Atlanta

I am in Atlanta at the moment, eating entirely too much food and having a great time with my childhood friend, Rachel and her family, husband Sven and three daughter Arianna, 6, Victoria, 4, and Bella , 2-and-a-half.

Yesterday morning I sat at the computer acting very busy and important when Bella and Tori came up on either side of me. Spotting the shirtless man from the Old Spice ad in the side column on Facebook, Tori said, "He's not wearing a shirt." Then she thought a minute before adding, "Should we be looking at this?" I assured her that it was just an advertisement for soap.

Rachel and I got a day to ourselves yesterday and had a great time checking out the Atlanta Aquarium. Obviously, she's been there before with the kiddies, but she said she really liked going at our own pace.

Before arriving, Rachel had told me over the phone that she wanted to see a movie. "Preferably one with lots of swearing in it!".

At the Aquarium, there was a 3D movie showing - just a little documentary, we thought. So, we got tickets. This was not going to fulfill R-rated movie quota, but we decided to see it anyway. We sat down and realized, not only was it not R rated (obviously, it's the Aquarium), but it was cartoons. Singing cartoons. "Oh, shit" I heard Rachel mumble next to me. Fortunately, it was a short film!

Don't Go Just Yet!

My friend Rachel, who you can read about HERE, HERE, and HERE, has been in China teaching English to naughty children for the past year. Right now she's in the Colorado visiting family before her contract re-ups and she heads back for another six to twelve months of teaching the naughty children in China. I think she's nuts but to each her own. And to be more accurate, she's not in Colorado right now, but rather stuck in Chicago returning to Colorado after visiting her sister in Virginia. Nice timing, snow bunny.

I miss Rachel. She and I spent countless hours together in Florida; going to the movies, out to eat, hanging out at my place watching TV and providing our own hilarious (to us anyway) running commentary. She is what is known as A Great Deal of Fun.

When Rachel moved to China for her teaching stint, I decided to send her podcasts from me, telling her about things going on this side of the planet - my bad dates (which are now no more, thank you very much), my friends all having babies ("It must be something in the water! Sheesh!"), living at home and trying to get my business up and going. And of course, I give her updates on her boyfriend, Oliver.

Months and months ago, Rachel disappeared from contact. No emails, no blog entries. China had cut-off the Internet and, as it turns out, the outgoing mail too. So, when my phone rang a few weeks ago when I was in Target and I heard the sound of my long-lost friend's voice, I nearly burst into tears. In Target. While looking at batteries. She was in the States, finally, and the sound of her voice brought a joy I didn't expect.

Tonight I called her parents' house in CO to talk to her, "Hi, this is Cydney calling for Rachel!" I said in a sing-song asking kind of way.

It was met with a pause and a confused mumble-type sound. Then I realized I was talking to her mother, who's name is also Sydney. You can imagine now how hearing "This is Cydney calling for Rachel" when you yourself are Sydney and you rarely hear that name other than when someone is talking to you, would be confusing.

All I'm sayin' is I miss talking to my friend Rachel and I hope she gets home form Chicago soon so I can talk to her before leaving for that crazy China place to teach the naughty children in less than a week.

Rachel's Blog!

My dear friend Rachel has been brave and ventured off to another world! Northwest China to be exact. She will be there for nine months, I believe, teaching English. You can enjoy her stellar writing and hear about her adventures on her new blog, Mandarin Orange.

Rachel's Visit

My friend Rachel has been visiting the great state of Massachusetts this week and it has been great fun. We both noted that considering we usually just hang around and making snide comments about whatever stupid thing we're watching at the time (like HERE, and HERE), and that this visit was different for us because we were so all over the place.

We went to Salem, checking out The Salem Witch Museum where there was a funky history lesson taught with creepily lit mannequins. We also went to Ye Olde Pepper Company candy shop. It claimed to be the oldest candy company in the country, but really, there was nothing terribly interesting about. As Rachel said, too, "I don't think this was the candy shop 50 Cent was talking about".

That same day, we went to Walden Pond. That was very cool, and we had great fun taking stupid pictures with the statue of Thoreau and the replica of his shack. And for the record, the pond is more like a great lake.

Yesterday we went into the city. Starting in Hahvahd Squeah, we wandered til it started raining. My brother met with us for lunch. My cousin Susan met us too. From there we went back on the subway to Boston Commons. We wandered and wandered, hoping to catch a glimpse (as if it runs and hides?) of Old North Church (One if by land, two if by sea). Instead, we found the Old South Church. Not the right one but pretty just the same.

We came home to Wakefield and chilled for a short while before going to see Miracle at St. Anna with Dad. The miracle was that we stayed awake through the spastic unfocused film. The story was great actually, but the movie? Not so much.

Today, we are at Scott's End. We arrived at the house around lunch and almost immediately left for fish and chips at The Lobster Trap. So good! The rest of the day was spent sitting around the house, reading and eating cookies, and jumping into the freezing ocean. Huh? Yes, while I sat at home reading a book in the sun, Rachel was down at the beach collecting shells. She walked out onto the dock and decided she simply had to jump in. Then, she realized how freezing it was and got out immediately.

Now, we are waiting for the vice presidential candidate debate this evening. Normally, there is no TV in the Cape, but we brought the one from the attic down for this broadcast alone.

Rachel chills with Thoreau.

Saturday Fun

I went snorkeling on Saturday with some friends. We had a great time exploring Phil Foster Park, thanks to the suggestion of TC, who is a diver.
I made a silly video which will not really be very understandable here, I think. In the segment where I'm talking, I'm basically saying that we should have been doing this (snorkeling regularly) all along, and now my plan is to go as many times as possible before I go. I have been snorkeling quite a few times but never so close to home. I do wish I'd known about it sooner!

Visit With Rachel

My dear childhood friend, Rachel, came to visit, sans three daughters and hubby, for the week-end. Nirvi had organized dinner at the wonderful DaDa restaurant for my birthday and Rachel came to town to be a part of it. I'd file the birthday dinner photos but I'll be here all day upoading. It was a great time, I'll just say that.





Breakfast at JohnG's.



Some Palm Beach shoppers during our brief visit to Worth Avenue.



Some Palm Beach types. (I kept pretending to photograph Rachel in order to actually photograph the creepy locals.



At dinner at DaDas.

My Dog's Cute

...and he flirts with my friends.

Thing-A-Day

My dear friend and coworker Rachel has committed to doing a blog for the month of February, on crafting. She has taken on the Thing-a-Day challenge, where she makes, you guessed it, a thing a day! Click here to follow her daily doings.
Last night, she hung at my place and knit herself a place-mat out of cut t-shirts, all the while eating a veggie calzone and keeping-up with our regular habit of old men in the balcony (a la Muppet Show) comments while watching movies. We can find humor in everything, even people struggling to survive during civilized war in the Sudan (The Four Feathers). Yeah, guys, forming a square with really show those attackers who's boss. Especially with all of you wearing those sneaking camouflaging red coats!

While she knitted, I made shrinky dinks. Oh what fun it was! Today, I traced a picture of Oliver and shrinky dinked him (eh-hem). Very cute. Unless I turn into a complete freak and start wearing this as a pendant, however, I have no idea what to do with it. Keychain, perhaps?