27 Thursday Aug 2015
Posted in My World, This Happened/Good
Yup – I saw AC/DC at Giants Stadium last night (MetLife Stadium for those who are not from “around here”). Here’s a little taste – I’ll be posting about my summer exploits and the mischief I’ve been up to once I’m done raising hell!
\../ FIRE! \../
07 Tuesday Jul 2015
Posted in My World
Tags
~ Hollow & Angry
04 Saturday Jul 2015
Posted in My World, This Happened/Good
So yesterday was July 3rd, and I opted to take my Independence Day holiday early. Let’s start with the end of the day and work our way backwards, shall we?
Urban exploration took me and a friend down to a riverside park on the Hudson – Nyack Memorial Park. There were a ton of people out shooting hoops, goofing off, tossing horse shoes, and just basically having a good time. We even met a very friendly young girl – maybe 12 or so – near the opening to an arched vault in the side of a stone wall with a mini-waterfall inside and plenty of future cave-ish exploring to do! She was the sweetest thing; intelligent, kind, inquisitive, and wanting to share her find with us as eagerly as we wanted to get in there and slosh around. She even walked in to pick out the dry spots where I could set up my camera equipment when we made it back there! Such a little cutie!
Before that, we had dinner at a restaurant/pub on the main drag in downtown Nyack. Have you ever had pulled pork? I hadn’t – I’d eaten Poi when I visited the Hawaiian Islands once, but PULLED PORK??? Holy Cow!!! This is the stuff of the GODS! And what did they serve as a side with it? Cheddar-mash; the most divine preparation the common potato will ever know. Cheddar cheese mixed with sublimly mashed potatoes that I’d happily slather all over my body it was so good. No really, I mean that! Plus the Cajun fries that came with my cohorts meal – Mmmm-mmmm! If you ever feel the need to travel to culinary heaven and back, visit the Nyack Pour House on Main Street in Nyack, NY! And don’t forget a slice of the chocolate fondant cake for dessert. The atmosphere was great, the staff super friendly, and the food – out of this world! (Plus I scored a Pour House tank top 🙂 )
So how’d we end up on the streets of Nyack like roaming orphans??? Yeah, that’s what the cops asked us too! Nah, not really – though there was a fair gathering of them right where we parked. They seemed to be… uhh, well… that’s all I’ve got. But they seemed like nice guys, the entire bunch. 😉
Back to how we got there! We had just crossed the Tappan Zee Bridge after a few hours of hard-hoofin’ it though Sleepy Hollow Cemetery when the undeniable hankerin’ for food struck. Sleepy Hollow was as fabulous as ever – and I had the chance to introduce a new soon-to-be-regular interloper to my world. I dragged him from one end to the other and back again. Doing two hours of exercise a day – mostly cardio – has apparently made me much more tolerant to the effort needed to see 93 acres of cemetery in about 2 and a half hours than my (now dragging-ass) companion. But it was cool. We had a good time, got locked in 5 minutes after the gate closed, and saw some of the awesome statuary and monuments that adorn the grounds. He still has much to see, but it was a good start.
We ended up at Sleepy Hollow after visiting Lyndhurst Castle, in Tarrytown, NY.
Lyndhurst
Overlooking the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York, is Lyndhurst, one of America’s finest Gothic Revival mansions. The architectural brilliance of the residence, designed in 1838 by Alexander Jackson Davis, is complemented by the park-like landscape of the estate and a comprehensive collection of original decorative arts. Its noteworthy occupants included: former New York City mayor William Paulding (for whom it was built as a summer cottage), merchant George Merritt and railroad tycoon Jay Gould.
(To read more, check out this link, or hit Google!)
Lyndhurst is a nice place to walk around, tour the home if you like that sort of thing, and wander the grassy grounds and paved trails for a few hours. It’s a pleasant way to start touring the lower Hudson Valley, and grab a feel for the larger estates you’ll encounter as you head north.
So that was my holiday! I spent it casually meandering, foot-pounding it through a cemetery, snarfing down some grub in a smaller version of Hoboken, visiting an urban park, making a new pint sized friend, and even traveling down the road a bit to gander at the Victorian inspired homes that overlook the Hudson. All-in-all, it was a dolphin & happy-face sticker day!
For now, still here just crunching on the shells… 😉
27 Saturday Jun 2015
Posted in My World
Tags
Getting out of bed today was particularly difficult for a number of reasons, so instead of whining about it, I’m gonna tell you about something fun I did this past week.
I went to see the 40th Anniversary re-release of JAWS on the big screen! (I feel like that should be in neon flashing lights or something)
It did not suck!
I knew it was being re-released this summer, but had no idea how limited the run would be in each area. On Wednesday, I managed to catch the last 7pm showing at one of the last two theaters that I could feasibly get to on the last night it was showing! (Holy shit, I almost missed it – then I’d be whining!!!) My compadre joined me, though he missed the first two eatings, and it was nothing but tension, fins, and teeth for an hour and a half! Oh, baby!!
My favorite scene – too many to choose from. But the most impactful is when Quint and Hooper are comparing scars. I love the transition from rousing drunk comradery while comparing scars to when Brody asks Quint how he got the one on his arm. Robert Shaw’s monologue is delivered with masterful precision, and just enough glint in his eye to impart bone chilling madness.
Then there are the one liners – great one liners in this flick!
Boys, oh boys… I think he’s come back for his noon feeding.
Anyway, if it makes it to your area, find the time and go. I’ve probably seen the film about 20 times now, and it never gets old. But it NEVER gets better than seeing it in the theater! Trust me folks…
01 Monday Jun 2015
Tags
What’s going on in my world today (and why should you give a shit)?
Let’s start with why today is important to me. Have you ever experienced the feeling that a date, for no reason other than your own, carries special meaning? Today, or rather today’s date, is one of those days for me. I’ve always felt that June 1st was the start of something new in my life. Some magical thing was gonna happen to make the world a candy coated playground meant to make me smile. A sense that a renewed me was about to emerge and all things great and small were prepping for the coming of THE DAY! Kind of like a snake who knows its about to shed it’s skin and is itching to get on with it. Look out world, here comes a shiny new me! (A little back story – I hate winter, detest it in fact – I’m from ‘Jersey, we do summer. Though I’m sure if it wasn’t one of my yearly seasons, some pain-in-the-ass part of me would miss it.) Why June 1st and not the Spring or Summer Solstice? I haven’t a friggin’ clue, but today is a power day for me. It’s one of those ‘fuck-yeah’ days where nothing can stop me – I’m invincible! Today is that day. So… what did the day bring so far?
It’s cold, colder than it’s been in a couple of weeks here, and I’m a warm weather girl. It’s raining. Not that crappy, annoying drizzle-rain, but a good solid day of rain where you think to yourself, Shit, self! Why didn’t you take that damn umbrella; you had your hand on it? Oh, that’s right – you were gonna skip between the raindrops, plus you look kinda cute with your hair all mussed up. **Note to self – it’s a lie. Today is one of those days that while you’re struggling to get your bumberella open (a friend of mine always called his umbrella that, and I like it, so I’m going with it), you’re already too wet to bother using it. Mussed + curly & slightly damp = adorable. Dripping wet + shivering through a sheath of hair like a sheep dog that has just had an ocean swim = pathetic. Put a check in the pathetic column. Why even venture out in all that joy – besides the power day thing, and the fact that nothing and no one can stop me today?
I had my second stress test earlier this afternoon to try and evaluate any damage that’s been done to my heart from this weird thing I’ve gone through/am going through… it’s all very undetermined/indeterminate at this point. (There’s a back story, I’ll get to it eventually – just not today – today isn’t a bummer kind of day!) But I did better this week than last. Last week I had a minor myocardial infarction (itty-bitty heart attach) during the test – that was fun, but it wasn’t anything different than what I’ve been experiencing since my iron level dropped severely back in April… I think it was April, it was just a bit more painful. I’m making it a point not to track the dates associated with this less-than-great thing I’m experiencing because the dates themselves don’t matter. Once someone tells you you have less than a year to live, the only thing that matters are the days between here and there, and making sure those days count are what makes all the difference in the world.
But, I’m gonna save that particular dread for another post and end off in typical Super Squirrel fashion by heading to the kitchen, grabbing a vanilla cupcake with salted caramel icing, and gleefully (though still a bit damp from my shower) diving into the submissions for our latest eZine. Let’s go see what the other crafty-critters (writers in Nina speak – there will be a dictionary, I promise) have come up with this time around.
Until next time, I’m still here just crunching on the shells…
This Squirrel's Nuts 