Freezin' for a Reason!

It's that time of year again!! The 9th annual Nancy Schonheinz polar plunge is Thursday (New Years Day) at NOON at Fort Phoenix. The optional cost to purchase a long sleeved t-shirt is $20. The money collected is used for a scholarship fund in Nancy's name and is also used for domestic violence awareness. It's a great time! Our friends at the NPHSC are also bringing their heated tent this year. (YAY!) The weather forecast is calling for temps in the 30s and I was going to tell you the water temperature; however, I would like people to actually plunge...so that will be conveniently left out of this post. Let's just say it's brisk. Costumes are encouraged and rewarded! It's a great event for a great cause to remember a great person who's life was tragically cut short by domestic violence. Even if you don't actually plunge, the whole event is fun! There's hot chocolate, coffee, and chowder. Plus you get to watch 150 nuts run into the ocean! Don't be Spineless!

Winter in New England...

And some reasons I LOVE living here:

The trees out front

Old school....please ignore the lady taking pictures of you while driving past....

so beautiful...

No one eating outside today!

The old watertower

Our super GREEN refrigerator :o)

gotta love Mom with the candles beside the beers...

Anatomy of a blizzard

2:20

3:06

4:11

4:50

ummm....holy Moses...I better get a shovel...

100 things (borrowed w/ love from Azzy)

Bold what you’ve done.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris (the lack of bold here hurts me in the croissant)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (can you even do that anymore? I've been to the island, but didn't have enough time to climb...and regret it in a post 9/11 world)
18. Grown your own vegetables (working on new ones this summer!)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (I wish)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (ha!)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (not the exact town, but the general area in Canada)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (maybe this year)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (more than I'd like to admit!hehehe)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (only when I was his waitress and I messed up his omlette....he didn't even say thanks. I should've let himbuy the damn eggs)
44. Visited Africa (almost in college....again 9/11)
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (never as a patient)
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris :o(
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class (thanks, Dad. You gave Mom a legal means to beat the poop outta me! hehehehe)
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (eaten a TON)
62. Gone whale watching (as a child but I don't remember...hopefully this summer)
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (once thanks to online banking...oops)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades (If by toured you mean driving through Alligator Alley, a gator farm, and an airboat)
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (chill kiddos, it was fish)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someones’ life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

All those Sundays waiting tables and all I got was.....

Two HUGE pairs of underwear from the golf league. A pair of boy shorts and a lacy blue thong that clearly were not intended as an actual gift. Yup-they fit me and Meg at the same time. Thankfully the golfers were not under the impression that my derriere was that large. The panties were a regift from their Yankee Swap. But we had a good laugh about it! Better be on the lookout for another regift of these bad boys!

kick lines here we come!

We managed to finally get ourselves to NYC for Erik's first trip! (The last attempt was greeted by a BB through the car window the morning we were supposed to drive...grrrr) We took the train from PRV (which was much better than driving through it) and we arrived just after 10am. We had made no committed plans (other than the Rockettes!!!!yay) and decided to get there and play it by ear. When we walked out of Penn station we realized we where close to the empire state building. We decided to show the hubby his first trip to NYC with a classic iconic view. (This was also the only way that we would be able to see the statue of liberty on this trip. ferry + 30 degree weather = no WAY!) Believe it or not other crazy people also wanted to freeze at the top of a NYC landmark. But after about an hour, we had made our way to the top!

The view was beautiful!

Mom and Lauren

There were even pigeons up there! I had no idea!

The Rockettes were amazing. And I left feeling very Christmas-y and a little bummed I'm not a 1/2 an inch taller. (Damn you height requirements!) We even found the FDNY store for E! They had a half an engine that you could sit in, and pumps to operate, and patches everywhere. We almost lost E. Even more exciting was the fact that Magnolia Bakery has expanded to Rockefeller Center and we got cupcakes!!!! mmmmmmmmmmmmm

Unfortunately, two of the cupcakes were injured en route.

Lauren: " Wow. The cupcakes survived the whole trip back"
(places cupcakes on seat)
Mom: "Yeah. That's great!"

Mom then proceeds to lose her balance as the train shifts and sits back, directly on Lauren's cupcakes. Hehehe I think E sorely underestimates the shanninigans of traveling with the Pimental women. But I guess he has to get used to it since he's in this on the long haul with all of us! :o)

Time to switch to light beer....

Don't worry, Mom, Paul's going to save me!

So Monday was the second half of our vehicle extrication drill. We began by using our old - read: ancient and very heavy- set of JAWS to cut out the doors and the roof of an old car. Once we had stripped out someone's retired Toyota we headed inside to work on patient removal. That was when things began to go downhill-fast. I went to take my bunker gear off to play victim for the boys. As I bent down to push off my boots, I heard a loud rrrrrrrriiipppppp! Turns out that sound was the back of my jeans whipping open exposing my pink striped panties to half of the department. Thankfully I was in a situation where I could simply pull up my bunker pants and not in the middle of a restaurant or other public place. Apparently it was not just my imagination that those pants were getting a little snug! better lay off the pizza and beers!

Today's favourite thing!

This morning my sister-in-law called to see if I oculd watch my little nephew while she went for a run at the gym. Of course I obliged! They are moving soon and I want to spend a little (ok a lot) more time with them before they leave. She dropped him off, and he was simply happy and smiling away. Unfortunately -or fortunately - he fell asleep tucked un my arms on the rocking chair soon after she left. He was so perfect and peaceful. I always wonder what they're dreaming about! All of the possibilities that life could bring him! When he woke up, he looked up and just smiled at me. My heart just melted! There is nothing more beautiful than a little baby smile! He also has figured out how to blow raspberries! hahaha It's the funniest thing. He takes a huge breath and sticks out his tongue, and blows raspberries at you! But the best part is the serious look he gets on his face, like it's the most important thing he will ever do. I love my little nephews!

He's back!

Cosmo has returned safe and sound! He got into my uncle's garage and climbed up onto a high shelf. Then he was afraid to jump down! My father climbed up and dragged his silly butt down and he's back home where he belongs! :o)

Keepin' the hope alive....

F/V Costa & Corvo......

you are in our prayers.....

May your captain be found safe.

M.I.A.

My furry brother seems to be missing! If anyone is in the area of Pope Park and sees a small black and grey cat running around please call! My mother is more attached to that cat than her children! He sometimes answers to "Cosmo". However, he always answers to food! Please help!

Just when you thought it was safe....

A furry friend thought it would be funny to attack our jack-o-lanterns! Thankfully my covert camera operation scared him off. (Either that or a barking Dozer!)

Raindrops on roses....

Today's reasons to smile:

When I was little my mother and grandmother frequently sang "My favourite things" to us (especially during thunderstorms when I'd be freaking out). It was their little way of keeping our minds off of something less than favorable. And once in a while, we'd list all of our favourite things. So this week's list shall include:

Newlywed Jack-o-Lanterns! (including our monogram!)

Those who fight to keep our country and our freedoms safe!

The new hubby looking handsome in his new uniform!

The cutest boys in the world enjoying their first halloween! Their smiles can always brighten my darkest day....I love being an auntie!

Welcome to our blog!

Well, we finally caved and joined the blog era! I thought this would be handy considering all of the changes that are going on in our families (e.g. people moving, having kiddos, etc, etc). Plus, I always wanted to publish, and since I lost every single one of my writing samples, this is looking like the closest thing at the moment. If I can actually keep this up, I think it could be a good thing for me! So welcome to our little chateau!