UGH. My bank account is in so much pain.

My brother is getting married Nov 19. 1 set of round trip plane tickets.
My sister is getting married Nov 26. Another set of round trip plane tickets.

I'm moving back to Florida Dec 8th. (or round about that time) which is going to require 1 if not 2 sets of one way plane tickets for said movers to come pick me up, and a rental car to drive my stuff back down to Florida.

Have I mentioned I have no idea how I'm going to wiggle out of working those last few days so I can go to the weddings. I'm letting them know this week that I won't be returning, and I do have all that sick time to use up.

My head is spinning. Too much going on at once. I'm running away. I'll see you in January.

Winter time in NYC. This means eating lots of soup, consuming vast amounts of hot chocolate, and dreaming wistfully about wearing flannel pajamas to work.

Chicken soup makes me sleepy.

Train kept a rollin' all night long....



Look! It's a purple Empire State Building. Did you know that the ESB is one of the seven wonders of the modern world?? Here's a complete list.. learn something today. (It seems there are varying lists. This one was created by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1994.)

1. Channel Tunnel (England & France)
2. CN Tower (Toronto)
3. Empire State Building (New York)
4. Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco)
5. Itaipu Dam (Brazil/Paraguay)
6. Netherlands North Sea Protection Works (Netherlands)
7. Panama Canal (Panama)

As for other news:

The great escape is still on for mid December. I'm on the fourth book in The Belgariad series by David Eddings.

It's cold in NYC and it's not even November yet. Halloween is next week and I haven't let the children make one decoration as of yet. Bah humbug.

My brother's getting married Nov 19, 2005. My sister is getting married Nov 26, 2005. And contrary to what Jason says, I have NOT been an old maid since I was ten years old.

Check out Ralph's World. He's got 7 monkeys up in a tree and a dog named Sammy who learned to play trombone! (Heaven only knows what else.) Thanks Chris!

In the last two weeks, I think I've managed to get just about caught up in the movie watching category. Let's make a list, shall we? (In no particular order)

• Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride ~ Great from an artistic point of view, but the storytelling could use a bit of work.
  
• Joss Whedon's Serenity ~ "Do you want to fly this ship?!?" * "Yes." * "Well, ya can't!" Sarcasm doesn't always travel well in text form.
• Joss Whedon's Firefly ~ I bought the series on DVD after watching Serenity. Again, very dry wit, much sarcasm. There's a fine line between corny and witty, and Firefly walks the line very well.
• Walk Tall - Yeah I know, this one's been out for a while, but I'm usually behind the times.
• Lady Killers - Good movie, although I was highly distracted by the company I had while viewing. You'd be better off asking the specific details of said company, as I'd be able to give you a better description of that than the actual movie.
• Elizabethtown - Contrary to critics beliefs, this is a great movie. Yes, it's chick flick rating is pretty high, but I completely relate to being a "substitute". Those who complain the movie has too many stories to follow may need to step away from the mindless action movies for a moment and watch something that requires actual thought.

I'm sure there were others along the way, but those are the most memorable, all worth checking out. Just trying to spread the love.

And the radio played on......

It always amazes me how the vast majority of my memories are tied to what music was playing at the time the scene occurred. In actuality, I often go out of my way to turn on the music any chance I get.

My classroom radio is set on the classical station 95% of the day, and the children don't seem to mind. I suppose it's a nice change from all the rap they listen to outside of my realm of protection. It upsets me whenever I hear them rambling the newest rap song (complete with curse words) when they can't even tie their shoes.

Then there are the millions of memories recorded that relate to actual music performance. The endless hours of band rehearsals between the ages of 11 and 22 left a lasting impression. There are many pieces I can hear to this day that immediately take me back to that time in band camp when..... NOT THAT! Geez. It's not that kind of party. Each piece just gained a life of it's own over the years.

Let's not forget the friends that go with the music. There's Zann (RE: Miss-Mix-a-Lot) who has gone out of her way to widen my musical horizons in the rock and beyond category.

There are the songs that remind me of racing down the back roads of Eustis in Jason's jeep.. "stick shifts and safety belts, bucket seats have all got to go!" And I can't forget the songs Krissy and I sang at the top of our lungs between quartet rehearsals and homework sessions. All attempts at drowning out Bishop failed miserably, however.

Zann says everyone should have a theme song when they walk in a room. What's yours?

Serenity (n) 1: a disposition free from stress or emotion [syn: repose, quiet, placidity, tranquillity, tranquility] 2: the absence of mental stress or anxiety [syn: peace, peacefulness, peace of mind, repose, heartsease, ataraxis]