I am too old for this stuff.....

Okay so holiday season is in full swing and I my sleep schedule is totally out of whack. I know it is impossible to get caught up on your sleep, you either get it when you need it or you lose it and as someone with narcolepsy, believe you me I have gotten my fair share of sleep. Just not in the past week or so. I went into work on Sunday and everyone kept asking me if I was okay, said it looked like I had been crying, either that or I was really tired. I didn't think anything of it, just assumed I was really tired. Today I wake up and the skin around my right eye is all red, again I think nothing- assume I slept on it or something like that. By the time I get to work I can see that it redness is not going away and I look like a freak of nature. The eye starts to itch- I try my best not to rub it (rubbing your eyes when you wear contacts is never a good thing anyway) because I don't know what is going on- there is no puss or leakage of any kind. One of my coworkers also works in a day care and says to me "I think you have pink eye" I was kind of thinking that myself but kept telling myself no since there was no leakage/crust/funk or gunk. When I got home I decided to go on WebMD to see what they say about pink eye..... personally I think sites like WebMD are a bad idea, how many times have you researched something on a site like that and convinced yourself you were going to die or had some rare untreatable disease? I do it all the time!!

So this is what I found out about pink eye so I knew and some I had no clue about:

• The eye is pink and itchy.
• Sometimes there is a feeling as if something is in the eye.

Other symptoms include:

• Eyelids stuck shut when you wake up in the morning (the classic symptom)
• Uncomfortable, thick yellow or green discharge (often a bacterial infection)
• Thin, clear drainage from the eye (often a viral infection or an allergic reaction)
• Itching, burning, or feels like sand in your eye (often a viral infection or an allergic reaction)
• Family member with the same symptoms (an infection is being passed from one person to another)
• Painful eye in bright light (called photophobia)
• A recent cold (often a viral infection)
• Swollen lymph nodes (often a viral infection)
• Burning during urination or discharge from the penis in men (rare) (kind of interesting, all week I felt like I had a urinary tract infection, could it have been pink eye starting to rear its ugly head?)
• Vaginal discharge in women (a possible complication of a sexually transmitted disease)

Of course when you try not to pay attention to how much your eye itches you start to feel itchy and "creepy crawly" everywhere else. I have been trying so hard to ignore it today and for the most part did okay. I am going to call a doctor first thing in the morning (left a note on the bathroom mirror asking D to make sure I am awake) hopefully the itch will be gone soon enough.

Off to try to fall asleep and think of something other than the itch

Snow Day

I love the snow.... okay not really. What I love is the winter wonderland created by the snow when it first falls and is untouched by plows, cars, people etc. I also enjoy it from afar- like when I can be inside my house and looking out the window. I don't like driving in it, not because I am scared but because the majority of people in NJ have no clue what do to when it snows.... they act like the world has come to an end and the slower they drive the longer they will be on this planet.... are you kidding me?!?

D and I went to his mother's tonight after work to shovel her driveway and they we did the next door neighbor's driveway, after all she is 78 years old and her husband is in a nursing home after having a stroke. While we were over there, I took some pictures of the winter weather. I haven't had a chance to look at all of them yet; however, one that I really like which is inspired by Vee There is something so fun about putting your boots on and jumping in some puddles, no matter how old you are. I think this spring I might even jump in the mud and make some mud pies just for the heck of it.

Today's post is brought to you by the letter "I"

Do you have any idea how many times a day you need to use the "i" key on your keyboard? I do, because mine is busted. It is a real speed bump to someone who types about 80 words a minute. I swear my right middle finger is going to be the strongest finger on my hand since I have to push so hard to make the damn thing work..... for the record, this post has 19 i's in it so far.



So yesterday was BBoys birthday- I can't believe he is 2 already. He loves Sesame Street so of course everything was sesame street related (hence the title of this post)

He is so dang cute, he is still young enough that he loves cuddling with his mother and will give hugs and kisses on request.

He doesn't quite understand why it is he was getting presents and wanted to spend time playing with every gift he got before opening others.

One thing that he gets is the cake- he had so much fun stuffing his face with the Elmo cupcakes

As someone who doesn't want children, I had no idea I could ever love a little one the way I love this kid. He makes my heart happy!!!

Day Off

Poor D has been traveling like crazy: Sunday he left for CA (I dropped him off at the airport at 4:00 in the morning), Monday night he flew home (I picked him up at 11:45) Tuesday he had a 12:15pm flight to Chicago. He was scheduled to come back Wednesday morning but they had snow and flights were delayed. So he drove from Chicago to St. Louis, did some work there and drove back to Chicago (only 300 miles each way). He left Chicago this morning but because he is D he couldn't just fly into Newark which is where his car is, he had to fly into Philly and take the train to Newark.... WTF?

The point in my telling you all of this is that I am exhausted, with him traveling my sleep is all messed up. Not sure why but lately I have been having a hard time falling asleep without him (this coming from a narcoleptic, I am programmed to fall asleep without even trying).

There is a plus side to me not being able to fall asleep, I have had tons of time to scrap. Last night (or should I say this morning since it was 3:10) I was up making paper bows that I saw On Splitcoast Stampers Once I mastered the bow, I started working on the cover to my Journal Your Christmas album and couldn't stop.

The point of the Journal Your Christmas class is to take time very day to journal and create. Of course me being me, I am already behind (we are only on day 6) Today I started my day 2 (need to find the perfect picture and Thickers to finish it) Completed day 3 and thought about what I want to do for day 4. Hopefully by the end of the week I will be caught up.


Hoping the writers strike ends soon, I am getting tired of watching reruns. Then again less time to watch TV means more time to scrap!!

Amen Sister

Received this from a friend, thought it was a little too true...... I couldn't have said it better myself.....


'Twas the month before Christmas when all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying nor taking a stand.
Why the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a " Holiday ".
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets are hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-is-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter

And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.

So as you celebrate "Winter Break" under your "DreamTree"
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday !

Are you kidding me?

Okay since it is after midnight I don't have to worry about anyone having a heart attack at the thought of me blogging twice in one day. However, you all should worry about me and my heart condition. You can imagine my suprise when I turned on my phone after work to see the score of the WVU/Pitt game (as a die hard fan I get the scores sent via text message). Did #2 ranked West Virginia University really lose to the unrated Pittsburgh? Was the score really 13-9? My eyes had to be playing tricks on me, then I see the message from Garber saying "F%$&, F%$&, F%$&" and I knew my eyes were not playing tricks on me, WVU really did lose to Pitt!?!?!

The good news is #1 ranked Missouri also lost. Not that it matters because they didn't play Pitt.

I am off to put my head in the oven!

Journal Your Christmas

First time ever I signed up for a scrapping class. I am taking the Journal Your Christmas class and very excited about it. I am hoping the class will "force" me to scrap on a more regular basis. Also looking for a little bit of normalcy, working retail during holiday is pure insanity, I need something to help keep me sane (is that possible?)

Since I had to compress the file you can't read the journaling very well it says.....

I hope by taking a little time each day to reflect, to write, to create I will keep my Christmas alive and well despite the commercial pressure that exists outside my door. Friends, Family and hot beverages will help.

This was one of the three manifestos we could pick from and this was all too fitting for my crazy life. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Looks like we made it.....

I am proud and excited to say I survived another Black Friday weekend. I wish I could take a long winter's nap; however, this is just the beginning...... I guess I will sleep in January.

Thankful

I meant to do this yesterday but the day got away from me. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on life and remind yourself how blessed you are to be you. As a family we go around the table and talk about the things we are most thankful for, here is my list.

1. Family- sometimes they drive me crazy, but I love them none the less
2. Friends- to me friends and family go hand in hand, my friends truely are a part of my family!
3. My husband- it is so nice to be able to call him that finally! I know it is cliche but I swear I love him more and more every day
4. Health- mine and that of my family. I am so lucky to still have 2 Grandparents who are alive and well.
5. Education- I know it seems silly, but that is something that no one can take away from me.

To sum it up- love, loyality and friendship (the claddaugh ring sums up so many things so well)

Only in Texas

I heard about this story on the radio this morning and couldn't believe it. This is the story as reported on CBS News


The 911 call came from a Pasadena, Tex., resident, who alerted police to two burglary suspects on a neighbor's property. Before he hung up, two men were dead by his hand.

Joe Horn, 61, told the dispatcher what he intended to do: Walk out his front door with a shotgun.

"I've got a shotgun," Horn said, according to a tape of the 911 call. "Do you want me to stop them?"

"Nope, don't do that - ain't no property worth shooting somebody over, OK?" the dispatcher responded.

"Hurry up man, catch these guys, will you? 'Cause I'm ain't gonna let 'em go, I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm not gonna let 'em go. I'm not gonna let 'em get away with this ----."

Shortly after, Horn said he sees one suspect was standing in front of his house, looking at it from the street.

"I don’t know if they’re armed or not. I know they got a crowbar 'cause that's what they broke the windows with. ... Man, this is scary, I can't believe this is happening in this neighborhood."

He gets more agitated. The dispatcher asks if he can see the suspects but they had retreated into the target's house, out of view: "I can go out the front [to look], but if I go out the front I'm bringing my shotgun with me, I swear to God. I am not gonna let 'em get away with this, I can't take a chance on getting killed over this, OK? I'm gonna shoot, I'm gonna shoot."

"Stay inside the house and don’t go out there, OK?" the dispatcher said. "I know you're pissed off, I know what you're feeling, but it's not worth shooting somebody over this, OK?"

"I don’t want to," Horn said, "but I mean if I go out there, you know, to see what the hell is going on, what choice am I gonna have?

"No, I don’t want you to go out there, I just asked if you could see anything out there."

The dispatcher asks if a vehicle could be seen; Horn said no. The dispatcher again says Horn should stay inside the house.

Almost five minutes into the call, police had not arrived.

"I can’t see if [the suspects are] getting away or not," Horn said.

Horn told the dispatcher that he doesn’t know the neighbors well, unlike those living on the other side of his home. "I can assure you if it had been their house, I would have already done something, because I know them very well," he said.
Dispatcher: "I want you to listen to me carefully, OK?"

Horn: "Yes?"

Dispatcher: "I got ultras coming out there. I don't want you to go outside that house. And I don't want you to have that gun in your hand when those officers are poking around out there."

Horn: "I understand that, OK, but I have a right to protect myself too, sir, and you understand that. And the laws have been changed in this country since September the First and you know it and I know it."

Dispatcher: "I understand."

Horn: "I have a right to protect myself ..."

Dispatcher: "I'm ..."

Horn: "And a shotgun is a legal weapon, it's not an illegal weapon."

Dispatcher: "No, it's not, I'm not saying that, I'm just not wanting you to ..."

Horn: "OK, he's coming out the window right now, I gotta go, buddy. I'm sorry, but he's coming out the window. "

Dispatcher: "No, don't, don't go out the door, Mister Horn. Mister Horn..."

Horn: "They just stole something, I'm going out to look for 'em, I'm sorry, I ain't letting them get away with this ----. They stole something, they got a bag of stuff. I'm doing it!"

Dispatcher: "Mister, do not go outside the house."

Horn: "I'm sorry, this ain't right, buddy."

Dispatcher: "You gonna get yourself shot if you go outside that house with a gun, I don't care what you think."

Horn: "You wanna make a bet?"

Dispatcher: "Stay in the house."

Horn: "There, one of them's getting away!

Dispatcher: "That's alright, property's not something worth killing someone over. OK? Don't go out the house, don't be shooting nobody. I know you're pissed and you're frustrated but don't do it."

Horn: "They got a bag of loot."

Dispatcher: "OK. How big is the bag?" He then talks off, relaying the information.

Dispatcher: "Which way are they going?"

Horn: "I can't ... I'm going outside. I'll find out."

Dispatcher: "I don't want you going outside, Mister..."

Horn: "Well, here it goes buddy, you hear the shotgun clicking and I'm going."

Dispatcher: "Don't go outside."
On the tape of the 911 call, the shotgun can be heard being cocked and Horn can be heard going outside and confronting someone.

"Boom! You're dead!" he shouts. A loud bang is heard, then a shotgun being cocked and fired again, and then again.

Then Horn is back on the phone:
"Get the law over here quick. I've now, get, one of them's in the front yard over there, he's down, he almost run down the street. I had no choice. They came in the front yard with me, man, I had no choice! ... Get somebody over here quick, man."

Dispatcher: "Mister Horn, are you out there right now?"

Horn: "No, I am inside the house, I went back in the house. Man, they come right in my yard, I didn't know what the --- they was gonna do, I shot 'em, OK?"

Dispatcher: "Did you shoot somebody?

Horn: "Yes, I did, the cops are here right now."

Dispatcher: "Where are you right now?"

Horn: "I'm inside the house. ..."

Dispatcher: "Mister Horn, put that gun down before you shoot an officer of mine. I've got several officers out there without uniforms on."

Horn: "I am in the front yard right now. I am ..."

Dispatcher: "Put that gun down! There's officers out there without uniforms on. Do not shoot anybody else, do you understand me? I've got police out there..."

Horn: "I understand, I understand. I am out in the front yard waving my hand right now."

Dispatcher: "You don't have a gun with you, do you?

Horn: "No, no, no."

Dispatcher: "You see a uniformed officer? Now lay down on the ground and don't do nothing else."

Yelling is heard.

Dispatcher: "Lay down on the ground, Mister Horn. Do what the officers tell you to do right now."
Two days later, Horn released a statement through an attorney.

“The events of that day will weigh heavily on me for the rest of my life," it said. "My thoughts go out to the loved ones of the deceased.”

The identities of the men killed were released Friday.

They are Miguel Antonio Dejesus, 38, and Diego Ortiz, 30. Official records show that each of them had a prior arrest in Harris County for drug offenses.

The men were reportedly shot at a distance of less than 15 feet.

A woman who lives nearby who asked not to be identified told CBS News affiliate KHOU correspondent Rucks Russell that she always saw Horn as a grandfather figure. "He is the guardian of the neighborhood," she said. "He takes care of all our kids. If we ever need anything, we call him.”

But according to Tom Lambright, Horn’s attorney and a friend for more than four decades, he’s the one in need now. “He just needs everyone to know he’s not a villain, he’s not a bad guy,” Lambright said.

He went on to say that Horn voluntarily gave an extensive video statement to police immediately following the shooting.

Horn was not taken into custody after the shooting. A Harris County grand jury will decide if charges are to be filed.

Lambright says Horn acted in complete and total self defense and has nothing to hide.

Local opinion has been passionate on both sides of the shooting.

One letter to the Houston Chronicle said, "He didn't shoot them in the legs, to make sure they did not run away, or hold them at gunpoint until police arrived. No, he was judge, jury and executioner."

Another letter writer praised Horn, saying, "Where does the line form to pin a medal on Joe Horn? I want to get in line." Another wrote, "Let's get rid of the police force and just hire Joe Horn!"

Support for Horn was also running about 2-1 in an online survey of readers on the KHOU Web site.

The incident may prove a test for a new law recently passed in Texas which expands the right of citizens to use deadly force.

Under Texas law, people may use deadly force to protect their own property or to stop arson, burglary, robbery, theft or criminal mischief at night.

But the legislator who authored the "castle doctrine" bill told the Chronicle it was never intended to apply to a neighbor's property, to prompt a "'Law West of the Pecos' mentality or action," said Republican Sen. Jeff Wentworth. "You're supposed to be able to defend your own home, your own family, in your house, your place of business or your motor vehicle."


© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


I am not sure what I think about this whole thing, I totally agree that you have the right to protect yourself and your property, but this man was protecting someone else's property. Doesn't that make him a little bit of an outlaw? However, I am kind of impressed with the fact that there are people in the country that still look out of each other- I was beginning to think those kind of people were endangered species.

De Je Vu All Over Again

OMG I can't believe I was dumb enough to let it happen again. What kind of a moron locks herself out of the house twice in less than 2 months? Seriously, I am an independent, smart and educated female, what is wrong with me? I went downstairs to put laundry in the machine and came up the stairs to go back in side and think about if I wanted to cook dinner or not and low and behold the door was locked. So now I have to decide do I want to walk someplace in my slippers and call my husband to see when he will be home so he can rescue me or do I hang out in the laundry room and wait for him? I start walking with no idea where I am headed because I had no intention of going anywhere when I started my load of laundry. I figure I will walk to the diner close by, call D and tell him to meet me there for dinner and I can just sit, order and wait for him. You have no idea how hard it is to find a damn payphone now a days (I sound like an old fart talking about in my day) Of course the diner has no phone. So I keep walking, end up at the library where I am excited to see they are open until 9:00pm. I try to use the pay phone and of course you can't make a collect call to a cell phone and I can't charge the call to my house because there is no one home to authorize the charge. I tell my saga to the operator and she tries to connect me but as soon as D answers the phone the call is disconnected. So I beg the kid at the library desk to let me use the phone. As soon as D hears me say "I locked myself out again" he busts out laughing (can you blame him?) so he says he will meet me in 20 minutes. No problem, I am sure I can find something to do for 20 minutes inside the warm library. Well 35 minutes my knight in shining armor walked through the door to rescue me. As I sit and type this I have given up on laundry and am enjoying a glass of red wine.

It's in the stars

Luz sent this to me via email, I never really understood how astrology worked, how does the your date of birth really influence your personality? I guess I don’t need to understand it, just be amazed at how accurate it is some times……

VIRGO - The Perfectionist Dominant in relationships. Conservative. Always wants the last word. Argumentative. Worries. Very smart. Dislikes noise and chaos. Eager. Hardworking. Loyal. Beautiful. Easy to talk to. Hard to please. Harsh. Practical and very fussy. Often shy. Pessimistic.

SCORPIO - The Intense One Very energetic. Intelligent. Can be jealous and/or possessive. Hardworking. Great kisser. Can become obsessive or secretive. Holds grudges. Attractive. Determined. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Romantic. Can be self-centered at times. Passionate and Emotional.

LIBRA - The Harmonizer Nice to everyone they meet. Can't make up their mind. Have own unique appeal. Creative, energetic, and very social. Hates to be alone. Peaceful, generous. Very loving and beautiful. Flirtatious. Give in too easily. Procrastinators. Very gullible.

ARIES - TheDaredevil Energetic. Adventurous and spontaneous. Confident and enthusiastic. Fun. Loves a challenge. EXTREMELY impatient. Sometimes selfish. Short fuse. (easily angered.) Lively, passionate, and sharp wit. Outgoing. Lose interest quickly - easily bored. Egotistical. Courageous and assertive. Tends to be physical and athletic.

AQUARIUS - The Sweetheart Optimistic and honest. Sweet personality. Very independent. Inventive and intelligent. Friendly and loyal. Can seem unemotional. Can be a bit rebellious. Very stubborn, but original and unique. Attractive on the inside and out. Eccentric personality.

GEMINI - The Chatterbox Smart and witty. Outgoing, very chatty. Lively, energetic. Adaptable but needs to express themselves. Argumentative and outspoken. Likes change. Versatile. Busy, sometimes nervous and tense. Gossips. May seem superficial or inconsistent, But is only changeable. Beautiful physically and mentally.

(this is me) LEO - The Boss (very true- both in my personal and professional life)Very organized. (I wish, I am like a cyclone, always creating a mess) Need order in their lives (again, see the above comment) - like being in control (this is true). Like boundaries (not really, I play by the rules and color within the lines but wouldn’t say I love boundaries). Tend to take over everything. Bossy. Like to help others (funny how you can be bossy and yet still think about other people and their feelings- somehow it works). Social and outgoing. Extroverted. Generous, warm-hearted. Sensitive. (too much so, I cry all the damn time) Creative energy (just started to harness that energy). Full of themselves. (and I always thought it was because I was Irish) Loving. (goes hand in hand with the sensitivity) Doing the right thing is important to Leos (which is why we have to be in charge). Attractive.

CANCER - The Protector Moody, emotional. May be shy. Very loving and caring. Pretty/handsome. Excellent partners for life. Protective. Inventive and imaginative. Cautious. Touchy-feely kind of person. Needs love from others. Easily hurt, but sympathetic.

PISCES - The Dreamer Generous, kind, and thoughtful. Very creative and imaginative. May become secretive and vague. Sensitive. Don't like details. Dreamy and unrealistic. Sympathetic and loving. Kind. Unselfish. Good kisser. Beautiful.

CAPRICORN - The Go-G etter Patient and wise. Practical and rigid. Ambitious. Tends to be good-looking. Humorous and funny. Can be a bit shy and reserved. Often pessimists. Capricorns tend to act before they think and can be unfriendly at times. Hold grudges. Like competition. Get what they want.

TAURUS - The Enduring One Charming but aggressive. Can come off as boring, but they are not. Hard workers. Warm-hearted. Strong, has endurance. Solid beings who are stable and secure in their ways. Not looking for shortcuts. Take pride in their beauty. Patient and reliable. Make great friends and give good advice. Loving and kind. Loves hard - passionate. Express themselves emotionally. Prone to ferocious temper-tantrums. Determined. Indulge themselves often. Very generous.

(My Husband)SAGITTARIUS- The Happy-Go-Lucky One (for sure)Good-natured optimist. Doesn't want to grow up (Peter Pan Syndrome). (isn’t that the truth) Indulges self. Boastful. Likes luxuries and gambling. (Champagne taste on a beer budget) Social and outgoing. Doesn't like responsibilities. Often fantasizes. Impatient. Fun to be around. Having lots of friends. Flirtatious. Doesn't like rules. Sometimes hypocritical. Dislikes being confined (always has cabin fever, can’t sit in one place too long) - tight spaces or even tight clothes. Doesn't like being doubted. Beautiful inside and out.

Proud

One of D's best friends married a French girl, they have a child to whom D is the Godfather. The Christening took place in France and of course we were invited. I will admit I was hesitant to go because of all of the hype around the French and how they hate Americans and vice versa. I am so glad we decided to go, it was one of the best experiences of my life.

In addition to being their to celebrate the christening of a child we got to spend time totally submerged in the French culture- what a great way to experience a foreign land.

As much fun as the christening was, that was not the best part of the trip, one of the most moving experiences of my live happened at Normandy Cemetery.


D and I were at an overlook, look at the water and reading a plaque that spoke about the invasion. It was late in the afternoon and a fog was rolling across the water. There were about 5 other people in the same area. All of a sudden it got very quiet, and we heard a bugle playing "Taps" we looked over and saw them lowering the US Flag. It was as if we were all at a funeral, the hairs on our arms stood up and everyone's eyes filled with tears. It was amazing to see people who didn't even know each other reacting the same way.

When the flag was lowered and folded. One of the guys who was there looked at his buddy and said "that was too intense for me, I am out of here" I couldn't agree more, it was very intense. Not sure if it was the way every person i in the cemetery reacted or if it was hearing Taps on foreign soil or a combination of all things.


Being at the cemetery and seeing row after row of graves reminded how lucky I am to be an American there are so many luxuries I get to enjoy every day and don't even think about. It is because of all of the men and woman that fight for our country each and every day.






On this Veteran's day I thank all Veterans and remind myself this is the land of the free because of the brave!!!

Working for a living sucks....

Well that isn't really true, I love what I do, I just hate that I have to leave the house to do it and sit in traffic or take the bus to get to work. I have been working in NYC helping with a store opening for the past 2 days. This is one of my favorite things to do, it is so cool to be part of the process from beginning to end. Yesterday I went with 2 people I work with, since it was raining I decided I would drive it because I didn't want to walk a couple of blocks in the rain (you know sugar melts when it gets wet) I forgot that people forget how to drive when it rains. Traffic was a bear!!

Today I went in alone so I thought it would be a good idea to take the bus since the bus stop is directly across the street from my house. I get on the bus, get a seat and mind my business. There is a sign on the bus that says "Cell Phone Usage Prohibited" when my phone rings and I see it is work I answer it. Out of respect for the other riders on the bus I whisper to the person on the other end of the phone. There are tons of people on the bus talking to each other and being way louder than I am. About 3 minutes into my conversation someone 2 rows and across the aisle from me stands up to get my attention and points to the no cell phone sign. Are you kidding me. Sit down b&%$h you are not the cell phone police. The rest of the ride is uneventful.

I get in a cab right outside of port authority and tell the driver where I want to go. He tells me that is fine (of course it is, I am paying him) but he is going to have to cut through the park because of traffic. I tell him that is okay. After all I don't want to sit in traffic any more than he does. He starts to talk to me about the problems with this country and how the US dollar is worth nothing.... it is getting lower and lower everyday and it is all because people keep buying junky cars- look at the all the new Mercedes and BMW on the road- junky cars are sucking the money out of the economy, before we know it gas is going to be $5 per gallon and it is all because people keep buying cars. Whatever dude, I just want to get to work.

After working all day (did I mention it was my day off today) I hope in a cab to head back to the bus station. The cab driver is not happy that I want to go to Port Authority and starts talking to himself out loud in a foreign language. At one point I hear "Corruption in this country (something in a foreign language) 10 o'clock (more foreign language) $10,000 ticket." I was so confused. Since he had an attitude and seemed to be mad a the world I didn't feel the need to be overly generous with my tip. The total fare was $19.10 so I gave him $21 and asked for a receipt- he had the nerve to say to me "is that it" I felt like telling him "no that isn't it, give me my $1 back and by the way where is my $.90" Really what the hell is wrong with people?

So I get to the ticket window to buy my bus ticket and there is one person in front of me, I don't mind waiting I have more than 20 minutes until the bus leaves. The woman in front of me hands the ticket agent $20 and asks for 4 tickets. The person gives her one ticket and too much change. So the woman says "I asked for 4 tickets" and the agent looks confused and gives her 3 more and takes the money. The customer then says "can you tell me what time the bus leaves?" the agent hands her a bus schedule. So the customer gets a little annoyed and says "you can't tell me what time it leaves?" and the agent says "no". The customer gets all pissy and said "if you would turn your radio down you would be able to hear me better. You are supposed to be working, not playing." Obviously this woman had a bad day.

I get to the gate about 15 minutes before the bus comes, so I am standing there waiting, eating my pineapples and minding my own business. Who should get in line but a woman with 2 young kids who are clearly not happy. They were screaming/crying and just miserable, which in turn made everyone on line miserable too. Of course being on the bus didn't quite the kids down, they cried and screamed all the way home.

I survived the trip and am glad to be home.

There's no place like home

Mind Games

I am all about the useless trivia, not sure where it comes from it isn't like I sit around reading the farmer's almanac or anything like that. I just acquire these random bits of knowledge that I like to share with people. I also enjoy crossword puzzles and other word/logic puzzles. Which is why when I saw this posted here I had to give it a shot. Now I think it is safe to say I am addicted. Yet another thing to do instead of cleaning my house or folding my laundry.

Special congrats to my friend Laura and her husband JC, they welcomed Timothy James into their family on Saturday 11/3 at 10:06 pm. Mom and baby are doing fine, and both of his big brothers are excited to finally have "cookie" here.

Trick or Treat

BBoy had a great halloween, he looked adorable in his monkey costume. He loved being outside and running around. It was hard to keep up with him, I wish I could have sat in the stroller and let him push me around.....



















We still need to work on the whole concept of trick or treating, he didn't understand that he was supposed to take candy and leave- he watned to be invited inside and when he wasn't he just let himself in. Thank God we only go to the houses of people really know. He loves candy so much (not sure how he knows that, he never eats sweets) that he couldn't wait to get home to eat some of his treats, heck he couldn't even wait for us to open them for him.










Last year he was Nemo and looked great, this year he was a monkey and again looked adorable. I wonder what next year will bring- can't wait, by then he will be old enough to really enjoy it and have tons of fun- of course as his aunt and God mother I will be right there next to him capturing all of it with my camera.

Peer Pressure

Everyone is doing it so I figured I should too.....
Being a Getaway virgin I had no idea what to expect, to be honest I was just looking forward to getting away and spending some time with Kim. I had no idea it was going to be so amazing! I met some awesome woman

The best part about it was getting to spend the weekend with
Kim it had been way too long!!!














Peg coordinated everything and did an amazing job doing so. The skits they did for talent night were hysterical.


Dar posted some awesome pictures.


Shaunte wrote a peom about it.
















Glenni introduced us to some interesting art.

We celebrated Vee's birthday.


I finally got to meet Luz


I can't wait to do it again next year!!!!

Let's Go Mountaineers

I am definately a Jersey Girl (minus the teased hair)I am proud of my accent, and how I "tawk" however, I HATE RUTGERS!!!

I am so glad to report my boys in blue from Morgantown beat the pants off the Scarlet Knights.

(7) West Virginia (7-1, 2-1 Big East) 31
Rutgers (5-3, 2-2 Big East) 3

New Jersey is redoing their travel ad campaign and are using things like the Monmouth Race Track, Atlantic City and Rutgers Football as reasons to come to NJ. Are you kidding me, I thought the purpose of an ad campaign was to get people to come to the state, using Rutgers Football is hardly a reason to do anything.....

Tagged by Luz

So I have been tagged by Luz I usually don't partake in these kinds of things. I think I have a low tolerance for Email Forwards (I wonder if Katie has a blog, she would appreciate my low tolerance)

So here it is:

Jobs I've had:
1. Little League Umpire
2. Retail Sales Clerk for a local dress shop
3. Tutor for Student Athletes (while in college)
4. Customer Service Representative in a Call Center for a phone company

Movies I (do) could watch over and over:
1. Pretty Woman
2. My Girl
3. Top Gun
4. A Few Good Men

TV shows I watch:
1. ER
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Law and Order
4. Sex in the City

Places I have lived:
1. Jefferson, NJ
2. Morgantown, WV (college)
3. Fairfax,VA
4. Wantage, NJ

Favorite Foods:
1. Chocolate
2. Pizza
3. Pasta- all kinds
4. Cheddar Cheese

Favorite Colors:
1. Kelly Green
2. Blue
3. Red
4. Black

Places I would love to be now:
1. Sitting on the couch next to my husband
2. On the beach enjoying the sun on my face and the sand between my toes
3. Hanging out with my nephew, listening to his laugh.
4. In Morgantown WV tailgating before a football game with great friends.
5. Anywhere as long as I was with friends and/or family

Names I like but would not use for my children (does it matter that I don’t have or want children):
1. Merlot (I love red wine)
2. Dakota
3. Malachi

I tag:
Anna and Vee

How small are we

The other day I was driving to work admiring the look of the clouds as the sun started to fill the sky. It was one of those moments when I really wished I had my camera and was skilled enough to drive a stick shift in traffic and take a good picture at the same time. I was speaking to Kim and she said "Oh my God you should see how beautiful the sky is" we talked a little about the clouds and the sun and the effect it had and it made me feel like we were looking at the exact same sky. Even though she is in Northern VA and I am in good old NJ.

Of course since I spent the weekend with Kim I "caught" her "illness" you know the one where you say something and she immediately starts singing a song with some of the same words in it no matter how appropriate or not appropriate it is......

Somewhere Out There

written by James Horner, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil

Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight
Someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight

Somewhere out there someone's saying a prayer
That we'll find one another in that big somewhere out there

And even though I know how very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star

And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky

Somewhere out there if love can see us through
Then we'll be together somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true

And even though I know how very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star

And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky

Somewhere out there if love can see us through
Then we'll be together somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true

I had a great weekend at getaway and have had every intention of blogging about it sooner but work has been crazy!!! The only thing helping me keep my sanity is the Bon Jovi concert on Friday. Not sure what I am looking more forward to, the concert or keeping to spend time with Cheryl and Megan. Either way I know it is going to be a blast

This could make Stupid News

I think someone on the West Virginia side line should make sure these two don't sit next to each other anymore.

October

As we all know October is breast cancer awareness month. This is something that hits home for me. My Godmother and Aunt (same person) lost her fight to breast cancer 3 years ago leaving behind 2 young children. Each and every night I pray that other families will not have to go through what my family went through and they find a cure for this awful disease.

Breast cancer is something we should pay attention to all year round, not just in October. One of the girls who works with me just participated in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer one of the many cool things she got during her walk was this button I love it!! I can't wait to find out if I can get one- I think it is great!! Some other great ones are the shirts you can get at
Save the Tatas they are hysterical. It helps to be able to take a comedic approach to such an awful and deadly disease.

A List

The other day I was talking to Kimmie online and she aske me if I had a list. I asked her what the hell she was talking about and she said "you know, a list of things you want to do before you die" I told her no, but I would love to see her list. She said she had been thinking alot about it, I am sure some of those thoughts were inspired by Ali Edwards and Stephanie Roberts regardless of where the inspiration came from it is something I too have been thinking about. It is hard to come up with 100 things I want to do before I die, I think it is kind of morbid. What happens if I am fortunate enough to accomplish all things in the next 15 years, does that mean my life would be over? I guess it could be a list you continue to update and add too, especially as you accomplish things on that list.

Stephanie started a link on her blog where you can add your list and continue to update it as you accomplish things- you have the support of everyone who reads her blog. Not sure if my list is something I want to publish for the world wide web to read but it is something I have been thinking about. Currently my list only has 11 things on it, would it be cheating if I read other people's lists and borrowed their goals?

Off to create my list, I think once it is done I am going to hang it on the refigerator as if it was an important homework assignment.

Interesting Life

I enjoy reading blogs and always wonder how or where people come up with the stories that they share with the world. I feel like my life is not nearly interesting enough or that nothing exciting/entertaining ever happens in my life. That is until tonight.....

It is Wednesday which means Yoga. (D has been going for years and convinced me to start going the beginning of this year- I love it) We usually go together but D had a meeting after work so I was going to go by myself (no big deal, happens often) I gab my water bottle and my keys and head out to the car. As the door closes behind me, I go to put my key in the lock to lock the deadbolt (the lock on the doorknob is always locked) and realize the keys I grabbed were my work keys, not the house/car keys. So now I am locked out of the house and have no car keys to go anywhere. Not only am I going to miss yoga, I need to find something to do until D gets back from his meeting. So I start walking.... I send a text to my sister and D telling them I locked myself out of the house/car and am walking to the book store. I send D another message saying my phone is dying (isn't that my luck) and to please come straight home after the meeting- I will be at Barnes & Noble waiting for him. I walk the 1.3 miles to B&N in about 20 minutes (very proud of myself for that) and waited there for about an hour and a half for D to get there. Thankfully they had tons of scrap magazines and books I hadn't seen so the time went by pretty quickly.

The good news is I am now home safe and sound the bad news is reading all those magazines gave me so many ideas I want to scrap the night away but I have to be at work tomorrow at 8:30 so I can't stay up until the wee hours of the morning (damn it)

Prior to my adventure this evening I did get some stuff accomplished around the house- I changed my doormat from my summer one to the fall one, put new placemats and napkins on the kitchen table and put away some laundry- all of those are reasons why I could never be a stay at home wife/mother- I hate all that domestic BS!

Police Blotter

The other night my husband came home and mentioned something about a cop having a guy pulled over in front of our building, being my nosey self I got out of bed to see if I could find anything out. As I sat by the window I learned some guy was driving a car that did not have a license plate on it, he was also under the influence and in posession of sometime of drug. The cop told him if he charged him with everything he could face 30 days in jail. It seemed like forever that the cop had him pulled over, as I tried to fall back to sleep all I saw was flashing lights reflecting in my bedroom. So I started googling police blotters to see what kind of stuff goes on in my town on a weekly basis that the cops have to respond to. As the daughter of a retired innercity cop, I have heard my far share of "war stories" however, none of them are quite as ridiculous as the ones listed below. I can't believe some of the stuff people call the police for. Being me, I had to comment on almost all of the incidents. Please keep in mind I didn't post all of the incidents, only the really good one.

• A Daily Street resident reported criminal mischief to property. Someone threw rocks into a swimming pool. (is that really criminal mischief?)
• A Centre Street resident reported that an unknown male walked down his driveway, opened the side door to his home, closed it and left. (is that an attempted burgulary?)
• A Harrison Street business reported that someone was stealing water from their tap. (are you serious?)
• A Nutley Avenue resident found a green mountain bike on his property. (so you call the police? Why not run an ad in the paper?)
• A Washington Avenue resident reported receiving suspicious phone calls. (from a bill collector?)
• A Cortland Street resident reported receiving harassing phone calls. (again from a bill collector?)
• A Franklin Avenue resident reported finding a black GT race bike. (what’s up with all the “found” bikes?)
• A Prospect Street resident found a diabetic needle on Franklin Avenue. (and how do we know it was a diabetic needle?)
• The manager of CVS reported skateboarders on their property. (are you kidding me?)
• A Franklin Avenue resident reported receiving annoying phone calls. (what is the difference between, suspicious, harassing and annoying phone calls?)
• A Warren Street resident reported a theft of a magazine.
• A Warren Street resident reported possible mail tampering and theft.
• A Warren Street resident reported theft of mail. (clearly someone is not happy with their postal carrier)
• A Carrie Court resident reported harassing phone calls.
• A Franklin Avenue bank reported a broken rear window. A man was arrested for punching his hand through the door after becoming angry with a bank teller. (what on earth did this teller do to annoy him?)
• Police found a yard-type ornament on Hancox and Union avenues. The ornament is described as a bear holding a fish on top of his head. (why would the police even pick this up, leave it on the corner, maybe the garbage men will take it away)
• A Wilson Street resident reported mail tampering. (looks like the postal service needs to be retrained)
• A Centre Street business reported a theft. A customer had left the establishment without paying their bill. (I guess the Harrison Street business should be glad all they had stolen was tap water)
• A Franklin Avenue resident reported a broken street light near Booth Drive . (I thought you called town hall for this, not the police)
• Daily Street resident reported that someone threw rocks into her pool. (clearly someone doesn’t like this person, this is the second time they reported this to the police)
• Police responded to High Street and Franklin Avenue on a report of a truck wedged under the railroad trestle. (okay was it the truck driver’s first day on the job)
• A Franklin Avenue resident reported a street light out on Franklin Ave. (another street light out, what is our town maintenance department doing- reading stolen magazines?)
• Franklin Avenue gas station reported a theft of money from a soda machine. (can you blame them, have you seen the price of gas)
• A Passaic Avenue business owner reported that someone had stolen a tip jar. (maybe that is because they thought the tip jar was ridiculous, why should I tip you for doing your job?)

Can't wait to see what next week brings, would love to see how they write up the guy I saw in front of our building.

It's 5 o'clock somewhere

The weather has been crazy these past few days, you would think it is the middle of July not the end of September. Days like this make me crave a nice cold adult beverage, anyone want to joing me?

Some of the woman going on "Getaway" with me were talking about Karoke night and if we were going to perform or not. I am the last person who should be singing in public, I can't carry a tune in a bucket. However, after a few adult beverages I have been know to belt out a verse or two of a popular drinking song.....



Nibblin' on sponge cake,watchin' the sun bake;
All of those tourists covered with oil.
Strummin' my six string on my front porch swing.
Smell those shrimp
They're beginnin' to boil.
Wasted away again in Margaritaville,
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt.
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame,
But I know it's nobody's fault.

Don't know the reason,Stayed here all season
With nothing to show but this brand new tattoo.
But it's a real beauty,A Mexican cutie, how it got hereI haven't a clue.
Wasted away again in Margaritaville,
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt.
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame,
Now I think, - hell it could be my fault.

I blew out my flip flop,
Stepped on a pop top,
Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home.
But there's booze in the blender,And soon it will render
That frozen concoction that helps me hang on.
Wasted away again in Margaritaville
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt.
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame,
But I know, it's my own damn fault.
Yes, and some people claim that there's a woman to blame
And I know it's my own damn fault.

Countdowns

I have so many things to be looking forward to. Getaway is in 23 days and counting- can't wait to getaway, scrap and laugh. I have never gone away with 20+ women before- it should be interesting.

1 month from today, I will be seeing my favorite Jersey Boys with some great friends yet again!!! Not sure what I am looking forward to more, seeing the boys again or spending an exciting night with my friends.

I am off today (so I wonder why I am awake and blogging at 7:20- blame it on the husband.) I am feeling somewhat motivated, I think I am going to do some scrapping, can't remember the last time I had the day off and nothing to do. Hopefully I will be posting some finished projects by the end of the day...... off to create.

Love and Support Needed

My dear friend Kimmie is going through difficult times. Her grandfather is in the hospital. Kim is trying to be strong for her family and grandfather but I know it is taking its toll on her emotionally. As her friend I wish there was something I could say or do to make it better. I just keep praying for her and her family and telling her that I love her and am here for her if she wants or needs anything. It really stinks that we are in two different states, I would love to be there to give her a big hug and give her a shoulder to cry on. Growing up and being an adult really sucks sometimes.

Wedding after Wedding

I almost feel bad for the people I work with, because of weddings and being on vacation, I am not working any Saturday in the month of September. That is okay, I am sure in the long run I still got the short end of the schedule stick. Sometimes I am too nice.

D and I attended our first wedding as Mr. and Mrs. the other weekend. I am not used to things saying Mr and Mrs. Caraway because my last name is hyphenated. So I wonder what is the correct way of writing our name as a couple? It isn't Mr and Mrs. Keating-Caraway because I am the only Keating-Caraway (even though I really tried to get D to change his name too- he didn't go for it). I guess I should consult Miss Manners on that one!!

During the wedding a friend of my parents said to me, "I learned something today" so being a smart @$$ I say "yeah what?" and he says "That you and your sister really love your father" It made me smile on the the inside and out..... My sister and I are not and never were spoiled little girls but I can say with pride we are both Daddy's Girls.

Vacation was tons of fun

I had a great time on vacation, it will be the topic of many future blogs... consider yourselves warned. This is a short post because I am tired and need to go to bed.
I have been to the caribbean several times and every time I go I say I am going to parasail and never do.... this time I did and it was awesome!!! I felt like I was on the world's largest swing. I love that I got to drag my feet through the water. It was so cool. Glad that I did it.

Can't wait to share more pictures, tomorrow is a long and crazy work day, most likely won't get to post until Wednesday, stay tuned!!

Vacation Update

The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind..... we had a good time at the wedding, got to see some people we hadn't seen in years. I have never been to a wedding where the DJ played mostly country music before- I don't care because I can sing and dance to anything, it was just an interesting mix of music.

We got home, finished packing and decided it didn't make sense to try to stay awake. So we went to bed around 1:15 and had to get up at 3:30, the car came right on time at 4:00 and we were at the airport checking in by 4:20.... you have no idea how many people where there- we are talking 4:20 in the morning, not in the middle of the afternoon- WTF?

The flight here was uneventful, we made it no problems; however, Miami Airport sucks, we waited an hour for our luggage! Since I slept in my contacts then wore them on the plane, they were dry as anything. Darren forgot his sunglasses so our first stop after leaving the airport was WalMart- so help me God, I thought I was at the UN. It was unreal how many people working at WalMart don't speak English... it is a crying shame that customers had to say to the associates on the floor "do you speak English" before asking for help. We get to the register to pay and the cashier says "Buenos Dias" of course I responded with "Hello" afterall, I am paying the bill with US Dollars, not Pesos or Euros!! I am all for this country being a melting pot and the land of opportunity; however, I firmly believe if you are going to come here, make money and contribute to society you should be able to speak English!!!

We just got pack from a relaxing dip in the pool and hot tub, I am getting ready for bed, the ship leaves tomorrow at 4:00, I think we are going to head over there around 12:00, can't wait to officially be on vacation!!

Going Crazy-Wanna Come?

I am so excited!! 24 hours from now I will be on a south bound plane! Our plane for Miami leaves tomorrow at 6:00am. That being said, I am starting to freak out, I have so much stuff to do.

My schedule between now and tomorrow looks like this:
1. Go to work (I should be doing my hair and makeup instead of typing this) work 9-2
2. Go to Macy's for a new bra-girdle combo (anything to prevent the chub rub)
3. Come home: finish packing, take another shower, shave my legs get dressed and ready for a wedding.
4. Leave the house no later than 5:15 for a wedding (starts at 6:00)
5. Attempt to enjoy myself at the wedding knowing I have stuff to go when I get home.
6. Get home, ensure all packing is done, camera batteries charged, camera chargers packed.
7. Print out boarding passes, ensure all travel documents are savely packed in the carry on bag.
8. Confirm the car service is coming at 4:00am
9. Attempt to get some sleep because the car is coming at 4:00 which means we need to be up at 3:30am.

Wow, I am tired just thinking about it- no wonder I need a vacation!!!

I forgot to mention I have to double check my fantasy football team lineup for the week, Reggie Bush did nothing for me the other night, I only have 3 points going into this weekend- unacceptable!! There is money on the line and I hate to lose!!!!

WTF

Okay I have been trying to edit my blog for a week and for whatever reason I can't. I click on the necessary boxes and it immediately says I am not connected to the internet and all this other bull shit. I got that damn Peanuts thing on the side of the page that I wanted to put on the top so you could see the whole cartoon but it won't move. Any suggestions?

Testing Google

Someone forwarded me an email about testing
Google Go to Google and in the search bar type " goes" and just see what funny stuff comes up.

I do Kelly Goes and I get:
Sean Kelly goes to Hell from Amuse Yourself.

and of course tons of stuff about R. Kelly going to court for all the crazy stuff he did in his life. So I decided to search for my husband's name and see what comes up....

Darren goes after the ugly girl to beautify her.

I know it is only a game, but really that isn't want I needed to read when PMS is in full swing!!

Bad Girl

Okay so I might be one of the worst bloggers on the net, there are so many times when something happens throughout the day and I think- can't wait to get home and blog about that. Then I get home and the event doesn't seem as important/funny/worth while, etc anymore. Either that or I just forget I was even going to blog about it (the dangers of getting old)

I have one of those awful summer colds, I HATE IT!! Feels like all I do is sneeze! Oh well, summer is almost over right?

Good news, D and I FINALLY booked our vacation, we are taking a cruise out of Miami, going to Grand Turks and 2 different Bahama islands. It is only a 5 day cruise, but that is okay, we leave on Monday and are back in Miami on Saturday. Works out well since we have to go to a wedding the Saturday before we leave. Should be fun, just looking forward to getting away, and not having cell phones, e-mail, etc.

Since today is my day off, I really should cook dinner, also need to complete my circle journal and get that in the mail before they throw me out of the group. Instead of doing any of those things, I am going to check out the stats of my fantasy football team players and see if I can come up with the lineup for my first game. I am very competitive and don't like to lose, I have to make sure I get this right from week one!

Alumni Pride

Not sure if this is something I would be proud of if I had children attending the University; however, considering WVU was the number one party school when I was there, then upon my graduation, it dropped out of the top 10. I am proud to say they are #1 again!! Read the whole article here!!

LET'S GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!

Proud Aunt

This might be my new favorite photo. My nephew is so stubborn, he refuses to say "Mommy" or anything that sounds remotely close to it- yet he can say sunshine, turtle and a tons of other words. Even though he won't say Mommy you can tell he loves her..... this picture says it all to me. There is no greater love than a mother and her child.

Jersey Drivers.........

I will be the first to admit Jersey drivers are interesting to say the least. We tend to drive faster than we should, change lanes without signalling and tail gate like it is our job. One of the things we also do and I will never understand why is put stupid bumper stickers on our car.

1. My kid is an honor student at
Who cares if your kid is an honor student? The way they have manipulated the education system these days everyone should be an honor student.
2. Transporting Therapy Dogs, please don't tailgate
WTF? What does one have to do with the other? I don't care what you are transporting if you are driving too slow, I will tail gate
3. All of the "green" ones on SUV's
Don't talk to me about global warming and being environmentally aware when you are driving a gas hog!

Don't even get me started on all of the different color ribbon magnets people have on their car. How you are supporting the troops when you are buying a yellow magnet at 7-11? What kind of breast cancer research are they doing at the local grocery store. Come on!!

Domestic Goddess I am not

Someone sent me this email, I thought it was too good not to share.

AMAZINGLY SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES

1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic.Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throatand presto! The blockage will almost instantlyremove itself.

2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicingvegetables by getting someone else to hold them whileyou chop away.

3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting thetoilet seat by simply using the sink.

4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cutyourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducingthe pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.

5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock,will prevent you from rolling over and going back tosleep after you hit the snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose oflaxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.

7. Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with ahammer and you will forget all about the toothache.

8. Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rulesof life really are: You only need two tools - WD-40and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use theWD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the ducttape.

9. Remember: Everyone seems normal until you get toknow them.

Thought for the day:
Some People are like slinkies. They are not really good for anything but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.

Happy Birthday......

Sometimes I just have to brag about the man I married- he deserves husband of the year. I come home from work today to an interesting smell in the apartment. Turns out D tried to make chocolate covered strawberries (my favorite sweet treat) for my birthday and he burnt the chocolate :( Hey at least he tried right? The card he picked out for me was absolutely perfect- I feel like we have come a long way when it comes to cards- I think that is the most important part of the gift and D seems to think they are over rated, many a holidays came and went without cards, needless to say I wasn't very happy on those holidays. This year, the card is the best gift I could have received.

"For my Wife"

You know the story.

Two people meet and fall in love, they move all their belongings into the same small space and begin to
make a life together.

They discover that they have three toasters, two blenders and no even one coffeemaker.

They don't fold their shirts the same way, and they can't always agree on whose turn it is to clean house.

But these are the little things, and because these two people love each other, they find a way to work them out.

As time passes, there are other things-money worries, illnesses, family crises.

These are the big things.

But because the two people love each other, they find a way to work them out too.

And on special days like birthdays, they think about each other and about all the fun stuff they share and about
how their love has got them through the not-so-fun stuff.

And he says to her...Thanks for everything, I still love you very much.

Darren added- "Happy Birthday on our first year together as husband and wife. I'm glad I made the right choice. Love Always, Darren"

Who needs chocolate covered strawberries when you have a card like that? Not me!!

The rest is history

Reading a post on SIStv had me thinking about Darren and I and how we met. Thought I would share our story here.......

I always heard about Darren (my husband) when I was in college- he had been roommates with my friend's boyfriend. Kevin (friend's Boyfriend) and Darren graduated a few years before us. Kevin always talked about Darren coming into town and we would have to put our plans on hold until Darren showed up- 9 out of 10 times he didn't show up. Being young and vocal I would complain about having to put MY plans on hold for some guy......

Fast Foward to Kim and Kevin's wedding- again we were waiting for Darren to show up (he was in the wedding) Kim was stressed out (as most bride's get) because Darren hadn't pick up his tux yet. By now, I am not that young but still very vocal so I say "What the hell? Darren needs a wife or a mother- someone to keep track of him" Kevin pipes in with "He said he wouldn't mind having you for one of those" I freak out "what are you talking about? why have you and Darren talked about me? Who is this freak?"

Darren shows up in the nick of time and the rehersal goes fine. We are at the rehersal dinner and I feel like someone is watching me, I make a comment or two to the girls and enjoy the evening. We (the bridal party) decided to go out after the rehersal dinner for some prewedding fun. We all went to some local bar- since I have had some adult beverages, I am feeling a little brave- so I walk up to Darren outside the bar and say "What is this I hear, we are supposed to be married this weekend?" I then add "I do think we would make beautiful children- do you want to practice?" Totally not serious, I walk about and enjoy some time with the girls (after getting Darren to buy me a drink or two). I end up at the bar chatting with Darren and there was one of those moments when I knew he was going to kiss me, I just felt like I was waiting forever, so I said "if you were thinking about kissing me, now would be a really good time." and of course he did....

Lately Darren has been asking me if I consider myself an Alpha Female, as I sit and read what I just typed, I guess the answer is pretty simple- Hell Yeah!!

From Screwed to Stung

I am really starting to get excited.... D and I go see the The Police in a little more than 48 hours. I will admit, I am not the biggest Police fan, shoot up until a few months ago I wasn't even a little Police fan; however, the more I read about the concerts that have happened so far the more excited I get. Anna loved it!! We have amazing seats (3rd row, center stage) I am hoping to get some great pictures!

I have been on a mission to load my Ipod with Police songs so I can sing along when I get to the show. Off to download some more!

I got Screwed......

Yesterday was a great day, work was amazing! (despite an @$$hole contractor on the phone and other circumstances beyond my control) It was the most fun I had at work in a long time, I was laughing with customers, having a good time and driving some pretty amazing results. I guess it would be too much to ask for that I have two good days in a row!!

This morning I wake up, look at the alarm and realize I can still snooze, I didn't have to be up and in the shower until 7:15. So 7:15 rolls around, I am ready to get in the shower and D is in there- no big deal I guess I can wait- I had given myself enough time that I could still be early or on time for work. When I get out of bed, D is walking around the apartment so I say to him "Honey" he ways what and I say "Hi." Just wanted to say hello and good morning. I take my shower, get out and am chatting up a storm with D- he doesn't respond to something I say (typical really) so I start walking around looking for him (the place isn't that big) and I can't find he, I realize the jack@$$ left for work and didn't say good bye. Oh well, I can deal with that I guess... until the house phone rings. No one ever calls on the house phone, especially not at 7:35 in the morning. You guessed it, it was Darren, not calling to tell he to have a good day and he loves me but that I have a flat tire and I need to drive to Hess and get air in it. He thinks I will be able to make it on the tire the way it is but he isn't 100% sure!!

So I run around trying to finish getting ready so I can deal with this car bull shit. I go to Hess, driving about 15 mph because I am afraid I am going to F up my car. I get the air and proceed to work. Go out at lunch time to check on the car and the tire is flat again!! So I call dear husband- thank the good lord above that I got his voice mail, I might have gone crazy if he answered. The long and short is he came to my work after work and put on my donut- I have never driven on a donut and tell me I am not comfortable driving the car. We take the tire to Sears (there was a screw in it!) they pull the screw and patch the tire, charge me $20 and tell me everything is fine. D looks at the tire and sees a huge bubble in the side, he tells me I can't drive with it like that because it could blow out (who knew). So now I am really annoyed at Sears, why didn't they tell me that? I tell them I want my $20 back and I need a new tire. Of course Sears in Jersey City doesn't carry Pirelli tires (you know that $168 ones) so I have to get some Kumo tire which still cost $90!!! Never thought I would be $90 to get screwed before today!

As I sit here with the highlighting cap on my head I am trying to get excited about the weekend. We are going to Boston to see "the Police" in concert, we have 3rd row seats. Not a big Police fan, but would love to say I have been to Fenway and have never had floors seats at a concert before. Should be fun- looking forward to a weekend with the husband and no work!!

Ranting and Raving...

As a "Jersey Girl" there are few things I enjoy more than a good BonJovi song (except maybe a BonJovi concert... 3 months and 3 days and counting) That being said there are few things that annoy me more than people who talk shit about my Jersey Boys!! On Friday there were these @$$holes on the radio ranting and raving about my future husband.....

Apparently there is an energy drink called MyJovi and on the can it says "My Drink, My Jovi, My Life" (you can read about it here)understandable JBJ is a little annoyed and his lawyers are threatening action if the maker of the drink doensn't change the name/tag line. I think it is a little crazy that JBJ wants him to change the name, but I can see where the name and the tag line can lead people to believe it is endorsed by JBJ.... anyway the radio idiots start trashing the shit out of Bon Jovi, saying they haven't had a hit in decades (are you serious???) they can't sell out the Meadowlands (again, where do you get your facts?) They then started listing all Bon Jovi songs and trying to find people that should sue them.... the road crews who printed the slippery when wet signs, Marshalls in the 1800 who printed "wanted posters", the entire state of NJ for using its name as an album title and other crazy stuff.

I feel a little better after bitching about those radio jerks- maybe they felt better about the pathetic lives after talking shit about my favorite Jersey Boys!!!

Am I an underwear magnet?

Wednesday night I was at the gym for my weekly yoga class I had stuff in the locker room (which I never do, I usually change in the car on the way between work and the gym) so after class I run to the locker room to grab my stuff and what is on the floor at the top of the stairs? A black lace thong that someone must have dropped on their way out.

Tonight I come home, and at the top of the stairs right in front of my door is a pair of "granny panties" clearly they are not mine! I am assuming someone was doing laundry and dropped them on the way upstairs. For my own good I assume it was on the way up that means they were already washed and are clean. I don't want to look at these "granny panties" everytime I leave the house so I carefully pick them up and take them to the laundry room, leaving them on the folding table. Was I wrong? Should I have gone door to door until I found the owner? I think not- they are lucky I didn't pick the damn things up and throw them in the garbage!!

Movie Previews

I have been enjoying my two days off- this week I actually got 3 because I worked 4th of July (gotta love comp days!!) it is very rare that I take 2 days off in a row and actually enjoy them. Usually I am doing computer work or helping D do computer work- not this time- I had 2 days what were almost all about me. I saw 2 movies, enjoyed a yoga class and spent time with my sister doing some scrapbooking.

I saw "Knocked up" yesterday and "I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry" today. It has been awhile since I was at the movies, I forgot how crazy the previews had become. What happened to days of old when you saw a preview or two for up coming movies, enjoyed the show and went home? Now you see commercials for new products, TV shows and about 5 or 6 up coming movies. It blows my mind that we spend money to go in and watch commericals- shouldn't we be getting paid to sit through the ads?

Stampin' Up

What did I do wrong? A $50 gift certificate has cost me $300. My sister gave me a gift certificate for Mother's Day (I love being a God Mother- I had no idea presents were involved when I signed up) When looking at a catolog full of adorable things how do you limit yourself to $50.... you don't!! You end up signing up to be a demonstrator so you can get as much stuff as you want at a discount. I don't see myself having parties or hosting card swaps or anything but I do look forward to discovering an additional creative side and seeing what I can do with some rubber stamps. Now if only I could get myself on a schedule that allows for scrapping and stamping on a regular basis!!

Proud American?

Happy 4th of July.

To celebrate our nation's independence, D and I had dinner with his mother, sister and our brother-in-law. The weather was yucky so we were forced to watch our fireworks on TV :(

Macy's did a great job again this year, the broadcast of the fireworks had some great narration and music to go with the fireworks, at one point the announcer recited the Pledge of Allegience. I somewhat teasing said to my husband- can you recite the Pledge of Allegience? We put the TV on mute and he proudly said "I pledge allegience to the flag" and stopped. At first I told him he should be ashamed, what kind of a American is he? Trying to show him up I said "I pledge allegience to the flag of the United States of America" then I stopped.... none of the 5 adults in the room could recite the Pledge without thinking about it..... that scares the crap out of me. What is wrong with us?

I can remember the Girl Scout pledge from 5th Grade (hold up the 3 middle fingers) On my honor I will try to serve God, My Country and mankind and to live by the Girl Scout law. Yet I can't remember the Pledge of Allegience?

After brainstorming and partnering as a group we finally got it:
I pledge allegience to the flag of the United State of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

I promised myself I will recite it at least once a day so I can engrave it my brain again, afterall, I consider myself to be a proud American and proud Americans should be able to salute their flag at the drop of a hat..... afterall people are dying while trying to protect that flag!!

Nothing to say

Who would have thought as soon as I started a blog I would run out of things to say?

One thing is for sure if I was feeling the least bit maternal all of those feelings would have been squashed over the past few days. I stopped by my cousin's house on Friday, in addition to her 3 kids, there were 6 other kids running around (oldest was 6, youngest is less than a year). If that wasn't enough, I spent the majority of the day with my 19 month old nephew. I swear spending time with him and my cousin's kids is the best birth control in the world- no way in hell I am cut out to be a mother.

No BBQ's for me tomorrow, I am working- think of me at the mall while you are enjoying your watermelon, ice cold beers and hotdogs fresh off the grill.

Who Cares?

I assure you this is the last post about Paris Hilton you will see from me, I can't stand the girl!! I am not sure what makes her so damn special- her last name? All she ever did was be born and she has had shit handed to her since- I was born, why doesn't Larry King want to interview me- oh right, I follow the rules and don't drive drunk!!

What is this world coming to? Paris Hilton gets released from jail and Fox News runs a lengthy article. There are people attempting to set off bombs in London and that gets a quick blurb on the tv news... WTF? If you wish to read the article it is listed below, if you don't, I don't blame you!!


LOS ANGELES — Paris Hilton got out of jail Tuesday and immediately got back to being Paris Hilton, summoning a hair-salon van and, by her mere presence, creating a huge traffic jam that angered the neighbors.

It appeared that Hilton's plans to serve God in some way, perhaps by creating a halfway house for former ex-convicts like herself, would have to wait at least a day as she readjusted to the simple life of fame and celebrity.

"There's not going to be a press conference today. I just spoke to Mr. Hilton. They have no plans to make any statement," police Sgt. B. Anthony Roberts told reporters assembled outside the front gate of her grandparents' estate as the newly freed heiress kept a low profile inside.
Although Hilton kept out of sight, her presence was still palpable up and down the block, from the TV satellite vans that took up so much room on the narrow street that cars couldn't pass one another to the fast-food luncheon that was passed along to the assembled masses outside.

"Delivery for Paris from Taco Bell," one of two delivery people who arrived with bags of food said into the intercom outside the front gate.

"Thank you. Give it to the media and the police," a voice from inside the mansion replied.Her transition back to celebutante started hours earlier when she was let out of jail shortly after midnight in a seedy section of Lynwood. Hilton managed to transform the event to almost the equivalent of a red-carpet arrival.

With cameras flashing, she made her so-called perp walk from jail to a waiting SUV by smiling, waving and strutting past the assembled masses in tight jeans and white stiletto heels. She ignored shouted questions, but occasionally said hi or slapped hands with sheriff's deputies holding the photographers at bay until she reached the SUV and hugged her mother.
From there it was a quick drive to fashionable Holmby Hills, home to Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner among others, and a stop at her grandparents' house.

As she stayed inside throughout the day, more than a dozen cars pulled up to the gate and were quickly buzzed inside, their occupants declining to talk with reporters. One of those who entered was her spokesman, Elliott Mintz, who declined to comment.

Hilton was scheduled to break her silence Wednesday night with an interview on CNN's "Larry King Live." At one point Tuesday, a black Cadillac Escalade carrying balloons and a cake with the words "Welcome Home" in pink frosting arrived at her grandparents' home. At another, a van from DreamCatchers Hair Extensions, for which Hilton is the celebrity pitchwoman, passed through the gates. DreamCatchers receptionist Crystal Armijo confirmed the heiress was having extensions added to her hair.

A makeup artist arrived on foot with a little pushcart filled with cosmetics. A stylist also walked up to the gate carrying several designer bags filled with stuff.

So what about Hilton's words from jail, issued through various interviews and statements, about how God had given her a second chance and she was going to do something more meaningful with her life.

"Oh please!" said retired attorney Martha Karsh who was out for a morning walk with her 21-year-old daughter, Katie, when she came upon the media onslaught. Until then, she said, she never knew a Hilton lived in the neighborhood.

Karsh and other early morning walkers found the scrum of paparazzi photographers and journalists amusing. As the day progressed and traffic picked up, however, people trapped in the street in their cars with horns honking all around them failed to see the humor.
"I'm trying to get my daughter to her dance class," an angry Mindy Mann said as she called police on her cell phone.

One passing motorist took both hands off the steering wheel to make an obscene gesture to reporters. Roberts, the police sergeant, urged those gathered outside the mansion to park responsibly.

It was driving, not parking, irresponsibly that put Hilton in jail. She failed a field sobriety test after being stopped last September, then got caught twice driving with a suspended license while on probation for reckless driving.

She reported to jail June 3 after walking the red carpet at the MTV Movie Awards but was sent home under house arrest four days later after Sheriff Lee Baca said she developed psychological problems while in jail. Ordered back to the slammer by her sentencing judge, she remained locked up another 2 1/2 weeks.