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Friday, June 4, 2004

Clearing My Calendar

Before we went away on vacation I promised myself that once we got home, I would turn over a new leaf since I recently discovered that I was all grown up.  Exactly when this life altering event took place is unclear, but the fact remains, I should have stepped up to the plate a long time ago.  With more than half of my life over, I have to make up for all of my prior slacking while I can.  Now that I’m fully recovered from my fun filled vacation in Punta Cana, I’m ready to put my nose to the grindstone and start making a difference.  I would have started right away, but I had to tie up a few loose ends.  It's kind of hard to change the world when you don't have any clean undies.  And as I said in an earlier entry, I had to get right back to work (2 hours after getting off of the plane), celebrate Ray's birthday (3 days later), Mother's Day (just one week later), and both mine and my middle daughter’s birthday less than a month later.  I accidentally scheduled myself to work on Ray’s birthday so he went out with some friends for dinner and drinks.  They had a wonderful time despite my absence.

Ray and his brother take their Mother to The Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia for brunch in The Fountain Room every year on Mother’s Day.  It’s sort of a tradition.  Bernard always takes his wife Mary, their daughter Lisa and her husband Joe, their two little girls, and Ray… he took me the past two years.  Who he has taken on previous occasions is a combination of speculation, folklore and distorted memories.  This five star restaurant caters to anyone with enough money to be included  on the list of beautiful people.  Elegant surroundings, white glove service, live classical music, and a buffet of scrumptious seafood, caviar, sushi, breads, cheeses, and salads (all crisp, chilled, colorful and huge) are what you’ll find there.  The EntrĂ©es are all prepared from world famous recipes, with hard to pronounce names, made with spices not found on the shelves of your local super market, all drenched in sauces and gravies so rich it would take a team of Mayo Clinic cardiologists years to undo the damage done to your heart.  I'm surprised that partaking of the decadent desserts they offer don't come with a mandatory prison sentence, death or a contract signing over your soul to Satan himself.  I think I read somewhere that the fresh fruits had been handpicked by the virgin daughters of Roman Gods now retired on secluded tropical islands somewhere between South Africa, France and Thailand.  The only way this brunch could be any more spectacular would be if Sean Connery himself had been our Maitre d'.  Or maybe Brad Pitt.  Considering what Ray’s Mother put up with raising him to adulthood, re-mortgaging his home is the least he can do for Mother’s Day.  The tip alone was over $300.  Just from our table.  In retrospect, although I probably gained a few pounds just from eating that one meal, I think it would be an insult to Ray's family to try and lose it now.  My larger size will be a living testament to their generosity, and I will carry it proudly.
I also got to spend some quality time with my kids and my grandbaby, Brandon, designed new business cards for Ray, got my nurses license renewed, went to the dentist, and even squeezed in a trip to the shore, a visit to the Philadelphia Art Museum, and watched ‘Casablanca’, a classic film I had never gotten a chance to see.  And… we found a way to get tickets to the upcoming Jimmy Buffett concert here in Jersey at the end of this month. 

I’ll bet some people thought I was just lying around doing nothing.  Tomorrow, right after I get my hair cut and visit a close friend in the hospital, I will be ready to get started.  In some small, but hopefully memorable way, I am going to change the world.  I’m not going to rest until I make it a better place for all of us.  I have absolutely no idea where to even start, but I won’t let that stop me.  Maybe it’s better that way.  I can let my imagination run wild.  Having no formal plan, I’ll be free to explore any opportunity that presents itself, and savor every moment.  With the wind blowing through my hair, the warm glow of the sun on my cheeks, I will go wherever fate leads me.

 

Just as long as I’m back home in time to watch the season finale of ‘The Sopranos’ on TV Sunday night, feed the cats and attend the Nursing Supervisor’s meeting at 8:30 on Monday morning…

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I loved your pictures. You look like you have fun no matter where you are. It's a wonderful quality to hold. That alone makes the world a better place. There, now you can rest easy. Your job is already complete. :-) ---Robbie

Anonymous said...

LOVED the pictures and you look like you have so much fun! My ex would've been scolding me and telling me only children act that way! I know, I heard it so often, that and GROW UP!  Having fun is NOT limited to children only.

Monica

Anonymous said...

Lisa, I ALWAYS love your pictures! You are too damn funny! I loved the "Sesame Street" exhibit...very colorful! They don't allow me in museums, galleries, china shops etc..you've heard about the bull in the china shop?! That's me..CLUMSY as all get out! Also can't wait for season finale of "The Sopranos" but, better yet, the season premier of "Six Feet Under"!!!

Anonymous said...

Your piocs are fabu! You should talk to the editors about being featured in YGP!!!

Anonymous said...

You always make me smile and see things through your eyes.....I love your journal. BTW, we like the same art and hate the same. LOL!

Anonymous said...

I can't tell you how much i have just enjoyed these pictures. LOL Yes i can. I Love your sense of humor and the way you pose for all the pics. And ray did it too how funny. The plumber one was hysterical. Now im going to read the entry. Oh PS cute beautiful adorable little darling grandson you got there.

Anonymous said...

Glad you enjoyed the restauraunt. Sounds like fun. and man have you been busy. OH I was tired just reading about this. But it sure does sound like you've been having some fun. You reminded me i think i should check my license because its probably time. You're so entertaining. LOL

Anonymous said...

Holy smokes, are you going sappy on me, Lisa? (I'm a sap. And I'm always looking for others saps to draw into the Sap Circle.) Wanting to make the world a better place is a wonderful thing to want. Much better than, say, a banana split from Diary Queen. Or a new pair of Keds. Or another bottle of Veet (good stuff, that, beats Nair).

Happy belated birthday, you young-young! I hope you cleaned up your cake and ice cream plate like a good sappy girl.

I'll be back. It's lunch time. Gotta go eat.

Anonymous said...

Love your journal, you are wickedly funny.  Found it from a link on babygsmommy's journal, glad I did.  Love your sense of humor.  Enjoy your 49th, I did, but all I could think of the last six months of it was that I was really going to be 50 soon (sucked more than I thought it would!)  So, I decided to make some changes to; lost weight (have since gained it back), trained for a marathon (walking), took up kayaking and allowed myself the freedom to do things that I enjoy; the house doesn't always have to be clean.  Spent enough years doing that.  Enjoy your 49th, embrace your 50th when it happens, and go on enjoying life.  My friends and I laugh at our ages now, make fun of it by forming our own "Red Hat Society" local chapter.  Gives us "license" to act as crazy as we always have anyway.  Happy belated birthday!  Terri

Anonymous said...

Just checking to see if you have changed the world yet!

Anonymous said...

Whatever you decide to do, and whenever you get it done, I'm sure it will be spectacular and well worth sharing!

Anonymous said...

I think you went away on vacation again. Where are you?   Hugs Lanny