Monday, August 30, 2010

Redirecting...

This blog home is no longer in use. You will be redirected to the new home of Jenster's Musings in just a few seconds or you can type in jenstersmusings.com.
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Friday, August 20, 2010

New Post

I have a new post up at my new blog. (Still working on the whole redirecting thing).

jenstersmusings.com

Labels: blog

Mused by Jenster :: 12:59 PM :: 0 People musing:

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Thursday, August 12, 2010

Switching...

I'm still working on redirecting traffic to my new blog, but I don't have it figured out quite yet. So in the meantime, you can click on this button and it will take you to the new blog. Or you can just type jenstersmusings.com in your browser. Whatever makes you happy. See you there!

Labels: blog

Mused by Jenster :: 10:48 AM :: 0 People musing:

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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

The Big Move

Sometime in the next week Jenster's Musings will move from blogspot to Wordpress.

Don't worry. You won't have to learn a new address or anything. You'll just be redirected once you get here.

That's the plan anyway.

Labels: blog

Mused by Jenster :: 12:32 PM :: 4 People musing:

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Monday, August 09, 2010

My Happy Place is a River Called Denial

Two weeks from today will be a Monday much like every other Monday. Except Taylor will be six hours away at school. I'm very proud of him and super excited for him, but if I think about it too long I'm sad for me. It's going to be very strange around here.

Back in the spring he had narrowed his choices down to two. A local college and one in Southern Virginia. Katie tried to bribe him into choosing the local college with the promise that she'd bake him the pie of his choice every day. While tempting, it wasn't enough to sway his decision.

So now my baby boy, who hasn't actually been a baby for a long time, is spreading his wings and leaving the nest. This may be how it's supposed to be, but I don't have to like it. He's my boy. He thinks and acts like me - not always a good thing - and he's nearly always good for a laugh.

And poor Todd. He's distraught about losing the hormonal balance in the house, not to mention his scary-movie-watching, guitar-playing, sport-talking buddy.

Then there's Katie. At times she feels like she's losing her best friend. Other times she feels like she's getting rid of her arch nemesis. Sometimes at the same time

The closer the time comes to drive him down to college the more real everything is becoming. My jokes about turning his room into a craft room/office/library/whatever have lost their humor and I find myself thinking about all the things I wish I would have done different. As my sister once told me about her kids, only by the grace of God has Taylor grown into the young man he has because it sure wasn't anything I did.

Sunday night will be bittersweet as it will be his last night to play in the youth worship band. Then it will be five days full of packing, gathering the last minute stuff, hanging out with his friends and just being the four of us for the last time until Thanksgiving.

I can't wait for Thanksgiving.

(*the photo of Taylor & Katie was taken by Gail Anne Photography)

Labels: college, kids

Mused by Jenster :: 6:41 PM :: 9 People musing:

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Monday, August 02, 2010

An Island Called Long*

*Thank you to Dan R. for the title

This past weekend Todd and I took off for a much needed get away on Long Island. It was the first time we've ever left the kids home alone and I feel it was a success because: a) they didn't kill or even maim each other; b) police and/or other emergency personnel services were never required; c) there were no arrests; d) the dog was still here and didn't appear to have suffered any; and e) the house looked much the same as it did when we left.

Our adventure started on Thursday, and I don't use the term "adventure" loosely. I've been to New York City several times since moving here four years ago and every time I'm there I declare I will NEVER drive in Manhattan. Well, guess what I did Thursday. I drove in Manhattan. From the Holland Tunnel, through Tribeca and China Town, and over the Williamsburg Bridge. I've driven in Los Angeles. I've driven in Dallas. I've driven in Philadelphia. Picnics, all, compared to the Big Apple. I would like to declare I will never drive in Manhattan EVER AGAIN. I just hope I really mean it this time.

Do you know what made driving in NYC worth it? After Todd and I got settled in the hotel we went down the street to TGIFriday's for an early dinner and I got carded! Oh yes I did! Todd even took a picture of the waiter looking at my ID, but it came out all fuzzy. So what if they have to card anyone who looks like they may possibly be younger than 75? There's just something about hearing those words, "May I please see some ID?" that thrills.

I kept telling people we were going to the Hamptons because it just sounds so chic. In reality we were just going to Long Island, but we did drive through the Hamptons on Friday. There is a two lane road that runs through the Hamptons to the tip of the South Fork where the Montauk lighthouse is. It took us a good two hours to go the 43 miles. I can say in all honesty that it was a beautiful drive and the weather couldn't have been any better. We stopped in the town of Montauk for a bite of lunch - the best fish and chips I've ever had, hands down.


And a good thing, too. For two orders of fish and chips, an iced tea and a beer we paid $55.00. While I'm sure the fish basically jumped from the ocean and into the fryer, I'm not sure that's a reasonable amount. Not only that, but I didn't even get carded!

After the gigging we took lunch we finished the drive to Montauk Point and the oldest lighthouse in the state of New York. I, of course, had Precious with me so there are pictures:






There were no sightings, and, therefore, no pictures, of a Montauk Monster. (Sorry Becky) But here's a photo I found on the internet to appease the curiousity of those who don't know what the Montauk Monster is.




From there we drove to Sag Harbor:











And then a pretty drive back to the hotel where we feasted on cheese and crackers (because we had spent our daily allowance on fish and chips) and watched free HBO.

Saturday was another gorgeous day and this time we drove up the North Fork to Orient Point and then slowly worked our way back. In a welcomed change from Friday, the traffic was minimal. Our goal had been to find lighthouses and maybe go through a winery. We saw one lighthouse in the distance and never decided on a winery to tour. But we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves nonetheless.

I know. I'll just show you some pictures.





We stopped in at this lavender farm and bought...





...lavender! Ahhhh, heaven!



Here we were in wine country and did we get any wine? No. I'm sure our wine clubbies (Or is that clubbists? Clubbers?) will be very disappointed with us.




The same Dan R. who inadvertently gave me the title of this post texted me and told me about Greenport. Happy I am that he did!





This, my friends, is a camera. Not nearly as convenient as Precious, that's for sure.




The Frisky Oyster. What does a frisky oyster look like, I wonder.





We were going to eat in Greenport, but the wait was horrendous. Apparently everybody wanted to hang out in the quaint village on a perfect Saturday afternoon. So we got back in the car and just decided we'd stop wherever we stopped.



Linen tablecloths, a beautiful view, a delicious seafood meal, a decadent dessert - all for less than fish and chips in the Hamptons.




As we made our way back to the hotel we found a place to sit and be mesmerized by the beautiful ocean -




- and we also found LOVE, which is kind of the point of a weekend getaway, isn't it?

Labels: fun, joy, love, photography, touristy, travel, vacation, weather, weekend plans

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Monday, July 19, 2010

Beautiful Leilani

I was thinking I should maybe try to write a post since it's been a while, but I'm drawing a blank. Which is ridiculous because I haven't hardly posted at all this summer and a lot of stuff has happened. So I'll just think of random things to tell you about.

Hm... Let's see... Oh! I know! We got a new refrigerator last week. Not only did the old one make sad, scary noises, but it dispensed green, spinachy looking flecks in the ice. So on July 5th, while all the appliance stores were having Independence Day sales, we bought Leilani. Leilani is exotic and beautiful. Just look at her.

She was delivered a week and a half ago and we have yet to fill it up. I really should go grocery shopping, but, well, I won't bore you with my excuses. Right now, anyway.

The biggest problem with Leilani is that I now want new counter tops. Really bad. And if I get new counter tops I'll need a new sink and faucet and I definitely need new cabinet hardware. And if I'm doing all that I may as well get new light fixtures because I'm not thrilled (or anything resembling thrilledness) with what we have. But just this morning I mailed a check for a portion of Taylor's freshman tuition. I kissed the envelope before I placed it in the mailbox and said, "bye-bye new counter tops." Which - bear with me while I do the math -

Taylor's five year program puts him finished in 2015, Katie will start college in 2013 and let's be generous and say she finishes in four years, that makes it 2017 which is in seven years -

Right. So that means I probably won't be seeing new counter tops in this house for another seven years. Unless I was maybe frying bacon in the cast iron skillet. And I was standing on a ladder so the grease splatter wouldn't reach my face. And I picked up the skillet, but it was hot and greasy and, Oooops! It slipped right out of my hands and fell with a horrible crash onto the formica and, OH NO! It cracked the counter top! Hm... Well it's something to think about anyway.

And there you have it. An actual post. That's two for the month of July. Maybe I'll even do a third.

Labels: random

Mused by Jenster :: 9:22 PM :: 6 People musing:

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