The BIG Apple!

What an awesome 5 days in NYC! sooooo little time and soooo much to see! Statue of Liberty-- Battery Park--Ground Zero--the Subways--Staten Island Ferry--The Today Show--5th Ave. St. Patrick's--Bergdorf's--Central Park--Strawberry Fields--The Dakota--the Friend's Fountain--Time's Square--Queen Latifa on GMA --Neil Patrick Harris--Ferrera's Bakery--The Empire State Bldg--The United Nations--The Mike Huckabee Show Taping--"9 to 5" on Broadway--and there is soooo much more to do and see - hopefully, there is another trip in my future!

JCPENNEY - Manhattan

I do have to mention the New Manhattan JCPenney store that is opening the end of this month. It is a beautiful store and across the street from Macy's, I think we are giving them heartburn! They have actually changed the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route! Just 'cuz we moved in across the street!

I have been asked what I liked the best, so here goes - I really believe that the most important thing do to in NYC is visit Ground Zero and the World Trade Center Tribute Center and be sure and take the walking tour. The Tribute Center tells the story of 9/11 and has pictures of the 2,996 victims of this senseless attack. The Tribute Center is next to Fire Station 10, all the firefighters at that station were lost that day.

Our walking tour was lead by 2 victims of the attack. The first was a Lt. in the Fire Department. The other was the mother of a fire fighter. We toured the site as it is being rebuilt. The "foot prints" of Tower 1 and Tower 2 are sacred ground and will be tribute fountains.

To hear the stories of those that experienced this horrific day, brings the TV screen and news reports to a new level of reality. A place that is poignant, heartwrenching, yet uplifting. Everyone that has the chance to visit and listen to the stories should - It will restore your faith in mankind and make you even prouder to be an American. . . .

RAVE - It's Official!

Ronnie is now a part of the Christian Brothers Automotive! We are both very excited about this change in employment. He no longer has to work Saturdays. . . did you hear me NO MORE SATURDAYS. This is the first time in our married life (12 years today) that he will be home on Saturdays AND Sundays . . . a real weekend.

He is no longer 4 miles from work. . .he can walk to work! It is 1/2 a city block from the house!He starts on July 16th. . .did I mention that we are both very excited?


A little about CBA. . .

Mission and Purpose
To glorify God by providing ethical and excellent automotive repair service for our customers, according to Colossians 3:17,

"And whatever you do in word and deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father."

This says it all about CBA. WOW! Talk about Hope and Change. . .Ronnie now has both with CBA!

Driver's License RANT

Speaking of DL. I went last Friday to get mine (just 7 months over due). OK, so they don’t take Debit or Credit cards. I don’t have checks and didn’t feel like going back, so…..I went yesterday. I got off at 3pm because my boss and her boss are traveling so it was a safe time to go. I go and stand in line for 30 minutes. When I am called I give her my license and my form and she ask for SS#. I press my forehead into the contraption and hope that I can see the letters without my readers. Half way through the letters she says, “M’am, I am going to have to have your birth certificate”. . . UGH!

So I get my DL and Form and head to the house. I call Ronnie and ask for the combo to the safe, the one in the bedroom, I leave the car running in the garage…no I didn’t close the garage door…but it was tempting. I open the safe and pull out the envelope that contains my high school diploma – it hasn’t turned to dust quite yet – my three (yes 3) marriage licenses, plus my parent’s marriage license, plus 2 divorce decrees – yes I am still married to the last one! Low and behold my birth certificate is no where to be found…UGH! OK, it has been in this envelope and traveled with me from Texas, Oklahoma, Washington, Florida and should be residing IN THE ENVELOPE IN THE SAFE IN TEXAS! I call Ronnie – he has no idea where it might be – it should be on the top shelf where all the papers are, I am irritated by now at myself and at him for not sympathizing and dropping what he is doing and running home to help me look – without that little piece of paper from the Texas DPS, I can’t go to New York! So I start tearing through everything on the top shelf of the safe and I mean everything – I found the titles to the cars, Ronnie’s birth certificate, Jaclyn’s birth certificate, even a birth certificate for a Cabbage Patch Doll! OK so it’s not in there, so where is could it be. Also, by now I am sweating my butt off. The A/C is programmed to come on at 4:30 and it is only 4:15. I looked for the Metal Box that I have kept the envelope in that hold the Marriage Certificates, Divorce Papers and my Diploma for eons, like before we got the safe, and it is not in there!!!! What the heck? Now I am VERY irritated. I call Ronnie again and being the supportive wonderful husband that he is – he has turned off his cell phone….can you say pissed! Now I have 2 rooms that have papers strewn all over the place. Next place the armoire in the master bedroom. It has a “secret” compartment and it could be chance be in there….no luck, but a lot of nice BIRTHDAY CARDS from loved ones and friends. No time to get nostalgic I only have 30 minutes until the DL office closes and I AM going to get this handled!

So far we have 3 rooms with papers from floor to ceiling – so I start the process all over again. I look through a blue bank bag again, except this time I pull out the envelope of stuff in it. On the front of the envelope is written Vici’s Birth Certificate…could it be….YES!

So I jump in the car and head to the DPS office – stand in line another 20 minutes and ask, “Why did you need my Birth Certificate”? Instead of the “you waited way too long to renew your license”, I got “The computer picks people randomly that have to produce their Birth Certificate”. . . and it just happened to be me!

JCPenney New on FACEBOOK

My other home is JCPenney Home Office where "Everyday Matters"! (OK, OK, so they have us a little brainwashed!) I'll be bringing you information about JCP occasionally to help all us budget minded shoppers. I hope you'll become a Facebook fan of JCPenney today!
www.facebook.com/jcpenney

RAVE - Home Depot

A big "Thank You" goes out to Eric at the Lewisville Home Depot for giving me a 30 gallon Crepe Myrtle half price! Lesson - If you don't ask you won't get!