MommaSaid's New Jersey

With all the hoopla about “Sarah Palin’s Alaska,” (which, frankly, I thought was a Saturday Night Live skit starring Tina Fey) plus the beautiful photos of horses and western outdoorsy stuff by Pioneer Woman’s Ree Drummond, I thought I’d take you on a tour of New Jersey, through MommaSaid’s eyes.

No, it’s not going to be all photos of Superfund cleanup sites and Tony Soprano’s house or even the Bada Bing (Satin Dolls, Route 17). Really now, people. Have some respect. See…?

He wandered through my yard a month ago. I grabbed my camera and sneaked outside to the edge of the property that overlooks the woods and then shouted, “Here, beary!” to get him to turn around for the shot. He was unimpressed. And I never ran home faster.

Crabbing in Toms River. I could be coy and write, “My boys have crabs!” but I don’t want anything like the “My son is gay” debacle to arise from it, no matter what it does for your Google ranking. I’m just not that kind of mom blogger.

This is an old picture of my niece Emily with her parents at a wedding that she clearly didn’t want to attend, in New Jersey. Her face is just so “fuhgeddaboutit” for such a young child with pretty curls. Yo, Emily, I don’t blame you.

Oh Jersey Shore. Your boardwalk food must be the reason the healthcare industry is headquartered in the Garden State.

This should totally be at the end of a commercial for the Jersey Shore. They could play it during commercial breaks at Phillies’ games.

Little known fact: We have the happiest dogs in America here in New Jersey. Or at least on this motorcycle on Route 23 in Riverdale.

The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanites was going to put was going to put “Hey! Whaddaya yellin’ fohr! Shut the f*@# up!” up at the Cape May Lighthouse, but the sign wasn’t big enough.

I forgot to unzoom my camera when I took this shot of my brother, Scott, and me at a Bruce Springsteen concert last year. Okay, technically, this is at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, but we’d both seen Bruce at the Meadowlands twice last year alone, and really, what is New Jersey’s biggest export but Springsteen?

Speaking of Bruce concerts, here’s the moon over section 316 at the original Giants Stadium, may she rest in peace.

Yeah, pioneer this.

If it looked like this year-round, would we still think it’s pretty? Yeah, I think so.

The closer we get to Thanksgiving, the less I see them outside my office window.

Should I end with this one of my son flying a kite on the beach at Wildwood?

Or this one of my boys jumping into our local lake in their (Please Mom?) clothes?

Share, share: What’s your favorite?

Update November 19th: Kim, you asked for a diner shot. Turns out, my brother and I frequent diners during our Extreme Quarterly Lunches. Best I can do is this shot of a menu: