib by the aforementioned brother in her absence - these were not the friendly plastic trucks of today either, Oh no, you may remember the die-cast metal construction that made them almost indestructible, and deadly weapons.
The next photo comes from an era I actually can recall sometimes, not vividly or in strong detail, but I remember being grossed out at the lunch table when he put ketchup on everything, including his Kool-aid. He had a nifty western style plaid shirt that I think had snaps on it in stead of buttons, and I remember more that once enjoying his "Incredible Hulk" impression as he burst his shirt off in anger. There were some tender moments during this era as well, I often got to play the kidnap victim or helpless (sometimes hog tied) hostage while my brothers played "A-team" with their friends.
I hove no photographic evidence of the next phase of life, I think this is due to the craftiness and intelligence of agent P-Tah, you see during the next phase he learned how to tie hangman's nooses at Boy Scouts (what else would you teach a young boy?)
Oh yes, I clearly remember walking to my back yard and seeing a dangling row of barbies and baby dolls in varying states of undress, swinging from nooses under the large tree in our backyard.
Shortly after this next little gem of a photo our family moved from Utah to Texas and then New Jersey, this ushered in a new era. Any torment dished out during this era may have been warrented, with that hairstyle and those glasses I was practically begging to be teased.
In some ways it was a more peaceful era, after all when the whole world is suddenly full of strangers your family becomes more important to you. In some ways it was more volatile, cuz when you are a frustrated kid who can you take out your frustrations on?
A specific torture moment I remember is him standing just inside the door of my room with his hand on my forehead as I tried desperately to reach him to get him out of my room. His reach was of course longer than mine and I flailed my arms in vain (ala the three stooges) for longer than I care to remember.
There were good times too, when I was a freshman in High School he was a senior and He made sure I wouldn't even think of getting into trouble. When he got his driver's licence he drove me a lot of places with minimal complaint. We watched "Better Off Dead" a few million times together. Bless his heart, even when there were no viable options he warned me against dating losers.
When we were at different universities he arranged a ride for me to come up to his school during "parent's weekend" The fact that it turned out to be the worst road trip of my life and that the driver in question was a little creepy, and continued to call for months after to say hello, really was not the fault of my brother, I really enjoyed being there with him, I was honored to be his family.
Later when we were at the same university he came to my productions, chatted up my roommates, and refrained from dating any of my friends. All admirable qualities that added to the quality of my life. He married a fabulous girl who doesn't let him get away with too much crap, which shows that he has good taste and is smart after all. He is very successful in his career and makes me proud to be his sister!
When we were children fighting constantly my mother would often say things like "Someday you'll pay long distance to call and talk to your siblings" She was right, and I was especially honored when My brother had his oldest daughter call me the other day to ask
"What should I do about my annoying brother, Dad said you would know."
The only answer I could really think of was something else my mother used to say
"It's just a phase, ignore him and he'll get bored, and someday he'll grow out of it."
Finally, after 30+ years I can say that it's true, I am no longer annoyed.
Happy Birthday P-Tah!
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