So continues our watching of the Original Series of Star Trek! Here are links to our notes! :)

8.) Miri

9.) Dagger of the Mind

Doris and I, since seeing the new Star Trek movie, have decided to watch the original Star Trek series in order. Since we will mostly be watching it separately, we independently take notes and we're sharing them on Doris' LJ (zama60 ). I am going to link to Doris' entries here, in case anyone wants to read our notes. When we watch episodes together (as we did in DC), Doris will make one post including both of our comments. When we watch it separately, she posts and I add my notes as a comment.

1.) The Man Trap
2.) Charlie X
3.) Where No Man Has Gone Before
4.) Naked Time
5.) The Enemy Within
6.) Mudd's Women
7.) What Are Little Girls Made Of?

Doris and I have arrived safely in NJ, after a treacherous drive through a MAJOR thunderstorm! However, before the weather took a turn for the worst, we had an experience that is SHOCKING, DISTURBING, and/or a little hilarious.

We are driving through Maryland, leaving the Washington, DC area. Doris is driving and I am in the passenger seat. To my right, something catches my eye. In the next lane over, there is a man blowing kisses at us, and trying to keep pace with us. I look straight ahead and say to Doris, "Don't look now, but the man in the car next to us is blowing kisses at us."

"Give him the finger!" Doris shouts.

I do not want to give him the finger because I believe it is a bad idea to anger another driver on the road. Instead, I ignore him and do not look to the side. Out of the corner of my eye, it seems the car is no longer keeping pace with us. I am relieved.

But then...

He's back! And THIS TIME he is holding up a spiral notebook, on which he has written:

SHOW ME YOUR BOOBS

I shriek and relate all of this to Doris, who, like a good driver, is keeping her eyes on the road, not on this IDIOT. (Interesting aside: this guy looked to be at least 30, so we cannot blame this occurrence on him being a "crazy college kid" or something.)

"Give him the finger!!!" shouts Doris once more.

Okay, NOW it was totally warranted! We did indeed give him the finger. He drove faster and we did not see him again (THANK GOD). We are unsure, though, whether he saw us give him the finger. We were kind of late with it, due to our SHOCK and HORROR.

Seriously - who makes a sign like that???? Did he actually think I was going to show him my boobs?

I have no words! (I think my finger said it all!)

Today was another awesome day (despite the rain!). We had another wonderful "breakfast smorgasbord" prepared by Amy! Then, Doris and I departed for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (we were very very excited!). We were followed shortly after by Amy and Chris (Molli's little brother, who is also visiting).

First, we viewed the dinosaurs. Doris was very impressed by the amount of fossils at the museum!

The mammals were cool too. I was surprised because unlike the mammals at the NYC Natural History Museum, there are no true "dioramas." The animals are not seen in replias of their habitats. Interesting alternate way of presenting similar information in a different way!

The HIGHLIGHT to end all HIGHLIGHTS was the Hall of Ocean Life. They had not one but TWO giant squid bodies on display! The smaller was a male, while the larger (HUGE!!!) squid was a female. I had come to DC not knowing there would be any giant squids at all! There were also plenty of non-giant squids, many of which were displayed in glass jars.

We also watched a 3D IMAX movie about sea creatures, and it was excellent! There were squids, octopi, mola molas, giant starrfish, and lots and lots of jellyfish! 

We had lunch at the museum, and it was fun! We then continued on to see the remainder of the museum (gems and minerals, soil, insects, etc.).

After the museum visit, Doris and I went outside and it was no longer raining. We decided to walk to see some of the monuments. We didn't think they looked too far away, but in actuality, it was a very long walk! We circled the Washington Monument and took photos. I insisted we "touch" the monuments. Then we walked past the reflecting pool and up to the Lincoln Memorial. We passed the World War II Memorial and the Korean War Memorial. Somewhere in all of this, we managed to miss the Vietnam Memorial, which was also right there. (We were bummed!)

We basically walked our legs off before returning to Amy and Molli's place! Once home, though, a treat awaited us! Molli's mom had cooked delicious food for dinner. YUM! We also had ice cream and played Guitar Hero: World Tour with Chris.

We ended up having to turn in early, so Doris and I watched an episode of "Star Trek" on our computers (we re trying to see the original series in order).

Another lovely day! :) I think I am tired and ready to sleep now!

Doris and I are having a great time in DC! We rode down on Wednesday, and the drive was excellent. The only "bump in the road" was being lost in Elkton, MD trying to find the way to get into a Cracker Barrel! We ended up being lost in Elkton for about an hour. Finally we asked for directions at a gas station, and were quickly on our way to the highway -- where we managed to fina ANOTHER easier-to-get-into Cracker Barrel! Crisis averted, and Cracker Barrel craving sated.

Then we arrived at Doris' sister Amy's apartment. It is soo nice! It is really new, and located on the edge of a stripmall (a nice one). As a result, lots of things are in walking distance, including lots of restaurants and stores, and the metro.

We decided not to do any sightseeing on Wednesday, since it was too late to start the day. So, when Molli came home, we all went to a delicious sushi restaurant! We had a great meal! I saw an aquarium supply store next to the restaurant and wanted to go inside. It was THE MOST AWESOME aquarium supply store EVER. At first glance, it looked like a tiny little store, but around a corner were these aisles after aisles of awesome fresh and salt water tanks full of fish -- many I'd never seen before! There were seahorses and teacup stingrays! Upside-down catfish! Puffers of all shapes and sizes! Awesome.

Next, we went and had frozen yogurt, and watched the 2-hour audtion process of Doris' fave show, "So You Think You Can Dance,"Doris circled many of our possible destinations on a map and jotted down the addresses. We got a good night's sleep.

The next day (Thursday), we got up, had breakfast with Amy, and showered. The three of us set out to DC to go to our first three destinations, the International Spy Museum, Madame Tussaud's, and the National Portrait Gallery. We had a day PACKED with activity. It was a great schedule because all of the activities were indoors, and it was kinda rainy.

I am home from Maine! I am going to go play Rock Band with Doris now!!!

WOOOOO HOOOOO!

Allie More views of my character and her squid tattoos.

I can't help it; I think my character is adorable. :) If you have never played Rock Band before, there are so many different ways you can make and customize your characters. It really is a lot of fun. As you play you earn "money," and Doris and I are motivated solely by clothes. The more money we get, the more clothes we can buy our characters. We are sick chickens.

Other Brain This is me and Doris' band, Other Brain. It is our band of two (just us). You can see Doris' character, Dodo, in the hat and glasses. That's me, Allie, on the right side.

This weekend, I was in Leonia. My parents went to a wedding so I came home to dog-sit for Gracie. It was a fun time! As I mentioned in the last post, I did get to complete those online "workshops" for my certification. So that was productive. I did that on Friday so I would not waste precious "Doris time!" Doris was around on Saturday afternoon/evening, and on Sunday.

On Saturday, Doris and I did our FAVORITE THING: ERRANDS. DOn't ask me why we enjoy errands so much! It's fun to have a "mission" -- a list of things to do -- and to cross them off! We went to Target, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods. We then stopped at Doris' house to drof off the food items, then at my house to let Gracie out. After that, Doris took me to Mo' Pho' which we pronounce Mo-Fo. It was my first Vietnamese/Pho' experience!! I absolutely loved it!!! This was my first Mo-Fo, and definitely not my last!

Post Mo-Fo, we played an hour or so of Rock Band at Doris' house. I didn't want to leave Gracie for TOO long, ever. So we played some, then watched a DVD of "Bye Bye Birdie" featuring Ann-Margret (who is one of our faves) back at my house with the pup. We ended up being up till midnight! Doris went home and returned 10 hours later....

...for breakfast at my house, which I refer to as "Allison's House of Breakfast!" I made bacon, scrambled eggs with cheese, and English muffins. Once nourished, we went to see "Star Trek." I will preface this by saying I have never been a Trekkie, but I loved the movie! I know some die-hard Trek fans are critical of it, and it was probably designed with people like me in mind (non-Trekkies who have just minimal knowledge of Star Trek). But I thought it was a fun movie! My only concern is that the enemy space craft looked kind of like a squid, and I do become concerned when things shed squids in a negative light. Oh well, at least it wasn't REALLY a squid!

When I got out of the movie, I got a distressing call! My mom and dad had gotten home, and went immediately to the hospital! My mom had a cellulitis infection in her arm all weekend and was on an oral medication, but it was not getting ANY better (in fact it was getting worse). So she went to the hospital and they admitted her, so she can get a stronger IV medicine. Boo! Overall she feels fine and is just very bored to be in the hospital! Buller - I know how that feels! She stayed last night and is staying again tonight.

Doris and I had a hamburger at Five Guys (my first Five Guys experience)! It was great! Then we played Rock Band a bit more whle we awaited news about my mom. When my dad was on his way home, I left Doris' house and accompanied him to the hospital (we brought my mom some homemade dinner).

I slept over and commuted back to Brooklyn today so that I could bake a bundt and go to my last day of class! :)

"Allie"

Hi there! Doris has figured out how to "take pictures" of our Rock Band characters online. This is me. Aren't I adorable?? There are more pics and I might post them soon. (Stand by.) You will notice I have given myself LOADS of tattoos of various squids. :) You might have to expand the pic to see the squids better.

BIG NEWS! Tonight was the last day of grad school!!!! I got an A- on my thesis, and an A in the overall thesis class. SO EXCITED! I brought a lemon bundt to class, and we had refreshments and basically a celebratory party (not a "real" class). I just have to wait and see what the deal is with getting certified. I think I'm going to go to Brooklyn College tomorrow to investigate. I just feel that no one has really explained how that happens. Over the weekend, I completed two online courses, child abuse prevention and school violence prevention. Those two classes were necessary to get certified, and they need to be mailed to New York State, but only if other application documents have been sent in. The question remains: does BC do that for us? Or do we do it ourselves? I will get to the bottom of this!

I have turned in my "time sheet" for student teaching, so that's all done! Hooray! :)

So, I have spent the past week here in New Jersey, visiting my folks and Doris. :) It's February break for the schoolchildren, so I didn't have any student teaching this week. Because of Presidents' Day, I also didn't have grad classes! So -- here I am! It has been a good combination of fun, lazy, and productive.

Doris and I have spent a lot of time together which has been fun. We watched our fave Elvis movie, "Viva Las Vegas," which features Ann-Margret. We played some Rock Band (we are motivated by earning "money" with which to buy more clothes for our characters). I just gave my Rock Band character a bunch of tattoos... she now has two squids and an octopus, plus the letter "A". I will continue to get any tattoos of cephalopods, as I find them. Ah, living vicariously through my Rock Band character! We also did DDR on the Wii as our exercise activity! That was not without technical difficulties. At one point we were dancing on the wrong mat!!

Doris and I also hit the mall on Presidents' Day, in what we tern "The Best Presidents' Day Ever." It began at my house where I cooked breakfast. Then we went to the mall. I got three shirts at H&M. They are work shirts but they are cute too! (One has HORSESHOES on it as a pattern!) Doris got some things she needed, too, and we had fun! Then it was off to East for Conveyor Belt Sushi! After that, Doris helped me make a video (forthcoming) and we took a "break" for dinner.

Nightly, my parents and I have had Double Solitaire Tournaments. My mom usually wins. It is a really fun game that I don't often think of playing when I play cards!

My mom and I enjoyed a trip to Target yesterday. We got the best deals! My mom got some placemats for $0.48 each! I got some more expensive placemats for $0.72 (big spender that I am!). I got a lot of stationery items, too, including Elvis Thank You cards and post-it notes.


My mom has been feeding me well... that is a royal treat! Although we are eating healthy, I am trying to get my butt on the treadmill so that I can drop a few pounds this week (hopefully).

The BIG NEWS is, Doris and I are going to go to the AQUARIUM tomorrow (the one in Camden, NJ). I am ecstatic, because they not only have fish and sea creatures -- but they also have HIPPOS! I WILL MAKE A VIDEO!

My om and I have been watching a LOT of Elvis movies. For one, I had an Amazon.com order ship to my parents' house, and it contained 3 Elvis movies that I got for free with a gift certificate. Additionally I brought "Change of Habit," which my mom requested (it is the King's last movie, and it features Mary Tyler Moore as a nun). ALSO -- a highlight of the Elvis Movie Watching has been seeing "Girls! Girls! Girls!" -- a movie in which "Little Elvis" makes an appearance. ("Little Elvis" was Elvis' nickname for his... anatomy.) During the number "The Walls Have Ears," Elvis is visibly aroused! Don't know how that got past the censors!!

• 17:20 Taking a break from CROCHETING. I have been crocheting up a storm! #
• 23:16 Sweaty after a nice round of Wii DDR with Doris! :D #

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Just last Saturday I had a Chinese New Year celebratory lunch with Doris and her sibs and cousin. I got to welcome the Year of the Ox with some lobster, Peking duck, jellyfish skin (!!!), a green vegetable, seafood soup, and soup dumplings! It was amazing. (Doris and I had salmon sushi, too.) I just let Doris and Amy order for me, and tried everything! There was even a oft tofu and honey dessert (served warm). MMM! Guess what my fortune cookie said??

"It is a nice day."

Whoa. Deep.

I am celebrating my birthday for an extended period of time, once more! On Friday, I went to NJ to celebrate with my folks. My mom made me flounder and spinach and my dad contributed French onion soup and home fried potatoes! Yummm! Flounder fillets were my pick (I get to choose every year.) My mom also made my Favorite Cake of All Time, Red Velvet. Thankfully, Doris came over to help me eat some of it!!

On Saturday, I went with my mom to go on a traditional birthday shopping trip. In lieu of gifts we hit the mall and get some new clothes! This year I had a couple missions:

• Super-warm winter coat (like a "sleeping bag coat")
• Shirts and tops for this weather that are cute and not ugly (so tired of sweaters)
• An umbrella
• Replacement black sneakers for my Nike sneakers that died
• Anti-parasite meds for McNugget (he has internal parasites)

We had extreme success, getting the coat first-thing. It is a charcoal gray knee-length down jacket but it actually has a shape to it so I do not look like a garbage bag has been put over my head. Also got a few cute tops to wear. I went into some higher-end shoe and sneaker stores and did not have success, but then in JC Penney's, they had the Sneakers of my Dreams (a perfect replacement for the dead ones!).

Also got my umbrella and McNugget's meds (had to go to TWO STORES to get what he needed). He is my spoiled baby. I am here in Brooklyn but have not been to my apartment yet, so I hope he is all right so that I can begin treating him for his parasites.

After shopping we enjoyed some of m dad's chili then I went to Doris' house where we watched Tropic Thunder and I crocheted! I was there till after 1 AM! We were just having fun, watching TV, and later, looking people from high school up on Facebook. (It happens.)

The following day I went on numerous family outings with my parents including to Costco and Border's. Later I went to Doris' and we played Rock Band and Wii with Daphne who was also in town! (I enjoy Wii Boxing, even though Daphne knocked me out.)

• 14:50 @aprilsmithmusic: Oh no - get well, Turkey! #
• 14:51 My dog ate my fascinator. #
• 00:28 I just jammed on uke with Doris (piano) and Amy (flute). After jamming on real instruments, we played fake instruments (Rock Band). #

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• 15:18 Guess who has a NEW UKULELE? !!!!! Thank you, Marty Claus! <3 #
• 11:53 @ianschwartz & @thedoifter: tinyurl.com/868gbf (NEW UKE) #
• 11:54 Just had breakfast, gonna take a shower, then gonna see what Doris is up to. :) #

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More...

So, during dinner we discovered that Molli didn't know what LOLcats were. Doris and I don't even like LOLcats, but at least we know what they are! It is REALLY hard to explain to someone what a LOLcat is if you don't have access to the internet to show a picture! She just did not get the concept! Now that we are home, Doris and I are showering Molli's email with pictures of LOLcats!! Haha!

Doris had brought Rock Band and we played it a LOT intermittently throughout the weekend. With 8 people, we were able to form 2 "bands," and play "against" each other. We just took turns; it was the Mas-holes vs. the LOLcats (by now, we had taken the joke to the NEXT LEVEL). Overall, our band, the LOLcats, rocked harder than the Mas-holes. We stayed up late trying to earn new songs because Doris' stored data somehow became corrupted and so we had to get it back with our "skillz."

Finally we turned in and Doris and I talked about Disney Movies for hours before we decided we finally had to go to sleep!!! What can I say -- we like Disney!

In the morning we decided to order breakfast from Jimmy's Diner. We got something to supplement our leftover steaks (we were gonna have "steak 'n eggs," but needed to get the eggs from Jimmy's!). I actually had "steak 'n crepes!"

We then cleaned up EVERYTHING and packed up the cars to head to FIRE ISLAND! We decided the bay side "beach" was a poor excuse for a beach, so we'd go to Fire Island. I had NO IDEA what Fire Island even WAS; Doris had to explain to be that it was a "gay paradise!" (PS to Doris: My parents even know what Fire Island is! I don't know how I missed this!)

We took a very nice ferry ride to get to Fire Island -- Cherry Grove to be exact, which apparently is known for being a "lesbian beach" which is how Amy knew about it. Amy goes to Fire Island all the time! Well, it is a clothing-optional beach! While me and all of our friends kept clothing ON, there were a great abundance of breasts and penii out in the open! It was a sight to see! Doris and I were giggling because we are approximately 7 years old.

The beach itself was BEAUTIFUL, with super-blue (almost like Caribbean!) water, and nice sand. We did some sunning, then went in search of food. The homes on Fire Island are SO CUTE, I can't even begin to describe them! They are kind of like these little cottages elevated about 3 feet off the ground. Everything is elevated, including boardwalk pathways all over. The cottages have yards (3 feet down) around them, where people plant these adorable gardens and there are trees and shrubs. I was amused at a painted sign with an arrow saying "Doctor." (I got a picture of the arrow pointing at Doris!) It is just this cute little paradise! I loved it!

After our visit to Fire Island, it was time to go home. Alas!! Still, it was an amazingly GREAT time and I hope I can go to Fire Island once more!!!

This past weekend, I went to a beach house with Doris, her sister Amy, Amy's girlfriend Molli, and 2 other couples. Before setting out, Doris and I met up for an early-morning run to CVS where we stocked up on essentials (I got a battery for my Tamagotchi and some gummi bears and circus peanuts). Then we loaded up Molli's car and set out!

The beach house, owned by a couple of "power lesbians" (who also owned several other houses and condos!), was absolutely adorable! It had pretty flowers out front, a nice-sized deck, and a large yard outside. Inside, the rooms were painted pretty, beachy colors. There were 4 bedrooms. Doris and I were given the "small" bedroom which had the smallest bed (a twin) because we were the only non-couple. We were fine with that; it was only for sleeping! Still pretty funny having 2 adults in a twin bed! Fortunately, Doris is tiny!

The house was in Mastic Beach in Long Island... it was on the bay side, and as we approached the beach area, we walked around the marina, where I saw the MOST JELLYFISH I EVER SAW! They were very cute, but also very scary! They had the long kinds of tentacles that will STING YOU. (Fortunately they were not Box Jellyfish.) The "beach" wasn't all that great. It was basically a patch of sand, and we did not do any swimming (because of Jellyfish and the water area was generally very squishy and pebbly). But we did get to lay out and tan (and sleep!)... little did we know, we would also get bit up by bugs as we were laying there! Doris any I had bug spray on, too!

I was given the Most Tasty Award for getting the most bug bites (I have at least 14, but possibly more). Doris came in second! So much for using bug repellent!

That night, Doris and I volunteered to accompany Amy and Molli on a grocery shopping trip. We got steaks, shrimp, salad, corn on the cob, bottled beverages, and ice cream! When we arrived at the house, we divided everyone into "teams" to prepare the food: Team Steak, Team Shrimp, Team Corn, and Team Salad! Doris and I were Team Salad, a responsibility we took VERY seriously. We made a MASSIVE salad too big to fit in one platter, so we made two platters (there were no salad bowls). Doris worked the Salad Spinner like a pro, while I chopped veggies. The tomatoes were excellent!

Team Steak did a GREAT JOB with the spices and marinade! YUM, that steak was GREAT! Strangely, we had two people who did not speak up about being non-red-meat-eaters, so we had gotten an excessive number of steaks! Good thing Team Salad made so much salad! Team Corn did a great job (or maybe it was just the corn itself -- we were really impressed by the Long Island Pathmark's produce!). That corn was so delicious and sweet, I am still thinking about it! Team Shrimp made not one but TWO different "styles" of boiled shrimp! YUM! It was a great feast!

After feasting we played "Celebrity." I have to admit I was really nervous about playing Celebrity. The game is like charades, where there are little pieces of paper everyone writes on (a movie or TV character, singer, actor/actress, animated character... pretty much just about everyone!). As you choose a paper from the bowl you have to act out that character or person. I was nervous because I don't really know too many current "celebs" and I'm not really up on celeb gossip... so I thought I might be terrible at the game! HOWEVER, I felt relieved as soon as I saw the kinds of things people had put on the little pieces of paper -- my first one was "Bugs bunny." I CAN DO THIS, I thought!!! It was really, really fun and funny! Molli's impression of a turkey was probably my favorite moment. I had to impersonate the old guy in the 6 Flags commercial, and thanks to my days at the hardware store, I was able to do it with a high degree of accuracy!

Stand by for more...

It's a LOLDoris (far superior to LOLcats if you ask me!!!):



Doris (zama60) made herself into a lolcat, and I think it is too great not to repost. (Sorry, Doris.)

I just had an AMAZING beach-weekend with Doris, her sister, and friends!! I owe you all a post ALL ABOUT IT, but for now... you get a LOLDoris!

Well, to my dismay, the weather was not perfect for photos. I was hoping for some sunnier weather, but I think in the end everything will work out. My final three "characters" were:

* St. Lucy (me wearing some bedsheets and standing outdoors with a dish containing two eyeballs)
* Miss Crustacean (me as a pageant queen)
* Marilyn Monroe (me reclining in bed, in full MM regalia)

The St. Lucy "eyeballs" prop was made by me out of clay. I coated them with corn oil so they'd look slimy! I hope they look like realistic eyeballs in the photos! I was sweating bullets in all of the sheets and the one going over my head kept falling off.

Fortunately I had everything I needed to become Marilyn Monroe, since I have been MM for Halloween before.

I actually bought a new wig this weekend to be Miss Crustacean. It is long and blonde and really looks like "pageant hair." (Or, at the very least, like Suzanne Somers.) I was worried about making a Miss Crustacean "sash." I thought we were going to have to stop at a craft store or two. Mom and I were at the mall and at Sears they were having a sale. Numerous mannequins were dressed in sashes that said "SALE" on them. If turned inside-out, we noted, the sashes were plain white! So, my mom and I actually "stole" a sash off of a mannequin! I feel kinda bad, but honestly it was the perfect thing ever for what I was trying to do.

My 4th roll of film contains pictures of my doggie, Gracie, and pictures of Doris' doggie, Petunia (separate, not together). Some of Gracie's pictures feature her in her very own plastic swimming pool that she enjoys. Petunia was only happy to pose after Doris lured her with chicken!! :)

I hope these 4 rolls come out well!! *crossed fingers!!* I will find out in class tomorrow!

This past weekend, I was in New Jersey for the holiday weekend. I wanted a little R&R and that is exactly what I got. It was great!!! A fantastic way to just RELAX post-semester!!

On Saturday, my mom and I went shopping at Macy's... I got some new clothes, especially pants for work and jeans, since I do not have much that fits me anymore. That was fun! It's confusing because I don't know what size I am anymore!! I had to try a lot on to figure it out. Even then, in a department store like Macy's that has a lot of different brands, the sizes are very different from brand to brand. Overall it was fun getting some smaller clothes! I even got a new sun dress! And THREE pairs of jeans!! One I have to get taken up because they were super long. They must be made for EXCEEDINGLY tall people. Anyhow, I got such good sales that even the tailoring of the jeans still makes them a GREAT value. So -- YAY!

[Aside: when I wore one new pair of jeans and new shirt yesterday, Alexandra asked me, "Did you lose, like, 15 pounds over the weekend??" I think it was just because I was wearing actual clothes that FIT!]

Then, Doris and I spent a day together! First we went to CVS (our favorite store... lame, I know, but we just LOVE it!!). Doris wanted a magazine and I wanted to get some stuff for my soldier. Doris helped me choose some stuff, including a Maxim Magazine featuring 100 hottest babes and a Men's Health Magazine (Doris recommends it!). The Men's Health 'zine got us off to a "health" themed package... we got Tylenol, foot powder, vitamins, Band-Aids, and more for the soldier! We had a few laughs because I know very little about my soldier so far. We'd say things like:

Doris: "What about this itch cream?"
Allison: "We don't know if he itches."

Overall, I think we did a good job making a nice care package! After CVS, we went to Doris' house and played Rock Band! We BEAT the game!!! It was really exciting. I had to beat it on the "easy" skill level. Still... We felt accomplished! After Rock Band, Doris (and her doggie, Petunia) walked me home. Aunt Linda and her two dogs were there, plus Gracie. Petunia held her own with the big dogs! Doris ended up staying for dinner! That was really nice!

After dinner I again went over to Doris' house and we ROCKED OUT on ukulele and piano to some songs in the Reader's Digest songbooks. We put post-it notes on our favorites, and I will try to learn those better. They have guitar tabs, so I must convert them to uke tabs. Still, for some songs I was able to keep up! Our HIT TO END ALL HITS: "Blue Hawaii"!!!

We were up so late rocking out, there was no time to even do DDR!

Also this weekend I did a lot of treadmilling. I knew with the BBQ that I was going to be eating a lot of food so I tried to counteract it with exercise. I didn't have any alcoholic beverages at all the whole weekend, which I knew would save me some calories!! This week I am up 2 pounds from where I was a couple weeks ago, so I want to get right back on track this week with my fitness and good-eating!!

Then, I just kind of relaxed! I helped my parents cook and stuff. Got to hang out a lot outside on the deck and soak up some sun!

On TUESDAY, I took the day off and I helped Mrs. Racz with the Leonia High School Art Expo. We hung artwork all day, and by the end it really was looking GREAT! It was a great experience, and I am glad I got to do it!

Later on, I mailed my package to my sailor, so that I would not have to lug the stuff I bought back to Brooklyn with me.

[Aside: The Leonia Post Office is so nice! I was in and out in no time!!]

Overall, a delightful weekend of laziness!! And now back to the real world!!