Halloween 2014 Recap

Was it just me or did it feel like Halloween lasted for about two weeks this year? Maybe it's because I went to a costume party a week before Halloween, or maybe it's because there's been candy in the store for about a month.

This year was fun nevertheless. Sal's friend, Jimmy, was planning on throwing a party the weekend before Halloween, being that he was in his new house, yes... you guessed it, the one by the lake. He had some of his friends decorate, got a bunch of drinks, and decided to order pizza and subs for everyone. It wasn't a requirement to dress up, but it just made it more fun. After work, Sal and I headed up there with my brother and his girlfriend, both were home from college. We were all dressed to perfection. Sal was Clark Kent, my brother was a doctor, and Michele was a football player. They were all cute costumes, most of which were put together with clothes they already had. For my costume, I decided to reuse an old costume. Sal and I buy a new costume every year and twice we had no where to go to wear them to... I know, sad story. Anyways, one year Sal and I bought Top Gun costumes; his being more of a flight suit, and mine a dress. I tried mine on, and it didn't fit my shoulders, which just shows you how much kickboxing has positively affected me, and how much muscle I've gained. So I decided to wear Sal's Top Gun flight suit, but I wasn't going to just be Maverick or Goose... oh no... I was going to be one of our friends, Mike, who is currently in Oklahoma in the Air Force. He wasn't going to be at the party, so I figured I'd be him! It turned out that one of our other friends decided to be Jimmy. The two, Jimmy and Mike, are best friends, so it was absolutely hysterical. We even had Jimmy's mom calling him upset that she didn't know Mike was home. I have to say that we were picture perfect. 

The night drifted on by as we kept the party alive - bonfire, beer, good friends, and music played by two awesome guitarists. 

We headed back home before it was too late for us grandmas and grandpas, because some people (like me) have to work on the weekend. When I was home, I felt as if Halloween was done and over with, and like another year had passed, but we still had a week until the real day!

I didn't have any plans for October 31st, and I had to work at the hospital all day, but it was so so worth it. The other Child Life Specialists and myself decided we wanted to dress up together, so we chose to be the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, even though there were only three of us. We bought the shirts, chose to wear black leggings, and I added long green socks, from my soccer days, and a purple tutu to match my mask. We wanted costumes that we could get away with if something serious was to happen at the hospital (a new diagnosis of something or a serious accident). 

We were at the hospital bright and early with a mission to make the day fun for the children, to get them to laugh, and not care if they were missing trick or treating with their friends. We do reverse trick or treating, giving nurses, who were also dressed up, bags of goodies (Halloween related and not) like playdoh, vampire teeth, shirts/socks, coloring books, toys, and more, to pass out to the children. They'd knock on their doors, yelling "Trick or Treat!" The children would be in the room, waiting, with their bags open wide and huge smiles on their faces. It turned out to be a huge hit once again, and we surprised the children, and their families with cupcakes decorated just for the occasion! Project Sunshine from a college nearby joined us for the party and had crafts available for the children, their siblings, and families to do in the playroom. 

It was such a great day, and I'm pretty sure no one was upset that they missed Halloween outside of the hospital, at least not too much. 

So now you can understand why I thought Halloween was much longer than it was, but how it might've been the best Halloween yet. Hope all of you had a wonderful Halloween! 

Lake Life in the Fall

If you've been reading, you know that over the summer I fell in love with the lake. Sal and I would go there every chance we got, which would usually be once a week, sometimes two if we cleared our schedules. I became obsessed with the breathtaking views of nature, the colors of summer, the bright blue sky and sun reflecting on the lake, and the sound of a fishing pole being casted and Sal's excitement when he caught a big one! So when the fall season came around, that didn't mean we stopped going to the lake, even though it was starting to get chillier and chillier near the water. Instead, we found ourselves sitting on the porch, sipping on wine and enjoying the changing colors of the leaves on the trees. I didn't think it was possible, but the lake seemed to be more beautiful with the reds, browns, and yellows.

I understood then why so many people leave the bustlin' city, and head to the countryside... why so many authors rent a cabin in the woods to write out their long novels. It's a truly relaxing place that cannot be copied, a place that cannot exist anywhere else ... not in someone's backyard with full views of the neighbors, not in someone's' room with the loud television and computer screen, and not even on a train with tons of people surrounding you. Those can be sanctuaries to some, but it does not compare to being by the lake, in the country, with few neighbors, with few other sounds that the water, the trees moving, and the fish jumping. 

The usual happened... Sal fished, while I read my book. We were together, but doing the things we loved separately, and that just made it perfect. Sometimes he'll stop me from reading to bug me to take a picture, but I secretly love it and am super proud of him when he catches a big fish, even the little fish make me proud... I tend to like the smaller ones better because they're just so cute! He usually always throws them back, unless it's a fish that his buddy can fry up and eat. 

More often than not, we'll leave the lake with our stomach's growling. Sometimes we wait for his friend to come home so we can all have dinner together, sometimes we'll head home and eat when we get back home, and more recently we've taken several trips to a delicious restaurant right down the road called Smokey's, which has proved to have such great food time and time again. Before we know it, we'll be regulars there, and the waiters and waitresses will know our names! 

Without these little getaways, away from the reality of our day to day chores and work, I think I would have lost my sanity a long time ago. Thankfully, the lake is just a short drive away. 

Pumpkin Carving Over the Years

A week or two after Sal and I went pumpkin picking, we had some time on one of my days off, and set that time away to carve our pumpkins together. Sal had his idea planned as soon as he picked up his pumpkin out of the patch - the batman sign. I decided I would choose that same day we would carve them. I shouldn't have waited, but that's what procrastinators do. I scrolled through pins and pins of pumpkin carvings on Pinterest. I found a few ideas that I loved, most included a drill... until I found the cutest little bat. Thus the year of the bats was created. Even though I knew that he was going to carve the batman symbol, I didn't choose a bat for that reason... I just thought it was too cute not to carve.

I will say, though, that Sal and I are definitely not professional carvers. Each year we carve pumpkins, is just another year that Sal screws his up. Mine aren't half bad, but they definitely aren't too creative, as you can tell from the picture. But this year, this year was different. We took our time, I filled a bowl with chips and dip to munch on. We set the background with some country music, and we had all of the right tools. I laid out parchment paper to carve on and set a pan on the table for the seeds. We took our time, and used stencils to trace on to the pumpkin.

Sal finished carving his pumpkin a while before I finished mine, which was surprising to say the least because, like I said before, he is not the best carver. I must admit though, it came out better than I expected, and I couldn't help but stare at it when he lit it. It looked perfect, definitely better than any of his previous pumpkins, and I'm not quite sure he can top it next year, but I'm sure he has a couple ideas already. My little bat looked just as good too, and I loved how it came out. We lit them both up, snapped a couple of pictures and sat them rightfully so on my porch. They looked awesome in the dark of the night. We went and grabbed a bite to eat, and on our way home it started to rain; I immediately started worrying about the pumpkins, not sure why... it's not like they couldn't deal with the rain. I just didn't want to see our creations get ruined. 

We brought them inside for a few more pictures, and eventually moved them back outside where they shined for every passerby to see! Proud pumpkin carvers right there! 

Happy Halloween Everyone! Check back tomorrow to find out what I did for Halloween! 

Pumpkin Picking Gone SO Wrong

Every year I make ask Sal to go pumpkin picking with me. It's another one of those seasonal traditions that winds up being on my fall bucket list. The scents of fall make it easier to breathe, and so being outside in the sweet, breezy weather is something I wish more people would do. We get too caught up in the hustle of every day life, crossing off things on your long to-do lists, staring at screens all day, always looking to see what the next person is doing. If more people took rides up to the countryside, and walked in the open fields, soaking up every color of every leaf, I think we'd see many more smiles and wide eyes. 

After our kickboxing class, Sal and I decided to head up to Alstede Farms, where we were going to pick our own pumpkins. We went there last year, and knew it was a great farm, with rows and rows of pumpkins, tons of other vegetables and fruits to pick, a corn maze, and what really stood out to us - a wine tasting, from a nearby winery. We had been looking forward to going back, even though it's always nice to try new things and go to new places, sometimes you just have to go with what you know. 

I jumped in the car, with a slight headache, but I thought it would go away with some fresh air. I rolled down the window as we took our semi-long drive to the farm. By the time we were about ten minutes away, the headache had become unbearable. I quickly asked Sal to stop and buy me some Advil, something I try not to take. This time though, I knew I wasn't going to be able to battle through the pain. I downed some water with the pills and hoped that the headache would pass. I spent some extra time in the car when we arrived to the farm, but as time passed, I soon realized that it was not going to get better. I took a deep breath, after much whining, and got out of the car. We headed to the tractor that would take us to the pumpkin field, and I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Thankfully there weren't too many people around considering it was quite early in the weekday. I was hunched over, and as soon as we got on the tractor, I immediately regretted the decision. I wanted to turn around, go back to the car where I could at least curl up in peace. 

When we got off of the tractor, I ran to the porto-potty, thinking I was going to throw up... I didn't, but I had never felt so terrible in as long as I can remember. I opened the door and immediately started crying to Sal, how I felt so terrible that I was ruining the day, and that I only wanted to feel better. He calmed me, like he always does, and told me we could pick our pumpkins quick and head back. It usually takes me a while to pick my pumpkin, but I literally walked into the field, and found what I thought was a perfect size pumpkin for carving, not perfectly round, but close enough. Sal was glad that this whole process was going much faster than previous years, although it took him a bit longer to find his own pumpkin. 

I didn't want to wait and then head back on the tractor, so we decided to walk back, which was a great idea until we realized just how far away we were, and even worse when the rain drops started to fall. When we got back we paid for our pumpkins. I thought ginger ale might help me, so we bought a bottle, and as I sipped that magic through a straw, I asked Sal if he wanted to walk around to feed the animals. I thought it was the least I could do after he dealt with me whining and crying. He was like a little child, walking up to all of the animals and letting them eat the food from my hand. I'm not one to feed the animals as it is, and being sick made me no different... I let Sal have all of the fun. 

When we headed back home, the ginger ale started to help out, and I was slowly starting to feel better, but still not my normal self, so needless to say when we got home, we got comfy and cuddled up in bed, watching Army Wives (my obsessions lately) and a movie. By the end of the night, I felt much better, and knew that in the morning, this little sickness would be gone. Would I rather have went pumpkin picking on a different day? Absolutely. Would I have made any of those memories we made that day? Probably not. I am so glad we went, but I hope next year is even better... because we never did get to drink that wine! 

Apples & Weird Snapshots

Every year when fall rolls around, I have to do two things: go apple picking and pumpkin picking. It's tough to go apple picking, because September sometimes doesn't feel like fall, and then I completely forget until all of the apples are off the trees. This year, I made sure Sal knew I wanted to go apple picking and we were able to reserve a day during my "weekend" that worked for both of us, after we worked out of course. After we were all showered, we headed up to an orchard up north that we had been to two years ago - Masker's Orchard. Last year, we went to a different orchard and we didn't enjoy it; there were barely any apples to pick, and though I'm not sure if it was because we went late in the season, we just were not pleased with the selection.

Grabbing our apple bag at the entrance, we parked the car and started walking through the orchard. The views were breathtaking, and I found myself paying more attention to the color of the leaves on the trees, that is until I took a bite out of an apple. The apples were so juicy, fresh, and natural that I found it hard to pay attention to anything else. It wasn't until I finished an apple that I was able to refocus and realize that I had to put more apples into the bag.

Sal wasn't about to pay $30 bucks for three apples. So we wandered around, snapping pictures, and finding the best apples in the trees. It's fun getting lost in the orchard, even when you have a map right on the bag. We talked about what we would make with our apples, knowing that it probably wasn't possible for us to eat them all by ourselves. We had high hopes of making apple sangria, but when I looked at recipes online, I noticed that we would need a lot more than one bag of apples if we wanted to make a big batch.

We quickly grew bored of just picking apples off of the trees, so we decided to take funny pictures, and I challenged him to climb a tree - not sure what I was thinking with his knee being injured and all, but it made me smile and laugh, and Sal would never miss an opportunity to make me happy. He was so determined to get a few snapshots, but I honestly did not understand how he wanted me to pose. He described it perfectly, at least in his head, but I still did not understand the point. And while I will post the pictures, I still do not get them. But hey, at least they're funny... right?

As you can tell I'm trying my hardest not to laugh, because I really did not (and still don't) understand it. It's fine though, as long as the pictures made Sal happy. He's not a huge fan of all of the cliches during any season or holiday, but I'm a sucker for them. I love going apple picking and pumpkin picking in the fall, and I love seeing the tree in NYC during Christmas time, and I have to go see fireworks on the 4th of July. 

After we finished picking our apples off the trees, we headed to eat a late lunch/early dinner. We stopped at a cute restaurant near his friend's house by the lake, and it turned out to be a great decision. I'm always worried about going to new places having not heard anything about the food, or read any reviews.  We both got sandwiches and they were surprisingly tasty! I don't mind eating sandwiches so much, but I always try and skip the fries, though I usually steal a few from Sal (I know Sal, you don't share food, haha). 

It was still early so we decided to stop at his friend's house. I popped open some wine, poured it in a mason jar and sat on his deck, with a clear view of the beautiful fall foliage and the incredible lake. I was so relaxed, and kept thinking to myself that I could honestly get used to this. Imagine coming home from work, stressed after a long day or long commute, and just being able to take a deep breath and look at the absolutely perfect views of nature. It's such a calming feeling, and I didn't want to leave. I usually have a book on me, but it wasn't the case that day, so I downloaded one on my phone (I hate reading on any kind of technology, I'd much rather have a paperback), and slowly, I felt the tension ease from my shoulders, and my mind slip away. 

As the sun was setting, Sal's friend came home, and we messed around with the four-wheeler that he's holding for someone. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day, however cliche that may sound. I didn't want time to slip from me that night, but like all other days, they must come to an end. At least I was able to watch the sun set over the lake, I mean what better way to end your day?

'The Jersey Devil' Movie Premiere

Before Sal graduated from the Connecticut School of Broadcasting, he interned on the set of the movie - The Jersey Devil, as their production assistant (thanks to his awesome teacher for the recommendation). It was only for a few weeks, and while he learned he didn't want to work in the movie industry, that certainly didn't stop him from gaining the experience and connecting with everyone on set. While helping with the movie, he found himself sitting in the audience during one of the scenes. Before he knew it they had added him into the movie, and gave him a few lines. I was happy for him when he told me, but we didn't know if he would make it in the final cut of the movie, after all of the editing.

They finished filming, and we waited. They finished editing, and we waited. They produced the trailer, and we waited. Finally, we heard that there would be a movie premiere in Jersey City, where it had been filmed, at The Landmark Loews Theater. Sal was invited, of course, and extended the invitation to me. It would be a red carpet event, so while I was excited to attend, I was nervous! I had never been on the red carpet, so my first thought was... "What do I wear?!" I had Sal ask around, and it seemed that most of the women would be going all out, wearing dresses, and looking their best. Thankfully it was on the night of a day I had off of work, so I was able to workout in the morning and take the rest of the day to get ready. I wore a red and black dress to match Sal wearing a black suit with a red tie. We were going to see The Jersey Devil, how could we not wear red? When we arrived, we got together with a few of the other interns and their families, and got to talking. We explored the  Landmark Loews Theater, which was glamorous and vintage to say the least. It was stunning, the photographers were able to get some beautiful pictures. We made our way over to the red carpet, because I was not going to be able to leave if I did not get a picture standing on the red. 

We had our picture taken, and then we quickly went to find our seats, close to the screen. We didn't want to miss anything. The movie played, and I must admit, it was pretty funny. Many of the actors are well known in the industry (don't mind me while I drop some names) - Chris Mullkey from Captain Phillips, Jack Mulcahy from Porky's, Keith Collins from Stuck in the Middle, and Edvin Ortega from Orange is the New Black. Not only was Sal's teacher at CSB, Michael Billy, one of the funniest characters in the movie, he was also one of the executive producers! The writers, Billy Pepitone and Joseph Pepitone, did well when it came to keeping the audience laughing. It definitely wasn't the best movie I've ever seen, but then again, I have not seen many Indie/Independent films. For what they had, the movie surpassed my expectations.

As the movie played, I kept looking at Sal and asking him when his scene was going to come on screen. He tapped my should a short while in the movie, and said "This is it!" My anticipation grew, and I instantly blocked out everything else. I was focuses solely on the scene, and my heart began to beat faster and faster when I saw him on the screen! I couldn't believe it, he had landed himself a role, as small as it was, on the big screen! He said his lines, and the whole audience roared with laughter. I've been proud of Sal many times before, and I'm sure I will be proud of him in the future, but at that moment, I was over the moon proud of him. The smile on my face said it all... well the laughing definitely showed too. While I don't know if the movie will be at any local theater or in Target on the DVD rack any time soon, it will be several movie festivals! 

We had such a great night, and has made me look forward to Sal's career in the broadcasting industry, no matter what path he follows - movies, radio, TV - I just know he'll blow everyone else out of the water! Pretty soon we'll be able to look his name up on the internet! Be prepared for that name drop!

The 'Marry A Munson' Wedding

Sal and I have two friends that were to be married in September. It was going to be the wedding of the year, and we knew that we just had to attend once we received the invitation in the mail. Although we hadn't really hung out with them too often recently, due to one thing or another, we were still friends, and we weren't about to miss the day they wed. The wedding wasn't too far from our houses, but we decided to get a room for the night anyways, fully preparing for the night ahead. I also scheduled a hair appointment that afternoon with Sal's dad, who is a great hairdresser. We packed our bags, and hung our attire in the car, and headed to his dad's salon. I had plans of just doing all curls, but Sal insisted that after I curl it, I pull it all to one side, like I had done for a previous wedding. After getting so many compliments at the wedding, not only for my dress, but my hair, I had to admit that he was right, and that putting it to the side had been a great choice. 

We headed over to the hotel afterwards, excited for the night to begin. We received our welcome bags, and found our room. We quickly changed and got ready for the wedding. 

We headed down the hall so Sal could enjoy a beer with his buddy, catching a few plays of the football game that was on. We walked down to the where they were holding the ceremony. Unfortunately, it rained and the ceremony could not be held outside, but they made it work inside, and it was absolutely beautiful. They had one of their very close friends as the justice of the peace, making the ceremony even more special. 

We followed the happily married couple out of the ceremony area and into the area of the cocktail hour, where we enjoyed simple appetizers and delicious food that only hinted of what was to come. It wasn't only the food that we were enjoying though, but the drinks that were made, especially from the tequila fountain, which I kept refilling from. What can I say? I'm a tequila girl. Soon after we found ourselves moving back into the room that had been previously filled with ceremony chairs, and now had tables, a large dance floor, and a red carpet for pictures to be taken. It was stunning. 

We drank. We danced. We laughed until we thought we couldn't anymore. The party went on for what felt like hours and hours. I didn't catch the bouquet, though I tried. When one of our friends that is in a long term relationship caught it, the boys made sure that her boyfriend got the garter, by lifting him up high in the air. It was hilarious, and even more funny to watch him take the garter off his girlfriend. I lost Sal several times during the night, and although I didn't know too many people, I made friends with the ones who were at our table, and hung around on the dance floor far often than I thought I would. New found confidence, a sexy dress, and comfortable heels will do that to you. 

Sal ended up passing his cowboy hat around, that had been originally brought for the bride and groom's pictures. It probably ended up on everyone's head that night, and in a ton of pictures. I surprisingly did not get caught wearing it, thank gosh. He just kept heading to the red carpet to either photobomb a picture or snap a few wearing the cowboy hat. 

Dinner was delicious, and I did not want it to end. When I drink, I get hungry, and that's never a good thing. Dessert was even better, cake and ice cream, but not just any ice cream - cookie dough! I've never had that at a wedding, so I was speechless when the man listed the flavors available. We weren't done partying after the DJ played the last song, instead we headed to the bar. Sal wanted to go to the room real fast though, and had almost forgotten his cowboy hat, which had been the hit of the party. We were already in the elevator when he remembered to go back and grab it. Getting back to the room for this hat was hilariously caught on video, though I cut it right before the best part (Sal's fall!) to try and open the door.

We hung out at the bar for a little bit, until the night winded down and we were both exhausted (okay, maybe a little drunk, too). Thank gosh for the welcome bag that was filled with chips, because laying in that bed before I fell asleep, I needed something to munch on! It was the perfect way to end the night, passed out happily in bed with an empty bag of chips. 

The next morning, Sal and I headed to a local diner to cure our hangovers and fill our empty stomachs. Turns out that the chips did not fill it near enough as I had thought the night before. I must admit though, we could not stop talking about how great the wedding had been, and what a good time we had.