MY SURREAL LIFE in the POCONOS

When I travel to Northeast PA, I feel like sometimes I am travelling back in time. Take for example the seasons. As the days get longer and we approach highs in the 60s here in DC; It is always a season behind up there.

But this weekend was especially surreal when I replay the things that have happened. It is almost like I have lived through a dream where things are just a little "off".

For starters, there is my Christmas Tree. It stays up all year. I have been playing around with my digital camera and thought you might like to see it for yourself:

Come the summer months, OKAY, it does seem a bit ODD. I'll give you that. But here's where the story gets stranger. I was running around, doing some errands that brought me into CVS. While standing in line at the check out, I heard "You're Kim Martucci, the weather girl at WUSA." ???!!! At first I thought it was someone who recognized me from my old job at WBRE TV in Wilkes-Barre. But, no, this person said WUSA. As it turns out, Dan Nobel of Annapolis (see last video) was up in NEPA, visiting his family.

Now, let's fast forward to later in the evening. Logo Man tagged along for the trip (he needed a retreat from his busy Dupont Circle life). After watching a few movies (Breach (yay) and Pirates of the Caribbean at World's End (nay -- 3 hours was entirely too long), not to mention a FABULOUS day of good old Main St. America shopping (check out the great vintage pieces I picked up for a STEAL!),

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and a yummy bargin-priced-cupcake-pick-me-up at Sweet Eden (celebrating its first year of business), I took Logo to the Fireside Restaurant. I briefed him for what he was about to experience: good food with the cocoon of 70s style decour replete with LIVE OrGaN MuSiC. Stepping into this restaurant is like stepping back into your favorite childhood restuarant (if you're a Gen Xer) - a vegetable plate on the table to start, what I imagine was once dark wood panelling that has since been painted, and just a warm family feeling. But the LIVE OrGaN MuSiC. -- THAT is the best part and the most surreal for me. Some of the songs we heard were: Billy Joel's Love You Just the Way You Are, Girl From Ipanema, and an instrumental Muzak Elton John piece. Here's a look around at Logo and the Organ Man:

Mind you, when I "retreat" to the Poconos, I rid myself of my normal routine -- full hair and makeup. GONZO. So what do I care if I'm out to dinner with my buddy, eating at my 70s cocoon restaurant, and wearing my cobolt-blue-workout-pants-and-leopard-print-fuzzy-hat-because-let's-face-it-it's-20-degrees-out-and-honestly-who-wants-to-do-their-do-on-the-weekend attire -- what do I care? Well, I kind of care when I RUN INTO ANNAPOLIS MAN AGAIN! Yes!!! Here goes the conversation with Logo at the dinner table:

Logo: "KIM, IT'S THE GUY FROM CVS!"

Me: "WHAT GUY FROM C B S?"

Logo: "FROM EARLIER TODAY - THE CVS GUY!"

Me: "OH - FROM C V S. I DIDN'T HEAR YOU RIGHT. WHERE IS HE? WHERE'S MY CAMERA!?"

Sure enough, there is Dan Nobel again. This time, he's eating with his entire family -- mom, 2 brothers, & sister. So I went on over and chatted away with their family. This time I had my camera with me and shot some video of their clan. Enjoy the LIVE ORGAN background Muzak! Stay tuned for their click on Tuesday...