42 Things about Hubby (one for each year & one for luck)

Hubby has been great lately and I truly appreciate it.  Since my IV medicine, I have returned to about 75% of where I normally am at.  Not bad, but, I am looking forward to next month and getting back to normal, or at least what 'normal' is for me with Rheumatoid Arthritis. 

Nothing like the reality check of not having a medicine to be sure it is working for you!  ;-D

I am not sure that Hubby will be thrilled with the way I have chosen to thank him, but I saw someone else do this on a journal a while back, not sure where, and thought I would give it a try!

I also found the KoolAid graphic above just for Hubby!  He has always wanted to dress as him for Halloween.  lol

Without further ado, here are 42 things about my fabulous Hubby!

1.     He is big and tall.  6'3" and about 300 lbs.
2.     He wears a size 54 athletic cut suit jacket, and I love his big shoulders.
3.     He is a great father.
4.     He is my best friend.
5.     He rocks my world.  (imagine my waggling eyebrows here!)
6.     He is exactly 2 months and 2 days older than me.
7.     He always makes me laugh, and I love that.
8.     He isn't as funny as he thinks he is all the time.
9.     He is very smart and loves to read and watch educational shows all the time. (good thing, so do I!)
10.   He loves Mythbusters and thinks he totally missed his calling in life!
11.   He likes Batman because he doesn't have super powers, just money, guts and brains.
12.   He also likes Wolverine and the Hulk.  (can u say anger issues? lol)
13.   He was the 5th child out of 7, the second and only other boy.
14.   He had an invisible friend named #5.  (yes, I think it speaks volumes too!)
15.   He had German Shepherds growing up.
16.   He had a swimming pool in his backyard.
17.   He had an empty lot adjacent to the pool in his backyard.
18.   Hubby's friend tried to pull a donut in the mud in the lot adjacent to the pool, lost control of the car and slid into the pool, knocking said pool down, flooding the yard.
19.   He majored in biology in college.
20.   He never went into sports medicine, as was his plan.
21.   The first time Hubby ate lobster was our 2nd date.
22.   He is very romantic and sweet, and buys flowers, candy, cards, leaves notes, poems, and never forgets an important date.
23.   He has amazing hazel eyes that have green, light brown, and dark brown all swirled together.
24.   He never drove a stick shift until we dated, and unfortunately, it was my car that he learned on.
25.   Hubby's home town used to be in the Guiness World Book of Records in the 1970's because it had the most bars in a square mile area.
26.   He has not drank since June 1991, 5 months prior to our wedding.
27.   Hubby likes to slow dance with me at home with no music.
28.   He loves Elvis and Sinatra as much as he loves Ozzie, Zeppelin and U2.
29.   He is an Assistant Scoutmaster for the Boys Scouts of America.
30.   He is a head coach for baseball for our middle son's team.
31.   He likes to go to batting cages and hit baseballs for fun.
32.   He likes to play golf and go to the driving range for fun.
33.   He doesn't bowl very well at all, but he can ski!
34.   He ice skated for the very first time while on our honeymoon in Lake Placid.
35.   He used to scuba dive.
36.   He loves ice hockey and used to be a NY Ranger fan, but now is a NJ Devils fan. (which pisses off my best friend/sister Kathy like there is no tomorrow!)
37.   He is a huge football fan and loves the NY Giants, and whoever is playing the Dallas Cowboys. tee hee
38.   He is a big NY Yankee fan, too, and has gone to games in the luxury box for work! (I am quite jealous of this!)
39.   His favorite catcher of all time is Johnny Bench from the Cincinnati Reds, and has an autographed baseball of Bench's. (a gift from me a few years ago)
40.   His favorite Yankee and player of all time is Lou Gehrig, but no autograph yet. :(
41.   He loves to play Madden '07 on Xbox. (and '06, 05, '04...you get the idea)
42.   Last but not least... Hubby loves white chocolate, medium ribeye or porterhouse steaks, jumbo shrimp cocktail, Godiva Cheesecake and most of all, me, the kids, and my mom and dad, 'a ton and a ton and a ton'! (to quote my Hubby as he says good night to the kids each night)

be well,
Dawn

update:  It isn't his birthday... just did this now as a 'thank you'!

Tags: husband, Koolaid, rheumatoid arthritis, thank you

Star Wars Lego Symphony (OR 'What happens when your kids read your journal')

My son, Fuzzy, hooked me up with this... and I have to say, it is very cute and only one minute long...

Enjoy!

be well,
Dawn

Tags: starwars, legos, you tube

Weekend Assignment #146 New York City

AOL's illustrious John Scalzi has made me very happy!

His Weekend Assignment #146: I [Insert Personal Feeling Here] New York is an assignment I think I will enjoy doing!

I love New York!  New York City is like no place on earth, and I am so blessed to have this iconic city less than a half hour away. 

Of course, that is without traffic, a staple of trying to get into Manhattan!  LOL  But, often enough, the planets align, and you can make the trip in that time.

I think I will share with you some of my favorite places and memories from NYC, rather than assaulting you with all the specific reasons why it is the best city in the world.

Two come to mind and give me pause.  The first time I dined at Windows on the World, at the top of the World Trade Center.  Wow.  The view!  We sat at a window table... the windows spanned from the floor to the ceiling, and it gave you a bizarre feeling of being on the edge and about to fall!   It was sunset... and Hubby and I and the couple we were with, watched the colors swirl and change miles out over New Jersey.

Nature's show that evening was one I will never forget. 

I was blessed with dining there twice more.  Once again with the couple from the first time, and another couple, clients of my hubby's. 

The last time was for my dad's 60th birthday dinner.  He and my mom had never even been inside the Twin Towers, never mind at the restaurant.  It was a magical night.  A great celebration with the magical view that never failed to disappoint.  Oh yeah, and the food was phenomenal!  That night, in particular, was probably the best meal I have had in the 41 years of my life.  And, I have hit many restaurants in NYC that could have rivaled it, and didn't.

Another meal that stands out was my parent's 35th wedding anniversary meal at Lutece, a fabulous top notch French restaurant.  Old world French, not that nouveau crap that leaves you hungry.  This was loads of wine, cheese, sauces and meats that you had to roll yourself away from the table.  But, not before the dessert!  Whoa mama!  It was great! 

That night we surprised my parents with a room in the city, too.  I had packed them an overnight bag, grabbed all their medicines and stuff, gotten my mom a sexy nightie and dad silk boxers.  We drove up to the hotel under the guise that Hubby had to check on a job for work.  Instead, he walked out with the key, told them the room was prepaid along with breakfast in bed in the morning, and we would be back at noon the next day to pick them up!   It was a great surprise!  The hotel was the Paramount, and Ian Schrager hotel in midtown, spectacular and funky!

My 30th birthday was another great memory for me.  Hubby and I stayed at the Morgan, another Ian Schrager hotel located on the east side.  We had dinner at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill.  Unbelievable.  Great food, the atmosphere was trendy, loud and fun and totally NYC.

Other great memories that come to mind are riding in the horse and carriage around Rockefeller Center at Christmas time, checking out all the decorations besides the tree that there are to see.  Hubby and I also were treated to a cocktail party given by the Bank of Switzerland on the night that the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center.  Their building looks down on the tree and skating rink with an unobstructed view!  It was amazing.

Broadway plays... need I say more?  Over the years since my childhood and through now with my own children, I have seen, 42nd Street, The Miracle Worker (Patty Duke as Annie Sullivan), The King and I (with Yul Brenner), The Magic Show, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Jekyl and Hyde, The Titanic, Les Miserables, Aida, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and more that my mind can't access right now.

Just about every other year since the kids were little we have gone to Radio City for the Christmas Show.  And, every year I cry at the living nativity scene at the end.  They read an amazing poem and it just touches my heart....

We have celebrated birthdays with the kids pretending we were martians at Mars 2112, rock stars at The Hard Rock, monsters at the Jekyl & Hyde Club, movie stars at Planet Hollywood, bikers at the Harley Davidson Cafe, and sport stars at the All-Star Cafe (now gone) and The ESPN Zone. 

We have eaten at the Top of the Sixes looking down on 5th Avenue, and at Tavern on the Green looking out at the park.  We have walked South Street Seaport many times, shopping, drinking, and going to the museums and learning about our past. 

If there is a nationality of food you want to try... it is there.  If there is a subject you want to learn about, NYC has a museum for it.  I am not kidding... check it out on the internet!  

The Museums.... ahhh the museums.  We are members at the American Museum of Natural History and have been for more than 10 years.  As a kid I loved it, as a parent, even more.  I can't begin to list the amazing special exhibits we have seen there, suffice it to say, they never disappoint.  The regular exhibits are tremendous in and of themselves.  The blue whale hanging from the ceiling, the dinosaurs...oh the dinosaurs! 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum ofModern Art are also not to be missed or to be taken for granted.  I am blessed to have been to them many times as well, and the kids, too.  The Egyptian displays at the Met transport you to another place and time.

Okay... I guess you can probably tell, I love New York City!  I love the arts, I love history, I love food!  I love everything New York has to offer that you cannot get anywhere else in the world!

NYC has evolved to become the best of what the US of A is all about.  It is about living together, working, learning, growing, shopping, eating, playing and loving life - TOGETHER!

be well,
Dawn 

Tags: New York City, Twin Towers, AMNH.org, NYC museums, NYC restaurants, Broadway

Come Meet My Friend, Karyl

Now, that Frosty has your attention...........

I have a favor to ask everyone!  I have had a friend for a few years now, who also struggles with Lupus.  She has journaled on and off, but now is committed to be journaling often and really needs some support and new readers.

Her name is Karyl .

If you click on her name it will bring you to her journal.

Come and get to know Karyl.  She is a very loving, caring, supportive and inspiring woman.  I have been all the better for knowing her myself.

Thanks everyone!  I know my fellow J-landers will rally!

be well,
Dawn        

 

Tags: Lupus, Karyl, support

" 'Til Death" Can seem really long sometimes...

Do any of you watch the sitcom 'Til Death with Brad Garret and Joely Fisher as the long married couple?  I do... and it really cracks me up.  Sometimes a silly sitcom that makes you laugh at exaggerated example of your marriage is just what you need!

Last night the show revolved around a neighbor couple who had a 25th Anniversary party and everyone kept commenting on how the hubby 'took care' of his wife. 

Finally, Eddie, Brad Garrett's character asked him to explain, and he said something about how he nourished and cared for his wife as if he was the gardener and she were the flower.  She bloomed under his loving care.  In the show, Eddie realizes that he is the 'flower' in his marriage and his wife is the 'gardener'.  He then vows to get better at trying to 'garden' for her.

My hubby and I laughed at it and we both agreed that usually it is about 50/50, we both are the 'gardener' and the 'flower' which seems ideal to me. 

However, there are times like now, when I am flaring (rheumatoid arthritis) and I need a lot more gardening effort without giving back much in return. 

I would like to take the time to thank my hubby for that. 

Like tonight, he went out specifically to pick up a bag of my favorite kettle cooked potato chips.  :-D

Thanks honey, I am in the best hands ever.

be well,
Dawn

ps... Hubby punted on the Fuddrucker's idea and we went to On the Border for mexican and waitress service instead!  Yummy!

Tags: 'Til Death, Brad Garrett, Joely Fisher, rheumatoid arthritis, kettle cooked potato chips

Mother Nature, lay off the sauce, please!

Do you think she will listen to me? 

She has to be drunk. 

The way I see it Mother Nature was going through menopause when she slammed the last ice age on us.  She was hot and needed it cool. 

The labile crazy 'hot where it should be cold and cold where it should be hot' weather must be the result of drinking.  It just makes sense, something pushed her over the edge.

Maybe she caught Father Time with his pants down with a Spring Nymph? 

I don't know... but something has seriously messed her up.  She needs to put down the bottle and check her butt into Betty Ford.  The Pacific Northwest has been slammed enough with snow and frigid cold.  I want some cold in the Northeast and I want snow.  It is January and 61 degrees.  That is WRONG.  Enough is Enough.  And, it is raining, AGAIN!

CNN was actually scrolling on the screen that New Jersey had the warmest December in 111 years.  UGH. 

Usually the only time NJ makes CNN is when the Soprano like mobsters do something fun.  Or our Governor comes out of his 'not so well hidden' closet.  Dang.  Now, that I  can handle.  This too warm, too rainy crap, not so much.

Okay... my rant is over for now.  I feel marginally better.

Kind of like how I feel since my Orencia infusion.  Marginally better.  I am hoping that tomorrow will bring much better.  I will let you know. 

The RN at the Infusion Therapy room told me that since I was so late with my IV, it may take until NEXT MONTHS IV until I get back to the happy place I was before.  This makes me very not happy right now.  UGH.

Sorry for my crankiness... the rain and 61 degrees, coupled with sore swollen-ness is really yanking my chain today! 

However, some things in life are good.  We are going to Fuddrucker's tonight for their fabulous burgers.  That makes me happy.  ;-D

be well,
Dawn

Tags: weather, Mother Nature, New Jersey, Orencia, rheumatoid arthritis

First Entry of 2007... and Oops, Sorry Kathy

I had hoped my first entry of 2007 was going to be witty and sparkly, kind of like me... lol, but instead I am feeling a bit cranky and rusty. 

So, to be official, Happy 2007!  I hope that all my J-Land friends are blessed with joy, health, wealth, happiness and love in the New Year.

And, now for me being a big idiot.

Kathy, I am so sorry, and Happy Birthday! 

You are the best friend I could ever want, the sister of my heart, my rock and my safety net, all in one.  I am sorry that the day got away from me and it was 11pm when I remembered again to call you and therefore, did not.

All morning... gotta call Kathy tonight.  All afternoon.... gotta call Kathy tonight.  Somehow, when the evening came, my brain went.  Somewhere lost in the homework, preparation for Geo Bee, Scouts, dinner, my sore hands, arguing with Fuzzy etc, I lost it.  :-(

I will talk to you tomorrow.  I love you...

Sorry J-land, this entry stinks...but it is the best I can do... groveling and complaining is about it for tonight.

I am having my IV Orencia for my rheumatiod arthritis in NYC tomorrow am.  Thank goodness because I am one big sore mess.

be well,
Dawn

Tags: 2007, sister, best friend, idiot, rheumatoid arthritis