the amazing adventures of jen14221

busy summer

Working out of town has its benefits (good pay, lots of private time, hotel and airline points) but during the summer I really just want to hang out at home by the pool.

Not my pool, I don't have a pool.  I use my next-door neighbor's pool.

Anyway, summer just started and I think just about every other weekend is booked. This weekend I'm flying to Providence, Rhode Island to partake in some Forced-Family-Fun with my in-laws.  In July, we're spending a few weekends in Toronto (I have these Hyatt points to use up and they expire at the end of August), and I want to try to get my ass to New York City at some point to see my sissy and her new house.

In August I have BlogHer and we have a week scheduled in the Outer Banks and I have an Ophthalmology go-live in there somehere.  Then it's September and Will goes back to school and the neighbors will close up the pool (sob) and I'll be trying to plan our trip to Clearwater Beach in February.

I usually take a week off during the summer to lounge around but there's no time this year.  Boo.

the big move

It's been five years since we went home to Buffalo to visit my parents for a week, go to Old Home Days in 14221, and show off Baby Will to all my friends.  Peter got a job offer the day before we drove home, and we decided to move, and bought a house.  

We're pretty happy, even though I'd like to find work in the area.  You know - a job that does not require a ride on an airplane to get to the office.  I would also like a Trader Joe's, but no one ever listens to me regarding that plea.  Assholes.

I STILL have shit in the basement that I need to go through and either unpack or toss.

spotted at the farmer's market

Jumbo!?  Why don't they just say FAT!

buffalo spree and my lack of sports acumen

The new issue of the Buffalo Spree is out.  Here's me, and me.  I saw that one of my shorty pieces was cut - about the Buffalo getting their very own NHL team in 1970.  But, as I was told, my article was replaced by one written by someone who actually knows something about sports.  Harsh!

dyngus day

Is anyone planning on going to this tomorrow?

Peter's wavering but I am really looking forward to drinking beer and whacking some random guys with pussy willows.

back, bitches

I'm tired.  Will and I took the non-stop from Orlando this morning, arrived in Buffalo at 2pm and hosted 6 guests at 4:30.  At 5pm, I scooted out for an hour to attend one stop on Spree's Lockport Pub Crawl and then came home and entertained for a few more hours and drank 4 Mike's Hard Lemonades.  Laundry can wait.  I'm going to bed.

blister in the sun

Ooooh, boy.  Another product I will never buy, along with the GMC Envoy and Special K, is the new Wendy's gross sandwich saw on TV last night.  Yes, one of the Violent Femmes sold out to the home of the Frescata sandwich.  I wonder if they know they are selling a roast beef sandwich with onion-cheese sauce to a tune about masturbation?  Anyway.

Someone here in Philly chucked me under the bus today... la la la la...some things do not change even when you change your job...la la la....but it's okay.  I will prank call them later today and get back at them.

tv on the backporch

Today was the kind of day where I felt like I should suck up as much of the nice weather as possible.  If I were still in Boston, It would have been totally cool to go to Newbury Street and sit outside at a restaurant, drinking wine and eating little snacky things, but I could not do that because:

1. I have a child
2. I have some sort of sinus/coughing/sneezing thing going on and wine and cheese is not good for that
3. I live in Lockport

It is my dad's birthday , and we did spend much of the day in Williamsville, outside on my parent's backporch.  Do any other people in the area drag a TV outside so they can watch the Bills game on the porch?  This is not even the first time my mom and dad have done this.  There is pretty much a long history of the Wutz's watching TV outdoors.  I remember watching Wimbleton one summer when I was still at home, out on the driveway while laying in the sun on my towel made of tinfoil, sprayed all over with Banana Boat SPF 2.  And if you know me in person and have seen my skintone, you probably know that that was not a good idea.  Anyway, TV outside.  Anyone else?

Okay, I am going to go watch the Amazing Race now.  I hope it will be a good one.  Those goddamn hippies from last season really annoyed me and I just had to stop watching.

wine and soup

I'm heading out tonight, going downtown to meet my friend Michelle at Brodo.  Yum, wine and soup.  My two favourites.

Peter, on the other hand, is taking Will here.* 

I think I got the better deal.

*More on why Peter is taking Will to the "Magical Place for Family Fun" in a future post.

moving

It was one year ago today that I closed the deal on the Boston condo and drove to Western New York, eager to meet up with Peter (who moved out to Lockport 3 weeks earlier) and baby Will, who my mom and dad had been in charge of for the week.  The X-Terra was packed with my luggage and just a few things that the movers didn't take.  I was so excited to start fresh.

Until I got to Lockport and saw the boxes.  There were 321 of them.  I would be lying if I told you that there weren't still a few in the basement... still unpacked and holding god knows what.