Thanks and a BIG Rant

But first...thank you all so much for your kind words and condolences on my uncle. It is greatly appreciated.
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Alright. I am so pissed right now I cannot even speak. I wasn't going to blog till tomorrow, but if I don't get this out I will probably not sleep tonight.

I am in my cousin's wedding in October. I adore him and I adore his fiancee. BUT. I may kill the both of them.

The bride's friends suck, and despite the fact that I am the bridesmaid who knows her the least and for the shortest amount of time, I am the only one having a shower for her. No one else, including the maid of honor who lives in her state (I live 7 hours from them) is throwing a shower. I emailed all the bridesmaids about 50 times over the summer and finally decided that if these people can't get their stuff together, I am not going to let the bride (I'll call her A) suffer for it. So I said, I am having a shower for the family and friends in Jersey. I emailed all the moms. I talked to my cousin about 50 times to get the perfect date so we could get her up here and surprise her. I am doing ALL the work. I just sent out all the invitations on Monday. So what happened?

I just got a call from my beloved cousin. Turns out that despite the fact that I reserved this date months ago, he agreed to have his bachelor party the same day. Ok, no problem right? Problem. They are taking him to Atlantic City, so he has to be at the meeting point by 2:30. He is supposed to get A to my house at 2:30. He can't change the timing on his end because they are catching the bus or something, and I can't change the time on my end because I ALREADY SENT OUT THE INVITATIONS. So now, all my hard work in trying to make this a surprise has gone down the drain. We are going to have to tell her about it, or else why would she drive all the way up here when he is going to AC for his bachelor party? I could kill him.

But that's not all.

His mom (my aunt) never wears dresses, but she went out and found a dress that she fell in love with and is so incredibly excited about. She even called me to tell me about it. She can't wait to surprise her son with this fabulous dress she got. So what is the problem? I just got home after not having checked my email in a few days to find an email from the bride. She is not happy that my aunt bought a taupe dress. She wanted her to wear blue. And she wants ME to tell my aunt she doesn't want her to wear that dress! Because, you know, it would be *uncomfortable* for *her* to tell my aunt that, but it would obviously be easy for ME to tell her something that goes a little something like this: "I know you spent all day with the girls looking for the perfect dress, and I know how much you love it, and I know you haven't worn a dress since high school but you fell in love with this perfect dress, but ya know what, it would be better if you start over and look for another perfect dress because taupe is not exactly what A had in mind. No biggie, right?"

Let me tell you this. I am SO not doing that. Its totally not my place to get involved in that discussion, and I am NOT going to be the one to break my aunt's heart. Right now, between the shower situation and the dress situation (not to mention that my dress was nearly $300 and Princess is in the wedding and the dress A wants for her is nearly $200...and did I mention we are PO????) I wish I was not involved in this wedding at all.

Sorry for the rant, and if you read this whole thing, bless your big, monstrous heart for hanging in there. I am just so pissed and I needed to rant.

Random Stuff

I may not be around much the next few days. My uncle passed away, and the wake is tomorrow and the funeral is Wednesday. I am not going to make this a downer of a post; I will just say Uncle Bobby, rest in peace.
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And, I will just say a quick little prayer for my second home, the city of New Orleans. I am so glad I got to party there 5 times before it gets washed out to sea by Hurricane Katrina. Take care, Bourbon Street. I hope to see you soon.
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Thanks to those of you who recognized my reference in my lists from The Breakfast Club about taping your buns together.
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I was going to write a post about the bbq I went to on Saturday, but I'll just leave you wtih some pics for now:

Princess and Little J in the baby pool:


Princess and the froggie:


S and her man, RJ:


Dirtbag kid jumping into the beautiful pool:

The Meme of 7's

But first: Yes, for those of you interested, I do live right in the heart of Soprano-land in NJ. Yes, the show is very accurate. In fact, on my street growing up, there was a mob hit. The guy opened the door and was shot to death. Unfortunately, they hit the wrong house. All in a day's work, I suppose.
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Had a busy day yesterday bbq'ing and drinking with my some of my girlfriends, and today is equally busy. So I leave you with this: the meme of 7's. I was tagged by Better Safe Than Sorry this time. Read to the end to see if you are tagged:

7 things I plan to do before I die
1. Visit Scotland and Ireland to see family
2. Have a job I really love
3. Open a bar with Patsy Darling
4. Go to Oktoberfest in Germany
5. Meet Jon Bon Jovi
6. Get an ipod
7. Go on an African safari (once they get rid of all the mosquitos and flies)

7 things I can do
1. Throw a kickass party
2. Blend up strong margaritas
3. Make good fajitas
4. Drink alot and not puke in my hands
5. Make Princess laugh
6. The 35-minute Firm exercise dvd
7. Tape all your buns together

7 things I cannot do
1. Sleep
2. Get my hair to stay straight in the summer
3. The whole 55-minute Firm exercise dvd
4. Shots of Rumple Minz (anymore)
5. Pass up a cold beer
6. Figure out what a podcast is
7. Decide if I want this HR Director job

7 things that attract me to the opposite sex
1. tall
2. nice eyes
3. an "edge"
4. tattoos
5. working-man hands
6. nice arse
7. sense of humor

7 things that I say most often
1. Whatever!
2. Where's my drink?
3. Nope, I didn't get around to cleaning the house today
4. I'm almost done on the computer
5. No, we're not watching Blue's Clues again
6. Are you still looking at internet porn?
7. No whining!

7 celebrity crushes
1. Jon Bon Jovi
2. Billy Lane
3. Keanu Reeves
4. Eddie Vedder
5. LL Cool J
6. Trent Reznor
7. Henry Rollins

7 people I want to do this
1. Xtessa
2. D-Crunk
3. Jennism
4. Sleeping Mommy
5. Charlie Mc
6. Drunken Master
7. Nat
....and since Nat is out of town, I'll also tag Trine, since she loves playing tag with me. If you don't want to do it, don't. No pressure here.
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And also, go check out this week's Carnival of New Jersey Bloggers. This is my first time participating - my link is down in Southern NJ by Atlantic City because that's what my post was about. Who knew there were so many Jersey bloggers out there?

There She Goes, Miss America!

I am sure you have all heard by now that the Miss America pageant is leaving my fair state. Its been pretty big news around here. But I don't really care. I don't think that anyone my age or younger (and probably older too) watches Miss America. Its a contest that has seen its best days and left them behind. The women aren't sexy, and men can see much more attractive and scantily-clad chicks in Maxim. And I hope that most women aren't interested because of the ridiculous idea that you have to strut around in a bathing suit and heels to compete for a college scholarship. Um, no.

I don't see how its a loss for Atlantic City either. I don't think you have swarms of people coming to AC to see the pageant. I am sure a few people (like, maybe the contestants' moms?) come for that. But most people come to AC for the gambling. There's nothing else to do down there as far as I am concerned. You can't take 10 steps down the boardwalk without being hassled by a beggar or propositioned by a hooker. The beach? I don't know, does anyone even go on the beach in AC? And God forbid you walk *off* the boardwalk onto the streets of AC...scary. Hold your purse tight. I would venture to say that 90% of the people down there never even leave the casinos. At all.

Now, I understand parts of AC are improving. They have added the upscale Borgata hotel and casino, which is supposed to be lovely. And from what I read in the paper, it sounds like lots of the casinos are adding bars and clubs to cater to a younger crowd (in most of the casinos, if you are under 70, you are probably the youngest person around).

As you know, I am a Jersey Girl through and through. But. It takes me about 3 hours to drive down to Atlantic City. And it takes me about 3.5 to fly to Vegas. Which would you choose?
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One final note, a total aside: Jon Bon Jovi once had a band called The Atlantic City Expressway. I know you were dying to know that.

I Am A Shoe-In

But first: Somehow, I became a Marauding Marsupial yesterday for a brief time in TTLB Ecosphere! Why is this important to me? I have no idea! I figured I would be an Adorable Rodent forever (and I am back there now), and I am fine with that. I hardly ever even check how I am doing on there. But for some reason I checked it out yesterday and there I was! Marauding around like the Marsupial I am! For some reason, this makes me very happy!!! Are you part of TTLB? Do you look at where you rank and watch how you are doing?
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I bought 2 amazingly cute pairs of shoes yesterday. At Payless. I am not generally a fan of the Payless...not that I am Carrie Bradshaw, buying Manolos and Jimmy Choos, but other than the occasional Target or Kohl's flip flop, I prefer Macys or Bloomies or something like that.

But, maybe I have mentioned this? Have I told you we are po'? I can't afford $100 for a pair of shoes. So, off to Payless I went yesterday before my interview, feeling like if I got a cute pair of shoes I would certainly get the job. And what did I find? Ah, a Buy-One-Get-One-Half-Price sale! Love that! So I looked around and found 2 pairs of adorable shoes that I love. I wore the black ones yesterday, so I am sure I will be offered the job, just because of that.

So what do you think? Both pairs for $28. Even if you think they are ugly, you just can't beat that deal.

These are green faux suede with brown ribbon and a cute wedge heel. I have been wanting a cute wedge heel for fall. So now I just need to buy something green to wear these with.

And these are the pointy-toe shoes that Clinton and Stacy from What Not To Wear are always touting, and they are right. They look great on. I think I may even wear these with jeans in the fall.

Had my second interview yesterday for the HR Director position. It went pretty well. The CEO seems to dig me. But now she is going on vacation until the day after Labor Day, so I won't hear anything till at least then. Bah. But I guess its good in a way because it gives me time to interview for some contract recruitment positions and then figure out what exactly I want to do.
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I really liked Deanna's song that she wrote and performed on Rockstar INXS, but I wasn't surprised that she was sent home. Poor Ty, though. He seems devastated every time he is in the bottom three, especially when he feels like he did a good job. He is so emotional. Although last night, they all kind of fell apart when Deanna was told she was leaving. Mig was a mess. They were all crying. Jordis was right; based on her performance she deserved to be the one sent home. Hub thinks she is now throwing the competition so she DOESN'T win. I think maybe she got a little overconfident and felt she didn't have to work as hard.
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Princess has gone cold-turkey without Dora. She is totally uninterested. Now, its all about Blue's Clues. She is even worse with Blue than she ws with Dora. Seriously, she wakes up, I go into her room to get her, and the very first thing she says is "Watcha Blue". And then it becomes her mantra until I put the damn thing on. My BIL babysat for her yesterday and I was gone for about 2 hours for my interview. When I came home, Blue was on. I said, "Ah, we're watcha Blue?" He said, "Yep this is Blue's second run since I got here." The chick is addicted.

Various and Sundry Stuff

I talked to my former boss yesterday and she was SO NICE. I guess the bipolar thing was swinging the right way. She was so complimentary of me, and said that she would have nothing but good things to say about me in a reference. So hopefully the pendulum will keep swinging towards the "I'm a happy person!" way until my references call.
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Dave Navarro annoys me more and more each week on Rockstar INXS. Telling Ty that he was "Ty-riffic"??? C'mon Dave. How long have you been saving that little gem of a statement? And Jordis, what happened to your voice last night? I think maybe she was getting a little overconfident. I still think she is the best one on there, but personally, I think they will pick Mig because he is the right one for that band. He is even Australian.
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My brother-in-law babysat for Princess yesterday while I went to the doctor, and is babysitting again today while I have my interview. He is generally a pretty reserved guy, but when he gets around Princess...he is just so great with her, and she LOVES him. He even changed his very first diaper and did a great job. Thanks, BC!
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Someone compared the new Tommy Lee show to The Simple Life (I guess because they are both fish-out-of-water type stories?) and I don't think they could be more wrong. Tommy really seems so earnest in trying to get along with his teachers and qualify for the band and learn the drum routines...even in trying to learn chemistry and such. I think his little brain just can't wrap itself around the classes he is taking, but he seems like such a decent, cool, genuinely nice guy. The total opposite of that hag Paris Hilton.

I only watched her show once, and they showed her and Nicole staying on Staten Island in some little house with this family. The woman's dog had died recently, so they decide to do something nice and get her a new dog. Well, they get her two HUGE great danes which cost like $2000 each. They are bigger than the house. But the family is like, aw, how sweet those girls are to think of getting us a dog because we were sad. Then, of course, the bill for the dogs shows up and Paris and Nicole have moved on to their next "adventure" and these people were stuck with the cost. It just showed how out of touch these broads were to do something like that, and not consider that the family A). can't afford dogs like that, B). can't have dogs that large in their itty bitty house, and C). might get attached to the dogs and then when they can't pay for them, have to return them. Idiots.
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And finally, how cute are my kid and my dog?

Bitchy Bosses and Signing Off

So today I am doing the mature thing. I am calling up my former boss and kissing up to her for a while so I can get a good reference out of her. Now, don't get me wrong. I was a great employee for my company and I worked very hard for her. But she is one of those bosses where you never know what you're gonna get from her. Some days, she would tell me how smart I was and how much I contributed to the department. Other days, she would act as if I was not even in the same building. So, since I don't know which person she will be when my references call her, I have to at least get the Gods Of The Bipolar Bosses on my side and remind her, subtly, how awesome I am.
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Isn't it totally weird when you have your daily blog reads, and then all of a sudden one of them says - "its been nice, but I am not doing this anymore"? This has happened to me quite a few times since I have been blogging - most recently with Bridget and Mel, both of whom seem like they will actually be sticking around - and its a totally bizarre thing. These are people I don't know, I've never met, and yet somehow I miss them when they sign off. Do you all feel the same way when a blog friend calls it quits?

Six Feet Under Finale - Spoilers Below

So what did everyone think of the series finale of Six Feet Under?

At first, I hated it. I was sure Brenda's baby was going to die and I did not want that to happen. As a mom whose daughter was taken from her as soon as she was born and put into the NICU - it hit a little too close to home. And Nate was just being so obnoxious; even though he was dead I still wanted to stab him in the eye with something sharp.

And then I hated it more, because this group of horribly wonderfully dysfunctional people suddenly became...well, functional. Everyone got their shit together and everyone became one big happy family. The whole time, Hub was shooting hex-eyes at the tv trying to kill them all off, because he thought the best way for it to end would be for them to all be having dinner together and either The Big One (earthquake) hits and they all die, or else there is a gas leak and they all die or someone comes in and shoots them all and they all die. He was just so sick of every one of the characters that he wished death on them. And I don't blame him. They did all get very annoying and whiney and hard to bear.

But then, the way it actually ended...it was touching. I was teary. Clare drives away and then you flash forward to how each of them finally do die...and how sad was it to see Keith get shot? He was the most normal person on that whole show. And seeing David teaching his son the business...ah, Fisher and Sons, it does go on. And seeing that Willa (the new baby) was, in fact, okay. That was good. So overall, I did enjoy it and I did think it ended well and I will miss the show.

What did you think? Were you disappointed in how it ended, or did you think they went out the right way?

(Edit: Sorry about the word verfication in the comments. I am so sick of comment spam and have to do something about it.)

True Jersey, HR Director?

I had my interview for the HR Director position yesterday. I wasn't sure how it went...I felt good about my answers, but I still felt like I didn't have enough experience in certain areas to be considered. Then, lo and behold, about an hour after I get home from the interview the phone rings. Its the CEO, asking me to come back for a second interview. Wow. So now I really have to think about whether I am actually capable of doing this job. And I am not talking about giving myself a pep talk and saying "You Can Do It!" I mean, the company has no HR department right now, so I would have to build the whole deal from scratch. Is that super-exciting, or is it super-scary? And, its a non-profit company. Which could be great to work for because the people might be really nice and cool. Or it could suck because the money's not as good and I hate crunchy-granola people.

All I know is that I have picked out all these new clothes I want to buy for myself, and all these clothes for Princess. So I need a job soon. I have another interview on Monday at a different company, and then I have my second interview for this job on Wednesday. So, we'll see what happens.

Music and Unemployment

Crap. I have been tagged with a meme. This one isn't so bad really (nothing like that godforsaken game I played last week that took up half my lifespan to finish it). I was tagged by a new friend, Hello Shiity. All I have to do is list 5 songs that I am digging right now, which is fairly easy. I am not tagging anyone in particular, but if you are at a loss for things to say and want to use this, please be my guest.

My Five Songs:
1. Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue
2. Have a Nice Day by Bon Jovi
3. The Man Who Sold The World by Jordis Unga
4. A Favor House Atlantic by Coheed and Cambria
5. Pon de Replay by Rhianna
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I know you have waited a long time for this, or perhaps you don't care at all. But I am going to post it anyway. The video from the John Mellencamp concert where Patsy, our friend J, and I sing so loud and off key that you can't hear JM at all. Keep in mind that you can't see anything in most of the video because it was an outside concert and it was dark and we tailgated for so long that from our crappy lawn seats we could barely see the stage anyway.

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I had the oddest phone interview the other day. It lasted about 45 minutes and the woman asked me questions like, "do you consider yourself a storyteller?" and "what kind of numbers do you think about all day long?" I had been kind of excited about this company, but after the interview I thought about it awhile and realized that as a recruiter for this company, *I* would be the one asking those ridiculous questions and I would be thinking to myself during the whole interview how ridiculous they were. And that's not what I want to do. So they called me to set up a second interview and I said no thanks.

I have interviews this afternoon and Monday at two different companies, so we'll see how they go. One is for an HR Director position which I don't think I am qualified for but I am going to fake it as best I can. The other is for contract HR work, where I can make a buttload of money but it can be inconsistent. I am feeling pretty good overall because while I haven't found the right job yet, I am getting tons of calls and lots of interest. So, hopefully in time, something perfect will come up. I am going to be picky and hope that pays off.

Which Curse Word Are You?

But first...thank God that skank Jessica was voted off RockStar INXS last night. I'd had enough of her a few weeks ago and finally they all agreed. The top three were Jordis, Marty, and Mig, and I think that's right on target. They are the best, and I think Ty is a close fourth.
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(Sorry mom, but...)

Your word is FUCK. You like to come across as rude
and rebellious, and often you do. You also are
intelligent and maybe surprisingly sensitive,
though God help anyone who said that in front
of your friends.

Which Swear (Curse) Word Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Froggy Too

Ah ha! Thanks to Trine, I have found a way to post larger videos. Check this one out of Princess - its a bit grainy because it was taken in the evening in my dark living room, but its still pretty funny. Notice the shorts on her head. Yep, she was spending time with Hub and odd things are bound to happen.


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And in other news. Dave Navarro needs to stop talking on RockStar INXS. He used to be on my short list until he married Carmen Elektra, and was taken off because no punk rock god could marry that ho - he should have married like, Courtney Love or Shirley Manson or well, me. So on RockStar, he says things like "my homies" and "give props" and it makes me think that he married just the right person because he comes off as a big dork, not as the cool person I thought he was.


And finally, Tommy Lee. Anyone watch his show last night, where he went to college? My Good God, he is dumb. But wow, he is still pretty friggin hot for being a rock star for 25 years.

Our Motley Little Crew

This post is going to be short on words, because I am just too tired to write. So here, enjoy some pics from the Crue concert.

Yep, in nearly every pic of me and Patsy we are doing the heavy metal salute. This is my favorite.


Our tailgating party was on a hill, so we had to improvise to keep the table straight. We used the chair that JV broke along with Princess' carseat. We are nothing if not creative.


Here is the lawn that J set on fire.


Here's Patsy all passing out on the blanket, but still rockin.


This is the shockingly-dressed skank who must have been a stripper back in maybe 1982 and she thought it was a good idea to break out this little number for the Crue concert. Appalling...not to mention that there is less fabric in the front than on the back. Eek. And even worse was her mulletted boyfriend.


All in all, good times. Thankfully I remember more about this concert than about Mellencamp...not that that's saying very much.

So last night was the Motley Crue concert.

Good times. We did the tailgaiting thing, of course, but it was SO BLOODY HOT out (it was over 100, and so humid you could see the air) that I spent most of the afternoon sitting with Diddy in the Diddymobile in the air conditioning. Highlights of the day included:
- JV broke my beach chair.
- J set the lawn on fire.
- Some crazy broad in the craziest outfit you ever saw was wandering around - of course we took pics but I haven't uploaded them yet. That will be up tomorrow.
- We met a nice couple who didn't think we were annoying even though we talked to them all night and sang really loudly and off key in their ears. I know they didn't find us annoying because they shared their tequila.
- We saved beer caps for Drunken Master, but I think we might have lost them somewhere along the way.
- Hub met one of the opening bands and they signed his CD for him.
- Crue did not play Smokin in the Boys Room - how is that possible?
- Crue also took so many breaks during the show - it was actually annoying. I don't know if they were taking their geritol or if Mick Mars was readjusting one of his recently replaced hips, but it was like, let's play two songs and then take a break and then another two songs and then another break. It got on my nerves.
- I saw more flashed boobies at this concert than I did at Mardi Gras.

I'll hopefully have more pics to put up tomorrow. Hub took a bazillion pics, plus some movies, so most of the tailgating pics are on the other memory card and I have no idea where it is. But here is me and Patsy rocking out:



But here's the best part. We get home at about 12:30 and we have no power. My whole neighborhood was out. Mind you, it was still in the 90's and there is no way I could sleep in that heat. The power didn't come back on till after 3:30 a.m. It sucked. So I got almost no sleep last night (again) and Princess woke up nice and early. Bah.

Some Innocent Beer Fun

As I prepare to watch the Giants beat up on the Browns in preseason tonight, and then to drink heavily and sing loudly and annoyingly at the Motley Crue concert tomorrow night, I bring you this:

Go here to find out the name of "your" beer. Mine is:
True's Krazy Kriek:
Kall me krazy, but I like it!

My Friend Should Be On Jerry Springer

But first...you people are killing me with this game from yesterday. I will do the people that signed up after I went to bed, but be aware that it takes me so friggin long to do this stuff that I barely got to visit anyone yesterday and now probably won't visit anyone today. So if you signed up already your answers will be in yesterdays comments some time today. NO MORE SIGNUPS THOUGH, PLEASE! And no more games for me after this! But don't forget...if you played with me yesterday (or today), you have to post the game on your blog now. EDIT: They are all done, even those of you kind folks who said I didn't have to do yours. I did them because you were so sweet to say I didn't have to do them.-----------
So I have this friend. She is very like me in so many ways - we are the same age, we went to school together since 7th grade, our families are very similar in makeup and closeness. But somewhere along the way (and this story goes waaaaay deeper than I am going to share here), her life took so many odd turns that now we have very little in common.

This friend's nickname is Springer. As in Jerry Springer. As in, he could fill a whole season of shows with her life. Here is season one in a nutshell:

1. I am married, yet pregnant with a married Orthodox Jewish guy's baby!*
2. I woke up in bed next to my husband's brother!
3. I am divorced, yet pregnant again with the same married man's baby!
4. I slept with my children's female nanny!
5. I slept with my step-brother and my children's female nanny...at the same time!
6. The Syrian Mob (allegedly) set my house on fire while I was sleeping and I had to jump out of a second story window to survive...and I was 8 months pregnant!
7. I just had my third kid and I am not married...but the father is! Just not to me!
8. I am so jealous that my kids' nanny is getting married that I try to fistfight him!

That's all I can think of right now (not that its not enough) but I know there is more I just can't think of. What is so sad is that she is the nicest person around. I love her to death and I love hanging out with her. I went to visit her yesterday, since she just had a baby (yep, by a married guy), and we had a nice time. I asked her about the father of the baby, and she said he is totally uninvolved (since he is married) and she is fine with it. I can't help but wonder what kind of example she is setting for her 7 year old daughter.

*Just to note: the only reason I mention this guy's religion is this: he is married with 5 children. He is Orthodox, so after sundown on Fridays he cannot do anything, even something as simple as turning on a lightswitch. So one Friday, he walked 3 miles from the temple to her house and she forgot to leave the lights on for him. So he sat in the dark for 4 hours until she got home. Now, I can respect a man who takes his religion so seriously that he would sit in the dark rather than commit what he considers to be a sin. BUT HE WAS THERE WAITING FOR HIS MISTRESS. HE IS A MARRIED MAN, WITH 5 CHILDREN. HE CANNOT TURN ON A LIGHT, BUT HE CAN COMMIT ADULTERY AND GET HIS MISTRESS PREGNANT TWICE??? Talk about hypocrisy.

Games People Play

Since I participated with Jlybn and Peanutt in their games, I am up next! I don't know how well I will do, but I am willing to give it a shot. If your responses from me suck, please keep in mind that I have not slept in nearly a week. Thank you for your understanding.

1) Put your name in my comments, and I'll respond with something random about you.

2) I'll tell you what song/or movie reminds me of you.

3) I'll pick a color/flavor of jello to wrestle with you in. (Maybe)

4) I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.

5) I'll tell you my first memory of you.

6) I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.

7) I'll ask you something I've always wondered about you.

8) If I do this for you, you must post this on your blog. You MUST. It is written.

Now keep in mind that if I don't know you that well I may only be able to do one or two of them, and if I don't like you I won't do any. (Kidding, kidding.)

Video! Finally! I Hope!

But first...thanks to all of you who expressed concern for my lack of sleep. It actually has nothing at all to do with Princess - she is a great sleeper - goes to bed by 9 and sleeps till 8:30. Its all me. I have never been a good sleeper - I am a night owl so I always get a nice burst of energy right at about 10 pm when I should be winding down and getting ready for bed. And I go in spurts - sometimes I seem to get over it and can sleep fine, but then I will go for days/weeks (like now) and just not be able to sleep. So, this too shall pass, let's just hope its soon.
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And also...a hopefully fun game coming tomorrow...I just wanted to try to get this dang video posted first! Come back tomorrow to participate. It'll be easy on you, scary for me.
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So I have been trying FOREVAH to get video posted on this here blog. It is so not as easy as I thought, especially if you don't want to pay a penny to do it. BIG thanks to Ben Padilla who is my total hero for helping me figure this out. I still have a ways to go till I feel comfortable with it, but he walked me through it step by step and I am grateful. If you get a chance, go check out his blog - its one of my daily stops and it kicks serious ass. In any case, I can't post the concert video because its too long (and I have not figured out how to edit yet), but I do have a little video to show you what we go through nearly 24 hours a day at our house.

The backstory: On Monday night, football (that's American football, for you soccer fans) started. Yes, it was just preseason, but without hockey this year, its been a loooong time between sports I actually want to watch on tv. And Hub was just about jumping out of his skin with excitement at the prospect of watching football again. He's singing "Are you ready for some football!?!?!" to Princess, and she did not respond as he had hoped.

Now go play the video!

I hope you can open the movie...it may take a minute to load. And you may need Quicktime to view it, I am not completely sure. But if you do, its free and easy to download here. But just in case you can't view it (which would not surprise me), look how big my little angel is getting!!!

Meme

But first: OMG, I need sleep. I have not slept more than 3 hours total in the past 3 nights, and did not sleep AT ALL last night. I feel like I am going to die.
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Thank God for Janet over at Fond of Elves for having this meme, since I have nothing to say today. She is afraid the world might be coming to an end, as I ALWAYS have something to say. Heh.

01. When you look at yourself in the mirror, what's the first thing you look at? I guess my eyes, to see how big the bags are under them from lack of sleep. And oh yes, they are HUGE right now.
02. How much cash do you have on you? Right now? None, I have no pockets.
03. What's a word that rhymes with "TEST"? Rest
04. Favourite plant? Do my stargazer lillies (though now dead) count?
05. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? My cell phone was attacked by cranberry juice and no longer works, so I can't answer this question
06. What is your main ring tone on your phone? It was Mr. Brightside by the Killers
07. What shirt are you wearing? White tshirt, black shorts
08. Do you "label" yourself? I guess, but I never stick with just one label
09. Name brand of your shoes currently wearing? Barefoot
10. Do you prefer a bright or dark room? Dark. My house is an old Tudor and its very dark and cozy. Plus, darker rooms are more flattering to the complexion!
11. What did you have for breakfast? No breakfast
(What happened to number 12????)
13. What were you doing at midnight last night? Watching Reno 911
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell phone say? Dead cell, I cannot answer
15. Do you ever click on "Pop Ups" or Banners? NEVER
16. What's an expression that you say a lot? Whatever
17. Who told you they loved you last? Princess
18. Last furry thing you touched? Gypsy
19. How many hours a week do you work? Lets see, as a stay at home mom, I guess I work about 160 hours a week
20. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed? None, I am all-digital
21. Favourite age you have been so far? 22
22. Your worst enemy? I don't have too many enemies, so I'd have to say my nemesis.
23. What is your current desk top picture? A pic of me and Hub from the Mellencamp concert
24. What was the last thing you said to someone? ALRIGHT! YOU CAN WATCH DORA!
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to go back in time and fix all your mistakes which would you choose? A million bucks. I am pretty happy with how my life has turned out thus far, and while there are some things I would like to go back and do differently, I might end up someplace else if I did!

Beer and Cosmos and Margaritas, Oh My!

Last night, Hub and I went into Hoboken (the party capital of Jersey - one square mile of drinking pleasure) to celebrate my friend's birthday. He turned 40 (personal note to him: eeek! The big 4-0! You are soooo much older than me!!!).

I had convinced Hub that we should go in a little early because I wanted to go to East LA's, my favorite place for margaritas on the planet. But, we got a call from our friend asking if we wanted to ride in with them - they had decided to get a limo so no one had to drive. Of course we said HELL YEAH! So we skipped the margaritas and went to our friends' house for early cocktails and then took the limo into Hoboken.

They had reserved a downstairs room at Amanda's for the party, and there were about 30 of us there. We had never been to the restaurant, but it was very nice. There was a cocktail hour with passed hors d'oeuvres, then a sit-down dinner, and then dessert. We had good drinks, good food, and good fun with friends. Once dinner was over we hopped back in the limo and head back to their house for frozen margaritas. All in all, a very fun night.

It was nice to do something a little more "upscale" for once. We are really low-maintenance-type people, meaning that we usually wear jeans and drink beer and hang out at average-joe places. This was nice because while it was still casual, we had to get a little dressier and everything was just a little bit nicer. But it was still a wild, fun, good time.

Happy Birthday, Jose! Love ya!

Mike, Hub and True in the limo:


The Birthday Boy and me:


My 5th or 6th Cosmo and the cool shaker it was served in:


Me and Hub back at their house:

Watcha Dora

When I was pregnant and looking at daycare centers for Princess (when I thought I would be returning to work), the one thing I was most concerned with (after safety) was that they didn't prop the kids up in front of the tv all day. I didn't want my kid to be a couch potato by her first birthday, and I felt like if I was paying for them to watch my kid, they should do more than entertain her with cartoons.

Well. So much for that. Princess is almost 20 months old and is addicted to Dora the Explorer. Its already out of control. Her favorite saying is not Mommy or Daddy or I Love You. Its "Watcha Dora" which means "I Need To Watch Dora Now Or I Will Explode" and its said repeatedly until she gets to watch Dora. She has taken to having near-tantrums if I say no.

She sings along with the songs. She talks to the characters. She does what Dora tells her to do (Hug yourself real tight so we can wake up sleeping Boots! Tighter!). She doesn't do what Mommy tells her to do. Somehow Dora has become the authority figure in my house. I have no idea how this happened.

But, it gives me time to blog, as guess what Princess is doing now? Watcha Dora.

Dora, The Devil

Why HR People Suck

But first...I meant to mention this yesterday while talking about what's been on tv, but does anyone watch Miami Ink on TLC? Its about a new tattoo parlor in Miami (duh) and the guys that work there. As a tattooed freak myself, I like the show. But in any case, there was a guy on there who came in for a tattoo, and the tattooing guy notices a weird tattoo on the guy's lower back...turns out the guy got a THONG tattooed on him while in Mexico. And oh yeah, it was pink. Not that there's anything wrong with that...
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So now I am going to go on a little rant that may ramble on and on, and if you don't want to read it I don't blame you. But I am going to do it anyway. I won't be hurt if you just skip it.

I have been home with Princess for 19 months now, and happy to be here. But let's be honest. Money is tight. T.I.G.H.T. So I started looking to see what kinds of jobs are out there for me. Nope, no BLOGGERS NEEDED, $1,000,000 TO START ads out there. But my background is in Human Resources, specifically in recruitment. So I see one ad that looks promising, send in my resume, get a call, and they are paying $40k. Nope, don't think so. My property taxes alone are $10k a year, childcare will be $200/week - $40k ain't gonna cut it. So I keep looking. Then I see this: a big company was looking for a part time contract recruiter, $25/hour. Hm, that might work. With a part time position, I could balance the whole work/life thing like they talk about on tv. So I send in my resume. They call me immediately and schedule an interview for the next day. I go.

I meet with two people. The first is the recruiter trying to fill this job. She asks me NO QUESTIONS. NONE. She tells me all about the company and the job and her life and all that...and then asks me if I have any questions. So I said, "Well, my only question is if there is anything else I can tell you about my background." Meaning, hey idiot, ask me something so I can tell you I would be good for this job. So she says, "Oh! Sure! So what did you do at XYZ Company?" I tell her a little bit, she kinda interrupts and tells me "yep, that's what we need here!" So I stop telling her stuff. She tells me to wait, because she wants me to meet with her boss. Okay. So then he comes in, very serious and whatnot, and asks me these questions: Did you like working at XYZ? Why? What are you proudest of that you did there? What are you least proud of?

That was it. Now first of all, how they can determine whether someone is qualified for a job based on these interviews is beyond me. "Did I like working at XYZ? Why, of course! It was wonderful! I loved it and they loved me!" Whew, thank God they got that vital information out of me! Now they can make an informed decision!

And, being that what I do is interview people, I could not get over the idiocy of the "least proud of" question. That is the worst I have ever heard. I told him that in all seriousness, there was nothing I was not proud of that I did. I worked hard and I was ethical and moral and I did right by the employees and the company. There was nothing in my career to be "least proud" of.

So bottom line is this. They said they interviewed three people and would be making a decision by Thursday. So now, as I am typing this, it is 9 am on Friday and I haven't received a call. So I assume I did not get it. But, based on their questions, its not even like I could pick something out and say, I can do this better in my next interview. I can only assume that they got some bubbly person in there who sold themselves better than I did. That's not me. I do what I do, and I do it well. I am professional and work hard and do the job right. But I am not bubbly and perky, that's for sure, and I am not going to "oversell" myself. I hate when candidates do that - they want the job so bad that they are drooling and begging. I am not that desperate. Yet.

So, being that I have only applied for 2 jobs thus far and was called on both of them, I am still optimistic. I am the kind of person who believes that everything happens for a reason, so I think that this was just not the job for me. I liked the idea of part-time, but I also did a little more research. I saw several other contract recruiter positions that were making $40-45/hour. So, maybe I am meant to have one of those positions, even if they are full time. I just hope the Life part of the Work/Life balance doesn't have to suffer too much.

Random Stuff on a Thursday

If I haven't visited you the past few days, please don't desert me or think I don't love you anymore. I have just had so much going on, and no time to wander. But I will come see you today!
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Isn't it just the best when someone mentions you on their blog - and is complimentary about you? Its so often that people try to be snarky instead of nice and they end up being just mean. But - I had the privilege of being mentioned on WS Cross's blog, and here's what she said about yours truly:

"A True Jersey Girl is pretty much representative of the modern woman today: opinionated, generous, funny, talkative, down-to-earth, a lady who speaks her mind and has lots of friends leaving funny comments on her site. Sub-titled "Big Hair, Bon Jovi and Bruce," she's just as likely to show you her family photos as tell you why the governor pissed her off recently. Ever wonder how Jersey girls think? Here's your chance to find out."

Aw, I am blushing. Well, go on over and check her out (you are all adults, right?). You will be glad you did.
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RockStar INXS: If that girl Jordis does not win this whole thing, the only reasoning can be that they don't want a chick singer. Her voice is phenomenal (it gives me chills), her stage presence is amazing, and the emotion she portrays in her songs is tremendous. If INXS doesn't take her, they are morons. And whatever band does snatch her up will be on my list of "Next CD To Buy."
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Did anyone see that show about feral children on TLC the other night? It was a documentary about kids who are basically abandoned by their parents (mostly due to alcoholism) and are raised by dogs. The kids have been fed by stray dogs who bring them scraps of food they find, they are kept warm by the dogs snuggling with them, and in some cases, the dogs have even breastfed the kids. All true stories. It was facinating to see how the kids just cannot learn language beyond a certain point because it has to be learned by a certain age or the brain shuts down. The most disturbing thing (other than the glaring fact that dogs are more capable of caring for children than some humans are) was that one of the "mothers" who left her kid locked in her bedroom for 13 years (the girl could not speak at all; she had never been spoken to) was somehow allowed to make the decision at some point that the researchers and language professionals who were helping her had gotten too close to her. She was then put into one adult home after the next, never able to see the only people who ever cared for her at all. I don't get how a woman like that gets to make any decisions, for anyone.
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Finally, they are going to makeover Patsy's house!
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And finally, try this. Its pretty funny!!! Have a great Thursday!

An Engaging Day

Inspired by the SugarV's recent post on how he proposed, plus the fact that I have been talking about Billy Lane alot so I want everyone to know exactly how awesome Hub, here is our "getting engaged" story.

We had met in 1994 at a seedy, meatmarket-type bar in NYC (someday I will share that story). It was now November 1996 around my 25th birthday. We used to have season tickets for the Devils at that time, so he came to my parents house to pick me up for a game and was an hour early. I came downstairs yelling, because why was he there so early! I wasn't ready! Turns out he was asking my parents for my hand in marriage. I knew something was up because when I came down, everyone was completely silent (a rarity for my family) and Hub was white as a ghost and trembling.

A week later, he tells me we are going to do something, but won't tell me what. He comes and picks me up and we drive out to western Jersey. We pull into the parking lot of some little inn/bed & breakfast/restaurant place. As we pull into the parking lot, I see what they are doing in the field behind the building - preparing hot air balloons. So we go over there and of course I realize the whole plan now.

We assist in inflating the balloons (there were three balloons going up at one time), and then we take off. We float over the ground, and since it was fall we can see through the leafless trees and watch deer and turkeys and other animals roaming in the woods. It was awesome. Finally, Hub gets down on one knee (yes, in the teeny hot air balloon basket, and yes, he is afraid of heights) and proposes. I don't answer right away because I am distracted by the fact that he tied the ring to his pants with string so that it wouldn't fall over the edge if he dropped it. Someone in another balloon apparently also got engaged, as our pilot gets a message over the radio that "She said yes!" So our pilot says "We have a yes too!" To which I replied - "I didn't say yes yet!" So of course then I say yes. We have champagne and all that. After the flight, we talk to the other couple who just got engaged and they already have a date and a place picked out!

Then we drive to my parents' house where they are waiting for us to arrive, along with his mother. She has brought Italian pastries and his sister sent a pricey bottle of Perrier Jouet champagne for us to enjoy. We hang out for a little while, reliving the event for them. Then, Hub tells me to go get changed for dinner. What? There's more?

So I go change, and he takes me to The Shadowbrook, which is one of my favorite restaurants of all time. We have a wonderful dinner, and all the while I am wondering how he planned all this and when he had gotten so romantic. It was just perfect.

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Funny thing: remember how I said he tied the ring to his pants? The pilot said, "I had a guy propose to his girlfriend up here and he dropped the ring over the side. The girl was freaking out, wanted to land the balloon and look for it, etc. Then, he pulls out the real ring and says that was just a practical joke." So I go to work the Monday after we get engaged and I am telling this girl how Hub proposed. She tells me how her now-husband proposed the same way - and threw a fake ring over the side as a joke. Ha ha. He was the one the pilot had told us about. Ha ha. They are now divorced.

My 200th Post

That's right, I have written 200 posts for this here blog. I can't believe I still have anything left to say. But of course, I do.

Today I am going to talk about exercise and how much it sucks. I want so much to enjoy it. To be one of those people who loves to run, so I can say things like "when I run it clears my mind, it relaxes me." But ya know what? I truly dislike exercising. I can't run because of my rather large boobs, and power walking bores me for the most part. I like a leisurely stroll in the park with my dog and kid, but I don't really want to sweat or anything. And I have a treadmill, but it is basically a very expensive clothes hanger at this point.

I have been working out, though, at least 5 times a week. Whoever invented The Firm is certainly the devil, I will have you know. It makes me hurt and sweat and nearly cry because its so hard. And those bitches in the video are so freakin perfect they make me want to throw up my dinner. But I won't, don't worry, I love food too much.

So the point is that it does not matter that I have been doing either The Firm, Tae-Bo, or Kickboxing five times a week for over a month now, consistently, and that I can see changes in my body, and that I am feeling better, and that shorts that have not fit me in three years fit now. I still hate it with every ounce of my being.

But I do love that Hub and I had this conversation last night:
Hub: "Have you lost alot of weight?"
TJG: "Some, I dunno, I am not weighing myself."
Hub: "Well, you look like you lost alot. A lot. You look good."

This is why I would not leave him for Jon Bon Jovi or Billy Lane or anyone else. And coming tomorrow - the story of how we got engaged. Oh yes, it is super-romantic. Really.

My Beautiful Flowers & The Friggin' Heat

I do not have a green thumb by any stretch of the imagination. I used to plant annuals (or are they perennials? The ones you have to plant every year? See what I mean...) but I got bored of doing it. Now, we just have bushes in front of the house and we cover the ground with cedar woodchips. Perhaps they are supposed to do something good for the ground, but I don't know. All I know is that you can't see the weeds as well with chips on top of them.

Well a couple years back I decided I wanted to plant Stargazer Lillies, because I had them in my wedding bouquet and I loved them. They have a pretty pungent smell to them, but they are beautiful. So I went to Home Depot and bought two pots of them and planted them in the front yard. I don't water them, or trim them, or fertilize them, or do whatever you should do to make them grow. But magically, they come back each year and they are gorgeous.

This year, they looked like this, and I was happy:


Then, we were hit with a heat wave, and this is what they look like now:

So, that's what they will look like till winter comes and snow covers them up, and they magically grow back next year. I hope.