Finding my way

Surprise kitty!

2010-02-27T14:24:00.002-05:00

In case you need a cute start to your work week!

Surprise kitty!

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Hysterical Commercial

2010-02-23T00:26:00.001-05:00

I usually don't find commercials all that amusing, but this one is truly fantastic. Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T08:36:00.000-05:00

Just remember, whether you are single or in a relationship, keep in mind everyone that you love and be grateful. Send over a Valentine to them while you're at it. :o) Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Dating and its Complexities

2010-02-11T06:34:00.001-05:00

I have a philosophy as far as dating goes.

I don't believe in the term "dating". I think it puts too much pressure on both parties to impress the other, get to know each other, etc. I believe it should just flow. When I meet a guy and we hang out, I take it just as that, we're hanging out, I don't look at it as anything romantic.

I have quite a few guy friends so once in awhile, a conversation about dating philosophies will come up in discussion. Three of my guy friends recently bought up interesting points or questions that caught my attention.

#1: A guy friend asked me if I ask a guy (friend or otherwise) to hang out do I have an interest in him. Apparently this specific guy friend, and other guys I know, feel that if a girl asks him to hang out she's showing she's interested. Personally I have no problem asking a guy to hang out if I feel like doing something that I know he may be interested in doing. It doesn't mean that I'm interested, but apparently many guys have a completely different thought process on that. Keep that in mind next time you ask a guy to hang out.

#2 Another guy friend asked me if I will hang out with a guy I have no romantic interest in. This is a different variation from the first question because he is referring to if a guy asks me to hang out will I go even if I'm not interested in him romantically. If I know the guy is interested in me and I know that nothing will ever happen, I probably won't go unless we've had the whole "we're just friends" talk. Otherwise, of course I'll go. I see no problem hanging out with a guy even if I'm not interested . One of my best friends is a guy and we say "I love you" to each other. It doesn't mean that we're interested in being romantically involved. Many women have guy friends they like just as that, friends, and nothing more.

#3 Another guy friend brought up the fact how a girl may kiss a guy just because she finds him attractive and not necessarily because she's interested in being with him. Apparently he's confused as far as how to handle those situations because he doesn't know whether or not she's actually into him. Basically I told him that he can't plan out everything and to take things day by day. Going with the flow is important, if you try to rush things or dissect every little thing it could ruin what's already there. Have I kissed guys that I thought were attractive but I had no interest in being in a relationship with? Absolutely. I've done it recently actually. Please refer to this previous post that I did- specifically to reasons 2-5 and 7-8. There's also the reason that, simply put, it just wouldn't work.

My girlfriend referred to me as the dumbest smart person she knows. Apparently her, and many other friends, agree that I'm fantastic at giving others romantic advice but as far as me, I have zero idea when a guy is interested in me unless he spills out his feelings on a silver platter. It's actually caused arguments where the guy said "How did you not KNOW!" My response..."You didn't tell me. I don't assume anything and you shouldn't either. "

Guys will think I'm interested when, in reality, I'm not. This has caused numerous problems. If the guy assumes without getting the facts first, as bad as I feel, that's his own fault and not mine. I'll text back and forth with a guy all day, send him a link that I think he may find amusing, tell him he looks attractive in a sweater or hang out with him on a Saturday night. This definitely does not mean that I want anything more than a friendship. I don't feel like I should have to watch every single move I make to ensure that the guy won't get the wrong idea. Everyone things differently so to have to do that would be exhausting. The way I look at it, if the guy wants to know, he'll find out somehow, whether it be from you or one of your friends.

Snow!

2010-02-10T20:42:00.005-05:00

Had quite a bit of snow today! I'm happy since I got cheated out of the one from last week. Here are some pictures from around my area. This was from earlier today; we have much more snow now.

Past Month Part 2

2010-02-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

As promised yesterday, this is part two of what's been going on the past month.

The guys that my girl friends and I are friends with deployed, so we write letters, send care packages and pray. My uncle also deployed this past month and my cousin-in-law came home. It's a lot of worry knowing so many people deployed at one time, but we're all praying for their safe return.

Another reason that I haven't written is that I've been so bogged down with work. Definitely not complaining because I'm grateful to get money coming in.

As far as my love life, well, let's just say it's never dull. I'm not one of those people that gets into a relationship for the pure reason of being in a relationship. I love my life, my work, my family and friends so I consider a boyfriend a bonus, not a necessity. I'm very careful who I get into a relationship with and I'm equally as careful with who I decide to "see" (pre-relationship status I guess you can say where you sort of act like a couple without the exclusivity or title of a relationship). I'll hang out with guy acquaintances and friends but as far as "seeing" anyone or being in a relationship with a guy, it's rare.

Basically I started seeing a friend who wanted a relationship with me but I decided that I only wanted to "see" this person. I had reservations about being in a full blown relationshpi but I had enough feelings for this person that I wanted to see where it went. Let's just say it didn't work out. Needless to say I was pretty upset, more for the lost friendship then for the romantic relationship that could have been. I wanted to keep that situation quiet until i was over it, which I am. He lives fairly local, so I have no doubt that I will run into him at some point, but I will be completely nice as anything toward the negative side is completely not worth my energy.

Anyway, I'm currently writing a post about dating which will be up in a few days. Check back!

P.S., If you want to keep up with my posts, feel free to subscribe to me! You'll get an email each time I make a post.

Past Month Part 1

2010-02-08T17:28:00.008-05:00

A lot has happened in the past month. Considering how much has happened I'm going to make this post into two parts (the other of which will be posted tomorrow).

I went on vacation for awhile to Camp Lejeune as I stated in my last post. I had the absolute best time when I was down there. There were always 5 or 6 of us staying there at all times (three of us girls and the rest were the Marines). We get along so well and it was really hard to leave. There was very little sleep and no healthy food (We pretty much lived off pizza and chinese food) and it was just fantastic. Most of the time with that many people staying together, when one wakes up and wakes others up someone is bound to get annoyed. This absolutely wasn't the case down there. Even after 3 hours of sleep, when someone accidentally woke someone up at 5 or 6am, we were all joking and laughing together.

Here are some pics.

From the plane over Raleigh:

Our backyard:
The beach was again across the street, but I only went once and neglected to take my camera.

Sunrise:

This is from our front porch. That little indentation in the middle is actually the entrance to the beach. Why was I up at this time? One of the guys rolled over and smashed me in the head with his elbow. I see this out the window and decide to take a picture. Go figure.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is ice cream cake
In case you're wondering how it got this way, one of my girl friends decided to have one too many drinks and thought it belonged in the fridge. Three of us were up at 6am staring into the fridge trying to figure out what this was. I'm not ashamed to admit we ate some of it anyway and it was damn good.

I absolutely love it down there. I can't even explain how different it is from where I live. I've been down there twice and each time I go down I fall more in love with it. The area is gorgeous and the people are incredibly nice. I love where I live, but down there, it's just a whole different game.

Just Beachy

2010-01-09T12:05:00.000-05:00

This would be my view not far from where we're staying. Not bad if I do say so myself. A nice break from looking at giant buildings.

Running away on a plane

2010-01-06T11:46:00.002-05:00

In one week I'll be picking up and heading down to North Carolina to stay with the Marines I stayed with last time. This time, my best friend and I are staying from Wednesday to Sunday and they're deploying shortly after we get back. It's going to be bittersweet; hopefully we're going to have a fantastic time but I'm going to be looking at them and know that they're going to be heading off.

It's also going to be a good break from a certain situation here. I need to clear my head for a few days and a bunch of rowdy, rambunctious marines is just the thing to do it (I hope).

I got an invitation to move later on this year. As of now, I'm down to go considering I currently have nothing keeping me here. It might be a nice change of pace considering I've lived in Jersey my whole life. We shall see what happens in that. I love the city too much (NYC that is) so actually being away from it, obviously my family and friends as well, would be quite difficult.

Not sure if I'll have time to write before I leave, but I will definitely update when I get back.

My little one dressed for Christmas

2009-12-28T20:24:00.002-05:00

Christmas

2009-12-25T19:40:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

I sort of didn't really celebrate Christmas this year, I mean I did but I didn't. Honestly, I sort of forgot about it.

I've been so wrapped up with work that I didn't get my tree until the 22nd. I started Christmas shopping on the 20th and the lights and decorations didn't go up on the tree until Christmas Eve around noon. Presents were wrapped that afternoon and family came over that night. Someone mentioned a week and a half ago how close Christmas was and I was legitimately surprised. As we speak, I'm actually working much to the annoyance of my family.

I hope Santa was good to everyone out there :O)

Can't Argue With Male Logic

2009-12-22T12:09:00.007-05:00

I was talking to one of my guy friends, who asked me what I want for Christmas. I have to tell you, I really can't argue with his way of thinking.

Friend: What do you want for Christmas?

Me: Not sure. I basically have everything I want or someone is getting it for me already.

Friend: Well that doesn't help.

Me: Idk surprise me. It's a little late anyway considering I won't see you for a few weeks.

Friend: Delivery...

Me: Oh...if I really have to pick something, I guess the standard "delivery" gifts.

Friend: Oooo I know, I can wrap myself up in wrapping paper and you can unwrap me. Total surprise.

Me: That's not standard. I'm assuming you're going to take this in the non-perverted direction?

Friend: Err, well uh think about it. I cook, I clean and what woman wouldn't want a guy to show up at her door and be like, "Okay what do you want me to do? Where can I start? I cook spaghetti".

NAMES ON THE BODY

2009-12-10T10:04:00.007-05:00

I'm in the store the other day and almost run into this guy's back as he cuts me off from in between an aisle. I shook my head in disbelief, not from him accidentally cutting me off but because of his sweatshirt. On the back of the big blue sweatshirt, in giant white letters with a bright red heart says "Michael <3's Vanessa". Wow really? If a guy I date ever wants to wear a sweatshirt like that, I'm pretty sure I would tell him to take it off (and not in a good way either). I'm not even sure why a guy would WEAR one like that in the first place unless he's completely whipped. I could be wrong.

Then again, I'm not fond of tattoos of a significant other's name on it either. Someone told me recently how some girl wanted him to tattoo her name on his body. I'm sorry, but there's no other way you can show your love for someone besides permanently putting their initials or full name on your body? I know another guy who got his girl's initials on his shoulder - guess who is no longer together? Breakups happen! Even if you get the initials or name and you get something to cover over it, it's still a permanent reminder of what you had. Breakups are hard enough to get past, to throw a permanent reminder on your body into the mix just complicates things that much more.

Back again

2009-12-03T13:02:00.003-05:00

So I decided to take some time off from the blog, which is why I haven't been around in awhile. I've been getting things back in order, sorting some things out and planning some trips.

Yes! I actually took a trip. I went down to North Carolina with one of my best friends to see her boyfriend and some of his friends. Met some really great guys there and had an interesting but fun time. Spending the weekend with a bunch of Marines is what I'm assuming it would be like to stay in a frat house.

On the way down I took Continental from Newark Airport and let me tell you, I had ZERO problems. No I'm not affiliated with Continental in any way but I seriously love them. We left a bit late due to weather, but we got there early- on the way back we got in on time. The people were super nice too, which is always a good thing when you're traveling and slightly frazzled as it is. We're planning another trip soon so if we go, I'm hoping to have just as pleasant an experience.

For Halloween (yes it's been THAT long), I went to the "Pimps, Hos and dirty Politicians ball" at Aspen Social in NYC and had a fantastic time. Well for the exception that we got stuck in a torrential downpour while we were walking there and had a problem getting home due to the every 30 minute bus and the ridiculous amount of people. I'm just grateful it wasn't anything like the fiasco that people had on Tavern on the Green on Halloween.

Anyway, I plan on posting much more often.

Negativity vs. Positivity

2009-10-11T20:04:00.003-04:00

I'm about to go on a rant so please excuse me in advance.

Why the hell do people only open their mouth to comment about other people when they have something negative to say? "This isn't done right", "Your work is horrible", "Your skirt is ugly" are just some of the examples I'm talking about.

It's very odd to come across someone who is going to go out of their way to make a positive comment. I see comments on articles written on various websites where some jerk commenter decided to post "Wow this article reads like a high school student wrote it." That comment isn't constructive; it's pathetic and it's ridiculous. Negative comments mean that someone went out of their way to essentially crap on someone else's work for no reason.

A few blogs that I read are written by well-known people. There are other individual blogs set up by people whose main objective is to do nothing but complain about what the well-known person writes/wears/says. The point of this would be?

Basically what I'm saying, is that instead of negatively commenting online or in person about something someone else does, keep your mouth closed. If you want to say something CONSTRUCTIVE then by all means, contact this person in private in order to do so. The whole "sticks and stones" mentality is ridiculous; words hurt feelings. This is why this world is as horrible as it is sometimes because people go out of their way to be mean or nasty.

In the spirit of this post, make an effort each day to go out of your way to say something positive to someone. For example, tell a stranger you like their skirt or e-mail a musician who posted his piano skills on YouTube and let them know how much you like their work. If you are a boss, take time out to tell employees how much you appreciate their work. You would be surprised how a simple comment can brighten someone’s day.

Feeling Trapped

2009-09-28T21:29:00.003-04:00

I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past week and I realized how completely trapped I feel. I feel restless and I absolutely hate it. So what's the problem? Part of it is that I have so much that I want to do that I don't know where to start. I also hate going places by myself, which I need to get over. I think I just need to hop on a bus or a train, bring my iPod, a journal and a backpack and head out.

And Fall Begins

2009-09-25T13:10:00.004-04:00

I really need to update my blog more often. My schedule gets insanely crazy starting in September, hence the reason why I haven't been around much lately.

I'm so excited for fall, it's my absolutely favorite season. These are some pictures that I took last year:

I'm off to volunteer at an animal shelter. I'm going to try to come home without adopting an armload of animals. Wish me luck!

Kanye West, Beyonce and Taylor Swift at VMA's

2009-09-14T00:24:00.007-04:00

I missed the "performance" but caught it here on YouTube. This man is absolutely an embarrassment.

Just a recap for those of you that missed it, as Taylor Swift takes the stage to accept her award, Kanye West gets up ON STAGE in the middle of her speech, takes the microphone and proclaims to the viewers how Beyonce had one of the best video's of all time. Camera shot to Beyonce's face showed a pure "WTF is he doing" and when he finally left the stage, poor Taylor Swift had no idea what to do.

I hope he's really proud of himself that he ruined her moment. He's always been an ass, but this really takes the cake.

After Beyonce won Video of the Year later on in the show, she was classy enough to invite Taylor Swift up on stage so she could have her moment and finish the speech she started. If you missed that part of the show as well, you can view it here on YouTube.

Social Networking and Employers

2009-09-10T19:40:00.005-04:00

Everyone knows that some employers do research online on potential employees before interviewing or hiring them. People search potential dates online, so employers should be able to do some research as well right?

I can understand employers wanting to check a potential employee’s grammar or to make sure that they aren’t doing drugs, but seriously, people aren’t perfect little robots and they shouldn’t have to pretend they are on a day-to-day basis just so they can get a job. The obvious things you don't want to do is post nude pictures of yourself, talking about doing drugs, talking about looking for a new job while you already have one or complaining about your current job or a company, but if you're going to do this, you probably don't care about getting caught anyway. If you're doing anything along those lines then you're basically asking for trouble.

While I have no problem with employers doing a search, I do have a problem with people feeling like they have to censor themselves almost entirely. A picture with a drink in your hand? Tsktsk. Complaining about a horrible day you had? How dare you! People drink, curse and occasionally vent about various things; that doesn't mean that they're going to be horrible employees.

Someone could post on his or her Facebook status message three days out of the week "Hey does anyone want to go to the bar?"; that doesn't mean that the person gets smashed or is an alcoholic. For example, I go to some bars to listen to music and I don't drink when I go. Sometimes I'll have one drink and just have good conversation with a friend. If I post that status, it might mean that I'm going to be perceived as something that I'm not and I'm out a potentially great job because an employer decided to assume that since I would go to a bar three days out of the week that I'm a lush.

Personally, if a friend if mine leaves a comment on my page that I believe isn't appropriate (by my standards, not someone else's), then I delete it. However, if someone leaves the comment and I'm not home to delete it, I shouldn't be considered a bad potential employee because of something someone else chose to write. I have limited access via my phone when using social networking sites, i.e., I can accept a friend request on Facebook and reply to a comment via text but I can't delete anything or view people's pages; I’m sure I’m not the only person.

A little advice for potential employers- focus on the serious things but take a lot of what you read with a grain of salt. Yes, bad grammar, a constant negative attitude, nude pictures, someone badmouthing an employer or the person using drugs are signs you want to keep an eye out for, but everything else you should leave up for debate. Use the interview process to gauge how the potential employee is. You could miss out on the best employee in your company’s history because you passed up on someone you were too quick to judge. There is no guarantee how an employee will be; all you can do is have some hope.

Ted Kennedy and DJ AM

2009-08-29T13:11:00.002-04:00

You wouldn't normally find these two names associated with each other, but for the sake of their passings this past week, they will be.

Ted Kennedy was a Senator from Massachusetts was passionate and generous, which is hard to come by in regards to politicians. On September 12, 2001, he called every family in Massachusetts that lost a love one and offered his support and a kind word. He worked to pass the No Child Left Behind Act, was a fighter for health care reform and fought to expand Medicaid coverage. He died of brain cancer on August 25, and I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to go through. My Nana died of a brain tumor and the image of how she was before her passing will always be burned in my memory.

DJ AM died yesterday of a drug overdose in his apartment. The famous DJ had more near death experiences then one could possibly imagine. He fought with a drag habit, stated that he tried to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head (gun jammed) and then last year was in a plane crash with Travis Barker in which four people were killed. I can only hope after all the demons he battled that he is now at peace.

Rudeness

2009-08-17T15:33:00.002-04:00

I am an avid photographer. I basically take photographs everywhere I go and if there's one thing I've learned about other people from doing this, it's how rude they are. It's sad that I have to find this out through a hobby that I love. You're probably saying "Well she should know this already." Yes, I should, but I have this part of me that hopes that when faced with being intentionally rude or not, people are going to choose the latter. Naive yes, but that's just the way I am. It's also something about people that I simply cannot stand. I feel like too many people just let rudeness go by simply because they don't want to let the little things bother them, but it's not little and I believe that the more people that just let rudeness go, the more it gives permission to those that do it to go out and keep doing it even more.

But I digress.

I was taking pictures and video yesterday at a show that some guys I know were doing and I couldn't believe how many people walked in front of my camera. I was easily noticeable because I was standing quite far from the crowd in back of me. I'm sure some didn't even notice, but others actually LOOKED at me and then did it when they could have easily taken three steps to the right and went around me. A good majority saw me and ducked or went around, but I really couldn't believe how many purposely chose to be rude simply because they were either lazy or felt that they had the right to do what they felt like doing and everyone else be damned.

Despite my experiences, I'm still going to hope that the majority of people are not inherently rude. It would just be nice if people had more consideration for others instead of worrying about themselves.

Drunken Confessions

2009-08-07T16:50:00.002-04:00

I truly love how when guys get drunk, they spill their thoughts. I've talked to more than a few guy friends that, after a few drinks, decided to tell me what they think about me and how they feel about life. If they're not drunk, they choose to do it after I've had one or two martinis thinking that I'll be less likely to be serious about the conversation. One guy friend said to me a few days later that he was embarrassed because he couldn't believe he was so open and honest.

While I was out in the city last week, I overheard a girl who clearly had a little too much to drink. She started exclaiming to her friend how she told a guy who was interested in her that she didn't have enough feelings with him to stay with him. Apparently the guy is rich and now she's kicking herself because she could have been set for life.

It really is unbelievable the effect that alcohol can have on inhibitions.

She Wolf

2009-08-06T23:11:00.001-04:00

If you're eating anything fattening, put it down because you'll feel like crap about yourself.

"She Wolf" by Shakira

Since I can't post the video because the embedding was disabled, check out the link above.

Crazy Sleep Schedule

2009-07-28T19:11:00.002-04:00

My sleep schedule is the worst it has ever been. Just to give you a taste of what it's been like, Saturday night I didn't sleep and instead fell asleep at 7:15am Sunday morning after taking two sleeping pills and woke up at 1:30p. I went to bed 1am Monday morning and woke up at 12:30p after forcing myself out of bed because I was so exhausted. I fell asleep at 3:30 this morning and woke up at noon. And no, I don't sleep through the night; I wake up a couple of times and fall back asleep after a few minutes, but the damage is already done. The whole strange sleep schedule is seriously kicking my ass. I've tried lavender oil, turning my computer off early, turning the TV off, reading, sleeping pills (which work occasionally, sometimes they don't even work) and various other things. I can't go to bed early and when I wake up, I feel like a bulldozer ran over my body.

Hopefully it'll work itself out soon because this has been going on for weeks.

Life and Birthdays

2009-07-23T23:49:00.006-04:00

I realized it's a week since I wrote last. Oops. Between planning for my grandmother's birthday (which was earlier in the week) and my birthday (which is next week) and work, I'm all over the place.

My good friend insisted that I make this birthday a week long celebration, so that is what I will be doing starting tomorrow. I will officially be closer to 30 than 20 and frankly, it's a little nerve-wracking, however, I have a lot of life to live and I'm looking forward to it. I never liked celebrating my birthday. I haven't even made plans for myself in years, this year is a different story.

I went to the sculpture garden at MoMA earlier in the week for a classical music performance and decided to walk around the city with a friend and take some pictures.

Here are some of my favorite pictures that I took:

This one I thought the natural setting looked fairytale'esque
so I did some photo editing and got this result:

I'm Bringing Sexy Back Tag

2009-07-15T21:05:00.003-04:00

I got this from Ne's blog. I like it, so here we go.

1. Your secret moan Zone??
Neck. Absolutely my neck. If the guy works it right that is.

2. Dressed or undressed-when you feel the sexiest??
Dressed. I feel good wearing clothes that gives a peek and show a little without showing too much.

3.Most passionate book u've ever read.
Hmm...I can't think of one.

4.A color that makes you feel wild.
Black, it shows everything off the right way and it hides the flaws.

5.What makes a man irresistible :P
When he treats me with respect. Also, when he can make me laugh, goes out of his way to make me happy and loves life. As far as physically, I love a guy with a nice face, good arms and beautiful eyes.

6.The perfect romantic setting would be?

I think anywhere can be romantic. It just depends who you're with and what's going on.

7. Music that puts you in the mood of passion.
There's so much, it's hard to narrow it down

8. Love to you is..
When I can't wait to see the person and he makes my heart pound. I know I can trust him with anything and I get support, respect, honesty and just a beautiful energy in return.

9. Your secret obsession.
Can't keep your hands off me makeout session.

10. The craziest thing you've ever done to attract a guy/gal(for guys) attention.
I don't do anything crazy to get a guy's attention. Who I am should be enough and if it doesn't work that way then that's fine.

I Don't Care How Old I Am

2009-07-12T16:32:00.004-04:00

I'll still love the fair.

My friend and I decided to eat this:

That would be a fried twinkie. I took two bites
and felt my arteries screaming. Needless to say,
the twinkie got dumped unfinished.

Thursday Thirteen- 13 Simple Things in Life That Make Me Happy

2009-07-09T13:12:00.007-04:00

1. Sitting on a train, listening to music and watching the scenery pass

2. When walking past someone's house, the unexpected smell of a delicious meal being

prepared.

3. Doritos / Pad Thai / Chicken Parm w/ Gnocci

4. Technology (i.e. my laptop, cell phone, etc). Un/fortunately I can't live without it.

5. Shopping

6. Getting into a really great book / movie

7. Getting my hair shampooed / cut / blown out

8. Taking pictures

9. Knowing that my bills are paid way before the due date

10. Sitting on my porch and having a good conversation with a friend

11. My dog every time she proves how affectionate / intelligent she is

12. Getting my work / tasks done way before they need to be

13. Dancing followed by a late night snack

I didn't include family / friends because they are a given in my life. Even if one person drives me crazy, there's at least one other person to put a smile on my face.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

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Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T20:09:00.002-04:00

Hope everyone has a great day!
Let's remember to thank all of the soldiers who are overseas.
Here's a heartwarming clip you will definitely tear up over.

More Music For You

2009-07-04T20:04:00.000-04:00

Nuttin But Stringz- Thunder

Southern Boy in Jersey

2009-07-03T19:07:00.005-04:00

I met a guy a few days ago who is from North Carolina. He came courtesy with an accent, good looks, a little attitude, and the white shirt with jeans (really is there anything hotter than a guy in jeans a white shirt?). The guy had the southern charm thing going, but unfortunately he knew it. I couldn't decide if I wanted to go into a dark corner with him somewhere or throw a drink in his face. I contemplated doing both and both would have been equally as dirty.

He sent me a text within twenty minutes of me leaving and I hung out with him the following night. He proceeded to tell me how people in Jersey have attitudes and can't drive for shit. I gave him a weird look and said "Um okay?" like this was supposed to shock me. I explained that if he's up here, he's going to have to get used to it. He said that the women up here , compared to those from where he's from, seem to know what they want, love themselves and have partly male minds in regards to dating and relationships. I've never had a conversation with a southern woman for more than five minutes, so I can't judge.

Oh southern boy, you can only imagine how women from here are...

OK ! Magazine Michael Jackson Cover Photo

2009-07-02T20:25:00.004-04:00

This is probably one of the most shameless, disgusting displays by a magazine that I've seen in a long time. On the cover is one of the supposed "last photos" of Michael Jackson as he was being brought to the hospital. The man was dying and not only did someone have the nerve to take a picture of him as he was dying and sold it, but OK! Magazine actually bought it and put it on their cover. I shouldn't be surprised though, it was bound to happen. It seriously makes me sick that people are okay with that transaction. That's exactly what they turned this man's final moments into- a transaction. Yes, everyone has to live and survive, but that doesn't mean they have to do so at the expense of someone's death.

I'm not even going to post a link to the OK! Magazine cover.

What the hell is going on this week???

2009-06-28T13:12:00.004-04:00

Everyone is passing away! First Ed McMahon, then Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and now Billy Mays. In case you don't know who he is, he was the infomercial spokesman for various products like OxyClean. Apparently his wife found him dead in their home; So young too, only 50 years old. This has been one crazy week ! RIP to them all and my thoughts and prayers go out to their families.

Political Scandal - Mark Sanford

2009-06-27T13:29:00.003-04:00

If you haven't heard, the Governor of Mark Sanford finally came clean about his affair with a woman in Argentina. Mr. Sanford, who has a wife and four children, claimed he was going hiking when he reality, he was visiting his mistress.

Apparently his wife knew for months. She warned him not to see the other woman, but apparently, that didn't work out so well. If you saw the news footage where he admitted his wrongdoings to the nation, you'll notice that his wife wasn't there. After getting used to seeing political wives standing behind their cheating spouses (figuratively and literally), it was a nice change of pace to NOT see her there. Why should she have to stand there, after already being embarrassed to the nation, next to the man that put her in that position in the first place? Good for her for standing her ground and making him face the slew of cameras on his own. He got himself into this mess and he's going to have to be the one to get himself out.

Jenny Sanford has apparently stated that she wants to work on the marriage. She better be careful if he fell in love with his mistress. It's bad enough that he slept with someone else, but to fall in love with her is a whole other story. That just takes things to a whole other level.

Music

2009-06-22T01:32:00.004-04:00

Since I've become obsessed with music lately more than ever before (which I never thought even possible), I'm going to be posting some videos more often on this blog. My taste is very eclectic, so expect various types of genres.

"Belief" by Gavin Degraw

Long time no blog

2009-06-20T01:13:00.006-04:00

I know I haven't written for, well, a very long time. I decided to take a break from this blog for awhile.

I came back from the hospital not too long ago after visiting a friend and decided to stay in for once. It was a crappy day, but I definitely love one of my guy friends even more after tonight for the effort he put in to cheering me up.

I've been out basically non-stop for weeks upon weeks. I actually had plans tonight but we postponed them due to the possibility of rain. Figured it was good a time as any to update this blog. I have no plans for tomorrow on purpose, but who knows, I've said that I would stay in a couple of weekends already and it never worked out that way.

So my ex decided to inform me today that I avoid giving answers that could lead into potentially revealing discussions. My "if you say so" retort resulted in him saying "See I told you!" Hmm, maybe I do. Maybe I just don't feel like dealing with the conversation at that moment. Or maybe I'm just leaving the conversation alone to see what would happen instead of possibly instigating a "moment".

I'm looking into going back to school. When I was previously going it was for Communications and Sociology; now I believe I will be going for Psychology. There's so many careers you can use psychology for, so hopefully it will work out well.

I started talking to two friends again that I haven't spoken to in a very long time. It's nice, I really missed them. I've also started talking to a few other guy friends more frequently. It's been an interesting couple of months.

I'm actually going to bed and I'm going to attempt to catch up on some much needed rest.

XOXO

Music and Gunshots

2009-05-23T12:37:00.006-04:00

I went out last night to hear a band and went for a walk with someone afterwards. There were quite a few kids dressed up for prom in the area and it was a beautiful night. We ended up wandering into the area where they were hanging out and talked to a couple of them.

After awhile, we decide to head back to the place. We got half a block to a block from where we were hanging out and all of a sudden we hear bang! bang! bang! bang! bang! bang! bang! Yup, gunshots.

We turn around and see kids dressed in their finest running like hell in our direction. Needless to say, we got out of there quickly. We got back to our original destination and the cops and ambulances were out in full force headed toward where we were. Considering we didn't see the gunshots, I'm not sure where they were or who was involved, but I'm hoping it didn't involve any of the kids we talked to or even saw that night. To even think that we JUST saw kids who could be laying on the ground bleeding is not something I'm happy thinking about at all. Not to mention I feel bad as it is that those kids, when they think back on their prom night, are going to remember running from gunshots.

I checked around the internet this morning and didn't find out anything yet, but when I do I'll post back.

President Obama at Notre Dame Commencement

2009-05-17T18:28:00.005-04:00

President Obama approves abortion rights and stem cell research, which caused controversy when he gave the commencement speech at Notre Dame. Protesters not only made their way inside, but made their voices heard outside. They should be completely ashamed at themselves.

The commencement is about the graduates, not about what the President does or does not believe in. Since when is it okay to ruin someone's moment because you don't agree with something that he or she had nothing to do with? That's just as bad as standing up at a wedding when the priest says "Does anyone object?" and saying "Yes, I would just like to say that the bride's sister is a total bitch." The bride has nothing to do with your opinion, but you ruined her day because of your big mouth and opinions you couldn't keep quiet for the occasion.

Their commencement ceremony was supposed to be a momentous occasion that was filled with happy memories. It was undoubtedly a happy occasion, but now there are going to be memories of protesters and people screaming at the President. I'm all about free speech, but there's a time and place for it.

Flip Flops Make Me Happy

2009-05-11T18:04:00.002-04:00

Ulterior Motives to Kindness

2009-05-08T13:02:00.002-04:00

So I'm the type of person that likes doing nice things for people for zero reason. I had a conversation with a few people who said that unfortunately, the majority of people think that if someone does something nice for them, that there's an ulterior motive behind it. This really needs to stop quickly. If some strange man tries to give you a ride home from a dark alley, well that's just creepy and you should run away quickly. But if someone does a nice gesture for you, it doesn't mean that there are hidden motives there. It could just mean *gasp!* that the person is just trying to be nice.

It's just frustrating (and sad) that a nice gesture or even simple kindness can stir up skeptical feelings in the recipient.

Planes Over New York

2009-04-27T19:10:00.002-04:00

The FAA allowed a photo op of one of two planes used by the President...to be done at low altitudes over New York City. Needless to say, it was a completely brainless move. The President and Mayor Bloomberg are angry along with many other people. People panicked and evacuated buildings thinking it was another terrorist attack. I'm really curious about the people who thought this was a smart idea...all for a PICTURE.

A Beautiful Quote

2009-04-23T13:04:00.003-04:00

I stumbled upon this (literally...with stumbleupon.com) with an accidental click and came upon this beautiful quote. Enjoy!

"If she loves you now, what else matters? She’s not perfect - you aren’t either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break - her heart. So don’t hurt her, don’t change her, don’t analyze and don’t expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she’s not there.

— Bob Marley

Easter Pics

2009-04-22T12:59:00.001-04:00

Yes, I took two Easter pics of my dog.
Call it silly if you will, but I'm a big fan of pictures
and apparently, so is she.

Update

2009-04-22T11:57:00.006-04:00

Sorry I haven't been around. I was really sick for awhile. People were worried considering I was so sick I avoid my computer for days when usually I'm attached to it constantly. Not sure what I had, but the remnants are getting ready to leave.

Someone had asked me about two books that I read that can get you through troubled times. The first one is Eat, Pray, Love and the second one is The Daily OM. You should definitely feel better after reading them.

As far as personal issues, well I'm not going to get into them. Let's just say someone disappointed me more than I ever thought possible.

So, while I was sick and stuck in bed, someone recommended that I should watch the show The Deadliest Catch. I was thinking how stupid this show sounded but after the first episode, I was oddly hooked. Not a clue why either. Apparently a lot of people are addicted on this show. If you watch it, let me know what you think.

Last but not least, Happy Earth Day everyone!
Make every day Earth Day and the world will be a much better place!

Doing Crafts

2009-04-09T11:56:00.003-04:00

I told one of my gf's that I make bracelets and she asked me to make her one. I suddenly got an urge to do it, so here's one I made. I wish it came out better, but it's not bad considering I haven't made one in awhile.

Confessions

2009-04-05T12:15:00.005-04:00

I know it's been awhile, but it's been a crappy week.

I've had severe pain where my cyst is since Thursday. The last time I had pain this bad for a few days, the cyst seemed to shrink, so hopefully that's what's going on this time. It's very uncomfortable and I don't even want to be touched. I haven't even wanted to talk in the morning because that's when the pain has been at its worst. I was around my friend's two dogs on Thursday and was praying that one of them wouldn't jump where the cyst is. It's making me a bit cranky. I'm aggravated about the pain and aggravated that I have this in the first place. Obviously it could be worse though and I'm grateful it's not. No one knows about the pain and I don't plan on telling them. I guess because I just want to avoid it and pretend it's not even there.

My family and I have been on the outs again, something else that I haven't told anyone else about. I try not to let this affect my mood, but it has. I feel stressed with some other things and worrying about other people and this is sort of the cherry on top. I feel like I clash with one family member in particular and that, in turn, is affecting things with another family member.

There are people (family included) that do/say things to me and if God forbid I should ever slip up and make a mistake to one of them, I'm automatically a bitch or what have you. It seems that more often then not people expect you to forgive them for their mistakes, but aren't willing to do the same for you. They focus on the bad moment(s) instead of the good. People seem to forget that being human doesn't mean being perfect, it means trying your best, occasionally making mistakes and just trying to improve. It also means working together to make things better (this some of my family doesn't seem to get).

Don't get me wrong, I love (most of) my life. I'm a little more stressed then I should be because I don't really vent to anyone else, but it's a work in progress. I honestly just feel completely stupid telling other people my problems. I feel like if they have their own to deal with, so what gives me the right to dump mine on them as well. Plus, sometimes I just don't even think they would care even if I were to say anything. Meditation is helping with my stress, I just need to do it on a more daily basis as opposed to sporadic like what I've been doing.

On a more positive note, now that my taxes are done (thank God), I can continue saving to go back to Disney World. I absolutely love it there and I'm looking forward to going back. I haven't been spending anything at all considering how unpredictable this year's taxes were. It turned out better then I expected though. I'm thinking I want to go to Disney in June. I know it's going to be in the 90's, but it'll be worth it. I'll deal with it for Mickey Mouse.

Sorry for the not so chipper blog post, but I figured I would just let it all out.

Earth Hour 2009

2009-03-27T11:39:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow, Saturday March 28th at 8:30pm is Earth Hour 2009. To participate, you shut off all your lights for one hour.

For more information, visit www.earthhour.org .

This can be your chance to participate in doing something for our Earth.

What will /did you do for Earth Hour?

Travel Bug

2009-03-24T12:40:00.003-04:00

I've always loved to see new places, but now I think I'm getting a serious itch to travel. Anywhere basically, even if it's to explore a town half an hour away from me that I've never been to before. I've also discovered that I love writing about establishments that I'm fond of. I've come across places that are okay or just plain bad, but really don't like writing about those. I guess it's because I want to write about the positive because I feel good while I'm doing it. I like knowing that I may lead someone to a pleasant experience, whether it be a fabulous bookstore or a delicious chocolate cupcake. I've written one or two not so great reviews, and not only did I not feel good writing it, but I didn't feel good after. All I thought was "So you said a place is awful and that people shouldn't go there. You gave them nothing positive." I think I'll let other people write the bad reviews and I'll stick to writing the positive ones.

In the meantime, my itch to travel is still present and I'm deciding if taking a day trip or two by myself is a good idea.

Natasha Richardson

2009-03-19T10:45:00.001-04:00

What a beautiful and talented woman with a life cut so short.
My prayers go out to her family.

RIP

Interesting Photographs

2009-03-19T10:36:00.003-04:00

I came across the John Cleary Gallery website. Last year they had a photography exhibit called "Elliot Erwitt: Personal Best". The pictures are absolutely, unbelievable. I know fellow blogger Elizabeth will love the quality of his work. I can't even explain how magnificent these photographs are, so take a look for yourself.

Girl Scout Cookies are like cookie crack

2009-03-18T23:47:00.000-04:00

My aunt bought eight boxes of Girl Scout cookies and gave me two boxes- one box of chocolate covered peanut butter and one shortbread. After aforementioned cyst, I was taken off caffeine which meant I couldn't eat the peanut butter cookies. They sat, staring at me from my kitchen table, for about a week now. I snuck two cookies already... I know I know but they're Girl Scout Cookies. Yesterday I got the got the go ahead to have minimal amounts of caffeine and let me tell you how excited I was to have permission to eat a cookie. So far, I've eaten 4 of the peanut butter cookies and the shortbread box remains closed.

I swear, I never see so many people excited as when Girl Scout Cookie season comes around.

Winter Shore Pic

2009-03-17T23:12:00.003-04:00

Mussels and barnacles on a rock.
I was upside down over a rock to take this picture.
Cape May- February 2009

Laura Ingraham Dig at Meghan McCain

2009-03-16T12:11:00.003-04:00

Laura Ingraham recently got snotty about Meghan McCain making comments about how Meghan is plus sized and that she speaks like a valley girl.

First of all, I've heard Meghan McCain speak many times and she doesn't speak like a "valley girl". Second, why is it Ingraham's business what McCain looks like? Ingraham is a POLITICAL commentator and it was not even necessary for her to make the comments. She obviously ran out of things to say and couldn't think of anything else but insults. Meghan states how she's been made fun of about her weight since she was a child, so go ahead Ingraham, dig it in deeper.

Ingraham sounded like a child. Hardly anyone knew who she is and now her name is all over the media. I hope she's happy for the attention, because it's obvious that that's what she was after. Who knows, maybe she's trying to be the next Ann Coulter.

Health Issues- Check!

2009-03-10T13:01:00.003-04:00

So, I mentioned in the aforementioned post that I was having some health issues. Basically, I found a lump in my breast and went to get it checked out. After visit to doctor #1, doctor #2 and an ultrasound, they've discovered it's a cyst (phew!). I've been off caffeine for about two and a half weeks since before they knew what it was because apparently, caffeine can increase the chances that it'll grow. It hurts like hell sometimes, thank goodness, not all the time, but I'll take this over the alternative. I can't sleep on my stomach and whenever I start to get stressed, the cyst starts to hurt. Now I just have to wait and see what the next course of action is going to be.

I found out the results Friday, then on Sunday I sprained my ankle. I was actually laughing the entire way home because of how ironic it seemed.

Thank goodness for my "must be Zen" attitude I've been working on developing for the past two months. Out of about 2 weeks before I got my answer, I had about two half days of panic and that was it.

Mix and Match of Various Topics

2009-03-03T12:18:00.008-05:00

So since I haven't been around for a week, I thought I would make a mix and match post on various things that have happened lately.

Rumor has it that Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together. People are in an uproar and have no idea about whether or not this is true. No one even knows what happened that night to get her face looking like that and for all anyone knows, it could have been some other girl. Until people learn the whole story, it's kind of difficult for anyone to be able to form an opinion.

I watch the Bachelor...why I'm not exactly sure, but I do. Well last night the finale/After the rose ceremony was freakin nuts. DeAnna shows up and tries to get back with Jason. He shoos her away, then proposes to Melissa, then dumps her on NATIONAL TELEVISION saying that he's still in love with Molly. Then, him and Molly kiss and look like they're going to be together. What-the-hell.

A Manhattan fertility clinic is apparently going to offer custom babies. Want your baby to have brown eyes? It's yours! I happen to think that the child your born with is designed by God, and therefore, the child is supposed to look that way when he or she is born. This idea is just crazy to me.

I know I'm late, but about the fashion on the Oscars. I loved Tina Fey's dress along with Marissa Tomei's. I definitely didn't like Miley Cyrus' dress at all. Honestly, I'm kind of confused as to why she was there in the first place.

Well that's all for now. I'm dealing with some health issues, which is why I haven't been around and why I won't be around again until the end of the week. Hope everyone is doing well!

Can We Stop Talking About the Octuplets Mom Already?

2009-02-24T12:46:00.003-05:00

Every time I turn on the television I have to hear about Nadya Suleman. Either the news is commenting about her life, the television shows are featuring her image or talking about her family or people are complaining about the whole thing. This story is going to go on forever ! She had the kids, controversy follows, now the parents are speaking out, then the ex-boyfriend thinks they may be his...blah.blah.blah. A year from now I'm going to have to hear about this again when the kids turn one. Aren't there more important things to talk about? The economy, the war or even positive stories about how companies are trying to keep their employees might be some good alternatives.

Is anyone else as tired of hearing about this as I am?

Strange dream....

2009-02-20T10:36:00.002-05:00

I had a dream last night that I was taking pictures of people holding a giant chocolate chip cookie. Apparently I was also taking pictures of a lot of other things. Somehow, I ended up in some strange backyard where they had a library outside (!) and out of nowhere a Linx pops his head through the books and I took a picture. I pull a piece of chicken out from the side of the bbq (near books?), walk around the side to give him some, and find that aforementioned Linx is as tall as a skyscraper. I proceed to feed him chicken and he rolls over after eating and starts purring.

What. The. Hell.

Some Advice I Need to Keep on Hand

2009-02-16T00:31:00.004-05:00

A girlfriend of mine is recently having problems.
She asked for my advice and asked me how I feel about my life.

This is what I told her.

"I don't care what happened in the past or what will happen in the future. I care about now, the present. I will always have a past and there will always be something to worry about in the future, but it's this moment that I can't get back. Negative energy is wasted energy. The only thing being negative will do is keep me from every positive thing I want in my life. I want a life of happiness, not a life of wasted moments and regrets."

I'm planning on keeping this on hand for days when I feel less than positive.
I lost perspective the past couple of years, and I'll be damned if I lose any more time.

Another Dog Photo- Pure Sillyness This Time

2009-02-14T00:59:00.000-05:00

I've tried to look at this photo and not smile or laugh.
So far it hasn't happened.

Joaquin Phoenix on Letterman 2/11/09

2009-02-12T00:52:00.006-05:00

What. The. Hell.

I saw a commercial for the Late Show with David Letterman and said to myself that it couldn't possibly be Joaquin Phoenix. I tuned into watch and I sat there with my mouth open the entire time. He definitely isn't the person anymore that I thought he was, not only in terms of looks, but in attitude as well. I really couldn't believe what I was seeing.

For those of you that missed it, here it is:

A Picture of Pure Happiness

2009-02-09T10:42:00.003-05:00

Warm sun in the face and wild blowing through the fur.

My Prayers Go Out to Those in Australia

2009-02-08T21:50:00.002-05:00

Wildfires have taken over Australia, specifically in the state of Victoria, and as of now there are over 100 people dead. I'm sending my prayers and positive thoughts over there. I can't even imagine what they have to go through, but I'm hoping that the fires end so no one else has to suffer.

Celebrities as Role Models

2009-02-04T11:35:00.003-05:00

So with the recent development that Michael Phelps smoked from a bong, it got me re-thinking about celebrities as role models. Now I've thought about this before when other scandals broke loose and people were in an uproar about how celebrities are role models and shouldn't be doing such things.

First of all, no one is perfect and anyone that assumes another person is has lost their mind.

With that said...

When my friends and I were kids, and even now that my friends have younger brothers or sisters or even kids of their own, there was never a word said about doing something illegal because a celebrity did it. Ask someone why they smoked a joint, got into a fist fight or drank a bottle of Vodka and chances are they're not going to say "Because (insert celebrity name here) did it." Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that there is a person or two that has actually said/done that, but I feel that it's a MUCH more rare occurrence then people think.

When it comes to celebrities serving as role models, I've heard people say that a celebrities positive actions inspired them, encouraged them, to do something positive. There have been a few along the way that have inspired me.

I think everyone needs to realize that the most influential people in anyone's life are those that they spend time with on a day-to-day basis, for example, parents and friends. If someone does something illegal or stupid, it's by their own choice and not because they saw a celebrity do it. Sure kids will want to sing like Britney or practice like hell to become the next Michael Phelps, but that doesn't mean that they are going to go out and bash in car windows or buy a bong. They're more likely to mimic what their parents do then anything else.

Frustrated

2009-02-03T10:47:00.000-05:00

Ever get so frustrated that things aren't changing fast enough?
I know it sounds like I'm being impatient, it's just that
I planned on 2009 being so much more different then the way
it's been going so far. I'm just trying to get things moving
at a faster pace, and it seems like all I'm doing is moving
in slow motion. I'm just having quite the frustrating day today.

When did you start feeling "old"?

2009-01-29T14:07:00.004-05:00

My friend and I had this discussion the other day about how we feel old. We don't go out enough, don't do the things that we really want to do, etc. Part of our conversation was about if we're too young to feel "old". I don't really believe in the word "old", I feel like it's more about what you're doing with your life and how you feel that determines your actual age. I've met and seen some people in their 90's who put me to shame.

With that said, when did you actually start feeling "old" and what did you do to change those feelings?

My Side is a Pretzel

2009-01-25T23:26:00.003-05:00

On Saturday evening, I decided to set up a picnic in the living room for my boyfriend and I. I set up cheese, crackers, beverages and a fluffy blanket. I lit a candle, turned off the TV and was all set for a nice evening. My boyfriend and I curled up on the floor after eating, had great conversation and decided to stay there for a bit just lying together. We both ended up falling asleep, I woke up three hours later and felt like my side was in a pretzel formation.

After crawling into bed, I woke up this morning feeling like my right side was in complete knots. My boyfriend spent most of the day trying to get knots out of my shoulder. Needless to say, falling asleep on your side on a floor is not recommended.

Who Says Winter Isn't Beautiful

2009-01-22T01:16:00.003-05:00

Yes, I go to the beach in winter.

Bush is Almost Out...

2009-01-20T11:17:00.003-05:00

Grandma: "Lauren come back in they're getting rid of Bush now!"
Me: "I'm coming Grandma"
Grandma: "Hurry, they're getting ready to kick him out!"

BITCH

2009-01-19T09:53:00.004-05:00

You've heard this word, you've used this word. Has it lost it's punch that it used to have or does it have the same effect?

Guys say to other guys "Stop acting like a bitch?"
Some girls will say "Wow that woman is such a bitch".
The word seems to be used so often nowadays from entertainment to real life that it doesn't seem to have as much of a negative effect as it used to. Say "bitch" and it's blown off with mild irritation. Now, call a girl a sl*t and heads are probably still going to roll.

What about if one sex says it to another?
I've heard quite a few say to their significant others "You're being a bitch, stop it" or "You're being bitchy, cut it out" and the other person doesn't seem to mind. Personally, if my boyfriend says the latter to me, I'm okay. I'd rather know just so I can stop. However, if he says the former to me, I get annoyed simply because he's actually calling me a bitch as opposed to just saying I'm being bitchy. And no, don't get the impression that he uses this language with me frequently, it's very rare.

With that said...
Two older relatives said that neither statement would have been met with extreme anger by anyone during their time and that it wouldn't have been tolerated.

Maybe people are becoming so desensitized that the word doesn't seem to have the same effect that it did years ago. Years from now people might not care at all.

Giants vs. Eagles

2009-01-12T01:19:00.003-05:00

I couldn't be more disappointed in the Giants if I tried. They did nothing worth discussing in a positive manner. Eli basically handed the Eagles the ball in the 4th quarter. Here I was sitting there with hope, then "BAM!" it's all over.

Really Giants, you could have at least given me reason to have one shred of hope throughout the game.

Just Call Me Condom Head

2009-01-11T00:23:00.000-05:00

Boyfriend: "You really should pull down your hat."

Me: "Why? What's wrong with it?"

Boyfriend: "Your hat looks like a condom."

Me: "What?"

Boyfriend: "Your hat looks like the tip of a condom
when you wear it that way."

Me: "So I've been walking around all this time
looking like I've been wearing a condom on my head?"

Boyfriend: ::pulls down hat as far as it will go::

How Has This Recession Affected You?

2009-01-06T12:55:00.003-05:00

I keep hearing from my jobs how they're cutting back on payments, I'm hearing rumors of people getting cut, etc. It's already affected me pay wise and I'm just hoping that I won't get cut all together. For now, I still have my job and I'm grateful.

If there's anything that this has instilled in me now more then ever, is that I need to be making some serious cutbacks. My bf and I had a talk last night about how we're going to do that individually and as a couple. It was very productive and quite inspiring.

So how about you? How has the recession affected you? What are you doing in own life to make some changes?

New Year, New Me...Hopefully

2009-01-04T23:19:00.002-05:00

So, if you have been following my blog since last year, you know I'm not big on the word "resolutions". I'm more of a fan of promises because I feel like if you make a promise to yourself, you're more likely to stick to it.

Unfortunately, this past year was horrible and I let things get in the way and all of my promises to myself went by the wayside. After a few conversations with some people, along with soul searching, I realized that I let myself down and I have make more of an effort to accomplish everything that I want to accomplish this year.

With that said, here are my promises for 2009, which I will be updating my blog on my progress.

* Work harder and smarter. I work at home with few deadlines, so sometimes when life gets crazy, I meet my deadlines but can somewhat slack on the rest. This is the path I chose and I have to do everything possible to push myself to where I want to be.

* Exercise 3 or more times a week. Even if I just go for a 30 minute walk, it has to be more then what I'm doing now.

* Eat better. I eat really well usually, the only problem is that I go out to eat a couple of times a week and I don't eat so healthy when I do.

* Be more Zen. This includes doing yoga, meditation and falling asleep to blissful rainforest noises courtesy of YouTube.

* Do more of the things that I've wanted to try in my life, including everything from going snow tubing to going to Paris.

* Take advantage of free classes online. If my grandfather were alive, he would be flipping out on me. He was an avid learner all of his life until Alzheimer's and a stroke took him, and if he knew that there were free classes and I didn't take advantage of them, he would be so horribly disappointed. I'm going to look into them when I finish up here.

* Clean out my house. This is something that has definitely been thrown aside this past year. I have so many items that I could throw out or even sell and get quite a bit of money and I just haven't done it. I looked around and feel so overwhelmed it's not even funny.

That's about it...for now. I'm sure I'll come up with some more. Feel free to post any that you have.

You'll Get to Stare at this Gorgeous Face For the Next Few Days

2008-12-23T00:50:00.003-05:00

I will be running around and away due to the holidays
so, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.
Be safe, eat lots, do good for others and best wishes for good gifts!

Create Your Own Snowflake

2008-12-22T10:44:00.003-05:00

I came across this site and thought it was pretty interesting.

Check out zefrank.com/snowflake * when you feel
like creating some snowflakes. They can even be
viewed in 3D and rotated.

*Not affiliated with this website

The Day Seems Brighter When There Are Less Sucky People in it

2008-12-21T15:41:00.004-05:00

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. Let's just say my world took a giant tumble this year and the end of the year is going out with a giant crappy bang.

Anyway, considering it's the holidays, I thought it would be nice to share some inspiring stories. Whether they be acts of kindness that you have done, something that you've witnessed or have been the recipient of, post them here. If you haven't done anything yet, then find an excuse to comment here by going out and doing something nice for someone else. It doesn't matter how big or small, all that matters is that it was done at all.

Btw, that rhyme was completely unintentional, nevertheless, it's staying there.

Here's a small random act of kindness I can think of that my boyfriend and I did not too long ago.

We went out to grab some dinner and the wait was incredibly long to get in. We waited...and waited...and waited. We were tempted to leave, but decided after 45 minutes that we had been there long enough and were going to stick it out. There was an elderly couple that had been waiting there almost as long as we have and the man looked exhausted. His wife asked if he wanted to leave and he said "No, we've waited this long, and you wanted to come here." They stood hand in hand and waited patiently. Our names were called, my boyfriend and I talked quickly, and asked the hostess to take the elderly couple before us. They looked stunned as did the elderly couple. After "thank you's" they were on their way to the table. It made our dinner a bit happier that night.

The Pounds are Packing On

2008-12-15T12:56:00.002-05:00

I feel them accumulating...

Between stress and cookies (oh man...chocolate chip cookies) I feel like I'm gaining weight. I'm avoiding looking at the scale. I decided to go for a walk this morning in the unusual December 64 degree Jersey weather. I'm going to have to get back in the habit of kicking my ass again to work out everyday. After all, the warmer weather isn't THAT far off.

New Year's Resolutions

2008-12-09T17:19:00.001-05:00

Has anyone made them yet?
If so, what are they?

The Gross Things People Do

2008-12-03T01:53:00.002-05:00

On the train over the weekend, I saw a woman sitting across from me clipping her fingernails. That's right, she whipped out her clippers, leaned over in the aisle and started flicking nail clippings all over the place. With every click of the clippers I thought I was going to vomit.

So, with that lovely story said, what are some of the grossest things that you've seen?

Fall Photos

2008-12-01T01:38:00.010-05:00

I took some photos on a walk a few weeks ago
and figure I would post them before
I start taking pictures of snow.

Black Friday Shopping

2008-11-28T01:35:00.003-05:00

Let's hear your experiences!

Where did you go?
Did you go out or stay in?

Hopefully you got the bargains you were hoping for!

I went out last year, but thankfully didn't have to stand on a line.
This year I think I'm going into a store to pick up an item then
doing the rest of my shopping online.

A Happy Thanksgiving to All

2008-11-27T01:32:00.000-05:00

I wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!
In celebration, leave in the comments what you're thankful for.

Have a wonderful day everyone!
Eat, drink and pass out from tryptophan.

When you feel like giving up, a little boy becomes a shining light

2008-11-25T13:05:00.003-05:00

I cried today. I know you're probably busy with Thanksgiving and shopping plans, but if you have about six minutes you really should watch this. A little boy named Brenden Foster just inspired me.

Christmas in a Box game

2008-11-25T11:33:00.002-05:00

I'm thinking I might really want this. It's Monopolyesque from what I read. It's about $25 whether I buy it in the store or buy it online (including shipping). Has anyone ever heard about it/used it? I would like to avoid wasting that much money if it's not any good.

Polar Bear Plunge

2008-11-24T21:27:00.003-05:00

I'm seriously considering doing this in February.
My bf seems less than excited, however,
I'm trying to get him to do it in the name of charity.
If not, I may just take the plunge myself.

P.S., Can I just tell you how ironic this post is considering my last one. Hmm

It's freezing out

2008-11-24T01:37:00.003-05:00

I spent much of the weekend in pajama pants, a hat, a t-shirt, giant sweater and blanket upon blanket on top of me. I looked at his thermostat and it said 59...um, yea.

Needless to say, I turned it up when he wasn't looking to a toasty 72.

I don't mind the cold weather and curling up under the blankets, but not when it's indoors.

I'm a Total Nerd

2008-11-20T09:39:00.002-05:00

Really. I'm obsessed with Christmas. The Christmas CD's are made, the movies are set in Netflix and most of the gifts are purchased. Most of the Christmas plans are made for the month of December and yes, I even know what I'm wearing to dinner. I'm currently working on my Christmas card list, then next week I'll probably get the cards and write them out.

...I've accepted my dorkiness...

Guess Who's Getting a Router

2008-11-16T21:30:00.002-05:00

That's right, I have DSL, but no router. Can I just tell you what a pain in the bum it is? Well my fabulous bf decided to get it for me for Christmas. Well, actually I'm getting it in a week. I think he's doing it in an effort to keep me away from the gifts he already bought me that are stashed in his room.

Well whatever the reason is, I'm excited. It's going to be nice to sit anywhere and not have a yellow cord and a DSL modem following me.

I'm in Love

2008-11-10T23:36:00.003-05:00

I saw a dress on TV that I fell in love with. I looked on the site and couldn't find it so I looked on ebay. If you have a chance, look up Reem Acra. You won't even believe how gorgeous the designs are.

Do You Still Clip Coupons?

2008-11-10T11:14:00.003-05:00

I'll admit it, before I buy something I'll look and see if there's a coupon or discount code for it first. I've talked to a few people about this lately and I've heard two things. Some people are clipping coupons more now because the economy is so bad and they're looking to save every penny they can. Then there are those that state that they no longer do it because there's no point. They feel that the coupon values have gone down and prices have gone up and saving thirty cents is going to do nothing.

Which category do you fall into?

Pringles Donating Money

2008-11-05T00:57:00.003-05:00

I wandered onto the Pringles website the other day and came across a wonderful thing that they're doing. If you design a can on their site and save it, they'll donate one dollar to the Children's Miracle Network. Head over to the site and design your own can and do a good deed at the same time.

Obama Elected President!!!

2008-11-04T23:03:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited! I've been a supporter of his from day one.
I've been watching this coverage all day.
I couldn't be more thrilled!!!

Congratulations to PRESIDENT Obama
and all of his supporters!

I VOTED!

2008-11-04T09:37:00.002-05:00

Ahhh no lines, it was great. I was in and out in 5 minutes.
Other places aren't so lucky. The lines are crazy long.
It was so great!

Senator Obama's Grandmother Passes Away

2008-11-03T17:00:00.004-05:00

Such sad and awful news. Whether or not he wins tomorrow, I'm sure he would have wanted his grandmother with him. It's bad enough that she passed away, but to do so the day before such an important day for Senator Obama.

My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

VOTE 2008

2008-11-03T11:40:00.003-05:00

I'm sure you know that the Presidential election is tomorrow. I just wanted to put it out there to make sure that you vote. Don't make the mistake in assuming that your vote is only one vote and that it doesn't mean anything. It's important and frankly, you should be grateful that you have the privilege. Every vote count and every vote matters.

To all of those that are voting for the first time, congratulations and enjoy. It's quite a feeling after you walk away.

A Little Halloween Fun For You

2008-10-31T00:49:00.000-04:00

My Dog's Halloween Costume

2008-10-29T03:01:00.000-04:00

What My Significant Other Thinks I Was Like As a Baby

2008-10-27T23:54:00.003-04:00

I asked my boyfriend what he thinks I was like as a baby.
He told me that he would send me an e-mail and tell me what
he thinks I said/did. This is the response I got.

I have so much to do and I haven't even been born yet.

I have to help the doctor cut the umbilical cord.

I have to make sure I send out e-vites to my christening
to my friends who aren't capable of opening their eyes yet.

I have to work every hour of the day on something called the internet.

I have to take the puppies for a walk even though they will most
likely drag my 10 inch body around town as I spit up all over the
place from the bumpy ride.

I have to rent movies from Netflix and need to know six weeks
in advance if my boyfriend will want to watch them even though the
medium hasn't been invented yet.

Last but not least, I have to sell and ship my items that I sold,
go shopping, do paperwork, and take the train
all before I take my first poop.

Shopping and Discounts

2008-10-20T12:19:00.007-04:00

I went to the dollar store today and came across their kids clothing section. I never thought of buying anything from there for my niece and nephew, but figured let me just see what they have. Don't scoff- my niece is turning one in a few days and has the usually baby slobber and food dropping incidents. There's no way I'm going to spend $30 on a shirt. I refuse to buy her toys because she has a giant toy room that her and her 3 year old brother share. Books and clothes- that's it.

So this is what I bought her for Christmas.

2 fleece sweaters
Fleece skirt
2 hat/mitten sets
2 pop up books
coloring book just for scribbling (otherwise she'll steal her brothers)

Here's a couple of pics:

I spent $8 total on her Christmas gifts and now I'm basically done. I'm going to buy a Christmas dress for her that I saw online and she's finished.

If you are buying clothes for little ones, consider going to the dollar store. Seriously. You'll save yourself a lot of money. They look great and will end up growing out of them in a few months anyway.

Do You Look Fat In What You're Wearing?

2008-10-17T11:04:00.002-04:00

Do you ask your significant other if you look fat in the outfit that you're wearing?
If you do, do you want them to tell you the truth or do you want them to lie.

Personally, I want to hear if I look like crap in something. Why the hell would I want to walk around looking awful? However, I prefer to hear it in a nice way instead of "You look absolutely disgusting." Something like "I really don't think you should wear that. It doesn't look right on you."