Ann Curry's last day at Today

Today was Ann Curry's last day at the Today show, after only a year as co-host.  What, no lipdub video for her?  Instead, as she gave a tearful farewell speech, she got this awesome Matt Lauer face:

Don't Stop Believin' Ann Curry, there's still brighter days out there.

Back in Carolina!

I timed my return from SoCal with the girl's return from Illinois so I would be in the terminal to meet her at her gate:

It was the girl's first time flying by herself, which included a changeover at Chicago-O'Hare airport. Sigh. My girl is growing up!

Finished: Camp Pendleton Mud Run

Cross this off the bucket list!  Full post here.

Boys Boys Boys

Arrived in SoCal for the Camp Pendleton Mud Run and was able to see a whole lot of ADORABLE.

Abram just arrived last month.  So cute.  As you can see, he is almost as excited to meet me as I was to meet him:

Also gave Oli and his mom a visit.  Though I guess he's at the age where video games takes precedence at selfies with me:

Then I really lucked out that Andrew just arrived today.  This cutie had the most adorable tiny facial expressions: when he furrowed his brows, stuck out his tongue, or the best--yawned:

So much handsome and cuteness, I hope to see more of these guys before I go back to SoCar!

A nice welcome back to the SC

When I came home late yesterday, I found this sweet note and drawing for me from Velina:

A nice second sweet welcome was how much less the gas prices are here in South Carolina at a little over $3:

Especially compared to the nearly $3.50 I was spending per gallon up in Jersey.

Definitely nice things to come home to!

Parking Raccoon

Hey remember last week when I thought I saw an open space in the Long Term parking lot in Charlotte?

And it turned out there was a dead raccoon in the space?

When I came back in around midnight--I couldn't help notice that someone much braver than me had actually parked in that spot:

Because the raccoon (or what was left of him) was still there as well.

Of course, with the heat and humidity here in the Southeast, all I could think of how awesome that car is going to smell when the driver gets back.

Aww, snap!

On my last day in the Northeast, I arrived in Brooklyn from my Mom's pretty early so I was able to relieve Augie's babysitter and take him to meet Annabelle at his doctor's appointment.  She was coming from work and was running about 20 minutes behind so she told me to sign him in.  When a nurse brought us into the exam room, I told her that his mom was slightly delayed and that she would join us shortly.

The nurse said that's fine -- are you his grandmother?

Ouch.  Frankly she was very sweet and earnest that all I could reflexively muster was to try to laugh as youthfully as I could and respond with a hahahaha--uh, no, hahaha, I'm his auntie.  She shrugged okay.

Yeesh.  I couldn't decide whether she thought I looked like I was in my 50s/60s or if she thought I had my daughter at age 22, who then had Augie at 22.  Not sure which scenario is better.

Anyhoo, a dinner out lifted my spirits as well as post-dinner walk before my flight.

Which I guess was just another Brooklyn vignette of a toddler...

and his granny.

Peace out, New York. 

Weekend with Augie

Sometimes the expression says it all:

We spent some lazy time at the beach:

And some productive time in Brooklyn:

Needless to say a good balance of work and play for us!

High and Low of Long Term Parking

When you're anxiously searching out a spot in the long term parking lot an hour before your 6am flight, you can get excited by a gift of a spot:

Until you realize that the grocery bag in the space is actually a dead raccoon:

And after briefly contemplating (a) parking over the dead raccoon, (b) finding a stick to push the dead raccoon out of the parking spot, and (c) realizing I'm too scared to get near a raccoon that might just be unconscious and rabid, I decided it's not my lucky day and anxiously cruised some more rows and finally found a space.