The Popette's 78th Birthday at the Black Widow's Cafe...

The Popette opening a present before every one arrives.

This last Saturday, Mary "the Popette" turned 78!  We ended up having dinner together at the Black Widow's Cafe.  We all found it quite amusing that us, the Black Widow's, were going to an actual business that was called the Black Widow's Cafe.  I made reservations and then ordered a flour less dark chocolate torte ahead of time to serve as the birthday cake.  I knew that the Popette was very fond of chocolate.

Saturday arrived with rather gloomy weather; going back and forth between rain and snow.  The Popette and I arrived early at the cafe.  She had requested no presents or cards from anyone but before everyone got there I had her open a gift I got her.  It was a book that she had recently enjoyed at our last Sunday Barnes & Noble get together.  She was all ready teasing me that I was in trouble!  Oh no!


Almost everyone-- Laura, Mary the Popette, myself, and Not-So-Good; Em was taking the picture.



Enjoying her "Bubble" card with music.



We started to enjoy some coffee as everyone else started to file in.  One of the owners, Kevin, came over and wished the Popette a Happy Birthday.  He also pointed out the yummy chocolate torte that was made special for her displayed in the glass case.  It was decorated with chocolate dipped strawberries.

As the drinks order was taken, Mary read some of her birthday cards.  One had where you blew into bubbles on the inside and then it played music.  Another one had an inside poster that the Popette found a bit embarrassing!

An embarrassed Popette as Laura holds the poster that was inside the card.

Finally, we were ready to start ordering.  Our server stated the wonderful specials of the day and the soups that were available too.  Laura ordered first and told our server the rule was no one was allowed to change their order.  We all laughed as she said that it was a good thing she was ordering first! As we got half way through with ordering she was all ready trying to add something to her order.  No it wasn't a change to her order but an addition. We were all cracking up and making quite the noise.  The Popette told the server to just tell us to hold it down if he needed us to.

The big hit of the dinner was this delicious mulligatawny soup.

We got another round of beverages as we waited for our food to be made.  The food arrived and I tell you it was pure artistry!  The salads were served in cucumber wraps drizzled with dressing, and soups were served in fancy bowls.  Everyone was tasting everyone else's food at the table.  It was all wonderful and the absolute hit was the Muligunty soup.  Poor Not-So-Good had everyone tasting it and her cup of soup was almost consumed by everyone else.

Next was the wonderful torte which the server showed us all in whole and then had individual slices served to us.  We all sang Happy Birthday to the Popette after we all had our slices of the torte.  There was a delicious thick layer of chocolate gnache over the torte, and the chocolate dipped strawberry was juicy.  That and a cup of coffee-- I was in heaven!  What a wonderful way to end a birthday meal!  I would highly recommend anyone out there to visit the Black Widow's Cafe.

Not-So-Good and Em -- I had to get Em in a picture!

Weekend Review, Boot Camp(Day 7), and Birthday Reflections...

The snow held out and didn't show up until late Sunday night. That worked beautifully for me. I managed to get a good run in on Saturday morning. I kept to my average of the 12 minute mile on a relatively flat course of 5.75 miles. I had planned on running 6 miles but I cut it a bit short because I felt that pebble in my shoe. Yes, a little blister(again) on my inner sole of left foot. Darn it! I've powdered, and Vaselined my feet but I still get these blisters. It's like I get to the 5 mile marker and my feet say," Blister Time!" (Maybe they're working in cohorts with my mouth, and it's a version of my body saying,"Miller Time!"?) I would like to figure out something to get past this mark. I'm really wanting to go for a full marathon late this summer. I think my body could work up to the full but my feet might be another story all together. Anyone have any suggestions out there? I would love to hear them. (Photo- A beautiful sunrise I took a couple months back.)

Saturday night, I had a really nice co-birthday party with my cycling pal, Jay. Jay's birthday was on Saturday and mine is today. Jay's a musician. He plays guitar, piano, and drums. He had all kinds of musician friends that showed up at the party. You could hear all kinds of live music from classical guitar to an interesting version of Metallica. It was pretty cool. One of his musician friends handed me the drum sticks and told me to just get in there. So much to the chagrin of the other band members, I pounded away on drums. The bass guitarist kept on saying," 1, 1, 1! No, 1, 1, ..." He was getting very frustrated that I just wanted play a little too much for his liking. Oooopps! But I was just having too much fun and had never done anything like that before. It was a fun party. There were friends from the cycling club, a friend from my church ( Thanks- Not-So-Good!), and Jay had friends from his work and elsewhere too. It turned out to be a nice mingling group.

Yes, today is my birthday. But I really felt like I celebrated on Saturday night. So, this morning I got up and went to Boot Camp (Day #7). Yes, I know I could have slept in, but I didn't want to start making excuses now. So I get there, and the teacher right away is wishing me a Happy Birthday. I thought that was cool. She announces to the class that's it's my birthday and then teases about having everyone sing to me. Oh, no! Please no! If it's one thing I can't stand is having that done; especially at a restaurant!

The Boot Camp starts with the usual warms up-- high knee run in place, knees out to side run in place, then the butt kick run in place. Get that heart rate up there! Then it's lunges. Then, we move into the workout. We did some more lunges but with our weights out to the side and we are trying to put one knee as close to the floor as we can, and then back to the starting position. OUCH! Then, repeat to the other side. Next thing, I know we are grabbing figure eight exercise bands and doing the lateral pull downs. Feel those muscles burn! Next, put your feet in the exercise bands and it's hamstring curls up to your butt. Then, back to the weights some squats-- regular squats and center squats with your toes pointed out. In between repeat cycles of all this, we are to do 20 Burpees. All the teacher had to say was Burpees and most of us were groaning. The next cycle, it was Burpees again. Then, the next we do push ups for the next two cycle ends. Then, lastly we do the plank and hold it for a minute. OMG! Yikes! Then we do a side plank, holding your hip off of the floor. Double OMG! I was struggling with the short/easy and bend your knees version of this. I could only manage 30 seconds once I got into the pose.





Birthdays... I really feel like I've been the same age since I was 26. Here I am in my low 40's(that's as close as I get to revealing an age) and I still feel I'm the same. Is it that my mentality is stuck on 26? Maybe I never grew past that point? It's strange. I know I'm older, and of course, my body feels older, and I've been coloring over the gray hairs for awhile now. But... yet I feel the same 26. You could ask me why 26? I don't know. It's not as though anything HUGE happened during that year. I like to think that it's my way of keeping young at heart. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking with it! So here I am a Wacky 26 year old minded individual that just turned another year in the low 40's.

BOOT CAMP--Day 6- Still Among the Living...

Wow, Day 6!

I have managed my way through 2 weeks of the Boot Camp, and I’m living to write about it too! Cool! This morning was the Friday Circuits. For the most part it was the same as last Friday but there were a few changes. But the most evident change was that I did not have the fear of the unknown, and no nightmares the night before.

We started out with the usual warm ups: knee high run in place, knees out to side (Hee Haw!) run in place, then the kick your butt with you heels run in place. Then some lunges to stretch out. The teacher had us run in place again as she showed us each of the stations of the circuit. There were still ten stations on the circuit. Quite a few stations stayed the same like; the trampoline, cross vertical rows, side butt kicks, jumping rope, triceps lift, and sit-ups. There were three new stations this class. They were…

Squat with weights—on this one there were two 15 lbs weights that you were to hold at you sides as you squatted into a sitting position and just lightly tap your behind on a folded mat that’s setting behind you. Well, I couldn’t manage the two 15 lb weights BUT instead the teacher suggested I use just one weight and hold it in front with both hands. This was perfectly feasible.

Sitting Twist with weighted ball — (It kind of sounds like an Indian name I had in a former life?) There were two rubberized weighted balls choices here. There was a small ball and a larger one. Sitting up right with legs out, off the floor, and slightly bent; you hold the ball with both hands and twist to the sides and touch the ball down on the floor on each side of you. You go back and forth from side to side. I could feel the muscles getting a work out on the sides of my waist on this one; as well as my arms too. I, of course, opted to use the smaller ball.

Lateral pull downs with exercise band—This station you would take a figure eight exercise band and holding above your head pull the band out and back behind you while straightening you arms to shoulder high. OMG! This one hurt just attempting to do it. I ended up bending my elbows, and I had to start it lower with the band pulled out or there was NO WAY JOSE!! I just didn’t have the upper arm strength. Something I need to work on, I guess.

The jumping around the ladder station was still there but there was a new and improved variety. It was still too much like walking and chewing gum at the same time for me. It was one foot in, other foot in, then one foot out, and then the other foot out and behind with bent knee. Repeat for each square and try to increase your speed. The teacher had to show me how to do this one, and walk me through the first time. Memory, speed, and coordination are just not my forte.

We did three rounds of circuits this class. There were 1 minute breaks between rounds where most of us were grabbing water to drink. Each circuit round the teacher would encourage us to try and do more reps at each station, and she would also encourage us to be pulling our belly buttons to our back spines. (Which when you think about it kind of sounds warped—belly buttons to our back spine, hmmm?) But I got to tell you I was working up a pretty good sweat doing this today. At least I’m hoping I did to cover for the big lemon poppy seed muffin I had with my morning coffee. Yummy! (Oh and did I happen to mention that I'm down 5 lbs?)

This weekend, I’m hoping the weather holds out. There's a snow storm predicted for Saturday. I would like to get in a good 6 mile run in and maybe a nice bike ride, preferably Saturday during the day since Saturday night I have a joint birthday party with my cycling bud, Jay. I might be doctoring a bit of a hangover on Sunday…?

Birthdays!

Two gals on the same day! On the same day? Yes, on the same day! Laura and Katie's birthdays are on the same day. Talk about a double dose. (Photo: Laura and Katie with the Birthday Cake.)



Laura had invited us over for cake, ---my Lemon Poppy seed cake with Lemon Cream cheese frosting. Which somehow it became a neccessity that I had to make. Well, I just assumed it was just for Laura's birthday that we were meeting for cake, but no it was Katie's birthday the next day too! (Photo below: Katie trying to blow the candle out a second time.)



Well, Laura ended up with the big haul of presents; but we weren't supposed to bring anything. Except me the cake and Susan the coffee maker with decaf coffee (which was really a half regular and half decaf). Well, we didn't know any better! (Photo below Cindy, Katie, and Em enjoying cake and company.)

And thus, Ms. Laura made out like a bandit! (Photo: Laura with her self portrait. The one up-side down version is supposed to be a reflecting pose--Em's idea- You don't want to give that gal TOO much coffee!)
Well, we started out with the gals and the cake, as should any bit of birthday celebration. Two gals, two candles was the equation. But Katie had a candle that just didn't want to go out. So she had to try to blow it out a second time. Then we all partaked of some cake, strawberries, whipped cream, and beverages as we had fun socializing.
(Photos: At right- Flowers, herbs, and cards that Laura received. At left- Laura with her "Re-cycle-Men" Flower. Below- All of us listening to a story by Laura.)



Then it was present time! We gathered up all the packages and Laura opened each one. She received flowers, herb plants for her garden, incense, candles, diffusers, and a painting of herself.

Sunday Gras

Play Dough Shower

“Drinking” Party

Well let me try to explain how this came about….
First there was an email from Mrs. Laura Dough Boy the next day after the Black Widow’s Valentine’s Dinner Party:
“Oh my! Oh my! Thank goodness I drove to the widow's dinner with Mrs. Flat Stanley! She is a science teacher and all and that's kind of like a medical person or a doctor, you realize!

On the way home from the Widows lair (AKA Biker's) we heard a "pop" and a few seconds later there was dough all over my (Laura, here) lap! (Actually, so far this is true)...

Then we realized what was happening! I had the baby in the car and thank goodness Mrs. flat Stanley kept her midwifery type cool! Play was born and weighed about 6 or 7 ounces depending upon whatever size can we might have had... You know those strings to help you pop the cans open - thank goodness Em knew this -- well... they double as umbilhical chords, I know that, normally, umbilhical chords do not have the letter "h" in them but we were all singing"h" at the time so I included an"h".

Of course, the baby has been named Play Em” in honor of both my husbands last wish and the quick, patient, heroic, midwifery, doctory, teacherie skills of the baby's soon to be godmother, Emme Stanley.

I just knew that you would all want to know!”
-- Mrs. Laura Dough

A brand new dough ball girl!! I said we should have a Baby Shower! Then Laura stated that she had tons of beverages that she needed to clear out of her pantry before Lent started. Then Not-So-Good having a kidney infection and who should be drinking plenty of beverages (as the doc recommended). And, well, things seem to rather escalate with this group; so thus we ended up having the

"Sunday Gras Play Dough Shower “Drinking” Party".

(Photo: The chocolate covered carrot.)

Shortly after coming through the door, I notice a chocolate covered carrot setting on a plate. First thing I said was,” I’m sorry but that is just TOO warped!” Jeanne Not-So-Good said that it was rather phallic; which then all of us gals had a few comments concerning. (Which I’m staying on the high road here and not going to go into here.) The chocolate covered carrot was an attempt by Laura as a low-carb treat for Not-So-Good; who recently has been diagnosed as Diabetic.

(Photo: Laura and her new sippy cup. She looks a little mischevious?)

Beverages: We all helped ourselves to beverages that were in Laura’s sink full of ice. Now mind you, Laura has never consumed alcoholic beverages; so all of these beverages were of the non-alcoholic-type. There were tons of fruit juices, bottled water, Canada Dry, Coke, Diet Coke, Diet Cherry Coke and various Jone’s Sodas. Susan ended up making “cocktails” for quite a few of the gals. It was a special blend of cranberry juice and Canada Dry. We got a little concerned about Emme driving home at the end of the night because she had drunk quite a few of the cocktails. Such the drinker! But hey, I had three Diet Cherry Cokes myself. So whom I to talk!

(Photos: Top- Laura reading her card. Bottom- Laura getting her cow plate.)

While we were waiting for the pizza to finish in the oven, Laura opened up her baby shower present. It was a cow themed nursery! She got a cow plate, and matching sippy cup! The gift bag even had a mini diaper on it with the tag line below: “For Your Little Stinker”.

After the presents we listened to the song titled Mary Catherine’s Ash Wednesday Journal Entry as “channel” sung by Christine Kane; a gifted singer and comedian. I guess it’s from her “Right Outta Nowhere” album.

Mary Catherine's Ash Wednesday Journal Entry (Christine Kane)

TV, Pepsi, Oreo Ice cream

Cuss words, nail biting

Back talk and fighting

This list was my profusion

Of New Year's resolutions

But failing that attempt

I'll give them up for Lent

Chorus:Easter's just around the bend

Once again it is Lent

And my face is smeared with ashes

Either I will run away or I'll stay

And sit through

Another hundred million masses

Friday dinner is less than festive

My mom tries hard to be creative

It's always topped with things

Like crispy onion strings

As if her kids won't know

It's tuna casserole

(Chorus)

I have always tried real hard

To keep on pretending

My family's normal but it's not

My little brother is in the yard

He's out there reenacting

All the stations of the cross

And when he falls the second time

My dad marches out there

And drags my brother back inside

And my best friend Brittney

Looks on then turns to me

She says, Ohmigod Mary Catherine

I'm so glad I'm Unitarian

(Chorus)

It was wonderfully amusing for us Catholic women. Then Laura told us how she has a bunch of former students that believe there's an extra station of the cross where Jesus thanks Veronica; which was a very amusing story.

(Photo: Laura explaining the extra station of the cross.)

(Photo: Jeanne Not-So-Good enjoying the chocolate covered carrot.)

We enjoyed our salad, pizza, and beverages while we watched a movie. We had our frozen candy bars, and Not-So-Good had her chocolate covered carrot.

Black Widow's Valentine's Dinner Party

(Above: Here's the "Widows" look as sad as they can...Don't we just look pitiful? )

Oh and here's the fine print.......
(***Disclaimer—none of us are really widow’s, well except for one, we are just a group of single unattached girlfriends that were looking for something to do for Valentine’s Day. AND this is what we came up with….
--We each come to the party dressed up as a widow.
--We bring a picture, an obit., or story about a factitious husband that passed away.
Oh, and did I mention that this is the second fictitious husband for some of us?)

(Above: This is our "Tough Widow" Look. What do you think?)

Here follows a brief description of the event.....
Oh the Black Widow’s Dinner Party was a great deal of fun, and such a good combo of fun, food,
and company. I had a couple of moments when I was laughing SO hard that it brought tears which seemed fitting for some of the funeral talk that was going around the tables. There was a great deal of variety and clever ideas for what these gals came up with for their fictitious husbands.

(Above: Laura in Agony!--notice the Pillsbury roll necklace and earrings---Homemade!)

Laura’s former hubby was none other than the Pillsbury Dough Boy. The funeral service was held at 350 for 20 minutes. In lieu of “flours” she asked that contributions to the Bakery Fund to provide for the little one that was still in the oven. She even brought a sonogram of the little one who will be called “Play Dough”--- it was Dough Boys last request on his death bed. On the funeral program that she handed out there’s a quote from Psalms 119(I believe)—“At midnight I will rise up and give thanks to Thee…” There were also numerous quotes from Aunt Jemima, Betty Crocker, and other baking celebrities.

(Above: Em in her sadness with Not-So-Good)

Emmey was married to Flat Stanley who died during a paper shredder accident. I myself will admit that I had never heard of Flat Stanley before. But I guess that if you have had children, or been involved in the educating of children in the last 25 years you would have heard of him. He’s a character that has traveled the world and been photoed with famous people, as well as political figures. Emmey said that they quite often would take tours of Office Depots, and other paper places. In fact, she was on a three day tour at an Office Depot in the US when Flat Stanley had his accident in Istanbul. As a last request, Flat Stanley’s headstone was taken a photo of with all of the Black Widows, and the headstone is now on its way to a school room in Ohio. (Rather cool!)

(Above: Not-So-Good with a picture of her dear Eddie.)

Jeanne Not-So-Good —(alias- Eddie’s Belle) came looking like a mafia figured wife. Her former hubby, Eddie, was raised in Marlboro country, and he left behind his three beloved goats--- Pall, Mall, and Gold. Eddie was quite the inhaler, and came down with that rare disease of cancer. She would have stayed longer but she was catching the red eye flight to hook up with Eddie’s brother because she missed the smell of Eddie SO bad (and I think Eddie’s brother smoked the same brand of cigarettes). But for the life of her she always remember smelling that certain waft of Eddie at her best friend’s house and she could not figure out why. (Could it be her Eddie was messing around on the side?)(Did I happen to mention that Eddie’s brother’s name is Benson Hedges?)

(Above: Mary(the Popette) in her regal cardinal red with Not-So-Good)

Mary, the Popette, said goodbye to her hubby ---Claudius Fireend. A quiet man of modest accomplishments whose passing away went unnoticed for four days in the apartment lobby. His main accomplishment to the community was tearing up a concrete sidewalk looking for a nickel that fell from his pocket. The coin was never found, the pavement was replaced, and Claudius convinced the judge that “a nickel, is a nickel, is a nickel.” Oh, and did I mention that his wife’ name was Pandemoniabelle.

(Above: Me with my Biker Chick Award--(Thanks Laura!) and Me with the Wedding Photo)

I was married to a witch doctor/headhunter named--- Vanuattu Yumi Yum Yum. He fell victim to his cannibalistic family who didn’t recognize him and he was eaten. The shock drove his mother, Plat Long Yumi Yum Yum to become a vegetarian, but his father, Stub Rub Yumi Yum Yum, continued to hold true to the ancient cannibalistic lifestyle. Vanuattu held true to his ethnic heritage and always wearing the coconut shells and grass skirt. He did, however, often complain about the “Nor’easter Drafts” up the back of his skirt during those cold winter months. He cured me of being a clown but I did have a slight relapse at the funeral; wearing my black with yellow smiley face clown hat, and I painted tears on to my face because of the sadness I’m still overcoming.

Needless to say it was a VERY fun night that was had by all of us, and I think a successful working through of feelings for all of the sorrowful widows. I will try to send out pictures of the event.