I love New York

Not the show. The Mini-vacation.

We went off to NY (Ithaca, to be exact) because my mom was getting inducted into the Ithaca College Sports Hall of Fame. She used to coach soccer there, years and years ago, and after all that time, I guess they finally decided to give her the award. Who knows how that works. Anyway, it's a pretty big honor.So we decided we'd go too, in separate cars. She left early Thursday, but Jaymes had therapy and Jason had work so we didn't leave until 7:15pm. My theory, and for once it turned out to be a good theory, was that if we drove at night, we would benefit in several ways.

• Sierra and Jaymes would be unconscious
• The sun would not hurt my eyes (I'm very light sensitive)
• It would be cooler
• No traffic
• Less cops
• No other people at the gas station bathrooms to hold me up

And it went wonderfully! It was dark, peaceful, and most of the drive we were literally the only car in sight. It was dark and desolate and really kind of soothing. Better if Jason hadn't been there snoring, but oh well. Gas prices went down as we got further north, and I steadily became sleepier. Around Maryland I started losing my ability to read the signs. Halfway through Pennsylvania, at a gas station, I was so sleepy that for a moment I found myself unable to locate the exit, and stood there looking simply baffled. The other person in the restroom looked at me oddly, and left quickly. I do not blame her.

It was coldcoldcold when we got there, and silly me had worn sandals. And the kids were short sleeved and barefoot. mommy of the year award, anyone? We got in around 7:15-ish and got unpacked at my friend Denise's house, then went out with her to feed her horses. She's a breeder of thoroughbreds, used to actually sell and race them but lately it would seem they're collecting dust- but gorgeous babies. There was one 2 year old, a dark bay who looked just like her sire, Jackson (also owned by Denise) who was just droolworthy.

Jaymes loved the babies. He cracked up as they went into a feeding frenzy as Denise brought their buckets in, he giggled as they kicked and chased one another around squealing, and he wanted desperately to get in the pasture with them. This, of course, would have resulted in his immediate death, and was discouraged. He was not impressed, and struggled valiently, covering us both in mud.

Next, Jaymes got to check out the deer. Yes, I did say deer. Denise found a baby deer awhile back, bottle fed it and got the permits for it, and it's very sweet. Jaymes thought it was awesome, as did Sierra. Poor thing did not know what to think about the kids though, and I don't blame it. I'd have run too.

Jaymes did get to sit on the old old old old Paint gelding Denise has had forever... he's such a cute horse. His name in Monster. I -think- his registered name is "Q-Ton Dude's Golden Sun." Yup, I like Monster better too. He's a pretty palomino paint, and he is fat and wooly. Jaymes thought he was cool, and liked telling us what colors Monster was: "Yemmo! whaaaaaaaaiiiteee!"

We took the kids out to see my mom and her friend, then walked to the Ithaca Commons. It's like a huge hippie outdoor mall, complete with bong stores. Yes, bong stores. how that's legal is beyond me, but to each his own I guess. We checked out the toy store, which had these awesome glittery cloth swords that I wanted to get for jaymes, but they were $12, so Jason said no way. Jaymes started to really have trouble with the close quarters of stores, and has been on a major stroller boycott lately as well... So we wisely decided to give up on that for the time being.



We drove down to my old house, which by the way looked like crap. It has not been painted since we painted it when I was 12. The neighborhood really went downhill, can't say I was impressed at all. Drove up past my old Elementary and Middle schools, which was a neat trip down memory lane. i'd wanted Jaymes to play on the playground, you know to do the whole mommy did this as a kid, now you try it experience... But we didn't have time. Instead we headed down the the park at the end of the road and I showed Jason my old waterfall hangout. It's technically called Ithaca Falls, but we always called it Fall Creek Falls, since that area is known as Fall Creek. incidentally, my old dog's show name was Fall Creek Nimbus.



Jason was less than impressed by the outdoor stuff, he's a shopper.... It was a little sad, because sharing my childhood with him was something i was taking kind of seriously. I know it's dumb, but those are special memories and he should be happy to be worthy of them, you know? Because that time I went sledding down the hill at the cemetary on University Avenue- that was badass. Ok, so desecration of graves is uncool. I was 12, and poorly behaved at that, Moving on.

We went back and fell asleep. We were very tired. Jaymes flopped on top of me and Sierra went in her playpen. the rest of the day was rather uneventful, mostly just hanging out at Denise's and chatting with her husband doug, who is a horseshoer and an awesome guy. I love him, he makes me laugh and he;s just one of those guys you can't help but want to hug. He has cancer (I don't remember the type, something with working on ships around asbestos.) so it's been rough for him and for Denise for awhile. They are taking it well. they're both tough. Seriously tough.

The night was unpleasent, because we had to share a bed with both kids. Jaymes is a snoring, squirming bedhog, and Sierra refused her playpen. It was hot and crowded and my back ached by morning.

Nest day we headed off to Target to get me new sneakers. I had ruined mine walking in the back woods with Denise the day before. Oh, I forgot to mention that. We walked with her crazy dog, and Jaymes tripped about a million times. Then, as I piggy backed him, he burped like 30 times into my ears while giggling fiendishly. Evil child.

We went out to the Farmers Market, which is my favorite place in Ithaca... I got some of like every food... Let me list my gluttony here.

• One apple-mango fritter with cinnamon sugar
• One Chile Relleno with chicken
• One strawberry lemonade
• One curry pocket
• One piece of home made bread
• Two teriyaki chicken katchatori thingies MMMMM

There may have been more. I do not recall. It was all delicious. Expensive, but OMG good. I love that food, love it love it love it. The garbage cans are confusing there though. There are 5 cans. One for metal, one plastic, one compost, one paper... It was too confusing. here in the South, we just don't recycle. So I don't know the way of the recycling community. I did my best.


I'm really tired at this point... So i'm sorry, but i'll have to save the rest of the tale for tomorrow. Most photos have been poached off ther interwebz, as Jason is at work with my digital camera in the car, the bastard. Here are some videos of the spawnlets playing though:

Sierra at the playground on the commons (don't miond my mother and me conversing in the background)



Kids in the car at 3am art a gas station on the way, note the glazed eyes and Brad Paisley playing the the background:



Jaymes and Sierra last week, rolling around his room while my mom and I discuss the stock market (note my lack of intelligent conversation, I'm utterly ignorant of these things)



Me being a lunatic and making my kids chase seagulls like their lives depended on it.. Um.. Watch this one without sound, please. I sound moronic. The back story on these 2 videos comes in tomorrows blog. for now, just enjoy.



In this one, you can hear Sierra's voice, she's so excited she's like grunting out the word "birdies!"




Ok, more tomorrow. Good stuff tomorrow, trust me. The story gets a lot more amusing. Nighty night.