There is one thing in this world that makes me act like a paranoid freak...its the dreaded evil stomach virus. I have had trouble with this particular illness since I was a little kid. Someone pukes, I run. I need to puke...I deny it til I am overcome with tears and crying for my mommy. No kidding. So, how did someone like me ever decide to have kids???? I think I must have convinced myself that my kids would be above it all...and they would know to throw up in the toilet, and not on carpets, in their beds, on their clothes, on me.... HAHAHAHAHA!
Sammy is now 7, and in her 7 years, she has had the virus 4 times. 4 times that I remember VIVIDLY. Melly is almost 4, and she has had it 2x...and counting. Sammy was sick earlier this week, and now my sitter has it. Chris, Melly and I have so far escaped...but I do not kid myself, no one escapes this...you can't hide! The germs find you, and when you are least expecting it...BAM, you are down for the count! I have washed my hands at least a thousand times, they are raw from antibacterial soap.
I can remember being about 12, at my Aunt Kathy's house on Staten Island. My sister got sick, and threw up orange juice all over their front lawn, and then later in their living room. My cousin Gina and I both experienced sympathy pains and rain away screaming. My mom was sooo mad at me, and I totally can see why she was, but I was not faking. I truly cannot control the spins and twists of my own stomach when I know someone else is getting sick. Its awful. And here I am, 2 days after my oldest daughter got sick...waiting for the proverbial "other shoe" to drop, or in this case, shoes. Reminds me of the South Park episode where all the parents want their kids to get Chicken Pox from the one kid who has them...at least once the kids get it, they know they are done. I know we are not done, and as much as I don't want the 3 of us to get it, its inevitable, and the wait is killing me. I know, I should be in therapy for this!
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Blizzard of 06!
Don't you just laugh at how the news gives minor events these ominous titles!
Well, here is some footage of our snow day:
Well, here is some footage of our snow day:
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Let it snow...
Yipee...its snowing! I may be one of the few people who are HAPPY about this major snowstorm hitting the Northeast, but as you all know, I love to ski! And I have a trip planned to Vermont during President's week. And sadly, there is no snow up there. And even more sad...while we are getting 12"+ down here on Long Island, Vermont is getting a mere 2-5". But at least its cold enough for them to make some of the white stuff. I am going with my friend Brig, and our 2 oldest children. They love to ski too, and there is nothing cuter than watching your kid french fry and pizza down a hill! Out in the west they call it wedgies and christies, but no matter the terminology, they are learning to ski and someday they will blow past us on the mountain, and that will be a proud moment for us! I did not learn to really ski until I was in my 30's! I started skiing at 17, way too late in my book. Samantha started at 5, and she is already doing blue runs and moguls. I love it!
In April, the 2 families are going to Breckenridge, and we are getting our 2 youngest, who will be just under 4 on skis too. How cute that will be! Just hope they enjoy it as much as their older siblings.
We have about 10" outside already, and its not supposed to stop until much later this afternoon...so we will be outside shoveling, playing, and freezing our behinds off. WOO HOO
In April, the 2 families are going to Breckenridge, and we are getting our 2 youngest, who will be just under 4 on skis too. How cute that will be! Just hope they enjoy it as much as their older siblings.
We have about 10" outside already, and its not supposed to stop until much later this afternoon...so we will be outside shoveling, playing, and freezing our behinds off. WOO HOO
Friday, February 03, 2006
So we are back...
We came back last Fri am, on a red eye from Sacramento. Let me just get this out in the open....next time, we fly to Reno. This was our 5th trip to Lake Tahoe, and let me say, its a LONG trip from NY no matter how you go, but we tried something new this year. Last year, while chatting with a Tahoe local, we learned that Sacramento was a mere 2 hour drive from Tahoe, and we could fly Jet Blue directly from JFK! WOW! Direct TV at my seat, and no stopover??? We said "woo hoo, we're there!"
What we didn't know, was that Jet Blue has 1 flight to Sacramento, and 1 flight back to NY...both of them redeyes. And the other thing we did not realize is that the drive between Sacramento and Tahoe is twice as long as the drive from Reno, and way more hairy. If you have never driven the Sierras in a snow storm, then you don't how important this little tidbit is...but for any of you know what it is like to drive your rented SUV up and down these mountains where chains are not only required, but your car is checked at actual chain checks along your travel, you will understand why next time....we will fly to Reno, and enjoy that stopover!! Oh yea, another thing...the flight to Sacramento was nearly 6 hours...6 hours of sleepless, fidgeting, there is nothing on TV, starving, my butt is numb....it was almost unbearable. Chris and I were both DYING to get off that damn plane. And when we did, and retrieved our massive luggage (skis/boots/garb), and finally grabbed the rental car bus, rented our SUV, and got into the SUV....we took a few wrong turns, and turned that 2 hour drive into a 4 hour drive! So...in a nutshell, left our home on Long Island at 5:00 PM, boarded plane at JFK at 8:00 PM, landed in Sacramento at 11:40 PM (2:40 AM EST)...and arrived in our hotel room in South Lake Tahoe at 4:00 AM (7:00 AM EST for those of you who are keeping track). Do the math, that is 14 hours of traveling to go just across the country. But you know what...we will do it again, because we LOVE that place!
And then, we had 4 awesome days of skiing. Monday we did our usual 1/2 day stint at Heavenly. Being that we had no sleep, a 1/2 day is all we can manage. We had an awesome dinner at Ceasar's...I can still taste that warm chocolate souffle...mmmmm! Tuesday we tried a new mountain, a local place called Homewood. It was great, had excellent views of the lake, and 2 full day tickets cost less than 1 1/2 ticket at Heavenly! Wednesday we went to my fave, Kirkwood. I love that mountain, its always a challenge, and they always have the most powder! And this year, we conquered the Wall! Not as a planned challenge, but conquered all the same: Chris said "Let's get on that lift, the one over there that goes all the way up...see there where it says the Wall?" OK, stupid me says "sure, lets go". OK, so this is our FIRST run of the day...we go up on the world's longest lift, climbing up and up and up, the wind getting fiercer...and then we get off the lift to face this: One one side, orange barrier with a skull and crossbones and "For Experts Only"...on the other...Double Diamond vertical drop, all moguls. Hmmmm....can you say "FUCK?" Chris and I both just stared at it for several minutes, contemplating if we could slide on our asses to safety.... Finally, we went for it...and we made it. It wasn't pretty, but we did it. I took some pics, and I will try to post as soon as I upload them.
Ah...which brings me to the end of our trip...
Wed night I started getting chills and body aches, but I took some Advil and dismissed them. We drove up to Reno, to have some Lettuce wraps and Mongolian beef at PF Chang's, and try our gambling somewhere else since South Lake was taking all of my money. Dinner was great, but the Advil was wearing off, and I was getting achy again, but I was trying to keep it to myself so as not to ruin our trip. After about an hour or so, Chris could see I was hurting, and Reno was no kinder to our wallets, and he suggested we head back to Tahoe...and I heartily agreed. I took some more Advil, but it just didn't help. We went back up to our room, and I passed out. The next day, Thursday, I toughed it out, and we skied at Sierra. Somehow I got through the skiing ok (more Advil!), and we met up with my friend's cousin, and had a pretty good day out there. We headed back to the hotel to shower and get ready for our drive back to Sacramento, and that was when it got bad. The snow was coming down, I was feverish and ache all over, and the drive was endless. Chris drove like a pro (he always does) and got us to the airport safely. I was dying by this time, and couldn't wait to board the plane so I could sleep. I figured, as tired as I was, and as sick as I felt, surely I would sleep....HA! I hadn't accounted for the finicky, and anal expulsive infant that would sit behind us, or the jaw clenching pain that would grip my ears as we ascended into our cruising altitude....and then as we descended...I actually whimpered, winced and damn near cried as we landed. It sucked.
We got back to our house at about 10 AM, and I passed out in my bed by 11:00. And I did not wake up til 4, when I realized I was really and truly sick....fever, sore throat, and is that what an ear infection feels like? Yep, that's what it was, and here I am, more than a week later, and I still can't hear out of my left ear! And then...just as I am beginning to feel better, and head to work, Chris starts feeling like crap. Yep, he got it too. And that's not all....Sat night, while he was out with the kids while I slept...we had a massive flood in the basement, which destroyed our computer, and we think it was the proverbial last straw that pushed Chris from the brink of "I can fight this off" to full fledged "shit, I have the flu". Poor guy was up til almost 4 am cleaning it up. This was after being up all day Thurs through Fri night. And this my dear Internet...is why I have not managed to upload those darn pictures yet! But I will, and you will see why we love that place, and why we will tortur ourselves w/that crazy flight/drive again!
We came back last Fri am, on a red eye from Sacramento. Let me just get this out in the open....next time, we fly to Reno. This was our 5th trip to Lake Tahoe, and let me say, its a LONG trip from NY no matter how you go, but we tried something new this year. Last year, while chatting with a Tahoe local, we learned that Sacramento was a mere 2 hour drive from Tahoe, and we could fly Jet Blue directly from JFK! WOW! Direct TV at my seat, and no stopover??? We said "woo hoo, we're there!"
What we didn't know, was that Jet Blue has 1 flight to Sacramento, and 1 flight back to NY...both of them redeyes. And the other thing we did not realize is that the drive between Sacramento and Tahoe is twice as long as the drive from Reno, and way more hairy. If you have never driven the Sierras in a snow storm, then you don't how important this little tidbit is...but for any of you know what it is like to drive your rented SUV up and down these mountains where chains are not only required, but your car is checked at actual chain checks along your travel, you will understand why next time....we will fly to Reno, and enjoy that stopover!! Oh yea, another thing...the flight to Sacramento was nearly 6 hours...6 hours of sleepless, fidgeting, there is nothing on TV, starving, my butt is numb....it was almost unbearable. Chris and I were both DYING to get off that damn plane. And when we did, and retrieved our massive luggage (skis/boots/garb), and finally grabbed the rental car bus, rented our SUV, and got into the SUV....we took a few wrong turns, and turned that 2 hour drive into a 4 hour drive! So...in a nutshell, left our home on Long Island at 5:00 PM, boarded plane at JFK at 8:00 PM, landed in Sacramento at 11:40 PM (2:40 AM EST)...and arrived in our hotel room in South Lake Tahoe at 4:00 AM (7:00 AM EST for those of you who are keeping track). Do the math, that is 14 hours of traveling to go just across the country. But you know what...we will do it again, because we LOVE that place!
And then, we had 4 awesome days of skiing. Monday we did our usual 1/2 day stint at Heavenly. Being that we had no sleep, a 1/2 day is all we can manage. We had an awesome dinner at Ceasar's...I can still taste that warm chocolate souffle...mmmmm! Tuesday we tried a new mountain, a local place called Homewood. It was great, had excellent views of the lake, and 2 full day tickets cost less than 1 1/2 ticket at Heavenly! Wednesday we went to my fave, Kirkwood. I love that mountain, its always a challenge, and they always have the most powder! And this year, we conquered the Wall! Not as a planned challenge, but conquered all the same: Chris said "Let's get on that lift, the one over there that goes all the way up...see there where it says the Wall?" OK, stupid me says "sure, lets go". OK, so this is our FIRST run of the day...we go up on the world's longest lift, climbing up and up and up, the wind getting fiercer...and then we get off the lift to face this: One one side, orange barrier with a skull and crossbones and "For Experts Only"...on the other...Double Diamond vertical drop, all moguls. Hmmmm....can you say "FUCK?" Chris and I both just stared at it for several minutes, contemplating if we could slide on our asses to safety.... Finally, we went for it...and we made it. It wasn't pretty, but we did it. I took some pics, and I will try to post as soon as I upload them.
Ah...which brings me to the end of our trip...
Wed night I started getting chills and body aches, but I took some Advil and dismissed them. We drove up to Reno, to have some Lettuce wraps and Mongolian beef at PF Chang's, and try our gambling somewhere else since South Lake was taking all of my money. Dinner was great, but the Advil was wearing off, and I was getting achy again, but I was trying to keep it to myself so as not to ruin our trip. After about an hour or so, Chris could see I was hurting, and Reno was no kinder to our wallets, and he suggested we head back to Tahoe...and I heartily agreed. I took some more Advil, but it just didn't help. We went back up to our room, and I passed out. The next day, Thursday, I toughed it out, and we skied at Sierra. Somehow I got through the skiing ok (more Advil!), and we met up with my friend's cousin, and had a pretty good day out there. We headed back to the hotel to shower and get ready for our drive back to Sacramento, and that was when it got bad. The snow was coming down, I was feverish and ache all over, and the drive was endless. Chris drove like a pro (he always does) and got us to the airport safely. I was dying by this time, and couldn't wait to board the plane so I could sleep. I figured, as tired as I was, and as sick as I felt, surely I would sleep....HA! I hadn't accounted for the finicky, and anal expulsive infant that would sit behind us, or the jaw clenching pain that would grip my ears as we ascended into our cruising altitude....and then as we descended...I actually whimpered, winced and damn near cried as we landed. It sucked.
We got back to our house at about 10 AM, and I passed out in my bed by 11:00. And I did not wake up til 4, when I realized I was really and truly sick....fever, sore throat, and is that what an ear infection feels like? Yep, that's what it was, and here I am, more than a week later, and I still can't hear out of my left ear! And then...just as I am beginning to feel better, and head to work, Chris starts feeling like crap. Yep, he got it too. And that's not all....Sat night, while he was out with the kids while I slept...we had a massive flood in the basement, which destroyed our computer, and we think it was the proverbial last straw that pushed Chris from the brink of "I can fight this off" to full fledged "shit, I have the flu". Poor guy was up til almost 4 am cleaning it up. This was after being up all day Thurs through Fri night. And this my dear Internet...is why I have not managed to upload those darn pictures yet! But I will, and you will see why we love that place, and why we will tortur ourselves w/that crazy flight/drive again!
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