The Nutcracker

Today Ansley and I went to see Ronalee's daughter's in the Nutcracker. Both Kinsley and Kendall were in the production and both played two roles. It was a great way to celebrate the holiday!
Ansley and Kendall. Kendall is two months younger than Zack.

Ansley and Kinsley. She's dressed in her Gingerbread costume. She was also a toy soldier.

Me and my daughter before the show.

Fun Times

On Thanksgiving we took the kids to a little festival thing. There were lots of play houses that if you had an extra $20,000+ grand you could purchase. There was also a cool zip line.
Zack zipping.

Ansley on top of a play house.

Zack in the tire swing under one of the houses.

Zack in a bubble in one of the play houses. You can see me taking the picture and Gary in the background in the reflection of the plastic.

Ansley.

Last Pictures From the Falcon's Game

Backtracking

As I said earlier, we went to the Falcon's game last Sunday but, I didn't get around to posting the pictures. Outside of the Dome there is an area within the Falcon's Landing that has all this kid stuff (for lack of a better word).
Ansley and Zack doing the timed run. Ansley throwing the football through the tire.
Little Matt Ryan. Come on baby - take your mama and daddy to the promise land of wealth and fame!

Ansley long jump.

Zack long jump.

Native American Festival and Pow Wow

On Friday, the entire second grade went to Stone Mountain to the Native American festival and Pow Wow. It was a lot of fun and the weather was the absolutely most perfect day- ever! There were lots of exhibits such as artifacts, animals and animal skins, music, tee pees and of course to ruin it all, a lot of vendors selling things the kids couldn't buy. We ate lunch and the kids were back by 1:00.

Picnic lunch.

Shooting a bow and arrow.

Petting a wolf skin. There were also crocodile, buffalo, fox, etc.

Smiley.

Ms. Scott's class.

Kelly Gets Crazy

Last night Lainie and I went to Smith's Old Bar - on a Monday night! (Mary Ellen told me she would have been surprised if I had gone on a Friday night.) Anyway, Duncan Sheik,(Barely Breathing) along with the original Ilse from Spring Awakening did a show. Lauren went on first and did her set, then Duncan came on and did one, they sang four or five songs from Spring Awakening (Duncan wrote the music for the show) then Duncan finished off with some original, unreleased material. It was a great show and Lainie and I had a great time people watching - and there was plenty of strangeness going on. I got home at a whopping 11:00 pm and felt like I had been on a bender this morning. I'm entirely too old to be out- in town - on a Monday -ever -but it was fun. The pictures suck, but are the proof I was actually out! Oh, and I went and spoke with Lauren about the show closing. She said they weren't sure what was going on and then I began to wonder if the show would actually close on January 18th or would they drag it out like they did RENT.

The Weekend Rundown

Saturday Aunt Nanci and Aunt Joan took Big and Little Zack to a Medieval Theater where they ate dinner (with their hands - no utensils) and watched a jousting show complete with real horses a king and a princess! Nanci said the boys were yelling "kill him" the whole time. The boys spent the night with Aunt Nanci and Uncle Robert and a great time was had by all.

Today, Ansley, along with her friends Tal, Kasey and Samantha all went to see High School Musical 3. The moms went along as well as a couple of assorted sisters. Everyone loved it, including the moms - that Zac Efron is cute!

Oh, and Gary and Zack went to the lake this afternoon to winterize the jet ski- fun fun!!!

Hope everyone had a great one!!

A Request

Hi all. Most everyone knows, but if not, my mom is having more surgery tomorrow. She'll be staying over night. If you pray, pray hard, if you send good vibes, send those as well. All are appreciated.

Housekeeping:

Gary and Zack had a great time at the Cub Scout campout - albeit - a cold time! If I could get the pictures sent to us I'd post them, but shutterfly doesn't want to let me open them.

Ansley had a most wonderful time going with Aunt Joan to see Kathryn and Bailey. She then spent the night and today with Nan and that is probably one of her favorite things to do. They had a great time hanging out being girls.

AND I......had a good time being all alone, but I missed everyone and was glad when they all returned.

Lastly, Zack's team had a big win over the Lugnuts. Final score 18-8.

I'll be at the hospital tomorrow so text me or call.

Thanks all.

Phil Lesh and Friends Minus the Black Crowes

Last night Gary and I went to see Phil Lesh play at Verizon. For most of you, Phil was one of the keys in the Grateful Dead, and well, we all know Gary spent MUCH of his youth touring the country in an old VW bus while chasing the Dead. Phil is now 68 years old but what makes up for his age is the new kid in the band, Jackie Greene. Oh my gosh, this kid is crazy great. For anyone who likes lazy, bluesy, Allman Brothers type music, his original stuff is great. I don't usually push music to folks, because my taste tends to be all over the board, but this kid rocks. Also rocking the Verizon, Katie and Donnie. We hadn't seen them in almost two years so it was a whole lot of fun hanging with them. Donnie was way celebrating and kept us in stitches the whole time. What was really special? The fact they were with me and Gary on our first date a million years ago. We had a great time reminiscing when we weren't laughing at Donnie. The picture is crappy - taken from my cell- but I had to get them on the blog.

Strong Man

Here is Uncle Mike proving how strong he is!

Fun at the Falcon's

As previously stated, on Sunday, the Gray's traveled all the way downtown to watch the Falcon's beat the Lion's (go Matt Ryan!) In my attempt to become one with the new computer, I am posting these pictures from the outing - just to see if I can.

The kids in front of the Dome (freshly painted black and red.)

Gary stuffing his face with chicken fingers. Zack just being Zack. Is that some kind of gang symbol the guy behind is holding up? I think I've seen this on some gang show on Discovery.
Love the posers in the background.
Once again, nice pose in the background.

New Computer

Okay, I have a new computer but the newness of it as well as the newness of the new AOL is causing me much stress. I tend to get set in my ways and change really freaks me. Not to mention that after my snafu yesterday trying to delete AOL and reinstall it caused me to lose all of my bookmarks and let's just say, I had about ten years worth. Also, when reinstalled on the new computer, all of my old mail (like ten years worth) was lost as well. ARG!!!!!!

On the good side, the new computer is super fast and the screen is gigantic. Now, if I can just figure out how to use Vista and all the junk on this computer, I should be alright.

Other than this, we went and saw the Falcon's whip up on the Lion's and that was fun. What wasn't fun was when the Bats whipped up on the Rockhounds. Tough game.

Also, Shrek decided to become Hermit, II again and I am recovered from last Thursday's boot camp-- just in time to start over tomorrow. Anything else? Nope, that's about it.

John Mayer Comes Back to His Roots

Welcome Back Mr. Mayer!

--Musical roots that is. Gary and I, along with Dave, Gary's VP of Operations, and his wife Adrianna, went to Encore to see John Mayer. Wow, what an incredible show this guy puts on. It is hard to believe that less than ten years ago John was playing small coffee shops and Eddie's Attic in Decatur. At the time he was writing the songs for his 2001 Room For Squares album that would eventually win him his first Grammy's. When he sings "Why Georgia" you can picture him saying to himself " I am driving up 85 north, the kind of morning that lasts all afternoon, I am just stuck inside the gloom, four more exits to my apartment... to Duluth! I wonder which Post apartment he lived in up there? He put on a great and l-o-n-g show. He played nearly two and a half hours.

A big thanks to Nan for the extra long babysitting job. We appreciate the help.

The Jig Is Up, The News Is Out

Last night Gary and I, along with our friend's Jennifer and Wayne Dery, went to my favorite highschool band, Styx. Also playing was another old timer, Boston. Styx happens to be the first concert I ever attended unchaperoned when I was in 8th grade. I still remember the parent who drove us and picked us up as well as all the friends I went with. It was quite a thrill way back when and last night was equally as thrilling. Styx sounded great and seeing them again reminded me why I loved them so much! I asked mom if she remembered me going and she told me she didn't remember the band being Styx but did remember being glad when I got home. I'm sure that wasn't the last time.

NY Spring Awakening

The Boss, side view, and the back of his wife, aka, "the bad guy." The old lady waiting for the cast with pen and playbill in hand.

Andy Durand from Atlanta. Notice he's sporting an Atlanta Brave's hat. (I know it's sideways. Didn't rotate before posting. No comments from Michelle, please.) This is Matt Doyle. He understudied the lead and I think he is every bit as good as the guy who originated the role. If anyone watches Weeds on Showtime, taking over the lead this week is Hunter Parrish.

The Stalkarazzi - Old Lady Style

And I'm not talking about people with real cameras. I'm talking about three middle age friends, in NY, celebrating their 25 year, silver anniversary together.

If anyone knows much about me and Lainie, you might remember that back in our youth we were quite the groupies. We managed to get back stage, on tour buses, under the Omni to score free tickets and locate certain celebrity hotels all without being invited or told where to go. We just did.

I guess when you are between the ages of 18 and 23, that's all understandable, but we're 42 now and neither age nor time has stopped us.

The celebrity fun began last Wednesday when we had just stepped out of the taxi after arriving at the hotel. Lainie, being the eagle eye she is, noticed a swarm of paps outside the side of the theater where The Little Mermaid was playing. Next thing I know I'm dragging suitcases across the road to assume to the lookout post. Not having a ladder like some prepared photographers all I could do was hope that Lainie or Sonya would get the money shot of the mystery celeb. Who could it be? Madonna? Perhaps Regis Philbin? Nope, Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise.
Okay, we're off to a good start.

Next up on the celebrity sighting, Michael Knight. He has played Tad Martin on All My Children for like forever. Sonya, still watching the soaps was thrilled. We tried to get across 5th Avenue to film him but about 50 cops cars came screaming up the road giving us all a chill. It really made us hope that another bad tragedy wasn't happening downtown somewhere.

Thursday night we headed to Madison Square Garden to see the B-52's and the Police. Let me just say, MSG is a dump and they need to level that facility and start over. The only thing we saw there was the dried vomit on our seats and the five different people they sent to try and solve the problem. The concert turned out to be great and that's a good thing because I thought I was coming unglued. Just ask Gary. From all the texting I was doing I think he thought he might have to fly to NY to rescue me.

Friday night we sat onstage at our favorite musical Spring Awakening. What an amazing experience to be right in the action and to sit with the actors. We got to talk with some 0f the ensemble members during intermission and this is where it gets really fun and I guess a bit strange for the old ladies- when we lurked outside the the stage door, got autographs, took pictures and talked to the actors.


Oh, and we also saw Bruce Springsteen, his wife and about four or so kids exiting the theater when we were stage dooring. Lainie ran out after him to get a good picture, but his wife, being the bad guy, told everyone "no" - that they had to go. I just got a side shot.

Anyway, here are my picture of me with some of the cast including one member from Atlanta - born in Marietta, now living in the Roswell/Alpharetta area. He represented well.

I'm going to go ahead and post this because my computer is doing screwy things. I'll post the pictures separate.

Fun at the Yellow River Game Ranch

Here are the kids petting this sweet deer.
Here is Mom trying to get this pest of a deer to get away from the peanuts - which he was very fond of. Now, if there was a picture taken right after this one, you would see the deer JUMPING on me with both feet on my shoulders trying to take the peanuts - or was he just frisky? GO ON DEER.
The kids with our long lost Uncle Berle. Notice the resemblance?