A Look Backwards

Greetings Everyone,

I imagine that this will be read by about 5 people until this blog gets up and running with a little more excitement to it. We currently have many folders full of previous exciting adventures that we have taken over the years so my first few blog entries will be a look back through the past.

The name of the blog comes to us courtesy of Chad Mitchell. He loved to combine our names when were dating much like the press did with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. So, that is where the name comes from. Yes, it is pretty corny so just live a little.

Anyway, Here is a look backwards to perhaps not the beginning but the first place that I have some good pictures of. It is the wonderful place called Hoboken, NJ. Now, won't you come along memory lane and view this great first home. The spacious 600 square foot apartment is the first stop on the tour. Below is our spacious bedroom.

This picture brings to memory the wonderful time that Michael Craft, Ryan, Liz, and I painted this room. It was a wonderful shade of pink. However, we decided to paint the whole apartment the weekend we moved in. Yes, the boxes were all over the place. I don't recommend painting as you move in if you can avoid it. If you didn't already know pink actually invokes more anger than any other color so we all started yelling at each other as we painted the room. "It was because the room is Pink!" I screamed. Luckily we turned it white before killing each other.

Above was our luxurious family room. Notice that we were able to squeeze a couch and two chairs in there along with that tiny TV. How did we live with that little TV? I guess because we were 4 feet away from it. This room served as a bedroom for many people. At one point we had 5 people sleep in that room in one night. Andrew and Russell slept there at the end of our stay in Hoboken. Micheal and Ryan stayed when we moved in. Kipke, Ondrea, and Krista all stayed in that room for New Year's which was a month or so away from this photo. How 5 people you say? Well, the next summer there was the big black out in the Northeast if you missed it. It was awesome baby. No lights, TV, or AC in July. Michael was visiting that weekend and his sister Lydia and husband Dan came over with the twins. Of course, the twins weren't born yet but they stayed on that pull-out because we actually got power back 2 days before the city did.

Our next picture is of our wonderful kitchen. Some people enjoyed sleeping on the nice hardwood floors. I never tried them out but Michael could tell you about that experience. I would really like to point out the cabinet below and left of the sink. Yes, below and left of the sink. It looks like a normal cabinet but it was not. It actually held our 5 gallon hot water heater. Yes, 5 gallons. It allowed just about 3 minutes of hot water.

We did have a great event at New Year's while in New York. Michael, Kipke, Ondrea, and Krista all came up to visit. We went to a party with Lindsay and Andrea at some apartment building in the city. We had a good time. I remember walking through Time's Square at 3 in the afternoon and people were already blocking off the streets and lining up to stand there until Midnight. We were all shocked. So, if you think that standing in Times Square for New Year's Eve is something that you want to do before you die then go ahead and kill that idea. Just watch it on TV unless you want to sit on the street sober; with no food or drink except what is in your hand or backpack; with no where to go the bathroom for 9 hours.

Instead, I highly recommend the Ben Tour if you visit NYC. If you didn't already know. I was laid off from my company in early July before we moved back to NC. My brother visited, and Melissa visited. I was able to take Melissa on the first Ben Tour. The tour started with a trip to the Empire State Building because that is best seen in the morning. There was also less of a line and you could enjoy the guided tour from Tony (who is the best audio tour guy on the planet; yes I'm talking to you Sears Tower). This was usually followed up with a trip to Yankee Stadium for an afternoon game. After the game, we would go to Times Square for a meal at the ESPNzone and Toys R Us to see the T-Rex and the Ferris Wheel. It is a must see. It did make the Ben Tour after all. After that, there was a trip to Ground zero and then a ferry ride back to Hoboken where you could see the Statue of Liberty. It isn't a bad one-day trip of NYC if you ask me.

During one 4th of July visit, I had the opportunity to do something that very few people have. I was able to sing in front of an audience at the New York Port Authority. Some may call it a scuzzy bar in a bus station but I beg to differ. Melissa, Leah, and I were stars that night as we sang Living on a Prayer for the patrons. We did receive a standing ovation from the other 6 people at the bar. Good Times . . .

Towards the end of our stay in Hoboken we took time each month to visit the sites that we had not seen before. This included a trip to the Statue of Liberty for Elizabeth. She had never been there before so we took the ride out one afternoon to see it. You would think that it was big but as you can tell from this picture is looks bigger on TV.

We spent a year up in NY. It was a different place. I did enjoy the public transit to and from work. It was nice to have that time to read a book. I read more that year than I ever have before. It was great to put on life's resume but I enjoy sweet tea too much. Good Bye and Have a safe trip!