August 13: Corning Glass Museum

I forgot as I was uploading the pictures here that I have to do them in reverse order, and I'm too tired to re-do it, so this entry is end-to-beginning. Sorry!

This is a marble machine that reminded me of the game, Mouse Trap. Ian tried three times, and could only get yellow marbles.


Glass white roses:
...and frosted vases to put them in. These were gorgeous in person:
Some of the items in the gift shop were breathtaking - and so were the stickers. These little decorations were $750 each.
A variety of bowls:
We watched a glass-blowing demonstration (twice). Here, the glass artist is reheating the glass in the furnace, which is kept at 2400 degrees or so. It was rather warm in that room.

Here, a glass artist was making a turtle out of glass.
And here is the glass exhibit you see when you first walk in. It is impressive in person.

I think we will go back again soon and reserve a space to make something ourselves. Ian was very impressed with the whole glass-blowing thing, and especially anything involving fire or blow torches.

Boys. :D

August 13: KC's Corner Restaurant and Motel

Thursday morning, we checked out of the motel. Our stay was pleasant overall. The room was nice, air-conditioned, and included a little kitchenette, which saved us some money.

The only major problem I had was with the shower. There was no way to take a cool shower. The showerhead hadn't had any attention in quite a while, so the water did not come through it very well. And when you turned the water down so the stream was cooler, the water pressure became so low, either the shower turned off altogether, or you had to stand about five inches from the shower wall to get wet. Ah, well. You can't have everything. :)

Ian really didn't want to leave. :D

August 12: Fly Creek Cider Mill

After taking care of our laundry, we headed out to the Fly Creek Cider Mill. I kid you not, they have THE BEST cider I have EVER tasted. They have a display set up showing how the cider is made fresh from the apples they grow, and a DVD running non stop explaining the whole process. It was absolultely wonderful. The gift shop was also incredible...I have never seen so much stuff (knick knacks, decorations, crafts) crammed in one room before - and that includes Ian's room! Their shop also includes their products with over 40 samples out for you to try. Mmmmm.



Outside, they had a variety of poultry running around:

August 12: The Laundromat

Nothing like Nintendo to keep a child occupied...

Bullets?

We walked into the laundromat, me carrying our three days' worth in a bag, and picked our washer. Behind me, a washer was overloaded, and the soap and fabric softener that the customer left unattended came crashing down, showering me in soap and Downy. I used the dirty clothes to clean myself up, and started our wash. A little while later, a woman came in, said, "Oh my Gosh is that my soap?!" What a mess.

It occurred to me, though, that in laundromats in cities everywhere, you will always see this woman. She looks overtired, incredibly sad, and sits on the porch step, resting her elbows on her knees, hanging her head, chain smoking cigarettes until the laundry is done. And it occurred to me that, not so long ago, I was that woman.

I don't know what changed me. Was it that I finally got a good job? Or was it the birth of my child? I'm not sure. I just know I feel a while lot better, lighter, and happier than I did ten to fifteen years ago. And I'm glad.

It's probably boy child's doing. :)

August 11: Cooperstown Dreams Park

On Tuesday, we spent the entire day at Cooperstown Dreams Park. It is a huge baseball facility of 22 little league diamonds, barracks, batting cages, you name it, for baseball camp. You can sign up your little league team to go here for $750 a coach/player, so I reckon it would cost about $10,000 a team. Ian really wants to go. Right now they're taking team registrations for the year 2011, and require a $1000 deposit.

We watched games all day long, but especially enjoyed seeing the Toms River, New Jersey Black Sox team play. The parents were great - cheering for their team non-stop, and never forgetting that it's a Game. (Some of the other parents we sat with during the day were really hard on their kids when errors were made, and I felt really bad for them.)


It's a beautiful complex, and very well organized. Everyone who worked there was very friendly, and everyone was talking baseball. We stayed until well after 7 in the evening. It was just a beautiful day.

August 10: Doubleday Field

After lunch, Ian and I went over to relax and catch a game at Doubleday Field. All week long, there were games there, for Free!

This week, the Legends of Baseball were playing. It is a club of guys over 30 who get together for a week of baseball camp. It was competitive, but friendly, and very kid-friendly. I didn't hear any profanity, either from the field or the stands, and everyone was having a great time. One of the guys gave Ian a baseball, so he is now a "Schwartz" fan forever.

Their sign:

The scoreboard:

The boy child, not missing a single pitch:

August 10: Baseball Hall of Fame

We started our first full day in Cooperstown with a visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Ian was really taken with the Babe Ruth exhibit, right off the bat. Er, no pun intended.

I gave him the camera and let him take as many pictures as he wanted. It's taken me a few days to go through them. Some were blurry, and some didn't come out well because most of the exhibits are behind glass. If you see a blurry or poor image here, it's because Ian just couldn't part with it and needs to show everybody who reads my blog, "Specially Unko Myko and Jehf."

Omar Vizquel's cleats:

There was an entire room dedicated to the Latin leagues. Here is a shot of a portion of the exhibit for the Mexican league:

It was interesting to see how may phrases in our language have their origin in baseball.

There was an entire exhibit dedicated to baseball in the Olympics:

An entire room in the Hall of Fame has locker after locker in it, one for each of the major league teams. Each locker has memorabilia in it from notable players on the team, both past and present. Here is the locker for the Seattle Mariners:

...and the locker for the Yankees. You can bet I didn't take this picture!

Many of the exhibits were kid-friendly. This picture is an exhibit that lets kids build the mascots for the different major league teams. Ian, of course, built the mascot for Seattle.

Mmmmmm....can you smell the hotdogs?

And the popcorn...

This exhibit, the picture of which turned out really poorly, is of all the major league rings and pins. Ian really, really had to have this picture. He wants one of these for his very own, one day.

This year, Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice were inducted into the Hall of Fame. I cannot ever forget watching Rickey Henderson play.

My father and I used to watch the game of the week every Saturday, and for a while, Oakland was on quite a bit. They were at their best in the early 80's with names that seem to me to be part of our language...Jose Canseco, Mark McGuire, Dennis Eckersley, Dusty Baker, and Rickey Henderson. Rickey was incredible to watch. He was one of those players who could never be accused of humility, but when he came up to bat, you had to stop what you were doing and watch what happened. And if he got on base, you knew something exciting was going to happen. Charlie Metro said, "I did a lot of study and I found that it's impossible to throw Rickey Henderson out..." I can't believe he finally retired. Must have been an incredibly difficult decision for him to make.

Another one of my favorite players was Cal Ripkin, Jr., the new "Iron Man" of baseball. He played over 2500 consecutive games for the Baltimore Orioles. That kind of work ethic and team loyalty are hard to find these days.

Jim Rice's plaque:

and Rickey Henderson's plaque:

At the end of the Hall where the plaques are on display are a couple wax sculptures by Armand LaMontagne.

And here is my boy, the Future Hall of Famer...

Outside they have more sculptures, forever playing baseball:

See how tall I am?

We spent over 7 hours in there, looking at everything once, and some things twice. In the middle of the day, we took a lunch break and went to The Tunnicliff Underground Restaurant and Tavern. They have the best burgers...of course, most taverns do have great food.

After lunch, we went to catch a game at Doubleday Field, and then back to the Hall to finish off a perfect day.

August 9: Cooperstown Scenery

The drive in the Cooperstown area is just beautiful. Here are a few shots of the scenery and Lake Otsego.






Right at the beginning of our trip, I took off my watch. Who needs a watch when you're on vacation? We got places when we got there, we ate when we were hungry, we slept when we were tired. A truly relaxing week.

Driving Ian Nuts.

So we're driving down the road toward Cooperstown, NY through valleys and hills, and at one point up ahead, it looked like the road just ... ended. So I said,

Ian, look! It's the edge of the earth!

OH MY GOSH! MOM! STOOOPPPPPP!!!!!!

Yeah. He's going to need psychotherapy when he grows up.

Brahm’s Lullaby

Lullaby and good night, with roses bedight
With lilies be spread is baby's wee bed
Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed
Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed

Lullaby and good night, with mother's delight
Bright angels around my darling may stand
They will guard thee from harm, thou shalt wake in my arms
They will guard thee from harm; thou shalt wake in my arms

Ludwig Family Picnic

Playing with Rick's Dad

Happy Fourth!

We went camping with Dorinda and Bill at their campsite. They had the most amazing fireworks I have ever seen! Ian had a great time with sparklers when we got home the next night.

Diamond Update

I thought Tuesday evenings were practices, but they're actually games! Ian's Rockies took the Cubbies by storm this evening, 19 to 6.

Ian's Baseball Schedule

Hello, everyone!

Ian is on the Rockies this year. Look for the purple t-shirts and caps!

On all Tuesday evenings, from now until July 21st, Ian just has practices, where the two teams divide the diamond time and just practice fundamentals, like...catching the ball. :D You are very welcome to come and watch. All his Tuesday evening practices are at Lincoln Park in the Town of Tonawanda on diamond #6 at 6:00 p.m., except for his last Tuesday practice on July 21st, which will be on diamond #5.

All his regular games are on Saturdays (except for July 4th, when there will be no game). Again, you are all welcome to come and watch. All the games are at Lincoln Park, and all are at diamond 7, which is the diamond located farthest from the parking area. There is a small set of (uncomfortable) bleachers there, but I generally bring my own lawn chair, unless we bike. There is no shade at this diamond, so remember your sunscreen and/or a big, floppy hat! As you come up Parker from Sheridan Drive, you will turn right at the light. His first 'real' game will be Saturday, June 20th.

Here is his schedule:
June 20 @ Noon
June 27 @ Noon
July 11 @ 10:00 a.m.
July 18 @ Noon
July 25 @ 10:00 a.m.

Following the last game on July 25, there will be his annual pizza party. All are welcome; I will just need a 'head count' if you will be joining us. And, of course, following all the games, Ian likes to stop somewhere for ice cream.

Please join us!

Caps and Snakes

Mommy, can you buy me some caps?

Caps? Why?

So I can throw rocks at them and they explode.

No. I am not spending money on something you can blow up. You'll blow them all up, and then they'll be gone. It's a waste of money.

Well, then, can you buy me some snakes? I could blow those up.

WHAT? NO! I am NOT buying you snakes!

Not REAL ones!

Oh. Thank you for clarifying that. The answer is still No.



I guess I get the Mean Mom award again.

Marco's Dollar Coupons!

From Joe at Marco's on Delaware:

Starting Monday, find Jimmy in Ken-Ton to get a deli dollar, good for $1.00 off any sangwich at Marco's on Delaware. Tell your friends, tell your family, Friend us on Facebook, and come on down and give Marco's a try.

Graduation

It's official. I now have my Associates of Science in Business Administration. I graduated as a member of Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Mu Alpha with high honors.

The Package Arrived.

"I got a package from Unko Myko."

"You did?"

"Yup. And YOU didn't."

He makes me laugh.

Scoring the Game

Andy texted me on Friday afternoon and asked if Ian and I were going to the ballgame that evening. I had been thinking about it, but was holding off on making a decision based on the weather. He told me he and my Dad had tix, so I asked him what section, and I ran to the ballpark for tix for me and Ian!

The seats I got ended up being right in front of where Dad got his, so I got to watch and score the game with him. It was a blast. I asked all the questions I could think of, because I know there were things I had forgotten, and who knows when this opportunity will happen again.

I loved it. The Bisons lost - badly, but I didn't care. I got to score a game with my Dad.

Poor Boy Child.

Boy child is not well again. I wonder if it's something he ate. I tried him on beef again...I think I'm going to try him on beef on a Friday and see what happens on the Saturday. It just occurred to me that he seems to have stomach issues the day after eating red meat. Perhaps he just has trouble digesting it and that is what is causing him the nausea...I don't know.

Why is parenting so much guesswork?

Song for a Fifth Child

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Angel Food

Helping out at Angel Food distribution while Ian takes pics:

Optical Illusions

Check this out! Very, very cool optical illusions:

http://www.aip.org/isns/reports/2009/051309visualillusion.html

Happy Mothers' Day!

Marco's Italian Deli Moved!

Marco's Italian Deli is now located at 3024 Delaware Avenue in Kenmore, right near the Post Office, in the building that used to be a brothel. :D

For now, Joe is offering the same great menu, and Momma is still making those wonderful soups. Her Italian Wedding Soup comforts your soul.

Stop in Friday or Saturday for a Sangwich and a bowl of Chicken Wing Soup! (It's heaven in a cup!)

Star Trek is Amazing!

The new Star Trek movie is absolutely Awesome!!! Whether you are a Trekkie or not, it is well worth every penny. And I haven't felt that way about a movie in a long, long, long time.

Knives, Part 2

So I told my friend Joe, who owns the Marco's in Kenmore, and who is also familiar with my limited cooking skills, that I got new knives.

Without missing a beat or cracking a smile, he turns to Ian and says, "Ian. Leave Home Now."

Everybody gotta be a smart***.

The End of Ethics

Passed Ethics with a 3.875! (From the title, you thought the post was going to be about Wall Street, didn't you?) :D

My first assignment was to suggest changes to a company's procedures so they become more ethical, and my second assignment was to write a code of ethics for a hypothetical company, draft a training program, provide for the handling of misconduct, and provide for review and improvements.

The points I lost were for 'mechanical errors' (e.g., spelling, grammar, etc.). I wrote to my mentor - I'd like to know where those errors were, because I cannot tell you how often that paper was reviewed.

Okay. So I'm being obsessive. But I worked HARD, and I want to know where I made a mistake.

Summer is here!

Knives

A couple years ago, when a couple of dear friends of mine asked me what they could get me as a gift, I mentioned that I really needed a good set of knives. They picked up some knives for me…from the dollar store. I still love them anyway.

The problem with the dollar store knives is that the blades are so flimsy, they are really quite dangerous at times to use. Provided, of course, they will cut through anything. So here I am, a couple years later, and I could still use a good set of knives.

Ian and I headed out early this afternoon to do some shopping. I was going to purchase a couple new cookie sheets, as my last ones were ruined when my oven wouldn’t turn off.

The Prime Outlet Mall in Niagara Falls has a Corningware outlet, so we decided to hit there and then go see his grandparents. Of course, they rearranged the mall so it took me 20 minutes to find the Corningware outlet, but once we found it, it was completely worth it.

They were havin’ a sale. Lucky, lucky us.

All their Pyrex and Baker’s Secret bakeware was 30% off. I picked up two insulated cookie sheets, a pizza pan and a little frying pan for under $30. And then, as we were leaving, I spotted another sign.

Selected 12, 14 and 15-piece Chicago Cutlery knife sets were on sale. Regularly priced at $159.99, they were selling them for $59.99.

Sold!

Lucky, lucky me.

Pat Oliphant

Pat Oliphant sure does have a great way of looking at things!

Posted on my yahoo homepage on 4/25/09

Harry's Spaghetti Sauce

My sister emailed me and asked if I had a good sauce recipe from fresh tomatos. "You're kidding," I reply. "You don't need me. You need an Italian!" I did my best, however, and emailed her back:

Soooo, I spoke to a real live Italian for you. I said, How do you make sauce from tomatos? He said, How do YOU make sauce from tomatos? I said, yeah. He said, Heard of Prego? Everybody gotta be a smart***. :D

I told him no, really, my sister has a garden and she's growing tomatos. She wants to can a good sauce. Humph, he says. Like he doesn't quite believe me, but he'll humor me anyway. Here it is:

He says, I don't do no measurements. Everything is to taste. Gotta taste it as you go, okay? Suuuure, I say.

Ok. Take your tomatos, blanch 'em and peel 'em. Then smoosh 'em up with your hands, just git yer hands in there and smoosh 'em up. To which I reply, Eeeuuu.

Then, in a big, big pan, saute up in EVOO (that would be olive oil to us ordinary, non-Italian folk) some basil, oregano, parsley, a hot pepper, onion, and garlic. Do it on low heat so everything gets tender, but don't let your garlic get black. Then throw in the smooshed up tomatos. Fresh tomatos are watery, so you're going to need a big ole can of paste, and maybe a can of puree to thicken it up. Add in some mustard (squeeze the bottle once all the way around the pan), hot sauce to taste, some sugar. Throw in some pork neck bones. It's gotta have pork, no matter what. That's what gives it richer flavor. Add parmesean cheese and stir, parmesean cheese and stir, parmesean cheese and stir. Lots of parmesean.

You've got to keep an eye on it all the time. Listen. (He must have noticed my eyes glazing over.) All The Time. It's got to be on low, low heat, like one or two. If you walk away, it'll burn. You gotta stay right there and stir often. How long? I ask. Oh, at least five or six hours, he says, I start my sauce early in the morning and cook it right up til we eat, he says. The longer you cook it, the better it tastes.

I say, just can the blanched/peeled tomatos.

Prego is $3.49 a jar and takes about 2 minutes in the microwave.

Still not feelin' good...

Just a Little Bug

Why is it called 'a bug'? "A bug" sounds so...innocuous. Nothing really..."just a little bug". Meanwhile, I'm wondering how much a person can vomit before the stomach lining comes up, too.

And even better yet, I shared it with Ian!

We won't be at work or school today. Heck, we're barely among the living.

Hamlet 2

What else do you do when you don't feel up to doing anything? Lie around and watch movies, of course!

A friend of mine recommended Hamlet 2, saying it was the funniest movie he had seen in a long time. Here is the synopsis from http://www.blockbuster.com/:

"Steve Coogan stars in the comedy Hamlet 2, which follows a drama teacher who tries to put together a production of "Hamlet 2" to rescue his high-school theater department. Catherine Keener co-stars in the Andrew Fleming-helmed production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide."

Unfortunately, it just wasn't my cup of tea. Perhaps I am too much of a Shakespeare aficionado, or perhaps nothing is really funny when I'm sick. I watched a solid 3/4 of the movie and couldn't find a reason to laugh. There is something for everyone, though, and I may check it out again when I recover.

International Space Station

How the International Space Station comes together:

http://i.usatoday.net/tech/graphics/iss_timeline/flash.htm

Fascinating!