The Best Things Come To Those Who Wait

Remember how I said things were quiet in the Mangiaracina world? Well, scratch that. Things got loud last night. Very loud in fact. So loud that my ears are ringing!

Let me explain.

A few weeks back, we spent what felt like an entire day at an Acura dealership looking at cars. We didn't necessarily NEED a car, but Ed did have his Scion money burning a hole in his pants, so why not take a look. We were in the market for a certified used Acura TL, but unfortunately, we came home empty handed. There is nothing more depressing than spending all that time at a dealership and having nothing to show for it. :(

Well, last night that changed. While driving home from work, Ed got a call from James, our savvy and quite charming sales guy from Pohanka Acura. He was calling to let us know that they just received a 2008 TL Sport model in as a trade and are we still interested. He also informed us of a great new 2010 TSX model that was just shipped to them from Michigan with an amazing price. So, we ate a quick dinner and headed over to Pohanka Acura to check things out.


James Taylor (our sales guy, not the singer) greeted us with a big smile and took us over to see the 2010 TSX. We decided against the 2008 TL for a few reasons, but mainly because the guy who was trading it in was having a hard time financing something else so it was kind of off the table. But that's okay, because this beauty was presented to us:


Although she is a 2010 model, she is new as in only has like 41 miles on her. We took a test drive and I have to say, I was blown away by the V6 engine. I have NEVER driven anything with that much power! It was love at first site, so it was back to the dealership to get this deal DONE!

The whole process took about 4 hours (so annoying, if you ask me), but after some negotiations and a small panic attack ( a la me), we went ahead and signed on the dotted line. We did have to get rid of the Camry to make this all fit in the budget, but since it was a lease, I didn't really care. James got the new car all cleaned up and it was ours for the taking!


The details: it's black (obviously) with a tan leather interior. It has Bluetooth voice and audio functions (a must have for me), comes with XM radio for a few months and has a sunroof (yah!). Don't ask me about the engine and horsepower...no idea. :) I do know that it is a V6 and is quite powerful. One of the coolest things is that you can set up your seat and mirror positions so that when your specific key unlocks the car, the seats and mirrors move to how you want them. Brilliant!! I'm such a girl. :)

But enough of the boring stuff...just look at the car!!!


We are both SO excited about this new purchase and know that we will have this car for a very, very long time. Lucy didn't really show too much excitement, but she did keep me company as I set up my phone book. As long as there is a comfortable lap to sit on, she's happy!

So, it's like the Heinz commercials say, the best things come to those who wait!

A Bit of a Hiatus

I know, I've been slacking. But I have to tell you, things have been very quiet in the Mangiaracina world these days. And it has been a welcomed quiet. With house projects coming to an end (for the moment) and Lucy staying healthy, we are embracing the quiet. But there is much ahead to speak of including a trip out to Chicago to see Suzy Q., a performance at the Kennedy Center, some baseball games and concerts and much more, so stay tuned!

I have to say, we did enjoy a lovely holiday weekend filled with lots of time at the pool, a BBQ with Mama and Papa Q., lunch with the always lovely Susan Hogan and a trip to the movie theater to see Transformers in IMAX 3D (a little long, but pretty good BTW). We lamed out (because of me) and didn't make it to see the fireworks last night, but we did catch them on TV and they looked GREAT! Kudos to all of you on the National Mall who put up with the heat and crowds and traffic.

So with that, Happy Belated 4th of July everyone!!

Date Night

I love a good date night...especially when it just kind of happens. It started as an ordinary evening at home with a steak on the grill and dinner on the deck. It was a beautiful night and now that the deck is finally done, we were able to enjoy it. Lucy even had a ball - especially when Daddy slipped her some steak for dinner (so spoiled!).

After we cleaned up we decided it was time to try out the mini golf course that was just around the corner from our place. Ed has been wanting to "kick my butt" on this course for a while, so why not do it tonight. Well...mini golf did happen. But "kick my butt" ~ not so much. :)


The score remained close throughout the 18 holes. I found myself up, and then down. Ed found himself in the bushes and in the water. We were tied heading into the final hole and it was a doosey. I said a little prayer and managed to get the ball in the endless hole in 2 putts. The pressure was on Ed...and what did he do? HE CHOKED! Yes, ladies and gentleman, he LOST. The big talker LOST mini golf to me YET AGAIN!


Now if you know Ed, you know that he is not what you call gracious when he looses. He pouts... he sulks...he accuses his opponent of cheating. He even went as far as to hide the score card from me today so that I could not share it with you fine people!! But the numbers don't lie...another loss for the Edman!

After the rage subsided, he got an idea. Ice Cream. Ice cream will make him feel better! So off we went to Historic Clifton for a treat. :)

Historic Clifton is a small, quintessential, town boasting a few restaurants, antique shops, a general store and of course, Peterson's Ice Cream Depot. This little outdoor hot spot has amazing gourmet ice cream, shakes, food and malts. Their sundaes are fun, creative and DELICIOUS! Ed got himself a brownie sundae while I went for the "Judy Jewel" strawberry creation.


The patio-style outdoor seating area is adorable with the white twinkle lights, board games and TV to play old school Nintendo. Look who's happy now!


All in all, we had a great night. I love when a non-plan comes together!

Better Late Than Never

So I know that I promised you photos of our trip down the Shenandoah River and alas ~ they are here! Because I didn't want to ruin our Canon Digital Elf, I bought one of those disposable underwater cameras to document our day on the river. And I'm so glad that I did! Looking at the photos transported me right back to that tube on that beautiful sunny day.

If you remember, Day 2 of Ed's Surprise Birthday Weekend was his actual birthday so I wanted to make sure that we did something fun and memorable. We started the day opening gifts and breakfast at Uncle Buck's. We then headed to the Downriver Canoe Company to grab our tubes and floating cooler.


After some quick prepping of the cooler and our stuff (lots of ziplock bags, snacks and sunblock), the good people at Downriver dropped us off at our launch spot so that we could get started on our 3 hour journey down the river.


The bus driver gave us the very important tip of using our life jackets to connect our tubes together so that we don't float away from each other. Smart man that bus driver. So for the next 3 hours, we relaxed and soaked in all the sun and sights that we could.


The sights were something to be seen...


...and so was this crazy guy.


Can you tell who was taking all the photos? :) The birthday boy was very happy with our day and I have a feeling it will be something we do again in the future. Who wants to come?

I've Never Seen That Before

These are not words you want to hear from your Doctor.

Or Vet.

Ever.

But there we were in the little room with our Lucy girl hearing those exact words.

Let me explain.

A few weeks back we brought Lucy to the vet for a check on her allergies. She had been chewing on her paws and sneezing a lot so we thought, might as well get her checked out. Our lovely vet confirmed allergies, told us to give her some Benadryl and we were on a our way.

A few days later, while searching for ticks (yuk!), Ed came across a very hard lump on her front left leg - right at her knee bone. Since we had just been to the vet, I thought, let's watch it and see if it gets any larger. Well...it didn't get larger, but it didn't get any smaller. And after showing it to Ed and Sean during the Great American Backyard Camp Out, we started to get a little freaked out. So off to the vet we went. Again.


We wanted to make sure that it wasn't a tumor and thankfully it wasn't. Instead, it was a cyst that had developed in the pocket of her ligaments. The vet said that she had seen it in dogs on their back and necks, but never in this location. And then she smiled with excitement like a little kid on Christmas morning. She was so happy to finally see this thing that she had never seen before!


With the help of a strong Vet Tech and a very good Lucy girl, the Vet was able to aspirate the cyst and clean out the disgusting, gel-like substance that had formed. The substance was so gross, but I was much happier seeing it on the Q-Tip than in Lucy's leg.

We were so happy that this hard lump was nothing more than some gross goo. And now, our always happy Lucy girl is happier than ever - especially with her fun new green bandage. :)

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

God love the Brownies. It's amazing how lessons learned when you are 5 years old, sitting in a brown uniform wearing a beanie hat, apply throughout your life. Sure, the uniform and badges are long gone, but I can still appreciate that it's important to hold onto your friends of the past and make new ones as you move forward in this crazy thing called life. But I have to say, I'm not so sure about the "one is silver and the other is gold" part. To me, all my friends are Gold!! :)

This weekend, I was lucky enough to spend some quality time one of my very best friends from college AND some new friends from the neighborhood. Ed had to work on Saturday so rather than sit at home and do nothing, I was lucky enough to find myself in Arlington with my dear friend Beth ~ aka Poochie Girl.


Beth and I met Freshman year at JMU in the McGraw-Long dorm. She lived in the room next to mine and after meeting, we became instant friends. From meals to classes to parties to petty larceny (pulled a tulip out of the ground in front of our building ~ a big no no at JMU!), we did everything together. We had an obsession with taking pics of our butts - but I have to say, back then they looked pretty good!


Beth transferred to George Mason University in the middle of our sophomore year which saddened me greatly (we were roommates at that point), but we managed to stay in touch and stay friends. After graduation, we did lose touch, but with one phone call to my parent's house we reconnected, and now I can say that she is one of my best friends in the world. To know Beth is to know what it's like to be with the happiest, most loving, caring, wonderful person in the world. Her laugh is infectious as is her sunny disposition. I always know that when I am with Beth, I will have a great time and our lunch at Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill did not disappoint. We don't get to see each other as often as I'd like, but when we are together, we know how to have a good time. I treasure her friendship and know she will be someone who will always be in my life. I love you Poochie Girl!!!!

After my wonderful time with Beth, I headed home to find some of the neighbors setting up tents in the common area near the house. It was the night of the Great American Backyard Camp Out and they were ready to get started. Now, if you know me, you know that I'm not a camping type girl ~ even when it is in my own backyard! But they managed to lure us over with their enticing margaritas and of course, their wonderful company.


We had a blast eating burgers and sausages, drinking batch after batch of margaritas, looking at old yearbook pictures (turns out I went to the same high school as neighbor Chris Newland - love the mullet), roasting marshmallows for s'mores and playing with the kids. Even Lucy got in on the action. I've said it before and I'll say it again, we are SO lucky to have the GREATEST neighbors who I can now call friends. Thank you guys for such a wonderful time and next year, we promise to get into the whole tent/sleeping outside thing!


As I said before, God love the Brownies. They really know what they are talking about.

They Say It's Your Birthday

Today is a very special day in the Quartuccio family ~ Dad's Birthday!!! Woo Hoo!! We just wanted to to say Happy Birthday Dad - We love you!!

AND we should also mention that it is Uncle Billy's birthday too. Makes sense since they are twins...:) Happy Birthday Uncle Billy ~ We love you too!!


I think they might kill us for posting this picture, but I couldn't resist. Can you tell who is who? Here's a hint...my Dad is the one with facial hair. :) Gotta love the Miller High Life can on the table! Happy Birthday and many, many more!!!