A letter for the lost

Dear Ben and Taylor,


You share no earthly connection except for me. I am remembering you both this week on the anniversaries of your passing. And you both left us at a time in your lives when you were supposed to be moving on to the next chapter, not ending the book.


But I hope you two can find each other in heaven and give each other the hugs I cannot give you.


Taylor, it has been only a year since you left. Ben, you've been gone 20 years. Both of those milestones seem hard to believe, hard to grasp. There is still an inexplicable void in my life, one I feel almost guilty about. I wasn't part of either of your everyday lives when you passed. I feel like I have less right to miss you. And yet I do.


To my sisters and all who miss Taylor: I'd like to tell you that the 20 years since Ben's passing has lessened the grief. I can't, exactly. It has merely muted and changed it. It's not as raw as it once was. It has mellowed into something that can make me smile. I laugh over Glee Club memories and Fridays with our group of friends.


But after 20 years, it's tempered with "what if?" Where would Ben be today, if he had lived? What would he have done? I think you will all find yourselves wondering this about Taylor, as the years go on. Especially those of you who expected her to be by your side as you took on the world together.


Every year, on the anniversary of Ben's passing, someone posts a picture of him on Facebook. And we all comment on it. We share memories. We share grief. We share our wonderings. Sometimes we reconnect with a friend we haven't talked to since high school. Twenty years later, he still brings us together.


I hope that 20 years from now, someone will still be posting a picture of Taylor every year, and that we'll virtually gather together. That's the best tribute of all.


I miss and love you both.
Jen

Quick Mommy Fashion

Inspired by former cheerleader/ZTA sister/student affairs grad student extraordinaire Gracie and her blog, Student Affairs Sensible, I'm adding fashion to my list of adventures. I love clothes, shoes, purses, accessories, you name it. After I had Sophie, I found myself needing new clothes -- not complaining about that! I love the thrill of the hunt, as in hunting down bargains. I live for trips to the outlets and Bon-Ton's yellow-dot racks. :-)

Being a new mommy is not exactly conducive to high fashion. Most days are spent in tees, sweats, the like -- for comfort and for function, because who wants spit-up on their cutest clothes? Not me. It's bad enough when Sophie chucks on her own cute outfits. 

But some days, I need or want to get out of the house, to run errands or just give Sophie a change of scenery (She seems to share my love of shopping). With Sophie now mobile and also rather cranky when I leave her in her crib for a minute, I find myself doing quick-changes to get ready to leave the house. Hey, I live in the Abingtons, dahling. We don't leave the house in sweats. So here are a few tips for Quick Mommy Fashion:

• If it's winter, don't worry about your top. Unless you're going somewhere that's boiling hot, you can pretty much leave your coat on while you shop or dash off that errand. Top it with a cute scarf and you're good to go. Focus on your bottom half. 
• Flat boots are a godsend. Well, flats in general are a godsend, but right now is not the time for my super-cute purple striped Fergie flats - they'll just get destroyed in a puddle of slush AND my feet will freeze. Flat boots keep my feet warm, look cute, and can usually withstand the weather. The ones I bought last season were cheap enough that I don't mind them getting a little beat.
• Never underestimate the power of the ponytail. I usually don't have time to fully blowdry my hair when I wash it, so it ends up kind of funky-wavy. I throw it in a ponytail and I'm good to go.
• Use an eyeshadow set for quickie eyes and forget about eyeliner. Even if you just brush on the highlight shade, line your eyes with the dark shade and it makes your eyes pop enough that you don't look like Tired Mommy. This even works when I leave my glasses on.
• I have a foundation stick from Clinique that I adore. I don't think they make it anymore. I hate foundation as a rule, but if I need to cover up some blah, I can just swipe a bit of this on and it has a nice powdery finish. Basically, try to find makeup that does multiple tasks and it will cut down on your get-ready time.

 Any other mommies out there have ways to look better fast? I'd love to hear them! 

The Return Wars: Target vs. Babies 'R Us

I now regret registering at Target instead of Babies 'R Us.

Now, before I get into it, let me just say: I once worked in retail. I refuse to be one of those people who thinks they are entitled to get whatever they want from a store just because "the customer is always right." I respect that stores need to have policies in place for their own protection. I get it, I do. But there's a right way to handle things, and a wrong way, as my story demonstrates.

I registered at Target about a year ago. Joe and I had registered there for our wedding and didn't have any problems, so we figured, why not register there for baby stuff? Again, we didn't have any problems, at least until recently.

We had chosen a high chair for our registry, but when my mom was planning my shower, I gave her access to the registry and she added another one, because the one I originally picked out kept going out of stock. We received both high chairs. No biggie, right? They might come in handy, plus the baby might outgrow the first one.

About a month ago, we realized that we wouldn't need the second high chair and decided to return it. We hadn't received a play yard, which was also on our registry, and could use one at this point with Sophie crawling around. So the plan was to essentially exchange the high chair for the play yard (and possibly a gate, depending on the prices at the time, which kept fluctuating).

We took the high chair back to Target, with the packing slip. We were told it could only be returned for the current price, which was about $34. It was originally about $90 - which came up via the packing slip. But because it was past 90 days, and the chair was now "discontinued," that was all we could get. We were also told our registry was no longer in the system, although I can still pull it up on my Target app.

Side note: Yeah, we should have just kept it and tried to sell it ourselves. But we figured there was no guarantee we'd get what we wanted for it, or even sell it at all, and this was at least some money we could put toward the play yard.

Well, my mom was horrified by how little Target gave us. So she called the store and said she'd buy it herself. It was already sold, natch. Then she called Target customer service and was told that we should have gotten the price paid for it, not the "current" price. 

Side note 2: The high chair was still available on Target's website for EVEN MORE THAN WAS ORIGINALLY PAID FOR IT! Discontinued, my rear.

Back I went to my Target, and told them my mom had called customer service -- 

-- "Guest services, you mean," said the associate.

Um, sure. 

Anyway, she was told that I should have gotten the price paid for it. Here's my packing slip.

The associate, for her slight snippiness, did at least call Target's website's cust-- er, guest services. But the person she reached couldn't even pull up the order, it was "that old."

Oh, and it's still available on Target's website and more expensive because Amazon runs their website. ?!??

My mom, still horrified, posted on Target's Facebook page and got a response. They gave her a form to fill out, and she hasn't heard anything more yet.

And here's why I wish I'd registered at Babies 'R Us instead...

A few months ago, they had a pretty good sale on diapers, so I bought two boxes each of size 2s and 3s. Sophie outgrew 2s before I opened the second box, so I wanted to exchange it for a box of 4s. Being wary after my Target experience, I called my local Babies 'R Us first to see if it was even possible.

"Sure, just bring it to customer service and we'll take care of it," I was told.

"I don't have the receipt," I told him.

"No problem."

Whaaaat?

I took the box back today, still wary. I went to customer service, explained the situation, and the associate said, "No problem. Just leave that box here, go find what you need, and we'll do the exchange."

I went back to the diaper section, and discovered that apparently that packaging is being discontinued, because there were only two boxes there like it. Both size 6s, and marked "clearance." Oh boy, here's the snafu, right?

Nope. I took a box of 6s (hey, I'll need them eventually anyway) up to the counter. Not only did the associate cheerfully and easily make the exchange, she didn't give me grief when the price of the 6s came up more than the return value of the 2s. AND she threw in a sample pack of baby wipes!

As I thanked her, I told her a bit about my Target experience, and she told me that they allow returns on registries up to SIX MONTHS.

So if you're not psychic, and don't know exactly what your baby will need ahead of time, register at Babies 'R Us. I wish I would have.

The next big adventure

Yes, it's been a long time since I've written in this-here blog. New baby and all. And wouldn't you know, I find myself inspired to write about an adventure that should essentially change the name of this blog.

Soon, Joe, Sophie and I will no longer be Abingtonians, dahling. Joe has accepted a job at the Central Penn Business Journal, based in Harrisburg, covering York County and other topics.

What does this mean (aside from the aforementioned location/blog name change)?

The CPBJ is like journalism utopia: Joe will work "normal" hours (as in, daytime instead of nighttime). He won't have to work major holidays. Heck, he'll even have extra time off around Christmas!

Better yet, we can live closer to our families. We're casting a wide net, and can live just about anywhere convenient to Harrisburg and York County. I'm hoping for Carlisle or somewhere down U.S. 15, which will translate to about a 45-minute drive to my parents' house. Or even Gettysburg, although that would make a bit more of a commute for Joe. 

And while I'm ecstatic to ditch the three-hour drive to see Mom, Dad and Andrea, and the pile of baby stuff to lug anywhere because family visits aren't day trips, there are some things I will miss about NEPA. I've enjoyed our adventures: tooling around back roads from Tunkhannock to Towanda (I think going out U.S. 6 was my favorite), up into the southern tier of New York, and out to Honesdale and Hawley. We meandered down to Jim Thorpe one day, just for fun. This is a very scenic area and there's always a new road to follow.

I'll miss the history and the ethnic pride that is so prevalent in NEPA. Trains, trolleys, the St. Patrick's Day Parade, all sorts of cultural festivals... and the food that goes with them...

I'll miss the people we've met. Joe has worked with a good group of people at the Times-Tribune, many of whom have become friends. I was welcomed into the NEPA ZTA alumnae chapter with open arms and found a whole new group of sisters to love.

So it's off to new adventures in the 717. Who knows what lies ahead...

Oh, anyone out there want to buy a house in NEPA? :-)

A weekend of cars in the land of horses and buggies

Sophie had her first "vacation" last week, and it was quite the experience. Every year, my family travels to the National Chrysler Products Club National Meet. I'm now the club chair. Dad is treasurer, Journal editor, and a lot of other things (Basically, he's Mr. NCPC). I introduced Joe to the fun in 2010 when we went to Sugarcreek, Ohio, and suckered... er, sweetly coerced... him into writing the National Meet recap and other stories for the Journal. Hey, I wrote 'em for years. People are sick of my blatherings. Besides, he's a better writer than I am. (Don't believe me? Check out his blog.)

Anyway, the Sunday before, we attended an anniversary celebration in Harrisburg. Since Joe had to go to work that day, Sophie and I went back to Chambersburg with my parents for the three days before we headed to Bird-in-Hand, Pa., for this year's National Meet.

As you may well guess, or know, traveling with an infant is an adventure unto itself. Petey was loaded down with a very large suitcase that held all of my clothes (and some of Sophie's) for the week, two diaper bags (one acting as another suitcase for Sophie, because you can never have too many clothes for an almost three-month-old), another bag full of "linens" (burp cloths, receiving blankets, etc.... things that, again, you can never have too many of), another bag of "extras" (like the baby sling, toys, etc.), her kick and play gym, her pack and play, and the stroller. And this was to go to my parents' house, where Mom stocks Dreft (which, despite all of the things I packed, came in handy), diapers, bathtime necessities, and the travel tub. I'm not sure all that stuff will fit in Petey if we go anywhere else. Dad's Durango was jammed full on the way to Bird-in-Hand.

Sophie's a mixed bag when it comes to traveling. She slept most of the way to Harrisburg, and apparently was pretty good on the way from Chambersburg to Bird-in-Hand (I rode in the Crossfire convertible with Andrea). But there's something about the reverse trip back to NEPA that usually has her fussing. Hmm....

The NCPC National Meet is a good, albeit busy, time. Being on the club board of directors means some extra responsibilities, but on the flip side, there are gorgeous cars to see and good friends to catch up with. Everyone was very excited to see Sophie for the first time.

It's also more than just a car show. People arrive a few days early and take part in driving tours. Friday, Dad, Joe and I did that, checking out the Ressler Family Home and Mascot Roller Mill with several other members. The home was left to a foundation by a brother and sister, last of their line, from the milling family. It is really a step back in time, as everything was left just as the siblings left it when they went to the nursing home in 1977 -- and really, it's not too far off from the 1800s, when it was built. Their father, apparently, was not into modern conveniences. Next door is the grist mill, also very well-preserved.

We then went to a member's home to see his private collection. When you say that he likes 1956 automobiles, you aren't kidding. He has one of almost every make and model from that year! They are in absolutely beautiful condition as well. Three of them were previous NCPC Best of Show winners, and a fourth won during Saturday's show. He's done most of the work himself. Seriously, these cars are gorgeous, probably better than the day they rolled off the showroom floor.

Friday evening brought about our traditional board meeting, general meeting and fun auction. Emphasis on the "fun" - you get your random assortment of old car parts, stacks of paperbacks, and the occasional odd item like a charcoal portrait of Gary Coleman. But it's not just goofy items - this year, we had an autographed first edition novel from a new member, some lovely hand-knit items, and a weekend getaway to the Poconos! Our auctioneer and his assistant kept things lively as well. We also kicked off a Chinese auction, a new addition this year. There were nine great gift baskets made up and chances were sold til the banquet Saturday. I didn't win, but my mom did. Jealous!

Saturday morning was showtime! I also serve as the event photographer, capturing each car as it enters the showfield, for our National Meet Journal issue. This is admittedly a bit stressful, as I have to make sure I catch every one and that their information is in order. This is why I have my "lovely assistant" Andrea, who takes their info slips before they get to me, and my "handsome assistant" Joe, who parks them correctly so all photos are (relatively) uniform. However, I get to see everyone as they come in! There were some really gorgeous cars this year, new and old. We have members with cars from the 1920s all the way through modern Challengers. It really is a great variety and this year was no exception. I think pretty much every decade was represented.

Later in the day, after the show, Joe and I took Sophie for her first swim in the hotel pool! I was inordinately excited about this. I taught swimming lessons as a teenager, and I think it's important to get kids comfortable around the water at a young age. I really wanted to take her to the outdoor pool, which had an incline entrance, but it was blazing out there. The indoor pool had steps, so I could stand her on the top one. And then I carried her around and paddled her feet. She seemed to like it!

That evening was the annual awards banquet. It's a banquet, nothing out of the ordinary, but time for good food and good friends. And trophies. :-) I also had the pleasure of recognizing the former NCPC chairwoman, who was in attendance. When I was 13 and went to my first NCPC National Meet, she was the chair, and I thought it was the coolest thing that a woman was chair of a car club. No girls I knew at the time were into cars. She was something of my inspiration, because here I am today, chair of the NCPC myself. I wonder if I will serve as similar inspiration to any young ladies in the club...

On Sunday, we traveled to nearby Lebanon to visit my Aunt Kathy and Uncle Bob, who invited the rest of the Botchie clan there as well to meet Sophie! It was a fun afternoon. We used to all get together for almost every holiday, but now that we "kids" are grown up and have families of our own and have scattered about, we don't get to see each other as much. Several of my cousins were there too, and it was great to catch up. Facebook pictures just aren't the same. :-)

So how did Sophie fare with all the travel? Not too badly, I'd say. It helped to have Mom, Dad and Andrea around for extra help. (Side note: Grandpa has the magic mojo to settle Sophie.) She slept 10 hours solid in her pack and play at Mom and Dad's and eight hours the first night in the hotel, which is doubly amazing because she's been going through a phase where she likes to be held to sleep. She wasn't too fussy at Friday night's events but we did have to roll her around in the stroller during the banquet on Saturday. She did like shopping, though. :-) The car rides weren't too bad, with a minor exception on the last leg home. We'd been talking about flying to Florida later this fall to visit my family there, but now I'm not so sure. Moreso because of the amount of stuff we'd have to take. We could roadtrip, but even so, we don't have enough room in the car and I don't know how she'd hold up for 20 hours.

All in all, a good week. I wish it had been longer!

New mommy lessons, part 2

Remember how I said baby brain is real? Yup. I forgot some of the lessons I wanted to include in my last post. So, here's the addendum:

1. Baby brain is real. Oh wait, I said that.
2. Spit-up becomes an accessory. Or it might as well be. It will decorate your clothes. And you will change your shirt a few times a day, prompting...
3. Laundry becomes a daily chore. Either the baby's or yours. Trust me, you don't want to leave baby laundry sitting around too long. You will also have to squeeze loads of laundry in between feedings, burpings, changings, etc., so you'll start to think to heck with it and you'll do small loads at a time just to get the stuff clean. Sorry, environmentalists.
4. Sleep when she sleeps is a myth. Sophie's asleep right now. She's been asleep since about 5. I held her for the first hour, since she was a little fussy, and since then I've made food, started laundry (see above), caught up on email and written this blog post. Your baby will likely sleep at hours when, despite your own lack of sleep, you're just not tired. You're better off taking advantage of the chance to get chores done. Or else your house will be in worse shambles than it likely already is. And you may find yourself doing said chores at 11 p.m.
5. Some days, you just won't get anything done. This is OK. Sophie has had her good days and bad days. On the bad days (post-Mom's visit), she pretty much occupied all my time. At first, I felt guilty or like I was failing the mommy test. Then I just said to heck with it. I get it done when I get it done. (Not to say I don't get a bit frantic if I'm about to get company, though.)
6. "This time goes fast" isn't a joke. Sophie's already going to be a month old tomorrow. She's grown and she's developing a little personality. Yes, everyone says to enjoy this time because it goes fast, but they aren't kidding. Sometimes, I just stop and stare into her eyes and marvel over her, because she won't be this little forever.

New mommy lessons

Our little girl, Sophie Marie, arrived on April 22! (Yes, that's four weeks ago to the day!) Since we didn't know her gender ahead of time, we were a bit surprised! (Everyone thought I was having a boy.) She's named after my Great-Grandma (GG) Lombardi and both of Joe's grandmothers.

The induction went... OK. I was in labor for 22 hours and pushed for almost four - was thisclose to a c-section. You really don't remember the pain afterwards, at least I don't. I do remember the fatigue, though. But it was all totally worth it, because Sophie is beautiful and amazing.

So I've had this blog post in my head for about two weeks now, but no time to write it. Joe's walking Sophie around, trying to get her to drop off, so I'm taking the opportunity to try to write it. It's my list of new mommy lessons I've learned in these four weeks.

1. Computer time will be minimal. Well, til you figure out how to prop your netbook up on your Boppy and type one-handed. Oh, and don't expect to read the newspaper every day either.
2. Burp cloths become household decor. You'll leave them draped over every piece of furniture in the house.
3. Corrollary to No. 2: Pretty much anything baby-related becomes household decor. My living room currently has added the pack 'n play, swing, car seat, bouncy chair, and kick and play mat as part of the ambience. Sophie's hats are scattered hither and yon like the aforementioned burp cloths.
4. If your mother can/is willing to stay with you and help with the baby, TAKE HER UP ON THIS. My mom managed a three-week stay. I can't tell you how grateful I am for her help. Two days after she left, my house was in shambles. Just having an extra set of hands while Joe was at work, or before company, was great. I also came home with swollen feet and ankles (which I did not have during pregnancy), plus I had an episiotomy. Aside from the usual need for a woman who's just given birth to take it easy, I needed to just a bit more. Another reason Mom was a godsend.
5. Believe it or not, you will quickly adjust to lack of sleep. I like my sleep. I don't like to wake up. I usually took my sweet time rolling out of bed. But somehow, once you hear that baby crying, you will jump to attention. I can't say I'm not sometimes groggy (I stumbled a bit the other night as I got out of bed), but I can actually go from asleep to awake pretty darn fast now.
6. You may have some weird fears at first. They'll go away. The first two nights we had Sophie home, I could NOT go to sleep if I were the only one still up. I just couldn't bear the thought of no one being awake to watch Sophie. I tried to sleep on the couch next to the pack 'n play, but at the slightest rustle my head would pop up like a prairie dog. My mom, God bless her, would relieve me and stay up with Sophie so I'd get some sleep. This did go away after about the third night, when we put her in the crib and I took the monitor into my room for the first time. At first, I jumped at every little sound, but exhaustion set in and I fell asleep. And then when she cried for real, it woke me up and I took care of her. After that, I was fine.
7. Trust your instincts. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone will offer advice. There are classes, books, websites, you name it. If it doesn't sound right, you DON'T have to listen. Like my husband, the journalist, says, "If your mother says she loves you, get another source." Double-check anything that doesn't sound right.
8. Accept the hormones.   I thought I cried over silly things when I was pregnant. It got worse after I gave birth. One day I burst into tears because the balloons my family brought me were starting to deflate and I hadn't gotten a picture of Sophie with them. Don't worry, this too shall pass.
9. Baby brain is real. Like I said, I've been trying to write this post for two weeks. I've probably forgotten half of what I wanted to put in it. I forget a lot of things now. Fortunately, I have not yet burned down the house. *crossing fingers*
10. Who cares if it's gas? That smile will melt your heart. As will anything and everything about your baby. Sophie's adorable all the time, but sometimes I'll see her asleep and it takes my breath away all over again.

The final (?) countdown

I'm a bit of a mess.

I had a blog post rolling around in my head last week about "coming down the home stretch," i.e. approaching my due date (which is this coming Sunday, April 21). I got caught up in finishing one last freelancing project and other things, and never got to write it.

Then Monday came along, and after the bombings at the Boston Marathon, "coming down the home stretch" didn't seem appropriate. (I know that's a horse racing term, but still.)

I never wrote about Newtown. I won't really write about Boston. Both of those events made me wonder what kind of world I'm bringing BabyD into. But I am trying to focus more on the positive - the people who helped, the stories of courage. I have to, for my own peace of mind and so that I can imbue BabyD with confidence and optimism.

Today, I'm a bit of a mess for other reasons.

I had my weekly checkup. I am at 39 weeks and two days, and there's been no "action" - no contractions, nothing. The doctor did tell me I've dropped some, and I'm dilated a wee bit (probably about .5 cm).

And then she hit me with, "we're going to schedule an induction for Sunday night."

Remember how my blood pressure was up about halfway through the pregnancy? Well, it had settled down for awhile, but over the last few weeks it started to yo-yo. The lower number crept up, then back down. Today, the upper number was up but the lower number was fine. But this yo-yoing is enough of a concern that the doctor wanted to schedule the induction. Without the BP problems, she said, we'd wait for 41 weeks, but because of it, she felt better scheduling the induction rather than taking the chance of the BP spiking or anything like that.

Hence my mess. I'm not sure what I'm feeling right now. There's a part of me that's like, OK, now I know when BabyD's going to arrive (assuming s/he doesn't up and arrive before induction... which, you know, as persnickety as his/her mother is, s/he may be as well, so it is a possibility. :-) ). But then there's part of me that's disappointed that we don't get to experience the whole "hey honey, it's time!" And there's part of me that's freaked out by induction - is this going to up my chances of a c-section? Is this going to hurt worse? (I suck at pain, I admit it. Joe already knows I am not too proud to ask for drugs during labor.) Is this all going to be OK for BabyD? Oh, and am I ready for all of this?

As I said to Joe when we left the doctor's office - come hell or high water, by this time next week, BabyD will be here!

It's always snowy in NEPA

I went to visit my parents in southcentral Pa. earlier this week, and on both ends of the trip down I-81, I hit snow in Schuylkill County. This prompted me to post on Facebook, "It's always snowy in Schuylkill County."

Well, I'm not sure if Schulykill County exactly falls under the NEPA umbrella (I know it's coal country, at least), but I've discovered something this winter: It's always snowy in NEPA.

Last winter was, thankfully, mild. I say thankfully because we hadn't sold our house in the 'grove yet and Joe was semi-commuting (he did have an apartment by that point, thank goodness, but he came home on his days off). For all the time both of us spent driving back and forth, we lucked out on the snow front.

This winter, our first as full-fledged NEPA residents, has been much different.

Now, I like snow. "Of course you do," you say. "You work from home. You don't have to drive in it." Well, sure. I also liked it during my brief stint in Northern Va. when my company followed the federal government and everything closed for two flakes. :-) But I digress.

We've had a few actual snowstorms - three, four, six, seven inches. Big deal, right? Here's why I say it's always snowy in NEPA: I'd venture a guess that in the past two months, almost every day, we see flurries.

The sun can be shining, or at least peeping through clouds, and the flakes are flying. Almost every day's forecast calls for "some snow showers."

It's really not so bad. Most of the time, it doesn't even stick to the roads, or even the grass, and is just pretty. If it does stick, it melts quickly. As I said to Joe the other day, "It's like living in a snowglobe."

And then there's days like this morning where you do wake up to an unexpected covering of snow. As in, ground is white, driveway is covered. But by the time we left for Mass, it had melted enough that Joe didn't need to shovel the driveway. (Side note: This is how light most of these snowfalls are - my pregnant self could handle shoveling one the other night. It covered the parking pad, and I wanted to be nice, so I went out and shoveled before Joe came home. More like I pushed. It was that fluffy.)

Yet, the New England blizzard barely skimmed us and the BIG SNOWSTORM predicted for this week is currently on track to stay well south of us.

Bet we get flurries, though.

NEPA teams make national scene

Updated: 7:30 p.m., Jan. 23, 2013

Although college cheerleading's big-name teams -- Kentucky, Alabama, UCF -- are mostly in the south, a group of NEPA squads is quietly making waves on the national scene.

Misericordia University, Kutztown University, the University of Scranton and Keystone College all sent teams to Universal Cheerleaders Association's college national championships last weekend. Misericordia placed fourth in the all-girl open division and Kutztown also took fourth in all-girl division 1.

Scranton's cheer team, also competing in all-girl open, finished in the top 10, as did its dance team, also in its respective open division. Keystone placed in the top 10 in small coed division 2.

Misericordia freshman Alyssa Auer and Kutztown senior Talia Russell shared their experiences at nationals.

"Sharing a moment like finding out we made it to finals is indescribable," Auer said. "We were all so excited and absolutely thrilled that our hard work paid off to meet the goal we set to make it to finals!"

The Cougars were in the No. 5 spot heading into finals, Auer said, but reworked the cheer portion of their routine using the judges' input from semi-finals to make it more crowd-friendly. This helped them move up a spot in finals.

Kutztown also had a strong cheer portion in its routine.

"Our routine starts off with our high energy, exciting cheer that makes the fans want to cheer back with us," Russell, the team's president, said. "It's a great way to show our crowd effectiveness while getting the team pumped for the rest of the routine."

The Twitter account @UCAUpdates agreed, tweeting "Roar Bears! Fun routine from Kutztown University" during finals.

Another improvement Misericordia made was to clean up two stunt sequences. The opening stunt sequence -- a college rewind, heel stretch, waterfall out, and a front walkover into an aero and full down -- was one that the squad worked on since summer camp, Auer said, and "we nailed it in the end." Misericordia also added difficulty with a flip dismount from a pyramid sequence.

Kutztown relied on the strength of its practice sessions to carry the team through to a strong finals performance, Russell said.

"We had effective, high energy practices in the days leading up to the competition which enabled us to perform our routine the best we ever have during finals," she said. "Overall, I think the team became stronger as a whole and we were able to work together on the mat."

The practices may have been serious, but the Bears had fun throughout, Russell said.

"One of our main goals as a team this year was to stay focused and I think we achieved that goal while still being able to keep practices exciting," she said.
The key to the Cougars' success was team unity, Auer said, citing the leadership and encouragement of coaches Tara Sinclair and Courtney Coletti, senior captains Amber Schmidt and Alyssa McEntee -- the team's only seniors -- and junior captain Sarah Richards.

"Coming from a high school that doesn't compete, it was amazing to see all the dedication that it took to make our routine all that it was," Auer said. "Misericordia's cheerleading squad stresses the word 'family' and that's exactly what we are, cheer sisters."

Dilemma: Dart or Durango?

My husband and I are considering buying a new car. It's not a pressing need, but his Sunfire has racked up the miles and is not going to be be very baby-friendly (two-door). However, it is in good shape and hasn't had any maintenance issues (*knock wood*). My PT Cruiser has fewer miles and sufficient space, so we're not desperate, but we're pondering.

We've been considering the new Dodge Dart ever since we saw the early release at auto shows. But after commuting "troo da notch" from South Abington Township into Scranton and back in the snow, Joe started to wonder if something a little bulkier and with four-wheel-drive might not be a better option. My dad got a bead on a 2011 Dodge Durango just traded in at the dealership he and I (and half our family) have dealt with for years.

So now, dilemma: which would be better?

In terms of price, they're pretty much even. We could get a brand-new Dart for about the price of this Durango (which has 40,000 miles on it already - although Dad knows the previous owners and they do maintain their vehicles well). We haven't priced out insurance yet. New (aka with warranty) vs. used is a consideration.

The Dart would get far better gas mileage. The Durango would have far better hauling capacity. But it's not quite that simple. We've seen the Dart in person, and it is no slouch in the trunk department, or legroom for that matter.

Here's what we're asking ourselves:

• Do we need the extended cargo room of the Durango? BabyD is our first child, and while we hope to have more, two-kid space is not a pressing need. We have a mental wish list of things we want to do to the house, but so far Petey has sufficed for hauling supplies (sometimes much to my dismay). We go to Ocean City, Md., every summer (or hope to) but don't haul a ton of equipment. But on the flip side, anywhere we go now for more than a day trip will require all sorts of baby equipment. Petey can handle that, as can a Dart, for short-term trips, but maybe the Durango would be better for longer trips.
• What will be better in bad weather, or are they both sufficient? Joe said that none of his fellow workers who live up here drive SUVs - they all have sedans. The Dart is bigger and theoretically sturdier than his Sunfire. The Durango has 4WD and more tourque as opposed to the Dart, though it has front-wheel-drive which isn't horrible. I've not had problems with Petey in snow, so I imagine the Dart is also pretty good in it. But there's always that security of a larger, heftier, 4WD vehicle like the Durango.
• Which is more important - more space or better gas mileage? This is really the one we keep dancing around. We crunched some numbers and estimated that the Durango will cost about $800 more in gas per year (Side note: I did just read today that gas prices are expected to go down in 2013, with the average family saving about $200 for the year). Is it worth it to get a sturdier vehicle with more space? Or to turn it around, do the gas savings of the Dart make up for having less room?

If you're a parent, a NEPA resident, or a NEPA parent, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.  

Steamtown and skates

My husband had a "real weekend" this week (translation: The perils of life on the copy desk of a newspaper mean your days off are not automatically Saturday and Sunday. But this week, they were). We took advantage of it by having some NEPA adventures on Saturday.

Starting with Steamtown National Historic Site.

(view from the front of the building)

 



Joe and I have something of an interest in trains. We recently went to the  B&O museum in Baltimore, and we're hoping to go to Strasburg this summer when we go to the NCPC National Meet in Bird-in-Hand, Pa. We're also a fan of model train displays. For me, I think this comes from my Pap, who had an extensive model train collection. My dad also had one set up in our basement when I was little, which I loved.

Steamtown is at the former railyards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RR. Railroads were an important part of the area's economy throughout the coal mining years, as it was the primary means of transportation for the coal.

I think what I enjoy most about trains and train museums is that it's such a step back in time. We're in such a hurry to get places nowadays that rail travel isn't a much-used option. I've taken train trips before, and I really enjoy watching the world go by (it's why I like car trips too).

We were joined by our friends, the Abdallas, NEPA natives now living in southcentral Pa. (well, Molly is technically a southern tier native, but that's just over the line into N.Y.). We all went on the "Life on a Caboose" tour, during which one of the park rangers took us through - you guessed it - a caboose and told us of the lives of the railmen who rode and worked in there.

Side note: Workin' on the railroad? Dangerous gig. You could get squished trying to do your job and link up cars! (and that's just one danger.)

Being that we'd kind of dawdled getting there (hey, it was Saturday... ), and Steamtown is in winter hours, we did not get to spend as much time there as we would have liked. Come spring, we're hoping to go on one of the excursions - and take BabyD with us! :-)

Later that evening, we headed to Wilkes-Barre for the WBS Penguins Pink in the Rink game with my Zeta Tau Alpha alumnae chapter. Breast cancer awareness and education is ZTA's national philanthropy, so this was a great opportunity for fun with sisters and to help the fight!

(Tux, the Penguins mascot, rocks the pink!)

 

Before the game, we ZTAs scattered throughout the lobby and handed out pink ribbons and self-exam reminder stickers. I enjoy getting the opportunity to do this, and I've always envied the sisters who get to do this at NFL games!

 

The game itself was a lot of fun as well. For $23, we got great seats (three rows from the ice!), a Penguins ballcap, soda, chips and a hot dog. Minor league sports are pretty awesome - much more affordable than major league sports, for sure, and far more fan-friendly, with lots of promotions and giveaways. I'm hoping we can catch a RailRiders baseball game this summer.

 

And the Penguins got a 3-0 win over the Worchester Sharks!

 

(I couldn't resist a crown pic.)

 

So that's our very NEPA-flavored day. All-in-all, a lot of fun, and we've just begun to scratch the surface of the adventures this area has to offer!



The things you find...

I confess: I am not the world's most organized person. We've been in our house five months and there are still plenty of boxes to unpack and things unorganized. (Side note: This is where I envy my sister's Virgo-perfectionism organizational skills. I swear she can just look at something and know where everything should go.)

Yesterday, my husband and I took yet another crack at the boxes in our basement. This provided a treasure trove of weird memorabilia, and some with a decidedly... psychic flavor.

• The Hairspray Playbill from when I last saw the show in December 2008, before I met Joe... autographed by a high school classmate of his who was in the show!
• On that theme, a copy of the Hanover Evening Sun  - Joe's old newspaper - with a review of Susquehanna University, my alma mater. There were a few other ES items I found, all from before Joe worked there, because my grandparents lived in Littlestown and I used to read it when we went to visit them.
• A sports column I wrote in college - in 1997 - about egotistical owners ruining sports. Inspired by Peter Angelos' firing of Davey Johnson - er, excuse me, Johnson's resignation - a day before he won AL Manager of the Year. It also mentions Jerry Jones' ego doing damage to the Cowboys. Joe, upon reading: "How sentient!" My reaction: "I've been bitching about the same thing for 15 years?! *sigh*"
• There were piles of old cards I'd received while in college. I pulled out one and saw it was from my great aunt and uncle. Was about to throw it away when I thought, "hey, I should open it. Maybe I missed some money." Sure enough, there was a $5 sitting in it! Although I like to think of that as sort of a belated Christmas gift from the great beyond. :-)

I didn't even get the thing done last night. I kept sorting through it today, only to discover the bottom half of it is full of stuff that isn't even mine!!! Mom, Dad, Andrea... I've got a box for you...

(And in yet another odd find, there were two 1997 TV Guides with Ravens on the cover. Did I mention we're Cowboys fans? Why did Mom - the most likely culprit - save them?! Vinny Testeverde's on the cover of one, for crying out loud! There's no value in that! Joe's reaction: "Gag." And he's a Ravens fan.)

I'd better make sure this stuff gets sorted in my lifetime, or my child(ren) will be really mystified by me when I die and they have to go through it!

My bi-monthly dose of writer's block

Everyone gets writer's block every so often. But in my case, I get a good dose of it every two months, almost like clockwork. (No snarky comments about how I must have had it for almost a month due to my lack of updates here...)

You see, I am the chairperson of a car club that produces a bi-monthly newsletter. And being that the editor of said newsletter is my dear old Dad, I can hardly slack on my chairpersonly duties, so I must always produce a chairperson's message.

You would think this would be easy. I have almost complete creative freedom. I have almost no limits when it comes to space (although sometimes, if Dad's lacking contributions, he'll ask me to beef it up).

However, it's not easy. The lack of constrictions means lack of guidelines, which often makes it hard to narrow down a purpose to my writing. The two easiest issues are the one just before our National Meet (promote, promote, promote) and the National Meet issue itself (recap, thank everyone who helped, preview next year). Anything in between... not so much.

Part of the problem is that I've been chair for so long, I seriously can't remember when my term started. Hey, no one else seems to want the job. Like most other clubs, we have a hard time getting volunteers for the board of directors and other jobs. My dad, the aforementioned editor, is also treasurer and handles membership and the company store. And he's pretty much the person everyone goes to for everything. (I like to say he really runs the club; I'm just the pretty face.) So with that said, it means I feel like I've said everything 50 million times. Remind people to renew memberships. Ask people to recruit new members. Beg for volunteers. Beg for input ("this is YOUR club...").

Which leads me to the other problem: I get next to no feedback. Even when I write a message specifically designed to solicit feedback, I get nothing. In the midst of unpacking our new house, I stumbled across an old issue of the newsletter from 20 years ago (no, I haven't been chair THAT long...), in which the chair asked the membership some thoughtful questions about the direction the club should take, whether we should try to grow in a more truly national direction, and whether or not we should move our National Meets around more. These questions are all very relevant to our club today, so I put them forth in my chairperson's message. I got... one response. And no disrespect to the person who responded, but he was a fellow board member and I already knew how he felt because this had all been a topic of discussion in several board meetings.

*sigh*

I've tried the "ripped from the headlines" approach - I once wrote one inspired by a car magazine I read while sitting at the dealership during an oil change. I've tried commentary on the news from the car world. I've even tried the dream sequence once. I've tried serious, I've tried humorous.

So this time, I feel like I actually wrote something inspired. I encouraged members to use our social media outlets (which are way underused... we do have an "older" membership, but there are plenty of members who are on social media). And instead of just saying "hey, Tweet at us!" I actually GAVE IDEAS. I pitched social media as a way of being an active club and having that fun camaraderie we all find at National Meets in a virtual sense year-round. If people actually read and heed, well darn it, our social media could start to be really fun. And some of those fans/followers that aren't already members might just become members...

Cross your fingers.

Does anyone else have this problem? Do you have something you have to write on a regular basis and struggle with ways to keep it fresh? I'd love suggestions.

The doctor dance

I'm not going to be one of "those moms" who posts every little aspect of pregnancy on Facebook,  I swear. But the past few days qualify as "adventure," so I think it's blog-worthy. :-) And writing it out is therapeutic.

Warning: This will delve a bit into health stuff, mainly pee, so if that makes you squicky, turn back now.

Tuesday, I had a regular four-week checkup with the "babydoc." Because I go to a practice, they have tried to schedule me with a different doc each time so I get a chance to meet all of them. I like this, because you never know who will end up in the hospital when BabyD makes his/her appearance. Also, so far I like every single one of them.

BabyD is doing well - nice strong heartbeat (We have the 20-week scan next week - and nope, not finding out the gender!). But Tuesday's doc was a bit concerned about BabyD's mom. Seems I'm developing a pattern of high blood pressure readings during my babydoc visits and he thought it might be chronic hypertension. I've not had a history of high blood pressure, but it does run in my family, so... hmm.

Babydoc wanted me to follow up with my familydoc and get blood work done. OK. I'm totally fine with this - anything to make sure BabyD is good to go.

However, in the meantime, I foolishly Googled "hypertension and pregnancy." Warning to any moms-to-be who have never Googled anything "... and pregnancy" - DO NOT DO THIS. It will scare the crap out of you. I ended up reading about pre-eclampsia and all that entails and getting freaked out for BabyD. 'Cause yeah, that's gonna help the blood pressure. :-)

Today I went to my familydoc and my blood pressure was... "perfect." *headdesk*

I love my familydoc too. He looked back through my appointments with him and with the babydoc, and all my BPs were fine with him but high with the babydoc. So is it "white-coat hypertension"? He said he's reluctant to put me on meds, which I appreciate, because he said they'd likely make me feel fatigued and crappy. I don't need that.

And now we get into the crazy part of the day....

OK, so familydoc wanted me to get a blood pressure monitor and track my BP for the next two weeks. Not wanting me to have to spend a lot of money, he wrote me a prescription in the hopes my insurance would cover it. (I greatly appreciate this consideration.) This would lead to The Great BP Monitor Hunt, but we'll get to that, because first...

... I went to the next room to get my bloodwork done. Except the nurse looked at the order and said, "We can't do that here." They can only do basics and the order required a few specialized tests. No biggie, I understand. They give me a list of labs that are connected to my insurance (again, appreciated) and one is two doors down. So I hoof it over there, only to find that I need to (WARNING, SQUICKY STUFF) do a 24-hour urine test along with it. Which means I have to collect my urine for an entire day, in a huge jug, that must be refrigerated. (Clinician: "Oh, it's cold enough out, you can keep it in a bucket outside." Best friend: "Just don't put it next to the apple juice!") Have I mentioned how much I HATE PEE TESTS???? I hate collecting my pee. This ain't easy for girls, people!!!

All right, enough of that. (This is the part my mother reads and says, "You really put that out there for people to read?" I feel it's a public service. :-) )

I head off to RiteAid to get the BP monitor. The very nice lady at the pharmacy tells me that she knows insurance won't cover it if I buy it there, but recommends a medical supply store in Scranton. Again, appreciated. I go home, look up this supply store, and call to ask if they have a BP monitor that might be covered by insurance. Nope.

*sigh* This leads to me going onto my insurance website, looking up "medical supplies," and calling about five places on the list and getting really sick of asking, "do you carry home BP monitors?" Finally, I find one. She's not sure insurance will cover it, but come on in and they'll see what they can do. Of course, by this time it's mid-afternoon and did I mention I have freelance work due tomorrow?

The long and short of it is, I'm going to go up to Eynon to get this BP monitor tomorrow before I head back to the 'grove for a dinner date with Dad, who's there for GBP presentations (I know, it's Susquehanna-speak), and ZTA officer training the next day. And Sunday, I get to collect pee. Yay.

By the way, I adore BabyD. Me and my blood pressure, not so much.

Spreading Christmas cheer - the rest of the story

When I write articles, I usually end up having notes and quotes that don't fit. Last week, I wrote one on Central Pa. businesses that people can hire to do their holiday decorating. One of these companies, Christmas Decor by Utopian Landscapes, gives two grants each year to decorate homes for free. Unfortunately, I couldn't fit that into my article, and I felt bad, because the owner said they were looking for nominations for this year's grants. So, I'm going to write about it here, in the hopes that Central Pa. friends will share it. :-)

Utopian Landscapes' two grants are the Donald Phelps Christmas Grant and Decorated Family Grant. The Donald Phelps Grant, named for owner Nikos Phelps’ late grandfather, goes to an individual or family experiencing personal or financial hardships. The Decorated Family Grant is given to a military family missing a loved one during the holidays through deployment or loss.

“There’s some great people out there. These are people who try to help everyone else and help themselves last,” Phelps said. “It’s someone else trying to tell this person, you can relax now, someone else will take care of you."

Phelps told me some stories about families they'd decorated in recent years, and it got to me.

The military family is usually one who is missing a member overseas. For one, Phelps made arrangements with the deployed husband to Skype with his family on a certain day, and while he was online with them, the company showed up at the door to do the decorating. The kids had a great time helping put up lights and pick out colors.

One year, they decorated for a Gold Star mother (one who has lost her son or daughter in combat). "We wanted to let her know her sacrifice isn't forgotten and make her holidays brighter," Phelps said.

The needy families decorated through the Donald Phelps Grant have gone through a range of hardships. One had a terminally ill daughter, another had lost their house to fire.

Last year's recipients had gone through a myriad of struggles, Phelps told me. They were a mother and daughter; the daughter had been attacked by a dog, and the mother jumped onto the daughter to ward off the attack. The daughter didn't have health insurance, so her hospital bills added up. The mother ended up with a spinal infection, and she also has MS.

"She didn’t blame anyone for the attack," Phelps said. "We decorated her home and she had a party, invited her friends to see the unveiling. She doesn’t blame the dog, and she was just trying to raise money to pay the bills. We told another client and they donated money anonymously. She took half of it and donated it to charity to try to help someone else. That was one of the more gut-wrenching ones I think we’ve had."

Unfortunately, Phelps said it's a struggle every year to find nominations.

"It’s something our guys look forward to. We owe it to the community to do that.

We’re blessed to have a service that really has the opportunity to brighten up someone’s holiday season."

They're still seeking nominations for this year’s grants. More information and a nomination form are available at www.utopianlandscapesllc.com. So please, spread the word - or nominate someone yourself!

The obligatory intro

Greetings to all who stumble across this humble patch o' web. My husband and I moved to NEPA in July 2012, and shortly thereafter discovered there was a wee one on the way!

We like to go out for random drives and explore, which we've always referred to as our "adventures." Adapting to a new area, organizing a new house, being pregnant, etc. are certainly all adventures! I actually had the idea to start this blog a few months ago, but am finally getting around to it, so I may write up some retro adventures as well. (I could write a book on the adventure that is finding a house.)

I am a southcentral PA native who has lived most of her life (with a four-year exile we won't talk about) in central PA. My husband is a Baltimore native (lovingly, a Baltimoron) who has spent several years in central PA as well. NEPA is not far from our previous home, but it is a world with its own flavor that we're enjoying getting to know.