In My Head

They're Baaaaack...

2007-11-12T21:20:00.001-05:00

It's official...The Foos will be in Philly on Thursday, February 21, 2008!

Autumn on the Schuylkill

2007-11-12T12:41:00.000-05:00

Taken from Towpath Park, East Coventry Twp.

From Black Rock Sanctuary, Upper Providence Twp.

River birch at Black Rock boat launch

From Towpath Park

From Black Rock boat launch

Pennsylvania really is a gorgeous state.

Reporting From the Trenches

2007-11-10T17:08:00.000-05:00

Mom and I went over to the new Philadelphia Premium Outlets this morning. Here are the highlights of our visit, in photos:

Not so crowded at 9:30 a.m.

Having this store only a four-minute drive from my house spells "trouble" for me.

The Huz is fearing for our checkbook...

I'm doomed. Doomed, I tell you!

People in line waiting to get a VIP Shoppers card.

First-ever sighting for me of a "manbag!" Sidenote: Mom yelled at me afterwards for taking his picture.

We left just before noon and this is what the entrance to the outlets looked like...

All in all, a very good day. The outlets are beautiful and I will definitely be spending time there, once the initial hubbub dies down.

Where in the World is Mark Wahlberg?

2007-11-08T13:46:00.001-05:00

Just a few things I want to point out to the very sweet German girls who've been following this blog and emailing me about The Lovely Bones filming schedule:

1. I don't know Mark Wahlberg or any of his handlers.

2. From what I understand, the movie is shooting on-and-off in Hatfield, PA, not in downtown Philadelphia, for the next few weeks.

3. Hatfield, PA is not really close to downtown Philadelphia at all.

4. The movie set is closed, meaning you won't be able to watch any filming and that you may very well be chased away by security and/or local police.

Viel Glück, Maedchen!

Born to Shop

2007-11-07T09:46:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the grand opening of the Philadelphia Premium Outlets, located about a five-minute drive from my house in Limerick.

(OK, technically it's in Sanatoga, PA).

Of course, being the completely insane person that I am, I'll be checking it out on Saturday morning. And I'm bringing my camera!

I'm a bit befuddled by the Chelsea Group's naming of this place, though. Limerick is thirty-five miles northwest of Philadelphia, so I think that identifying it as the Philadelphia Premium Outlets is a little misleading. But I suppose that Sanatoga Premium Outlets just doesn't have the same sort of cachet.

Holiday Party

2007-11-05T22:27:00.001-05:00

In the past couple of days, I've started planning our annual holiday open house. I love entertaining but it's so hard to get everyone together in one place at the same time. This year, instead of trying to do it in the crazy few weeks before Christmas, I've decided to wait until the Saturday between Christmas and New Year's, when the big holiday rush has died down a bit.

Last year's party was a big success, although I had been miserably sick, recovering from strep throat with a fever that I just couldn't shake. We had about forty relatives, some neighbors and very close friends at the house. I made mini bacon-and-cheese quiches, hot crab dip, and shrimp cocktail, some baked ziti, and bought some catered food too...hot roast beef, green beans Amandine, roasted red bliss potatoes, and--undoubtedly the MOST popular item on the buffet line--Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets! Man, those things just about disappeared right before my eyes.

For dessert, I made a few trays of brownies and dozens of different kinds of Christmas cookies. The other big hit of the party was the electric, multi-tiered chocolate fountain that I won from my office's holiday gift exchange. I cranked that sucker up and put out long wooden skewers and yellow cake cubes, pretzels, and marshmallows for dipping.

This year the invite list has gotten bigger...I'm a little afraid that everyone is actually going to RSVP "yes!" Oh well, the more, the merrier, right?

Next steps: print the invites, mail them, and test some new recipes.

Any good recipe suggestions for a buffet?

New Foos Video

2007-11-03T15:00:00.000-04:00

It seems the Foos have rediscovered their sense of humor with this video for the next single Long Road to Ruin.

Dave plays an overly-sensitive actor on a 70s' hospital soap opera. Love the hair!

More Traffic to Come

2007-11-03T14:28:00.000-04:00

So this is what's going to take the place of the now-defunct Valley Forge Country Club that is bordered by 422, North Gulph Road, and 202.

Just one more reason I'd never venture down to KoP.

Ugh.

Aerial view of the site plans

Rotten Neighbor

2007-11-01T16:36:00.000-04:00

I just found the most (unintentionally) hilarious website. If you enter any zipcode in the box on the upper right side of the homepage, you can look at all the entries in various towns by clicking on any of the little red houses that pop up on the map.

I guess that not many people in the metro Philly area know about this site, because there aren't a whole lot of postings yet. But most of the ones that are there are pretty damn amusing.

Enjoy!

My Favorite Thing

2007-11-01T13:17:00.000-04:00

Some women collect shoes.

Others covet designer handbags.

My passion is perfume. I adore scent! I wear a different fragrance every day, depending on my mood.

Here are the perfumes that are currently in heavy rotation at my dressing table, in no particular order:

-Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Divine
-Ralph Lauren Blue
-Ralph Lauren Glamorous
-Perry Ellis f
-Armani Mania
-Liz Claiborne Realities (the new version, not the one from the 80s)
-Christian Dior J’Adore
-Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue
-Glow by J. Lo (I know! I can’t help it, though…it smells fresh and clean, and I get SOOOO many compliments when I wear it!)

On my Christmas list:
-Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Desire
-Marc Jacobs Daisy

The one scent I hate? That's gotta be patchouli. Yuck. Reminds me of the kid whose locker was a few down from mine in high school. He was a hippie-wannabe who never washed his hair and was perpetually stoned.

What are your favorite fragrances?

Wildwood, NJ

2007-10-28T18:30:00.000-04:00

I was so caught up in the excitement of the Foo Fighters concert a few weeks ago that I neglected to post a few pictures I'd taken the following day in Wildwood, NJ.

Our friends were kind enough to invite us to spend the night at their condo in North Wildwood with them after the concert, so we wouldn't have to make the long drive home so late at night.

I spent my childhood summers here and I loved it. I still do. When I was a kid, going "down the shore," as we Philadelphians say, was a magical time. My extended family owned a few houses throughout North Wildwood, on the bayside, and it was always so beautiful and peaceful there.

I was never much of a beach person, but I would've spent our entire vacations on the boardwalk if I'd had my way. For as long as I can remember, the loud dance music blasting out of the speakers from the amusements, the screaming sirens and bells of the many arcades, and the smell of the sea and funnel cake and french fries mesmerized me. I loved roller coasters--still do, in fact--and I would ride them over and over again until I was dizzy. I loved the log flume, the fun house, the ferris wheel, the Gravitron. There wasn't a single ride I didn't like there. And during the day, I'd beg my mom to take me and my cousins to the waterpark on the end of Morey's Pier. We'd spend hours riding down the waterslides and tubing through the lazy river pool that ran the perimeter of the park.

As I got older, the boardwalk became a place for me to meet and hook up with guys, although the amusement rides never lost any of their appeal for me, either. I remember the painstaking process of getting ready to go out to the boardwalk at night: slapping on as much eyeshadow and lipgloss as possible, teasing up my hair and practically shellacking it with Aqua Net, and picking out just the right outfit in the hopes of finding a cute guy on the boards. I always despaired over my super-curly hair that went wild with frizz from the humidity of the coastal air.

Eventually, we stopped going to Wildwood, though I can't quite remember why. I guess I just grew out of it. Hard to believe I could outgrow something I loved so much, but that's life, I guess.

Until earlier this month, I hadn't been there in many years. I was happy to see that the boardwalk hasn't changed much, although it was much less crowded off-season. Gateway 26, my favorite arcade, is still there. Somewhere in my parents' attic, there is a Tupperware container with upwards of 20,000 Gateway 26 Skee-ball tickets. Too bad I didn't have them with me then! Sam's Pizza is still there. Kohr Brothers ice cream and Curley's Fries are still there, as is Douglas Fudge, of course.

The overwhelming number of new condominiums throughout Anglesea and North Wildwood did surprise me, though. It seemed like almost everything there was new construction. And expensive!

Here are a few pics. Enjoy!

Quandary

2007-10-25T23:47:00.001-04:00

I'm thinking of getting another tattoo.

I never thought I'd be adding to the collection at this point in my life. But I've been contemplating it for the past few weeks...and what I'm thinking of getting is a small double-F script tattoo (the Foo Fighters logo) somewhere on my back.

Much like the one shown here on Dave Grohl's neck, only smaller. This picture is from the cover of their album There Is Nothing Left to Lose.

So...am I crazy? Be honest.

Hi

2007-10-25T20:41:00.000-04:00

This cracks me up every time I see it...reminds me of how I was as a kid.

Guess Who's Back in Town???

2007-10-23T21:22:00.000-04:00

He just took Ryan Gosling's place in Peter Jackson's adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel The Lovely Bones.

They'll be filming in the Philly burbs for the next six weeks.

Other big names in this film include Rachel Weisz (love her!), Susan Sarandon, and Stanley Tucci.

This week they're filming in the Paoli/Malvern area on a residential street. Not very far at all from where The Huz works.

Hmmm...I have off from work on Friday. Methinks I'll be doing some more Marky Mark stalking...

I Got a Dog for My Birthday

2007-10-23T12:53:00.001-04:00

In a manner of speaking...

I installed it all by myself in my car last night. My parents also got me the optional Home Kit, but I haven't messed around with that yet.

Besides my iPod, this is the BEST thing ever!

How did I manage for so long without it???

Sacrilege

2007-10-17T11:43:00.000-04:00

OK.

I realize that what I’m about to say could be considered heresy by many, but I just can’t keep this thought to myself any longer:

How can anyone possibly enjoy listening to Bruce Springsteen? Especially 1970s-era Springsteen?

I’ve tried so hard for years to appreciate, if not truly like, his music. Really, I have. You know, since he’s a Jersey boy and all. I know people who wax endlessly poetic about him, that he’s an icon, blahblahblah.

But man, whenever I hear his voice, I just want to slit my wrists. To me, his singing resembles that of a drunken bricklayer’s who has commandeered the mike at Friday night karaoke in some dive bar. Tuneless, without any dynamics whatsoever, and just plain shitty.

If Hell exists, my own personal concept of it would be a place that plays an endless loop of The Boss.

Sorry, folks.

Punch

2007-10-16T13:16:00.000-04:00

I had to post this because Dave and Taylor are featured in it. Foo Fighters were last week's musical guest on SNL.

The synthesized theme song will be stuck in my head for the rest of the day, unfortunately.

People getting nailed in the face (even if it's not real)...just NEVER gets old for me!

Retrospective

2007-10-15T12:57:00.000-04:00

Welp, this is it...the last week of my twenties. I'll be turning thirty on Sunday.

Before I fell asleep last night, I was laying in bed thinking of all the things that have happened to me in the past decade.

I was expelled from college and began my career at Vanguard as a result of that.

I made lots of new friends, strengthened existing friendships, and ended some others. I also reconnected with some old friends from high school, which is awesome.

I studied for and successfully passed examinations for three investment licenses, a state life insurance and annuities license, and a professional designation from ASPPA.

I quit smoking--both tobacco and the green stuff.

I witnessed the deaths of my maternal grandparents, as well as other relatives and a few friends.

I put my childhood dog to sleep.

I was questioned by the FBI (long story!!).

I got married.

I went through the home-buying process twice.

I did extensive remodeling and redecorating in two homes.

I've changed jobs four times.

I volunteered with a cat rescue group and adopted two cats.

I fostered a retired racing greyhound.

I took singing lessons.

I took archery lessons.

I took a public speaking class.

I got fired.

My writing was published as an addendum to a popular chick-lit novel.

I traveled to Aruba, Disneyworld, Sedona, Flagstaff, Lake Havasu, Oatman, Needles, Phoenix, the Grand Canyon (twice), Las Vegas (twice), Jamaica, Charlotte, Asheville, Rochester, Binghamton, Niagara Falls, Baltimore, Toronto, and Manhattan. Oh, yeah...can't forget the Jersey shore and the Delaware and Maryland beaches.

I lived for almost a month by myself in a hotel in Danville, PA, while I worked in the home office of my current firm.

I went to many, many concerts: Foo Fighters (three times), Alicia Keys (twice), The Who (three times), Fleetwood Mac, Goo Goo Dolls, Amber, John Mayer, Steely Dan, Michael Buble (twice), Def Leppard (twice), Journey, Styx, Destiny's Child, Stevie Nicks, Enrique Iglesias. Plus more that I'm sure I've forgotten here.

I've done a whole lot of living in the last ten years. Life has been great for me! I realize how fortunate I am to have been able to experience all of it, and I don't take anything for granted.

I've read that your thirties is when you start to come into your own, especially for women, and I've been feeling that way for the past few months. Things are falling into place for me nicely. I'm calmer, happier, more fulfilled, and more confident than ever. I feel like a responsible adult, and I like it. Sure I've made mistakes along the way, but I truly have no regrets about anything...just lessons learned.

That's not to say that I'm heading into my next decade completely fearless. I worry a lot about my parents and my in-laws as they grow older. I also wonder whether I'll have children. But I've decided not to allow fear to paralyze me and to just enjoy each day as it comes.

I would love to hear any words of wisdom here from those who've gone before me...please share them in my comments!

More Foos

2007-10-09T20:29:00.000-04:00

I Can Now Die a Happy Girl

2007-10-07T16:32:00.001-04:00

Hello, Mr. Grohl!

Delurking is Delightful!

2007-10-03T23:06:00.000-04:00

Since this is my blog and I get to call the shots, I'm declaring this next week "National Delurking Week!"

I know there are TONS of you who come across my little piece of the net...I can see you on my Statcounter.

In fact, I know that several of you Google "Poke a badger with a spoon blogger." Which means that you're not just "happening" onto my page, but specifically looking for it!

So please, don't be shy...say HELLO in my comments!

Random and Odd

2007-10-02T21:36:00.000-04:00

Saw this on the highway recently.

It's moments like this that make me glad I keep my camera with me at all times.

What's Up, Dude?

2007-10-01T19:24:00.000-04:00

It occurred to me today that I never did finish posting about our vacation.

After spending three nights in fabulous Las Vegas, we checked out of the Luxor and took a cab to the airport, where we rented a car and then started the three-hour drive to Yucca, Arizona.

Our drive took us past Lake Mead and over the Hoover Dam. We stopped for a quick lunch in Kingman, AZ, which is famous for being the heart of Route 66.

After getting off the highway and slowly driving over eleven miles of unpaved roads, we reached Stagecoach Trails Guest Ranch.

The next four days went very quickly. We ate, relaxed, rode horses for several hours each day, and went sightseeing in nearby Oatman, AZ, an old mining-town-turned-tourist-trap, and Lake Havasu, which was gorgeous and is the new home of the London Bridge (yes, that London Bridge). It's also apparently the third most popular spring-break destination in the world. Who knew? We even managed to sneak off to California for a bit.

I can't say enough good stuff about Stagecoach Trails. The food was plentiful and delicious, and our three daily meals were included in the price of the vacation. All the guests ate together in the large dining room, along with the family who owns the ranch and the staff and horsewranglers. We were actually the only American guests there; most of the guests were British, and there were some Germans, an Italian couple, a Scottish couple, and a Welsh couple. It definitely made for interesting conversations. Did you know that most Europeans get at least six weeks' paid vacation each year?

One more thing: the night sky in the desert was incredible. We were so far away from any other sources of artificial light that it seemed like I could see half of the Milky Way!

We also got two horseback rides per day, one very early in the morning (6:30-ish) and one before dinner in the evening. I cannot describe how peaceful and beautiful the desert is, especially at sunrise.

I had a few reservations about riding a horse, but the wranglers at the ranch were awesome. Honestly, though, we didn't really get any heavy instruction on how to do it. The morning of our first ride, I mounted my horse and the wrangler told me, "If you want to stop, pull back firmly on the reins. If you want to go, give him a little heel in his ribs."

Then he walked away.

"Wait!" I called back to him. "Is that all?"

Just then, my horse came alive underneath me and I gasped. I was terrified on our first ride, but I quickly overcame my fear and then just fell in love with riding.

By the evening ride, we were trotting through the desert. And by the following morning, we were loping (not quite a gallop, but much faster than a trot) through the sandy washes. What a thrill! It was like flying. Actually, my first impression was that it was like riding a living, breathing, eight-foot-high motorcycle with a mind of its own. Just thrilling.

On Wednesday morning, the two of us went on a sunrise ride with just our wrangler Donald. He asked us if we wanted to lope, and we said absolutely! So we walked about a mile into the desert to a sandy wash and started running. We ran for a good bit, then slowed to a walk to cool the horses off.

Then Donald asked us if we wanted to lope some more, and we were off.

Unfortunately, this part of the sandy wash had some pretty thorny bushes and some sharp turns. Donald went first, then the Huz, and I took up the rear.

I watched Donald lean to the right in his saddle to avoid getting hit in the face by a thorn bush, then he disappeared around a corner.

Then I watched the Huz approach the same bush and turn. As he leaned to the right in his saddle, I suddenly saw him shift in his seat and realized that his saddle was coming loose!

He must've felt it too, because he started yelling for Donald to stop running. But Donald couldn't hear him.

Meanwhile, I was screaming hysterically, "Pull back on the reins! Pull back on the reins! Stop your horse!"

What happened next was both hilarious and incredibly frightening: the Huz was riding almost entirely on the right side of the horse because his saddle had shifted so far. Donald the wrangler was so far ahead of us that he didn't hear us yelling to stop.

Then the Huz decided to bail off the horse altogether. He slipped his feet from the stirrups and leapt off the right side of the horse, landing on his ass and then rolling several times in the deep sand.

Meanwhile, I was still running on my horse behind him. I watched him jump from the horse and immediately feared that my horse would trample him. So I pulled back on my horse's reins as hard as I could.

My horse stopped...but I kept on going! I flew up over the saddlehorn and sailed almost all the way over my horse's head. At the very last possible moment, I somehow managed to grab the horse's neck tightly enough to stop myself from going face-first into the sand. I wrapped both my arms and legs around the horse's neck and landed with my chin resting nearly between his ears.

Shocked, I looked over at the Huz, who was laying on his side in the sand and rubbing his elbows, coughing from the huge clouds of dust and sand that had been kicked up into the air from his sudden landing.

Then I started laughing.

I laughed so damn hard that my grip on my horse's neck loosened, and I wound up flipping over so that I was now hanging underneath my horse's neck. Still, I just could not stop cracking up!

Finally, between my sweaty palms and my uncontrollable laughter, I completely lost my grip on the horse and dropped flat on my back in the sand.

I laid in the sand for a few minutes, giggling helplessly. The Huz stood up and helped me up.

Looking around, I asked him, "Uh...where's your horse?"

Turns out the horse got so spooked by the ordeal that he just kept on going, and galloped right back to the ranch by himself, his saddle still hanging off him sideways.

At this point, Donald returned to us and asked us what had happened. We related the whole story to him and he asked us to stay put with my horse while he went to find the other one. Then he gave his horse a good firm kick and off he went.

A minute later, we were standing the middle of 85,000 acres of desert, all alone. My horse started pawing at the ground and making little grunting noises.

"Do you think we should start walking back to the ranch?" the Huz asked me.

"No way! He told us to stay right here and I'm listening to him. Besides, the desert trails all look the same. Our luck, we'd wind up getting totally lost and dying of heatstroke or something."

Twenty minutes passed and we could hear hoofbeats approaching. Donald appeared a few moments later, holding the reins of the runaway horse.

We remounted and walked back to the ranch just in time for breakfast. We were bruised and sore, but it made for such a great story! I only wish someone had captured it on video. We definitely would've won AFV's prize for it!

High noon gunfight in Oatman

Sunrise in the Mohave Desert

Sadly, Needles was more like South Central L.A.

Heading out on a ride

Tedd and Donald, two of the wranglers

Riding up Route 66 to Oatman

Lake Mead

Hoover Dam

This Time Next Week...

2007-09-29T23:42:00.001-04:00

I will be watching these guys extremely up-close and personal!!!!

Can't wait, can't wait!

I so totally need this. My coworker was fired on Friday afternoon, somewhat unexpectedly, and now my workload has doubled. I've already been putting in some seriously long hours anyway. Now I might as well keep my pj's and slippers there.

Ugh.

Levity

2007-09-27T09:20:00.000-04:00

Whew...that last post was pretty heavy, huh?

Moving right along, I figured I'd post what I think are the top ten worst album covers of all time. They speak for themselves.

Naked Blogging

2007-09-26T20:40:00.000-04:00

I usually don't write about terribly personal things on here, but this has been weighing on my mind for a while now and I needed to get it out.

If you've either been a longtime reader of this blog, or if you've ever just delved back into the archives here, you may remember this post I wrote way back in January 2006 about a friend of mine.

We had been talking more frequently throughout the autumn of last year and I'd known that he was still deep in the throes of his addictions, but having been through it before, I also knew that there was nothing I could do but stand back and watch. It was heart-wrenching and frustrating and scary to be in such a helpless position.

After the new year, I'd stopped hearing from him. For over two months, it was as if he'd totally dropped off the face of the planet, and I felt completely sick about it. I knew that his lack of communication with me had to signal his absolute descent into darkness. I even worried that he was dead.

Then one day in mid-March, my cell phone rang. It was him. He was a wreck: bawling hysterically, telling me he'd done something really awful.

"Did you kill someone?" I asked him tentatively.

"No," he sniffled. "You know I'd never do that."

"Well then, it couldn't be that bad," I replied. "Just tell me what's going on. You know I've been your friend forever, and there's nothing that you could tell me that would change that."

He went on to describe the existence he'd been leading in the past several months. Living on the streets intermittently, getting high with his girlfriend and god knows who else, having the electricity and gas shut off in the home they rented together.

Desperate, he decided one day to steal some blank payroll checks from his employer. He told me he forged a check large enough to cover the utility payments, but I had my doubts about that. After all, he was an addict, and addicts will do just about anything to finance their habits.

Of course, he got caught. He lost his job and his employer pressed charges.

Sobbing, he told me that he was going to go away for a long time, and that he just wanted me to know about it.

I'd never heard him sound so distraught in all the years I'd known him. I immediately left work that day and went to see him.

His appearance shocked and terrified me. David had always been lanky, but now he was nearly skeletal. He looked so filthy that I even hesitated to hug him. His clothes were stained and pocked with cigarette burns. His work boots were blackened, and the soles were coming loose. His lips were cracked and his skin ashy. The thing that scared me the most was the wild look in his eyes. I'd never, ever seen him like that before.

I only spent about an hour with him that day. I took him to Wawa and, telling him that he looked like he needed a meal, bought him a hoagie and a soda, both of which he refused. Most of our visit was comprised of him sobbing and wailing and me feeling about a million different emotions and not knowing exactly how to respond to him.

When I left him, I told him to take care of himself and to let me know if he needed anything.

Twenty-four hours later, he attempted suicide.

He swallowed a large amount of several different kinds of prescription drugs. Mostly anti-psychotics. Lithium.

No one I've known (at least not to my knowledge) has ever tried to kill themselves. This was a life-changing event for me to witness. The most horrible thing about it for me was that I didn't even know about it until a week later.

I hadn't heard from him and figured that he had probably turned himself in to the police. But one morning, exactly a week after I'd seen him, I got a voicemail on my cell phone. In the message, he sounded completely out of it, and he stated that he'd had a "little accident" but that things were going to be fine.

On a hunch, I immediately called the hospital closest to his house and asked for him. For some reason I've always had a weird connection to him. Probably because we've known each other for so long.

My heart rate shot into hyperspeed when the operator confirmed that he was there and connected me to his room.

He told me what had happened, and I just sat there listening, open-mouthed. He told me that he knew what he'd have to do. No more drinking. No more drugs. No more girlfriend. He'd have to move back to his mom's house, maybe go to rehab, and work on rebuilding his life.

Gently, I asked, "What about NA? Are you going to start going to meetings?"

"Absolutely," he answered. "I need help. I finally realize that, Lori."

As of today, I am happy to report that he has been substance-free for almost seven months. This is a major accomplishment for him, as it's the first time he's been clean and sober since he was twelve years old.

He started going to NA meetings every day after he got out of the hospital. He got a sponsor there and has made friends with other recovering addicts.

Also, he has been rehired as a dialysis technician for a company that had previously fired him and had labeled him as "unrehireable."

He has started patching up relationships with his family.

And he went to court this summer and completely avoided jail time. Instead, he was made to pay fines and to perform sixty-four hours of community service, which I believe he has already completed.

He and I have drifted apart somewhat as he has been creating a new life for himself. But I am incredibly proud of him no matter what. I always believed in him, and I always knew that he could do this if he really, really wanted it badly enough.

So this agnostic has to admit to herself that sometimes, miracles really do happen.

Update

2007-09-26T14:57:00.001-04:00

Work has gone from suck to blow.

That's all.

Random Memory

2007-09-25T21:58:00.000-04:00

I busted out some of the old-school jams tonight while I was working on my 'puter. Right now I'm listening to "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang.

Back in the late 90s, there was a resurgence of interest in these forefathers of hip-hop and they did a small club tour. One of the stops was The Lagoon in Essington, PA, which was (sad but true) one of my haunts back in the day. I'll get to that in a future post.

Somehow, two of my girlfriends and I got pulled up onstage with The Sugarhill Gang by their bodyguards/roadies. It was surreal and hilarious. I got to do the Bump with Master Gee. I only wish I had pictures.

Since then, whenever I hear "Rapper's Delight" or "Apache," I just laugh.

Good times, y'all.

You Know You're Getting Old When...

2007-09-21T10:10:00.000-04:00

...you're thrilled that Wegman's is coming to your area.

Sigh.

One month from today, I'm turning 30.

For the record (and to prove that I'm not totally lame), the shopping center in which Wegman's will be built will also include the following stores:

Dick's Sporting Goods
DSW Shoe Warehouse
PF Chang's
LNT
Barnes and Noble
American Eagle
Kenneth Cole
J.Jill
White House/Black Market
Banana Republic
Ann Taylor
Bath & Body Works
Bombay Company
Victoria's Secret
ULTA
PetSmart
Yankee Candle
...and my VERY favorite...Panera Bread!

Not to mention the new outlet center that's opening in November, which is about a four-minute drive from my house.

I find myself a little conflicted about the onslaught of commercial and residential development in my region. It's sad to see some of the currently thickly-wooded land being razed, but at the same time I appreciate the fact that I won't have to truck all the way down to King of Prussia or Exton to go shopping.

Anyway, my township has a pretty decent open-space preservation program, so I think we'll always be a bit more semi-rural than most of the surrounding areas.

Oh, My

2007-09-19T23:36:00.000-04:00

Well, I just broke a personal record: most amount of money spent on concert tickets.

Last time we went to see the Foo Fighters, I told my husband that I would spend any amount of money to get REALLY good seats for their next show. That was over two years ago.

I reminded him of this fact again just this past July, as I drooled while watching their LiveEarth performance on TV.

They just announced a few tour dates this weekend, and they're coming to the Borgata in Atlantic City on October 6. The show's already sold out, of course. So I did a little comparison shopping online between StubHub, Ticket Liquidator, and eBay.

Now, I don't know what most married couples do, but my husband and I have an agreement: if either of us wants to make a big (over $200) purchase, we run it past the other one first.

So what do you think I did tonight?

I did what any self-respecting wife would do when lobbying for a big-bucks item: I waited until after he'd fallen asleep, then woke him up and asked him if it was OK with him that I buy the tickets.

"Whuh? Huh?" he sputtered after I gently shook him in his sleep.

"The Foo Fighters are coming to the Borgata in a few weeks," I whispered. "I want to get tickets for us. Are you busy on October 6?"

"Mmmmm....zzzzz.....uh, no," he mumbled. "Don't think so..."

"OK, good."

"Wait...how much?"

I paused. Damn. I was hoping he'd be so out of it as to forget to ask about that part.

"About $300."

"Mmmm....okay," he muttered as he rolled over, pulling the blankets back up over his head.

Score!!!

I wound up going with the eBay deal, and I just bought two tickets that cost me $277 including priority USPS shipping.

Yes, I am crazy.

But hey, unlike most women, I don't buy expensive shoes or purses or even clothes...so I have to splurge on something. Right?

I've never been to the Borgata for a show, but it seems that their arena is a little different than most; there is a large general admission area in the front, not the rear, of the reserved seating area, and it's standing-room only...which means that we will have to get there very, very early that day to get a good spot by the stage.

Still, I'm amped. Now that I've got a quality digital camera, I hope to get some really great shots of my second husband, Dave Grohl. When they came to the Tower in 2005, I was using my parents' digital camera and it totally tweaked on me as I stood in the pit, quivering like a leaf in a hurricane, just underneath Dave Grohl during the acoustic "Everlong" encore. Not a single picture came out properly. Dammit.

Not this time!

(I hope).

Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum

2007-09-14T18:31:00.000-04:00

This place is seriously creepy. I'd been there before on my first trip to Vegas in 2003. It's very cool but near the end of the exhibit, I was ready to run screaming from the place. Some of the wax statues are obviously fake, but most of them are incredibly realistic-looking. And creepy.

Off we go:

I know a lot of women who would do just about anything for a chance to come this close to Johnny Depp. Too bad he's wax. He's definitely one of the more realistic ones.

Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus...I took this one for my husband the golf fanatic, who opted to stay back at the hotel to play in a poker tournament that day.

Hef. Off to the side of the bed, there's a basket that contains bunny ears and a bowtie. Visitors are encouraged to don these and pose next to him. Of course I did, but the picture is on my dad's camera and I haven't gotten a copy yet.

This is Jenna Jameson, famous adult film star. As you can imagine, most of the male visitors lingered here for quite some time!

"Seacrest, out!"

"This wax figure of me is just DREADFUL!"

Well, I guess we finally know what happened to 2Pac...

Bellagio Pics

2007-09-14T16:23:00.000-04:00

Glass flowers on the ceiling of the hotel's lobby--and my latest wallpaper!

A stargazer lily (mom's favorite flower) in the Bellagio's amazing Conservatory.

The Bellagio at night.

Fountain Show

I'm Back...and Sore

2007-09-14T15:16:00.001-04:00

Also, my body's still adjusting to East Coast time again.

We got home from the airport last night (this morning?) at 2 a.m.

Some highlights from the trip:

My parents went out to Vegas with us last Thursday and stayed until Monday, while we left Vegas and drove to the ranch in Arizona on Sunday morning. My father has an extreme fear of flying. As a matter of fact, this was our very first official family vacation. It only took thirty years!

Anyway, we boarded our plane in Philly on Thursday as scheduled. Then proceeded to sit in a long line of planes for an hour on the runway. Ridiculous, but flying out of Philadelphia usually entails complications like this. My poor dad. He just wanted to get it over with.

Once up in the air, things went smoothly for a few hours, until we were just about over Kansas City. Suddenly, things went haywire. A flight attendant got on the loudspeaker and asked if anyone with any medical training would please move to the back of the airplane. About a dozen people gathered back there. Turns out that a diabetic man had gone either into sugar shock or into a hypoglycemic blackout. After fifteen minutes, the pilot got on the loudspeaker and announced that we'd be making an emergency landing in KC. Lovely.

So we were grounded for about another hour. The paramedics rushed into the plane and carted the guy off, then returned him about forty-five minutes later!

We FINALLY got into Vegas around 10 p.m. Got our luggage and headed for the taxi stand...which was an HOUR-AND-A-HALF wait! I guess I picked a busy weekend to come to town: we later learned that there were multiple events taking place in town at that time: a bunch of concerts, the American Pro Volleyball tournament, several large conventions, and oh yeah...the MTV Video Music Awards were also going on at the same time we were there.

We wound up finding a private driver and paying $40 for a ride in a black Escalade to the Luxor...a ride that would cost about $12 by taxi. Sigh.

Other than those first-night snafus, everything in Vegas was great. It was hot as hell (averaging about 106 degrees) but we drank plenty of water and spent a lot of time in the air-conditioned casinos. On Friday, we had a fabulous and pricey anniversary dinner at Gallagher's Steakhouse in New York New York. On Saturday afternoon, my dad and I caught an IMAX 3-D movie at our hotel that was really cool. On Saturday night we went to Fremont Street and wandered around for a few hours.

Unfortunately, none of us hit the jackpot. We all came back poorer.

Following are some pictures of Vegas. I'll be back later to regale you with tales from the dude ranch portion of our trip. Suffice to say that I have bruises, blisters and scratches all over my body...and a newfound respect for jockeys, the Marlboro Man, and Lady Godiva. Horseback riding is HARD, yo.

The facade of New York New York.

Looking up at our hotel from the Strip.

Taken across the street from Paris, while waiting for the Bellagio fountain show to start.

On The Road Again

2007-09-05T18:15:00.001-04:00

I'm gearing up for yet another trip...this time strictly for pleasure. Friday is our fifth wedding anniversary, and we haven't been on a vacation for so long. I've been looking forward to this for months!

First, we'll be spending a few nights here:

Then we're renting a car and driving three hours into the northwestern Arizona desert, where we'll spend several days doing this:

A dude ranch! My ULTIMATE vacation. Seriously! I've been wanting to go to a dude ranch for years now. I finally convinced The Huz to do it. He initially wanted to go to an island somewhere, but let's face it, if you've seen one or two different beaches in the Caribbean, you've pretty much seen them all.

No, I wanted to do something different and way more exciting than that this time. I'm a bit apprehensive but I'll get over it. I haven't been on a horse since I was eight years old and in the Brownies. This should be interesting!

The dude ranch is so remote that there are no landline telephones! There are no televisions or telephones in any of the ten guest rooms, either. There's one television in the Lodge, which is the common area where all the guests can gather to socialize, play pool, cards, board games, etc. The ranch where we're staying has gotten nothing but 5.0 ratings on TripAdvisor.com, which is my go-to travel resource.

I am BEYOND excited about this. I'll be back next week, hopefully with lots of great pictures and stories to share.

Happy Trails!

Figures...

2007-09-04T13:46:00.000-04:00

I read today that the filming for The Happening is being done at Linfield National Golf Course...which is about a three-minute drive from my house!!!

Too bad I'm at work all day.

Sigh.

More (Random) Pics from My Trip

2007-09-02T11:31:00.001-04:00

I was walking up the street in downtown Asheville to meet my mom at the Tupelo Honey Cafe for dinner when I saw this motley crew heading directly towards me. I pulled out my camera and took a picture. The boys then noticed me with the camera and were more than happy to strike this pose for me.

We saw this highway exit sign as we were driving from Asheville back to Charlotte on Sunday morning. It was just too good not to capture on film.

Another picture of the Biltmore. You know it's a big house when it can't be fully captured in the camera's viewfinder from even a quarter-mile away!

BIltmore Estate

2007-08-25T21:26:00.000-04:00

I'm in Charlotte, NC next week for business, but I decided to come down a few days early and do some sightseeing.

So we got here last night after sitting on the runway at PHL for over an hour after our scheduled departure time. Ugh. We spent a very short night in Charlotte, rented a car, and drove two hours in the mountains of northwestern NC to Asheville, home of the Biltmore Estate, the largest home in America.

This house (castle?) is CRAZY. I need to check my facts, but it has probably over 100 rooms (43 bathrooms alone) and is on about 150 acres of land. Our house tour took us about an hour and a half to finish, and they only have about 35 rooms open to the public!

It's gorgeous. Unfortunately, tourists are not allowed to take photos of the interior of the house, so I was a good little girl and complied with the rules.

I will share with you a few other pictures I took today: the exterior of the Estate and some pics I shot in the unbelievably extensive gardens on the home's property.

Enjoy!

Here's a Tip for Stalking Movie Stars While They're Filming

2007-08-23T21:04:00.000-04:00

Learn the name of their character, so that when everyone else in the crowd is shouting the movie star's REAL name, you can shout his character's name, thereby ensuring that you REALLY get his attention!

I stopped by the set again after work just for the hell of it. There were only about 20 or so onlookers there. Just as I got there, Mark's Escalade pulled up!

They shot for another hour and a half, and we all stood on the shoulder of the road across the street from the set.

I got a better picture of Shyamalan, then I noticed the black Escalade pulling up to the edge of the set. I figured that meant that Mark would soon be coming out, so I slowly worked my way down the road until I was just about directly across the street from the SUV.

Five minutes or so passed, and there he was! Besides a production assistant, I was the person standing closest to his ride. Unfortunately, the road was now open to traffic, so cars kept coming between my perfect shot of him! Dammit.

Anyway, the people behind me started shouting, "Mark! Mark!" and he waved to everyone as he climbed into his ride.

I waited for a break in the shouting, then yelled, "Yo, Elliott!"

And that did the trick! His head whipped around and he looked me right in the eye! I waved and smiled at him, and he gave me a thumbs-up and yelled back, "I love you!"

Apparently, last night after shooting was finished for the day, he actually came over to our side of the street and posed for pictures with fans. Too bad I missed that.

Today's Pics

2007-08-23T12:54:00.000-04:00

If you look closely, the guy in the grey shirt and jeans is M. Night. And the girl he's speaking to is Zooey Deschanel.

Today's pics are not quite as good as yesterday's. They were shooting mostly exterior shots this morning, and as I'd expected, there were a LOT more gawkers today than yesterday. Also much more security and pushy production assistants.

From what I observed, making a movie is a majorly tedious process. They shot the same two-minute scene at least EIGHT times when I was there.

More Mark

2007-08-22T13:16:00.000-04:00

Mark Says Hi

2007-08-22T12:58:00.000-04:00

More to come shortly...

This Blog is Blowin' Up!

2007-08-21T16:44:00.000-04:00

I just had to mention that I have gotten about a kajillion (give or take a few) hits since I posted last week about M. Night Shyamalan filming across the street from my office.

If the weather is agreeable, I'm going to walk over there on my lunch break tomorrow and see if I can get a few pictures to post here.

Philadelphia

2007-08-15T16:56:00.000-04:00

Took some pictures when I was down the city over the weekend.

Enjoy!

Hollywood Comes to Phoenixville

2007-08-14T08:51:00.000-04:00

For three days next week, M. Night Shyamalan will be filming scenes from his latest movie literally right across the street from my office!!!

This movie, currently titled "The Happening," will star Mark Wahlberg, John Leguizamo, and Zooey Deschanel. It's scheduled to release in June 2008.

My only question is this: WHY couldn't Joaquin have been in THIS ONE????

Dammit.

So should I go over there and try to get some pictures? More importantly, do you think I could convince Marky Mark to drop trou and show me his Calvins???

UPDATE! So here's an estimate of the shooting schedule:

Wednesday, 8/22 and Thursday, 8/23: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Friday, 8/24: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

I saw a camera crew outside yesterday when I was coming back from my lunch break. Looked like they were testing different shots.

Very exciting!

I Passsssssed!!!!

2007-08-06T20:53:00.000-04:00

YEAH BABY!!!!!

Definitely one of the hardest tests I've ever sat for.

About halfway through it, I thought it'd take a miracle for me to pass it.

I'm still a little bit in disbelief.

Whew.

Series 65

2007-08-04T02:41:00.001-04:00

Cranky. Mentally drained. Completely anxiety-ridden and severely sleep-deprived (yes, I really AM writing this post at 2:41 a.m.!!).

I've been doing my final studying for the NASD Series 65 investment license exam, which I will be taking on Monday, 8/6 at 1:30 p.m.

If I pass, I will be a Registered Investment Adviser representative. Whoop-dee-doo.

The material covered in the exam is extensive, and the prep for it has been grueling, quite frankly. It's mostly self-study, but I decided to up my chances of passing on the first try by enrolling in a two-day intensive review class. That was this past Monday and Tuesday in Center City (Teri, I was thinking of you...I took the train into town those days and got off at Suburban Station, and then walked the four blocks or so to the classroom at 16th and Walnut.).

The exam topics include both federal and state regulations on the securities and investments industry, equity and debt securities (aka stocks and bonds), other securities products (aka options, variable annuities, commodities, and futures), retirement plans, asset allocation models, tax law, investment strategies, and a far-reaching overview of economics and the different types of investment analysis.

Bleh. Especially on the econ part...I took a general overview Economics course in college and got a D+.

I have serious doubts about my ability to pass this exam. I've been taking a kajillion practice exams, and I've been scoring just a teeny bit below the passing grade, which is 68.5%. I've been getting scores like 63% and 66%, which simultaneously annoys and reassures me. I'm annoyed because it's so damn close to a passing score but not QUITE there...and I'm reassured because it's so damn close to a passing score, which indicates that there must be some hope that I will get through it successfully.

So on Monday around 1:30 p.m., please, PLEASE think some good thoughts for me. It's a 3-hour exam with 130 multiple-multiple choice (that's not a typo) questions, but the practice exams I've done so far have taken me just over an hour to complete.

I will be soooooo glad when this is over and behind me.

Anniversary

2007-07-27T11:03:00.001-04:00

I quit smoking six years ago today. Hard to believe it. The time has flown by. I almost forgot about it, actually.

Though the odd craving still sneaks up on me sometimes, I know I will never go back.

Especially when I think it through and realize that, even if I picked up a cigarette right now, I would get ZERO pleasure out of it.

I'd cough, choke, hack, get dizzy, and probably wind up with a pounding headache. Plus, my breath would stink, my clothes and hair would stink, my skin would age prematurely, my teeth would turn yellow, and oh yeah...my lungs would turn black.

Is all of that crap really worth it?

Nope.

Is there anything that life could throw at me that a cigarette would make better?

Nope.

Salud!

Changes...

2007-07-22T15:09:00.000-04:00

To all my blogworld buddies:

I'm going to be making this blog private in the next couple weeks.

This means that, in order to view, read, and comment on my blog, you must be invited to do so by me. You won't be able to just access it anymore through links or bookmarks.

If you want me to send you an invite, please email me through my profile and let me know.

You guys are the BEST!

Thank you.

-The Management ;-)

More Mayer Pics

2007-07-22T10:51:00.000-04:00

I took well over 100 photos at the concert.

Gravity

2007-07-21T10:52:00.000-04:00

I know, I know...I haven't been around here in a while. Sorry. I've been crazy busy with work and studying for yet ANOTHER professional certification (NASD Series 65 investment license) and also...just living life.

Here's what I did last night:

And no, Jessica WASN'T there...

Serenity

2007-06-07T20:28:00.000-04:00

This is what I've been up to lately.

Amazing.

Hope you're all well!

Interview, Pt. 3

2007-05-23T21:57:00.000-04:00

Teri's next question for me:

If you could do one thing to change the world, what would it be?

I'd hammer in the morning
I'd hammer in the evening
All over this worrrrrrldddd....

Kidding! Just throwing in a little levity here, because I'm feeling so goofy tonight from all the stress I've been dealing with in my life lately.

Anyhoo...I just read a very profound quote the other day, attributed to Anonymous (that clever person!), about this very topic.

Everyone talks about changing the world, but nobody talks about changing themselves.

Too true!

It's so easy, not to mention much less painful, for us to focus on external problems.

So if I could do one thing to change the world, I would work on changing my attitude. That's the only thing I can control. If I change my attitude, I could change my behavior, and hopefully be a positive influence on the people around me.

In other words, lead by example.

Simple, but not easy, huh?

Interview, Pt. 2

2007-05-16T23:35:00.000-04:00

Teri's next question for me:

If the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were still around, which one would you most like to see?

This one is a no-brainer for me! The only "ancient wonder" that is still in existence is the Great Pyramid at Giza, and that is definitely what I want to visit!

I've been interested in Egyptology since I was young. NERD ALERT!! From grades three through seven, I took part in a special supplementary program at school called ATP (Academically Talented Program...geez, wasn't I just SO SPECIAL? Not.). Once a week during the school day, I would get on a bus with three or four of my classmates and spend a few hours at the school district's Intermediate Unit.

ATP was so freaking cool. We got to do all kinds of stuff that we never would've had the chance to do in our "real" classes. In fourth grade, we spent half the year learning about the Milky Way. The final project required us to learn how to write a music program in Basic on the computer and to write a poem that tied into the specific planet of our choosing. I picked a piece from Gustav Holst's "The Planets" and somehow managed to write a Basic program on my little Radio Shack Tandy PC that synchronized my poem to the music.

Anyway, in fifth grade, we studied ancient Egyptian life and culture in ATP. Part of our studies included learning how to read and write basic hieroglyphics. It was unbelievably fun! Here's a site where you can see your name in hieroglyphics. One of these days, I'm going to get myself a little gold cartouche charm with my name in hieroglyphics.

Later, when I was 18, the second tattoo I got (of the five that I have) was a blue Egyptian ankh...the symbol for life and immortality. It's on my left shoulder blade.

My friend PJ has actually been to the Pyramids and I must admit I am incredibly envious of her for that reason! Someday I hope to make it there myself. The closest I've ever been to the Pyramid is when my mom and I stayed at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas in 2003! Not quite the same thing, though...

Hope everyone's well! And apologies to Teri for my serious slacking-off!

Interview - Pt. 1

2007-04-27T16:20:00.000-04:00

Teri has come to my rescue! I've been stressing about quality blog topics lately, and she has presented me with five personalized interview questions to answer!
Instead of trying to address all five in one post, as I do tend to get a little verbose, I'm going to dedicate one post to each question. So without further ado...here's Teri's first question for me and my response!

If you could change your current career, what would you do?

This is tough because it’s such an open-ended question. I’m not sure if I should work under the assumption that, whatever career I choose, I would have sufficient training, schooling, or experience in it. But since these are my questions to interpret however I want, I’ll just say that if I could change my career, I’d either be a writer or a chef.

Writing has been a critical part of my self-identity for as long as I can remember. I’ve been fascinated by language and expression since I was a little girl. I can identify three pivotal events in my life as a writer.

First, I got my first diary when I was in second grade. It was a small, square hardcover book with a photo of an orange tabby cat nestled in a tangle of red poppies on the cover. I was most enamored of the tiny lock on it that could only be opened by an even tinier brass key that I kept hidden in my jewelry box. I wrote in that diary faithfully, and that was really the beginning of my love affair with language. Now it's just hysterically funny to read back on my eight-year old self's musings.

Second, when I was in third grade, I came down with the chickenpox and had to stay home from school for about a week. My father felt bad for me because I was so bored and one night, he brought home a grab bag of goodies for me. One of the grab bag items was a fifty-page book with illustrations on every other page that had blank lines on the opposite page on which I could write a story that corresponded with the drawings. The illustrations depicted a dog that had been abducted by friendly aliens and taken back to their home planet, and I wrote the entire story in about three hours, loving every minute of it.

Third, when I was in sixth grade, I got a Brother electronic word processor from my parents for Christmas. Instantly, I was enthralled by it and that’s when I began writing in earnest. There was something magical about seeing my words come together on the tiny four-line dot matrix screen, and since then, I’ve always preferred writing via typing rather than longhand. I can type much faster than I can write. At that age, most of the stuff that was produced on that word processor were stories about my best friend and I bumping into the New Kids on the Block at our local carnival—imagine that!!—being spirited off to Boston to meet their parents and then ultimately accepting their marriage proposals (her favorite was Joe; mine was Jon. I always liked the dark, shy ones!).

As an only child, I spent a lot of time trying to entertain myself. Writing was always there for me. So if I could make a stable, reliable living from writing, that’s what I’d be doing right now.

As for the chef idea...well, I just like to cook. I find it both relaxing and extremely satisfying. Of course, if I had to do it day in and day out for a living, maybe I'd feel differently.

Teri, I hope I did your first question justice. I'll be back to answer your next question!

Oh, The Shame

2007-04-24T22:26:00.000-04:00

I just bought a few songs from Elliott Yamin's debut album.

Go ahead. Make fun of me. I know you're just dying to.

I am pleasantly surprised by his offering, though. His voice is so clear and strong. It's hard to believe that he's deaf in one ear! This album is good blue-eyed soul.

I was a little disappointed by his rendition of Donny Hathaway's "A Song for You." This is one of my very, very favorites, but I think he oversings it. If you want to hear a PERFECT version of it, check out Michael Buble's. It's much subtler and more elegant. Elliott's take goes in the direction of gospel, which isn't terrible...but it doesn't move me the same way. Buble's version actually brings me to tears every time I listen to it. And Chris Botti's trumpet on Buble's version is sublime.

BUT...Elliott's song "Wait For You" is amazing. It's got that old-school slow jam vibe, which I love.

I'm also liking "Moving On" and "Alright."

My rating: four stars out of five. Nice debut. And I DID mention around a year ago that out of all the American Idol contestants, Elliott's album was the only one I'd seriously consider buying.

Interview

2007-04-23T23:56:00.000-04:00

I'm shamelessly taking this from Teri's blog...

Five Questions

What is the single best piece of advice you’ve ever been given, and who gave it?

Ha. I don’t take advice well…mostly because I’m the kind of person who likes to figure things out for herself. A few years back, I was taking a business management class online and had to read The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz for the class discussion. This book blew me right out of the frickin’ water. So here are the four agreements (and yes, I’m cheating because I consider it all one “piece” of advice!):

Be impeccable with your word - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
Don’t take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
Don’t make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

What was the last thing you purchased for yourself, and what do you think you will purchase next?

I bought myself an automatic iced tea maker and love it. Yes, I’m a dork. My next major purchase will be either a mountain bike or satellite radio. Or both. Still not sure.

In your humble opinion, the Best! Invention! Ever! Is…

Modern plumbing. Gotta love it. I’m totally grateful for that every single day.

What makes Lori happy? What makes Lori sad?

I’m a fairly happy person, and I try to find joy in everything I do. Happiness is a choice, and it’s a brave choice, I think…it’s much easier to stay miserable and bitch about how unhappy you are than to consciously work at being happy. Don’t you think?

That being said, music makes me VERY, VERY happy, and I couldn’t imagine life without it. The internet makes me happy. My family and friends make me happy. Animals make me happy. Beautiful weather makes me happy. Reading a good book makes me happy. Writing makes me happy. Cooking, gardening, learning new things, working out, doing crossword puzzles, taking long walks…all very good stuff.

The older I get, the more I realize that material things don’t factor too much into the happiness equation. At least not for me.

Death of loved ones saddens me. Needless suffering. Child and animal abuse not only make me sad, but piss me the hell off, too. The news saddens me most of the time…I’ve voluntarily given that up for the moment…it’s just too much for me to handle.

What character on TV do you identify with most?

TV’s crap and I try to avoid it as much as I can, unless it’s educational. And let’s not broach the embarrassing topic of my American Idol addiction.

So I really couldn’t answer this question. Sorry!

I'm tagging anyone who wants to play...

I've Got Balls

2007-04-23T22:02:00.000-04:00

...a medicine ball and a Swiss ball, that is! What exactly did you THINK I meant???

This weekend, I went to Dick's Sporting Goods and picked up an 8-lb Nike medicine ball and a 26" inflatable Swiss ball. I use these two devices in conjunction with several other moves to take myself through an absolutely punishing ab workout. It only takes about 15 minutes and it gets results FAST.

Here's my routine:

1. Double Crunches: Lay flat on your back on a mat or other solid but supportive surface. Bend your legs from the hip and lift them straight up in the air, so that they're perpendicular to the ground. Using your core (ab) muscles--WITHOUT straining your neck!!--pull your shoulder blades off the floor and extend your arms skyward, reaching your fingertips towards your toes. Pulse your arms and legs towards each other forty times, making sure to keep breathing evenly. If you're just beginning, you should start feeling a severe burn in your abs around rep #20. Just push through the pain! This works both your upper and lower abs.

2. Weighted Oblique Crunches: Grab a 6 to 9 lb medicine ball. Laying flat on your back, cross your right ankle over your left knee. Place the medicine ball on top of your left armpit and hug it tightly with your left arm. Using your core muscles only--again, don't strain your neck!--lift just your left shoulder blade off the floor and towards your right knee, across your body. This works your obliques, which are the lateral abdominals. Do twenty-five reps, then switch sides and cross your left ankle over your right knee and repeat. For argument's sake, let's just assume the guy in the below photo is hugging a medicine ball to his armpit. OK?

3. Situps with Medicine Ball Extensions: Hang on to that medicine ball. This time, lay flat on your back, bend your knees but keep your feet flat on the floor, and hold the ball between your palms. Extend your arms over your head and do traditional situps. As you use your abs to pull you up into a sitting position, bring your hands up over your head while holding the weighted ball for an extra shot of strength training. Try not to puke. I do two sets of 25 reps.

3. The Plank: this is a great yoga move that REALLY works your abs. It's mostly mental. The first time I tried this move, I only lasted about ten seconds before collapsing on the floor. Now I can go almost two minutes straight.

Lay on your stomach, with your forearms propping up your upper body. Push yourself into the "up" position of a traditional push-up, but try to keep your butt as tucked in as possible...not sticking up in the air. Look down at the ground or straight ahead, and just hold this position for as long as physically possible.

Your entire body will begin to shake violently, but like I said, it's mostly mental. You have to convince yourself to ignore the shaking and just focus on keeping your abs tucked in and up, and your butt tucked in and close to the floor. Good luck. I usually do this move two or three times, each time about two minutes (and getting better EVERY time!). Also, another tip...the lower you try to stay to the ground, the harder this pose works your abs.

4. Side Plank: Another great yoga move that is better illustrated than explained:

Again, I do this for about two minutes on each side, two or three times. It hurts.If you want to get REALLY fancy, extend the arm that's on top into the air while you do this pose. And try not to fall on your face!

5. Dead Bugs: This is the last move in my current ab routine, and it is the one that consistently KICKS MY ASS every single time. Grab your inflatable Swiss ball and lay flat on your back. Holding the Swiss ball between your hands, extend your arms fully over your head. Then raise your arms and the Swiss ball towards your core. At the same time, lift both your legs. When your arms and legs meet, which should happen right above your belly button, pass the Swiss ball from between your hands to between your ankles. Then return your legs to the floor and your arms above your head. Keep passing the Swiss ball back and forth between your ankles and hands for ten full repetitions. But be careful not to go too far--I find that if I am too enthusiastic while doing this move, I come VERY close to vomiting. Eeew, I know.

So there you have it: my ab workout! If you try any of these moves, let me know what you think!

Beautiful Day

2007-04-22T11:02:00.000-04:00

I hope all my PA and S. Jersey blogbuddies are taking advantage of the weather this weekend...especially today. It's gorgeous, isn't it? I'm heading out for a bike ride along the Perkiomen Trail, which is an unbelievable resource to the residents of Montgomery County, PA.

Get out there and soak up that sunshine!!!

Eye Candy

2007-04-21T23:15:00.000-04:00

Wentworth Miller, you've been ousted from my list of five!

...and been replaced by this guy...wooooohooooo....

Who you may recognize best as this guy:

Christ on a cracker...is he HOT or what??? I love a man who can rock a tux AND a codpiece equally well!

And through my considerable internet research, I have learned that not ONLY is Gerard Butler gorgeous, he is also witty, incredibly articulate, and SMART! My four favorite characteristics in a guy.

I'll leave you with one last photo...today's my 29 1/2 birthday, by the way...so I just consider this a half-birthday gift to myself!

Yes, I'm Still Alive

2007-04-15T21:48:00.000-04:00

Life has just been getting in the way. That's all.

And I've been terribly remiss in even visiting all my blog buddies' sites, too. I apologize for that. Doesn't mean I haven't been thinking of you all.

I no longer blog from my new job, and frankly, I've been so busy at night when I get home that I just don't have the time, energy, or inclination to sit in front of the computer.

I suck.

Craigslist Makes Me Laugh

2007-03-18T14:40:00.000-04:00

An actual post I saw this morning on Philly's CL:

(nonsexual) Gluttony Buddy Wanted - m4m - 25

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to: pers-296069156@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-03-18, 12:53PM EDT

I'm looking for a gluttony friend. Here's how it would work:

You and I would meet for one purpose and one purpose alone: to cram as much food into our pieholes as possible. We would go to buffet restaurants, Famous Dave's in South Philly, and other places that serve gratuitous portions of food. We would stuff ourselves until eating more would be impossible without ill health effects.

This would be a regular event but not often. Maybe once a month. It's not good to gorge all the time.

Vegetarians and vegans need not apply. Go eat bark somewhere. I'm not keen on lactose intolerance, either (I'd prefer a foodfriend who can take a sundae) but I'm willing to negotiate on that point.

There would be nothing sexual about our gluttony friendship. I am NOT a feeder. Repeat. I am NOT a feeder.

We are going to split the check. I ain't payin' for your gluttonous ass.

If I like you, we can hang out in a non-food-related context, but the focus will always be on eating almost superhuman amounts of food.

Remarkably, I am not obese myself. I attribute this to my squirrel-like metabolism. You can be obese or not be. Either way.

Now let's start eatin'.

I'm A Quitter

2007-03-16T22:00:00.000-04:00

Someone asked me to write about this, so here goes.

I began smoking cigarettes when I was fifteen. I was working during the summer at a Hallmark card store. There was another girl who worked with me who was a year or two older than I. Her name was Danette. We got friendly and started hanging out occasionally.

One night after we closed the store, Danette’s friends and I were hanging out at a park in Newtown Square. They were all smokers and they asked me if I wanted a cigarette.

I hesitated. My mother had just ended a twenty-five year smoking habit herself earlier that year. I vividly heard her voice echoing in my mind. “If you EVER touch a cigarette, I will break all ten of your fingers!”

Did that stop me? What do you think?

I shrugged as Mike, Danette’s sometimes-boyfriend, extended a Marlboro Red to me. I slid it between my lips as he held up his gold-plated Zippo lighter.

“Wait a minute,” I said, pulling the cigarette from my lips. “What am I supposed to do with this thing?”

They all laughed at my innocence.

“Just inhale it,” Danette instructed. “Breathe in real fast through your mouth when Mike lights it. Pretend like your mom just walked in on you doing it and gasp, like you're surprised. You might cough for a minute or two, but you’ll get used to it.”

So I did. And man, did I cough! I hacked like an old coalminer for a good ten minutes as I struggled to finish the cigarette. I remember thinking to myself, “Why would anyone enjoy this?” But it seemed like the thing to do…it seemed like everyone I knew smoked.

For several months, I was a weekend social smoker. Terrified that my parents might find me out, I didn’t buy my own packs of smokes for nearly a year after I had my first cigarette. But eventually I gave in to the impulse and began smoking every day. I never smoked at home, so I started spending lots of time at my friends’ houses, where I could enjoy my cigarettes without fear of parental rebuke.

It went on that way for eight years. After about a year, I became a standard pack-a-day smoker. Of course, my parents did find out about it. They were quite upset--particularly my mother, who'd had such a hard time giving it up herself--but they realized that they couldn’t prevent me from smoking when I was away from home.

I remember one time, when I was about seventeen, I lit up a cigarette at a family barbecue in front of everyone. At that point, my entire family knew I smoked, so I figured it was no big thing. My mother, who was sitting across the picnic table from me, took one look at me sucking on my beloved Parliament Light and promptly burst into tears. I quickly stamped it out under my sandal and never smoked in front of her again.

In the spring of 2001, when I was twenty-three, I started thinking about quitting. Nothing in particular made me consider it..I just felt like it was time. Ninety-eight percent of my friends were still smokers, and though my mother occasionally nagged me about it, no one ever seriously asked me to quit. By that time, I was dating Brian and he didn’t smoke, but he never complained about my smoking; in fact, after a few drinks on the weekend, he would usually bum a smoke or two from me! Smoking was never a true addiction for him, though, which is something that still puzzles me to this day. If you’re not gonna go full-tilt, why bother at all?

Anyway, I was up to almost two packs a day at that point due to major job stress. But inexplicably, the pleasure I’d always gotten from smoking was steadily waning. Every time I lit a cigarette, I wound up asking myself why I was doing it. Many times, I would stub it out before I had smoked even half of it. I had also recently joined a health club and was feeling like the world's biggest hypocrite when, as soon as my workout ended, I'd leave the gym and light up immediately in the parking lot on the way back to my car.

I am not an impulsive person. I don’t usually make snap judgments about anything. And I certainly didn’t decide in a split-second to quit smoking. I actually thought about it for months and months before I decided to do it. But I didn’t dare tell anyone; I didn’t want to commit to it out loud. It seemed safer if I kept it to myself. I didn’t want anyone throwing it in my face if I failed.

Friday, July 27, 2001 arrived, and I decided that that would be my quitting day. As luck (or in this case, bad luck) would have it, Brian and a bunch of my coworkers were going to a happy hour after work. They wanted me to come with them. All day long, I sat at my desk and contemplated it. I knew that if I went to happy hour and had a few cocktails, I’d wind up with a cigarette in my hand.

I quietly told Brian that I wouldn’t be joining him for happy hour that night, that I’d decided to quit smoking that day and that I was scared to death I’d fail. Not being a true nicotine addict, he really couldn’t understand what the problem was. He didn’t recognize the correlation between booze and cigarettes for me. Namely, booze = lowered inhibitions = me saying, “Awww, what the hell! I can quit tomorrow!” = cigarettes.

I managed to convince him that I wouldn’t be upset if he went to happy hour that night without me. I went home (I was still living with my parents then) and brooded. And by “brooded,” I mean that I sobbed inconsolably for five straight hours, crumpled up on a lawn chair in the backyard as night fell upon me. Seriously. I wept as if my best friend died. And in a way, I guess that was true; cigarettes had been my friend for eight long years. Cigarettes, and the rituals that I associated with them, had seen me through many good and bad times. I was completely devastated about my decision to quit smoking, as much as I understood (with the small amount of sanity I had left at the time) that it was the right thing to do.

That night, I wondered if my life would ever be the same again. I wondered if I’d ever be able to go out with my friends to happy hour again. I couldn’t imagine ever having fun again without being able to smoke. I couldn’t imagine getting through a stressful day at work without taking a few well-deserved cigarette breaks outside. I couldn’t imagine sitting in rush-hour traffic in my car without puffing away on a Parliament Light. ESPECIALLY when I was in my car; that was my favorite time and place to smoke…the windows and sunroof open, music blasting.

But life went on, as life does. And to my surprise, it got easier for me to not smoke. I learned to sit out the cravings. I figured that just because I felt like I wanted to have a cigarette didn’t mean that I had to give in to it. Minutes turned to hours, hours turned to days, days turned to weeks. And the more time passed, the more determined I was to stick to my goal. I didn’t want to start from scratch all over again. What can I say? I’m very stubborn. When I set my mind to something, I don’t let anything get in my way.

My personal secret to quitting successfully? To never, ever, EVER smoke one more cigarette again. Ever.

I don’t mean to sound flip or cute. Not at all. But that’s what worked for me. It’s simple, but not at all easy. Not easy by a long stretch.

For a time after I quit, I had to stop hanging out with my smoker friends. This, as you might imagine, ruffled some feathers. And I did stop drinking for about six months after I stopped smoking. I just felt strangely incomplete with a cocktail in one hand but no cigarette in the other. Even now, I rarely drink.

Does that mean I’m not tempted to smoke now? Nope. Though it’s been almost six years since I quit, I still think about cigarettes every now and then. And I expect it will be that way for the rest of my life. It’s not often, but sometimes the urge to smoke hits me like a fucking stampede of cattle, and I have to take a few deep breaths until it passes.

Especially when I’m sitting in my car in traffic.

Various and Sundry

2007-03-16T20:45:00.000-04:00

I feel I owe my blogfriends a serious apology. I have kind of lost my blogging mojo lately, ya know? Like a major writer's block that has continued forever. Ugh. I hate it.

I keep thinking of things to write about here, and have actually started about a half-dozen posts in the past two weeks, only to reread them and delete them immediately because they're just so boring and blah.

The job is still going well, but it's been busy. SOOOO busy. This week I stayed until 6:30 on Tuesday, 7 p.m. on Wednesday, 6 p.m. last night, and until 5 p.m. tonight, even though everyone else left the office at 2 p.m. because of the ice and snow.

I've been desperately trying just to keep my head above water with respect to my workload. Most days I don't even take a lunch break...I just grab a yogurt and pound away at my desk. The powers-that-be keep reassuring me that they're going to be extending an offer to someone in the next few days so that I will have a helper. I freaking hope so! I have a pretty strong work ethic and don't mind staying late occasionally to get a job done, but 4 out of 5 nights a week? No thanks...I DO have a life outside of work!

Oh yeah...I started my weightlifting again this week. My office is less than 5 minutes from the Phoenixville branch of the YMCA. I managed to sneak away for 40 minutes twice this week, when I've actually taken lunch. And the gym is delightfully empty at 1 p.m., so I get a lot done in a half-hour.

The verdict? I am so out of shape it's pathetic.

I was looking at my old routines from when I was lifting religiously. Obviously, I've had to reduce the amount of weight for now until I can build my strength up again. It's so hard (not to mention demoralizing) to start from scratch again, but I know it's for the best.

And now I will bore you with my workout:

Cable bicep curls: 2 x 12 @ 15 lbs
Cable tricep pushdowns: 2 x 12 @ 40 lbs
Smith machine bench press: 2 x 12 @ 65 lbs (this fills me with shame...I was up to 120 lbs before!! Sigh...patience...)
Lat pulldowns: 2 x 12 @ 50 lbs
Hack squats: 2 x 15 @ 130 lbs
Hip Adductions: 2 x 15 @ 60 lbs
Hip Abductions: 2 x 15 @ 80 lbs
Leg Extensions: 2 x 12 @ 50 lbs
Leg Curls: 2 x 12 @ 50 lbs
Overhead shoulder press: 2 x 12 @ 35 lbs

My first workout was on Monday afternoon. Tuesday morning came and I could barely hoist myself out of bed. And on Wednesday, I was still aching.

Then I went back yesterday for more. The good news is that today was not bad at all...just an occasional pleasant twinge in my back and inner thighs to remind me that I worked hard yesterday.

Enjoy St. Patty's Day, my friends!

All in a Name

2007-03-13T23:06:00.000-04:00

OK, if any of you have ever seen my "random question" in my Blogger profile, you've noticed that I mentioned what my porn star name is.

Now I want you to tell me what YOUR porn star name is. Here's how to get it:

First Name = name of your first childhood pet
Last Name = name of the first street you lived on

My first pet was an orange tiger tabby named Whiskers, and I lived on Hampden Road in Upper Darby until I was 10. So voila! My porn star name is Whiskers Hampden.

Leave your porn star name in my Comments!

So Many Things, So Little Time...

2007-03-11T13:39:00.000-04:00

Livelee tagged me...here goes!

This list can make you feel as though you've done some pretty cool things in your life...or as if you haven't done enough. Which one are you?

Things I've done are in boldtype.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children/currently raising child
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read

136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Wow, I've experienced more things than I thought. Thanks, Livelee! You've also given me some ideas for future blog posts!

I'm tagging Teri, Cayman, and Mainline Mom.

Gold....Annnnnd....Siiiiilllllvahahah!

2007-03-05T14:42:00.000-05:00

This movie was so, so awesome.

The 1980s were horrifically embarrassing, weren't they?

In Which I Relive My Teenage Crush

2007-02-20T12:51:00.000-05:00

As a V-Day gift, I bought the Huz The Departed. We watched it on Sunday night.

Yes, it was a terrific film. Blew me away, as a matter of fact. But that is not why I'm posting about it.

The reason I'm posting about it is because I couldn't NOT post about this: Sweet JESUS, is Leonardo DiCaprio HOT HOT HOT HOT SMOOOOOOKING HOT in this film! Gah!

Poor, poor Brian--I could sense his discomfort watching this movie with me. I kept making little involuntary noises every time Leo came on the screen. I couldn't help it, I swear!

This is the first movie I have seen Leonardo DiCaprio in in which he appears to actually be a grown man, not a boy.

Dear Lord. I haven't felt this way about LD since he was in Romeo & Juliet.

I particularly like this photo because it looks like LD is ready to lean in and plant a nice, wet, soulful kiss on Matt Damon. And if that's not hot, I really don't know what is.

Week Two

2007-02-05T22:02:00.000-05:00

I know I'm a little late, but I finally have some downtime now, so I figured I'd check in and let you all know how the new job is going.

Week 2 in Danville, PA was a productive one. I worked until 7 p.m. on Wednesday and 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Things are coming together slowly. They expect me to transition the everyday operations of the daily-valued retirement plans from the home office here to the Valley Forge office next week. I'm a little nervous, but I'm sure it will be fine.

Did I mention it's freaking RIDICULOUSLY cold here??? There's about a ten-degree difference in temperature between Danville and the Philadelphia metro area. I wish it weren't so cold; I desperately need the exercise, and I'd like to be able to get outside and walk around a bit, but it just isn't happening. The nights are so frigid here that it hurts to breathe if I spend more than a minute or two outside. Granted, the hotel I'm staying at does have a "fitness room" (read: closet) and I have visited it a few times in the past two weeks, but it's a total joke. There is a treadmill, an elliptical, and a LifeCycle in the fitness room, all of which look like they were transported here from the set of Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" video, circa 1981. Unfortunately, I forgot to pack my coordinating legwarmers and leotard, so I just don't feel right exercising in there.

Last Thursday after I left the office, I was feeling adventurous, so I drove about 15 miles down Route 11 South to Selinsgrove, PA. I found the Susquehanna Valley Mall and stopped there for dinner and a manicure. The folks out this way are very nice but many of them are kinda stuck in the 80s. Bleached blondes with terrible perms, electric blue eyeshadow, clothes that appear to have been purchased from G+G or Marianne or Merry-Go-Round (remember that one??), and mullets. Many, many mullets. And not just on the dudes!

The highlight of last week came late Thursday night. After my jaunt to the mall, I returned to my room and played around online for a bit. Around 11 p.m. I decided it was bedtime. I pulled down the comforter and fleece blanket of the king-sized bed just in time to witness a large, silver-colored spider crawling up the fitted sheet toward the pillows. For an arachnophobe like me, this was NOT a welcome sight.

First, I screeched like a hyena for a moment and honestly considered calling my husband for moral support. I decided against it, though. Too late at night for that. Then, with what little presence of mind I still possessed, I dashed into the bathroom and grabbed a water glass from the sink. I ran back to the bed and scooped the spider up into the glass, flew back into the bathroom, and flushed it down the toilet while holding my breath. Then I flushed the toilet again. Just in case. You can NEVER be too sure when killing an insect.

After that, I proceeded to live out my rockstar fantasy of trashing a hotel room...but not because I was flying high on coke or Jack, sorry to say. No, I simply freaked out like a mental case and tore all the bedding off the bed, shaking the sheets, comforter, and blanket out over the carpet. Then I pulled the pillowcases off all four pillows. Still not satisfied, I pushed the mattress off the boxspring and inspected underneath. Then I got on all fours and peered under the bed itself. No more spiders.

Finally, I pulled out a pair of socks, put them on my feet, and tucked the bottom of my yoga pants into them, thereby ensuring that no creepy-crawlies could breach my pants during my slumber. I also pulled on a long-sleeved sweatshirt before putting the bed back in order and climbing between the sheets, exhausted. I didn't actually fall asleep until well after 1 a.m. It seemed that every time sleep was about to overtake me, I'd feel (or imagined I felt) something brushing against me. I guess I got about four hours of sleep total. Not a good night.

I'm hoping that my third and final week here is a little less, uh...eventful.

Good night!

Halftime

2007-02-05T21:14:00.000-05:00

Wonder what Dave thought of this?

I thought it was pretty damn hot. I just about wet myself when I realized what he was singing...

Well done, Purple One. Well done, indeed.

10 Things

2007-01-31T22:49:00.000-05:00

I'm officially tagging MYSELF from LiveLee's meme. So without further ado, here are TEN THINGS ABOUT ME:

1. I am a reformed smoker. July 30, 2007 will be my sixth year of being nicotine-free. Quitting smoking was definitely the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life. And I still get the odd urge every once in a great while. But I know that I don't have to give in to it.

2. I've kept a diary since I was in second grade. I have stacks of books at home that track my life from pretty much age 8. Sometimes I read back on my very first diary and laugh my ass off. I was a pretty precocious child.

3. Keeping on the writing theme: I've been working on something (not sure how I want to categorize it at the moment, so I'm not going to label it) for the past several months. I've written around 42,000 words so far. Fiction. We'll see where it goes. I haven't shown it to anyone yet, not even my husband. It's kind of like my baby. I'm not sure I want anyone to scrutinize it just yet.

4. Living in a hotel for the past two weeks for my new job hasn't been bad, but I'll tell you what has been really difficult: eating out at restaurants three meals a day, five days a week! I never thought I'd say it, but I'm about ready for a home-cooked meal.

5. I love to sing and I sing constantly. I'm not very good, but what I lack in talent, I like to think I make up for in enthusiasm. I especially like to sing in the car. At the top of my lungs. Currently I've been singing along with Alicia Keys' Unplugged on my iPod.

6. For most of my life, I've been pretty certain that I wasn't interested in having kids, but in the past several months I've started feeling like I'm ready. Not sure what's prompted this change, but I'm hoping that 2007 is the year for procreation. (Hear that, honey? Step it up!!)

7. My greatest fear in life is losing loved ones, especially my parents. I'm not really afraid of dying, but sometimes I think about my parents' inevitable deaths and I get very upset. So I try to enjoy every moment that I can with them because I know someday they won't be around.

8. My biggest goal in life is to be happy. In every possible way. I'd like to think that I've been pretty successful in that regard. Overall, I'm pretty damn cheerful and I think of myself as a positive realist.

9. One emotion that I just cannot understand is envy/jealousy. I have rarely felt either. I don't pay much attention to what other people have versus what I have. It's a very foreign concept to me. I guess I'm lucky that way. I tend to focus more on living a life that is meaningful to me, and the only person I'm really interested in competing against is myself. If that makes any sense.

10. The thing that makes me most angry is when people don't listen. That includes people who interrupt, people who try to conduct a conversation with someone else when you're on the phone with them, and people who don't make a sincere effort to understand where someone else is coming from.

I'm tagging anyone who wants to be tagged. Good night!

Greetings from Danville

2007-01-29T19:30:00.000-05:00

Well, Week Two of my new job began today. So far, so good. The people in the home office couldn’t be nicer, and I’ve enjoyed the tasks I’ve accomplished so far.

Danville is a quaint little town about fifteen miles outside of Bloomsburg, PA, right on the Susquehanna River. The drive here is fantastic. I take Route 61, which cuts right through the Blue Mountain Ridge and passes through the Weiser State Forest. I even get to drive through Centralia, which is both super-cool and pretty damn creepy at the same time.

I bought a laptop last week before I left for my first day here, which helps to pass the evenings in my room after work. I’ve been catching up on my pleasure reading, too, which is nice.

The whole living-in-a-hotel thing during the week isn’t too awful, either. After all, the company is paying for three meals a day, my lodging, and my mileage to and from Danville every week. In fact, I rather enjoy coming back to my quiet, cozy hotel room at the end of the day: the bed is made, fresh towels are laid out in the bathroom, the rug has been vacuumed…a girl could get used to this kind of treatment.

I’m just sayin’.

Takin' Care of Business

2007-01-19T16:10:00.000-05:00

I am gainfully employed again! I'm excited and a little nervous, too.

I start the new job on Monday. It's much closer to my house, so my commute time will be almost halved. The hours are flexible and the office has a very casual dress code. It's also a much smaller firm than the one I worked at before, but that doesn't bother me at all. I'll be doing some extensive traveling for the first three weeks to central PA, where the home office is located. That means I'll be living in a motel during the week for approximately three weeks and coming home just on the weekends.

This staying at home thing just doesn't work for me. I've been practically climbing the walls. I thought that I'd enjoy the time off, but I really haven't. Other than doing a bit of housework and making a lot more home-cooked meals, I haven't been productive at all. To be perfectly honest, I've really been teetering on the edge of depression.

Yippeee! Thank you for all your well wishes and thoughts. I really, really appreciated them.

I'm Still Alive

2007-01-18T14:21:00.000-05:00

Just taking some time off, actually.

If you know me, then I'm sure you realize that the majority of the past two evenings for me was comprised of watching the debut of this season's American Idol.

But I did flip back and forth last night between AI and Armed and Famous on CBS. And I've decided, much to my surprise that I really quite like Jack Osbourne. He seems like he has his head on pretty damn straight, especially in his dealings with the junkies that he's assisted in arresting.

Go, Jack!

The Fortune Cookie Was Right...

2007-01-05T15:15:00.000-05:00

I got a fortune cookie on 12/19 whose fortune read: Be prepared to modify your plans.

Boy, was that right...I lost my job today.

Happy new year.

Year in Review

2006-12-28T11:53:00.000-05:00

I was reviewing the post from the beginning of the year in which I listed my goals for 2006. I wanted to see how many of them I actually accomplished during the year. Here's an update:

1. Be in bed and asleep by 10 p.m. on work nights. Hah!

Even as I wrote that goal, I knew there was no way I'd ever be able to do it consistently. Over the summer I was doing really well, because I was getting up at 5:30 a.m. and going to the gym before work. But in the last couple months, I have been suffering from a serious lack of sleep. So this goal was not fully attained. Bummer.

2. Take a daily multi-vitamin. Even if it's Flintstones.

As if! I took a vitamin faithfully... for about two weeks! Then I forgot. I'm so bad at remembering to take pills, it's a miracle I remembered to take my birth control pills for ten years without any "accidents."

3. Get some form of exercise for at least 30 minutes, at least four days a week. Racquetball, weight-lifting, walking are some ideas.

Unless the weather is really bad, I walk close to three miles every day. Lately I've been slacking off due to holiday crazyness, but otherwise I've stuck to the walking pretty religiously. I do need to start lifting again, though.

4. Plan my meals better so that when I'm hungry, I can eat something nutritious and homemade, thereby reducing the frequency of eating out.

Hmmm...I've tried to do this. Lately I've lost interest in cooking, so I need to get my mojo back in this area.

5. Study for and pass the ASPPA DC-2 exam, so I can get the QKA designation for my job.

Done! In fact I just received my ASPPA QKA certificate and membership card two weeks ago. Yay, me! Now I'm thinking about getting the next designation, which is the Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA). That would entail two more torturous exams, one of which is dedicated solely to Defined Benefit plans...ugh.

6. Start thinking about having a baby. Perhaps.

Still thinking about it. I've been having a lot of baby lust, particularly when I interact with our friends' kids. When we visited Rochester for Thanksgiving, we saw Brian's friends' babies (a one-year old and a six-month old) and when I held them, I really thought my ovaries were going to explode! I just love babies. Frankly, we just need to start having more sex. A LOT more.

7. Travel somewhere fun. No more Caribbean islands, please...I'm talking Europe, Africa, or somewhere I've never visited within the borders of these great United States. I've always wanted to go to a dude ranch. Brian thinks I'm nuts but I'm totally serious. Hee-haw!

Unfortunately, the most exciting trip we took in 2006 was two days outside of Syracuse, NY for a wedding. Not exactly what I had in mind when I wrote "somewhere fun." This year, we MUST go somewhere awesome. Hint, hint...

8. Pay off all the new appliances that we bought when we moved into the new house.

Done! I think we had them all paid off by May.

9. Volunteer.

I was way too busy studying for those ASPPA exams to even think about volunteering. Oh well.

10. Continue on the home improvement spree. I slowed down due to studying for DC-1 and then the holiday onslaught began. Now I have all the time in the world to paint and strip wallpaper!

We definitely did a lot to the house this year. Let's see...we:

-painted the basement, the guest bathroom, the master bedroom, the two guest rooms, the upstairs hallway and stairwell
-removed, repainted, and rehung the vinyl shutters on all the windows, and repainted the front door and the trim around the garage and sidelight to match
-installed a new screen slider to the deck
-removed the old mailbox and installed a new wrought-iron Victorian style mailbox
-removed the handrail next to the front step that had rotted out
-had extensive landscaping done--still a work in progress--including pulling up two dead trees, planting a bunch of shrubs, and laying down 6 yards of mulch around the perimeter of the deck (thank you for doing that, honey!)
-installed a small water feature in the backyard all by ourselves
-installed new light fixtures in the hallway and the guest bathroom
-installed new ceiling fans in two bedrooms, the living room, the family room, and the kitchen
-had new carpeting installed throughout the second floor and the stairwell
-bought new furniture (sofa, chair, and tables) for the basement family room, along with a new TV and a home theatre system
-built a custom upholstered window cornice for the guest bathroom window all by ourselves!
-installed a remote control garage door keypad for outside access
-installed a doorbell chime extender so that we can hear the doorbell in the basement
-installed two self-timers for the outside lights (and almost blew up the house putting in the second one...oops!)
-had a new hot water heater installed
-had a new sump pump system installed
-hung various artwork, candle sconces, and curtain rods throughout the house

Jesus! We did more than I thought this year. Looking at this list, I'm amazed that we ever had any downtime on the weekends to just relax and hang out!

In 2007, I would like to get a shed for the backyard so we can move all the lawn and garden crap out of our garage. I would also like to get a new oven in the kitchen. And maybe a new bed.

Did you meet your goals in 2006? What are your goals for 2007?

Deep Breath!

2006-12-27T17:12:00.000-05:00

Well, the holiday mayhem is winding down.

NOT.

For us, Christmas was fairly low-key this year. We were home, not in Binghamton, which always makes me very happy. There's just something nice about waking up in your own house on Christmas morning.

We went to the movies on Christmas Eve and saw The Good Shepherd. Word of advice? Skip it. It was unbearably long and drawn-out. I thought we'd never make it out of the theatre. Ugh.

When we got home from the movies, we opened our gifts. Remember how much I loved Madonna's Confessions on a Dancefloor last year? I've decided that my favorite CD of this year is John Mayer's Continuum, which was one of the things that The Huz bought for me. Love it. LOVE it. It's sublime, bluesy goodness. I especially like the first three tracks and the last track. Fantastic album!

I also got Alicia Keys' Unplugged...another great album. I've seen Alicia in concert twice and she never disappoints. In fact, I think that she is one of the few artists whose voice sounds better live than on recordings. This album captures her at her best.

So now I'm getting ready for the party we're having on Saturday afternoon. Hence, the title of this post. We're expecting almost fifty people--more than I've ever tried to entertain at one time! I'm trying hard not to start hyperventilating when I think about it. The guest list consists almost entirely of my family, most of whom have never seen our new house, but we're also having a few neighbors as well. I think I'm in good shape so far...the catered portion of the food has been ordered, I've test-run a few recipes for food that I'm making myself, and we've been slowly straightening up the house for the past week. Still, I've had a couple nightmares in which people show up at our house and I've overslept and there is no food for them and I am still in my nightgown. I wake up gasping for breath.

Entertaining shouldn't be this stressful, should it?

Hoping that you all had a wonderful holiday!

"Put Your Junk in That Box"

2006-12-21T13:44:00.000-05:00

"That" House

2006-12-21T11:15:00.000-05:00

I took this picture on my regular walk a few nights ago.

OK, so my new camera phone takes lousy photos.

Or maybe it's just operator error.

Or maybe...just maybe...the quality of this particular photo is so crappy because my poor camera phone was too busy recoiling in horror at the display of Christmas monstrosities on this property to capture a decent picture.

All I can say is Thank Dog this house is three streets over from mine. It has been literally lit up like Las Vegas since Thanksgiving.

This is the same house, by the way, where passersby can admire a lovely array of Confederate flags snapping proudly in the breeze every other day of the year. Oh yeah...and a bunch of Nascar banners, too.

Every neighborhood has one of these houses, right?

Yikes.

My Hometown

2006-12-16T16:51:00.000-05:00

I found this incredible photo of the city skyline from Upper Darby, where I grew up. I wish I knew who I could credit for this picture.

This is the reason

2006-12-13T18:51:00.000-05:00

I always, ALWAYS look into the toilet bowl before my ass hits that seat. No matter what.

7-Foot Python Found In Toilet

Amazed

2006-12-13T17:08:00.000-05:00

I'm amazed by the sheer volume of hits this blog has been getting from my post last week on the Pflaumers' Christmas display in Drexel Hill. It's hard to believe that so many people are searching Google Blogsearch and Technorati for it.

<small voice> I would really love it if some of you lurkers would out yourselves and leave me a comment...

Final Project, Postmortem

2006-12-06T16:09:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't throw up last night. Truthfully, I don't even know why I was so nervous; I'd been working on that speech for weeks, and it wasn't the first time the class had heard it. But I came dangerously close to having a nearly full-blown attack of hyperventilation just before I was introduced. Somehow I survived it.

The assignment was to give a five to seven minute speech on any topic of my choice. I talked about retirement planning and the three biggest mistakes that people make when investing for retirement, and my presentation came in at a very tidy 6:21.

I think my speech was well-received, and the evaluations from my classmates and the facilitators were very positive. The main facilitator, Robin, couldn't have been more effusive in her praise. She told me that I have a natural warmth in my voice that is very pleasant to listen to, and that I am able to project my voice without sounding shrill. Who knew?! She told me that my strengths include good speech organization and flow; appropriate use of gestures and facial expressions to accompany my message; and excellent vocabulary. Her comments also mentioned that I "radiated confidence and competence" while speaking, and that she learned anew about planning her investment portfolio. Later in the class, she pointed out that I have a very rare ability for a beginner speaker to avoid the use of filler words such as "uh" and "um" and "like," even when I'm not quite sure in which direction my speeches are going.

I just about floated out of the classroom at the end of the night! Taking this class was an overwhelmingly positive experience for me. I really went outside of my comfort zone when I signed up for the class, and I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it or do well at all. The group was so supportive and provided such excellent constructive criticism, though. I'm eternally glad that I went for it.

The facilitators also encouraged me to check out a few of their Toastmasters meetings, so I'll be going to one later this month. As I thanked each facilitator for their help and support during the course of the class, one of them shook my hand and said, "You're going to go places, I can tell."

WOW.

Final Project

2006-12-05T16:40:00.000-05:00

Tonight is my final Public Speaking class. I'm giving a seven-minute speech on investing for retirement, and I'm so nervous that I think I might throw up.

Wish me luck...

The Christmas House

2006-11-30T15:48:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite holiday traditions from my childhood was going to see the Christmas decorations at the Pflaumers' house in Drexel Hill, PA, known in my family as the "Christmas House." Every year, either my parents, my godmother, or my grandparents would take me over to the large Tudor-style home on Fairfax Road, where I'd stand, mesmerized, admiring the incredible variety of Christmas decorations on and around the property. The Pflaumers owned the Schmidt Brewing Company in Philadelphia, a beer distributorship that was fairly well-known in the area. Mr. Pflaumer wound up in the slammer for tax evasion and eventually had to declare bankruptcy in the 1980s, but that didn't stop him (or his family) from wowing the local residents every year with their Christmas display.

You could actually hear the Christmas House before you saw it, thanks to the holiday music that blared on an endless loop over a loudspeaker system. Often we had to park our car two or three blocks away from the house; there was always a crowd gathered around it, from Thanksgiving all the way up until New Year's, and understandably so: there were so many fantastic sights on the property that one's eyes could hardly rest. Here was a life-sized illuminated Santa's sleigh, complete with eight reindeer, suspended from a pulley system that wound around the side yard of the house. On the front lawn was an enormous Nativity scene, with real straw and a real stable and nearly life-sized figures gathered around the manger. Not to mention all kinds of flashing lights and holiday statuary scattered everywhere. From the peak of the roof, a huge lit-up Santa statue appeared on the verge of climbing into the chimney.

If I had to guess, I'd say that there were easily 50,000 lights in the display, but that may be a conservative estimate. I remember the adults standing around and speculating what the Pflaumers' electric bill must be. There was a hurricane fence erected around the property, and I was always curious if anyone actually lived in the house during the holiday season. I never saw any cars, interior lights, or other signs of life within the house when we went to look at it. Now, as an adult looking back on it, I wonder how the Pflaumers' neighbors tolerated this show year in and year out. As much as I loved going to see it, I can't imagine living next door to it!

I can't remember exactly when I stopped going to see the Christmas House; I suppose it was sometime around the advent of my teenage years, when I thought myself too "cool" to be transported by the extravagance and magic of the display. You know what teenagers are like--nothing impresses them. But now that December is upon us, I've found my thoughts turning back to the Christmas House, wondering if the Pflaumers still put on the display.

Arghhhh....Why Bother?

2006-11-27T14:46:00.000-05:00

You know, I was ready to launch into a very angry post this afternoon about the idiocy of the uproar in Colorado over the woman who hung a wreath in the shape of a peace sign on the side of her house...but I'm just too disgusted to even get into it now.

Common sense--less common than you'd think!

Run Like The Wind

2006-11-19T20:58:00.000-05:00

Today I had the privilege of spending most of the morning and early afternoon at the Philadelphia Marathon. It was the most inspiring, affirming, positive experience I have had in a very, very long time. One of my friends was running in it, so two of my girlfriends and I headed downtown to cheer her on and offer her some moral support.

I've never been a spectator at a marathon, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It was a clear, sunny, crisp day (thankfully!), and Megan, PJ and I got down to the city around 10 a.m. We pushed our way through the crowds and found a place to stand at the halfway mark/finish line, which was just in front on the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the Ben Franklin Parkway.

At first, we just stood there and watched as the runners plodded their course past us. All around us, the crowds were cheering the runners on, but I felt very self-conscious; I didn't know any of these people, and I've never been much of a cheerleader anyway.

But soon enough, inspiration struck, and the three of us were hooting and screaming for everyone who ran past us. There were all types of people there--many races, nationalities, some very young people, some very, very old people--all with the same goal: just to keep putting one foot in front of the other and to cross the finish line. Because when you set out to run 26.2 miles, that's really your ultimate goal...to just finish the run.

About three and a half hours into the race, we moved further down Kelly Drive and stood in the middle of the street, about a quarter-mile from the finish line. The runners amazed me! A few who passed us were literally crying in pain. Others were limping along, trying to massage their calves or quadriceps and keep the pace at the same time. Some were smiling broadly and clapping for themselves and their competitors as we cheered them on. Many of them had their names written on homemade t-shirts, so we could yell out to them personally as they made their way to the finish line. Because we were standing right next to the course, I could stick my arm out as they passed us. I gave so many high-fives to runners today that I eventually lost count.

"Good job!"
"Keep it up, runners! You can do it!"
"Kick some ass, guys! You look great!"
"You're almost at the finish line...bring it home!"
"Come on, Lisa! You got it! Great run!"

The most incredibly moving thing about the event was how complete strangers came together to motivate and encourage the runners. There were many moments today in which I found my eyes welling up with tears. It was just so emotional to watch the runners slog along to the finish line, and even more emotional to watch and listen to the spectators screaming for them, giving them the little push they needed to get to the end of the race. Strangers cheering for strangers: what a lovely thing to witness. I felt so fortunate today to have had that experience, because it reaffirmed my faith in humanity, even if just in a small way.

Shortly after the five hour mark, we saw our friend Colleen coming up Kelly Drive. PJ started screaming and waving the neon-green poster she'd made for Colleen. Megan and I looked at each other and decided that we would run the last quarter-mile with Colleen. We jumped onto the course and flanked her, falling into pace with her as she ran, screaming, "You can do it, Colleen! You're almost there...good job! Let's do it!" It was such a surreal moment, running next to her while people on the sidelines yelled and cheered her on. She was hurting--as soon as we fell in next to her, she panted, "I fucking hate this! I'm fucking done right now!" but we kept her going to the end, yelling for her until we went hoarse. I've never tried running and screaming at the top of my lungs at the same time before--it was quite the challenge!

We ran with Colleen until just short of the finish line, at which point we fell back and let her finish alone.

I pulled PJ's camera out of my coat pocket and snapped a photo of Colleen crossing the line. Five hours and ten minutes.

Good run, Colleen!

Ding! Ding! Ding! We Have a Winnah!

2006-11-14T13:16:00.000-05:00

So today the first slots casino opened in PA: Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, located in Wilkes-Barre, which is about 2 hours from where I live. Shoot, that means we might have to stop there and give the old one-armed bandit a pull on the ride up to Rochester next week.

What do you think?

My Friends Crack Me Up

2006-11-13T14:05:00.000-05:00

One of my dearest, wisest, oldest friends bought six copies of the novel in which my essay on friendship is published. She has asked me to autograph them, as she will be giving them to a bunch of her other friends as Christmas gifts.

???

Skin and Bones

2006-11-12T09:54:00.000-05:00

If you are a Foo fan, you must buy this. It was just released last week, and it's a live performance CD from this past year's "Afoostic" tour.

It is amazing. I have been sitting here, eyes closed, listening to it, and I am covered with goosebumps. This was by far the best concert of 2006, and as most of you know, I went to many concerts this year.

The only thing that disappoints me a bit is that it excludes most of the banter between Dave and the guys that Foo fans love so much.

A live performance DVD will follow next month.

Bun-o-vision

2006-11-10T12:49:00.000-05:00

Have a few Friday laughs here.

My favorites are Titanic, Office Space, The Shining, and Jaws.

Why The Hell Not?

2006-11-07T20:09:00.000-05:00

I love the ability to post videos from YouTube here.

This is probably my favorite video OF ALL TIME. So fucking funny.

Can you understand why I love Dave Grohl? He's hilarious! Not to mention the lyrics to some of his songs are the most romantic I've ever heard (see: Everlong; Burn Away; Disenchanted Lullaby; Miracle).

Sigh.

Life's Greatest Mysteries Series - Part II

2006-11-07T19:30:00.000-05:00

Britney files for divorce.

The mystery is, why didn't she do it sooner?

Just Wondering...

2006-11-06T13:24:00.000-05:00

Do you think it's maybe just a wee bit premature to have Christmas decorations littering your front lawn right now?

I took my regular walk last night and saw that one of our neighbors had every imaginable Christmas monstrosity already out and LIT UP on his property. You know what I mean...the huge, inflatable Christmas snowglobe, the illuminated, animatronic reindeer (creepy!), and icicle lights hanging from every eave of the house.

I was most amused by the fact that the house directly across the street still has its huge, inflatable Halloween jack-o'lantern on the front lawn.

It's almost as though they're competing to see whose front lawn can look the tackiest.

Question of the Day

2006-11-03T10:08:00.000-05:00

Taken from If3 by Evelyn Macfarlane and James Sayer:

What is the single most sexy word in the English language?

Leave your response in the comment section.

Happy Friday!

Memories

2006-11-02T09:55:00.000-05:00

If you had to pick one album to sum up your college years, what would it be?

(If you didn't go to college, answer it anyway, applying the standard college age range of 18-21).

This morning I'm burning some of my CDs into iTunes on my PC at work. Right now I'm listening to Ben Folds' Five's "Whatever and Ever, Amen." This entire album is so evocative of my college years. I got it as a birthday gift when I turned twenty from one of my friends, Big Jon, who attended Widener University.

I partied more at Widener than I did at my own school (which is amazing, considering that West Chester University has a nearly legendary reputation as a huge party school). I even had more friends at Widener and UDel than I did at West Chester! I don't think I could name a single person from West Chester. Oh well. I guess that's what happens when you're NEVER in class. Hee.

Anyway, whenever I hear any song from this album, I am sent back to that time in my life. I remember the good times: sneaking into The Bent Elbo, Abilene and Manny Brown's on South Street, and Walio's Frog Pond (Widener's campus bar) to celebrate their 21st birthdays while I was still underage; smoking bongs in the absolutely decrepit bathroom of the off-campus rowhouse where Jon lived with his two roommates, Pat and Bob; playing Beirut and "Think While You Drink" with them, going to strip bars with them (yes, I did!); going glo-bowling at midnight at Conchester Lanes in Aston.

I also remember the not-so-good times: being in love with David, my ex-boyfriend with the serious drug problem, who never wanted to hang out with my other friends; the handful of one-night stands I had with guys I really liked but who wouldn't commit; watching all my Widener friends graduate (they were a year ahead of me, remember?) and move on with their lives while I was still unhappily stuck at West Chester; and oh yeah--failing out of college. How could I forget that one?

Still, this album never fails to put a smile on my face. All those experiences made me who I am today, and I will always look back fondly on those days.

So tell me about your musical memories from college.

"...And I Approve This Message."

2006-11-01T22:55:00.000-05:00

I am so fucking tired of these damn political campaign commercials. It's like one big smear-fest. Why doesn't anyone stick to the issues? Gah.

That is all.

Help!

2006-10-30T16:15:00.000-05:00

OK, here's the deal: I need to think of a new name for this blog.

I am an avid Eddie Izzard fan, which explains the whole "Badger" thing and the "Cake or Death?" subtitle.

However.

I am blown away by the sheer number of hits my blog receives on a DAILY basis from people searching the term "poking a badger" or any of its numerous variants. It totally skews my stats and besides, it irks me. And if that's not a reason enough to change the name, I don't know what is, dammit!

Now, I've spent most of my life writing, yet I cannot think of a good blog title. So help me, internets! There must be someone out there who can come up with a clever, creative new name for my blog!

Leave your suggestions in the Comment section of this post. Please note that there will be no official prize for the author of the winning suggestion...the thrilling frisson of pleasure tingling down your spine will have to suffice whenever you log on to my blog and behold your creation.

TIA,
The Management

Worst Album Covers of All Time

2006-10-30T15:04:00.000-05:00

I'm laughing so hard, I think I might wet myself!

The part that really sends me over the edge is the commentary underneath each album photo.

I'd just like to mention how thankful I am that I was born too late to experience most of the 1970s.

Little Children

2006-10-29T08:42:00.000-05:00

This movie finally came to the Ritz Five last week and I saw it yesterday with two of my best girlfriends.

It. was. phenomenal. We couldn't stop talking about it afterwards at dinner.

I thought the film followed the novel pretty faithfully until the end, which left me a little disappointed. I felt that the book had a more somber, if not completely tragic, ending, whereas the movie ended on more of a hopeful, redemptive note. I don't like happy endings all the time...they're just not realistic. Let's face it, many situations in life just don't have happy endings.

Kate's performance was superb, as usual. Patrick Wilson, who played the male lead, was very good (and HOT! Holy smokes, does this guy have a spectacular body!!!) but a bit out of his league, I think. Jennifer Connelly was outstanding as his wife. Really great. Plus there were some very hot, but tastefully filmed, sex scenes. Does it get any better than that?

It was a long film...130 minutes total running time. It did seem to drag in some parts, but I don't think it could've been edited down without losing momentum, and it would have really had an adverse effect on the storyline.

Four stars out of five. Go see it, if it's playing anywhere near you. I may go see it again, just because.

Question of the Day

2006-10-27T10:02:00.000-04:00

Excerpted from The Book of Questions by Gregory Stock:

If you could wake up tomorrow having acquired any skill or trait, what would it be and why?

Leave your answer in the comment section.

Happy Friday!