This was not my first choice for the title but it was far more entertaining AND it rhymes. These days it is entirely about me changing my tude.

Yes, well about my attitude. It has taken me this long to understand that wallowing is not healthy or productive. I am perfecting the act of making boatloads of lemon aid. Perhaps a career in mixology should be in my future. Never say never maybe a part time gig.

All members of the family who are battling cancer are in the throes of their treatment, they are handling it as best they can. We offer support and encouragement and continue to pray for good news. It is all we can do.

Four members of the family have come over from the Motherland and we have a jam packed tour of the USA all scheduled. I do hope that they wanted every waking second of their trip planned. If not, we will learn to drop back and punt. We are so good at that as a family unit. If you believe that one, I have some ocean front property in Arizona I am happy to give away. Have your people call mine.

Due to work schedule constraints, I am only able to take the second leg of the USA tour. I will gladly take the team of seven to the Big Apple where we will see all the sights on the list. If there are any impromptu shopping excursions planned, I have already decided to duck into the nearest watering hole. I love my family but they love shopping and me, not so much.

Disney World & Universal Studios, if you could ease up on the humidity next week, it would be greatly appreciated. New York, gird your loins. The Family Wicked is on the way soon.

Pay no attention to the woman behind the curtain.

I am trying to change up the negative karma plaguing me and those I care for. I am running out of options my friends.

Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Things, good and bad, come in threes.

Normal daily activities of late have been more than overwhelming, therefore the flowing of creative juices has been stymied. By the end of this week, I realized that certain things are in my control and I really need to just get over myself. I won't go into detail; it isn't the reason for this post. I recognize that it is up to me to make lemonade.

In the span of 2 weeks, my family has received three separate and increasingly demoralizing bits of information. We have a very odd unspoken rule regarding not sharing bad news the second we learn of it. It depends on the situation however my excuse it to with hold the tidbit until all facts materialize and then release it to my inner circle. I have found that it is easier to deal all data when it is clearly displayed. What ifs definitely do not work in my family. Another reason to censor is to get hold of my initial reaction before I try to offer comfort to others. It may not be right, but it is how we collectively deal with life.

I wish I had the ability to step in and control the outcome of these three scenarios. Unfortunately, all I can do is be supportive, remain optimistic and pray. Along with things happening in groups of three they also seem to happen for a reason. I would give anything to know that reason and do everything in my power to make it all better. Right now.

Mantra: Pray, optimism and support. It's all I can do.

Please join me in wishing both my Parents a very happy 80 something birthday. I believe we stopped counting after 80. We should all be so lucky to have our health after that age.

It had to have been destiny that brought my parents together. Same birthdays, day, month and year. Born in the same country but in different cities. If I am not mistaken, Mom may be a few hours older. It is rare, as are they.

I am blessed to have been raised by such a pair. They are a trip without luggage, in the best possible sense.

Here is to many more Mom & Dad. Wishing you happiness today and ALL days.



Hugs and Kisses Wicked and the rest of the Gang.

(Sometimes life is stressful and you just need a giggle or belly laugh depending on your sense of humor. This one kept me giggling all day long. I wish the same for you)

A man is driving along a highway and sees a rabbit jump out
across the middle of the road. He swerves to avoid hitting it,
but unfortunately the rabbit jumps right in front of the car. The
driver, a sensitive man as well as an animal lover, pulls over
and gets out to see what has become of the rabbit.

Much to his dismay, the rabbit is dead.

The driver feels so awful that he begins to cry.

A beautiful blonde woman driving down the highway sees a
man crying on the side of a road and pulls over. She steps out
of the car and asks the man what's wrong.

'I feel terrible,' he explains, 'I accidentally hit this rabbit and
killed it.'

The blonde says, 'Don't worry.' She runs to her car and pulls
out a spray can. She walks over to the limp, dead rabbit, bends
down, and sprays the contents onto the rabbit.

The rabbit jumps up, waves its paw at the two of them and hops
off down the road.

Ten feet away the rabbit stops, turns around and waves again,
he hops down the road another 10 feet, turns and waves, hops
another ten feet, turns and waves, and repeats this again and
again and again, until he hops out of sight.

The man is astonished.

He runs over to the woman and demands,'What is in that can'?
The woman turns the can around so that the man can read the
label. It says . .

(Are you ready for this?)

(Are you sure?)

(This is bad!)

(You know you could just click off and not read the punchline)

(You know your gonna be sorry)

(Last chance)

(OK, here it is)

' It says, 'Hair Spray ' Restores life to dead hair, adds
permanent wave.'

...I think the sunglasses are magical.

I predict many eggs filled with goodies in her future.

Meet Schlemiel and Schlimazel. My window sill at work has become their resting place. Leave it to me to attract two of the ugliest Turkey Buzzards on the planet.




How's everything with the rest of you?

I will have to admit, along with the majority of folks within my zip code, that the snow we have had this year is quite enough. It is unprecedented, all of it. It did not kill us, it made us stronger. We would like to vote NO for anymore this season. Thanks for asking.

This past weekend, I escaped to Currituck Sound, NC. My goal was twofold; 1) see landscape without any snow on it and 2) see the water so that I can de-charge. One out of two isn't bad. I would have been more out of sorts had I not been able to see the Sound from my accommodations. It snowed there Saturday but luckily it was more of a dusting compared to the multiple inches/feet we experienced back home.

The long weekend was spent lounging, drinking and relaxing. At one point in our alcohol induced giddiness we decided that the 'NO OLF' signs stood for No Overtly Luscious Females instead of No Outlying Landing Field. I decided I would go to a craft store and purchase many sheets of poster board and add a 'G' to the OLF signs. I believe it would seriously damage all the snowbirds that flock down there to hit the links. We were restless, I warned you.



Now that I am in a re-charged state, this weekend Brain Surgeon and I are going to hop on a bus and get into a New York State of Mind. As it is our wont, our only schedule is where we are staying. Typically once we get there we strategize while in the TKTS line as to which shows will be viewing. Also, if I am not mistaken, restaurant week has been extended so we will of course try to fit in as many good eats as humanly possible. We will tip a cocktail or 4 with Frances of She Who Blogs. I am very much looking forward to that.

The only major decision left to make is which ingredients to fill the martini back pack. Start spreading the news, we will be there Friday!

02/08/10: We are now expecting an additional 5 - 12inches of snow on top of this. My liver is ready for the continuation fo the game, my arms and back not ready for more shoveling. Drink up party people.



A majority of the East Coast is expecting record breaking snow starting today and all day Saturday. I am a snow lover right up until I have to begin the process of digging out. Oh well, I must take the good with the bad.

They are forecasting two feet of the white stuff, impressive. I decided I can handle this situation one of two ways. I can panic like the rest of the population and drain the stores of all supplies and wring my hands endlessly. I have decided to go another route, since my home is sufficiently stocked, I own a shovel and most importantly the liquor cabinet is always at full inventory. Therefore, I am going to start a drinking game, I will take a shot for each inch of snow that falls.

By the end of the storm, I won't care how much shoveling there is ahead of me.

Drink and dig out safely ' Cheers!

I visited my family abroad this past fall. After not having been there for 20 years, we created a laundry list of memories. All of which I will cherish and some I have already shared. It is time for the next installment.

I spent a week with my Mother's siblings all gathered together in one location. Their ages range from 68 to 84. My Uncle a retired dentist would be the first to rise and leave the house to gather fresh bread for breakfast and probably every newspaper printed in the town. He would return with at least eight different publications.

We would enjoy our breakfast while the television was on always set to a news channel. Their daily itinerary went something like this:

9 am: Hearty breakfast with the entire family, television on.

10 am: The youngsters would clean up the kitchen; the elders would retire to the family room each with a publication, television still on.

11:45 am: A few of the elders would go down for a nap.

12:45pm: Lunch, accompanied by a spirited recollection of the major headlines of each publication, television news on.

4:00 pm Tea time on the balcony, no television. Instead, each sibling would report a headline as though it was breaking news. Those paying attention would listen intently.

7:30 pm Multi course dinner with television on and discourse on all the days' news.

By about day 2, I was bored with the news. I was on vacation, didn't care what was going on in the world. However, I did not want to offend my Aunts and Uncles so I paid attention to one of the many news related television shows only to find that 2 gentlemen were actually holding up each of the 8 publications that were rotating through our family room. They were reading the news to the viewers. What a concept? Perhaps it was a service for those who may be homebound or maybe for the illiterate. I made the mistake of asking my Uncle why he bothered buying the papers since all of them watched this program in addition to reading the papers. He told me that was the only way they could all be entertained en mass. He also told me to keep my revelation to myself.

Basically, if it aint broke, don't' fix it. You have to love the crazy family. I wouldn't have it any other way.