ThePlanetMom.com

Dinner with the Mets

That's right.  I had dinner with the Mets.  The entire team.  Even some famous former Mets.  And, the owners and coaches.  Just me, my kids and ...a couple of hundred other lucky fans.

This fortunate event happened at a Mets fundraiser dinner.  No, the Mets aren't looking for handouts (yet.)  The beneficiary was the Katz Women's Hospital at Long Island Jewish Medical Center.  

Here's how it went:  it was in the ballroom of a New York City hotel, and there was a big, two-tiered dais at the front of the room, at which all of the Mets players sat and ate dinner, facing the fans. I got to see the likes of Jose Reyes (entertaining), David Wright (hot), and Carlos Delgado (extremely hot) eat dinner.  All appeared to have decent table manners.  Reyes clowned around a bit, and David Wright, who sat on the end, didn't seem to mind when fans approached him during the meal.   I have to hand it to the players.  Try to imagine eating your dinner with two hundred fans staring at you.  (OK, it's harder to imagine having 200 fans, I know.)  It was kind of like a zoo, but the food was better and there wasn't that nasty elephant smell.

Sitting among the fans at various tables were some former Mets, the owners and coaches.  My kids approached them for autographs:

Daryl Strawberry: used to live in my hometown when he played for the Mets, so we reminisced.  OK, maybe I was the one reminiscing, but he acknowledged that he remembered the town, and he was nice. A

John Franco:  Say what you want about his alleged "ties", I like this guy.  He was friendly, and he was always one of the Mets who did things for charities.  A+ 

Rusty Staub:  He signed autographs but was a bit grumpy about it. C

Tom Seaver:  He signed an autograph for one of my sons but not the other.  I've met him before.  Not a nice guy.  Often refuses to sign autographs.  What ever happened to "Tom Terrific??"  D

Mr. Met:  always accomodating!  A+

Jerry Manuel:  seems like a stand-up guy.  Nice.  Good with the fans.  Took a picture with my kids.  Whose camera was that?  I want that picture! A+

After the dinner, we had the opportunity to get autographs from the team, in an assembly line fashion.  I know this isn't fun for the players, but I think if God gives you enough talent to play Major League ball, you have to put up with this kind of thing.  The nicest guys were Mike Pelfrey, JJ Putz and Ryan Church.  I was hoping Carlos Delgado would give me a wink or something, but no such luck.   Oh, and Johan Santana wasn't there because his wife had just given birth to his son that day.  Excuses, excuses.  We missed out on David Wright, but we've met him before.   A couple of years ago, we got to go down to the field for batting practice before a game.  David Wright was brought over to be in a picture with some kids who, I believe, might have been ill.  I'm not proud of this, but I nudged my son into the picture and took a snapshot  ("Hey, who's that kid??") ... which turned out to be unnecessary because David Wright allowed me to take a picture of him with just my son.  (I know, I'm going to hell for that one.)

So, there you have it.  A little glimpse at the Amazins'.  Go Mets!

World Health Organization has declared a global flu pandemic

No kidding.

Here in my little suburb earlier this week, 110 kids called in sick.  IN ONE GRADE.  That's one third of the class.  The majority aren't being tested for swine flu and instead are opting to ride out the high fever, cough and sore throat. 

Reports the BBC, "The swine flu (H1N1) virus first emerged in Mexico in April.  It has since spread to 74 countries.  Official reports say there have been 28,000 cases globally and 141 deaths and figures are rising daily."

If you're interested, the CDC updates it's FluView weekly, detailing the cases per state and providing a summary of the situation.

It's one thing to watch the news and follow the rash of NYC school closings.  It's completely another to experience it firsthand (my son has been sick for two days) and relying on the mom network for information.  Our small town doesn't hold press conferences ala Mayor Bloomberg.  Instead, the principal has encouraged parents to call the school to report if their child is experiencing flu-like symptons, so the district can get a better handle of the severity.  And how many kids are out due to sickness vs. those who are healthy and waiting it out.  Yikes.  My son's grade is now a week into missed final exams and canceled sports.  While town leaders decide how best to communicate the scope of this, whatever THIS is.

The AP quotes Michael Osterholm, a flu expert at the University of Minnesota who has advised the U.S. government on pandemic preparations, "I think a lot of people think we're done with swine flu, but you can't fall asleep at the wheel," he said. "We don't know what's going to happen in the next 6 to 12 months."

The Power of Ticks

 One day, ticks will take over the world.    By tick, I mean the deer tick.  Ixodes scapularis, if you will.   These disgusting, treacherous creatures can be as small as a sesame seed, yet they have the power to bring down the largest of men.  

    Some quick education for those of you who don’t know of the tick:  deer ticks can carry Lyme disease (among others), which is a bacterial illness that is spread through tick bites. The tick finds a spot on your body, embeds his head, and starts feeding on your blood, while transmitting Lyme disease.   Lyme disease can affect the skin, joints, heart and nervous system.  Suffice it to say, it can get to be very serious if left undetected and untreated.

    Unfortunately, we live in an area where ticks abound.  When we first moved to this bucolic enclave, I loved the site of deer in our backyard.  (Wow! Nature!  I grew up in a place where the only wild animals I saw were squirrels.)   Now, I scare the deer away when I see them on our property because I see them strictly as tick taxis. 

    The other day, I pulled 19 ticks off of my dog.  Nineteen!  She had been outside for ten minutes!   Yes, dogs can also get Lyme disease through ticks.   I must admit that I get some sick joy out of yanking them off of my lovely white dog and tossing them in the toilet.   (I insisted we get a white dog so that ticks would be easier to spot.)  I have tried many times to squeeze the life out of these nasty buggers when I hold them in between my fingers, but they literally can’t be killed that way.   I suspect you could roll over them in a tank, and they would still survive.  Even when I put a tick in the toilet, it seems to be swimming laps and refuses to drown.   I hate them so much, that I actually stay and watch to see the moment when their lives expire (relax, I don’t enjoy seeing any other creature in pain.)    Yet, they don’t always die.        Recently, I went back into the bathroom after flushing a bunch of ticks, and there was one on the toilet seat!!   Had it actually been able to climb up the inside of the toilet after being tossed in the water??  That made me wonder… when I flush them, do they really die or just eventually crawl out of a sewer??   

    Last weekend, I was out at the store with my son.  My back was itching and also hurting in one spot.  I asked my son to take a look.  He rather matter-of-factly said, “Yes, I see a bug with its head burrowed in your back and its legs squirming.”  AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!   They’ve come to seek revenge!!  I got home as quickly as possible, had my husband remove it with tweezers, then went to the drug store where I picked up an antibiotic to prevent  Lyme disease.    To think that these sesame seed sized creatures can have so much power and cause so much fear.   It’s only a matter of time before they take over….

Now I might have to start watching.

I'll tell you straight up, I don't watch Jon and Kate Plus Eight.  The Bachlorette.  Yes.  Rock of Love 1, 2 and The Bus.  Yep.  The Cougar.  Of course.  But not Jon and Kate.  Too close to home.  Why do I need to watch a mom and dad parent eight kids and argue?  Give me making out and hot tubs, not real life.

But then things got interesting.  And my mother, who's an avid reader of the The New York Times and listens to NPR even when she's not driving, weighed in on Jon and Kate.  My mom has an opinion on Jon and Kate?  Jeez, no wonder the recent episode made cable TV ratings history.  Too many people care about this family.  And finally there's some naughtiness going on.

Plenty a mom would sell their home life to become a millionaire.  Especially if their husband has zero ambition and they have eight kids to feed.  Kate's brilliant.  The teeth!  The trips!  The front-loader washing machines!  And maybe a bedroom deal to have an open marriage.  Reportedly, Jon takes up with a 23-year-old woman who's crafty brother may auction his sister's Bed of Adultery on eBay.  Classy.  But Kate scores The Bodyguard.  Genius, she is.  And plenty cranky.  Aren't we all?

Here's a disclaimer from Kate's 6/5/09 blog post about their recent trip to the beach:  ****Disclaimer: No sand crabs, children, camera crew, or even paparazzi were injured in the making of this blog (or "show" for that matter!) All hermit crabs were safely and peacefully returned to the ocean before lunch on the fifth day...and I wish I could say the same thing about the beyond obnoxious paparazzi, but no such luck! :(

Love it.  Looks like I have another show to add to my low-brow repertoire.

A little craziness for less than a day.

Planet Mom tees for $15.  Because we all love a bargain.  And Mother's Day is in a week.  Hurry!  This sale will last less than a day!

WBLI's Dana, Randy and Drew feature Planet Momas a Hersday Hotlist gift for Mother's Day!

I love this answer

So Maria Shriver was interviewed by The New York Times reporter Deborah Solomon regarding the HBO four-part series, "The Alzheimer's Project" which Shriver co-produced.

Solomon asked, "Are you a member of the Alzheimer’s Study Group, whose chairmen are Newt Gingrich and Bob Kerrey, who are trying to devise a national plan for conquering the disease?"

Shriver's response DELIGHTED me:  "You sound like my mother. You think I’m not doing enough. I’ve got four kids, three of whom are teenagers and one of whom is 11, and I have a full plate as first lady of California. I also have two sick parents. I have a miniature horse and three dogs and a pig. That’s why I can’t be on the Alzheimer’s Study Group."

Amen.

A girl can dream, can't she?

It's Disco tonight on Idol.  To see Adam perform this would be beyond exquisite.

New lines in time for Mother's Day!

If you think moms know best (or want to score points for saying so):

Are you tired of hearing that parents shouldn't yell at their kids?  This tee yells it like it is:

Next time the bank teller at the drive-up window chastises you for asking for the complimentary lollipop to placate your crying child.  Before 9 a.m.:

Why Adam Lambert is a role model for my son

So I was hanging with a bunch of moms while our sons were at soccer practice. 

Yapping with moms is one of my all-time favorite pastimes, especially after the weekend I had.  Besides hosting Easter, a huge undertaking as any mom can attest, I had spent the long weekend spring cleaning.  And by spring cleaning I don't mean light dusting and running the vacuum.  Making sure all the game pieces are in the Battleship box, or it was tossed.  If the stuffed animal didn't have a name, gone.  I managed to reduce my children's wardrobes by half.  I felt fantastic afterward.  But wiped.  So eager to talk with my peers about anything, just to recharge.

After catching up on our weekends, sharing recent kid happenings and getting an update on the Little League Opening Day festivities, we got down to business.  We talked American Idol.  Or more specifically, Adam Lambert.

We're suburban moms.  I bet you think you know what we discussed.  His hair.  His nail polish.  His song choices.  His supposed sexual preference.  Sure, we did.  But mostly we agreed that Adam Lambert was a role model.  Who cares if there are pics of him posted all over the Web, in drag, at Burning Man.  We could care less.  We care that he's original.  Takes risks musically.  Is over-the-top theatrical on the the most popular (read:  mainstream) show on TV.

One mom went on to say that wouldn't it be great if, someday, our sons could set themselves apart from the pack, like Adam.  Whatever they choose to do, do it in an unique, inspiring way.   To love what they're doing.  And so comfortable in their own skin, that they have THAT confidence.  Adam confidence.

Soccer practice over, our boys ran to their SUVs and minivans, maybe watched ESPN's Sportscenter before eating chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese for dinner.  Played Wii before going to bed.  Maybe watched Drake and Josh.  And as they drifted off to sleep, maybe one of us moms remembered today's earlier conversation, Adam Lambert as role model, and wished her son sweet dreams.