NIGHT OF THRILLS....

Thanks to Hit 106.3 FM radio station, my kiddies and I got to attend the Night of Thrills as Raceway Park in Englishtown.

We had an awesome time! Although my daughters favorite Monster Truck was not there (Scarlet Bandit), she did get some 1-on-1 time getting her shoe signed by Gary Porter, driver for GRAVE DIGGER, and the other shoe signed by Alex Blackwell, driver for CAPTAINS CURSE.
We ended up with a beautiful night, it was warm, clear and sunny when we got there! Little chill set in as the sun went down, but nothing a light jacket couldn't help with!
Parking was free, which is always a plus! and with any children's ticket (which cost $10) you got a free kids meal and entry into some sort of drawing!
Would have to say that next to the Monster Truck action, the Jet Cars are definitely my favorite part of the show, although I always get nervous that something might go wrong and you get blasted with a jet engine.. haha.. but that is just my worrisome mom brain in action!
I think they only do this show once a year, but if you ever have a chance to get out to a show like this... it is well worth it! We all had such a good time!

HALLMARK FINALIST!!!

Brenda Callahan Selected as Finalist in Hallmark’s “yourBloopers” Greeting Card Design Contest
You can vote for local finalist’s card by purchasing it.

(Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey, April 24, 2008) — After a search for seriously funny cards, Hallmark is announcing 60 finalists in the company’s sixth card-creation competition, “yourBloopers,” including Brenda Callahan from Cliffwood Beach. The competition encouraged consumers to submit their funniest photos with a hilarious message to Hallmark. Winners’ cards are being printed and sold online (at Hallmark) and in more than 10,000 stores nationwide. You can also visit the card online at Your Bloopers where you can recommend the card as a fan favorite!

Hallmark creative staff, including members of the Shoebox team, judged the cards.

On May 4 all of the finalists’ designs will go on sale online at Hallmark. On June 22, the cards will be available at participating stores. Local residents can help Callahan become the Grand Prize Winner by buying her card. The finalist with the most sales between May 4 and Sept. 13 will win $2500 additional cash




. You can’t always get what you want…but you can keep wishing! Happy Birthday!

Ringling Brothers.... little disappointed

Today we had our date with the elephants! We went to the Ringling Brothers show at Madison Square Garden. I can say I don't think it was the Greatest Show on Earth...It was an experience. It was entertaining. But I was not "wow'd" I would say the elephants and the acrobats were the best part of the show. How (let alone why) those woman hang from long strands of flowing fabric from the ceiling and twist, turn, spin that high in the air.... Or when they rely on the other acrobat to actually "hold" them in the air as they twist and turn! Amazing! The tigers were cute, but didn't do anything spectacular, and before you knew it, they were packing them up. The horses were beautiful, but their zebra counterparts didn't impress either.

So, all in all... we had a very enjoyable day out. But in no hurry to rush off and see the show again!
Sure did tucker the little girl out!

NATHANS.... the original

We had the pleasure last weekend of another one of my friend's "road-trips". See, I have lived in New Jersey for almost my entire life. Currently I live where I can look out my back door and see the Outer Bridge Crossing from across the Bay.... Convenient huh? Think I have gone to New York alot in my 36 years? NOT! haha... I can count on my fingers, don't even need my toes... for how many trips to the city I have made. At 12 years old to see the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City, at 22ish to see the tree in Rockefeller, around same time I went to boat show at Javits Center, by photo in previous post, last year to see the tree at Rockefeller, and most recently to Madison Square Garden to trade in ticket vouchers for actual tickets to see Ringling Bros Circus this upcoming weekend. Then I realized... no only have I rarely visited the city... but I have ONLY taken in the sights of Manhattan.... So it is my friend's intention(Long Island Nativehimself) to expose me to the 5 boroughs :)
This past weekend.... Brooklyn (via Staten Island... don't know if that counts).
We took the kids to the New York Aquarium, took a brief (very cold walk along the Coney Island boardwalk (for most part all closed up this time of year)... then NATHANS! The Original! Couldn't very well take in a trip to Coney Island with out a Hot Dog. I know, they are all over the place these days... but had to visit the mother-ship!
Some of the locals were laughing at my friend as he snapped this picture of me and the kids, but trust me when I tell you... we certainly were not the only ones snapping pictures at Nathans! 8664bbaa8f21f1a65dd042930b0fcb28e66cdd6eaea6ca2e66

KUDOS TO ZAPPOS.COM

OK. I am sure I am like a lot of you where you kind of squirm at the idea of ordering clothing or shoes online.. right? What if it doesn't fit? Not like buying something at the local store down the road, where you just bring your receipt back in and exchange it!

Well... for my job, I have to have black slip resistant shoes. Due to my standing all day, I prefer them to be sneakers. Thanks to genetics, I wear a womens size 11 which NO ONE seems to carry in anything that I need!
I found Skechers makes wonderful slip resistant sneakers in my size... problem? Finding my size in the stores, not even the local Skechers outlet store by me ever has 11's in stock.

So I google the shoes that I am looking for... narrow down to the place with the cheapest price ... ZAPPOS.COM and to my surprise... FREE SHIPPING! what a bonus perk.. because I always hate when you think you are paying one price and by the time the fees get added on, you are $10 more than expected.... better yet.. they even offer FREE return shipping if item does not fit!!!

Okay, so now I am ready to make the move. Actually purchase something online. Something that might not fit... oh heck... (click) done. Sent the order through. Now I wait...
Very quick shipping! I am impressed. Try them on... Even more impressed... they fit!
Whoo Hoo for me! I did it. I am happy...

Now... 2 weeks after wearing sneakers... the main seam on side of shoe opens up!
OH NO!!! now what?? I have had good luck with these shoes before, so I know it is just an oops in manufacturing...

I go back to the ZAPPOS.COM web site because I threw all my information out... and there is all my order information with a convenient little button to process your return. Will they return them? I have worn them for two weeks! So I notice this little "LIVE CHAT" button on their sidebar.
Click... and immediately I have Taisha on the the other end of the chat.
Hello Taisha.. this is my problem... what can I do?

I really expected to have to fight for the return... or worse yet, knowing that I NEED these shoes for work, which means I will have to run out to Payless or something and buy a cheap pair to make it through the transition time... WRONG!!!

Taisha informed me that I just click on the process return button. Print out the return UPS label, and send the product back. But wait.. that's not all.. They are shipping my replacement out TODAY! (friday) and I will have them by MONDAY! Incredible. Then they ask that within two weeks i return the defective pair... How incredible is that? I don't have to buy another pair in the meantime!
They don't argue over the return, and even pay for it. Trusting that I return the other pair after they give me the new pair!

But wait.. that's not all.... I am now upgraded to VIP status! which means bonus perks next time I shop ZAPPOS.COM

What do I have to say about this?

I LOVE YOU ZAPPOS.COM!!!!

I have never trusted ordering clothing/shoes online before. Your company goes well above and beyond what I could have ever expected! Great prices, free shipping, AWESOME return policy!
You have made a customer for life!!!

I definitely recommend ZAPPOS.COM to everyone!!

Nickelback-Seether-Saving Abel at the Izod Center

Can I just say.... WOW!
Incredible show!
I was fortunate enought to have been given two tickets to see the Nickelback concert at the Izod Center for last night's show!

Awesome seats! Of course this was taken between Seether and Nickelback.. because my camera phone was lousy at taking photos without the lights on!

you be the judge...


My son had to deal with my lack of directional skills driving us there... but once we were there... it was excellent.
We missed most of Saving Abel.. but got there in time to hear the only two songs of theirs that I knew :)
Seether is one of my boys favorite bands... so he was in his glory!
As for Nickelback.... if you didn't have heart condition before the show... you got one at the start of the show... Arena fully lit up, everyone doing their thing (this is when I took my picture of the stage)... out of nowhere... BOOM!!! then the lights kicked off and the band was right out playing! What an attention grabber!
Their song choices were great! Non-scripted audience interaction which you don't see too often.... during the encore... some guy threw money up on stage! (what was he thinking???) The band started playing Money by Pink Floyd... then when the security guy climbed up on stage to pick up the dough... they spotlighted him and started playing strip-tease music while lead singer moaned into the microphone... hysterical... although I am sure seeing it first hand is a lot more comical than reading about it!
We had an awesome time!
Can't remember the last time I went somewhere that "I" wanted to go, not just the kids....
(heck.. even bought myself a shirt!)

Next step.... Ringling Bros. at Madison Square Garden (yup.. won those tickets too! Thanks 'Daily News')

What makes a 7 year old girl scream?

DAVID ARCHULETA!!I was so very lucky to be one of the winners of David Archuleta tickets for his performance at the Starland Ballroom on the 26th in Sayreville, NJ. (Big huge thank you to 94.3 The Point radio station for this one)!
Tickets were sold out. I won two of them! Don't think I have ever seen my little one so excited! Besides waiting on line forever to get in (brr.. was it chilly). Made good conversation with some wonderful families on line! Can we say wall-to-wall screaming girls??? Anyone not familiar with Starland... it is standing room only. So, sadly, my little one is a little short to see over heads. We propped ourselves on the staircase to give her a better view. So we were at the back of the crowd, but room was small enough that you could still see his facial expressions clearly. I was not a huge fan... but must say, he put on a really good show. Really sweet kid! I wish him the best with his career!
Our highlight of the evening.... the guitar player from the opening act walked past us and his sweatjacket sequin scratched my little ones hand! (is that a good or a bad thing?) haha...
wonderful time!!!!
excellent experience!!!!
Made her day!

Now.... onto Nickleback/Seether/Saving Able on Friday with the boy :)

Got this in email... had to share

THE JOB - URINE TEST
(Whoever wrote this one deserves a HUGE pat on the back!)


Like a lot of folks in this state, I have a job. I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test with which I have no problem. What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test.
Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have t o pass one to earn it for them? Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sitting on their rump--doing drugs, while I work. . . . Can you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?
I guess we could title that program, 'Urine or You're Out'.

Who turned off the heat?

Ok... who turned off the heat? It is absolutely freezing outside. At least there is not snow associated with it around here except for the little bit Thursday morning... which really made my drive to work crappy!
I am not greedy... just put us back above freezing and I will be happy (at least for now)!

Good Start...

Ok, finally settling in at the new "roof over my head". Not quite the same as having my own place but (thank you H. & S. A.)
I have realized through the years that everyone has friends. Some come and go, some stick around for a while... and others... like H.A. has been in my life since we were in the first grade together! Now, this seems really weird to me considering my own daughter is in the 2nd grade now... so when I look at her, I can see H.A. and I many years ago... and laugh when I think of how we looked at our parents at that time, and say "Oh, no... that's me!) haha...
Anyway, back on that train of thought... I have been blessed to have H.A. in my life, and even more blessed that her hubby S.A. is just as kind...
Through my trials and tribulations, they have always been there for me, and this is no different.
So, I have recently come to roost in their nest! That's okay though, because for sanity sake, on weekends when my kids are with me.... it only makes us a household of EIGHT! not to mention the dog, cat, guinea pig and fish :)

So for the start of my 2009 I have moved, gone back to work after my "move time off" and am in full swing for the start of a happy, prosperous new year!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to me!

After feverishly trying to end 2008 with a move... it is now 2009 and all I can do is wish that this year is so much better than last! Although I did accomplish a lot last year, and pulled myself through each glitch that hit me, I am desperately needing a good year! I deserve it!