I'm hitting myself over the head.....

9.25.2006

Last year around christmas I had this idea for an ipod for the preschool set. I wanted to call it a TodPod. It would have nice big buttons, be rugged (drop in the tub rugged) and have icons that the preschooler could identify to scroll through songs instead of the names. You could access songs and stories online and download. It would have big headphones etc. I couldn't figure out what to do with the idea. I asked a few family members what they thought. I got hmmm, maybe to that's a great idea, but no one knew how to market it. So there was my little idea festering about in my head all year until today and the commerical and and and and there it was all neat and packaged and with songs and links and ahhhhhhhhhhhhh Fisher Price FP3 Player!

Go, just go ahead and check it out, buy one for all I care, It was still my idea first just because I don't get any royalties doesn't mean can't still take credit for a great idea, right?

TodPod is still a better name and it's mine Mr. Apple Computer you can't have it!

Ahoy Thar Matey!

9.19.2006

Anniepirate

It's International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Here are some pictures. I have tried to do this post 3 times and each time it has crashed and not been saved, alas someone does not like pirates. So instead of fancy pirate speak and cute links you get ARRRRRRRGH and some pictures from Annie's 3rd Birthday Party.

piratecake

piratecrew2

pirateship

Sorry about the lack of posts lately, it's amazing how life (and my renewed friendship with my TV) gets in the way of blogging. Hope to update more soon.
Mary

Arrrgh, Matey!

Anniepirate


Ahoy thar Matey.
We be wantin' to let thee know that today is
International Talk Like a Pirate Day
and we be wishin' ye a fine day at sea.


We not be wearin' ars seafarin' hearty clothes so we thought ye might enjoy some pictures from Capt'n Annie's 3rd Pirate Party.
We lift a mug of grog to ye and ask ye to check out these fine pirate sites.

Ye Books
Ye Music
Ye Talk
Ye Flickr Group

piratecrew2

pirateship

piratetreasure

piratecake Posted by Picasa

New York after 9/11

9.11.2006

viewfromellis

Before leaving for New York most people would ask "Are you going to ground zero?". After we returned everyone asked "Did you go to ground zero?". My answer before the trip was usually "Um, I think so". As it turns out we did not go to ground zero. Three of the people we were with had already been there and Amy and I were both unsure of how we felt about visiting the site. My initial feeling was that I didn't want that to be part of my tourist destination.
I think that for most people the events of 9/11 come in and out of their lives. I am reminded of the day as I watch the news or see a bumper sticker or always when I see a fire fighter, but it is not something that is always there with me. As I traveled to New York I couldn't help but think more and more of that horrific day. When we drove up Park Avenue I saw the beauty of the city, the vibrancy, a city alive but at the same time I felt as if I was going to visit a widow.
I looked at the skyline and marveled at it's size while I tried to remember where the Twin Towers had stood. I walked down streets taking in the architecture and then wondered if this is where the ash fell and where all those people ran for their lives. One native recommended a trip on the Staten Island Ferry to see the skyline of Manhattan and finished with "of course, the towers aren't there." We watched a protest from the steps of the New York Public Library and watched some take the pamphlets and other shake their heads and walk away. I looked at the subway map and noticed 2 stations were closed, "oh, that's why those are closed."
When visiting that amazing city I felt the constant presence of 9/11 that New Yorkers must feel. Manhattan felt like a giant shrine that honors those that lost their lives and those that have kept life going without their loved ones. We were on a bus heading to the Staten Island Ferry and we caught a glimpse of ground zero. Just that passing view brought tears and emotion. I don't know if I could have managed the full view but I wish I would have tried.

My deepest sympathies to all the families touched by 9/11.

Shazam Anyone?

9.10.2006

Tonight at work something happened and I said "Shazam". All the sudden I was about 6 or 7 years old, laying on my family room floor with my brothers watching the TV show Shazam. I asked around and no one a work knew what I was talking about. So I thought I would do a little search and share with those of you old enough to remember. Good old YouTube saves the day.


I do believe this was my favorite show....



and to think I won't let the girls watch Sponge Bob and this is what I watched as a kid.....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABS44R1UG-U

And do you remember these lyrics?

HEY YOU GUYS!
Movin' out in a new way!
Movin' out in a new way!
We're gonna turn it on!We're gonna bring you the power!
We're gonna light up the dark of night like the brightestf day in a whole new way!
We're gonna turn it on!
We're gonna bring you the power!
We're gonna tell you the truest words that you ever heard anybody say!
Movin' out in a new way!
Movin' out in a new way!
We're gonna turn it on!
We're gonna bring you the power!
We're comin' down the line, strong as it can be through the courtesy..of The Electric Company!

Check out more at RetoJunk.com

Fair Results Are In!!!!

9.06.2006

First off, sorry for the lack of New York posts. It seemed like such a good idea, a whole week of posts, just the wrong week. So I will hopefully play catch-up tomorrow.

Now for the big news on my Sandwich Fair entries...

My two lovely photos didn't win anything. The competition was really very good and I will have to hone my skills for next year.

My Tote Bag did not win any premiums. I may need to start working on a bit sooner than 2 days before it's due next year.

The Wee wonderful Put-Together Book Bunny I made for Annie took 3rd Premium (2 whole dollars) Yippeee. Very exciting.(We are just going to ignore the fact that there were only 3 entries)

bunnyfair

The big winner was my molasses cookies with a 2nd premium finish and $5.00 in prize money. Wahoo.
cookesfair2
Mine are the yummies on the right. Sorry about the bad picture.

It was really great to participate in this fair. Annie was very excited to see "our" my items on display. I get to check this off my little list of things I want to do in life. I do think I am hooked though and will be entering next year.

We had such a lovely time at the fair, the weather was great, my mom joined us and we caught a bit of the fiddle contest. We even avoided taking the girls on any rides. The animals are always a treat to see and there were some really amazing entries into the open shows. Here are a few pictures. If you get a chance head out to the Sandwich Fair.

DSC03763


My creation

New York-At first Glance

9.03.2006

So we arrived in New York on Thursday and stayed until Sunday. We packed in two Broadway shows, lots of eating, some sight seeing and shopping and a load of walking. It was an amazing trip with 4 really great ladies. I really need some time away from the girls, time to wander aimlessly, time to finish a complete sentence, time to feel like an adult. I definitely did all this and more.

I think anyone coming to New York for the first time comes with a set of ideas of what the city is. You can't help but equate the city with all the literary, television and film images. As we walked and drove through the city we would pass many of these landmarks.

timessquare statenislandferry empirestatebuilding

These were amazing to see. Sometimes they were recognizable, the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty and sometimes they were just recollections- I think I have seen and this view before-
view
but I'm not sure where. As we drove down Park Ave in cab on the way to the hotel I felt what Eva Gabor sings in "give me Park Ave." The buildings were old and decadent,round windows and ornate ironwork on massive decorative buildings. It wasn't until we explored other areas of Manhattan that one realized how ornate the buildings were.
Times Square was a busy and bustling as you would think but didn't seem much more than a place you walk through and say "Hey, This is Times Square", sorta like the crowds on Michigan Ave.
What was unexpected about Manhattan is that it is where people live. The Loop in Chicago can be very empty at night or on weekends, but everywhere we went in Manhattan there were people going about their daily routine, people headed to work, grocery shopping, grabbing their morning cup of coffee. In the midst of all the people just sitting down on a stair, taking a rest or talking on the phone.
We would walk past a park and people would be having a picnic, or reading a book. As we entered Central Park we came across the Great Lawn. It was full of people playing softball, Frisbee and relaxing. You always see images of the parks in New York and they look like this
view2 and here I was experiencing it all. I was such a tourist but not for those landmarks just for the whole city.

I was also surprised by all the color in the city. The buildings were old and grey or brown but adorning the entrances were doors of red, periwinkle and lime green. The ubiquitous awnings were stripped in red and white or bright yellow. All the activity of life also brought color yellow cabs whizzing by, rugs being hauled down the street and the myriad of knock-off Gucci bags hanging from racks on the street.

Our first cab driver was from Ghana and our second from Chad, there were the bartenders from Poland, more about them later, and the nice Swedish woman at the CVS that wanted to know if she would like Honey Wheat Pretzels. We may not have made it to the United Nations building but we shared a drink with a Canadian and a laugh with a Frenchman.

What surprised me the most was everywhere around us there were babies. When in uptown they were babies in expensive prams being pushed by nannies, in Central Park it was new moms getting in some exercise while pushing their little ones in jogging strollers and in Greenwich Village it was hipster dad's out with their hipply dressed toddlers on the way to the park.

More New York tomorrow......

A week of New York

9.02.2006

viewfromferry

I have been trying to pull together my post about my wonderful trip to New York and find it quite overwhelming. So, I thought maybe I could break it down into smaller posts. So look for posts all week about the trip. I'm gonna keep it light and give some links to the great places we went and ate and show some pictures. Hope ya find it interesting.
Happy Saturday.