The NYC revelers are home!

Their plane actually left about 15 minutes late but they arrived 20 minutes early. Good tail wind I guess.

Patty borrowed her sister Nancy's minivan, (thank you Nancy,) and was kind enough to drive to the airport to pick up the girls. (Thank you Patty.)

5 girls, me, Patty and at least 8 pieces of luggage and all our purses in a minivan! I might add that one suitcase, pretty much the heaviest one, contained only cosmetics and hair care products belonging to the twins!

It was a tight fit and we couldn't open the rear lift door without quickly putting your hand in to stop the cosmetic bag from falling out but we made it!

Michelle's good luck continues in New York!

First they get upgraded to a massive suite, no charge. I looked it up, $699.00 a night, they paid $243.00! (Split 5 ways!) Michelle buys tickets to a New Year's Eve party with no idea as to where the place its... it's 1/2 a block from the count down stage!

There was one problem being a group of 5. All the cabs are licensed for 4 passengers, they had to try to hail a van every time. They took the airport car service from the airport to the hotel. Their driver was very nice to them. Mich told me they were going to call their friend, (the driver from the arrival,) to come pick them up too.

What shows up to drive them to the airport, for the same charge as the car from the last trip? Yep, a limo!

*EDIT* apparently the hotel arranged the car for them... gotta love the Hotel Salisbury!

Seriously, if you're travelling, take her with you, she's a walking 4 leaf clover!

Happy New Year to my family, friends and you who happen by!

The show last night on the roof of City Hall, here in Windsor, went really well. Patty and her crew did a great job! Michie had fun and called me at 2:50am when she and the girls had arrived back at their hotel after a 10 block walk, in high heels!
Bob, Matthew and I watched Dick Clark and I went to bed at 12:05! (Exciting creature that I am.)

Today, we're going to my Sister-in-law's house for a New Year's dinner. I'm bringing the dinner. I wish Michie was here too but I'll be seeing her tomorrow night.

I've talked to one sister, am calling another when I'm done this post and will talk to the third when I get home tonight. (Running out of time!)

I wish you all happiness, love, the joy of friends and family.

My New Year's wish?

"From each according to his ability, for each according to his need." I think that's a great quote and if that was the rule, we'd all have what we need wouldn't we?

Happy 2008!

A nice surprise present for Michie's birthday!

*EDIT* Apparently I had a picture up of Carnegie Hall! oops... Google fooled me!

The Salisbury Hotel, New York City

The five girls had a one bedroom, one bathroom hotel room booked. They got there early and just wanted to drop off their luggage so they could go out and about. As they were sorting through to pick out what they'd need for the day, the manager called Mich over and said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you but... we're upgrading you to a suite!"



Now they have a two bedroom, two bathroom suite with a living room! (At no extra cost.) From her description, this is what the room looks like. I got this pic from google. I think this will be a tad more convenient for 5 girls no?

Michelle is in New York City

She called from JFK Airport about 10 minutes ago. All is well, they're excited and ready to shop!

We just hope they'll let 5 in a taxi. They have some pretty strict taxi rules in NY.

21st cake

Here's a pic, (sent by the very speedy Susan!) of Michie's 21st cake. Actually, it's a 21st pie, a banana cream pie from Tunnel Barbecue! One of Michie's favourite things! The candle is the same clown candle that was on her first cake and every subsequent birthday cake. It has also been on every one of Debbie's three kids' cakes since 1987! We sing really, really fast and blow it out quick so we've only just burned away part of the clown's hat and a bit of balloon! I figure we can use it for another 60 years or so!

If we do it right, Michie can use the candle on her daughter's 21st cake and pass on the "21" charm that Bob & Susan gave her, the same charm Bob gave Susan on her 21st! The clown candle may be a tad stubby by then though?

The Eve of Michelle's 21st birthday

Tomorrow Mich will be 21 years old! She'll be celebrating it at Serendipity in New York City. Her third trip to NY but the first for which she can actually go into a club. New Year's Eve will be spent at The Paramount's party and at midnight they can walk outside and see the 100th anniversary ball drop and the fireworks! Then step back into the warm, bathroom accessible club! Good planning eh?

So at 7:15am tomorrow Rodney, bless his generous soul, and I take the girls to Detroit airport and off they fly!

Garbage thoughts...

We had, 12 full bags of garbage to put out for this morning. 12! An even dozen! It was ludicrous! It was also scary.

Every time we put out our garbage, the next morning I go out with an A&P bag and a latex glove to clean up what the animals have torn apart. Today I went out with 2 green garbage bag and two gloves expecting the worst. There were 983 paper plates, 1232 plastic glasses, 4765 plastic knives & forks. There was food from Christmas Eve open house, a ham bone, food from Christmas breakfast, food from boxing day dinner, two prime rib bones and a chicken carcass! A veritable feast for feral felines! (And the odd raccoon, skunk and rat.) The garbage truck came by before I got out there, so I figured I'd have all the strewn remnants left to pick up. I approached the back gate with dread, I slowly opened it and... NOTHING! Not a scrap! I now have two garbage bags and an extra pair of gloves in my car console.

Now I could not help but notice as I drove to work, all the houses along Janette, Dougal and Giles that had put out ONE teeny can! Hello? ONE CAN? How do they do it?

(This is my second attempt at this post. If it gets eaten... It was never meant to be!)

The mysterious vanishing posts!

Ok, two so far today, one I re-did, (with less graphic images,) the other I will now wait on. I'll see if this one gets eaten or not!
This is a test of the blogger posting system, do not adjust your monitor!

Benazir Bhutto

The more things change,











The more they remain the same.

wii want to play...

Dinner was good, I advised all persons involved of the attempted chicken escape, they ate it anyway! (So far, no ill effects.)

The wii is set up and entertained everyone apres dinner. From 12 to 50+ it was a hit! Susan got a home run in baseball... whatever! fine, congrats... whatever!

Roaster update, #1 The great escape!

Well it didn't start well. I pre-heated the roaster and THEN read the instructions where it said to take the lifting rack out BEFORE pre-heating. Of course, I had just put all my oven mitts, and pads, (I have 197 of them,) in the washer. So I grabbed two tea towels and took the rack outside to cool down. Then I put the chicken in a small pan, put the pan on the rack on the counter, added a touch of water, lifted the rack, walked over to the roaster and the pan/chicken/water slipped off and went flying across the kitchen floor! I picked it up, washed it off, plopped it back into the pan and proceeded to put in the roaster more carefully!

Michelle, upon my describing the incident, asked, with a straight face... "why did the chicken cross the floor?" I replied... "because it could." We laughed uproariously, Matthew just looked at us. I think he's forgotten Michie's and my delightful sense of humour!

Really, I washed it well and it's cooking at 350 it should be fine. Plus, I don't eat chicken and the prime rib didn't fall on the floor! ha!

ps: The chicken is done but I'm waiting for Bob to come home as I'm afraid to try to take it out! A cooked chicken falling onto the kitchen floor is NOT funny!

Boxing Day Prep

Today I'm trying out my GE roaster oven that I bought last month in Detroit; on the shopping trip with Patty that I thought was happening just because she loved me and it turned out to be a ruse; to get rid of me for three hours so my house could fill up for my surprise 50th birthday party. (That was one long sentence and likely not properly structured!) I should mention that it only cost me $29.97 at Walmart in Detroit, I got US dollars for about .92 cents Canadian that day so what a deal! I just saw the same oven for $99.00 here. I'm using it to cook a chicken. I am also cooking prime rib. The beef is going into the oven.

Should the roaster oven be a flop, I'd rather ruin the chicken than the beef!

And no... there is still NOT a turkey on the menu Michelle!

Christmas Eve Party, friends, food, fun & a surprise!

Michelle told us she had to go and pick up Jenny for our party. People started arriving, more people, more people... you get the idea. The house is packed with revellers Michelle came home and says, "look what I found!" There, was Matthew! Home 24 hours early as a surprise. Apparently he had told her the night before on the phone that he managed to get an earlier flight and they decided to surprise us. What a great surprise. Now of course, the first words out of his mouth were, "so we're having turkey tomorrow right?" I'm sure there was NO conspiracy involved!

The party was great friends, neighbours and family all laughing, eating, drinking and there may have been a few fireworks and another illegal outdoor fire burning.
(Unless, of course, you are a Fire Department person or a by law enforcement officer then... no there wasn't!)

It's Christmas morning, in an hour the breakfast people will be arriving and we start all over again!

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you too get wonderful surprises.

Christmas Eve, 2007

Today is the 6 month anniversary of my Dad's death, next month is the 1 year anniversary of Evey's. Evey was my Brother-in-law Mike's Mom, one of my favourite people.

Today I am thinking of both of them. Today I am missing them and thinking about my family in London and Sturgeon Falls and their missing of them too.

In two days, it would have been my Dad's 71st birthday. Last year, we were all in London, at his house having a big party for this 70th. No one then had any clue where we'd be today.

I am happy too this Christmas, shortly, my home will be full of friends. Tomorrow again, for the annual Christmas breakfast it will be full of friends and Matthew comes home from Alberta tomorrow night!

There is much for which to be thankful but I cannot help but be just a little sad and wistful.

Happy Christmas everyone and remember to tell them you love them!

My traitorous, ungrateful Child!

Here's an email I was kindly forwarded from Bob (next door, not husband, and Susan,) upon Michelle's being advised Susan was cooking a turkey today...

From:
Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2007 10:44 PM
To: Sue & Bob Tereschuk
Subject: RE: Lots of turkey next door

Hooray!!! I don't know what I'd do without Turkey Sandwiches during the Christmas season (and before Christmas is even better than after, less waiting involved).
And no my mom didn't tell me, probably because of all the guilt and shame she feels for not making turkey herself..... yeah right!

G'night
Michelle


Now... I'd like to point out that I am making, perogies, pene, spiral ham, 4 baked goods, deviled eggs, and many, many side dishes for Christmas Eve. We are NOT having a big Christmas dinner this year as Matthew does not arrive until 7:30pm Christmas night from Lloyminster Alberta! I am, however, having a big Boxing Day dinner of Chicken, Prime Rib and all the fixings!

Michelle Bondy... you are sooooooooooooo busted! :þ

A good time was had by all!

T'was a great party last night at Patty's house. (I found this beautiful pic of Patty on Google!) Good food, good wine and great friends! Stimulating conversation, though a few did rub me, the right way (wink, wink,) in the kitchen! (hehe, you had to be there!) Going to wear my faux leopard more often!

I am fighting off some horrendous disease, hopefully not elbola/plague again, so I left rather early. Oh and I drank water! So again... no wine involved! Ok, fine, about 2 inches of a glass of wine, once but that's it! The rubbing me was not wine induced... on my part! :)

Sometimes, the title says it all!

Lucky me!

Sometimes you're just in the right place at the right time and you go wii, wii, wii... all the way home! :) (Well actually I went wii, wii... but that just doesn't sound as good!)

Dazed and Confused!

Last night I forgot to put the brownies in the oven left them on top of the stove.

Today I found out Christmas Eve is Monday, NOT Sunday. While relieved, as it gives me an extra day, it still is a bit of a shock. Then, re-reading a list, I realized I bought the completely wrong thing! Good thing I now have an extra day!

Note- there was NO wine involved today!