DJ John Land

What a productive weekend this has been!  Friday night saw us at the Black Tie Tailgate in Philadelphia.  When we attended the event for the first time last year, both of us really had a great time...from being dressed up, to the food and drinks, and enjoying the exhibits without waiting very long.  I had gotten us tickets for this year's event as a Christmas gift for Al, and our friend Bob joined us along with his date.  Bob had never done the Black Tie event before, but had always wanted to.  It was a great evening. We finally got the porch TV mounted on the wall in the porch...yay!  We've been wanting to get that done since we bought the fireplace and TV for the room in November.  We tried mounting the bracket ourselves, but we couldn't make the holes with the drill that we had (the porch is an extension to the building, and the sheet rock is mounted to what used to be the exterior wall).  Tim, the carpenter, was able to get it done on S...

The State was closed again today.  We were notified last night.  I'm not sure what the weather was in other parts of New Jersey, but around here the roads were generally clear and not very hazardous.  In fact, Avon Elementary was open today.  Be that as it may, it was simply a paid day off (yay!) Though we were off, I still got up fairly early and headed over to the gym and did the 7am class, which Uncle Mike led.  The workout was a little different from what was posted on their website, but nonetheless it was a good sweat-fest. Accomplished the following chores: Produce Market Wegman's Haircut Looks like we'll be open tomorrow, so it's back to the normal routine.  They're expecting nasty weather late-Saturday into Sunday (or possibly Monday).  Ugh.  If anything, the weather won't preclude us from heading to the Black Tie Car Show in Philly on Friday night.

If it wasn't bad enough that NJ is getting nothing a bad rap over the Super Bowl transportation fracas, we're now on the hook for the tab on the entire disaster: As Super Bowl exits NJ, taxpayers on hook for many expenses If you're from NJ, reading this will no doubt make your blood boil.  Personally, I hope we never, ever host another one of these, unless we get a large, positive cut of the action.

The weather gods must have been smiling for the Super Bowl attendees this past weekend.  The weekend's weather was mild (for February) and generally beautiful.  Today, it's snow, snow, snow.  It's snowing as I write.  Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to use a personal day and avoid the commute to and from Trenton.  While the State did have an early closing, and though it cost me one whole personal day, it saved me the aggravation (and potential hazard) of driving in the elements.  Besides, I was able to get to the gym for the 9am class (the gym later canceled the afternoon and evening classes). After the overindulging on the Super Bowl grub from yesterday, I woke up feeling lethargic but I knew I needed to haul my cookies (not real cookies, my ole self) over to the gym and somehow, get through the workout.  All in all not a bad showing on my part, but an after-workout nap was necessary.  Slept pretty well for two solid hours, and it was...

The Super Bowl in New Jersey (yes, New Jersey ) has come and gone without a hitch.  The NFL made their money, New York got its accolades, and hopefully, New Jersey got some as well.  MetLife Stadium looked great on TV, and we had the best seats in the house...in our living room watching on a 52" HDTV.  Comfortable seating, no lines to the bathroom, and the non-Paleo grub was plentiful, delicious, and didn't break the bank. The Grub: Shrimp Cocktail (Al) Homemade Meatballs and Gravy (Me) Chicken Parm (Joe & Rich) Philly Pretzel Factory Rivets and 3 dipping sauces (honey mustard, cheddar, and cinnamon) (Philly Pretzel Factory) Cheese, Crackers, and Spinach dip (Lianna & Brian) Pigs in Blanket (Vinnie) Brownies (Vinnie) Wings (Vinnie) Car-Bomb Cupcakes (Me) Homemade Peanut Butter and Chocolate (Joe & Rich) Of course, there are leftovers, much of which are going to the office. The Game: Oh. My. God.  What a lousy showing by Denver.  T...