Happy Birthday, Alex - Again!

Birthday party for Alex tonight at Greg and Amy's.  He looked SO happy!

I'm not a very creative gift giver - money in a savings account and a little to spend.  But it is certainly given in love.

The kids have so much and it's hard for me (did I mention that I'm old???) to keep up with what's new... what they need/want... what they have.  Money always seems to work.

Alex got a phone for his birthday so I'll enjoy texting him and keeping in touch.   That's one present that all of us who love him will enjoy!!  

It's always good to catch up with everyone at the birthday parties - fun to see the kids together.

Alex is such a great kid!  I hope that this year brings him good times... good memories... good health - and lots and lots of love!

Happy birthday, Alex!

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Happy Birthday, Alex!

Alex is turning 11 years old today!   I don't know if you're supposed to write online about how sweet an 11-year-old boy is, but... he is (and I just did).

I would LOVE to spend more time with Alex this year!  He says that would work for him so I'll be sure to keep you posted.

Tomorrow is the "family" birthday party at Greg and Amy's so... more tomorrow!

Enjoy your day, Alex!!

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Bead Happy

Or... Bead Me Up
     Or... The Bead Goes On
           Or.... To Bead or Not to bead
                Or... or... or... on and on!

Bead shops have SUCH cute names!

We decided to find some cool bead shops while we were in Virginia Beach.  We found a couple of great shops and interesting owners.

The first shop we visited was Beads and Rocks - a very strange but interesting shop.  There were strands of beads EVERYWHERE on the rustic wooden walls of this primitive shop.  There were also rocks... really... rocks.  Michael loves rocks so he had a good time rooting through the rocks,   The display cabinets appeared to be antiques.  Very cool.  The floor was once-painted concrete - complete with cracks and wear. Fascinating place and unlike any bead shop I'd ever visited before!  No pictures though.  :(

We also visited  the Bead Cottage where the owner is a delightful woman who beads and dreams and plans to retire to Hawaii and bead on the beach.   One of the things that she does that seems SO smart to me is to offer free classes on Tuesdays (with a supply purchase for the class).  That's a win-win if I ever heard of one.

We were told that we HAD to visit The Bead Goes On- a very upscale shop with beautiful, unusual things that we wouldn't find anywhere else.  It was amazing!  Elegant.  Sophisticated.  Beautiful colors and textures.  BUT... very expensive.  If you are a wholesale bead buyer, their wholesale program is pretty good, but retail is pretty costly.  If you were making a special project, though, it would sure be worth a look.

Our favorite, though, was Virginia Beach Beads where we met Dale, who owns and runs the shop (until his wife retires).  :-)

We loved the look of the shop - soft blue walls, high ceilings and lots and lots of lights!

The prices were great - the service even better.  The shop was welcoming - and Dale was friendly and more than glad to chat with us.   We even bought some things there that we hadn't seen anywhere else AND managed a freebie!  Really!  Does it get any better than that?

Michael signed up for the Virginia Beach Beads newsletter.  If you'd like to get Dale's newsletter, you can sign up at dale@virginiabeachbeads.com.  And if you're in the area of Virginia Beach, be sure to stop in and say "Hi!"

I must say that I can't think of a better combination of beads and the beach.  I'm ready to go back!

Do you have a great shop where you can buy your favorite things? 

Yesterday's Virginia Beach post  (In case you missed it)

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Over the Ocean and Through the Tunnel

... to Virginia Beach we go.

Over the ocean

 And through the tunnel - under the ocean

I think the bridge-tunnel is about 17 miles long with 2 tunnels, each about a mile long which run under the navigation channels.  I could go on and on, but if you're interested in more, you can find the history here.

I've been promising for years to take Michael over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  This week was THE week that we finally made the trip.

We left on Tuesday morning and drove down through Maryland and across the bridge to Virginia Beach.  Of course we had to stop at the lookout points on both ends of the bridge to see where we were going and where we had been.

We stopped at the little cafe on the bridge - sat by the window at the little cafe on the bridge and enjoyed something to drink (and some great fries) and an amazing view of the ocean with huge oil tankers and container ships going by - passing over the tunnel part of the bridge.

We saw air boats that seemed to be almost flying - hovering on the surface of the water, surrounded by huge sprays of water and mist.  Our server told us that they are military - probably marines?  With a Naval base so close, I would think it would be Navy, but hey... what do I know?  I'm just a tourist!

It was a beautiful day - temperature in the mid 70's and sunny.  A great day to travel (especially south).

We arrived in Virginia Beach where Michael made a reservation for a suite at the Marriott right on the ocean.  It was FANTASTIC!  We had a sitting room with a loveseat and chair... also a little kitchen with a table and chairs where you could sit and look out on the water.

We spent a great deal of time sitting on the balcony in the sun, listening to the sound of the waves on the sand - watching people walk, run, roller blade and bike (Oh!  And skateboard) along the boardwalk (which, unlike the boardwalks in New Jersey and Delaware, is not made of boards of any kind).

 View from our balcony - looking south

The beach from our balcony

The boardwalk in Virginia Beach is concrete - great for biking and skating with a wide walking/running path right along the beach.  There was also a two-lane bike path next to the walking path, separated by shrubs in lovely beds.  I'm sure there are many "locals" who take advantage of such a beautiful place to enjoy the beach and the ocean air.

You can see the walkway closest to the beach then a small strip - 

then the bike path with lanes separated by a yellow line

bikers along the bike path

We took a stroll (or in my case, I "scooted" with my scooter) down the boardwalk and found this huge statue of Neptune.  The statue was privately funded by the Neptune Festival. The statue is 12.5 ton, made of bronze -  26 ft height and includes one 8 ft octopus, two 17 ft. dolphin and the 11 ft. sea turtle in hand; plus 12 fish and a 5 ft lobster.  Pretty cool!

Thanks to Greg and Amy's great Christmas present last year of my Kindle, I sat on the balcony late tonight, listening to the ocean and enjoying my latest book.

What a great day!

Friday Treat

Friday is "swimming lesson" day for Brynn and Kate.

Brynn's lesson lasts about 15 minutes and she is NOT enjoying it... or at least is not showing that she enjoys it.  But she does enjoy being held by her dad when the lessons are over.

Kate swims for about an hour.   She's doing so well!  I love to go watch her swim.  It's a great Friday Treat for me after a long week.

The kids work hard on their strokes, but the main purpose is for them to be comfortable in the water - to be able to handle themselves and to be safe.

At the end they're allowed to play for a bit and Kate does that equally well!

What a great way to end the week!!!

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Hoot and Crow

Sunday was "Hoot and Crow" day for all of us.

"What?", you say?  "Hoot and Crow?  What the heck is "Hoot and Crow"?  Well, hold on a second and I'll tell you.

When the kids were in their teens with their social-teen schedules, they would often get in late on a Friday or Saturday night and then need to be up early the next morning for baseball or football or soccer or some kind of practice.  When they were slow getting up in the morning, their dad used to encourage them with...

"Time to rally.", Rich would say - followed quickly by...

"What's the matter???  You can't hoot with the owls and crow with the roosters???"

Often that was shortened with a knowing head shake, to... "You can't hoot and crow."

Hence... "Hoot and Crow" has remained THE saying for those who stay up too late and have a hard time getting up in the morning.

That was the long way around to say that Chelsea and Andrew visited with friends on Saturday night (while Michael and I went to a concert) and then we all got up early to have breakfast with Richard, Julie,  Kate and Brynn at Jimmy's.

Andrew and Chelsea most definitely DID hoot and crow!

I wondered how well Kate would remember Chelsea but... not to worry.  They were buddies instantly!  Kate is 4 1/2 (she's careful to make sure you understand that she is not just 4) and so the last time she saw Chelsea, she wasn't quite 4 years old. 

Chelsea can hardly wait to get back at Christmas to see Kate again. Brynn was 6 months old when Chelsea was home for Christmas last year.   I'm sure that after Chelsea comes back for Christmas this year, she and Brynn will be buddies, too. 

Oh!  Sorry.  How rude!  I forgot Richard and Julie.  Richard and Julie were there, too and Chelsea was delighted to see them (but I think Kate held Chelsea's heart).

What family sayings or phrases do you have that bring a smile and a memory?

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We're Philadelphia Bound

Fall break at Ball State on Monday and Tuesday, so Chelsea flew home from Indiana on Friday for a long weekend - returning to Indiana on Monday afternoon.  It was a busy but relaxed and wonderful weekend. 

It was fantastic to see Chelsea.  It's been WAY too long since she was home last.  She brought her boyfriend, Andrew, with her this trip (brave girl).  He felt like part of the family from the time he walked in the door.  (Michael liked him enough to open up his chocolate stash and dump a bag of Milky Ways on the dining room table on Friday night. It takes a pretty high approval rating to get access to Michael's chocolate! )

Chelsea was hungry for a good ol' Philly cheese steak from Steak Works so that's where we went for lunch on Saturday.   This was Andrew's first Philly cheese steak and he jumped in bravely with both feet... or... well... with peppers and fried onions (and some tomatoes from the half of mine that I couldn't eat).

Andrew enjoyed his cheese steak SO much that he took a picture of it with his camera to send to his brother. 

We asked Andrew if there was anything he wanted to do while he was here.  We offered to take him to Philadelphia for the historical tour.  He said that what he'd really like to do is to channel his inner Rocky and run the steps at the Philadelphia Art Museum.  So off to the Art Museum we went on Saturday afternoon.

 Look at Andrew go!

At the top!

After a successful run to the top... what next but a picture with Rocky himself (or at least his statue)?

Ah!  That feeling of accomplishment!

What good is success without someone to share it with?

Chelsea sauntered her way halfway up the steps so that she could take a picture of Andrew on his way up.  I'll have to see if she's sharing that picture!

... and back down

We were impressed!  Andrew was barely winded.

After our adventure at the Art Museum we headed to South Street for some "people watching" and then to Johnny Rockets  at 5th and South for something to eat. 

Michael suggested a trip over a bridge as part of  Andrew's East Coast tour. Andrew was "down" with that (I am SO cool) and so we rode across the Delaware Memorial Bridge to New Jersey and then back again to Delaware- one of Michael's favorite bridges.

Michael remarked that there is no charge to go to New Jersey, but they DO charge you to get out!

We threatened promised to take Andrew to the Delaware beach, the Jersey shore and to ride the ferry from Lewes, DE to Cape May, NJ. the next time he returns.

Do you have any favorite bridges?  Or strong feelings about crossing bridges?

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Indigo Girls at the Keswick

We went to see the Indigo Girls at the Keswick Theatre last night!  What a great show!!  It was a fantastic night!

I've been writing some concert reviews for a new Website that a friend is getting started at:

WhatMusicMeans2Me.com

The review isn't up yet, but as soon as it is, I'll be back with the URL for the review.

Google doesn't like the same content published in two different places, so I'll be publishing my reviews on the

WhatMusicMeans2Me.com site and publishing the link here along with a couple of pictures from the concert (hopefully).

So good!  Soooooooooo good!

Been to any great concerts lately?

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When is a bobblehead not a bobblehead?

Well, hang on a second and I'll tell you.
 

I know that Kate, Bryce and Matthew LOVE the Phillie Phanatic, so I recently signed them all up for the Phillie Phanatic Phan Club.  Being a member of the Phan Club entitles you to "stuff" and some privileges when you go to the game! (Brynn is still too little but we'll get her next year!)

Kate and Brynn sporting their Phillies shirts

Kate called yesterday to thank me for her membership.  (What a sweetie!)

She told me that she got a poster of the Phanatic, and a "member card" (in Kate's words) WITH a necklace (lanyard) so that she could wear the member card.  She told me that she also got a Phillie Phanatic wobblehead.  A wobblehead!  I mean really!  How cute is THAT?

She liked the poster and the wobblehead but her favorite thing seemed to be the member card!   How funny!  She made my day... for sure!

And after all... does the head wobble or not???  I think that's pretty descriptive for a 4-year-old - but then Kate is EXTREMELY articulate!

So that was my chuckle for the day!  A wobblehead!  Cute!!!

The Phillies are n the playoffs so we have our rally caps and rally towels ready to go!

What made you smile this weekend??

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Hate is SUCH a strong word!

I have just enough of my grandmother in me to not want to be someone who hates (or as we very hip and cool people say... I don't want to be a hater).  BUT... ya know what?  My grandmother never banked at TD Bank. 

I got home from work today to find an overdraft notice from ol' TD.  So... okay... that happens sometimes but not usually on an account that has been CLOSED for several weeks!  *sigh*

A couple of weeks ago I decided that I was just done with TD Bank (as I calmly and rationally reported on September 15th) when I closed (yes... closed) my checking account AND savings account at that bank.

I spoke with a seemingly competent young man (proof that we cannot judge by appearances) that day who efficiently (hahahahahahahahaha) assisted me in closing my accounts (or so he claimed).

I left the bank with a receipt for my $0.00 balance and assurance that anything that came in after the 15th would be declined. He promised.  He really did!

Right!  That's why I got this overdraft notice AND the overdraft fees to go with it.  And we ALL know that overdraft fees accumulate like a fast-rolling snowball on its way down the side of Mt. Everest.

My experience with TD bank is that for every competent (or even semi-competent) person I run into, I must to go through (at least) 2 idiots to get there. 

SO!  I called the 800 number and talked to a nice young man who told me that it appeared to him that the account was still open and that I did, in fact, owe the overdraft and fees. 

Before he finished his sentence, I was in the car, on my way to the bank.  I knew this one would not get solved on the telephone. (Quick study)

I arrived at the dreaded TD Bank and  promptly spoke with the Assistant Manager. Quite an experience I must say.

She informed me that my account was not really closed that fateful day in September because.... get ready... really... this is good...

BECAUSE I STILL HAD A 2 CENT BALANCE when I left the bank on the 15th.  I asked her WHY the receipt I got said $0.00.  After 3 different versions of double-speak she assured me that I had chosen to leave 2 flippin' cents in my account.  (huh????)  That one definitely left me scratching my head.  AND she spoke that sentence (okay... she didn't say "flippin'") with a confident smile on her face - like I was supposed to believe that she knew what she was talking about.

So I guess the conversation on the 15th went something like this???

Handsome young bank man, smiling that same confident smile:  You've got this account just about cleaned out, but there's still a balance of $4.93 - $4.91 and $.02 in interest.  Would you like to withdraw that in cash to close out the account?

Pleasant customer (me):   Sure, but just give me $4.91.  I don't need the 2 cents interest.

WHAT???????

(BTW... after doing some investigation of my own tonight, I found that TD deposited $.02 interest in my account the day after it was closed - which reopened it.  I wonder if they'd like to have a COMPETENT manager? I should apply!!)

In the world of TD Bank, insanity prevails!

Should I go back up to the bank tomorrow and make sure that the account is really closed or should I trust the Assistant Manager to do her job?

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