MIA on Halloween.

I feel that's what I've been. HOLY CRAP. Life is churning, churning, churning. But today I got out of work early. And I decided no plans tonight. It's Halloween so naturally I will turn OUT my front porch light, get in the car with my beautiful husband to go eat some tasty dinner and then come home to crash on the couch. I am not doing a damn thing.

Yeah, I'm a bah-humbug Halloweener (halloweiner?). We don't get many trick or treaters and I don't think that being a parent allows you to get your own bag to go trick or treating with. And please, half of the people that came to our house last time I handed out candy had "sick kids" they were gathering candy for. please.

Plus I'm SUPER religious and this is a pagan holiday. Totally against my religion.

right.

would you like to see how cute we were at Sarah's Halloween party? (I'm not as cute as this butterfly)


Here's a better look at what I was going for... maybe float like a butterfly, sting like a bee muhammed ali?? Really I wanted to be a ladybug and spent the day learning CPR/AED/FIRST AID so had no desire to make my own wings. I went to Party City to get ladybug wings, they didn't have them so I just decided on these figuring I'd find a perfect shirt to go with them. While waiting for the Penn State-Ohio State game to come on I realized that I had it... my Tiki jersey. oh yeah.

What else is new on the M-C Lite homefront? I am up to my elbows in Wordsworth-Shelley-Keats books from my university library. My prof. was showing us some really AMAZING old, out of print books she owns about Keats last night. They were incredible. I love seeing pictures of the people and reading their letters. I give my oral presentation next week on the comparison of Shelley and WW's "To a Skylark." I took a half day in case I just lose myself this weekend.

Tomorrow I am going with Karl, LD and RD and of course, the love of my life, the Corkinator, to see Spero and Adriana. I can't wait.

friends

Marcie and I have been friends since the beginning of time. Time that started on Bus #147 that Chuggy drove back in the 80s. She was in town this past weekend with her beautiful little boy, Carter. Last night we had dinner at her sister, April's, house. Where I met HER daughter who is possibly the sweetest most well mannered child I have ever met in my life. I love this next generation of my loves.

take a hike!

This weekend I took two hikes. One with the love of my life, Nick on Sunday. The other today with my inspiring friend, Kristina. Nature is awe-some or awe-full in and of itself but pair it with a great companion and its that much better.


Of course, both days I had my camera but left it in the car. Here are two pictures from my phone taken on Sunday at Chenango Valley State Park.

Sports Update by KMC

you know me, ever the watchful eye on sports.

...or maybe you don't know that. i am an addict. i am also an addict for NPR. if I don't hear morning edition in the morning i feel a little lost throughout my day. i feel that NPR cuts the fat and gives me information that matters. and the news "articles" are about cool things like stratotankers (!) and groovy girls who are DJs of an Indian/American fusion music. You know things are heating up in sports when they are actually mentioned on NPR. I love it when they mention it though. I want to take the newscasters in my arms and give them hugs. They talk so matter-of-factly about things like The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay or Joe Torre making it to the NLCS when the New York Yankees barely made it out of their beloved stadium with a winning record!

Let's begin with that lovely tidbit:

I feel so happy that Joe Torre, my personal favorite for Skipper, can give the big middle finger to the Steinbrenners. I love that Don Mattingly is working with him in L.A. I am rooting for the Dodgers to win the World Series. How DARE those spoiled brats offer Joe a mere year/one million dollar offer! Good for you, Joe, for going to L.A. for pulling those guys together and going to the playoffs for the THIRTEENTH YEAR IN A ROW. Maybe the Yankees will realize that they need to sink their money into real, quality players they can raise rather than buying has-beens for more money than they are worth. I love you, Joe, no matter what coast you're on or who you're coaching!! (unless you decide to coach the red sox. then we are breaking up)

Now, onto my other favorite Joe from Brooklyn! JoePa!! You didn't know both Torre and Paterno were New Yorkers? Come on, now! ;)

Joe Paterno, thank you. Thank you first and foremost for the money you gave to the Pattee/Paterno library. Because of you I saved LOTS of money as an undergrad not having to buy the 75 books you need as an English major. Each time I opened the crisp new book while up in the stacks and it read "gift from Joe Paterno" I thanked my lucky stars for you.

And I continue to do so as you lead our brave Nittany Lions to a 7-0 record this year. Where the hell did this come from?? We are rated Number Three. THREEEEEEEEEEE in the country. (USC? The AP ranks them #6... I know my father-in-law and his son feel that USC could play in the NFL and would probably flatten our beloved Nittany Lions if they were ever to face eachother...and I know they are probably right...but I choose to ignore such things and tell people they could do it... positive thoughts bring positive outcomes, right?!) I can't wait to play the Ohio State Buckeyes on 10/25. I hope we hand them their ( l )s.

here it is: Paterno Library. One of my favorite places on the Penn State University Park Campus:

And now last, but certainly CERTAINLY not least, defending SuperBowl Champions (and we're still not sure how that happened) The New York Giants led by my future brother-in-law, Eli Manning. They play the Cleveland Browns tonight looking for their fifth victory this season. Despite Plaxico Burress being suspended last week, they still won. I love them. I love that since Jeremy Shockey hurt himself and didn't play this team has been kickin' ( l ) and takin' names. He was like a cancer that was removed to allow the New York Giants to flower into the beautiful team they have become.



Did I mention that I have the coolest husband in the world and he is taking me to see the Giants vs. the 49ers next weekend? He is so awesome. I can't wait to tailgate in East Rutherford, NJ. I will be wearing my new Strahan jersey from my sissy poo. yay!

strahan with manning and his future wife celebrate during the parade.

29.

(me, 1979)

I've been 29 for over 24 hours now. It's a pretty big deal. heehee. I had a wonderful birthday! I got to share it with one of the students in my class who will be 3 on Sunday. I love having birthday buddies. :) The sunshine group at work made the MOST DELICIOUS blondie brownies for me. Applebee's maple walnut blondie. I can't do it justice when I describe it but just know I probably ate 20 points in one sitting. (did i mention i'm doing weight watchers? well, i wasn't yesterday).

Corky took me to the #5 last night. It was both the first and last time I will ever dine there. If I'm going to have steak, I'll go to Russell's. It was fabulous company, though. I do love my adorable husband and told him I would have eaten at a rest stop vending machine for dinner as long as it was with him.

My head is only slightly pounding this morning due to the copious amounts of sodium and wine I ingested last night. I still woke up at 7am though. Isn't that amazing. Well, it's because I'm getting old and set in my ways. haha.

Okay, let's see what have I learned this year? I hate baking. After two failed attempts at blueberry muffins from scratch I've realized I suck at it. And I'm okay with that, I have no desire to be good at it. That's why God created Betty Crocker. obviously.

I love my family. Which I knew before I just know it even more now. A lot more. And I realize that I have the greatest family in the universe because it extends out REALLY far and there's always room for everyone! (I imagine big loving arms hugging encompassing each little sector of my family and friends that I call family. It makes me so happy)

I learned that I am a pretty smart cookie. I actually didn't know this before. My level of selfconfidence leaped a bit this year. It was when I was given that scholarship. I never thought I would be smart enough to be given a scholarship I didn't even apply for. Now, does anyone else want to give me money to learn??

I think in this upcoming year there are goign to be a lot of changes and choices to make in my life. The big one being... Now that I've got this Master's Degree, what am I going to do with it? When I started the answer was very clear. Attempt to get a job at BCC and apply to PhD programs. But I didn't know how much I loved teaching 3 year olds then. I have some possibilities stewing in my brain... guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out what they are.

dog-gone it, joe!

Dear Sarah Palin,

Your accent and "downhome" quips made me want to ram my head through my windshield as I drove down I-81 on my way home from class. Your voice is like nails on a freaking chalkboard.

Love,

Kate

P.S. Ronald Reagan? Really?

Celtic Thunder

The local PBS, WSKG is running another funding campaign and they are TOUTING Celtic Thunder to the MAX. I have seen not one but TWO nights of this musical group. It sucks me in. The music could only be appreciated by someone who giggled through the likes of the movie The Notebook.

One of my favorite lines is during a song which a man is singing to his wife. The chorus goes:

Life is an ocean, love is a boat
In troubled waters it keeps us afloat
When we started our voyage
There was just me and you
Now gathered 'round us we have our own crew

I mean, really. That is freaking poetry. By that I mean poetry written by a middle schooler in love. Ha. I spent the half hour I first spent watching this giggling and saying "Nick, did you HEAR THAT?" and repeating the lines. And they sing so seriously and also have some hand motions to go with it. I mean, I love these guys, for the mere fact that they are SO CORNY!!!

And you should SEE THE AUDIENCE! These people are IN TO IT. During one song they sing they show an audience member, about 13 with tears STREAMING down her face.

But I couldn't turn my head away. This is because the men singing this song are my favorite kind, Irish. Seriously. I told Nick, THESE ARE YOUR PEOPLE AND THEY LOOK LIKE YOU! He disagrees but I beg to differ.