Recovering Slowly...

I was barely online all weekend. We bbq'ed on Saturday with Patsy and Diddy. Sunday afternoon we went out with Hub's family, and then my parents came over Sunday evening. Monday, we did some shopping, some cleaning, and then went out to eat. I am going to try to catch up on my blogroll reading asap!

Here are a few things you should know, if you read Saturday night/Sunday morning's 3 a.m. post:
A. When you mix this with vodka, bad things can happen.
B. We are NOT Fabio fans by any stretch of the imagination. Hub saw the lifesized cutout in someone's garbage and thought he would make the perfect cheesey bartender for my basement bar.
C. Patsy and I are much cuter sober than we are totally hammered.

OK, so on with the game! I have seen this one around, but saw it most recently at J&J's Mom's place. Here's new twist on the image game. Go to Google Images and search for: Place you grew up. Place you live now. Your name. Your Grandmother’s name. Your favorite food. Your favorite drink. Your favorite song. Your favorite smell. Then post the first or your favorite result for each.

Place I Grew Up


Place I Live Now


My Name


My Grandmother's Name


Favorite Food


Favorite Drink


My Favorite Song


My Favorite Smell

Easy right? So go to it! Or don't, but it's a fun one!

Another Jersey Girl in the Hiz-ouse

So tonight you not only have to deal with me, but my bestest friend, Patsy Sweetie Darling. Yup, you guessed it, we been drinkin. Two drunkin Jersey broads. So I am going to let her guest blog about whatever is on her brilliant little mind. I cannot be held responsible for what she says, especially about Bo Bice.

Pasty says:So let's stawrt(yes, pronounced Jersey style) with Bo. His crown was stolen by that hillbilly harlot Carrie (I have sex with my animals) Underwood. She was chosen months ago let's face it. We knew they would choose the innocent one,what's wrong with doing some blow, Bo. I will mention all of this in my fan letter to Bo, you realize I am his # 1 fan. Yes I will kidnap him and hide him in my cabin. So Kathy Bates. In my letter I will let him know that I was rooting for him since the beginning unlike you jump on the bandwagon fans who decided he was okay after sausage fingas went away. I will let him know the whole Jesus Christ thing is quite cool despite popular belief. I dig it. Now getting on to Constantine,

(How Constantine are we????)
Oh god the horror.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whether you ladies like him or not he sucks ass. He had the gay vote that's final. That's what kept him going. Gayssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!Theater Geek.....

So in conclusion, I am a total dork for following these people so closely, I tivo'ed every episode and rushed home to watch. I voted for Bo possibly thousands of times and he'll never know it was me who voted, until I write him that letter letting him know. I actually hoped that Ryan the dork Seacrest announced Bo had won with a landslide vote coming from Jersey, which I had provided. Silly me I thought my votes counted. Who knew that this was all fixed from the beginning and that they didn't care that my votes were wasted? American Idol sucks this is the first and last season I will ever watch. I love you Bo!!!! Your # 1 fan. Patsy.
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OK, True here. Sorry.

Here are some pics from this evening for your enjoyment:

Here is Princess trying to get some of Diddy's "juice":


We have a new bartender at our bar who loves our YaYa helmets:


And he also loves doing Patsy in the butt:


And here we are right now, which will explain the state of this post. Please my faithful readers, forgive me:

Some People Have Too Much Money And I'm Not One Of Them

So I am at the mall yesterday buying a birthday gift for a friend's daughter. I always park at Bloomingdale's, because its closest to Gymboree and because Bloomingdale's does have some awesome sales. Example: I got a pair of Ralph Lauren pants for Princess there, originally $47, I got them for $5. Anyway. I got the gift I needed, did a little more shopping, and then went browsing through Bloomingdales looking for sales.

I am looking through the purse department. Now, you have to understand that purses are a serious weakness for me. I love them. In the olden days, which is to say before Princess when I was working and had money, I used to buy a new purse ever other week or so. And not just random purses, but NICE ones, like Coach and Fendi and Kate Spade and whatnot. But now, I have to carry a diaper bag, so I have a great Kate Spade bag that I bought a few years ago that I use as my diaper bag AND purse in one:


That's pretty much the only bag I carry. I love it. So anyway. I am looking at the purses in Bloomingdales and I see a 50% off rack. Ah, its the mothership calling me home. And what do I see on the rack? Oh my, its a Fendi bag. And oh my, its leopard print (my signature color). It is probably too small to use as a diaper bag, but its a decent size. Hm, and its 50% off! I may just have to splurge on myself, I am thinking. Everything I buy nowadays is for Princess, so don't I deserve something?! Don't I deserve well-made leather products in my signature color imported from Italy?! YES! YES I DO! Especially if its half off!

So I prepare myself for the price. What, is it going to be $300, and then half off would be $150? Hm that's alot, especially since we're po' now, but don't I deserve it? (This is how I shop, people, with a constant conversation going on in my head convincing me to buy things I don't need). I flip the price tag over. Eyes widen. Jaw drops. I try to refocus my eyes, thinking I must be seeing the decimal point in the wrong place. Um, no. It is $3499.00. So half off...$1749.50.

That is almost as much as I paid for my first car. So I went to Old Navy and found a t-shirt on sale for $1.97 and I splurged and bought it for myself.
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And, I had to share this picture. This is what its like anytime you try to eat anything at my house. Princess AND Gypsy BOTH begging for treats. And Mean Mommy totally not sharing her fat free fruit-filled ice pop. (And I think Hub only took this pic so he could see down my shirt).

A Little Bit Country Beats A Little Bit Rock n' Roll

IMPORTANT QUESTION: Some friends and I are going to Key West in the fall. I was there once before as a stop on a cruise, so we were only there for about 6 hours. Got any advice? What should we see/skip? Fun activities? Decent hotels? Good bars? Restaurants? Anything? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
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American Idol: What can I really say? Carrie has a great voice, and I think she deserved to win. They were both really great and I would have been happy for either one winning. I think it might even be better for Bo to NOT be the American Idol so that he doesn't have to conform to odd pop standards and he can just be the 60's country-rocker he is.
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Let me say this about memes: I don't mind them. In fact I kinda dig them. It makes me feel a tad bit flattered that you tag me (which means, for those not in the know, that if you are "tagged" you have to do the meme next on your blog and then tag other people). But if you dislike them, or even if you do like them, you should check out my pal Last Girl On Earth's Meme Song. She is talented and this is a funny little diddy.

So on with the meme! I was tagged this time by Career Woman (and also later by Redhead Mommy ), so here it goes! I am doing this with the Momma K twist to it, so try to keep up. The rules? You post the list of the person who tagged you and then write your own below it. Only change items that you HAVE done and leave the ones that you have NEVER done. Get it?? Then pass it on...

Career Woman's List:
1. Jumped from a perfectly good plane that's still flying
2. Jumped from a perfectly good bridge with an oversized rubber band around my ankles
3. Had a honeymoon
4. Gotten a speeding ticket
5. Had some type of surgery
6. (I have not watched an entire episode of ER, therefore I will add something new): Watched an episode of The Baby Story
7. Won the Lottery
8. Been in handcuffs
9. Flown in a hot air ballon
10. Hit the Jackpot on a Slot Machine

True's List:
1. Jumped from a perfectly good plane that's still flying
2. Jumped from a perfectly good bridge with an oversized rubber band around my ankles
3. Been to Australia
4. Gotten into a fistfight
5. Been arrested
6. Met Jon Bon Jovi
7. Won the lottery
8. Run a marathon
9. Regretted quitting a job
10.Hit the Jackpot on a slot machine

I am not going to tag anyone specific, because I don't know who is sick of doing memes or has already done this one. So if you wanna do it, do it. Let me know and I'll check out your answers. But I'd really like to see my girl Mimi at Simply Complicated do this one - I gotta hear what that crazy broad hasn't done!

Happy Humpday

First of all, I want to thank Michele again for sending all of her lovely readers my way. When I started this blog I didn't think anyone would read it, and suddenly I am the Site of the Day. It may seem silly, but its almost like a badge of honor that someone as cool as Michele would notice me and that all of you would read me and comment here. So again, I humbly thank everyone who reads me for making me feel so special, yesterday and every day! I am in the process of visiting everyone who came to me through Michele's, in addition to all of you on my blogroll. So its going to be a busy few days here at casa de Jersey!

Yesterday I was tagged (twice!) with a similar meme, which I'll post either later today or tomorrow. But for now, some random thoughts that are on my mind.

~ I think Bo and Carrie are pretty much equal, no? She has a better voice, he is a better performer. Neither of them stood out last night, no one blew me away, no one sucked. I felt the performances, overall, were quite boring. But no matter who wins, they'll both come out with successful cd's. And no, I did not vote tonight (or at all, even with all my ranting).

~ I cannot stand people who are moodier than me. I can be fairly moody, I know. But one of the chicks I went out with last night is just beyond moody. She is one of these girls that needs to be the center of attention all the time and if she's not, her mood turns sour and she pouts. She is 32 years old, so this is not some young immature girl here. This is just an immature girl, period. I had a nice time with my former co-workers, but this one broad just got on my nerves.

~ I just spent nearly $70 on a t-shirt and hat from Choppers, Inc. for Hub for Father's Day. That's right, almost $70 for one hat and one shirt, with tax and shipping. The only good thing is that I am helping to make my next husband wealthy.

~ Does anyone think that Paris Hilton is going to help them sell hamburgers, even with her being all trashy in the commercial and whatnot? Not only does everyone hate her, but its obvious the girl does not eat!

WHOA! I'm Michele's Site of the Day!

OMG, I can't believe I am finally Michele's Site of the Day and I have nothing clever to say in a post. Well, I welcome you anyway and hope you enjoy poking around my site!

Some Random Stuff

~ Had a good diet and exercise day yesterday, and have started off well today too. My mom and I are doing our own "diet challenge" for this week, Monday through Friday, to see if we can stick to it. So far, so good. One day down, four to go.

~ What is the deal with ex-convict sex offenders in NY State (Tier 3 offenders, no less, which means that they are the highest risk of re-offending) getting Viagra paid by Medicare? What that means, my friends, is that WE are paying for it through our taxes. Insurance doesn't cover most birth control pills, but will cover Viagra for child molesters? Someone, please explain!

~ How cute was Jon Bon Jovi on "Vegas" last night? I'd never seen the show before and won't watch again (snooze-fest, if you ask me), but oh, Jon, you are just too cute.

~ I'm going out to dinner tonight for Bitchfest 2005. Four of my former co-workers and I are going out to eat, drink, and gossip. Another former co-worker, whom I nicknamed "CIH" (for Co-worker I Hate), was just promoted to Assistant Director of the department. She is the biggest ass-kissing, back-stabbing, eavesdropping, conniving person you could ever meet. So the lesson we learned? It pays to be that way because you get promoted. The girls are going to be ranting and raving about this. Thank God I no longer work there.

My Day with Nature

This Saturday, we went up to Bear Mountain in upstate NY for the day. Hub loves it up there; he wishes I enjoyed camping and looking at rivers flow and watching trees grow. Now keep in mind that I am not a nature girl, and I prefer shopping and manicures to hiking and nature...but...it was still a fun time. Princess loved looking at the ducks, and there is a little zoo up there where we saw lots of animals that are indiginous to the area, which means coyotes, foxes, bear, deer, owls, and stuff like that.

I thought Princess would be amused by the animals, since she knows most of them by name now and likes to point them out on tv and in her books. But no. She was mostly interested in the fact that each animal had a ball in its cage to play with. So Hub and I are saying - Princess, look at the bear! And she is saying - Ball!

All in all, it was a fun day. We walked alot, rode the merry go round, looked at the scenic views, had a little picnic, and looked at the animals. But obviously, there was no Ya-Ya-Helmet-wearing going on this weekend. Sorry to disappoint. But here are some pics from our little trip:

This is a view of Bear Mountain Lake, where we had our picnic.


Here's us at the Harriman Bridge, which was once the longest suspension bridge in the world (back in the 20's).


True and Princess ride the Merry-Go-Round. My little daredevil loved it.


And the real reason I think Hub likes nature - ducks doing it. That's right, its duck porn.

Blahhhh-ging

This hasn't happened to me in quite a while, but I really don't think I have anything to say. I want to write about something meaningful or interesting or funny, especially since its the weekend and I will be forcing Michele's friends over here to visit me. I'd like to say something that will make them (and you guys too, of course, my loyal friends who read me no matter how lame I am)read me and want to come back for more.

But nothing profound has happened. No funny Princess incidents, no drinking stories, nuthin'. Hopefully tomorrow will bring something to the table that will make us all laugh. But till then, I'll be rummaging around your blogs finding out what funny stuff has happened to you.

*Please note: I don't know if its friggin Blogger or my computer, but I am having trouble clicking through to some blogs. I will keep trying - but if I haven't visited you lately please don't take it personally!

Egads! Tagged Once Again!

Two memes in a row! The lovely and talented Nat over at Mini-Obs, one of my favoritist music bloggers, hit me with this one. You know I love the memes and this one is quick and dirty, with only 5 quickie questions.

01. Total volume of music files on my computer? 8.6 gig

02. The last CD I bought was:
Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth

03. Song playing right now:
Mr. Brightside - The Killers

04. Five songs I listen to a lot or that mean a lot to me(in no particular order):
Lucero - It Gets The Worst At Night
Bon Jovi - If I Was Your Mother
Nine Inch Nails - Hurt
Hole - Violet
John Mellencamp - Lonely Old Night

05. Which 5 people are you passing this baton to, and why?
I will pass this to: both Career Woman AND Housewife, because I just found out they are like 10 years younger than me and I want to know what they listen to. Guppyman and Bored at the Beach because they are new friends and I have to learn more about them. And On My Mind, because well, she is my sister.

Eek! I've Been Tagged!

But first: Told you so about American Idol. That's all I'll say since I don't want to spoil it for Mrs. M.

And also: I get to Gymboree this morning and the teacher, who was on vacation last week, whispers to me "I got my boobs done! They used to be in the basement and now they're on the top floor!"
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So my good buddy Molly over at Random Rants and Moody Musings AND my new friend Guppyman have both tagged me with a meme I've been trying to avoid like the plague. Nah, not really, you know I love me some memes. AND I've got another one coming tomorrow! I hereby pass the meme torch on this one to Vicki at the V-Spot, Nam, and RedHead Mommy - answer these on your own site and we'll all come check you out:

Three names I go by:
1. True
2. Deb (and no, my real name's not Deborah or Debra or Debbie!)
3. Daniels

Three screen names that I have had:
1. truejerseygirl
2. punkrockgrrl
3. yankeeschick

Three things I like about myself:
1. My ability to consume lots of alcohol without falling down
2. That my hair can be curly or straight depending on my mood
3. I am passionate about social causes

Three things I don't like about myself:
1. Laziness
2. Impatience
3. I get bored easily

Three parts of my heritage:
1. Irish
2. Czech
3. Cherokee

Three things that scare me:
1. Bugs
2. Boats
3. George Bush

Three of my everyday essentials:
1. Cheddar Triscuits
2. Carmex
3. Lemonade

Three things I am wearing right now:
1. PJ pants
2. Tank top
3. Bra

Three of my fave bands or musical artists:
1. Bon Jovi
2. Hole
3. Nine Inch Nails

Three of my fave songs:
1. Photograph by Def Leppard
2. Boys of Summer by Don Henly
3. If I Was Your Mother by Bon Jovi

Three new things I want to try in the next 12 months:
1. Actually sticking to an exercise regime
2. Berry-flavored Mike's Hard Lemonade
3. Fitting back into my "skinny" jeans

Three things I want in a relationship:
1. Laughter
2. Fun
3. A designated driver

Two truths and a lie:
1. I wouldn't cheat on my husband, even with Jon Bon Jovi
2. Princess is the most beautiful, smartest baby ever
3. I am a conservative, right-wing, born-again Christian.

Three physical things that attract me to the opposite sex:
1. Eyes
2. Tattoos
3. Hands

Three things I can't do without:
1. Family
2. Friends
3. Coors Lite

Three of my fave hobbies:
1. Blogging
2. Drinking
3. Scrapbooking

Three places I want to go on vacation:
1. Ireland
2. Australia
3. Germany for Oktoberfest

Three things I just can't do:
1. Talk quietly
2. Stick to a diet
3. Shots of tequila (anymore)

Three kids' names: (hypothetically speaking)
1. Zachary
2. Alaina
3. Mariella

Three things I want to do before I die:
1. Go to Ireland
2. Open a bar in New Orleans with Patsy
3. Meet Jon Bon Jovi

Three celeb crushes: (only three???)
1. Jon Bon Jovi
2. Billy Lane (he's a semi-celebrity, right?)
3. Eddie Vedder

And Then There Were Three

Not so much to say today about American Idol (at least I don't think so, but once I get started who knows?). There is no one left to hate, all three contenders are pretty good and any one of them would be a good American Idol. Each contestant sang three songs - the first was chosen by Clive Davis, the second they chose themselves, and the last song was chosen by one of the judges.

We started with Vonzell. Her first song was the only sucker of the night. She was pitchy and just off through most of the song. Her two other songs were great. And Simon is right - she is very likeable and that can't hurt. She is strongest when singing the "belters" - where she gets to belt out the song and show off her voice - so singing Chaka Khan and Whitney and Donna Summer works for her. I was impressed with her performances tonight (other than the first one).

Next came Bo. He was terrific. His second song, which he sang without any background music - WOW. What a risky move, and it seriously paid off. Hub and I had just said that he didn't have the best voice but that it was his incredible stage presence that carries him...then he sings a capella and his voice sounds AMAZING. His last song, chosen by Paula, wasn't terrific, but that was the song choice and not the singer. He still did great, it just didn't show off his voice properly.

Finally was Carrie. She was terrific as well. As soon as they announced which third song she'd be singing, I knew it was perfect for her. She sounded perfect through all three songs, and even showed a bit of personality during the last song. She will, no doubt, be a successful country singer because she has the voice and the looks for it.

Even the judges seemed quite pleased with the performances. There were no hurtful put-downs by Simon, and I think he might have actually even cracked a smile once or twice.

So what will happen tonight? I think its inevitable that Vonzell will go home tonight. She's good, but just doesn't have the "it" factor that Bo and Carrie have. I think she needs some more vocal training to get better control over her voice, and then she will be phenomenal. Once its down to Bo and Carrie, your guess is as good as mine.

Hub is a Tattoo'ed Freak

But first: A big HA HA! to those of you Yankee-haters who were writing them off already as over-paid and under-delivering. Over-paid, perhaps. But now, they have won 9 in a row to bring themselves back up over .500. That's right. We're back.
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And also: Happy 7th Anniversary, Hub!
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I don't know how many of you watch Real Time with Bill Mahr on HBO, but its a show I happen to love. While I am not very political on this blog I am interested in politics, reading and watching as much as I can so I can learn what's going on in our world. Its not always fun stuff, but its still important.

Anyway, last Friday he did a bit on chinese symbol tattoos, and how having a Chinese symbol tattoo'ed on the crack of your booty doesn't make you spiritual. Hub and I both actually have chinese symbol tattoos of the word "love", which we got on our honeymoon. I have always been a little nervous that "love" isn't really what it says...like someone might have played a cruel joke on us and it really says "I hate Chinese people" or something like that. When I did recruitment for the newspaper I went to an Asian Journalists conference and wore pants the whole time to cover the tattoo, just in case, so I wouldn't offend anyone! Luckily, a few years ago my pedicurist saw it and I was relieved to hear her say that it did, in fact, say "love".

Well, Bill Mahr basically was making a joke about that idea - that your asian tattoo may not say what you think it says - and that it doesn't say "peace", you idiot - it probably says "beef and broccoli" from a Chinese food menu. Hub heard that, and OH MY GOD! What a great idea! He now feels that he should get that tattoo - "beef and broccoli" in Chinese - because he loves beef and broccoli and that's what he always orders from the Chinese food place! But of course!!!

Now most people, if they told you something like that, you would think they were kidding, knowing there was no way they could be serious. That's because you don't know Hub. He is insane. It was suggested (by one of our friends) he get this tattoo on his stomach, because of course, that's where the beef and broccoli goes! You should have seen how wide his eyes got pondering this idea. The man is insane.

He is currently adding onto one of his tattoos. He had a gargoyle on his calf, but felt it was lonely. His name (the gargoyle, not Hub) is George. So he is having a whole scene, with castles and clouds and mountains and such, added so that George is not lonely. Its now called GeorgeTown. Uh huh. Once that whole thing is done, he has been thinking that he should do the same to the dragon on his arm. Ya know, add a whole scene so the dragon isn't lonely. All I can hope is that he forgets about the beef and broccoli tattoo by the time he finishes making his current tattoos "not lonely." If you saw how much Hub can eat, you would know that he wouldn't stop with just one meal tattoo'ed on his stomach. He'll end up with the whole menu. Ya know, so the beef and broccoli aren't lonely.

A Slightly Political Rant

Newsweek recently published a small piece about supposed abuses at Guantanamo Bay (click here for more info). The article stated that in order to "break" detainees and get them to tell interrogators about potential terrorist plots, the Koran was being flushed down the toilet. Based on this piece, there have been anti-American protests in Afghanistan and other countries; over a dozen people are dead and hundreds more were wounded.

Turns out, the story wasn't true. Newsweek got the information from an anonymous source. One source. I used to work at a newspaper, and one of the cardinal rules was to validate your story with at least 2 credible sources. And here is a reputable news magazine running a provocative story without doing that.

There are so many things wrong with this, in my opinion. First and foremost, of course, is the fact that people died due to the false claims of the story and additionally that it put our troops in further danger. Secondly is the question that came directly to my mind: how much can we really trust our media? Between the CBS debacle with the falsified documents pertaining to Bush's service record, the NY Times' admission that one of their reporters had been "creating" news for years, and Fox News' supposed "Fair and Balanced" everything-Bush-does-is-just-wonderful! journalism, who do we trust to find out what's really going on in the world?

And finally, its bad enough when the stories they tell about Americans perpetrating horrible acts against Muslims are true. It apalls us all to think that Americans (or anyone, really) would do things like that - we always consider ourselves above that kind of behavior (though obviously we aren't). But when the stories are untrue, its stirring a pot that should be left alone. Its as if America wasn't hated enough throughout the world that someone felt the need to add fuel to an already out of control fire.

Briefly...

I only have a sec, as its been a really busy weekend and Desperate Housewives is on shortly. But I wanted to thank all of you for sharing your blogging experiences and preferences with me by commenting on my last post. Imagine my surprise when I didn't get online at all from Friday afternoon till Sunday night and I had 37 long, wonderful, informative comments! Yay! If you de-lurked for the first time here, thank you. If you are one of my blogging friends, thank you too! You have made my short blogging experience a good one thus far, and I can't wait to see where we all go together.

How Do You Do It?

As I am fairly new to blogging (only a few months now), I am curious to find out how the rest of you approach your blog.

I started mine for myself, just as a place to rant and rave since I spend my days with a 17 month old who doesn't understand why mommy is ranting and raving. I didn't think anyone would read the things I was writing. But then, people started reading me. People I didn't know. And I liked it. They would leave comments and that would make me smile and often laugh.

Then, I learned there were ways to track how many people were actually viewing my blog but not commenting. You know, those dastardly lurkers. That's when it got interesting. Because what was a more successful day? A day where I got 30 comments and 35 page views? Or a day when I got 60 page views and only 10 comments?

So what is more important to you? How many hits you get or how many comments you get? What makes you de-lurk to leave a comment? And what do you do when someone leaves you a comment - do you answer them in email, visit their blog to reciprocate and leave them a comment, or do nothing? What do you prefer people do when you leave them a comment?

And do any of you use BlogExplosion? Do you actually read any of the sites you visit through there, or do you just wait the mandatory 30 seconds and move on?

Today would be a LOVELY day for you to de-lurk, leave me a comment, and say hello. I visit everyone who leaves me a comment, and that's how I have made most of my blogroll into my friends. Be brave and just do it already!

How Ya Like Me Now?

That's right, bee-yotches, check me out! I am spankin new and pretty damn hot, if I do say so myself. Many thanks to the oh-so-patient Mia at Ciao! My Bella for capturing my Jersey Girl essence in my new blog design. She rocks, no?

I took all of your suggestions to heart and I thank you for them. Some I couldn't use exactly (like the boardwalk - couldn't find a good image) but I think we captured the "feel" I was looking for - badass Jersey girl with attitude and a drink in her hand, the Jersey Shore, lots of Jersey sayings on the sidebar, and just a touch of "hurtful pink."

I hope you like it as much as I do! And an extra special thanks to Hub, who graciously gave me the redesign for my Mother's Day present, even though he totally doesn't "get it."

What Would You Do?

My American Idol comments are at the bottom, so for those of you (Mrs. Mogul) who haven't watched yet, you can read up to there!

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Anyone see Oprah yesterday? I don't watch her much, but whenever I do it gets me fired up. I only saw one segment, but it featured a woman who had killed her live-in boyfriend when she found out he was molesting her daughter. The daughter had told her before that he had touched her, but when the mom confronted him, he denied it and convinced her that the daughter was too young to know what was happening. The mother didn't believe her until she walked in on them, naked. She grabbed her daughter, ran out of the house, hid the daughter, and then went back in for an explanation from the boyfriend. On her way in, she grabbed a gun for protection because he had been violent before.

She then went into the bedroom where she confronted him. She says he laughed at her, told her no one would believe her, and then came at her. She shot him 4 times and killed him. She was found not guilty of murder by a jury.

So here is the question: what would you do? Would you have believed your daughter the first time, or could you be convinced that she is too young to understand? Once you got out of the house, would you have gone back in to confront the abuser? Would you have just gone and got the gun right away and shot him without discussion? Would you, if you were on the jury, found her guilty of murder or do you think she was justified?

Its hard to even put myself in that position because Hub is such an amazing person; I never even think about something like that potentially happening. But if I am imagining for a moment...Princess is, say, 4 years old and tells me that daddy has done this or that...what would I do?

I think I would take Princess and leave. No explanation is necessary nor would I want to hear one. Then I would call the police and have him arrested.

That's what I *think* I would do. But chances are good that I'd kill him right on the spot.
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On a lighter note, no big surprises with Idol. We knew it was either Baby V or Anthony to go, and they were in the bottom 2. Anthony went, and Vonzell will most likely go next week.

Carrie looked terrified, I have to say. Based on the judges' comments about her second performance, I think she was afraid she was next to go.

And I thought it was interesting to see their auditions again. It showed how far Vonzell has come. It showed that Carrie was awesome right from the beginning, but needed to improve her stage presence then and hasn't done it yet. I thought Anthony was better in his audition than he has been the rest of the season. And Bo sounded a little off, but you could see his star potential from the start.

You Know You Want It

That's right, its my weekly American Idol review! Plus, an Amazing Race Finale bonus!

Hm, my commentary won't be as exciting this week. No real drama. I thought last night's show was rather boring and uninspired. With all the videos from home and vice versa, it was depressing. The only drama was Vonzell crying, and that was just downright sad. Although, looking at her ghetto-fied family, I would be crying too. Daddy has the pimp suit AND the gold teeth. She seems so...well, un-ghetto, that it is surprising to see daddy and the rest of the family in their colorful Deion Sanders suits with matching hats.

Onto the singing. Carrie's first song- excellent. Not my style of music at all, and she was super-countrified and twangy. But she is good at it. Second song - not so good. She was just really off. Bo - first song, b-o-r-i-n-g. Uninspired. Uninteresting. Second song - excellent. Although I totally don't understand the fashion sense of a back pimp suit, big dolla-bill-ya'll bling, and flip flops. But he sounded great. Vonzell's first song - not good. So pitchy, she messed up words, she was just not on her game. Something must have happened to make her upset during the day, explaining why Paula asked how she felt causing her to break down. And I thought it was admirable of Simon not to go after her, as he could have, when she was so obviously upset. Second song - very good. She seemed like she was almost overcompensating, trying so hard to make up for screwing up the first song. But she sounded great. And finally, Anthony. I was sure he was going to go home this week, but let's admit it - he sounded good. In both songs, his voice sounded strong and he actually had some stage presence too. (Odd aside: Anthony is singing and Hub goes - "OMG! What is that on his throat? Do you think that's his scar from his surgery?" - Yes, I have one observant husband.)

Question: Did that songwriting duo only write three songs in their career? Why did Anthony and Carrie sing the same song? That was bizarre, but the more bizarre thing was that ANTHONY SOUNDED BETTER. That freaked me out.

My prediction? I have no idea! I think based on last night's performances, Vonzell should go home. But she has been good overall, and the pity factor from last night's breakdown might help her. Overall, Anthony should go home. But he was good last night. In fact, he was good on both songs, and none of the other contestants were. The reality is, now that Scott is gone I don't even care that much. What's your prediction?
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If you don't watch The Amazing Race, you should. This is the first season I watched the whole thing, and its a great show. Last night was the 2-hour finale, pitting Rob and Amber, Ron and Kelly, and Uchenna and Joyce against each other for the million bucks. This was good drama, my friends. U&J came in last in a preliminary race, so they had all their money taken away. They had to take a detour to the airport to go beg for money. Joyce couldn't limbo as low as the younger girls, so they were delayed by 15 minutes. Even though they were working really hard, it seemed like it was going to be Rob and Amber or Ron and Kelly. Then, U&J are at the finish line but unable to pay for their cab because they ran out of money. They are thisclose to a million bucks, but are short $50 for cabfare. They are running in the streets begging, and people are giving them $5, $10 at a time. Rob and Amber are hot on their trail...and Kelly and Ron are now out of it, they fell too far back. Finally, they get the money, pay for the cab, and run in, where they find all the previous contestants cheering them on. And they have won!

Half of me wanted Rob and Amber to win. Firstly because I think Rob is kinda fine. But I also like how he played to win. He connived and finnagled and backstabbed, because this was a race for a million dollars and he was willing to do whatever to win. But the other half of me wanted Uchenna and Joyce to win. They were such nice, decent people. They helped out their fellow contestants. They were nice to each other. Their relationship was strong. And they have been unable to have children and wanted the money to pay for in vitro fertilization. They really deserved it and will use it wisely, and I was glad in the end that they won.

My Wonderful Mother's Day Weekend

What a great Mother's Day weekend I had. On Friday night, my parents took Princess overnight so that I could sleep in on Saturday. Ahhh...the best gift you can give a mom is sleep, right? So of course, Hub had to work late Friday night. He came home and I was in my sweats and ready for bed. Nope, he said, we're going out for dinner. So, he showered, I got dressed and gussied up, and off we went to the Cheesecake Factory. But not before taking our self portrait prior to our first "real" date in 17 months (there's me with straight hair, Trine):

We get to the restaurant at 9:30, and there is still a 45 minute wait. So we wait at the bar (what, you expect less of me?). After one $9.50 appletini, I switch to Coors Lite (much more affordable). Hub is drinking too, which is a rarity for him. We both feel pretty good by the time we get a table, and we spend the whole time making fun of the waiter (whom I nickname "BillandTed", and who, when Hub orders a Coke asks him "Coca-cola?" ummmm what other kinda coke ya got there, buddy?). We had a great time and didn't finish up with dinner till midnight. What fun being out after 6 pm!

Saturday, I slept till noon. Glorious. We go down to pick up Princess at about 2:30, and end up staying for dinner. Then we come home, and Hub goes to get some more work done on one of his tattoos which gives me plenty of time to sit and enjoy the book he gave me as an early Mother's Day gift: a book written by and chock full of pictures of my potential next husband, Billy Lane:

Sunday, I get to sleep in again! Happy Mother's Day to me! 11:30 and I get up, take a leisurely shower, blow my hair out, etc, while Hub is feeding and changing and playing with Princess. Ah. My parents came over later in the day and we went out for Mexican food and, of course, strawberry margaritas. Yum. Hub also did all the laundry and waited on me hand and foot, gave me flowers and two "mom" books from Princess, all the while continuing to remind me how happy he was that I am the mother of his child. All together now..."Awwwwwww."

So here is me on Mother's Day, watching while other people take care of my daughter:

And here is Princess with my folks after our yummy meal:

Describe Yourself Musically, Please

Snagged this meme over at Trinity13. You choose one of your favorite bands or musical artists and use their song titles to answer the following questions. Obviously, as the quintessential Jersey broad, I picked the quintessential Jersey band.

Name of the Band: Bon Jovi

Are you male or female? If I Was Your Mother

Describe yourself? She's a Mystery

How do some people feel about you? Fear

How do you feel about yourself? Its My Life

Describe an ex boy friend or girlfriend: Bounce

Describe you current boyfriend/husband or girlfriend/wife: Born to Be My Baby

Describe where you want to be: Bed of Roses

Describe how you live: Wild in the Streets

Describe how you love: I'd Die For You

Share a few words of wisdom: Never Say Goodbye


Okay, who's next to try this??? Leave a comment if you do so I can check you out!

The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Helmets

Once upon a time, in a magical land called New Jersey, there lived a beautiful girl named True. True liked to enjoy a cold alcoholic drink now and again (and again and again). Once night in the new city of York, she met a handsome stranger and they fell in love at first shot of tequila.

As all good fairy tales go, True and her knight, Hub, were married and lived happily ever after. They bought the house of their dreams. But it was missing the one thing that would truly make it a home to True – a bar.

Finally one bright and sunny day, Hub came to True with the best news she had ever heard: he was going to refinish the basement and build her the bar she had always dreamed of. Ah, lovely, lovely day!

But as Hub built the bar for True, he started to realize the dangers that could come from this. He knew True and her friends all too well, and he knew their propensity for, well, overindulgence in the drink. He was the cautious and logical one of the pair, and he began to worry about True's safety while inbibing at her new bar. He came to her with a solution to this dilemma, and she listened carefully as he explained his terms.

“I will you a bar,” he said, “but the basement floor is very hard and your head is quite soft and delicate. Therefore, you must choose: you must either wear a helmet while drinking at the bar so you don’t fall and crack your head open, or I will build you a midget bar with midget stools so that if you do fall, you won’t fall far.”

True quickly and thoughtfully considered her options. Yes, a midget bar would kick ass and would not mess up her Jersey hair as a helmet would. Ah, but a helmet! Oh yes, she would choose the helmet!

True called her best friend Patsy* and told her of the exciting news. “Oh, Patsy Sweetie Darling! Hub is building us a bar, and we will helmets so as not to crack our skulls! And I have a brilliant idea! Let us decorate them as the Ya-Ya’s did with their ceremonial hats – let us create Ya-Ya Helmets!”

Patsy and True convened that very evening, fired up the blender with strawberry margaritas, and proceeded to adorn their helmets with stickers, glitter, bottle caps, and plastic palm trees. Oh, the glory!


From that night on, they wore their helmets proudly as they drank. And True and Patsy were just as fashionable as they were safe.

*Patsy is not her real name. This is her nickname, based on Absolutely Fabulous.

And, big ups to Hub, here is the bar he built:

Taw-king about Jersey

I never really thought I had an accent. I always thought it was everyone else who was mispronouncing everything. And I like how I talk. It’s a little tough, a little rough around the edges, but not quite as tough as, say, a Brooklyn accent. Or as annoying as, say, The Nanny. But now that I am teaching Princess to talk, its becoming apparent to me that I may need some speech lessons.

Let’s start with that word: “talk”. From what I now understand, it is supposed to be one syllable, huh? Hmm. Because I say Taw-uk. How about dog? One syllable again? Nope, I say Daw-ug. Door? Doo-uhr.

Coffee is Caw-fee.
Because is Be-caw-uhs.
Chocolate is Chaw-klit.
Mall is Maw-ull.

As I am teaching Princess her words, and she points to a door and says “What’s that?” and I answer “doo-uhr”…and she repeats my 2-syllable approach to the word…I wonder if I am teaching her the right thing or the wrong thing. But I guess being that she is going to grow up to be a Jersey Girl like her mom, she may as well learn to taw-uk like the rest of us.

(And just for the record, I don’t know ANYONE who says “Joisey” instead of Jersey!)

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Gossip and a Bee

So the whole Paula Abdul/Corey Clark thing...what did you think? I watched it but I honestly got a little bored. Bored with his whiny singing voice, bored with his boring story for an hour, bored with his hair, bored with his ghetto friends. Do you believe him? I don't know if I do. He seemed to have phone records that they talked, but they never really said they verified any of the info. He described her house, but ya know what? I watch Cribs on MTV. I could guess that any of these celebs have a flatscreen tv over their jacuzzis for maxin and relaxin.

Whether it is true or not, I don't know. The only thing I did get out of the show is that he is a dirtbag. He says he loved her, he says how much she helped him on the show and how she helped his career, how she gave him money and advice...but yet he is ready to sell her out at the drop of a hat for a book deal and a little boost in record sales. He said he has to "set the record straight" - what record? No one knew about it till he brought it up. Didn't anyone teach him not to kiss and tell? Now that my crusade against Scott Savol has ended, I may have to start a new one against Corey Clark.
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Yes, Bo's glasses have to go. He said, after Simon commented on last week's pair of hideous glasses, that he spent only $6 on them. Last night, Hub said "Bo needs to start spending more than $6 on glasses."

Although, Bo can wear whatever glasses he wants, as long as Scott "Sausage Fingers" Savol is gone.
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On another gossipy note, did anyone watch the Pat O'Brien thing with Dr. Phil? I watched half of it, and then got bored (maybe its me and not the shows, I don't know). I got bored of watching Dr. Phil yell at Pat over and over for the same thing. Pat is like, I am an alcoholic, I wouldn't listen to anyone's advice, I hit bottom and then I went to rehab. Dr. Phil is like "WHAT, ARE YOU SO ARROGANT THAT YOU WON'T LISTEN TO ANYONE ELSE? OR ARE YOU JUST SO ARROGANT THAT YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO WON'T TELL YOU WHEN YOU DO WRONG?" Pat is like, No, they told me, I was just addicted and wouldn't listen. I am an alcoholic. Dr. Phil is like "ARE YOU JUST THAT ARROGANT? WON'T YOU LISTEN TO ANYONE?" Ergh. Enough with the yelling, Dr. Phil. Is Dr. Phil new to the game? Does he not know that an alcoholic isn't going to listen to other people?
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In non-gossipy news, we had a weird day yesterday. We were playing upstairs and I noticed a bee flying in the blinds. So I start freaking out (not a fan of the bugs) and I move her quickly away. I hit the blinds with a book trying to kill the bee. Of course, this bee is indestructable and it flies out of the blinds onto the couch. The dog is now going crazy trying to eat it. Its buzzing around and I am chasing it with a book. Princess sees the bee and says "bee" because that is one of the words she knows. Then I bash it with the book. She starts screaming and pointing at the bee and covering her eyes. Doggie sees the injured bee and starts to eat it. I push him away, not wanting him to get stung on the tongue. Princess sees the bee again, wobbling around trying to regain its composure, when I bash it again. She starts screaming and crying and pointing and covering her eyes again. Doggie eats the dead bee. I have to remove Princess from the room and distract her with ice cream to get her mind off the horror she has just witnessed. Do you think she is now traumatized, thinking mommy is a murderer?

Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey, GOODBYE!

Did you hear the screams of joy from the True Jersey house tonight?

I knew as soon as Anthony went to the couch that that's where they were putting the bottom three (which ended up being the bottom two). When Scott was sent over there and was rejoicing that he was "safe," did you see Anthony look at him and mouth something? I know he said, "Dude, we suck, we can't sing, we aren't safe."

Then, when Ryan (in his hideous suit) started the announcement of who was being kicked off by saying "Anthony..." you could see Scott start making his relieved face and kissing his hands up to God and all. HA! FOOLED YA, SUCKA!

Goodbye, Scott. Next week we will say goodbye to Anthony, and then we are down to a real top three where any of them could win and it would be okay.

OK, off to watch the Idol expose'! More tomorrow!

Idol Chatter

Its amazing to me that I get the most comments when I post about American Idol! Now, Mrs. Mogul, if you don't want to know how everyone did since you don't get Idol till Friday, skip the next paragraph.

I thought they were mostly boring last night. Carrie and Bo, in my opinion, were exceptional. Bo's version of "Stand By Me" was terrific, and Carrie's "Trouble" was great. I thought Simon would comment on her being "like a kitten trying to be a tiger" but he didn't. Then came Vonzell. She has really great potential - great voice, great stage presence, great look - but she doesn't always stay on key with the lower notes. Next was Scott - you all know how I feel about him. But he was better than Anthony last night. Poor, poor Anthony. He just doesn't have it. And while I really want Scott to go, I predict Anthony will be the one. But we all know anything can happen.

The shocking thing to me was that out of all of the second songs they sang, the ones from this week's billboard charts, I only knew Bo's song. Hm, I think that means I am getting old. Or that I have better taste in music than the Top 40.

So here is my question - if your favorite wins, will you buy his/her CD? Have you ever bought an Idol CD? I have been a big Idol fan since season 1, and I still think Kelly Clarkson is the best Idol, but I have never bought any of her (or any of theirs, actually) CD's. What about you?

(And PS - THANK GOD the old couple is gone from The Amazing Race!)

A Very Serious Warning for All Americans

Alright people. I am getting very serious right about now. You know what tonight is, right? Its Tuesday. That means tonight is a very important night for us and I need some serious attention from you on a very serious matter.

Tonight is American Idol.

I don't know what you have all been seeing in Scott, but I am going to remind you one more time of what he did. Maybe you aren't clicking through to the link to see what he did, so let me tell you Straight Up (yes, that was for Paula). If its not enough that he can't really sing, he also hit his baby mama with a phone when the baby was only a few weeks old. He was arrested for assault. Is that someone who should be Idolized? I think not. Not to mention the fact that HE CAN'T SING.

I now understand, however, that something more sinister may be involved which is keeping him on the show. This web site is encouraging voters to call in for the worst contestant, which is Scott (according to the site and to me and to most of you, too). So maybe that is to blame for this injustice.

As for Bo Bice, aka_Monty asked my opinion on the finding that he was arrested for drugs a while back. I have to admit, I don't think it makes a very good American Idol if you arrested for drug possession, especially in his case. He was busted not only for marijuana, but also for coke. However, with that said, I can't compare a kid getting busted for drugs to a kid getting busted for busting up his girlfriend's face.

I honestly don't care who you vote for. Seriously. As long as its not Scott. You made a huge mistake last week voting off Constantine; please don't do it again.

In other Idol news, tomorrow night is the Primetime Live special "Fallen Idol" where they are going to reveal that Paula not only is addicted to Vicodin, which she allegedly takes before the shows and which explains why she is so incredibly loopy, but that she had an affair with former contestant Corey Clark. Apparently, there are tapes (answering machine? audio? video? I don't know) to prove this affair. He is trying to sell a book proposal, so who knows if this is true or a just salacious rumor to drum up interest.

Clark was kicked off of the show because it was revealed that he, like Savol, had a battery charge against him when he assaulted his sister. Is it required that you hit women before you are allowed to try out for this show???

Luck

I am so lucky.

Saturday night we had some friends over, about 10 of us all together. Three of them were my cousins. One drove up from Virginia, and one drove down from Boston. I don't know how many people are lucky enough to have family members who are also their friends. When I make my list of the best friends I have in my life, my cousin Chris and my cousin Mike fall into the category easily. They always say you can't choose your family, but if I could, I would choose them. And the very best part is that Chris, who is a Marine and the one getting married in October, has granted me permission to kick my nemesis' ass at his wedding, and even volunteered to lend me his Marine sword (as he will be wearing his uniform for the wedding). Is that awesome or what???

The bunch of us hung out till 6:45 a.m. drinking and talking and playing video games and pinball and arguing and listening to music and debating and laughing and hugging and just enjoying general merriment.

I so need nights like that. Princess went to bed at about 8, and I got to not be a mom for a few hours. My best friend and I each put on one rollerskate and our YaYa helmets (see pics below, story of the helmets coming soon) and stumbled around like fools. I made jello shots, and we ordered dinner in. Hub stayed sober and went to bed early and got up early this morning with Princess.

I am so lucky.


True Jersey Girl and Patsy
Originally uploaded by truejerseygirl.

TJG and Patsy Skating
Originally uploaded by truejerseygirl.

Mike
Originally uploaded by truejerseygirl.

Patsy and TJG and Jello
Originally uploaded by truejerseygirl.

Observation

Isn't it the weirdest thing how babies can fall and fall and fall and never really get hurt? Princess is playing here in the office with me, and she keeps tripping over something invisible and falling down, and she never cries or seems to be bothered by the falling. If I fell even once like that I would be limping around and bruised and possibly broken.

Just an odd thing I noticed today.

Pictures and a post about my fun night last night, coming manana.