Chappie

Day: Three Hundred and Sixty Four

Photo taken on Sunday, July 31, 2011 in our kitchen at 839am.

This is the first time I have ever completed a chap-stick before misplacing it or prematurely having to throw it out because it became gross. I love lip balm and putting it on is a compulsion that I never mind doing especially since I have a plethora of flavors and kinds to choose from. This particular one is a Yankee Candle SPF 15 balm, Vanilla Cupcake flavored. Yum.

There is a chap-stick in every bag I own as well as in hidden pockets of all my winter jackets. I have so many Chapsticks and Lip Smackers that I ran out of room in my night table drawer and had to find them a suitable and easily accessible place to reside.

So I chose the beautiful Ethan Allen jewelry box Moma bought me for Christmas. I know it was quite expensive but you have to understand, my lip balms are like the equivalent of gold to me so this is a perfect home for them.

Ezio

Day: Three Hundred and Sixty Three

Photo taken on Saturday, July 30, 2011 perched on our deck railing the morning after the storm.

Steve thinks he's an assassin.

He has been totally immersed in Assassin's Creed II lately and it's all he ever talks about. He's even included Ezio Auditore's hidden blade attack in our Imaginary Weapons Game. I don't mind his obsession because the video game is really freakin' cool. My favorite assassination of choice is when Ezio hides in hay and when a guard walks by he pulls him in and slaughters him inside without anyone being the wiser. The only problem I have with the game is the sense of vertigo I get whenever the character climbs really high to sit out on a viewpoint in order to update the map. The height feels so real! And I love the way Ezio just nonchalantly walks out on a wood beam and perches like a cat about to spring off the edge of it (and once the map updates, Ezio does just that...and into a mound of hay a hundred stories below...very realistic).

But I love that perch, so I take this picture for Hubs.

Steve may think he's an assassin. But I am one.

Perfect Situation

Day: Three Hundred and Sixty Two

Photo taken on Friday, July 29, 2011 at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY at 753pm.

Nothing is going to stop me from seeing Weezer tonight. Nothing, you hear me! A little rain or a lot of rain, I'm seeing them take the stage dammit!

Unfortunately at the moment, lightning is keeping us from seeing them. No worries because the lead singer of the Flaming Lips, Wayne Coyne, has promised us that no matter what, they are playing a full concert for us even if it takes all night.

I'm soaked to the bone, jumping up and down in puddles, and wooing loudly as both Coyne and (Weezer frontman) Rivers Cuomo make their way into the audience in giant plastic bubbles. I am ecstatic to be here with Steve tonight, both of us are big Weezer fans so this is a dream come true, especially when Rivers makes his way up to our section during If You Want Me To. When he ends the song and Flaming Lips take the stage to do a few numbers before Weezer returns again, Steve informs me he's disappointed I didn't run up to him to take my selfer with him.

I freeze.

Holy S, I am such an asshole! We were so close to him but it's pouring so hard I didn't even think to whip out my camera to take his picture. Oh that would have been the coolest selfer ever!!! I totally dropped the ball again!

But that's okay because I am enjoying myself so much right now and I know I'll get some shots later when the rain lets up a little, like this one:

Such a great show! I highly recommend a Weezer concert: great energy, fun fans, and the music's not too bad either.

^_\

Adam Richman in Training

Day: Three Hundred and Sixty One

Photo taken on Thursday, July 28, 2011 in our kitchen at 831pm.

Chef Steve has gained a Sous-Chef, Chris Reed, since his cooking show is taking off. Tonight the three of us battle the Ultimate Chicken Parm Sub.

We manage to inhale it in record time no problem.

Naruloaf

Day: Three Hundred and Sixty

Photo taken on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 in our kitchen at 701pm.

Chef Steve continues his cooking spree this week with his own version of meatloaf. I am a lover of loaves that happen to be meat and Moma makes one of the best I have ever tasted. It is loaded with mozzarella and goodness. Steve is determined to make one that rivals my mother's so this time he uses my only weakness to try and out-do her:

Buffalo sauce.

Oh Steve, you're playing dirty.

Poop

Day: Three Hundred and Fifty Nine

Photo taken on Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at my desk in the Surge at 344pm.

This ticket I receive in the mail is Total. Utter. Bullshit.

When I'm on my way out for a run this past weekend, I notice a letter stuck to our door. Upon seeing it is for me my stomach bottoms out. Written across the envelope is one of those red light traffic violations and knowing I'm not stupid enough to gamble my life or others, I can't understand how I would run a red light. I tear open the letter to find such a ridiculous reason to give me a ticket. These bastards must be making a fucking fortune at this light!

Steve and I watch the video of Sai on the road and it makes me want to hurl Miles across the room when I see the evidence. I know exactly what day it is and I know exactly why I'm making this turn. It's June 18, the day of the twin's 21st Birthday Party and after doing an errand on the North Shore, I head south on Route 110 to make a right on 24. My last stop of the day will be Runner's Edge to get the boys gift certificates (and also my self-important 26.2 sticker for the back of Sai). Upon reaching the red light I immediately slow down to a crawl. I notice as I approach the white line that the people on 24 have a green turning arrow to go north on 110 so it makes perfect sense that I should have a green arrow to make a right on 24. But there is no arrow. The town has no freakin' common sense. So I do what any normal person would do in my situation: look at all traffic and make the turn when I see it's clear.

Problem is? It's sunny as fuck today so Sai creates a shadow. His shadow literally crrrrraaaawwwwlllsss past the white line into a turn. Now, if it was raining that day, it would look like a complete stop. The moron designated to watching these dumb videos would not have been able to see my one-mile-per-hour crawl and I would be $75 richer.

I'm sorry but this is not running a red light. Assholes that have almost slammed into me when my light is clearly green and theirs is not are the ones running a red light. The times my dad tried to claim the light was "pink", that's running a red light. Me using logic and caution is NOT running a red light.

Jerks.

That's a spicy meat-a-ball!

Day: Three Hundred and Fifty Eight

Photo taken on Monday, July 25, 2011 in our kitchen at 706pm.

Steve brings interesting dishes to our dinner table from his childhood. We all have certain "feel good" meals our parents made us that were quick for them and extremely tasty and not healthy for us. On YMCA nights when mom had to juggle the four of us with wet heads in the middle of winter by herself while dad was still at work, she would make us one of these mouth-watering meals. She would cut the tops of hotdogs and shove Kraft singles into the slit then wrap them in Pillsbury dough and bake them to perfection. She would pair it with french fries-not a veggie in site-and we would devour it. To this day, I am still a big fan of the YMCA dinner.

Steve likes his Rice Tomato Soup & Meatballs which consists of exactly that. Boil up some white rice, dump in two cans of tomato soup, and top with frozen turkey meatballs (not frozen when topped). This time though, Steve takes a crack at making his own meatballs from scratch and I have to say, it is quite yummy!

CAPTAIN PLANET!!

Three Hundred and Fifty Seven

Photo taken on Sunday, July 24, 2011 outside Broadway Mall in Hicksville, NY at 10pm. (People in back posing as villains: Jon and Steve. Thumbs up by Jess, Paul, and I. Captain America played by Justin and his groupie, Heather.)

I don't think it is very obvious what movie we saw tonight...

Zookeeper was awesome! Go see it!

It's 5 o'clock somewhere.

Day: Three Hundred and Fifty Six

Photo taken on Saturday, July 23, 2011 in our backyard at 1046am.

Okay, so it's not a beach but it's our little slice of heaven.

And yes, I totally realize that the tag is still on the back of one of the chairs and would you believe me if I told you this is not the first time I've used them?

Swass

Day: Three Hundred and Fifty Five

Photo taken on Friday, July 22, 2011 on the Babylon line with Liz at 608pm.

It is hot as balls today. It is also hot as balls in this train, that is why I am sitting in a middle seat in one of the only air conditioned cars in order to get some relief (but mainly I am sitting here so I can rub my sweaty appendages all over Liz).

I get the text from my Lovah (as I am sticking to a window seat in a suffocating car) telling me she is on my train right now. She tells me she has an open seat next to her with my name on it. I ask her where she is located on the train and she says, "Towards the back." I consider myself at the end of the middle so she must be behind me. I start heading back there happy at the notion I will be in a cool place but as I walk further and further into the bowels of the train it gets hotter and hotter. Also, there is hardly anyone in these cars so I must be going in the wrong direction. I whip out my phone when I see I am in the second to last car.

"Did I pass you? Are you in the last car?"

I start heading back to where I was sitting and proceed to pass it. Apparently Liz and I have different meanings of "back of the train". I laugh and tell her I'm on my way. She tells me to please hurry because her car is packed and people are eyeing that open seat she is claiming is saved for a "friend". I understand her anxiety because commuters can be downright pushy when it comes to standing for 50 minutes. Hot commuters become freaking monsters when they think they have to stand for 50 minutes.

As I am illegally moving between train cars, I find one of the doors is locked. I panic. I tell Liz I'm stuck. She panics too. "Everyone is going to think I'm lying about saving this seat!"

"Fuck em," I say. I then hope that by some miracle I can make it up to her car so I can rescue her from these zombies.

By the time we hit Jamaica it gets so unbearably hot in here that they keep us in the station in order to open the doors between cars so some air can get in and alleviate some of the crazy stirring up. I take this opportunity to continue my trek to the front and as I pass Liz she calls out to me. I turn around to find her in a three seater and the look on the guy's face in the aisle seat when he realizes he has to sit next to a sweaty and smelly me is priceless.

Her car is cool, crowded, and absolutely silent. They're all glaring at me as I take the free seat and begin to catch up with Liz. We chat all the way to Amityville when we realize that our car has passed the station platform. I turn to Liz with a chuckle, "You realize the first two cars don't platform right?"

She laughs and we get up to move back a car so we can get out at the next two stations.

Looks like we really have two different definitions for "back of the train".

^_\

I Haven't The Foggiest

Day: Three Hundred and Fifty Four

Photo taken on Thursday, July 21, 2011 in our complex parking lot at 948pm.

Does this happen to you? I'm happily minding my own business getting out of my nice cool SUV and BAM! I can't see. I usually carry my wipey on me but it's not the safest thing to happen in the dark, a split second after entering a humid place. I barely miss slamming into another car as I go to jog to the door.

Maybe it's time to invest in contact lenses...Sharingan ones...

Stealing Home

Day: Three Hundred and Fifty Three

Photo taken on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 outside our apartment at 1113pm.

Remember this? And this? Well, I finally take my own advice and purchase a sliding pad for softball. After an intense and fun doubleheader tonight, looks like it really came in handy.

^_\

Manny Ramirez

Day: Three Hundred and Fifty Two

Photo taken on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 in the front of the Surge with Cassandra at 244pm. (It is her idea to pose as Superheroes I swear!)


Cassandra informs me as I am leaving yesterday that we have no patients today and that she is going to wear her pajamas to work. I of course think this is a genius plan and vow to wear a pair myself.

For some reason Cassandra forgets her own diabolical plan and I am the only one wearing pjs in public. Needless to say, I am not the least bit embarrassed and thoroughly enjoy being comfy all day.

That's hot.

Day: Three Hundred and Fifty One

Photo taken on Monday, July 18, 2011 after my shower at 950pm.

So this is a new place to chafe. Wonderful.

The End of an Era

Day: Three Hundred and Fifty

Photo taken on Sunday, July 17, 2011 after watching the final installment of Harry Potter in the Farmingdale Multiplex at 1030pm. (Pictured from left: The bad guys: Steve throwing a curse, Jenn pointing, and Heather channeling her inner Bellatrix. Neutral wizard: Mike. The good guys: Jon as Neville, Justin deflecting Steve's curse, and a hyperactive Hufflepuff.)

Ten years.

Pottermania has been in my life for an entire decade. And I have loved every single second of it.

I am aware of the Harry Potter books but thinking they are for children, never pick one up until I learn that it is story that anyone can enjoy. One day after hockey practice, my coach offers a movie excursion to Flatirons for Friday, the day Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is scheduled to come out. The majority of the team wants to go as well as my roommate, Sam, who upon hearing I am going, begs to come along. She even runs into her room and retrieves the three books out so far, telling me she's a huge fan. So on Friday, she joins me and the rest of the CU Women's Ice Hockey Team to see this flick. I have no idea what to expect but I am open-minded since I know most of the Hogwarts staff from other movies and enjoy these actors. My reaction? I think I forget to breathe through the entire thing, completely enchanted with the magical world J.K. Rowling has created. I love the story, the characters, the school, the food, the EVERYTHING! I want to stand in front of the Mirror of Erised. I want to sit under the sorting hat. I want to join in the fight against Voldermort.

And so begins the ten years of obsessing over one of the greatest stories of all time. As the years go on, I learn of more friends that share my deep love for Potter: Maeve is a fellow student but not in my house (she's a Gryffindor) though we hit Hogsmeade all the time together; Naughty, EJ, Dormmate Chris, and I play drunken Harry Potter on the original Playstation ("Potter NO! Potter MOVE!"); Naughty breaks out her books on tape while we live in the hockey house; Cameron even comes down from MA to see Goblet of Fire with me; Annie and I get together after the sixth book comes out to discuss what we thought (I bring two pages of notes), Christine brings me to the Wizarding World, and the list goes on. It's the second time this year I am writing about a trip to Potterland but I am afraid this time it will be my last.

I struggle with the ending of Book 7, maybe because it is time to say goodbye to the favorite characters that stole my heart (and then DIED, leaving me all alone to wallow in my sadness over them, and what the hell? Out of my top five-technically six because the twins are a package deal-four die?! So not fair.) Book 7 means it is finally complete, that there is no more yet I still have the movie to look forward to. And when I hear they are dividing it into two I think, that's not necessary but I'll take it! Why not extend this for a few more years?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II is bittersweet. My heart gets ripped out during the Snape montage because he is such a complex character and tortured soul. How much he endures for the sake of saving Harry, the dark front he has to keep up in order to appear faithful to Voldermort, the way he stands there and accepts his fate he knew was coming all along, and how he buries his love for a woman he could never have. He keeps hatred in his heart for Harry because he wants to make him his father but when he demands Harry look at him, he sees the green eyes of Lily as he passes on. So moving, so heart wrenching. How could one not love Severus?

I had been looking forward to the scene in the room of requirement-the fire dragon-I had a feeling it would be freaking cool! Though I am very saddened by the fact that two of my favorites, Fred and Lupin, are not paid the noble death sequence they so rightfully deserve. I have trouble swallowing the fact that out of all the Weasleys, Rowling chooses to split the twins. If I have learned anything from this troublesome duo is that one would never leave the other, even in death. In my world, Fred returns and can rival Peeves anyday!

I admit, I cry when Dobby leaves us. The red hot anger I feel when Sirius dies at the hand of his cousin keeps me awake at night. The tears that are almost endless when everyone lights their wands and raises them in the air for Dumbledore breaks me. But I am not prepared for the emotion I feel bubbling to the surface when the snitch "opens at the close". This is why I love the series so much. This is why Harry is redeemed from Book 5's constant whining (thank you film adaptation for changing that in the fifth movie) and holds a very special place in my heart. He is brave and honorable and chooses to sacrifice himself for the greater good. It's a poignant scene that makes me want to be a better person, makes me want to be more like Harry: a defender, determined and fearless.

I have taken much from this series and I can spend hours of your time talking about it. There are many religious and spiritual themes laced within this story as well has humanity guidelines. I am happy to say I agree with what Rowling is trying to teach us: that love really does conquer all, that loyalty and standing up for what you believe in is important, and that friendship is a treasured gift that can last a lifetime.

These past ten years have been a glorious and wonderful adventure for me. I hope that my love for Harry Potter continues and I thank you all for putting up with my incessant chatter about the series.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully, Harry. You're not a bad person. You're a very good person, who bad things have happened to. Besides, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are."-Sirius Black

Picture Pages

Day: Three Hundred and Forty Nine

Photo taken on Saturday, July 16, 2011 in our kitchen at 1025pm.

I have a habit of leaving my cell phone home when it is important that it should be with me. I am now showing signs of that same behavior with my camera.

Unfortunately I have left my camera home for our lovely family dinner at Umberto's in New Hyde Park. Luckily I have a very responsible sister who takes plenty of pictures tonight as well as others during her New York Getaway (click there for the great shots!).

Thanks for letting me whore out your BLOG sis!

^_\

TGIF

Day: Three Hundred and Forty Eight

Photo taken on Friday, July 15, 2011 in the Surge kitchen at 916am.

When my coworkers find out Preston is in town, they beg me to bring him by so they can meet him. They have heard so many funny stories and seen so many cute pictures but they want the live version. I ask Kim if it's possible to bring him to the Surge before she heads out to Long Island to meet up with some friends and I learn it is possible! Even though he is supposed to be going out there for breakfast, Preston's eyes light up when he comes into the kitchen and sees all the free food displayed on the community table. He doesn't know what he wants so he settles for a little bit of everything, including Julia's fruit!

He is such a ham! Plus he already knows the way around the place and acts like he owns the joint even though it's his first visit. Everyone is just taken with him and can't help asking him questions just to hear is funny answers. He also has an issue with my broken desk and keeps trying to put the keyboard back where it belongs even when I tell him, "It's broken. Believe me Preston, it drives me nuts too." I think Bossdad should consider hiring him as my assistant because his OCD tendencies rival my own.

Unfortunately, their visit is short lived and we all reluctantly bid adieu to my family. I look forward to Kim and Preston's next visit to the Surge! Maybe next time they'll come on Potluck Day!

Um...Ow.

Day: Three Hundred and Forty Seven

Photo taken on Thursday, July 14, 2011 at Heartland Golf Park in Brentwood, NY at 406pm. (Injured foot belongs to me, putters belong to Steve, Chris Reed, Pher, and myself.

Besides me getting my ass handed to me by Pher, Chris Reed sucking it up on the even holes, and Steve silently winning at this point, we're all having a good time. That is, until I misjudge the length of my feet again and the tip of my flop gets stuck on the wooden bridge. I don't know what happens but I trip and a sharp pain races from my toe to my brain. Immediately my hand goes to my toe and presses down; I fear the nail has been ripped up and I can't bring myself to look at it.

Apparently I must have yelped because Steve races over asking me what I did. When I tell him, he bends down to take a look, as do I, and we see a lot of blood leaking out from under my fingers. "Did you break it or is it just cut?"

"I'm afraid to look," I wince. Steve braves it and I peel my fingers away to reveal...

"Just a deep cut," he says and he takes off at lightning speed for napkins. The game gets put on hold until I can staunch the bleeding enough to finish the round (which I lose, as per usual).

I swear, you can't take me anywhere.

Death Note...DOMINUS!

Day: Three Hundred and Forty Six

Photo taken on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 in the living room at 950pm. (Families that watch anime together, stay together. From right: Pher, me, Steve, and Charlie)

Is it bad that I am totally taking off work tomorrow in order to stay up all night to watch anime and drink an 18 pack of Bud Light?

I know what you're thinking...

BUD LIGHT?

No need to worry if I'm sick, there will be IPAs later but right now I am trying to figure out how to scratch something onto the bottle with a key as I take notes for our other BLOG. It is so much fun to keep track of the jokes we are all making as Death Note unfolds in front of our eyes (two pairs of eyes completely virgin to the storyline). Between the dialogue the four of us add our own until we giggle so much we need to go back a few chapters. So of course after a few episodes I have to pose the question to my brothers:

"Would you use a Death Note?"

And why am I not surprised that both answer yes?

Yuck

Day: Three Hundred and Forty Five

Photo taken on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 in the living room at 1103pm.

Steve goes shark fishing with one of his supervisors on Sunday and is out in the sun from its arrival until its departure. Steve is a very good boy and reapplies his SPF 30 twice. Unfortunately, both times he forgets to slather it on his ears. After taking his shower upon his return, he forgets how burnt he is and rubs the skin right off his ear when toweling dry.

His ear, well, it's disgusting and I would put the ointment on it but I'm afraid of pressing too hard and making it worse.

And it's gross.

Ghost Dad

Day: Three Hundred and Forty Four

Photo taken on Monday, July 11, 2011 in Bossdad's office at 736am.

People love Bossdad. He barely gets in the door and everyone is talking to him a mile a minute. Before he can take his first sip of Starbucks coffee they are asking him questions, asking him to sign things, asking him for raises (that's me). But when he isn't in, his door is locked to keep all us hooligans out of his private office. Except when I need to send up SPARCS data, then it's okay for me to open up shop.

Problem is, once that light goes on, the employees come running. They get so disappointed when they come in and find me behind the desk. And then they ask me, "Is your dad coming in today?" Like I'm his keeper.

One time I really get them good. Bossdad steps out for a meeting and a private call comes in on my cell. I decide to take it in his office, sitting in the chair across from the big desk. I have the cell up to my right ear and I'm laughing and enthusiastically gesticulating, looking straight ahead. And next thing I know, several of my coworkers are hovering in the door, peeking in. "I don't mean to disturb you and your father but-" and they look in past the shelves and see an empty chair. They then very slowly back out of the room and hurry down the hallway.

I let them believe I am talking to myself.

Or Sirius.

"Good news, Everyone!"

Day: Three Hundred and Forty Three

Photo taken on Sunday, July 10, 2011 in the living room at 941pm.

Steve finally got his hair cut! Now I am happy to report that I have the longest locks in the Reab Household. Oh gosh, I feel so feminine!

Nodoka Miyazaki

Day: Three Hundred and Forty Two

Photo taken on Saturday, July 9, 2011 in the Time Out Room at 1045pm.

Ah, anime hair.

It looks like my Light Yagami is finally growing out and into a hair style of a budding tween girl from Negima.

Lucky me.

Fatty McFat Fat

Day: Three Hundred and Forty One

Photo taken on Friday, July 8, 2011 at my Surge desk at 1005am.

Normal desk. Normal desk chair.

Not normal thigh circumference. Makes for an uncomfortable situation whenever I need to type.

I have massive quads, tiny hammies, and a cute little tush but there was a time when I had HUGE everything from the waist down. I am blissfully unaware of this fact until Dad points it out to me when I'm home on vacation as a senior in college. I haven't been able to get my jeans past my thighs for a few months now so I have resorted to wearing only cargo pants and corduroys. As I am bending over the sink to wash a dish (not a normal occurrance) Dad speaks up from behind his paper.

"Katie, you've put on some weight."

I look down at my flat stomach. "Um, I don't think I have," I say, now starting to feel unsure of myself. Maybe all those late night trips to TBell are finally starting to show.

Dad presses the issue by standing up and waving his hand around one of his thighs and a butt cheek. "In this area."

I turn from the sink, outraged and sputtering. "I'm not fat! That's from playing hockey!" He looks at me over his rims, throwing me the I-was-born-at-night-but-not-last-night look. I throw down the towel, walk to the center of the room, and assume a hockey position, full squat with fake stick lying across my legs. "This is what I do in order to play. Sitting in an imaginary chair for two hours straight makes my legs look like this."

A pause. A skeptical look. A tsk. And back to the morning paper.

Well, I never!

Axe Kick

Day: Three Hundred and Forty

Photo taken on Thursday, July 7, 2011 in my office at 457pm.

This is my Dell computer. I never named it because I don't love it. It is slow, old, and has a habit of freezing up and shutting down for no reason. It is too temperamental for my liking so after a year of my complaining, bossdad has to acquiesce and a new computer finds its way onto my desk today.

Now the question remains: what to do with the old one?

If only there was a secluded, overgrown field somewhere...

Prisoner In My Own Home

Day: Three Hundred and Thirty Nine

Photo taken on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 on our stairs at 631pm.

I envy Steve. He is one of those people who can fall asleep the second their head hits the pillow. Last night is one of those nights; he is in such a deep sleep that he doesn't even notice when I unwrap my limbs from his and sneak off downstairs. I turn the Manga Dining Room lights very low-a little mood lighting-and set to work on the writing drawer of my desk. As I am flipping through my Creative Writing journal from sophomore year of college I see a slowly moving shadow from my periph.

I squint down at my foot to watch this two inch shadow creep along the rug as my stomach bottoms out. This thing just came from Sergei's bag, a bag that I had taken with me to the Surge today. One of my fears is that I accidently bring home a water bug from the city and now I am witnessing my fear come true at 1230 in the morning. I spring out of the Commander's Chair and put on the lights full blast but it scampers behind the filing cabinet.

No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no! This can't be happening! Not when I am so careful! I'm going to have to move!

I call out to Steve but he doesn't answer. There's no way he's going to hear me over the pounding of my own heart as well as the fan upstairs. I gulp and move closer to the black cabinet. I crane my neck to see the back corner and as I do, the bug in question comes crawling out of its hiding spot.

I blink.

Okay, not a water bug. Good, but what the hell is that thing?!

Upon closer inspection...it's a giant mutated centipede! Like I'm talking as big as one of those crazy insects in the Temple of Doom BIG. I watch this thing make its way into the kitchen and I try to trap it with a plastic cup but it knocks it over and escapes quickly, making me squeal like a little girl and run away. I finally have no choice but to smash it when it heads for underneath the stove. I close my eyes and whack it with Steve's flip flop causing twitching legs to scatter all over the floor. It's a total mess but I clean it up somehow and slide back into bed at 1 am.

I spend the next hour thinking its friends are wriggling around my pj bottoms, jumping up to rummage through the sheets, and unsuccessfully waking up Steve to save me from this creepy crawler madness!

Roots

Day: Three Hundred and Thirty Eight

Photo taken on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 in the living room at 1042pm.

When I am a wee one I have beautiful blonde locks. Then it starts getting dirty and then I start putting a few highlights in at the age of 16 so it emphasizes the lighter strands rather than the darker strands. Then I turn it apricot. Then it is stripped of the orange and back to all blonde. Then I toy with lowlights to get it looking normal again and then back to highlights. It comes to a point when my hair takes on six different shades of blonde and my hairdressers at Head Sessions in East Northport agree that this is how it should stay. But then after November 6th, I decide to save money (or be lazy about dying it) and stop adding anything to my natural color. This is the result. It's a ratty brown with a few blonde hairs interspersed throughout. Seems kinda flat and boring. I think I should start coughing up the dough to fix it again but...

I'll probably do nothing about it.

Independence Day

Day: Three Hundred and Thirty Seven

Photo taken on Monday, July 4, 2011 in my backyard at 809pm.

Yay for Price Club or else we wouldn't have been able to feed all the people who have swung by this evening to help celebrate the Fourth of July. This is the first time Steve and I have been able to have an outdoor party and it also works because all of our neighbors are super chill and don't mind us running back and forth in front of their decks. When our guests aren't engaging in food intake, they find themselves on the lawn playing with the bocce ball set Caitlin happens to have in her car. I am very thankful for the bocce ball set because the game of wiffle ball ends quickly when the only ball lands on our neighbor's balcony. I really thought the ball would end up in the canal though so I didn't offer up my Spiderman Frisbee when people seem interested in playing some sort of outdoor game. Once the sun completely set, we all looked to the skies to catch several different fireworks displays going on around the houses on the water.

I take some pics throughout the evening and it looks like everyone is enjoying themselves. Thanks for coming out this Fourth and making it a really fun time!

Caitlin, Brian, Michelle, Jon, and Heather have a really intense game of online Mad Gab going on here. I actually own the game but it is packed up in the attic at the moment or else I would have totally broken it out for them.

Angelo and Jen enjoying some drinkies. This is the second attempt at taking this photo since Angelo's hands keep traveling south without Jen knowing ;P

Tee hee, Paul and Mike are being inappropriate while Steve and Angelo are actually being good for a change. I'm not sure who wins this battle of bocce ball but I know us girls try it out next. I don't have pictures of us playing it but Jenn and Heather are kicking mine and Maeve's butt right now. Maeve is doing great; I'm definitely the weakest link on our team but we're having fun tossing these balls all over the place anyway.

Cristina and Brad get in on the bocce action as well. Cristina is a pro since she has the Italian blood running through her veins.

Of course there are crabs...and Angelo totally grabs one bare handed! That's skill!

So my camera "claims" there is a fireworks setting which by the time I snap the picture, they have already fizzled out. Maeve steps up to try and she has better luck than I do. The only light I am able to capture on film is standing over one of the lit Off! candles and even that picture comes out dim. Maybe we should have taken video because the pictures we have do not even come close to the beauty of the real thing or the experience of the explosion or getting eaten alive by gnats and mosquitoes while watching the fireworks.

Go Eat Worms!

Day: Three Hundred and Thirty Six

Photo taken on Sunday, July 3, 2011 at the Mets vs. Yankees game at Citi Field in Flushing Meadows, NY at 205pm.

I really do enjoy my father's season tickets. Whenever he is not available to go to the game, I happily take the tickets off his hands. This would normally be Fireworks Night but they no longer can do it because they built the stadium too close to the junk yards so instead we treat ourselves to colorful sugar candy. This and a soda or beer is the only thing we will purchase at ballgames now that they allow you to bring in your own food. Makes sense to me to stop off at the Blue Deli in Farmingdale and purchase two huge heros for half the price of one stadium hotdog.

Though the cool thing about Citifield is that you can take pictures like this and send it in for them to put on the jumbotron. Unfortunately we typed in the address wrong so instead of sharing it with the entire stadium, I'm only sharing it with you.

Look At All Those Idiots

Day: Three Hundred and Thirty Five

Photo taken on Saturday, July 2, 2011 in Friendly's in Levittown, NY at 1159pm. (Pictured from me back and around: Me, Steve getting kicked in the face by Jenn, Mike giving a two thumbs up to that, Jeanette, Paul, Jess, Brian, Heather eating my head, and Justin pointing at the Shenanigans.)

It's a spur of the moment ice cream craving so I send out a bat signal to anyone in the vicinity and many heed the call. The hostess sticks us in the back-away from the quiet customers-and gives us a funny waiter who gets most of our ice cream wrong but eats his mistakes with us once the order is corrected. He even gives us cool bendy straws that change color when they get cold. Then he doesn't stop us when we want to take the selfer but all of us are on a sugar high and can't sit still for more than a second. It takes awhile to get situated and by the time I snap this, our waiter has left because his shift is over.

Food Coma

Day: Three Hundred and Thirty Four

Photo taken on Friday, July 1, 2011 at Tony Roma's in Bay Terrace in Bayside, NY at 853pm. (Pictured from left: Charlie rockin' out, Aunt Pat, Caitlin, Uncle Dennis, Danny, Grandma, Steve, and despite what it looks like, I am not head banging-that would be Steve pushing my head for amusement when the camera clicked off.)

Three of us intend to come into Queens tonight and take out grandma for some eats but then Aunt Pat invites us out for a family dinner instead which is very nice to include us ragamuffins! I'm always one for the saying: the more the merrier, so I am happy to be sitting here laughing and dining with everyone again. This is my first time to this particular restaurant so the Keane's give me the lowdown on what to order and my palette is pleased by their suggestions! Good food, good fun, good times.

^_\