A Phloggerific Farewell

The time has come for a new chapter in my life. The last several years of blogging on Phloggerific have been fun, but I am joining forces with Fernando to create a new blog together. Our new blog address is http://chroniclesofmarbecca.blogspot.com. Thanks for reading and we look forward to you visiting us there!

NKOTB

Many moons ago, when I was just a wee lassie of age 13, my best middle school friend was Ali Mae. Quite fitting for a southern belle. We were typical teenagers - sneaking over to the all boys boarding school to check out the hunks. We were in love with a new scrawny teenager every other week and made tapes of our favorite songs that reminded us of them. And then there were the phone calls. I think we must have collectively purchased one of the pay phones they had in the dorm hallways. Those were the days of slumber parties, Tiger Beat, and posters on our walls of New Kids On the Block, or NKOTB as they have evolved.

When it came to our favorite boy band, we were silly little teenage girls. I was in love with Joey, of course. And Ali Mae drooled over Jordan. I think we listened to the tapes and The Right Stuff until they no longer would play. The NKOTB never came to do concerts anywhere near where we lived because we grew up in the small city of Asheville in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The closest they ever came was Charlotte or Atlanta, but that was too far. So we never got to see our dream guys. I secretly had dreamed that we would get old and they would lose their fame and I could have Joey all to myself. Then, a few months ago, Ali Mae emailed me to let me know that our teenage fantasy boys had gotten back together and were going on tour. We both knew then and there that we had to close the loop on this outstanding lingering unaccomplished desire from our past. She booked a ticket to New York City and we got tickets to the concert at Madison Square Gardens, the mother of all concert venues. If you are going to do it.... do it right!!

We arrived at Madison Square Gardens to find a sea of 20 thousand women who were also re-living their teenage years. The screams at the concert were deafening...it was as if they all shed their suits and doctors scrubs and were back 20 years in the 80s with their girlfriends sneaking off to the boys boarding schools.

The concert was surprisingly phenomenal. To be completely honest, I was going more for the fun of it and had no expectation that it would actually be a good concert. But it was. When they sang my favorite bygone song "I'll be Loving You Forever". I feld a surge of my old teen emotion come back to me. And then I realized: I still love Joey and I always will.

So my dream that they would lose their fame never came true. But I decided that night that my old-age wish is going to be that my kids will search out the nursing home where Joey McIntyre ends up and put me in the same one so we can at least play some bingo together in 2060. Hey, a girl can dream can't she?

Toilets Again

Ok, I do realize that this is at least the second time I have featured a picture of a bathroom on my blog...but it is a good reason. So, you know when you go in the bathroom and there are the pull down trays. WHAT ARE THESE FOR?????? I mean really? Does anyone use them for anything? Am I supposed to sit on the commode and do my taxes? It's too high for that. I dont trust putting my purse on it. Afraid it's going to snap back up and drop it to the ground. Please... if you actually use these trays, reply and enlighten others of the use. I took a survey and no one I ask actually uses them.

Worlds Largest Truckstop and Corn

Today Fernando and I began our Iowa vacation. Here is how the last few weeks have been for Fernando and I - "We're going on Vacation!" Friend: "Where?" Us: "Iowa". Friend: "Why Iowa?". The standard answer to that question was that my mom was getting married and my other side of the family was having "Christmas" early because my brother and I were coming to town. But, there is much more to Iowa than just those things!

As we pulled out of the Airport with our spankin new orange Saturn Vue (I loved it, he hated it - It matched my cell phone!) our first stop was to get something to eat. Lucky for us it happened to be a very historical place - the Worlds Largest Truck Stop. You just don't see something like that every day. We stopped in for some food and I introduced Fernando to Cheese Curds. We then visited the trucking museum and paid homage to the truckers of yester-year.

On day two of our Iowa adventure, we went to my mom's wedding in a park. The leaves were changing and it was a very nice day for an outdoor wedding. Then, Fernando and I were invited out to a dance in a stable with my aunt and uncle and cousins. We learned the Barn Dance, Western Cha Cha and the Watermelon Crawl.

Day three - we headed up to Mason City Iowa to celebrate my dad's family "Christmas". Fernando walked through a cornfield for the first time ever. He insisted on doing horror movie remake photoshoot in the corn - and we have way too many action shots trying to look scared in a cornfield. After wading through corn, we returned into the house to play cards and Fernando was surprised to find that corn kernels were used as the "money" for texas hold em. Thinking about it, I guess that does seem a little strange. I mean, its not like you would go to Raleigh and play cards using cigarettes for ante. OR WOULD YOU???? hmm.

Day Four - we attended the Mennonite auction. They auction off tons of produce from their farms.

Day Five - we headed up to Minneapolis, my old hometown. We rode the rollercoaster in the mall of America, the log flume, another roller coaster, nascar simulators. In the evening I met up with old friends from middle school for a 20 year reunion.

Day Six - Back in Iowa, Fernando and I took a trip with some farmers out to pick the corn on their high tech combines. Its way more complicated than it looks. The temperature and humidity of the air determine whether the corn needs to be dried before going into the grain elevator for holding. I felt like we were on our very own Nova or How things Work show.


Day Seven - headed to Dubuque Iowa where Fernando ran 15 miles along the Mississippi while I secured a room for the night. 15 MILES! Better him than me! A librarian convention was in town so there were no rooms and we ended up having to stay at a bed and breakfast which was fantastic! Its funny the things you end up doing out of circumstance that can enrich your vacation.

Day Eight - Flew into Chicago for a layover before heading home to New York. Ironically, Fernando's very good friend Vince was also on the same flight back to New York AND it was his birthday. We celebrated with drinks in Chicago. Weird.

So there you have it. So much to do in Iowa, so little time!

Economic Downturn

The events of the past few months and days have dramatically changed the landscape of Wall Street. The aftermath from the Bear Stearns takedown and credit crisis was a little jilting. You could notice things here and there...less travel for work, hiring freezes, no more lunches or dinners. Things that would be appropriate to do in order to tighten up the belt a little. Its the same as in our personal lives, when we forsee tougher time we put ourselves on a budget to reduce the impact.

In the last week though, things have seemed to have gone from "being careful" to a much more elevated state. The flat screen TVs across the floor that are usually on mute are no longer silenced. You find people stopping to watch the news in disbelief that major long standing institutions are selling off and disappearing forever.

So many people in NY work with Wall Street firms and I feel like an aura of gray cloud is hanging over the city. I sit on the subway or walk down the street and see the sad, angry and resigned faces passing. But more and more I start to see fear.

Its hard to know what will happen, but with the way things are going it feels like it is the beginning.

I am thankful to have my job and am glad that I feel comfortable with their standing and position amongst all this.

Roadside Assistance

Today I was invited to attend a celebration for the engagement of my coworkers and friend, Jessica. Several girls from work were invited and we decided to car pool with one of our friends.

Right around the time that we would have to leave, our driver - Jax- called and announced that she was having some sort of hair emergency/situation and was going to be very late. So, I borrowed Fernando's car and picked everyone up.

Prior to leaving the house, I took extra care to put on on on nice dress, blow out my hair, do my makeup, and find some hot heels. The other girls had all done the same, despite the impending possibility that it could all be dramatically ruined by the landfall of a hurricane earlier that day.

I made the rounds and picked them all up - glamorous and lovely each of them. After picking up the last of the girls, we made our way to the Verazzano bridge to cross into Staten Island. We entered the belt parkway (one of the busiest highways in the city) with a thud. I thought we hit a pothole but pulled over anyway to make sure. I opened the door as little as possible to avoid the downpour and wind. Much to my dismay I was able to see the lumpy flat tire on the back drivers side.

I promptly called Fernando to ask if he had triple A. No such luck. I had changed A tire before and had all the confidence in the world that I could do it again. So, we hung up and rolled up our sleeves.

Two of the girls stood near the side of the road to try to flag down a passing car while me and Irina got the essentials out of the trunk. The doomsday feeling set in when we couldn't get the lug nuts loose. In the pouring rain. In nice dresses and heels and remnants of what was once pretty hair and makeup.

I have blogged before about NY men and how I was surprised by their gentleman-ness when I moved here. You know, holding doors and elevators. Letting the ladies go first. Stopping to help when you drop something. Apparently that chivalry dies during hurricane weather. For any hour we tried to get people to stop. A cabbie actually stopped - not to help but to see if we needed on on cab. Ummm, yeah. Whatever.

Finally, we were able to get the lug nuts loose after I changed into flat sandals and jumped on the lug nut loosener thingy (yeah, I can change on on tire. No, i don't know the name of the tool. Laugh if you must). Right after doing all the hard work, two nice undercover cops pulled over to help and finished the job for us. So chivalry isn't completely dead in a downpour, it's just severely limited.

The best thing about these girls is that we can have fun on the side of the road while getting ruined before on on nice party in the worst of circumstances. We danced around in the rain trying to wave down cars, laughing and giggling like stupid school girls. We even considered opening one of the gifts of wine for the future bride and groom and making our own party, but then decided against it because #1 we didn't have on on corkscrew and #2 we thought it might not be on on good idea if the police came to assist. Good thing!

My friend Marsha, who really should write stories of her own, is always the most entertaining company on little excursions like these. She's a huge flirt- very good at it and very successful. She asks to sit in the police car to wait. The three of us know her real motive - the second cop is in the car. When the tire is fixed, Marsha walks back to the car with his phone number and on on tentative meet up for drinks later. She is smooth like butter.

We all arrived at the party looking like we had been through the hurricane. But, no one seemed to mind too much and we had on on great conversation piece for the party.

PS there was a picture of all this but I am totally blaming Marsha that I have nothing to upload because she didn't send it to me. :)

Maps

Fernando and I had to drive up to Massachusettes a few weeks ago for a family event. Along the way we ran into some traffic and decided to try to find a way around it with the trusty GPS. Apparently, the GPS I have was not really designed for re-reouting. For miles it kept bitching at us... Make uturn, recalculating, make uturn, recalculating. When we finally got sick of the woman telling us to uturn around, we turned her off and pulled out the trusty old map.

But here is my question- what kind of idiot at Rand McNally decided that it was a good idea to make a map that folds out to more than the size of the interior of your car. It literally took up the whole front seat. I'm convinced that Rand McNally and MAACO (the auto body chain) must be in business together. It goes something like this in my mind:

RM executive: ok, we will make the maps large, confusing and distracting in order to cause spousal and-or partner arguments and-or more accidents.

MAACO executive: ok, and in return I shall offer you 30 percent on any map related accidents that come to us for auto body repairs.

See example illustrating ridiculous map size below.

Fashionista

Living in New York has introduced me to a whole other realm of fashion. Before I moved here I definitely didn't have much of a clue about what was "in" or "cool". I mean, I had an idea about certain things, but that was only from visiting the Mall and reading celeb trash magazines. I shall relay a case in point.

After moving to New York, one of the women in the department I was working in kept gushing over some shoes she had bought over the weekend. Several other women joined in the conversation and started talking about shoes and bags. There I was, sitting at my desk, peeking under it at my one of three pairs of shoes that I owned. (Sneakers, a black pair and a brown pair). That day I had on my black dressy Timberlands (no heel of course) that I had owned for about two years. I liked them because my orthopaedic inserts fit right in very nicely. (Yes, I am a nerd)So, I'm looking at my shoes and wondering what was so spectacular about the shoes this girl had bought and why she felt the urge to google them so she could show all the other girls in the department. The conversation between these girls went something like this... "Oh, LV and DG has come out with the CUTEST shoes for summer. I got this adorable strappy sandal in fuchsia". Other girl, "I know what you mean, I just love LV. And have you seen their new bags?". Girl 1 "here, let me log on to the LV collection at Saks and show you what my new shoes look like". At this point, curiosity had not only killed my inner cat but had stuffed it at the taxidermist. Its killing me to know what these shoes look like that are causing such a commotion (because? I had never been this exuberant about a pair of shoes myself - my conversation would have been more like "let's log onto the payless shoesource website so I can show you some pumps"). Also, I had never heard of this LV and just had to know what it was. So, I got schooled.

I walk over to the computer and see this crazy pair of shoes that I can't even picture an outfit I could ever wear with it. The top of the website says "Louis Vuitton" (ah ha, LV, I'm learnin the lingo) and the bottom showed the price... 1200. OK, SERIOUSLY. I think I choked. She saw the look on my face and must have instantly known that the price shocked me, so she felt the need to tell me she got it on sale for half off. 600. And then she looks down at my shoes.

While I do admit that my fashion IQ has changed over the years, I can never pretend to be an expert. I swore to never become a shoe whore, but I do own many more pairs than I once had and do indulge (but never over 100 bucks!) from time to time on a cute pair. And I know I do much better now in the apparel department. So my next conquest shall be finding a nice bag -reasonably priced.

I got my introduction to the world of bags this weekend. Fernando's sister in law designs bags! She and her friend came to New York and stayed with us a few days - they were in town to attend an expo to sell wholesale to potential buyers. I thought it sounded pretty cool so I volunteered to help.

Fernando and I helped to set up the booth. The bags are special because they are unique. They were originally created as a shoe bag but then they were so handy that they started being used for all kinds of things. On day two I helped the gals in the booth show the bags to buyers. The first client I talked to I sounded like a complete idiot. Oh well, live and learn. Still, it was fun and I am very grateful to Mrs Brooke for giving me the opportunity to enhance my repertoire and help me build some more character. I always like adding to that library.

And, for any of you who can never find a unique gift for Christmas - here is her website.

Baby Showers and Family Picnics

Have to give a little shout out to my girlfriend Sophie. She always reads the blog and this weekend was her baby shower. What made her shower unique? Tea and scones. I'm guessing (and she can confirm) is that the tea at a baby shower is a British tradition that got left over in India where Sophie was born and raised. So we had tea, and it was cool. Congrats to Sophie and Ed on their baby boy.


Monday I took off work to go to Fernando's family picnic. It was quite the sports filled day. We got up early for a 6am tee time in the Bronx, played 18 holes with his brothers. After golf, we headed to Lido beach which I think is in Long Island. We ate... And these people know how to picnic. It wasn't just your hot dogs and hamburgers - I mean, they had that too (because what picnic would be complete without it) but there was also a flank like steak which may have been London Broil, sausage and peppers, chicken cutlets, etc. So much to eat, so little time. I'm thinking of converting to Italian-ism. Do I need a sponsor for that?

Utah Visitors!

Woo hoo for four day weekends. It wasn't a holiday..just took off Friday and Monday! My friends Cindy and Ashley came in to visit from Utah so we hung out in the city. Its always funny to me when visitors come and ask questions about things in the city... For example, Cindy asked me why the bus had a sign on it that said "next bus please". Most of the time I cannot answer my visitors questions. But then, after two glasses of wine at dinner, I decided that it would be much more fun if I made up answers. On the way home that night, we came across a really nice synagogue and I made up an elaborate story about the struggles of a Jewish community that had escaped persecution in Europe and went to Africa. Then they had to escape persecution in Africa so they came and settled in NYC. They built the synagogue in commemoration of their journey and as a monument to their perseverance. People on the sidewalk next to us were listening in. I think they believed it until I said that the two big ball like objects on the top of the synagogue were a representation of fishing bobbers to remind them of their two trips on boats over water - once to Africa then once to the US. I have a pretty good imagination after some wine. Unfortunately...no pic. You will just have to settle with reading.

Foo Fighters

Fernando and I went to the Foo Fighters concert. You know you're starting to cross the line from being considered young to being considered 'older' when those much younger than you look at you in disbelief when you tell them you are going to do something fun like go to see the Foo Fighters. In my minds eye, I still see myself as a 21 year old - up with the times. But, with each passing year I find a bigger disconnect. Like clothes, or music, or even slang. I have to admit though..I still think I'm pretty connected, its just the little things. Let's take skirts for instance. When I go into any store looking to buy a cute summer miniskirt and am struck by how short they are...DISCONNECT. Loud music...DISCONNECT. New funky music...CONNECT. You get the point.

So anyway, I think Fernando and I were definitely in the upper age bracket at the concert (well, mostly Fernando but I will take one for the team) except there were several people around our age who had brought their teenage kids to see the concert. DISCONNECT. And girls with way too much makeup/face jewelry. DISCONNECT. But the concert was awesome. CONNECT.

Move to Queens

All I have to say is that it must be love..
I have left my apartment I Jersey City which I have been in for almost three years. This apartment was really ideal for me for a few reasons. 1. It was fairly large. 2. It was across the street from where I work. It took me three minutes and no cash to commute to work. 3. It was a great price for that neighborhood. But alas, I have given all this up, trading my 3 minute free commute for a one hour and 15 minute commute. Nevertheless it is totally worth it because I get to live with the guy of my dreams who I adore to pieces. Two hours of each day to give up for that is a pretty small sacrifice in the grand scheme of things. I'm so very lucky!

Yet, he made me carry the air conditioner during the move. Hmmm.


Ok, Im kidding. The box was empty.

Red Wagon Rockets

Red Wagon Rockets

I have fallen I love the the Red Wagon Rockets. They are a group of guys who play softball on Wednesday night every week. Fernando is the "coach". When I watch them play it just makes me happy. I know its silly - but it does. I think it makes me happy because I get to watch them really enjoy themselves - you can tell that they just LIKE to play the game.

But most of all, the reason I love them is that they are such good men. Each week after the game, most of the team goes for food and beer. I am always invited to go along, always included in the conversations, and always feel like I'm being taken care of by 8 or 9 new brothers.

Some of them are single- between the ages of 23 and .. Well I won't say. But thought I would throw out an advertisement for them in case there are any of my single friends reading this. Call me if you want to come to a game!!

So,I have been super delayed in posting this due to my own procrastination. The guys won the championship since I wrote this. I have posted a tribute on You Tube . They deserve it. And all I have to say is this: Down with Charter. Down with Charter. Down with Charter. :)

Doin it up Jersey Style

Fernando and I were invited to Vince's family picnic. You know, its always an honor when a friend invites you to a family event. I mean, taking your friends home to meet the parents, aunts, uncles and grandma can be a big deal. Luckily, Vince trusted us (or should I say he trusted ME since Fernando had been to this event several years running) enough to behave ourselves, be polite and still have fun.

My three favorite things from this day: learning to play tennis. My brother and I used to play around on the tennis court when we were kids at our apartment complex but we never really knew what we were doing. I'm sure they probably tried to teach us how to play in gym class, but I am also reasonably sure I was way more focused on trying to look cute and checking out the guys than I was on learning tennis. You see, everything in high school pretty much involved checking out and trying to look good for boys. My friend Kim and I joined track for the sole purpose of getting in shape to look good in our bikinis for the upcoming summer.

The second favorite thing was the food that Vince's mom cooked up. All kinds of grilling, sandwiches, salad, dessert. She was awesome (and besides the food she was very nice too).

And my third favorite part was getting to see Vince's dad's studio where he paints and writes. There were tons of paintings that were fabulous to see where it all went down. And, as a double whammy he writes books (a mere amateur dream for a blogger like me!). Side note...and this is purely for Vince's benefit: Vince's dad was recently on this morning show with Joan Rivers to promote his book. I think its called The View. The ladies on the show only let him get in a few words edgewise, but he did manage to mention that many years ago he found plates of food under Vince's bed when he was a kid. HILARIOUS. On national TV. Still cracks me up cause Vince emailed all of his friends to tell them to watch. The book isn't even about Vince, so its more funny that it came up. In case you are interested, here's a plug for the book...its called "Points! The Relationship Survival Guide for People Who Don't Like Relationship Survival Guides".

Really Simple Syndication

So some of you have seen my "feeds" links on my computer or have asked how to be notified each time the blog is updated. My blog has a notification feature but it only allows you to put in 10 email addresses. But, you can use RSS to see when my page or any other page on the web that you go to a lot is updated. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. So, for example, I use it for several things like MSNBCs breaking news page, my friend Dans flickr photo page, and some of my friends blogs. Then, when I open internet explorer, on my left hand side I see a link to the pages I have chosen. If they are BOLD, I know that a new post, picture or article has been added. If its not bolded, same old site. And, the RSS links update automatically throughout the day. Below is a screenshot on how to set up and use this feature if you are intereated!



Step 1 - click the orange box on your Microsoft Explorer Internet toolbar. Choose the RSS option.


Step 2 - when the "feed" page comes up, click "subscribe to this feed". Another window will pop up, name it something you will remember, then hit subscribe.


To see your subscribed feeds, click on the yellow star on your Internet Explorer tool bar, then click feeds. When you see all your links, you can "pushpin" them to keep the window open by clicking on green arrow on the top right of the window. Your subscribed feeds that are updated will show in bold. Once you open the page to see the update on the site, it will no longer be bold.

Happy Subscribing.

Dr. Love

Just in case you dont read the whole thing, please at least read the last paragraph where I beg you to leave a comment for Dr. Love. And then do it. :)

Fernando has this friend who has appeared on my blog once before. His name is Amore Jr (that's Dr Amore to the ladies). Needless to say, he only had a cameo on my blog and his ego was seriously damaged. He felt that his introduction to my online world was weak and exclusive of some of his best qualities. So here we go - the official introduction.

Amore Jr was born a ramblin man. At an early age he learned how to master the ability to pick up chicks just by lookin cool behind the wheel and givin the ladies his cheshire cool cat smile (cool cat was part of the day to day lingo back in those times so very very long ago). As Amore developed into a man, his hands grew freakishly long and he discovered that the ladies were strangely attracted to them. It was at this point that he started to go to any length to work his hands into a conversation. Needless to say, he now finds it difficult to have conversations without intentionally flailing his hands around to ensure they are noticed. His most blatent way of getting proper placement is by use of numbers. He particularly likes to speak of things in threes so that he can show off three of his falanges all at once.



As a side note, despite his player tendencies, Amore Jr. is a good guy. Ladies, he's single. Also, to continue to boost his ego, it would be really nice if you could leave a comment on this post for him. This is an invitation to everyone to participate (ladies, men, children). Feel free to offer support or words of advice to him. Click "comment" below.

Fernando, Me, Bella Chemie, Veronica, Bince

Fourth of July weekend was exciting as usual.

On Thursday we went to dinner and the theater- we saw Spamalot. There is something to be said about that kind of stupid humor. I like a good show now and then where it's just plain stupid funny. You don't have to think too much about things and you can laugh, escape and relax. Even the program was funny to read.

On Friday we didn't do too much, but did end up watching fireworks on the roof of Fernando's apartment in Queens. The apartment was becoming more of *our* place since I really hadn't left there since before our Utah trip. I'm sure Ill never leave now...he's stuck with me and my two doggies.

Saturday we headed out to Sag Harbor. I was excited to go for a number of reason, but most of all because I had never been to that part of Long Island and to the Hamptons and I have always wanted to go check it out. Fernando's family friends live there in the quaint town of Sag Harbor. They hosted a barbecue that day. I surprised everyone when I borrowed the accordion in the house and attempted to play! I do have to admit, I'm pretty rusty but I did manage to make it through one song.

All of the ladies at the party decided to show me around town after dessert. It was a cool little place with a boat harbor and fashion boutiques, as well as charming restaurants. But my most favorite part of our little excursion was seeing the marshland in the backyard of two of the ladies home (Jann and Jo). I felt like I was in a scene in a movie. It was so lush and swampy. It was too dark to take a picture or I would have shared.

I was happy to know that there are *real* people living in that area. Mostly all you hear about are the P Diddys and Paris Hiltons of the world partying it up and giving that area a big snob name. But not so! I met some truly wonderful people that day who could outdo in kindness and generosity.

My next places to tackle on Long Island...Beth Page Golf, Vineyards Touring, and Montauk. Watch out LI, here I come!


Billy Joel's House - really liked the Buoys!

Piggy Sunset

Biking on the Kokopelli Trail

Saturday Morning in Colorado was the beginning to a very hot day. I think it hit 100 degrees. What better thing to do on a day like this than go mountain biking with Maggie and Fernando through the red rock in the desert. My idea! As the others cried out to us..."Drink lots of water", we headed out to the kokopelli trail. It was beautiful but 5 miles seemed like an eternity in that weather and terrain. After doing the first loop we decided to head back to town for lunch and try to avoid heat exhaustion.

Once we got back to town to drop off the bikes, Fernando noticed a pizza place across the street with a sign claiming it was the "greatest pizza". We just had to try it. Inside, we met the owner, Jen. She was a really cool chick from New Jersey. She wanted to stay away from the big cities and live some place where she could chill out and enjoy the scenery. So she ended up with a pizza shop on main street in Fruita, Idaho. It's definitely working for her. She looks like she is in her twenties but is really in her forties.

After lunch, we dropped Maggie off at the campground but Fernando and I were not yet ready to endure the heat again, so we decided to take an air conditioned road trip to Grand Junction. I told Fernando that this was *his* time to choose what he wanted to do for the next several hours. But then when we got to Junction I saw a sign for the Colorado National Monument and I kinda hijacked the rest of his time. It went something like this...."oooo, look, the Colorado National Monument...that would be cool, we should go"...Fernando: "ok". Wow that was easy.

We had no idea what to expect for the monument. Next thing we knew we were entering a national park and driving through red rock! There were a ton of cool rock formations but we still had no idea about the monument. We finally came across the information center and found out that the whole park is considered the "monument".

Ah ha.

That evening, the sun set beautifully over Country Jam and it was indeed a sight to behold. The large blow up pig over the stand that sold Dave's Famous Barbecue was like a beacon. A giant pork silhouette in the sun as if to say "you have arrived, this is Country Jam at its best. Barbecue, Tim Mcgraw, country music, beer and cowboy hats. It just doesn't get any better - but let's just throw a sunset on top of it and outdo ourselves. ". The big apple barbecue could never have this ambiance. Eat your heart out New York.


Pig Sunset

Sunday
Sunday was the day I was looking forward to the most - horseback riding and white water rafting. We rode on horses through the canyons and it was a lot of fun. I haven't been on a horse in a very long time. So the guy is giving us instructions on how to hold the reigns - pull to the left if you want her to go left, same for the right, pull back if you want her to stop, and lift the reins if you want them to go faster. We take off and head toward the mountains but have to cross a highway. My horse is going pretty slow and I am in the middle of the road. Then the guide turns around to me and says "raise your hand!". So, I put my right hand up in the air just like I would have to answer a question in school. They all start laughing at me...apparently he meant for me to raise my hand with the reigns to make the horse trot.

Later that day, the second part of our "saddle and paddle" tour was beginning. Apparently I didn't ask enough questions when booking the trip. I thought we had signed up for white water rafting, but instead I had signed us up for a river float. I was thinking the guide was a little crazy when she suggested before the trip that we pack the cooler with some beers. I'm thinkin, there's no way I'm gonna go down rapids with a buzz. About two hours into it I was praying for a beer. Instead, Fernando entertained us by taking the guide's seat, giving her a break, and rowing us down the river. He even rowed us through a class .5 rapids. That's point 5, not 5. :)

Later that day, Fernando, Maggie, and I headed back to Salt Lake. On the way we made a pit stop in the middle of nowhere to check out the stars! End of a great day.


Horseback Riding

Cheese Mongers and Broken Flatware

Fernando and I just made our first trip together - or at least first trip requiring an airplane. We headed out to Utah and Colorado.

Our first day there we went to meet up with some old friends in the morning (Tracy and Jeremy), then to my dentist. I know its a little strange that I try to always make it to my old dentist there but he's really great. Never tells me I have cavities (kidding). Let's just give a shout out to Dr. Sands in salt lake. If any of you are looking for a dentist (or, if any of you need to complete a follow up appt-ahem-Maggie) please look him up. He is the bomb diggity of dentists. Tell him I sent you. Sorry for the commercial break. Back now to our regularly scheduled program.

After the dentist, the most natural thing to do is go and mess up those clean choppers with some comida mexicana. I'm talkin some Cafe Rio. I think I blogged on and on before about the wonderfulness of their salads with the warm handmade tortilla, beans, rice, fire grilled chicken on a bed of greens with tostada chips and tomatillo dressing. Yum.

Then it was off to golf at wingpointe. It was here that Fernando got his first hole in one. OK. Not really. But I felt the story was dragging a little. To top off the day we went to Rodezio grill with Maggie, Greg and Cindy - good friends fro SLC. We stuffed ourselves silly with meat - more than any normal person should eat in one session. We were gluttons.

Day 2
Day 2 started with a trip to Harmon's. For those who don't know...think Mr Rogers theme song then sing this (out loud, or in your head. Its more fun out loud). "Harmon's is the grocer in your neighborhood, in your neighborhood, in your..." You get the point. So my dad was raving about the new store that had went up and we decided to to that particular store to pick up some things we needed for dinner. That's when we met the cheese monger. And no, I'm not being mean, that's what her name tag said. But it didn't stop me from a little snickering. She was really cool and opened up several packs of cheese we wanted to try. Whatever we were interested in, she just cut it open and let us try it. We tried all kinds of obscure cheeses - those that has to be flown down from the mountains of Sweden where only certain kinds of goats live. Who knew there was so much to know about cheese?

Later we golfed at South Mountain. I think between the two of us Fernando and I lost three sleeves of balls. It was the altitude. Truth be told, it was mostly all my doing but it seemed like less if I throw him under the bus with me.

After golf we BBQd with Kenny and Denise. During dinner there came a time when it was painfully clear that Fernando and I belong together. It happened right after he broke their fork and I broke their napkin ring. After apologies we decided it was important to have a picture to commemorate the event.

Big Apple Grapple

There comes a time in everyone's life when we all make important choices that will shape who we will become. This weekend was hopefully one of my life-defining moments. And its all thanks to Vince for talking me into it.

Vince was an avid arm wrestler in the bar scene. I heard tales on the street that he could single handedly arm wrestle 3 drunk frat boys simultaneously- and win. And so it goes.

Each year, New York City hosts the Big Apple Grapple. It is an Arm Wrestling competition where people from all over (including other countries...making it an "international" competition) come to flex their biceps and smack down the competition. This year, the Big Apple Grapple was run in conjunction with the New York City Bar Show. The Bar show is a convention center event where people pay to come see bar stuff- like bar glasses, stoppers, dispensers, liquors, etc. And they get the added bonus of seeing the arm wrestling event as well as a bartending competition.

So, it was 30$ to get into the "Bar Show" but also 30$ if you wanted to get into the Bar Show and also register to compete in the Big Apple Grapple - and you get FREE TSHIRT! Needless to say, it was a no brainer. I always wanted a NYC Arms t-shirt.

Upon arriving, I started sizing up my competition. There were several women there but the challenge was determining who was competing and who was there to cheer on their man. The key was looking at their hand to see if they had a number stamped on it.

I was entered in as an amateur and was in the middle weight class. I'm not exactly sure how many women were signed up for the event - but I think, in total, there were 6. There were for sure 4 in my weight class. So... the announcer comes onto the stage and eventually calls my number. I am really nervous to be on stage in front of all these people, arm wrestling of all things. Whoda thunk it? I am paired up with a woman named Denise (i think). The referee takes our hands and we get our grips. He says, "ready...GO!" and Denise who is much older than me takes me down in about 5 seconds. She has done this many times before. After the match, Denise comes over to say hello. First she tells me about her claim to fame - she was on Howard Stern's "Private Parts" - self described as the "woman who swallowed the 13 inch Kielbasa". Then, she offers to give me some tips... ON ARMWRESTLING! Get your mind outta the gutter. She obviously was quite aware that I have never done this before. She shows me how to grip, how to shape my wrist, etc. This is good because this is a double elimination competition so I have one more to go.

Next, the emcee calls my name again. This time I am paired up to arm wrestle the Canadian National Champion. Oh Crap. Does this mean I am representing the USA here????? Um. Oh. No.

She's a cute woman. Thin, blond, cute pink shirt. I'm thinkin, okay, this isn't so bad. She goes over to the powder - I dont know what kind of powder it is, so let's just call it Arm Wraslin powder. She slathers her hand with the powder and immediately I know she ain't messin around. We go to the post and she gets leverage with one leg by wrapping it around the leg of the table. Oh crap again. We get our grip... I completely forgot everything the Kielbasa lady just taught me... and "Ready, GO!" And its a NEW WORLD RECORD!!! 2 seconds and she had me pinned. Ok, I made up the world record part. So, needless to say. She kicked my butt. But I was on the NBC news and I am famous. In my mind I was the USA representative in the middle weight class. Always good to be famous in our own minds.

The boys fared just as well as I did. Meaning... they lost too. THEY, however, Didn't have to wrestle any champions of other countries. I mean, I think if I got to wrestle some amateurs, I probably coulda held my own. Maybe.


Vince at the Table

Mermaids and Pirates

This weekend was the annual Mermaid Parade in Coney Island. Fernando, Amore Jr. and myself went for a looksie. For those of you who don't know about Coney Island or the Mermaid Parade here it is:

Coney Island: Beach at the edge of Brooklyn with the famous Cyclone rollercoaster, other rides, fried food and a paintball game called Shoot the Freak. Also home to the annual 4th of July hot dog eating contest that is broadcast on ESPN. For a fuller picture - Surf avenue (the main street) is old and dirty. There are lots of run down food shacks, litter in the street, and other random shops that really don't belong on a beach boulevard (like the two discount furniture stores). The train station into Coney Island is brand new, but it is the only new and nice thing there. The beach is PACKED with people. Barely any room to do anything. And, if you wander through the umbrellas down the beach you will hit some pockets of mary jane smoke and get a contact high. The water looks pretty dirty too.

The Mermaid Parade - an annual parade to usher in Summer. People dress like sea things- sea creatures, sea gods, mermaids, clams, lobsters, pirates, etc. It is like halloween in the middle of summer. It is also famously known for the topless women who join the parade with painted bodies or pasties. The parade has an underlying hippy-ish theme.

This year was a little different than most. They are getting ready to tear down lots of Coney Island to build new developments. Many of the paraders were protesting the development and the things that will come along with it like Starbucks and other big chain businesses.

You know, I'm kind of on the fence with this one. In one way, I can understand the desire to preserve Coney Island. But it's a dump. If they would just clean up the streets, paint the old buildings, and revitalize the pavillion it would be fine. You could get the best of both worlds. They don't need to raze the whole thing and start over, but I definitely think it needs a lot of work. So, we shall see what happens. This year is the last year that it will all be intact. For better or worse!

Sex and the City - Cliche Night

The Girls

So, I decided to be totally cliche with the new Sex and the City movie and plan a "girls night" to go see the flick. It was done up right.... I had the evite all pimped out with the Pink and Black theme - complete with picture of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda all decked out in designer clothes that I don't even know half the names of.

We went for cocktails (of course) before the movie. Jackie had her very first cosmo - a rite of passage for those girls in the movie. We took this picture to commemorate the evening with my camera phone.

Side note, apparently we werent the only girls with this idea. There were two other tables of women in the bar having cocktails that I also saw in the theater. Hence the cliche.

JPM Corporate Challenge

I've been in NYC for 4.5 years now. Technically, I'm right over the river, but its might as well be the 6th borough...at least price/people wise it is. Each year I have meant to participate in the JPM Corporate Challenge 5k around central park. And, each year I either try to sign up too late or am going to be out of town or something like that. This year I actually made it to the run! It poured on us with our nice white t-shirts given to us from our company...but we made due and perservered. I didn't have some excellent race winning run, but I was happy with my 35 minutes. Here is a pic of me with some of my co-workers. Good peeps.

Sooooo-Weeeeeee

HOLY SMOKES!!!! Literally. Today I went with Fernando and his friend...lets call him The Groz to the most amazing wonderful festival that has ever been held in New York City. The BIG APPLE BARBEQUE. For those of you who know me well, this can only be described as a little slice of heaven on earth. We arrived mid day and parked a few blocks away. The smell of all the barbeque had wafted all the way over to Park Avenue from the west side. My stomach rumbled as soon as that savory breeze hit my nose.

It was like a carnival for carnivores. We approached the "fair" and found tent after tent of barbeque-ers peddling their wares. Spare ribs, baby back ribs, chicken, and more. It was a sweltering hot day and the heat from the pits just added to the intensity...but it didn't matter. Let there be smoke!!!!

We quickly found the beer tents (after all, it was SOOO hot we needed some kind of refreshment. Its not like they had "soda" or "water" tents!). There was fittingly a nice hee-haw band playing. A guy in a union suit with a washboard and a harmonica was on stage with the rest of his band.. The rest of them were mostly looking like a normal band, minus the fiddler - who they boasted was the Tallest fiddler in New York City. Quite the accomplishmnet apparently. I think I should try for the tallest female accoridon player in New York. I think I could possibly be THE ONE. You never know though, there might be an Inga or Helga out there that could give me the smack down on some tall fancy accordion playing. Speaking of SMACK DOWNS... I have an upcoming post you are gonna love for my most recent smack down experience. Coming soon (like 3 posts away).

We had a few beers then went to find our cornucopia of barbeque to consume. But, the lines for the BBQ on the street were ridiculously long. To stand outside a bunch of tents with fires ablaze to cook the food on top of the sweltering heat for an extended period of time was pretty much unthinkable. So we did what any normal New Yorkers would do... we said screw it and went to Blue Smoke (a bbq restaurant) down the block and ate in comfort at a nice table with air conditioning. You see, New Yorkers are troopers when they HAVE to be, but not really at other times. This is definitely a different culture than any other people in the US that I have been around.... Upcoming post about that too (look for the one on Grand Junction where people endure 100 degree weather - like 4 posts away).


Below: Fernando and The Groz excited like little boys on Christmas morning trying to decide where to go first with the Barbeque Map

Let's Go Mets

The most American thing I can think of to do on Memorial Day is to go to a baseball game. Fernando bought me a cute Mets hat for my birthday and I was ready to put it to some good use. I got online and found us some tickets and took him as a suprise to the game to show my appreciation for the hat. I am of the absolute belief that if you are going to go to a baseball game, you have to have the whole experience. (Which for me means some bad food and singing "take me out to the ball game" in the seventh inning. So, hotdogs, peanuts, beer, kettle corn (I know, I know, its not crackerjacks, but close enough) were on the menu. If you look closely at the picture, you can see the nice beautiful peanut remnants in my teeth. I have no shame.

Summer ,Summer, Summer Ti-ime

I know its not TECHNICALLY summer, but lately it has felt like it. I have been to the golf course the last two weekends. AND, I went to a BBQ.

First, we shall talk about golf. I am soooo excited that Fernando has a car and likes to golf. Translation: I get to go golfing. I have spent the last few years here not being able to really go out and golf for a few reasons:
1. I don't own a car - lugging clubs on the train isnt fun.
2. The train really doesn't go to golf courses anyway.
3. I hate asking people for rides
4. Its too expensive to rent a car just to go golfing.
5. None of my friends golf.

Last year, in Utah, I was pretty excited because I was there for two months and got to go several times. This year, I have gotten to see two courses already in NY.

Not sure why exactly I like the sport. I am not really good at it - I usually shoot between 110 and 120. For those of you who don't know = those who Golf well do it under 100. I think maybe its four things: the social aspect, the sunshine and grass, the excercise, and, of course, the Golf Skirt. So there you have it.

The BBQ after golf was the first of the season. We went to Ferando's mom's place and had a really nice layout: london broil, salmon steaks, portobello mushrooms, and lots of other table treats. Don't get me started on the cheese. Ok. Get me started.

Over the years I have developed a taste for cheese. Growing up, we only had the kinds of cheese you put on sandwiches - Swiss, American, Jack, Cheddar, Parmesan (in the shaker for spaghetti!) and who can live without VELVEETA!!! Seriously... where did velveeta come from? My brother and I had countless plates of nachos and little bagel pizza sandwiches after school made with that stuff. Is it real cheese? So back to my cheese story... we never really had many cheese varieties outside of the normal stuff you would find next to the yogurt and sour cream in the dairy section. I'm not really sure why - maybe my parents thought we wouldn't like it.

Over the last ten years after attending several parties, my cheese universe has grown to include all of the wonderful flavors of cheese - goudas, blues, goats, brie, edam, jarlsburg, etc etc etc. So, I think I now have a problem with a slight cheese addictions. But not to fear, I am not alone. I have found several others just like me. You know who you are. You are the ones who go and peruse the aisle for that perfect block of cheese that is going to "make" your evening. And then you go home and scarf down half of it with a bag of those flat Carrs table crackers and half a bottle of wine.

Back to the real story... so the BBQ was fabulous. Wish I still had a grill. Would love to have BBQs again. Miss that.

Fully Committed

Fernando, Me, Greg, Brian

Today I was invited to one of the coolest things I have done since I have been in New York. Most people are probably thinking it is skydiving over the Empire State Building or something crazy like that... a little more subdued but definitely very cool. Fernando's friend Greg had some friends in from out of town and wanted to plan a fun night for them. Across the hall from his office is an acting studio...

Needless to say, he ended up with the genius idea to have a private showing of "Fully Committed" - a one man show being done by one of the students. There were probably about 20 people there. Greg set it up nice with some appetizers and a bar. We hung out for about an hour before the show started and chatted.

The show was cool because we were all in our own private little stage with the actor. It really had a personal feel to it - something I have never really had before except when I was in highschool practicing for plays I was in. This was different though, because I was in the audience.

After the show, we had some time to ask questions to the actor and the *director - (I think that was his title but I could be very wrong). It was truly a wonderful experience and I am really grateful to have been invited to participate.

**Thanks Greg!

Pic from that night is attached.

Trials and Tribulations of a Jersey Resident

The latest police taping and coning off of my street (sorry its not the best picture, but you get the point).

I officially am declaring my dislike for 77 Hudson - the new giant building across the street from my apartment. Reasons why I dislike it:

1. My view of the skyline is now obstructed by a giant ugly monstrosity.
2. They start work on the building at 7am - 6 days a week. Happy that the giant hammer thing that was pounding metal spikes into the ground is gone but unhappy because of new cranes and other loud noises.
3. The workers use one of those horns people blow during basketball and football games when their team scores... but they use it every fifteen minutes to communicate. I think I have it down: one blow - breaktime. Two blows: move the crane. Three blows: lets piss off the girl in the apartment across the street who is trying to sleep.
4. There are a few trash cans/dumpsters across the street now that proclaim "We love wild girls". Oh really? You do huh? I'm secretly crushing up old birth control pills I found in my medicine chest with tons of estrogen in them and contaminating their big orange water coolers. We will see how long the spray paint lasts. Ok, the potency is probably not good on them since they are old but you never know. It might work.
5. My stoop is now the hang out for any one of the 300+ construction guys who want to eat their sandwich or smoke their cigarette and leave their trash (which in turn causes me to have to battle with my dogs to keep them away from sidewalk scraps on a daily basis .... and yes, I have now mastered the finger sweep. YUCK) I'm pretty sure that is why Wally has now taken to just licking the sidewalk.
6. Safety Safety Safety. This one requires sub-indents due to the amount of items in this category.
a. The 4 alarm fire in October. At this time only 18 floors had been built and they only had piped the water up to the 14th floor. So, the MF burned. Not exactly sure how the whole thing started, but I was evacuated from my apartment for 4 days. With my dogs. And the windows to my apartment were left open. I found charred pieces of wood inside when I got home. Link to story.
b. Debris was falling off the building for a few weeks so they blocked off the street with police for a few days then put up some scaffolding on the sidewalk. The police changed guard every few hours or so and no pedestrians were allowed on my street. I got yelled at (i lost count) a gazillion times by the police when I went out to walk the dogs... Ma'am, you can't be walking on this street... Ma'am this is dangerous... Ma'am ma'am ma'am. UGH. I mean really, what else did they want me to do? Leave home till they fixed it?
c. Storm #1 - they finally removed the scaffolding. Then there was a big storm and apparently a lot of loose wood, wires, trash, etc. Fernando and I were awakened all night long by debris hitting my apartment. The next day I found a two by four on my fire escape. I'm on the 3rd floor. So that's what that really loud noise was hitting my window at 4am?? The street looked like a war zone..wood, wire, plastic bins and trash everywhere. They shut down my street again for a few days and installed nets. (apparently to 'catch' the debris). Now wouldn't it just make more sense to secure the stuff they have sitting on all those floors? Maybe I just don't understand the science of it all. And, the nets were horizontal to the ground. If the wind was gonna pick stuff up and blow it off the building, not sure how a horizontal net would work with stuff that is flying parallel to it. Which leads us to the next "incident".
d. Despite the nets... a two by four falls off the building on a windy day just as a car happens to be driving down my street. It piles into the car from about the 30th floor. Right in front of my apartment. My street is shut down again.
e. Next Storm. Same thing. This time they decide to put the scaffolding up again. This time with chicken wire as a "wall" between the sidewalk and the street.
I do have to say though, I like the scaffolding when it is raining and I have to walk the dogs. At least there is one positive.
7. Back to the reasons.. no more safety indents. My name is not "Baby". When I wear a suit with a skirt to work, I am not wearing it to "look hot". Only my dogs respond to whistles. Need I say more.
8. The street in front of my house is not a trash can.

Ok, I'm done. But if any new reasons come up, I will be sure to update the blog.



I stole this picture off a website since I didn't have one myself. Find it on NJ News website - giving credit where credit is due. Photo By REENA ROSE SIBAYAN / THE JERSEY JOURNAL. Four alarm fire.

The Landmark Forum

This weekend I attended a seminar called the Landmark Forum. Its probably easiest to say that it is something like a class in how to be a human being: living a happy and fulfilled life, as well as being a good person. Sounds a little simplistic to be a 36 hour class (3 full days and one additional evening) but it was packed full of information. I signed up to take this seminar for a few reasons. I had never heard of it before, but Fernando and a few of his friends have taken it and they have talked about it several times over the last few months. All of them seemed to have enjoyed the seminar and had a positive experience. Also, every year I say at New Year's that I want to develop myself personally and never really have invested in trying to do that through classes/seminars. And lastly, since Fernando has taken it, I thought it would be nice to be able to have something to share and talk about that we both have done.

There is a lot of participation from those who attended the seminar to open up parts of their lives to others and it helps you to see yourself in similar situations. It helps you to identify parts of your life that you may want to transform. It's a little hard to explain on a blog! So, needless to say I met some really cool people. We had these assigments to do on our breaks with other participants so I got to know some of the people in the class. Just want to give a shout out to all of them - and I am looking forward to taking the next course!

5 Borough Bike Tour

Pretty exciting day for me today... my first bike tour. Each year, there is a 5 borough bike tour that is about 42 miles through New York. Like the name says, it covers the 5 boroughs. So you start from Manhattan, ride to the Bronx, then back to Manhattan, then Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island. The trip was a real tribute to my relationship.

My bike needed to be tuned up prior to the ride. Due to my hours at work that week and subsequent laziness, I ended up not getting the bike to the shop. No big deal right? Wrong. The first 9 miles of the tour, I was getting passed by people that were either much older or younger than me and/or much larger than me. For someone that is in pretty decent shape, there was no reason for me to be passed like this. Fernando was a trooper. It was visibly obvious that he was trying not to be annoyed with my "abilities". Gotta hand it to him. He was trying to be so positive. Needless to say, at the first "rest stop" we brought my bike to the tent and fixed the brake rubbing against the wheel which made a huge difference. Too bad that 9 miles really had already felt like 18!

In the end, I made it though. It was a really nice experience for me. Fernando had done it before but this was my first time. It was fun to see the boroughs from a different perspective - but the bridges were a bitch! Fernando is in really good shape. After a while, I just kept telling him to meet me at the top of the hills. Don't get me wrong, I did pretty good on them I think (I never stopped to walk!). Just not as good as him.

While the bike ride was awesome and really fun, I have been paying for it ever since. My back is whack. I'll get over it though. Not the first time and won't be the last. Just wish my massage therapist from Utah was here. Really miss that. Three one hour sessions with her was the same price as one session here. Ugh! So, I haven't been.

Not sure what it is about backs and rites of passage. But, I think that there should be one for them. You know, it would be like this: age 13 you become a teenager, age 18 you can vote, age 21 you can drink, age 25 you can rent a car and pay normal fees, age 30 you are no longer considered one of those punk ass kids, and then comes the back. Age 30+, back pain. Blah Blah Blah. Ill get over it.

My Photography

As many of you know, I have a strong interest in photography. I am adding this one to my elite collection. Titled: Jewish Gangsta Graffiti. Fernando thinks it should be called Jewish Gang-star of David Graffiti. Ok, so maybe I haven't quite settled on the title yet. This is a limited edition - only 10 copies will be printed/sold. I have reduced the resolution on this one to avoid people downloading and printing their own copies. Contact me if you are interested. I will sign them. Hurry before it's too late!

Battery Gardens Wedding

Today I attended a Jewish wedding for the first time. Fernando invited me to go with him. It was held in Battery Gardens. I always think it is nice to go to weddings outside of your own beliefs - it's fun to see what everyone else's traditions are. It was a beautiful wedding outside overlooking the harbor. The bride and groom were a very cute couple. Some of the nice traditions I got to witness: The families sharing a cup of wine, the breaking of the glass, the wedding contract, and of course, the dancing with the chairs. A great experience.

Sophie and I went shopping to pick out a dress to wear, this is what we decided was the best. I really am not normally much of a yellow person, but this one I liked and it seemed very Spring-ish. Nice for an April wedding. I always remember that the rule of thumb at a wedding is not to wear black (morbid), white (only the bride) or red (just too showy). So, I thought a nice muted yellow would be perfect. Apparently that rule has gone out the window in Manhattan. Pretty much everyone was wearing black. Me: Tall and Yellow - Like Big Bird. And cue the seasame street song... "One of these things is not like the other...." My yellow dress and Marco's black eye, and the fact that we were taller than everyone else of our genders made us stand out like sore thumbs.

Public Transportation

I would like to interrupt my normally bitch free blog to show you this public service message. This sign has been absent for quite a long time at the World Trade Center path stop. It used to be posted at the north entrance a few years ago, then it disappeared. Since the station obviously did'nt open on time, I was always on the lookout for a new sign. Then, while heading into the city last week I saw it. They hjad closed the north entrance and opened a west entrance to do construction. I got excited when I saw the sign, thinking that I would finally know when the train I wish I could take every week would be up and running again. Instead the NYC MTA decided to post this old sign on the brand new entrance to the path. Still no idea when the damn thing is going to open back up. Why bother putting this sign up? I don't understand.

Happy Birthday To Me

This weekend was my birthday! Another year older, but probably not another year wiser. I think that when you are a kid - you know 8 or 9, you get increasingly smart with age - learning new things. I'm not talking about life experiences. And then, I think there must be a peak. I feel like the older I get, the more things that I had learned I forget. My life experience knowledge grows, but all the other stuff seems to get mushy-er. (Is that a word? Well it is in MY WORLD, And that's how I'm gonna spell it dammit).

Case in point: Over the last few weeks I have been working on really crunching some raw data at work to establish a means of evaluating productivity and trending performance and growth as well as creating a measurable way of looking at risk. Blah Blah Blah, I'm so important. In order to do this I had to sit back and take the time machine into the year 1993. 15 years ago. It wasn't that I didn't understand my data or anything like that, I just couldn't remember coefficients, means, medians, standard deviations, regressions, etc etc. UGH. Here it is folks... you know that stuff in class in High School and College Math and Stats that you think you are never going to use ever again? Remember how your teacher said that it could be applied to practical everyday things? Remember how you sat there in class and thought... Yeah RIGHT! Well, I am here to tell you that it is true. From the recesses of my brain I painfully retrieved what I could remember and then had to refer to the abundance of topics on the Internet to fill in the gaps. Shh.. .don't tell anyone. Yes, we all know how much RELIABLE data there is on the Internet. God help me, hope I picked the right sites to refresh my knowledge.

So, needless to say, as I get older, I feel like I get dumber in the Academic sense.

So, on to more important things.... What Did I do for my Birthday? Well, I took a half day off work. Went to the spa and got my nails and stuff done. Then went to Fernando's house. (Side Note: Something you should know about me, I use the word HOUSE to mean any of the following things: apartment, condo, town home, single family home, duplex, igloo, hut...) I arrived to Happy Birthday balloons on the front door. After arriving, Fernando opened a bottle of Champagne and we had some cheese and crackers with the bubbly stuff. Then it was on to dinner - Chicken Parmesan, Broccoli and Garlic Bread. YUM. It was really good! Fernando gave me a Mets Hat, Softball Glove, and two cool books. I loved all of it! Then, there was cake! He tried to use trick candles but I spotted their flickering immediately. I AM THE PRO OF THAT. He thought he was being all tricky but that is MY TRICK so I knew immediately what he was trying to pull. That didn't stop me from trying to blow them out. (Coulda been the Champagne and Wine too that caused me not to stop trying).

My favorite quote from Bday Weekend: Gabriel my neighbor says to me "29 are the best 10 years of a woman's life". I've been 29 for a while now. Like the quote. Made me laugh.

So, in summary, it was a great birthday. Yippee.

Yellow Carnations and a Black Eye

The two in the title really have nothing to do with each other. It was more a title usage to make people wonder what I am going to be writing about and read the post.

First, I want to show everyone how sweet Fernando is by bringing me flowers. See pic.

Secondly, on Saturday we went to play Football (2 hand touch). The crowd was rough!! One of the guys ran into Fernando who is built like a brick house and the guy just hit him and fell to the ground. Somehow Fernando ended up with a black eye. We lost. Due to injuries to the both of us sustained during the game, we will not be continuing our membership in the league. Sticking to the less violent sports like running and softball.

4/20 4:20

So, this weekend was like several of my past weekends where I have found myself in Central Park. This weekend was a little different though. Fernando, RickyBobby and I were throwing and hitting a softball in one of the ball Diamonds in the park. As we were playing around, the distinct smell of smoke - and I'm not talkin about the legal kind - kept wafting over into the ball diamond. This kinda thing happens a lot in NYC, just like other big cities. You wander down the street and get a nice whif of the ganja. Today was a little different. There was a crowd plopped down on the grass. It was a large group of the stereotypical portrait of pot smokers. I'm not exactly sure how much of it was probably sitting about twenty feet away from us, but I probably had a contact high. And then RickyBobby made a profound observation. He checked his watch. It was April 20 at 4:20. Fernando and RickyBobby came up with a theory that there must have been a craigslist post or something similar to gather the masses for this annual event. I'm picturing it as something akin to the Spring Equinox for Pot Heads.

As a side note, I learned about the unspoken rules of playing softball with few people. I'm sharing for all of you who do not know. To avoid having people be bat hogs (always wanting to hit but not pitch or field) the batter is supposed to lay down the bat horizontally in front of home plate. The fielder, after catching the hit ball rolls it back in to the batter and tries to hit the bat. If the fielder hits the bat, they get to come in and hit. Thems the dirtmound bad news bears rules. Live by them.

Our Nation's Capital

Milestone: MY 200th POST!!!

Is there something wrong with me that EVERY time I think of going to DC I think of Forrest Gump? Don't answer that. So, Fernando invited me to go with him to DC to spend the weekend with him and his family - his mom, two brothers, their wives, and their kids. Naturally, I was flattered that he asked me to go. He must like me enough to continue to introduce me to the rest of his family. I was happy to go.

Now, I know I am a complete sap, but I really enjoy family events. My family on my dad's side has a golf open every year in Iowa. I don't get to go every year, but I really enjoy the times when I do get to go. And, my family on my mom's side always does a 4th of July celebration which has the nice hometown feel that I like to experience. Both of these events are in Iowa each year. Like I said, I don't get back there often, but when I do it is all worth it. Family holidays in the past were tough to coordinate - mostly because I didn't have the cash to ever go and make trips to see my mom or dad. Things are a little better now and I am able to go and see them more often - now its those damn vacation days that I need more of!!

So, doing the family thing with Fernando was really fun for me on a few levels. First of all, I like to meet new people - especially people that are loved and respected by those I care about. I had seen pictures and heard a few stories, but it is always ten times better to meet them in person. Second of all, I like to hang out with kids... they are funny and have very little inhibitions. His nieces and nephews were no exception to the rule. Also, you get a glimpse into someone's life. I got to hear bits and pieces of the history and experiences of Fernando. You learn more about people from their family.

A rundown of what we did. We left for DC on Friday morning. When we arrived, Fernando and I went for a 3 mile run. It was TORTURE. Hill after hill after hill. I was ready to kill the concierge who recommended the trail. And, no water fountains. Bad bad. Will someone please donate some money to the city of Arlington so they will put in some functioning water fountains on their trails? After our run, we went to dinner with his family.

I was a little quiet at dinner. For being the seriously extroverted person I am, I sure do seem to get quiet when I meet "important" people. You know, the people you actually care what they think about you..I mean, I can meet the CEO of my company in the elevator and have a conversation with him about salads, but you give me my boyfriends family and all of the sudden I'm quiet. Hmmm.

Well, you know me... I wasn't quiet for long. Next day I had soaked it all in and was ready to go. And then I was myself. Not that I hadn't tried to be myself the night before but I guess I WAS being myself. Circular Reference. If you understand what I just said and meant, then you are also probably a person like me who spends way too much time with Microsoft Excel. (Yes, I know that was super geek - If you know about circular references you may as well be in the geek club with me).

Day 2 - Saturday - we went to the Cherry Blossom parade. Then to the street festival. The favorite character from the street festival was chillin in the plaza with a jug of milk. See photo. After that, Fernando and I went for a run. It was a pretty cool run. We went from the Washington Monument to the Capitol, back to the Washington Monument, then to the Lincoln memorial, then the Jefferson Memorial. I may have the order wrong, but you get the picture. I ran it once... Fernando ran it twice. After all the running I think I did close to 6 miles. Maybe I am exaggerating. I know it was more than 5. Fernando is training to run a marathon - hence his motivation. My motivation: to tighten up those flabby thighs.



Not sure what it is about running. The first two miles always seem brutal. The third gets a little better, then after that it is like I am coasting. Getting better at it each time. We will see, maybe one of these times I will run the whole way with Fernando.

After our run we headed back to the hotel with his mom (she waited for us while we ran) and then had dinner with his family. Fernando and I slipped away for some Cold Stone Ice Cream... deserved it after that run!

Day three - we went to the museum of Natural History and saw the Imax Dinosaur film and the Butterfly exhibit. The dinosaur film was in 3d. Is it just me or do those things give everyone a headache? I always feel cross eyed wearing those 3d glasses. After the museum we headed back home.



I hate the trips home soley because it is a return to reality. Thoughts about work start to creep back into my head. Responsibilities start to come back to you. Even though it was only a little weekend getaway, it was enough to escape all of that. These are the things I live for. The little escapes. I know I wouldn't appreciate them as much if I had them all the time. They make you grateful for what you work toward and thankful for the time you get to spend with others.

But, even though the trip home was not without fleeting thoughts of upcoming projects and meetings, I did manage to block most of it out listening to music with Fernando and his mom. Im not talking about listening to music...Im talking about LISTENING to music. Discussing it. Trying to figure it out - almost like when you would read Shakespeare for the first time in Lit class. Those elusive lyrics that could mean a thousand things.

I have this theory... You know how back before electricity, television, radio, and other forms of media all people had to entertain themselves were books, the company of others, and live music? It used to amaze me how old letters and writings always quoted books and poems. People knew their favorites by memory and could recite it on demand. I got to thinking about music today and how we are very much like that still...just in a different way. Our favorite songs we know by heart and can recite all the words on demand. I used to think that maybe we all lost a bit of that type of "poetry" and "culture" but I think it has just changed mediums with the times. Our music is poetry. Don't get me wrong... some of the stuff out there is just crap. But some of it is so amazing me that people can be so definitive and creative: those who can master putting into words the common denominations of human existence and evoke emotions with just words or songs.