Another Weekend, Another Ball Game

We hit the road again this weekend and drove 2 1/2 hours to Baltimore to catch the Red Sox/O's game. I have never been to Camden Yard and it was very nice. We got to see Curt Schilling pitch for the Red Sox. The O's won in the 10th inning, but unfortunately Casey and I didn't see it as we had decided to leave in the 7th inning so that we could walk along the Inner Harbor area and get cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory (YUM!!!).


I enjoy going to baseball games and this year I have been to a Phillies game and an Orioles game. Larry and the kids will be going to a Cardinals game in St. Louis when they are there next week. I know Greg is excited about that.

As the summer comes to an end, we still have lots of things going on. Our new roof starts getting done this week, we are planning a trip to Ohio/Illinois, our new stove was delivered last Friday (pictures to come) and our microwave will be delivered on Thursday (the one delivered on Friday was damaged and sent back).

I like my new job but going to Manhattan weekly may start to wear on me. Hopefully it is just for now and won't be as necessary once I get going on projects. I do happen to love the relaxed atmosphere of the office and enjoy not having to answer somebody else's phone or do copying. It is a good thing that I am an independent worker because my job seems to require a lot of independent working and thinking. I like that.

I am going to put this in my blog and try to remind myself to do this weekly - start working on the genealogy. I promised my Mom that I would do it when I saw her for the last time and I feel pretty guilty that I haven't done as much as I should. She left a treasure trove of information that needs to be added to and distributed. I think the problem is that there is so much information that I am not quite sure where to start. I need to start small with one person and go from there. Each month I put this on my monthly goals, and each month I fail to do anything. Not anymore. Maybe I need to document what I am doing here so that I am more accountable. We shall see!

Where Have I Been Lately?

It's funny that we have lived in this area (2 hours from NYC) for over 17 years and I can count on 1 hand the times we have actually been in the city. During the past week, I have been to NYC twice.

Last Saturday we went to St. Malachys church near Times Square to see a friend's daughter get married. These were friends from Pittsburgh and Southern California and we haven't seen them since there son's wedding 4 years ago. It was a great wedding, the church was beautiful and the transportation terrific. We drove to the Meadowlands Sheraton and were bussed into the city for the wedding and then bussed back to the hotel for the reception. It was a great reception as Katie is an actress and most of the young people at the reception were involved in theatre, dance or singing. The reception danced floor was it's own broadway performance. St. Malachys is known as the Actor's Chapel as it is in the theatre district and a favorite place for actors to wed.

I started my new job on Monday and think this is going to be a good fit. I have to say that in my nice dress pants and shirt I was way overdressed for the office. Jeans, capris, or shorts seem to be the choice of dress. That's okay with me! On Tuesday, my boss asked if I would go to NYC to meet the NY office of the company as I would be working closely with them. Of course, I wouldn't say no, so Thursday morning I caught the 8:19 am train from Princeton to Penn Station and arrived in NYC at 9:15. It was very hot in the city but I only had a 8 block walk to the office. The people were great and the office looked out at the Empire State Building. The energy in the office was so different from the PA office, but I liked it. My dress clothes were appropriate for that office!!!





My boss knew that I was nervous to go into Manhattan, and he was quite relieved to see me on Friday. Did I mention that as I was leaving to catch the 4:39 pm express to Princeton, the co-owner (and I guess my NY boss) said "see you next Thursday"!? It looks that I will be going into Manhattan once every few weeks especially at the start of this job. I don't mind too much, but I think it will become old soon. Maybe I will only have to go once a month. I did like the people and the office, so that isn't a problem.

Tomorrow morning we are off to Baltimore to see the Orioles play the Red Sox. We have had nothing but whirlwind weekends lately. Maybe next weekend we can stay put so I can get other things done.

More to come.

August Already!

Wow, where is the summer going? It seems like just yesterday that Casey and Greg finished their respective first years (college and high school). Casey doesn't go back until the end of September and Greg starts the day after Labor day. As for me, the new job starts on Monday. Only a year ago at this same time, I was looking forward to my new job at the car dealership. How quickly a year passed and how things changed from the first 2 months on the job. I am excited about this new phase in my career development and hope that this job lasts quite some time and is enjoyable.

During my 2 week break between jobs, we have been quite busy. We have been to Reading for shopping, went to a Phillies game, played some tennis, did lots of yard cleanup, and much more. I also volunteered at the Creating Keepsakes convention in Valley Forge and took Casey with me. Afterwards, we had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (YUM!). Friday I take the first part of the A+ certification, so if you were in my neighborhood you would see me walking around with review questions in my hand. The first part is a 2 hour test and then the second part focuses on a particular concentration based on my choice. I'm not sure which second part I will be taking yet so I am holding off on that one.


On Sunday, we said goodbye to our friends for the last 16 years. They are moving to North Carolina. We will miss them, but look forward to visiting them next summer on a trip to look at southern colleges with Greg. We talked about that time when maybe all of us will be living in North Carolina.

I need to end with a picture of 3 wonderful young women who have made such an impact on my life. Nikki, Christi and Dani came into our lives shortly after moving here in 1990. All 3 of them were babysitters to Casey and Greg and quickly became a part of our family. I can't imagine not having them in our lives. Speaking of time quickly passing, these three young women are all moms or soon to be mom and I couldn't be prouder of them. The picture was taken at Dani's baby shower and I loved watching their interaction with each other. The love among these 3 sisters is so evident. Their Mom should be so proud of them.