My Third Husband

I kinda played hooky from work yesterday and went into NYC to the Motorcycle Show at the Javitz Center. It was pretty cool - since it was a weekday it wasn't as crowded as it would have been on a weekend, and it wasn't as big and overwhelming as the Auto Show.

But most importantly, I met Billy Lane again (Billy will be my third husband, as Jon Bon Jovi will be my second).

Yep, he is touching me.

Hub and I went up to his booth before he got there and talked to one of his employees for the longest time. She was so cool, and she reiterated what I already knew - that Billy is a sweetheart. He was due to get to the booth at 2pm to sign autographs but by 2:15 he still wasn't there. I figure he was at some bar, which was fine with me because I wasn't even on line yet. When he finally got there I saw him from afar, and he had his dreads pulled back in a knit cap and looked a little gangsta. Cool. Hub thought he didn't look as good with his hair back, but I disagreed.

We got on line at some point, and while we were online some jerkoff was in the booth, yelling and being completely obnoxious. The employee we had been talking to earlier came over by us and was like, can you believe this guy, he is the biggest ass. I am looking at the guy and thinking, I know this dude. Finally it hit me - he was the lead singer from Smashmouth. He was a complete ass, and finally one of the other employees escorted him away from the booth.

That Jerk From That Sucky Band Smashmouth, and Billy.

We get up to Billy and I started getting nervous. Not because I was seeing my future husband, but because I was afraid my previous impression of him as a kickass guy was going to be shattered if he wasn't as cool as the last time I met him. Well, no need to worry. He was SO awesome. He is so down to earth and just a regular guy. Hub told him that - that he is impressed with what a nice person he is - and Billy thanked him and said that he always promised himself and his folks that he would never change. We talked to him for a bit (Billy actually spends time with each and every person who comes up for an autograph, as opposed to those OCC jerks who treat it like an assembly line and don't even LOOK at the fans, much less speak to them). He is totally the kind of guy who you want to hang out with at a bar, do some shots and drink some beer, and just hang. Hub wants to invite him to one of our parties, which of course I am totally cool with ;)

We also met Matt Hotch, another chopper builder, and he was equally cool. He is much shyer, not as outgoing as Billy, but really cool. We had a normal conversation with him and he was completely down to earth.

Matt Hotch, Cool Guy

Honestly, I am getting more and more respect for these bike builders - their work is awesome and they are completely cool.

It Was 20 Years Ago Today...

Well, maybe not exactly today, but it was 20 years ago that the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off was released. This is one of the greatest movies of all time and its is one of the movies I quote most often (I hail from a family where every other word we say to each other is a movie line).

I will get back to that in a minute, but first let me tell you how this movie inspired me. While it is a hysterically funny movie, my favorite scene is at the Chicago Art Museum where Cameron is looking at the Seurat painting while The Smiths play in the background. He stares and stares at the painting until it all becomes a blur, and it is really such a touching scene. My friend C and I decide we must go see this painting in real life, so we hop in the car and drive from Jersey to Chicago (stopping only to visit Notre Dame). It was one of the most fun trips in my life (and Chicago is one of my favorite places to visit...I even considered moving there). We basically traveled through Chicago as Ferris did - going to the Sears Tower and leaning against the window looking down (yes, they yell at you for doing that), going to a baseball game and yelling "Swing batta batta batta...sa-wing, batta," and of course, seeing that huge, beautiful painting (a copy of which hangs in my dining room) and singing "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" while gazing at it and letting it become a blur. Awesome.

So onto the quotes - my most often used quote is a possibly obscure one, but its "Snooty? Snotty!" from when they are in the fancy restaurant with Ferris pretending to be Abe Froehman, the sausage king of Chicago. There are so many good ones...what's your favorite quote from Ferris Bueller's Day Off?

Its Lonely At The Top

But first...COMING SOON - Christmas pictures, Princess's birthday pictures, and New Year's Eve pictures. Note to Patsy: you were not as neat and clean while puking on NYE as you thought. Hub found chunks in various places in the bathroom. He cleaned it up, so I am not complaining.
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There are things I love about my job (working in HR). I get to help people with their issues, give them a paycheck, give jobs to qualified people, be a sounding board for suggestions, sell ideas to upper management and then implement them, etc etc etc. But there are things I really hate about working in HR.

The main one is that you can't get close to anyone. I know things about employees, like if they are going to be disciplined, what their raises will be, what their bosses say about them behind their backs, how much their bonus will be, if they are going to be fired. And its hard to look people in the eye and smile and act as if things are normal when I know something's going on. I want to tell them (especially the nice ones), but of course I can't. And the worst part is that in this company, I handle all disiplinary action. So if someone in the company is getting written up, I am the one doing it.

You may remember a few months back when I first started this job, I mentioned "the cool girl" who asked me to go out to lunch with her and her little group. Well these 3 girls are my "crew" here. But as it turns out, the "cool girl" is not liked by her direct manager nor by her VP. One of the other girls is not performing as well as they expected. One of their other friends in the company (who I am not friends with) is going to be fired any day now (I am looking for her replacement and I am going to be the one to fire her). I can't tell them any of this. So how do I go out to lunch and chat and not tell my friends these things?

Another guy, one of our Directors, is going to be written up this week. I have worked really hard to break through this guy's rough exterior and get him to trust me and know I am not your typical HR person. And now, I am going to have to write him up for his attitude. Fun.

What I have realized is that, despite the fact that I DESPISED my former company, the one good thing about it was that there were 6 of us in the department so I could be friends with my co-workers. They were going through the same thing I was. But here, its just me and my director in the department so its a very lonely place to be. I am giving myself a year here, to learn all I can and gain as much experience as I can, and then I am moving on. I have to, for my own sanity.

I Have the Best Hub Evah.

Well hello strangers, I am back. My boss is off this week, so despite a huge workload that is burying me I am here with you! What a gal!

Christmas was just lovely this year. I think I got the best gifts evah this year. I made up a new song to celebrate my gifts: "Have a Coachy, Coachy Christmas, right this very moment..." Catchy, no? This is my song for this year because Santa was goooood to True in the Coach bag department. I got 2 wristlets, a handbag, and an ipod cover. And three of those were from Hub - now, if you know anything about Hub its that he is cheap (frugal? cautious with money? whatever, the man does not like to spend money). So I open some gifts from him, and he got me cool stuff (books I wanted, peppermint foot lotion, other goodies) and as I am getting mad because he didn't get me the one thing that I actually dropped hints about (the new White Stripes cd), he hands me a box. I unwrap it to find a shoe box. Did he buy me Manolos? Let's not get crazy. So I open it to find a Coach box inside, tied with a pretty red ribbon. Inside was a holiday patchwork wristlet. Woo hoo! I am in shock, as Hub thinks that Coach bags are the biggest ripoff on the planet, next to Kate Spade bags and Louis Vuitton bags and all the other bags near and dear to my heart. Then he hands me the next gift. Again, a shoe box, again with a Coach box inside it, this time with a holiday patchwork handbag in it. My eyes are as big as saucers. He tells me I can pick one of the two to keep (which he later relented on and said I could keep both. Yup, I am spoiled.). And after that ANOTHER shoebox, with ANOTHER Coach box in it. What the...??? This time its the khaki signature ipod cover with hot pink trim. My Hub, the man who only buys shoes when he can get them at Kohl's for $5, bought me THREE Coach items! Then we go to my mom's, and she bought me another Coach wristlet! Whoa! Can a girl get any luckier than that??? Sing it with me..."have a Coachy, Coachy Christmas..."
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On a less-self-absorbed note, Princess LOVED Christmas. She loved her gifts and she thinks Santa is the greatest guy ever. Well, I guess that is still self-absorbed because its my kid becoming like her mom and loving to get gifts. Too bad. I also love giving gifts, I will have you know. I bought Hub a Steel Curtain jersey, signed by all 4 members of the Steel Curtain (Hub is a huge Steelers fan). And I bought him a few books on choppers, and only one of them had my next husband's pic in it (Billy Lane). So see, that wasn't a selfish gift at all. Hardly. Hmm.

My 2-Night Bon Jovi Review

Last night was the second of my two Bon Jovi concerts this week. On Monday night, I was sitting in floor seats as close to Jon Bon Jovi as I have ever been (about 15 feet from him), while last night I was muuuuuch further (upper tier, 15th row).

Now, you know I love me some Bon Jovi, and I would never ever say that one of their concerts wasn't good. But I will say this: These were my least favorite of all the times I have seen them (and I have seen them well over 50 times). They played too many songs from the new CD for my taste. I will never understand why performers who have been around for years and years don't realize that when we come to see them in concert, we want to hear the songs we know all the words to and the ones that actually made us fans of them in the first place. A few new songs, yes. But 8 or 9? Too too much.

My other complaint is the way they revamped a few of the older songs. Take Blaze of Glory for example. It starts out mellow, but then it kicks in and starts rockin. Well, not the version they did. It stayed mellow, and that took away from the enjoyment of the song. And there were a few songs like that, songs that they tried to change up and it just didn't work (if you have heard their "This Left Feels Right" cd, you know that they should leave their songs alone and not try to rearrange them).

But with those complaints aside, I will still say that Bon Jovi is one of the best live bands I have ever seen. The way they connect with the audience is unparalled. Jon touches as many people in the crowd as he can reach, and they are always finding new ways to reach the people in the not-so-good seats (like little secondary stages out in the middle of the arena where Jon sings from). Even the new songs were performed well, and they did play some of my favorite live songs (Bad Medicine, Keep the Faith). Even though this was definitely not my favorite setlist by a long shot, I was still not disappointed. I brought my 16-year-old cousin J and her friend with me, and they were singing along and had a great time. They thought it was an amazing concert (maybe because they didn't have 50+ other shows to compare it to). So that alone made it worthwhile.

And most importantly, my dear God, JBJ is still so incredibly hot its not even funny. Being so close to him, I got a really good look. His skin is just perfect, flawless. His hair is still awesome. And the ass...well, what can I say. A-Mazing. My friend who came with me (and who was at my first Bon Jovi concert with me in 1986) and I were swooning. Yes, swooning, as in, oh my God, hold me up, he is so hot I may just pass out. Seriously.

Merry Christmas, Everyone! See ya in the new year!

I Know, I Suck

I have just been too busy to blog lately. I am surprised anyone comes here anymore. I am sorry, but life has just gotten in the way lately and shows no signs of backing off. As an example, let me tell you my schedule for this week:

Tomorrow: Kick Ass Christmas Party at my house
Sunday: Recovery from said Christmas party, and then an afternoon kiddie Christmas party.
Monday: Bon Jovi concert, plus a MAJOR celeb is coming for meetings at work
Tuesday: Dinner with one of my friends
Wednesday: Work Holiday Party
Thursday: Bon Jovi concert
Friday: wrap gifts
Saturday: Niece's Christmas pageant, and then dinner at my aunts
Sunday: Christmas at Mom and Dad's with the whole fam

The thing is that yes, this is a particularly insane week in my life, but its not totally out of the ordinary. I feel like I never stop. So blogging has taken a backseat. I am hoping 2006 will calm down just a tad so that I can catch up on all my buddies and what you guys are up to.
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Thanks to all of you who have emailed me asking for my home address to send a Christmas card. It means alot to me, truly. But I just can't do it. Too many freaks out there, and I can't take any kind of chances with my daughter. So please know that I am grateful for the thought and its nothing personal. Just gotta stay anonymous.
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I will try to be back before Christmas with my Bon Jovi concert reviews, but just in case....MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANNUKAH, HAPPY KWANZAA...whatever you celebrate, make it a good one.

No Work For Me Today! And My Dilemma...

So we got about 6 inches of snow last night and this morning, and Princess' day care was closed. I called work and they were having a delayed opening - but what can I do? I had to call out. This is the drama of being a working mom, I suppose. So, I called my boss and told her I wouldn't be in today. During my interview she told me she was super-flexible and understood what it was like to have young children while working. She seemed cool about it when we spoke this morning, but I suppose we will find out on Monday just how flexible she really is.
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So here is my dilemma. Our annual Christmas bash is next Saturday night. There is this one couple that comes to my parties all the time. The husband is a huge alcoholic, and not the fun kind either. Whatever, his alcoholism is not my problem. What *is* my problem is that they come emptyhanded and then he goes to my bar and drinks bottles and bottles of the expensive stuff. At my last party, which I guess was Mardi Gras, this guy drank a whole $50 bottle of Grey Goose vodka and then started on a $40 bottle of Cabo Wabo tequila. So how do I keep this guy away from the good stuff this year? I hate to put everything away, because I don't mind people having a drink or two (Patsy can have as much as she wants). But this guy is trashed when he arrives at my house and then its like he targets my pricey stuff the second he gets there. Is it rude to put signs on the stuff I don't want him ingesting that say "Do Not Drink This Under Penalty Of Death"?
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The most exciting part of next week's party is going to be the Howlers (in our Jersey-ease, we pronounce it Howlah, btw). It is a delicious little recipe we picked up in Key West - vodka, pink lemonade, ice and Everclear in a blender. Delish. The last time I had a "real" bartender at my party he refused to use Everclear in the Voodoo Daquiris we wanted him to make because he thought we would all go blind. Little did he know we drank those things by the gallon down in our beloved N'Awlins. This time there will be no pesky bartender prohibiting drinks. Yippee!

Sunday Stuff

But first...wow, I can't believe not one person said anything negative about gay marriage. Guppyman must have been busy. Or maybe it was because I told you how close to the mob I am (no, I didn't grow up in Nutley, it was Union) and now you don't want to cross me. Whatever. I am quite impressed with you guys.
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And also...Go Giants! Frickin Feeley did miss another field goal, but at least it didn't cost them the game. I did get some pleasure in knowing that my good friend J, a die hard Cowboys fan, was out in the bitter cold watching his team suck and lose.
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And finally...Lots of people say lots of things about me. Some good, some bad. Whatever. But I had to share with you the best description of me that I have heard lately. My friend Jose, who happens to unfortunately be blogless, emailed me about my last entry concerning gay marriage. He complimented me on what I wrote and then said this:

"That's one of the reasons I love you...that and because you can drink as if we we're in a speakeasy during prohibition not knowing when the next bottle will arrive."

Yay me!

How Is This Possible?

But first...you all probably watch The Sopranos and think its not really all mob'd out like that in every day Jersey life, right? Wrong. Yesterday they found the body of a capo in the Genovese crime family in the trunk of a car in the parking lot of a diner (but of course its a diner, its Jersey after all). Where is the diner, you may ask? In the town where I grew up. It was a super-Italian town (I am not bashing the Italians; Hub is one of them) and the mob was just a part of every day life. I remember as a kid, a guy on my street got shot when he opened his door - a mob hit - except they went to the wrong house, killed the wrong guy. Yay, New Jersey!

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I know I have a couple of right-wingers who read me, so you will just have to excuse this teensy tirade (or comment on it nicely, people, I am no longer tolerating anything other than civility from my commentors). Did anyone see this? How is it that a country that as recently as 1994 did not acknowledge blacks to be equal to whites is so incredibly far ahead of us on a social issue like this?

I know that people have issues with gays getting married, but I don't really get why. I can understand a religious ceremony being out of the question (don't get me started on religion and gays, that is a whole 'nother tirade). But I didn't get married in a church, and my marriage is just as valid in the eyes of the law as someone who did. It does not diminish my marriage in the slightest to have a gay couple who are in love declare that they will spend eternity together. I don't understand at all how it taints the sanctity of marriage to let people in love get married. And please don't bring up the "next thing you know, people will marry their dog" argument because that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. How you can compare two human beings making a decision that effects their lives with some idiot wanting to marry his dog - well, its just insulting. I have gay friends and relatives who have been with their significant others longer than I have been with Hub - they own homes together and have children together (and lead way more normal and conventional lives than I do, btw). Why shouldn't they get the benefits of being married (healthcare, pension, tax stuff, etc) if they want to get married?

Honestly, I don't really get why people care so much about this issue. What difference does it make to YOU personally who gets married? Maybe its because I live in a liberal state where we see all kinds of people all day long and its not shocking at all to see homosexuals together, but what consenting adults do is really not my concern. And I don't believe it should be a concern of the law. Besides, don't you think we have SO MANY MORE things to worry about than who gets married? I personally want my lawmakers concentrating on getting us out of Iraq and protecting us from terrorism and things like that rather than whether two men can get married. Puh-lease.

If you are against gay marriage, I would really like to know why - and you can't bring up religion because we are talking about a civil ceremony, and you can't bring up marrying animals because then I will know you are from Alabama and I will ban you from my site :P

A Slogan For My State

Did anyone see The Daily Show last night? I love me some Jon Stewart and that show is among my favorites even though it keeps me up past my bedtime. Well, last night they were talking about Jersey and how the state is looking for a slogan. They interviewed our interim governor Richard Codey (our last governor resigned amidst a gay scandal which was the least of his worries, really), which was pretty funny. They showed a map of my fine state and showed how perfect it is as a route to get to other places, but not a place to actually visit. They showed streets in what I assume to be Irvington or Newark and how scary and crime-ridden they are, and then roads in what I assume to be Hudson County (sorry Patsy Darling) and how congested and smelly they are. It was a pretty accurate piece on what people perceive Jersey to be. And it was really funny (yes, I can laugh at my own state's shortcomings).

But my real question is, why aren't they coming to the one and only True Jersey Girl for a slogan? "Bon Jovi, Big Hair, and Bruce - What More Could You Want?" I mean, if that (plus my charming personality) does not make you want to visit the Garden State, I don't know what will.

The Giants Suck

Have you ever notived how hard it is to concentrate on work when your boss is out? Well, not only is my boss out, but most of the company is out. Until Thursday. The big question is, will I get ANYTHING done this week???
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"Jay Feely will be kicking himself all week. But if Sunday was any indication, he'll probably miss." This is the best quote I have seen about last night's fiasco of a game between the Giants and the Seahawks. This one isn't bad either: The more the Seahawks tried to hand the game to the Giants, the more Jay Feely kept kicking it back.

Mr. Feely. You have one job to do - kick the ball through the posts. And you miss - not once, but three times, in game winning situations. He should be FINED for each of those misses (ok, maybe not the 54-yarder, but the others, yes). This is why it is so hard to be a Giants fan. Even when we are vaguely decent and having a semi-competitive year, we still find a way to shoot ourselves in the foot every time. As my dad has been telling me since I was a kid, THE GIANTS SUCK. But somehow, we are still fans. Maddening.

Its My Birthday! My B-b-b-Birthday!

(You'll just have to imagine Cartman singing his birthday song there. I am a complete moron and can't figure out how to get the link up.)
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Well, today isn't my birthday - Friday is. But knowing me and my completely ridiulous absence from the blogging world lately, I will probably not get on here to post for my b-day itself. But perhaps, as a gift to me, Hub will give me about 10 hours of interruption-free time online to catch up on all your blogs.

Here is the funniest thing about my birthday. I do not know how old I am. Yes, I could do the math but the answer will depress me. Plus, I am not so good at the math so I might end up adding wrong and thinking I am older than I am. Luckily, since I do not know my real age, I can just go on pretending I am 22. Works for me; that was a damn fine year.
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Happy Thanksgiving to all of my fellow American readers! I am thankful for each and every one of you (especially you non-lurkers). Have a great day!

Randomness

Go read this about what us Jersey broads are like, over at my sister's place.
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I thought the housing bubble had burst? The people across the street from me, who have a much smaller house and an even smaller lot than I have, had their house listed for $450k. It just sold for $495k. Insanity.
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Does anyone else think that Grey's Anatomy is the best friggin show on tv? I don't even watch Desperate Housewives anymore, its gotten so lame, but Grey's Anatomy is phenomenal. And I love me some Prison Break, except I am getting sick of them trying to break, I wish they would just do it already. Though it sure was nice seeing Michael in his skivvies tonight.
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Remember I told you how my boss was always taking credit but in an odd way? This proves how odd it is. I coordinated an employee event for the company, the first one ever at this company. It got RAVE reviews, from the top management down. Everyone loved it. I was standing a few feet from my boss when our CEO came over and told her how great the event was and thanked her for coming up with the idea and carrying it through. Without knowing I was standing there, she told him, "Go tell True, this was all her doing, I had nothing to do with it. Isn't it wonderful?!" She gave me full credit to the CEO, yet she steals the credit for creating a silly little form? This is why I think there is some mental deficiency there.
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My cousin, the one who just got married, is so awesome. He is on his honeymoon and he called me from the Dominican Republic because he thought we were all in Key West this week and wanted to wish us a happy vacation. How cool is that? What 26 year old guy thinks of calling his old lady cousin at all, much less on his honeymoon?
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I will be spending my four-day weekend cleaning and decorating for Christmas. We have our outrageously amazing Christmas Party in a few weeks, and Princess's second birthday party is the weekend before that...so no rest for the weary.
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Have I mentioned lately how very much I love my ipod?

An Update On My Life

On Sunday night, Hub's other eardrum burst. So we had quite an exciting weekend, and not the kind of excitement I am used to. He saw a doctor on Monday and got some medication, and he goes back to see him next Friday. He still can't hear so well, but he is getting better. And the bleeding has stopped, which is always a good thing. Thanks for all of your concern; its much appreciated!
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So I have not told you too much about work, have I? I think I have told you how well Princess is doing in daycare - she is doing AMAZING. She loves it. It was most definitely the right thing for her at this time. She is learning so much, its amazing. She talks about her friends and her teachers all the time. I am SO pelased with how she is doing there. In fact, yesterday when Hub dropped her off, she didn't even want to kiss him goodbye, she just wanted to go play with the kids. No crying, no drama. Beautiful.

My job? Its going well. My boss is a very accommodating woman who keeps me in the loop about everything, shares all the info I need (this is something I so didn't have at my previous job), and is a nice person as well. People here are so positive and happy, and are much less cynical and sarcastic than at my previous job (not necessarily a plus for a gal like me being quite the cynic myself, but don't you worry: I have befriended the only other cynical girl here). But I have been here for about 2 months now, and already the shine of working has worn off. Because already my boss is annoying me. And to be honest, I am sure part of it is me (because I am a very easily-annoyable person. I know this.). But I know its not all me. And since its more fun to tell about the negatives than the positives - here we go.

A perfect example is what happened yesterday and today. Yesterday, we were terminating some employees in the HR/Payroll system who had left the company. There is no method to how all this is done and no way of knowing if someone else in the office has already done it. I suggested that a good way to track the changes we were making would be to create a form that would go into each employees' personnel folder when they start with us. We can have a checklist of items that need to be done for each employee from the time they start with us till the time they leave us (such as starting them on benefits, taking them off benefits, etc). Great idea! she says, You are brilliant! So I start working on it last night and I am finishing it up this morning. She walks into the office this morning and says, "I had a great idea I thought of last night. We could create a checklist of items that need to be done for each employee from the time they start with us till the time they leave us." Ummm, why does that sound familiar to me? Because it was my idea, beeyotch! And she has done this type of thing before, where I will make a suggestion and then soon afterwards she claims it as her own. And not even to upper management or anything, like she is trying to steal credit - she does it right to my face. It is bizarre and annoying.

And, she really has no sense of humor. She is a nice person, but she doesn't really find anything except her own self to be funny. Like I said before - no sarcasm or cynicism in this bunch. So I find myself laughing fakely at the unfunny things she says, and when I say something funny she doesn't even smile. And trust me, I am one funny broad.

The other thing that is annoying me is this. I have never run payroll before, but I am learning how to do it here. Great, no problem, I want to learn, its one reason I took this job. So she is going sooooo sllllooowwww with me going over the most basic things - like entering a newhire, hello, I have been in HR for 10 years, I know how to enter a newhire, duh, its simple data entry that a $6 an hour clerk could do - but then when it comes to things like archiving data and running tax reports and things like that - she expects me to know that and gives me no guidance on it. I think it is because she doesn't really know how to do it herself so she isn't capable of teaching me. But that doesn't make it less annoying when she says in one breath "OK, use the drop down menu to select the newhire tab...ok, now enter the person's last name, just type it in, ok, now type in the first name, ok, now use your mouse and go to the next area where you can enter their address..." and in the next breath she says "now archive the hourly punches from the last two weeks, and run a batch for employee 4411 in the grid." Bah.

I don't know if any of that made any sense, but I just needed to vent. I do like my job and I do like my boss. Its a great company and HR is well-respected here (very rare). I am learning a ton and will be able to take that to my next company and make boku bucks. So I don't mean to make it sound terrible or anything. But like I said, I am easily annoyed and who else will I tell if not you?

I Am Freaking Out Right About Now

Hub just went to the emergency room. Its almost 11 pm here and he was fine to drive, and someone had to stay with Princess so here I am. He has had an earache since Key West, probably from the horrendous waves while we were snorkeling. I got mad water in my ear but it all came out that day. I think his was trapped. Its been bothering him, and today it got really bad. So he holds one ear closed and pushes really hard, like trying to push the water out of his ear. Some liquid comes out followed by gobs of blood. The blood didn't stop. I asked if he wanted to go to the emegency room, expecting a manly "No Dear, I Am Fine" out of him. But no. He said he wasn't sure. So then I start worrying. I came onto the computer to check WebMD to see what I could find out (useless, btw) when he comes into the office all dressed with his keys, saying he's going to the hospital. Now all I can do is sit here and wait and hope there aren't too many gunshot wounds ahead of him on line at the hospital.

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaack!

Now you all know I am a Jersey Girl from head to toe, right? So don't think I am dissing my state when I say this: it sucks to be back. I left sunny, gaw-jus Key West yesterday around lunchtime, after spending a lovely morning with Patsy by the pool, recovering from the night before. We had some airline issues (they changed all our flights due to rainy skies here in Jersey, including which city we flew into and what times both of our flights left, and we circled over Newark Airport for God knows how long), and as soon as we got off the plane the difference from Florida to NJ was painfully obvious. People were yelling and running around like crazy, horns were beeping and drivers were cursing at each other, it was cold and rainy, etc etc etc. Not a pleasant welcome home. Until of course I went to pick up Princess at my parents' house. She saw me and was freaking out, yelling unintelligible sounds and then "mmmmmmommmmmmmmyyyyyy!!!!" At that moment, I was glad to be back.
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How much fun did we have in Key West, you may ask? Well, I can tell you this much. We hit nearly every bar on Duval Street and a bunch on other streets and piers too. We closed down the bar two of our 4 nights there. We heard so much Jimmy Buffett that we wanted to find the man and kill him for writing so many songs that sound exactly alike. We were so grateful to hear a few Bon Jovi songs here and there that we screamed every word even though the bands sucked. We went snorkeling, which was so not fun (not much to see, VERY choppy water that you had to fight the entire time) but then we drank so much "free" beer that we got our moneys worth anyway. Our friend J and I did not argue at all until our last night there (shocking). Hub made all our feet hurt with his insane walking tours of cemeteries and everything else from one side of the island to the other, but we also relaxed by the pool and hung around and drank and had mellow fun too.

A toast to our first night in Key West:


Yes this guy was grabbing my ass:


Me and Diddy doing a shot at the famous Sloppy Joe's on Duval:


Me and Hub at the Southernmost Point (only 90 miles from Cuba):


All of us on our final drunken night in Key West, having drinks at the Southernmost Tiki Bar:

(Top row: Hub and J; Bottom row: Me, Patsy and Diddy)
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Yes, there was damage to the island. There were palms down all over the place, along with tons of peoples' belongings that they had to throw out due to the flooding. It looked like it had been years since anyone picked up garbage there - but it was all debris from Wilma. This church was seriously messed up:


But overall, the island was in decent condition. Everything was open, at least in the tourist areas (on our way back to the airport, our taxi driver told us that the Sears and the KMart were totally demolished - in fact, he said there were barracuda swimming in the KMart). People were in good moods, there was food and clean water, our hotel was in pristine shape (I loooved the hotel - somehow me and Hub got a suite for the price of a regular room), and there were lots of tourists there who weren't deterred from their trips. We contemplated going elsewhere after hearing of the hurricane, but I am so glad we went there. Anyplace that has no open beverage container laws is a winner in my book, no matter what.

Later, Gators!

So Whaddaya Think?

I thought it was time for a new look. Ms. Bathing Beauty whom I have had for a while was feeling a little chilly in her swimsuit, so I decided to go with an uptown, chic chick for my new look. Don't worry, I am still the same True, no matter how classy my blog is looking. And perhaps we will go back to the "hot chick," as Hub has come to call her, when the weather gets a little warmer. Thanks to Mia at Ciao My Bella! (or are they now just Bella? I am not sure) for my awesome new design. I love it. Notice my sidebar titles are all Bon Jovi song titles (except for "on my ipod"). Nifty, eh?
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I wanted to post some pics, but I am having issues with blogger's picture hosting (bah, what else is new?). I will try again tomorrow.
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On the Saturday we come back from Key West, we are going to take Princess to her first hockey game (Patsy, do you and diddy want to go?). Its youth jersey day, so yippee, she will have her first Devils jersey before she even turns two.
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Is it bad that I have only been back to work for a month but I already feel like I sooooooo need a vacation?

Yep, I am a Slacker

I know, I know, I have been seriously slacking in the blogging arena. Life in Jerseyworld has been completely insane lately, even moreso than usual.

The wedding I have mentioned a few times was last weekend. The bride was so not Bridezilla-like, as she had been during the planning stages of the wedding. It was a whole weekend shindig down in Virginia. Friday night we had the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner, which was at a cool little Italian place in DC, and then we went back to the hotel bar. There were probably 40 of us hanging out there, and that was fun. At like 2 am they shut it down, so we head up to this kid Derek's room (a friend of the groom). Then at about 4, security came and told him they were calling the cops if we did not disband immediately. So the party broke up, but I hung out with Patsy and Diddy and J for a bit in their room. I got to bed at about 5 am.

Saturday we got makeup done for the wedding; ya ya, I looked so friggin glamorous. I never wear that much makeup but I got rave reviews. Then came hair, and I felt like an 80's Jersey Girl all over again with my hair all teased up and piled high on my head. Princess was supposed to walk down the aisle with me since she was the flowergirl, but she was in a MOOD. So Hub had to carry her down the aisle. Whatever. The wedding was nice. My cousin (the groom) was so cute, when I walked down the aisle and looked at him, he was crying already, before he even saw his bride. He was so emotional, it was really beautiful. Then came the reception, which was alot of fun. My family really knows how to party, and we crowded the dance floor and did our thang. The only bad thing was the alcohol situation. Before the cocktail hour was over they had run out of two brands of beer, and they didn't have anything to make shots (we always do a "cousins' shot at weddings). That sucked. But it was good times.

After that, we head for the hotel bar again. We stayed till about 3 am, and then we all just crashed from exhaustion. Sunday, it was breakfast with the bride and groom and some family, and then the long drive home. I am honestly just getting tireder and tireder by the moment (yes, thank you, I know tireder is not a word, so what). I feel like I could die I am so tired. And on top of that, someone did not get the message to Princess that its daylight savings time, because she is still getting up an hour early. Yeah, that sucks big time.

I will have pictures up of the wedding and of Halloween hopefully tomorrow. And then I leave for Key West on Saturday. My plan? To lie in a chair by the pool with a drink in my hand, listen to my ipod, and maybe read a book. Maybe not. I may just sleep in the sun.

What Part of "RELAX" Do I Just Not Understand?

So here it is Sunday evening and I still have not relaxed. I had the best of intentions and then they just went out the window.

Saturday night was my cousin's bachelor party in NJ (for the groom from the wedding I am in next week in Virginia). Hub was going to it and I was going to have an early dinner with my mom and sister and then be in bed by 11. All the guys met at my house and then headed out for the evening, starting at Dave & Busters. Me, my sister, my mom, and Princess went to the mall and to dinner. It ended up a later night for the girls than we planned, because I had to look for jewelry for the wedding, and mom needed pants and a cool shirt for the wedding rehearsal evening, so we wandered the mall a bit. By the time we left, it was about 9pm (waaaay past Princess' bedtime) and Princess had hit the wall. She was a lunatic at Macy's, just running around and being crazy. So we get home and are getting her ready for bed when she falls flat on her face, splitting her lip open and spewing blood all about the hallway and herself. We all stayed pretty calm but the blood was not stopping. Then my insane, lunatic dog starts flipping out, running and jumping and barking for no apparent reason. It just added more chaos to an already chaotic situation.

Finally the bleeding stops, the maniacal dog stops, Princess goes to bed, and sis and mom leave. I look at the clock and its about 10:15-ish. I changed into my pj's and read some blogs, and at 11pm I decided to head into my room to lie in bed an watch tv. I was getting ready when the phone rings and its Hub. Apparently some of the guys left the bachelor party early and one of them was the one that drove them, so they had to leave where they were and do something else. Would I mind if they came and hung out at the house? Hm, let's see, do I say NO, I need sleep so go to a strip club please? Or do I say, I cannot resist a good fun time so yes please, come here? What do you think? But I tell Hub that I am actually ready for bed and I probably am going to go to sleep before they get home. He says, oh, but C (the groom) really seems like he wants to hang with you, but if you want to go to bed I guess that's ok. Bah. I had already taken my Tylenol PM's by this point. But I love C like a bro so I put on some lip gloss and had a few beers to catch up with them before they get to the house.

Long story a little shorter, I didn't go to bed till 7am. That's right, SEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. There were many many beers, many funny stories, many good times had by all. And, as usual, my cousin C and I spent the last hour or so have a deep conversation about life and family and all that good stuff. And even though I am now more tired than ever AND I am getting a cold, probably due to the lack of rest, it was worth it because I love my cousin so much and I am flattered that he wanted to come hang out with me and that he confides his deep feelings with me. I am a sucker for that stuff. And, well, for the beer too.