Merry Christmas!

Well, here I am on a lazy Thursday afternoon just enjoying what's left of my holiday, and I must say doing nothing is wonderful, especially after the last few days. Cory's mom came over last night for a little pizza and relaxation, a good respite for me after shopping at Target on Christmas Eve of all days. I felt faint after one look at the parking lot, but we had to go in anyway. We survived, and got all the loot we needed for the Owens' celebration today. I took on a lot by agreeing to host, but with a little planning and preparation, I managed to get it all done (and somewhat hot) in time (with Cory's help, of course, and I'm not just saying that because of my present, keep reading). We had all of our favorites and then some, including corn casserole, green bean casserole, real yeast rolls, honey ham, spinach salad, baked beans, and sweet tea - yum! Everyone brought a little something with them as well, which was nice. I even made an impromptu pumpkin cake at 9 pm last night after forgetting to buy the prepared pie crust. No way was I rolling out dough on Christmas Eve, I don't care how "easy" it is. Talking about food right now is slightly disgusting. Even though we haven't eaten since 12:30 pm I'm still a little nauseous. Don't get me wrong, I love to eat, but I'm just not a "stuff your face" kind of person. We just never seem to get our money's worth at the all-you-can-eat. We felt like outcasts at the China Buffet the other day.

Oh yeah, the present. After Patt left last night, I sat down on the couch and noticed a little blue bag under the tree. "Your mom forgot her necklace!" I shouted to Cory. He had purchased her a silver "Mom" pendant at Castleton's Tiffany & Co. for her gift. "Santa was just here, that's for you" he told me. I was mad at first, but my anger at him spending money on me was eclipsed by my curiosity as to what was in that bag. I instantly forgave him when I opened it (OK, so I already had forgiven him when I got a load of the bag, he he) and promptly rejected his offer to take it back if I was too upset. He got me the most lovely Elsa Peretti pendant on a black cord, one I had eyed at the store the other day (note to self: tell Cory you like something and you just might get it). I LOVE it and was so surprised! An "O" for Owens... Thank you, Cory!

Hope the three or four people who read my blog have a very Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Cory

I've been plotting and planning for the last few weeks to do something special for you for Christmas, but I have hit a bit of a roadblock. So, tonight I've decided to let you in on my little secret surprise. You've been working so hard to try and make Christmas Decor a success, working out in the cold and snow for days on end, so I'd also like to give you something to look forward to in order to help you fight the frostbite... So, here it is...



On Saturday, February 7th, we are leaving at 7 am, bound for FLORIDA!!!!!

This is our chance to get away for a bit, relax, and do next to nothing but walk on a beach. You really deserve some time away. And I promise not to power plan every minute of each day.

We have tickets on AirTran (and I got them for a steal, BTW), so there is no turning back. We are GOING for four days and three nights.

The other reason I'm letting you in on the secret is because I can't decide on my own where we should stay. I've got reservations at a little motel on Sanibel Island, but have been having second thoughts based on some Trip Advisor forums I've been reading. So, I need your help to help me decide on some other options I've been looking at.

So, Merry Christmas. I hope knowing we have these plans warms you up a little next week at work. Love you!

The new job

Five weeks on the new job now and I'm just getting the courage up to form an opinion on it. I'm afraid to say I really like it. Afraid only because I don't want to jinx myself. Two and a half years on a cardiac floor will really get you superstitious.

Cory says I sleep better at night. I no longer feel nauseated each morning before work. Oh, and I get up at 6:40 instead of 5:15 - that's a reason to like the new job no matter the other details. I don't worry constantly about killing someone, even when I'm at home. I actually get to eat lunch when I want, and use the bathroom more than once in 12 hours if I need to. No more "code browns" (if you don't know what that is, just guess), shift changes, nasty on-call docs, incessant charting, isolation gowns, or safety officers pop-quizzing me with stupid questions like "how many seconds can this cleaning wipe be out of its package and still retain its antimicrobial properties?" instead of allowing me to answer the call lights (usually all four at once) going off in my patient rooms. I didn't realize how burned out I was until now. I haven't even worked up the courage to go back to clean out my locker.

I'm a tough person. I can handle the harsh realities that a nurse in the hospital must face, and I did it so well for so long that management was genuinely shocked when I handed in my resignation. I am a knowledgable and confident nurse, but the overwhelming patient load and acuity I was facing was too much, and I didn't realize how it was chewing away at me until I stepped away. I could handle the pressure, but couldn't handle feeling like I wasn't doing a good job. No matter how hard I tried, I was failing my patients, one after another.

I'm not sure what the future will bring with this new job, but I'm glad to have my life back.

Our final day on the road...

The next morning we arose early, planning to return to Niagara Falls State Park for a little more sightseeing before hitting the road for home. Our agenda for the day included a ride on the Maid of the Mist, a fleet of tour boats that sail upriver past the American Falls and right into the whirlpool beneath the monstrous Horseshoe Falls. Boy, were we in for a treat.

The Maid of the Mist has been in operation since 1846. It has hosted such distinguished passengers as Teddy Roosevelt, Marilyn Monroe, and Mikhail Gorbechev, to name a few. We also learned that in 1960, a crew on board a Maid of the Mist boat actually plucked a young boy from the water who had survived an accidental plunge over the falls.

The Maid of the Mist docked underneath the giant Observation Tower that reached out over the river on the American side. We were hearded like cattle through the admission line and down the elevators into the gorge, handed a protective poncho (blue, this time), and quickly boarded our boat. I chose a secure spot in the back corner of the boat, and soon we were headed upriver.

At first, we stayed dry. Very soon afterward, we experienced the attraction's namesake and felt ourselves getting sprayed with a fine mist from the American Falls as we sailed by. The falls were beautiful from this perspective, quite different from the vantage point we had the day before.

After we emerged from the gale that enveloped us while we passed the first set of falls, we could see the Horseshoe Falls directly ahead. The wind was quiet and dry again, for a short time at least. The boat just kept going until we were virtually surrounded by the falls on three sides. There was roaring water everywhere. It was absolutely fantastic. Probably one of the highlights of our trip, to be honest, even though it felt like there was someone standing nearby, gleefully tossing large buckets of water at us. By the end of the ride, we were both soaked. Cory even had to wring out his socks once we returned to the shore.

We took in the views at the top of the Observation Tower for quite some time, both reluctant to leave and admit that our long-awaited vacation had come to an end. I'm so glad we decided to come to Niagara Falls on our way home from Cooperstown. Definitely a hokey, touristy spot, but one still steeped in history and natural beauty. Finally, the time had come to head back to Indiana, and back to reality.

I'm already busy dreaming up our next road trip...

Niagara Falls: The First Day

We arose on Friday in Coopers-
town, refreshed after retiring early and getting a good night's sleep the night before. Once again, we were greeted with an amazing breakfast in the Landmark Inn's dining room, this one even better than the first. Thanks to my proton pump inhibitor, I was able to enjoy a cup of coffee for the second day in a row. By this time in our little road trip, I had officially fallen off of the ex-coffee-drinking wagon.

Our last stop on our week-long foray through New York State would be Niagara Falls, just north of Buffalo on the far west border of the state. The four-hour drive was uneventful and straightforward (no mountain-top detours involved); we arrived in the mid-afternoon and checked into our hotel on the American side, the Seneca Niagara Casino and Hotel. Our room on the 23rd floor looked out over the Niagara River and toward Canada, but from that vantage point we couldn't see what all the fuss was about, this ancient, legendary and colossal force of nature called Niagara Falls. All we could see in the mid-afternoon glare was a diminutive, billowing cloud of mist rolling above the gorge. I knew this was the Falls, but I wasn't impressed at that point. Quite soon, I would be.

Ask anyone and they will tell you that the only way to see Niagara Falls is from the Canadian side. That wasn't an option for us. We hadn't taken the time to secure our passports in order to cross the border, now required by anti-terrorist legislation. I carefully researched the attractions on the internet ahead of time to make sure we made the most of our short stay.

Most of the notable sights on the American side were contained in Niagara Falls State Park. So, after dumping our gear at the hotel room and having a bite to eat, we headed there. Our first visit would be to the Cave of the Winds, a vintage attraction where sightseers don a yellow souvenir poncho and disposable sandals, descend an elevator deep into the gorge, then climb a series of redwood steps and decks right beneath Bridal Veil Falls. Once upon a time, the tour actually took tourists behind the falls where a natural cave existed; the cave is long gone after collapsing in the 1920s, but the attraction still bears its name.

We donned the requisite gear and headed down into the gorge. Emerging from the tunnel and walking along the boardwalk at the edge of the Niagara River, we still did not grasp the grandeur of the spectacle we were about to behold. Only once we reached the bottom of the platforms and gazed up to the roaring water overhead did we really comprehend how incredible this place really is. The only way to describe what we saw is through pictures, which still don't do it justice.

I was the only one to endure the "hurricane deck", so-named for the rushing water and swirling gusts that enveloped those tourists brave (or foolish?) enough to tred upon it. Cory took a pass on this feature, choosing instead to protect our cameras which, by this time, contained all of the memories of our vacation so far (almost 1000 images). OK, so I didn't really "brave" it - one little taste of the cold showering Bridal Veil Falls and I had had enough. Slightly sodden, we headed back up the elevator, and set out to explore the falls from above.

From the top of the American Falls, we were able to look down upon the decks of the Cave of the Winds and across the river to Canada. The observation areas were literally three or four feet from the edge of the rushing waters in some places, and we couldn't help but be morbidly fascinated with the power of the Falls and their close proximity: a pair of aluminum guard rails were the only things standing in the way of certain death. Yes, the Canadian side of the Falls might have the best panoramic view, but one could only truly experience the energy of the falls while standing on American soil.

After our close-up observation of the American Falls, we walked to the other side of Goat Island to check out Horseshoe Falls. And we thought the American Falls were spectacular (no photos of Horseshoe Falls here because our view the next day was even more magnificent, see my next post). The Horseshoe Falls were colossal and mesmerizing, even from our limited vantage point on Terrapin Point. We had heard that the Falls were illuminated at night, so we settled down on a bench and waited for dusk. After a few hours of relaxing beside the rushing water, we abandoned our wait for the lights, deciding that the Falls were amazing enough in the daylight. Cold, tired, and elated that we had chosen to stop here on our way home from Cooperstown, we headed back to the hotel and casino to donate some of our remaining cash to the roulette tables.

Heading to Cooperstown

We made our way back to the car at the Newark Aiport at about 5 pm on Wednesday and headed for Cooperstown. Apparently there was no master plan when greater Newark's roadways were constructed - when viewed on a map, the "system" (and I use that term loosely) looks like a web spun by a very disorganized spider. Not wanting to decipher a route on our own, we put our faith in our trusty GPS, good 'ol TomTom.

The trip north through Newark and into New York state to Cooperstown would take us (or so we thought) about 4 hours, so we expected to arrive at our bed and breakfast at about 9:30 pm. We settled into the drive on the sparsely inhabited New York State Thruway (a well-kept toll road), lamenting the fact that we couldn't enjoy the mountainous scenery. Dusk was settling in rapidly, and there is no such thing as Daylight Savings Time on the east coast, so the extent of our sightseeing on this leg of the trip consisted of marvelling at the ghostly shapes of the Catskills silhouetted against the setting sun.

Cooperstown, despite its fame, is located in the remote countryside of northeastern New York. After exiting the interstate just south of Cooperstown and topping off the gas tank, I consulted the map, and noticed that TomTom wanted to take us on a road that I did not see on the atlas. That should have been a red flag right there. But being tired and impatient to settle into our room after a long drive, we decided to trust TomTom in all his infinite wisdom (computers are always right, yes?).

As we drove deeper into the sparsely populated and mountainous countryside, TomTom continued to confidently announce our turn by turn instructions. As we turned onto a one-lane road that seemed to lead straight up a mountain (TomTom identified this road as a state highway, but we sure weren't seeing any signs), Cory and I began to become concerned. The images of the road on the LED screen matched the twists and turns that we were making, so we still felt that TomTom was not leading us astray. It wasn't until the road narrowed further and became gravel with weeds growing through that we started to panic. Cory swore he saw a Dead End sign some ways back, but I hadn't. Finally, the road abruptly ended at the crest of a hill (the type of remote place where someone might dump a body). TomTom was oblivious to the fact that there was no road there, and continued to tell us to proceed forward. My ears at this point were popping from the elevation. Panicking, I ordered Cory to turn around, which he had to do in the middle of the "road", and we both prayed that our little G6 would not get hung up. The only creatures out there were probably bears and crazed ax-murderers, but I sure didn't want to find out who (or what) might descend upon us should we become stranded. We hurried back to the main road and the safety of civilization, wondering if we had stumbled into the Twilight Zone.

Our surreal detour cost us about a half-hour of travel time, so we didn't arrive in Cooperstown until about 10 pm. Needless to say, we had turned off TomTom and used the atlas the good old-fashioned way. We easily found the Landmark Inn on the outskirts of town, and picked up the key to our room from the foyer of this lovely Victorian bed and breakfast. We settled into our comfortable room, and rested up for the next day.

After a delicious breakfast served on fine china at Landmark, we walked into town toward the Hall of Fame. Cooperstown is very much like Zionsville, quaint with many little shops and restaurants. Apparently we were visiting during the Hall's off-season because it wasn't crowded at all, and we actually had some of the areas all to ourselves. We spent almost the entire day there, reading the displays and absorbing the incredible history housed within those walls. We were both very impressed. Some of my favorites were Lou Gehrig's locker, the special area devoted to the Babe, and the Baseball Cards display. Cory loved anything related to the Cubs, the Plaque Gallery, and just about everything else. There was so much to see and read that it would have been almost impossible to digest it all in one visit. What an incredible place.

Inside the Hall of Fame, the Plaque Gallery displaying all of the inductees, from the first class of 1936 to the present.

Cory and the plaque of his childhood hero, Ryne Sandberg.

Besides all of the plaques, uniforms, bats and balls, the Hall also had a section devoted to ballparks and fans, called Sacred Ground. The cornerstone of Ebbets Field also rested there.

Cory pointing out the Cubs on the Standings Board in front of the Hall of Fame, #1 in the Central Division on the day of our visit.

Cory checking out the bat that Babe Ruth hit his "called shot" with in the 1932 World Series. Pretty amazing to be in the same room with so many famous objects and pieces of memorabilia.

Here I am in front of the Chicago Cubs locker. There was one with mementoes from each team in the majors.

Below is part of the baseball card exhibit. Look closely and you'll see Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, among others.

Here's our room at the Landmark Inn, Room #2. It had a private entrance and porch off the parking lot. The house itself was originally built in 1856, and they had some incredible photos displayed there of the house in its early days.

Our day in Cooperstown was extremely relaxing and renewing, especially after just experiencing the mad pace of NYC. We rested up that evening for our journey the next day to Niagara.

More NYC sights

For our second day in the city, I had planned a cruise around Manhattan on the well-known Circle Line Cruise. In the morning, after sleeping in just a tad, we hoofed it across 45th Street to Pier 83. Despite the long lines, we boarded the next available boat for a 2-hour cruise at 11 am. We were blessed with a bright, sunny day complete with a light breeze. We hoped the cruise would give us a different persceptive of the city, and it did. When you are in the middle of NYC, it is hard to imagine your exact locale. Being on the water allowed us to take a step back and absorb the enormity of the place, as well as to see some of the sights we otherwise might have missed.

First, we cruised down the Hudson River, noting the presence of the gigantic Empire State Building, the burg of Battery Park, and the giant void in the skyline where the Twin Towers once stood. Soon we came upon Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, just off the southern tip of the island of Manhattan. The captain lingered a bit near the Statue, and we marveled at its beauty and significance, and snapped lots of pictures.

As the boat sailed away from the statue and up the East River, we saw the Staten Island Ferry (free to the public, as noted by the narrator of the tour), Govenor's Island, and Wall Street to the west. We sailed underneath the Brooklyn Bridge, and two other famed bridges as well (can't think of which ones they were right at this moment). We continued to motor north and got close-up views of the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building. Finally, we sailed back south, retracing our steps back to Pier 83. It was a relaxing and fun trip, nice to see so much of the city without actually hoofing it around. Although it was cold and windy on the boat, and we had difficulty hearing the tour guide because of the engine noise from the boat (we were late boarding and missed out on one of the premium seats on the top deck), it was money well-spent.

After disembarking, we walked back toward 5th Avenue to do a little shopping. We ate lunch at a little cafe, among what looked like throngs of New Yorkers (the tourists didn't seem to frequent this particular dining spot). After peeking in a few shops and noting the price tags, we decided that we were a little out of our league. We headed into Rockefeller Center, and decided to see to the Top of the Rock. I'm so glad we made this last-second decision. The view was amazing! The three-level observation deck gave us a direct view of the city skyline, unobstructed in many places by glass or gates. Absolutely breathtaking. Making it even more special was the clear sky and warm sun. We could have stayed up there for hours taking it all in if we hadn't needed to depart the city for Cooperstown at a reasonable hour.

I was a little nervous about finding our way back to our car from Manhattan, but we pulled it off without a hitch, asking many questions of helpful people along the way. We found our car at the airport, and pulled away for the four-hour drive to Cooperstown.

More on that adventure coming soon...

NYC Day #1 - continued

We reluctantly wrapped up our visit to Central Park in the mid-afternoon of our first full day in NYC. We decided to brave the subway to head back to the hotel, both to prepare for our journey to the Bronx later that day and also to rest our already-weary feet. The famous (or infamous?) NYC subway was surprisingly easy to navigate, and not nearly as smelly or scary as one is led to believe. We walked through Times Square just in time to see the renowned "Naked Cowboy" doing his thing, whatever that is, exactly. I couldn't help it, I had to take a picture.

After freshening up at the hotel, we walked to the Rockefeller Station subway stop and boarded the "D" train toward Yankee Stadium. It was about a 30 minute trip straight up Manhattan, and pretty non-eventful. Finally, we emerged from the station at 161st St and set out for the Stadium. Immediately, we were impressed (or depressed, I guess), by the rough and worn appearance of the area surrounding the park. Prior to our trip, I had read on the internet about Yankee Stadium's lack of family-friendly urban warmth that's easily found at Fenway Park or Wrigley Field, and those writers were not kidding. Many would describe Yankee Stadium as "a dump", and we could almost instantly see why. Still, the history surrounding this institution is undeniable and no true baseball fan would allow physical appearance to entirely dissuade their opinion of the place as a whole.

We wanted to visit Monument Park, a small area nestled behind the outfield wall dedicated to honoring former Yankee greats. We weren't the only ones with this idea, especially in the waning days of the stadium's existence. At about 4 pm, we joined an enormous line, and waited for over an hour for the gates to open. Once in the stadium, admission to Monument Park was first-come-first-serve, and our patience was tested by the pushy-shovey nature of our fellow fans. Somehow we made it in, and viewed this famous little area in its waning days. We saw monuments to the Babe, Lou Gehrig (my favorite), Mickey Mantle, and more. As foul balls rained down around us (we couldn't believe how exposed we all were), we scooted out of there and into our seats, a pair of aisle seats in the upper deck set at a dizzying and vertigo-inspiring angle. We had a great view and enjoyed taking in the game. It was hard to believe we were in this place of such great legend, "the House that Ruth Built". Even more hard to believe that soon it will no longer exist; we made it just in time.

Toward the end of the game, we exited our seats and hit the subway for the return trip, hoping to beat the rush. We did, and were back safely in Times Square (the Naked Cowboy was gone by then, in case you were wondering) in no time. We had dinner at The Perfect Pint across from our hotel, then fell into bed, exhausted. What a great day!

Breakfast at Tiffany's & Central Park

We rolled out of bed on our first morning, exhausted but ready to see the sights of NYC. With only one full day in the city, we knew we had to move fast in order to see the most. Our first stop was Sarabeth's for breakfast, near the intersection of 5th Avenue and Central Park South, the street bordering the south section of the famed park. This location was carefully chosen in advance by me, convenient to two of the sites in the city that I was dying to see. The menu was delicious - I had the most scrumptous French toast with a pile of bacon, and Cory had a fluffy omelet. We dined outside, taking in the views of the NY street and the southern border of the park.

After reading Truman Capote's novella Breakfast at Tiffany's just recently (and then seeing the movie with Audrey Hepburn), I knew I HAD to see this famed and classic jewelry store. So after breakfast, we walked south on 5th Avenue and headed in, fully prepared to be snubbed. Instead, we (along with the throngs of other tourists) were given the red carpet treatment by all of the staff. We received warm welcomes all around, no judgment passed on our obviously midwestern attire, and had eager attention paid to us on the 3rd floor - the home of their silver collection and undoubtedly the "budget" stop for the store's less affluent customers. I am pleased to say I am now the proud owner of a pair of Tiffany Beads silver earrings - and am probably just as proud of that little blue box itself. By the way the saleslady acted you would think that I had purchased a Fabrege egg - she was so proud of her merchandise, even though I think it might have been the cheapest thing in the store. This company has been in operation since 1837 and I can see why.

We left Tiffany's and strolled up Fifth Avenue toward Central Park - the next place I just had to see (if you are feeling sorry for Cory, just remember that this whole trip revolved around our visit to Yankee Stadium, but more on that in a later post..). We descended the steps into the area around the Pond, and were immediately plunged into a different world. Almost instantly, the sights and sounds of this bustling city were obscured by the sounds and vistas of nature. We were both amazed at how beautiful and serene the park was. We spent the next few hours wandering about, admiring the Park's many statues and historic architectural elements. Many of the bridges and features were built in the 1860s, under the direction of Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux, the Park's master architects. Neither of us was prepared for the immensity and beauty of this public treasure. We could have spent an entire day taking in this masterpiece.

Here I am in front of Bethesda Fountain.

Here's Cory, posing for me on Bow Bridge, with the NYC skyline in the background.

And another great pic of Cory on Bow Bridge...

Coming soon.... our journey to Yankee Stadium.

Back to Reality

Just got back from our New York road trip late Saturday night, and thought I'd share a few details of our trip. There's no way I'm going to pack all six days into this one post, so today I'll just tackle Day 1 here. It hasn't gone unnoticed, I am sure, that this is my first post since August 6th, so be sure to harrass me if this post isn't followed by more in the next few days.... the blogging bug hasn't been biting me as much lately.

Seized by temporary insanity back in January, we planned our trip to commence the morning after a weekend that I worked two 12-hour shifts. The week prior to leaving, I tried my best to shore up our travel plans and pack our bags. While I was at work over the weekend, Cory stepped up to the plate and took care of all of the last-minute details, especially picking up the rental car and dropping the dogs off at the "babysitter". I was exhausted but ready for our escape come Monday morning.

We pulled onto I-465 at 7:50 am, and began our trek east. It was an incredibly easy drive; Cory and I made a point to take turns driving to stay fresh. We rented a Pontiac G6 to escape the unreliability of my PT Cruiser, counting on Avis to rescue us should some unforeseen mechanical malfunction occur. Our GPS (the trusty TomTom, or so we thought.... more on that in a later post) estimated the drive to take 13 hours and we didn't want to wear ourselves out too early. We sailed through Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia (briefly, of course), stopping at a Quizno's for lunch just east of Wheeling. Once well into Pennsylvania, we noticed the terrain begin to change, and began admiring the rolling hills and mountains in the distance. I couldn't believe it when we finally made it into New Jersey - the time had literally flown by. We pulled into Newark Airport at about 7 pm. I was nervous, hoping my master plan to ride the train into Manhattan would be as simple as it looked on paper.

We parked in long-term parking, took an intra-airport AirTrain (that place is HUGE) to the Newark International Airport Train Station, and boarded a New Jersey transit train to NYC's Penn Station. It was pretty amazing to emerge out of the station, bleary-eyed from the road, and be overcome by the sights, smells, and sounds of New York City. Not having approached the city by car or plane, we were never treated to a vista of the city itself in preparation for arrival, but rather were thrust immediately into the heart of the city. It was a little surreal.

We staggered through the city streets toward Times Square and our hotel. Poor Cory was lugging a VERY HEAVY shoulder bag, while I had the little rolling suitcase (poor planning on my part). After a few wrong turns and some frustration for both of us, we found our hotel: the Night Hotel. It was an amazing boutique hotel with a gothic black-and-white theme. The room was tiny and cozy; the picture below is literallly of the whole room as taken from the door. What a respite from our crazy day!

After dining at Connolly's Pub across the street (I had the most delicious panini with curried turkey, apples, raisins, and cheddar cheese) and gawking for a bit at the gawdy neon of Times Square, we headed to bed to rest up for the big day ahead....

A Very Happy Birthday

Thanks so much for the birthday cards (I know a few of you read this blog - my only readers as a matter of fact... ha!). You made my day very special. Not that birthdays have been a very big deal for me (at least since I turned 21, I guess), but it still is nice to be remembered. I can't believe I am actually 34 years old - I honestly don't feel any different than I did fifteen or so years ago, back when I thought that thirty-four was SO OLD. And it sure helps when I'm told that I don't look that old either (OK, so the people that tell me that are most often my elderly patients, but I love to hear it anyway).

The biggest surprise in the mail today was one from two special little girls, a card handmade out of my discarded scrapbook supplies that I had left at Ian's for the kids to make art projects with. I've included a picture here of the cover. They made this for me and I just love it! Thanks to that special person who most likely helped them come up with this idea, you know who you are (wink, wink)...

As for my birthday itself, Cory took me to lunch at Paradise Bakery at Clay Terrace, then I did a little shopping. We also took an evening bike ride which was really nice. And, of course, I got a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a sweet card. Happy Day!