ust one of those weeks in which I was a little bit sulky and suspicious and full of worry...extra sensitive to the slightest change in plans or any perceived minor infraction. So, I was kind of like, knock-down-drag-out pissed at pretty much everyone. Well, except for my kids, oddly enough, whowere just extra angelic this week...oh, and all of you of course....well, most of you. So I figured I should take a break...because I know, for you guys especially, listening to an angry female rail on is about as enticing as swallowing razor blades...and sometimes I think taking a little break is truly the only course of action...a bit of protection for this delicate little heart.
But that all changed on Thursday....that lucky day. I don't know if it is coincidence or not, but earlier in the week I was at Town & Country in R
idgewood...you locals know it, but for the rest of you, it is this old time apothecary that also sells fine cosmetics, gifts and handmade jewelry...And T&C is my go-to stop for my Bumble & Bumble shampoo and La Mer creams. You know, even though I am a Bergen County gal, mere 10 minutes from Paramus/Land 'O Malls...I would hit every single boutique from here to Montauk before I would choose to set foot inside Garden State Plaza or Riverside Square or (g*d forbid) Paramus Park Mall (though the shoe departments are tempting...). But I digress, where was I? Oh right...at T&C this week I was purchasing a little Jaqua Chocolate Buttercream Body Wash when out of the corner of my eye, I saw this little lariat necklace with a pretty etched pale yellow stone on one loop a
nd a little silver four-leaf clover on the other. And though being more than half Irish, I am not exactly one of those ethnic chicks with all that Celtic pride, but for some reason it was calling to me and I had to have it. But you know, in these tight times I rethought it a little -- Who am I kidding? I admired it for a while, noting the price as $76...yeah, I think Rob might throttle me for the $20 yummy delicious body wash, forget the necklace...And then, the girl came over and said: "You know, that stone has a little nick in it, so I can give you the necklace for 50% off." Well, apparently the luck of the "little more than half" Irish was at play -- or it was kismet -- the little four-leaf clover lariat became mine.
idgewood...you locals know it, but for the rest of you, it is this old time apothecary that also sells fine cosmetics, gifts and handmade jewelry...And T&C is my go-to stop for my Bumble & Bumble shampoo and La Mer creams. You know, even though I am a Bergen County gal, mere 10 minutes from Paramus/Land 'O Malls...I would hit every single boutique from here to Montauk before I would choose to set foot inside Garden State Plaza or Riverside Square or (g*d forbid) Paramus Park Mall (though the shoe departments are tempting...). But I digress, where was I? Oh right...at T&C this week I was purchasing a little Jaqua Chocolate Buttercream Body Wash when out of the corner of my eye, I saw this little lariat necklace with a pretty etched pale yellow stone on one loop and a little silver four-leaf clover on the other. And though being more than half Irish, I am not exactly one of those ethnic chicks with all that Celtic pride, but for some reason it was calling to me and I had to have it. But you know, in these tight times I rethought it a little -- Who am I kidding? I admired it for a while, noting the price as $76...yeah, I think Rob might throttle me for the $20 yummy delicious body wash, forget the necklace...And then, the girl came over and said: "You know, that stone has a little nick in it, so I can give you the necklace for 50% off." Well, apparently the luck of the "little more than half" Irish was at play -- or it was kismet -- the little four-leaf clover lariat became mine. And then all of a sudden, the week took a turn....I woke up Thursday morning and in perusing my jammed email inbox I learned that I was kicking a** in my Top Chef Fantasy Game. Ok...let 
me go back...I am not a Fantasy Game dork...but I am a food porn wh*re and descend from a long line of small time gamblers and handicappers. Well, ok, not a long line...my dear dad thinks that gambling is second only to smoking as the most pathetic, disgusting and ridiculous of all vices. But, my dad's dad, my most beloved grandparent, this tough German SOB with a missing thumb (collectors maybe??), maker of the most amazing pot roast in my memory, the namesake of my jealous and possessive 5 year old, the guy I simply called "Gramps"...well, he enjoyed the horses...I'll just leave it at that for now. At any rate....turns out I may have inherited his handcapping talent because my little Fantasy Team of chefs is rocking the competition...and I selected them before the season started, blind choices, based on their bios. So, while my sisters are languishing at 335 and 363 on the overall leaderboard...I am lucky number 75. Ok, I know, this is kind of a lame little feather in my cap...but I am the youngest girl in the family, and I have been waiting for years to finally be better at some kind of sport than the althletically gifted middle sister, Tricia...and to be more crafty and strategic than the genius oldest child, Cathleen. So...do me a favor and allow me this gloating period, I am certain it is fleeting...
me go back...I am not a Fantasy Game dork...but I am a food porn wh*re and descend from a long line of small time gamblers and handicappers. Well, ok, not a long line...my dear dad thinks that gambling is second only to smoking as the most pathetic, disgusting and ridiculous of all vices. But, my dad's dad, my most beloved grandparent, this tough German SOB with a missing thumb (collectors maybe??), maker of the most amazing pot roast in my memory, the namesake of my jealous and possessive 5 year old, the guy I simply called "Gramps"...well, he enjoyed the horses...I'll just leave it at that for now. At any rate....turns out I may have inherited his handcapping talent because my little Fantasy Team of chefs is rocking the competition...and I selected them before the season started, blind choices, based on their bios. So, while my sisters are languishing at 335 and 363 on the overall leaderboard...I am lucky number 75. Ok, I know, this is kind of a lame little feather in my cap...but I am the youngest girl in the family, and I have been waiting for years to finally be better at some kind of sport than the althletically gifted middle sister, Tricia...and to be more crafty and strategic than the genius oldest child, Cathleen. So...do me a favor and allow me this gloating period, I am certain it is fleeting...
So then, later on this very same Thursday I spent some time uploading some high school pictures to Facebook in preparation for this weekend's Academy of the Holy Angels Class of '88 Official Unoffical Twenty (and a half) Year Reunion...for which I am the hostess and lead event coordinator. And all day long I was picking up messages from my high school posse on Facebook...how hilariously over-made-up were we girls? And why did we, size 2's each and every one of us, why did we wear XXXL Champion sweatshirts and baggy shorts...WTF? And all the Bergen Catholic guys still had hair...And so we were all interacting and making fun of each other...and every single one 
of the girls of '88 is so ramped up for this weekend...so excited to see each other...And so, I suppose it was a happy turn of events that Stacey and I decided we needed to plan this thing, because just the thought of getting together is bringing back so many great memories and feelings. How lucky were we to live back then, with our fluffy hair and dyed-to-match satin prom shoes. Lucky now to have a chance to laugh at ourselves...lucky that we are still here to talk about it.
of the girls of '88 is so ramped up for this weekend...so excited to see each other...And so, I suppose it was a happy turn of events that Stacey and I decided we needed to plan this thing, because just the thought of getting together is bringing back so many great memories and feelings. How lucky were we to live back then, with our fluffy hair and dyed-to-match satin prom shoes. Lucky now to have a chance to laugh at ourselves...lucky that we are still here to talk about it. Then, Thursday late afternoon...I was with my boys at Chuck E. Cheese (I was a Chuck E. virgin until today, by the way....) for a birthday party...scarfing greasy pizza and pounding diet cokes with my besties, Suse and Lisa H....my jealous and possessive 5 
year old begging to drag me to that damn prize counter where you trade in 75 tickets for a piece of gum or a pencil eraser shaped like a spider when my phone rang and vibrated. It was Rob and he said: "Did you get my texts? Did you hear about the plane?" And immediately my heart dropped and I had those visions...Not again, please G*d...When I frantically asked for clarification he said: "A US Airways jet from LaGuardia on the way to Charlotte crashed into the Hudson River." Holy Mother Of Sh*t!! Ok, bound for Charlotte...Dad was traveling today, but he was on route to Houston...and he left hours ago. So I braced myself and asked the question: "How many are dead?" And Rob said: "None." Wha???? Really??? Such a sense of relief washed over me...and though I was a little stunned and needed him to elaborate, all I could think as he explained the course of events: Today was such a lucky day.
year old begging to drag me to that damn prize counter where you trade in 75 tickets for a piece of gum or a pencil eraser shaped like a spider when my phone rang and vibrated. It was Rob and he said: "Did you get my texts? Did you hear about the plane?" And immediately my heart dropped and I had those visions...Not again, please G*d...When I frantically asked for clarification he said: "A US Airways jet from LaGuardia on the way to Charlotte crashed into the Hudson River." Holy Mother Of Sh*t!! Ok, bound for Charlotte...Dad was traveling today, but he was on route to Houston...and he left hours ago. So I braced myself and asked the question: "How many are dead?" And Rob said: "None." Wha???? Really??? Such a sense of relief washed over me...and though I was a little stunned and needed him to elaborate, all I could think as he explained the course of events: Today was such a lucky day.I have never been a big "good luck charm" person or even particularly su
perstitious. Well, I do buy into the horoscope stuff, I admit it. I am a true Pisces -- creative, spiritual, understanding, unrealistic, impractical -- to a fault often. However, I absolutely believe that the people we love who have left us are on the other side communicating, guiding us and protecting us. I have always felt that our little internal tugs and instincts are messages, little taps on the shoulder telling us to be aware (someday I will tell you about the day my dad fell down the subway stairs and you will know that I am right). And so today
, I don't know what it was, but there had to have been an abundance, a host even, of guardian angels carrying that plane...laying it down on the river...the biggest, brightest and best city in the universe breathing a sigh of relief...tragedy averted.
perstitious. Well, I do buy into the horoscope stuff, I admit it. I am a true Pisces -- creative, spiritual, understanding, unrealistic, impractical -- to a fault often. However, I absolutely believe that the people we love who have left us are on the other side communicating, guiding us and protecting us. I have always felt that our little internal tugs and instincts are messages, little taps on the shoulder telling us to be aware (someday I will tell you about the day my dad fell down the subway stairs and you will know that I am right). And so today, I don't know what it was, but there had to have been an abundance, a host even, of guardian angels carrying that plane...laying it down on the river...the biggest, brightest and best city in the universe breathing a sigh of relief...tragedy averted.Ok, ok...so maybe I am making a few stretches here to prove my point, but all I mean to say is that the events of this Th
ursday, January 15th seemed a little like a sign (and I didn't even tell you about the near miss car accident on the way home from Chuck E. Cheese in which, me, my two boys and one of their little friends very nearly became collateral damages....). I think our luck is on an upswing, guys...We've been through a lot these past months and I just know that the tide is starting to turn. I can feel it. So maybe it was one of my lost loved ones who put that little four-leaf clover in my path (probably Lawrence, right, guys...)...you know, as a little sign from the other side. And I want to believe, so I have decided that I am going with it....
ursday, January 15th seemed a little like a sign (and I didn't even tell you about the near miss car accident on the way home from Chuck E. Cheese in which, me, my two boys and one of their little friends very nearly became collateral damages....). I think our luck is on an upswing, guys...We've been through a lot these past months and I just know that the tide is starting to turn. I can feel it. So maybe it was one of my lost loved ones who put that little four-leaf clover in my path (probably Lawrence, right, guys...)...you know, as a little sign from the other side. And I want to believe, so I have decided that I am going with it....Photo 1: Suz: I'm out....or maybe I'm not....
Photo 2: Area 201 -- the rest of NJ might as well be below the Mason-Dixon line....
Photo 3: Mmmm...all scrubbed up and scrumptious with my new body wash...
Photo 4: Gramps...words cannot capture the depth of my love...
Photo 5: Seany, Murph and Tom S., August 1988....Murph all size 0 in her elephant-sized shorts and sweatshirt...
Photo 6: Drew, Veronica, Elyse and Slawdogs pounding some Busch (big spenders) on way to Senior prom...buckets of makeup and vats of hairspray died for our looks that night. Love the '80's matching red cummerbund and tie on Slaw.
Photo 7: Lucky Flight 1549...narrowly escaping our worst nightmares...sinking into the Hudson...
Photo 8: Pisces...cannot escape the power of the Zodiac...
Photo 9: A New York City angel...
Photo 10: Believe you are lucky...
9 comments:
Beautiful post Suz.
Yesterday I started packing to get ready to sell this house and while digging through mounds of crap, not only did I find grandma's mass card (from this past summer), I also stumbled upon grandpa's, from 7 years ago.
While I am a card carrying member of the skeptic club, I honestly took this as a sign from them that they were ok with this? Kind of weird that you chose this week to talk about this very topic!
Kathleen
Loved it and so much looking forward to our girl's lunch on 3/8!!
So glad you didn't bail on us this week...awesome post.
And while you're tallying lucky moments, please do not forget that show of impressive 80's-style "dance" moves (complete with 80's era hair and makeup) that we were treated to last night courtesy of our awesome Chuck E. Cheese hostess. Now you're all set for your reunion. I mean, the luck!
Seriously though, you are so right...we are all so lucky in so many different ways, we just have to believe it.
~ Lis
Very touching...loved this one.
You have put into words(once again!!) exactly what I was feeling. There are signs all around us for those who are ready to see them. This one was unmistakable. Believe in miracles they happen everyday!
How do I reply! I look to the "luck o the Irish" alot in the past year. I always loved the heritage but only since dad have I felt it more. I see it more in everything and yesterday made me really feel it. Thoughts of so many have flooded back as of late. Thank you for the blog and thank you for the reunion. xo
The good luck continued...Tim (our son) won the Pinewood Derby the other night on his first try...he kicked but!!!
you never cease to amaze me at what a telnt you realy have, please write a book, i have lots of material if you run out.
SW
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