My Kids Will be Traveling Alone For the First Time!

Next week my two youngin’s will be leaving to visit their dad on the East Coast. Shoshie is 13 and Noah is 12. It will be the first time EVER that they will be traveling alone by plane to go anywhere. Just to share how neurotic I am about my kids and the airport, I drove them crazy constantly looking for them when we were on our way out to New Mexico. Every two seconds I was looking up, looking around, scanning people in the crowd, taking mental notes of those who stood in close proximity to my children. I’m a basket case! Forget when Noah has to go to the bathroom at the airport…I make him go into the ladies bathroom (which he hates) and he either has to go in with me or with Shoshie.

I have always kept a very watchful eye over my kids when we travelled anywhere, and now that they will be traveling alone, I’m FREAKED OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They will be en route for 7 1/2 hours and have to get on two different airplanes. Three hours for the first flight, an hour wait time between flights and then finally boarding the second plane to complete the journey. I had all these things running through my mind over the last month as I knew I would have to purchase the tickets for them to fly; plane crashes, flight delays for hours, perverts in the bathrooms, stalkers trailing them from one gate to another, weirdos on the plane trying to touch them in the next seat…you name it, and I have that scenario playing in my head. Are my fears unfounded? Uh, NO! There have been young girls molested on airplanes, boys touched in bathrooms, strangers giving the “look” to small children. Some of which I have witnessed myself as I was traveling with my kids. Some weirdos don’t seem to care that an adult is present with the child…so what do you do when you aren’t there to protect or shield them? At one point on our way to New Mexico, we were in between flights and since the kids were hungry, we stopped in a pizza shop. I was sitting at the table with Simmi while Shoshie and Noah went up to get some pizza. At the next table over from us, was a man sitting there ogling Shoshie as she stood in line. She was unaware that this man was looking at her in a manner that was totally unacceptable. I don’t stand for that shit, especially since he didn’t care that I was sitting right there. In that moment, this pissed off bald mama stood to her feet, and walked over to the man and stood there very angry just staring at him. I stood there until he turned around in his seat and stopped looking at her. I am sure that it was unnerving to have a furious bald chick that was nearly unhinged staring him down. I said not one word to him…I just stood there staring at him. He got the point. He never looked at her again. By the time Shoshie turned around, I was already back in my seat and she had no idea what had just transpired. These are the things I think about as my kids travel alone.

Noah and Shoshie are great kids, with good heads on their shoulders. I have full confidence in their ability to travel and I know that they are so excited about going. Since they are under the age of 16, I have to pay an unaccompanied minor fee. This fee covers the cost of one of the flight crew members assisting the kids from one terminal to another so they can get on their next flight. A month ago, I didn’t know about this cool feature. I couldn’t imagine the two of them flying into an airport and having to find the next terminal alone, so I waited till I had enough money just in case I needed to take a flight with them to the halfway point and then turn around and come home. There was no way I was going to allow them to just “find their way” to the next plane. Luckily American Airlines assured me that they will not be left alone at anytime during the whole flight. The cost of this fee is around $150.00 and it covers everything round trip.

They are so excited to go back to the east coast and see their dad and his fiancee and all their friends (credit for the picture of the two of them goes to their future mom! Is that picture of them awesome or what?). They are counting down the days right now, making plans and lists of all the stuff they are gonna do. They are so excited…and of course, I am a wreck! My stomach turns every time they mention the flight. I can’t help it, but I know I will be fine once they have landed and they are safely delivered into the arms of their father.

Bald Beauty of the Day

My Husband Cyber Dissed Me!

I’m flustered! I’m aghast, perturbed and grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Today, my incredibly sexy man calls me to say hi and see how my day is going and as we are talking, he says the funniest thing to me:

“One of my friends on Face Book loves your website.” At first, I thought “wow, how cool is that!” but then I couldn’t stop blinking and my mind went blank. Why, you may ask? Well, in that moment I realized my own husband dissed me on Face Book! I was silent for a second, and then for two, and he asked me what was wrong. I started grinning and said “What do you mean one of your friends on Face Book loves my website? How long have you been on Face Book?” He starts laughing and said that he told me all about how he signed up and found all his friends…UH, OH NO HE DIDN’T! OOOO! I told him that he said no such thing to me! He knows I’m on Face Book, so I asked him why he didn’t add me as a friend? Now he is laughing wildly, and me…I’m still grinning from ear to ear. I wanted to hear his defense.

Why didn’t he add me? So then I asked him this next question…”Did you add your mom to your friends list?” He paused for a moment and said “My mom is on Face Book?”  Oh, his brothers and ALL his friends from high school and college are on his list (even old girlfriends)…but not me or his mother? What’s up with that? Here is a screen shot after I went to Face Book to look him up:

Nervously he is still laughing and confessing that he has no idea how he could have let this slip by. I told him there was only one thing I could do about such a major slip…exact my revenge on him in my blog!

When I couldn’t hold my laugh in any longer, I let out the most sardonic laugh and he knew in that moment that I was actually going to write about this little “incident.” I razzed him for a while about it and he was relieved that I thought the whole thing was hilarious. I wanted him to stew for a bit, thinking that I was really upset about it, but he couldn’t see my face on the other end of the phone line! I couldn’t stop smiling. It was such an innocent mistake (or was it? hmm? LOL), but I wonder how many wives who’s husbands are away for long periods of time would look at it and wonder if he was trying to hook up with an old flame, or find a nice warm body in his area.

I trust him with all that is in me, and one thing that I know about relationships is that it is important for our mates to maintain good solid friendships. He actually has quite the social life out there in Maryland, going to concerts, hanging out with friends at the bar, meeting up with long time friends and I wouldn’t have it any other way. He was feeling guilty last week because I am all alone out here with no support system, friends or family. Then he asked if I had a problem with him going places and doing things with his friends, I said “Oh hell no, are you kidding me? Someone in this family has to go out and have some fun!”

I adore that man! YUM!

Why I Love the City That Never Sleeps!

New York City has always held me captivated by its unique flavor and amazing people. The “city that never sleeps” has a way of creeping into my flesh and make me want to come back for more.

The sights, smells, people, food, night life, and incredible architecture have a hold over me! I love NYC at night, especially in the Fall when the air is crisp and everyone is lightly bundled up. I can smell Autumn wafting through the streets as I detect the faint sent of chestnuts roasting. Although I have never tried a roasted chestnut, NYC would not be the same to me without this familiar smell. Looking around, I see so many different kinds of people all going about their business rushing to their next appointment or taking a stroll down the Avenue peering in shop windows and enjoying company with loved ones. Night life is bustling with a million things to do from sitting in a cafe to seeing live music. You can do just about anything in the city that never sleeps, and then again, you can just relax and sit back enjoying the gorgeous architecture. I love how NYC can blend our modern time with an era gone by and some how it always looks good.

I have so many fond memories of NYC. My father used to take me into the city when I was a young girl and we used to go to the Museum of Art to sketch sculptures and works of art featured in the museum. My dad would have me feverishly sketch people as they sat on a bench pondering the beauty of a particular piece of art work.

My fondest memories are of times that I have spent with friends in the city. Friends add a special touch that makes NY even more precious to me. This week once again I will be traveling into NYC to meet up with a very close and special friend of mine. I feel so incredibly blessed to have her in my life and that she is coming to celebrate my 40th birthday with me…I will be sure to post photos and maybe some video footage of our adventures in the greatest city in the world!

I can’t wait!