Movie Meme

Stolen from Jessica

1. Name a movie you have seen more than 10 times. When Harry Met Sally, Serendipity, You've Got Mail

2. Name a movie you've seen multiple times in the theater. Nine Months (I worked in the theatre at the time so I saw it 3-4 times for free!)

3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie. Will Farrell

4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie. Mel Gibson

5. Name a movie than you can and do quote from. Napoleon Dynamite, 40 Year Old Virgin.

6. Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs. Pretty much anything Disney and Grease.

7. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with. See #6

8. Name a movie you would recommend everyone see. Napoleon Dynamite.

9. Name a movie that you own. I own lots of movies...one that I own is Happy Accidents.

10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops. Hmm...Queen Latifah!

11. Have you ever seen a movie at a drive-in? If so, what? Never been to a drive in, though I did see Hitch in a park in Watkins Glen, New York a couple summers ago.

12. Ever made out in a movie? No Comment!

13. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven't gotten around to it yet. I've got a Scanner Darkly from my netflix queu...been sitting around for a month...also, I've been wanting to see Sabrina, a Hepburn classic.

14. Ever walked out on a movie? Not that I remember.

15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater. I think I almost cried during Brokeback Mountain. I certainly cried during the Tigger Movie. Don't make fun of me!

16. What was the last movie you saw in the theater. 300

17. What is your favorite/preferred genre of movie. Romantic comedies or just comedies.

18. What is the first movie you remember seeing in the theater? Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, I think!

19. What movie do you wish you'd never seen? There was one that was so bad...it was disturbing...I think it was called Fat Girl.

20. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed? Who's definition of weird? I like a lot of weird movies! Like Being John Malcovich!

21. What is the scariest movie you have seen? Rosemary's Baby and The Ring both freaked me the hell out.

22. What is the funniest movie you have seen? I was almost crying I was laughing so hard when I went to see 40 Year Old Virgin! That or Napoleon Dynamite!

Phun with Photoshop

So I've been taking this Photoshop course through Union County College. Its noncredit which means the work is not too intimidating, though it keeps me busy enough. I'm learning a lot and I can't wait til the course is over so I have the time to really start playing around! Here's a cool picture I created a couple days ago. Its titled, "Grazing Deer."

Nearly Drowned by this Weekend's Nor-Easter

All right, well, I didn't nearly drown. However, after receiving something like 8.5 inches of rain this weekend, New Jersey is the wettest its been in years. Even though I had to work today, our state was in a state of emergency. At least fifty roads were closed and thousands of people have been evacuated because of floodwaters. This picture I've posted is taken by John Munson for the Star Ledger. No, its not a picture of New Orleans. Its downtown New Brunswick.

Though I had no problems getting to work, I did have problems getting to Eric's tonight. I promised him I'd make sure that his home was not underwater. Well, unfortunately every road I could think of to get there was closed due to floodwaters. Better luck getting there tomorrow.

Free Cone Day

Just a heads-up, Readers--tomorrow, besides being local election day, and Tax Day, is Free Cone Day at Ben and Jerry's! So, after you file your taxes and vote, get yourself a free cone!

Great Music and Free Ice Cream and Lets Save the World, Oh My!

What a weekend! On Saturday, I dropped off my love at the airport so he could schlep out to Edinburgh, Scotland, to meet his parents for their 40th wedding anniversary. After dropping off Eric at Newark, I drove into New York to meet up with my friend, Amber. We had a delicious, if not overpriced, Indian dinner on the Upper West Side, then headed to the Beacon Theatre for a show. I received free tickets to see Guster with the Format through my favorite radio station, WFUV.

Just a side note endorsing my favorite radio station, WFUV. Its public radio and that means it's member-supported. You can listen online and check out the archives. Its a great station. If you dig it, throw some money their way. This week is their spring member drive.

Anyway. Back to the concert. The show was part of the environmentally-friendly Campus Consciousness Tour. Aside from the tour being "green," there were different stations set up around the concert hall to promote environmental issues. Plus, they were giving away free stuff! The highlights:

• Ben and Jerry's was giving away free ice cream. I mean a medium-sized-two-scoops of cinnamon buns--delicious!!! The catch? I signed a form letter to my local congressperson to do something about global warming. Sign up for Lick Global Warming and do something.
  

• I got a free bookmark and keychain from myGreenElectronics, a cool company that encourages consumers to recycle their electronics. So the keychain and keychain I got are made of recycled circuit boards...they're very sturdy--cool too!
  

• I got two free lip balms from Eco Lips. According to their website, its the "best lip balm for the world." Plus, the product is organic and has spf 30. I dig.

So. The free stuff rocked. I am serious about global warming and saving the world. I think I'll add some new links to my sidebar. The concert was great! The Format is a fun band that I've recently started getting into and they rocked! And Guster was Guster. They're an incredible band and the show was sold out. Check them out if you're so inclined.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Did you know???

A fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia.

In Greece or Spain, Tuesday the 13th is the same as Friday the 13th.

(Fun facts taken from Wikipedia. Check it out for more spooky information.)

Try not to walk under ladders. Or step on any cracks. If you see a black cat--run the opposite way!

Wear Sunscreen.

Today while listening to the radio on my way to work, I heard the news that writer Kurt Vonnegut passed away yesterday at the age of 84. I honestly can't say I've ever read anything that Vonnegut had written though I think I own Slaughterhouse Five. And its one of those books that I've been intending to read for many years. Maybe this summer I will get around to reading it.

When I heard the sad news about Vonnegut's death, I remembered back to my junior year of college. It was the spring of 1999 when the popular "graduation song" of that year wasn't really a song at all. It was known as "Wear Sunscreen," and it was spoken-word set over music. It was a commencement speech which had been supposedly given by Vonnegut at the MIT graduation. It really was some well-worded advice, whether you were 18 or 81.

So in honor of Vonnegut, I was planning on writing a post about this speech he had given. Until I found this out yesterday--it was an urban legend! Vonnegut never gave this speech at all! It was written by columnist Mary Schmich for the Chicago Tribune. Her column titled, "Advice like Youth, Probably Just Wasted on the Young" was published in 1997 and then later was turned into the song. Go figure.

But anyway. Go read some Vonnegut if you haven't done so. I certainly plan on it. And read that column. I hadn't heard or read those words in about 8 years. It really is a poignant little piece.

Getting older?

I'm writing a post on aging, a year and a half until I turn 30. The idea of turning 30 doesn't scare me. The idea of turning 29 doesn't worry me...even though I am in my 2nd to last year in my twenties.

I have a friend who hides her age like it's a dirty scar. She's 29 years old. She wants people to believe that she's still 23. See, that, I don't get. As I tell her, we look a lot better now than we did at 23! We're more settled in our lives now. I have a car with four-wheel drive, power locks and a moonroof! Sure, I had fun in my early twenties. But I don't want to go back. My quarter-life crisis is past me. I'm in a stable and happy relationship now.

So, when I turn 30, I'll party like I was still--28. Because I can't party like I'm still 21. I'm just not physically capable of it. I mean, when you're 21, drinking too much is cute. Maybe. But certainly not at 30.

Last weekend, another of my girlfriends spent the night at my house. She asked me for eye cream. I was kind of surprised that she's using eye cream already. Until a couple days after that when I took a close look at my eyes and found the first couple fine lines.

Ouch. I guess it's time to embrace the end of my youth. Well, at least the grey hairs haven't started coming in yet.

Another Meme...

You'd think I'd be tired of these things by now. But, alas, I never am. I wasn't even tagged. But I'm doing it anyway.

A- Available or Single?
Happily, I can say neither.

B- Best Friend?
Wow. This is hard. I don't think I can choose one best friend. There's several I'd like to mention. In no particular order--Robin, Jenn, Katie, Karen, Michelle. If I left somebody out--sorry.

C- Cake or Pie?
Cake. With chocolate.

D- Drink of Choice?
Water with lemon.

E- Essential Item?
Cell Phone. Candy Apple Red (my eMac).

F- Favourite Colour?
Pink and/or orange.

G- Gummi Bears or worms?
Do sour patch kids count? Well, if not, I'd say gummy bears.

H- Hometown?
A-town-in-Central-New-Jersey.

I- Indulgence?
Dark chocolate. Ice cream. Indian food.

J- January or February?
February. We get a few days off in February. Plus its Valentines Day. And SOMEBODY's birthday falls in February.

K- Kids?
Not yet, but one day. Hopefully, two or three.

L- Life is incomplete without?
Love. Family. Good friends. Cuddly pets.

M- Marriage date?
Aug. 3, 2008? And, to all my readers with their mouths agape--no, we are not engaged yet.

N- Number of siblings?
Two. A brother, Ryan, and a sister, Ashley. Both younger.

O- Oranges or apples?
Oranges.

P- Phobias/fears?
Heights, but only sometimes. Hiking up steep terrains tends to give me panic attacks.

Q- Favorite Quote?
You must be the change you wish to see in the world (Mahatma Ghandi).

R- Reasons to smile?
Eric. My big, goofy dog. Other big, goofy dogs. Pumpkin's meow. Snow days.

S- Season?
Autumn. My birthday's in the fall, plus Halloween. Cool, crisp weather, and you're never too old to jump in piles of leaves. Apple picking. Pumpkin picking. Thanksgiving. Teacher Convention week (three days off)! Okay, there's lots of reasons, but I'll just stop here.

T- Tag people
Jennifer, if she wants to do yet another survey.

U- Unknown fact about me
If I told y'all, it wouldn't be unknown anymore.

V- Vegetable you hate?
Brussel sprouts, I think. But I'm not sure if I've ever really tried one.

W- Worst habit?
Biting my lips.

X- X-rays you've had?
Spine. Chest. Toe. Nothing too exciting.

Y- Your favourite foods?
Dark chocolate. Ice cream. Indian food. Thai food, Ethiopian food.

Z- Zodiac?
Libra

Frogger!!!

Still fightin' this sore throat. But, now, I have the added bonus of what I believe to be bronchitis. I'm trying every natural remedy I know of. The apple cider vinegar and the cayenne and lots of tea and echinachea. According to webmd, 90% of bronchitis cases are viral and it takes about 2 weeks to get better. So I'm hoping that I'll get better without having to resort to nasty antibiotics.

On Friday, I went to one of my favorite stores and purchased myself a Frogger humidifier. How cool is this? I first saw this little bugger when Jessica posted about these cool humidifiers a while back. It was between Hello Kitty and Froggy but I think I made a good choice.

He wishes I were his special ed teacher!

Friday night, my mom, sister, Ashley, and I enjoyed a "Girls Night Out" in New Brunswick. First, we went to one of my favorite restaurants, Makeda, for Ethiopian food. Yum. For those of you who have never, ever, tried Ethiopian, you honestly don't know what you're missing. The food is sort of cooked in a way that's similar to Indian, but even if you don't like Indian, you'll most likely dig Ethiopian food. The spices are different, see. I had my favorite dish there--the mesir azefah, atakilt wat, and gomen wat. In English now--cold lentil salad, potatoes, green beans and collard greens. They serve the food perfectly spiced with just the right amount of tang and with injera. Injera is the spongy "dosa-like" flatbread you use to pick up the food. There are no utensils. Well, unless you wuss out and ask for a fork. (Here's a website for the azefah I mentioned--I cooked it a few weeks ago and Eric and I both really liked it!)

On to the real reason Mom, Ashley and I were in New Brunswick Friday night--we went to see David Sedaris speak at the theatre. Wow. David Sedaris, I can honestly say, is one of my top three favorite writers. He's funny. He's so funny--he's a humorist. His books are written in the form of short autobiographical tales. One chapter may have been a story about his childhood in North Carolina, the next, a story about last winter in Paris with his boyfriend, Hugh.

So we saw David speak. He's just as funny in person as he is on cd or in his books. Then we waited in line over an hour to have his books signed. Sorry, Mom, that we made you wait.

Waiting in line was well worth it. Once it was our turn, he spent a few minutes talking to us and asking us questions. He asked me what I did, and I told him. I tried to impress him with my ability to say two things in Japanese (he just got back from a trip to Japan). I even got him to laugh when I asked him what time it was in Indonesian.

We left his table and headed for the door. I then looked at my book. This is what he wrote:

To Marisa, I wish you were my special ed teacher. David Sedaris

Addendum: Unfortunately I have no photos of this joyous and momentous event. No Photos allowed!

Thirty Things Every Woman Should Know by Age 30

Today, while waiting for the doc, I was perusing my newest Glamour magazine when I came across this blurb: Thirty Things Every Woman Should Know by Age 30. The magazine directed me to the website for the full 30. I like this--when a couple of my friends turned thirty recently, I came up with a couple of my own "30" lists. But this is a good one. Glamour contributor, Pamela Redmond Satran came up with the list. So here it is.

By 30, you should have:

1

One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come. (Well, needless to say, I can't imagine going back to any of my former boyfriends. But, yes, I have come a long way. Anybody who has known me through my relationships knows that! I finally found a good one!)

2

A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family. (Yeah. Couches and a queen sized bed bought brand new. In storage.)

3

Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.

(I have some decent things to wear. Like the perfect green goddess dress for a daytime wedding.)

4

A purse, a suitcase and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying. (I think I need new luggage. My last set of "real" luggage I got when I graduated high school at 17. Though I have an overnight bag thats okay.)

5

A youth you’re content to move beyond. (Yeah. Been there, done that. Had fun, but things are good now!)

6

A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age. (Why wait that long to retell?)

7

The realization that you are actually going to have an old age—and some money set aside to help fund it. (Gotta work on the retirement fund.)

8

An e-mail address, a voice mailbox and a bank account—all of which nobody has access to but you.

9

A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded.

10

One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry. (I'm lucky in the friend department.)

11

A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill and a black lace bra.

12

Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.

13

The belief that you deserve it.

14

A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30. (Well, I use Mary Kay and I go to the gym. I even floss now!)

15

A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship and all those other facets of life that do get better. (I have a job I love--and tenure--and a great guy too!)

By 30, you should know:

1

How to fall in love without losing yourself. (I'm certainly better at this now than I was at 18. Thats for sure! I'm deliriously happy in love but have my own life too!)

2

How you feel about having kids. (This hasn't changed since I was 18. I still want 'em! And at least 2.)

3

How to quit a job, break up with a man and confront a friend without ruining the friendship. (Last year, I had to break up with someone for the first time--and I did it twice (with two different guys)! I found it strangely liberating!)

4

When to try harder and when to walk away.

5

How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.

6

The names of: the secretary of state, your great-grandmother and the best tailor in town. (Ummm...gotta work on this one!)

7

How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.

8

How to take control of your own birthday. (I'm good at this one--I love celebrating my birthday!)

9

That you can’t change the length of your calves, the width of your hips or the nature of your parents. (I'm happy with me! Usually!)

10

That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over. (You take the good...you take the bad...you take them both...and there you have the facts of life!)

11

What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.

12

That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs or not flossing for very long. (Yeah, falling down drunk is not as cute in your later twenties as it was when you were 18. Thats for sure!)

13

Who you can trust, who you can’t and why you shouldn’t take it personally.

14

Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault. (I have to work on this one. A certain somebody who shall remain nameless tells me I apologize too much for things that have nothing to do with me!)

15

Why they say life begins at 30. (I'm two years from being 30. But in may ways, life is better for me now than it ever was. I look better now than I did at say, twenty-one. I'm in a wonderful relationship with a great guy and I'm settled in a career I love. I've got friends and family who are supportive. Things are good.)

Ways to Kill a Sore Throat

Sunday, I felt a sore throat coming on--then awoke in the middle of the night with the chills and a definite fever. Today, I'm home sick for the second day in a row. I went to the doctor today to confirm that I didn't have strep throat. I was right--just a virus. I've been gargling with salt water and drinking lots of tea with lemon and honey. However, I discovered a couple new remedies for a sore throat here and also here.

If you have a sore throat, try gargling with cayenne and salt. Apparently, the cayenne helps to bring circulation to the affected area and draws away the infection. Both websites I came across suggested gargling or drinking a concoction of apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, salt, honey and warm water. Trust me--its not as gross as it sounds! Its not half-bad, and the spice won't kill you either (though it will make your nose run)!

Strange, you're thinking. Well, the acidity of the apple cider vinegar will kill the bacteria in your throat on contact. According to Health911, this method will even work on cases of strep throat.

I've gargled with the cayenne and salt a couple times and once with the apple cider vinegar and honey/cayenne concoction. It feels like it's helping. Try it next time you get a sore throat. Let me know what you think. Has anyone used these remedies before?

I've heard of drinking a spirit such as brandy or whiskey when your throat is sore, but have never tried it. Some of the sites I checked out online suggested gargling with it, or making a tea with a shot of whiskey. According to Wikipedia, the alcohol will numb the throat and also work as an aniseptic. Pretty interesting! I didn't try this one!

Free Iced Coffee Day

Today, being the first day of Spring, is Free Iced Coffee Day at Dunkin Donuts! This morning, it was less than 30 degrees on my way to work, but I stopped for my free coffee. Four years ago, on the first Free Iced Coffee Day (that I recall), I think I got 4-5 free coffees from all different Dunkin Donuts. Tonight, maybe I'll get one more. Enjoy!

Here it is!

Here's the photo I promised!!! Also, a custom header as well! Enjoy!

Joyful Week End

Well, it was certainly a delightful weekend even with the snowstorm we got on Friday! For the record, I love snow but after the balmy temperatures in the 70s we had last week I am ready to officially pack away the mittens and scarves for the capris and tank tops!

Saturday, we took my mother out for a birthday dinner. There were 13 of us--immediate and some extended family--and Eric met 'em all! I knew they'd all like him and I was right! And, the best part, my wacky family didn't freak him out! Eric has posted a pic of us from that dinner--see his blog for it...later on, I'll post a couple myself.

Eric and I enjoy a busy Sunday--we made a quick run to the Cherry Hill Mall, at lunch/dinner at the Olive Garden and bought some home essentials (including four pairs of chopsticks, wine charms and windchimes) at the Pier One Imports Outlet Store. Next we'll need to buy some wine glasses for the wine charms!

Our Sunday evening was spent at the movies--Eric wanted to see 300, so we went. It wouldn't have been a movie I would have chosen to see, but I still enjoyed it. The visuals were amazing and there were only a few parts where I had to close my eyes!

(Oh yeah. And for the record, I'm still working on the layout of this blog! I'm going to try using Photoshop to create a custom header. Keep checking back for a newer and improved blog!)

Changes

As you can tell, I've been making some changes to the template of my blog! Its still a work in progress. Unfortunately, I'm not all that "html" smart so I'm trying to make changes using the new Blogger, as well as trying to learn some html basics! Any comments or feedback or tips, I'd greatly appreciate! And if you like what I've done, say so! :)

Gomez Rocks!

Last night, my friend Dennis and I saw Gomez play Webster Hall. What a show! I've previously boasted about Gomez's latest studio album, How We Operate. Their music is fun and it ranges from fast and upbeat "rockin' out" to mellow acoustic tunes.

So I'd noticed listening to their music that there is more than one male vocalist. What I hadn't realized was that three of the guys sing lead vocals on various songs--and according to this review by NPR, five of the guys are songwriters! Wow! Thats pretty unusual in a band, I think! So, I think I love this band even moreso, now that I've seen them live!

They have a great live energy and they are just a great, fresh, original rock band. Dennis and I had pushed our way almost all the way to the front of the crowds, so not only did we have a great vantage point, but we were thrown into the bouncing arrays of dancing fiends. I was dancing quite a bit and so was Dennis. Or he may have been just bobbing his head in time with the music. What was crazy was that the floor actually felt like it was wobbling! It was weird!

New Beginnings

Well, I've posted a bit here and there about Eric, my new guy. I've posted about our third date and mentioned his name in passing a few times.

Well, you, my fellow reader are probably wondering how things went after the third date. Or maybe you're not. My readers have been quite busy. One is planning a wedding, one had a baby and one is buying a house. (For the record, I do have other readers who post comments on occasion. But there are not many. Unless they are hiding in the woodwork--which is possible, too. Anyway--back to the topic at hand.)

So we had a third date. And a fourth date. And a fifth date. Yes, a sixth too...a seventh...an eighth...I've lost track. How many dates have we had, Eric? ;) I think we can stop counting now! We met through an online website, just when I was getting frustrated with meeting all frogs. For your knowledge, many of the frogs were perfectly nice guys. But not right for me. There are certain factors that must be present in a relationship for it work. Or it won't. I've learned! Chemistry. Mental and physical. Great sense of humor. If you can't laugh at each other's jokes, you'll end up hating each other. Trust me. Ability to talk to each other for hours is key. It's not as important to have lots of common interests--but what's more important is to be open to each other's interests. Open-minded, I should say.

So, there were relationships I ended, because they just weren't right. We couldn't really talk. Or, (Insert name of a certain ex here) didn't appreciate my goofy, silly side. (Insert name of another ex here) was so cheap that he would ream me out anytime I wanted to give a small amount of money to a charitable cause. Also, I don't need to be with somebody who is narrow-minded or has completely different beliefs as me! Been there, done that.

So exactly one month and week after meeting, I'm writing about my relationship with Eric. He wrote about us on his blog, so now its my turn. I think after meeting lots of frogs, I've finally found my prince! We're crazy about each other! Its a wonderful feeling that I haven't felt in a long time--and, I'm not sure that its ever felt quite like this. We just feel right. Right for each other anyway. Don't worry--we won't be running off to Vegas anytime soon to elope! But things are good!

Free Music!

I logged into Emusic a couple days ago out of curiosity. I actually checked out the site because Eric told me he had an offer to get some free music downloads. Well, if you sign up for a membership, you get 25 free downloads! Here's how it works--the first two weeks is a free trial. So basically, if you cancel within those first two weeks, you keep your music and don't get charged. Sweet! So I got my 25 free downloads. Here are some of my "new music" finds. For the record...they may not all be new music, but they're new to me!

1. I'd read about Elvis Perkins in Rolling Stone, then came across some of his music. The son of actor Anthony Perkins, Elvis has a great folky sound. I downloaded a couple of his songs and can't wait to hear some more of his music!

2. I came across a band called The Format. I'd never heard of them before but I really am digging their tunes! Their sound is similiar to the band, Bright Eyes. (The cool thing is I just scored free tickets to see Guster in April and I found out The Format is opening for them!)

3. I downloaded some more of Josh Ritter's music. He's not quite new to me but I've been listening to some more of his music in depth and I really like it.

4. Last.fm recommended the band Winterpills to me. They have a similiar sound to Death Cab for Cutie. They're quite good!

5. Finally, I downloaded this album. Its the Smithereens cover version of "Meet the Beatles." Its a fun and fresh take on this classic album.

Charging Moose Brings Down Hovering Helicopter

Yesterday, Eric sent me this story about a moose who took down a helicopter. How odd. The story sounds funny at first. The helicopter was hovering above and the moose charged into it. However, read further into the article, and you'll see that the moose was maimed by the helicopter's rotary blades and had to be euthanized. While, the moose is one of my favorite creatures, there is a lesson to be learned from this incident. A moose is obviously NOT a creature to be reckoned with!

Goal Setting

I set a goal for myself this New Years that I would get myself back on my good eating and exercising routine! Well, its almost March and I've been on track for a month now with working out. I've also been eating right for the majority of the new year. This time, I'm NOT following Weight Watchers. I think its a great program and I've lost a ton of weight on WW in the past--but this time, I'm trying it on my own (eating everything in moderation--mostly healthy foods and once-in-a-while-splurges). And it seems to be working--so far! I've been working out four days a week. I've even tried some new classes at the gym--Fitball and Water Aerobics. I feel great and I LOOK like I'm getting toned! Today, I put on a zip down hoodie from last spring and was delighted when the thing practically was hanging off of me! Yay, me!

Six Bits of Weirdness

I was tagged by Jennifer to post six weird things about myself. So here goes!

1. When I'm really angry, my nose twitches!

2. I was almost born on my dad's birthday. His birthday is October 3rd. I guess my mom went into labor with me on the 2nd (or maybe it was the 3rd) but I was delivered on October 4th.

3. I love road trips. That might not be so weird, but I've also been on a couple road trips by myself! I once drove to Missouri by myself to visit friends. On the way home, I drove fourteen hours in one day (from 8am to 10 pm) with minimal stops! By the end of that evening, I was alert with the aid of NoDoz and Visine! Strangely enough, I even find solo road trips liberating an invigorating!

4. Speaking of road trips...on my cross-country road trip three and a half years ago, I spent a night at my friend Amber's in Memphis, where she was living at the time. This was July in the South. Hot!!! And, the city of Memphis was in the midst of a sixteen day long power outage, thanks to a powerful storm. I was staying with Amber at the tail end of this power outage. Half of Beale Street was closed down. Also, the windows in Amber's house were painted shut so it was very, very stuffy! However, the morning I was leaving, we woke up to power. Lights. Electricity. AC. (Speaking of power outages, the famous power outage in the Northeast took place only a couple weeks later! I was sitting in the pub on the Berkeley Campus in Berkeley, California when it took place!)

5. I am not obsessive-compulsive by any means! However, I do sorta have an obsessive personality. I get really fixated on something and then I totally lose interest. Example, last spring, I HAD to have the Nintendo DS. I got it and it was a fun toy for about a month...it still comes out to play once in a while, but for the most part, I've lost interest in it.

6. I'm a vegetarian. Is that weird? A lot of people are vegetarians these days, but its still not the norm! I last had pork/lamb when I was fourteen. When I was fifteen, I gave up red meat. When I was 20, in the frozen foods aisle of Shop Rite, I decided it was time to stop eating poultry and become a full-fledged vegetarian.

I'm supposed to tag six people to do this meme. I'm not even sure if six peole read this blog! How about this concept? If you'd like to post six weird things, cool! If not, thats okay, too.

Centralia

About six years ago, I first learned about the mine fire burning underneath the town of Centralia, Pa. The story fascinated me to no end and to this day, I can't get enough of the story!

Let me start from the beginning. Somewhere in the midst of central Pennsylvania lies the mining town of Centralia, Pa. It was never a big town but it was a mining town. Anthrocite, a type of coal, was mined here. However, after the 1929 stock market crash, one of the mining companies folded. And that was that. Centralia's mining days were over!

Fast forward to the year 1962. Landfills sit atop the old mine. A fire starts in the landfill...the fire spreads and spreads underneath the town of Centralia. The anthrocite fire cannot be extinguished! The fire continued to burn for many years (and still does to this day)! The residents of the town continued to live in this inferno! In the early 1980s, an eleven or twelve year old boy, was standing in his grandmother's backyard when the ground opened up beneath him! He slid twelve feet beneath the earth, grasping onto tree roots to prevent him from falling into the fire beneath the ground! Thankfully, his older cousin was able to grab hold of him and pull him to safety. After this, lots of money was spent to relocate the residents of Centralia. Some still stay though. I don't know, maybe ten.

The town of Centralia is a few hours from where I live. Maybe three. I really want to go there and check it out. Turns out that Eric, the guy I've been seeing, is from a town pretty nearby to Centralia! How cool is that? And, he was able to get me a reviewer's copy of the book, The Day the Earth Caved in: An American Mining Tragedy, a book all about the Centralia mine fires.

A Good Weekend

Did I mention that I love weekends? Did I mention that I love four day weekends? I'm so happy that I'm off Monday and Tuesday for Presidents Day/Winter Break! It's been a good and interesting weekend thusfar.

Friday, I went to the gym and stayed home and chilled!

Saturday, I slept in and ran errands, did laundry, etc.

Saturday night, I had a third date, which in my opinion, went quite well! We had dinner at a delicious restaurant called Coccola, a trendy and energetic eatery. We met at eight and sat, eating and eating and drinking, until after eleven. I started off with some kind of strawberry-rum type drink with lime! It was sweet, but not too sweet, not too strong, just right. I followed that with a glass of white sangria, which was served in a gigantic sized wine glass! My appetizer was the Asian spring rolls--crunchy and tasty! Dinner was the eggplant ravioli, minus the lobster! The raviolis were wonderfully flavorful and the sauce was yummy and tangy! I ordered one of my very favorite desserts--the tiramasu--a perfect way to end the meal! After dinner, the rest of the evening was spent talking...many hours of talking about every and any topic imaginable. We were sorta baffled by the fact that we get along so well even though we have such different interests.

So, if you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll notice this is the first date I've blogged about in quite a while. In the past few months, I've been on many first, second, and even one other third date(s)! But this is the first one that I felt was worthy of a posting.

So today's Sunday. I may just linger in my pajamas all day. That sounds good to me! Monday night, I have another date. And Tuesday night, I'm having dinner with my brother and his wife. Wednesday, I'll be back at school. Then 2 more days to another weekend! I love weekends :)

Happy ValentineSnow Day!!!

Happy Valentines Day, Readers! Today I'm savoring every lovey-dovey Valentine-y moment possible with my cute and cuddly Norton and Pumpkin! Outside, its icing buckets and I'd like to say my house is toasty and warm but alas, we're having heating issues here. Hopefully, it will be resolved soon! Well, its nice to spend a Valentines Snow Day home in my sweats!

On a side note, my 4th generation iPod doesn't like me too much anymore. It hardly holds any battery charge; I think its just about time to upgrade to one of those nifty 30 gig color/video iPods.

Dummies...Read this!

Last night, I went to Barnes and Noble to break up the monotony of the week...work, tutoring, gym, laundry. I perused several books and magazines and enjoyed a soy green tea latte.

One thing I always find interesting is the collection of "For Dummies" books. Poker for Dummies, Dog Training for Dummies, Exercising for Dummies, etc. But this one takes the cake for sure as the funniest I've seen yet!

Myspace for Dummies.

Now if you need that book, you really are a dummie! (Sorry if I offended anybody who owns that book.)

Your 1996 Theme Song Is: Breakfast at Tiffany's by Deep Blue Something

And I said "What about Breakfast at Tiffany's?" She said, "I think I remember the film, And as I recall, I think, we both kinda liked it." And I said, "Well, that's the one thing we've got."

What's Your 1996 Theme Song?

A Bored, Busy Bee

I've been incredibly busy lately...I'm working out A LOT more than I have in a long time! Last week, I hit the gym five times! This week, I started taking classes there...Tuesday night, I tried water aerobics and yesterday, fitball. I'm working my butt off (literally!) and I'm feeling results! This is a great thing.

Along with the gym, and my regular teaching job, I tutor a couple days a week...my weekends are usually jam-packed...my Saturday morning class, catching up with laundry and chores, and getting together with friends, etc...

So, does it make any sense, that with my busy schedule and all, I get home at night and I'm so BORED? Singledom is not all it's cracked up to be. I read...I started writing in a journal regularly--for the first time in years! I don't watch too much tv but spend too much time on the computer. I think I need more emotional fulfillment...or something...

(This is really not meant as a rant or a rave...just a comment...)

You Are 72% Indie

You're a very indie person, and admit it, you look down a little on people who strive to be normal. You'll indulge in a little mainstream pop culture every now and then. But for you, anything not indie is a guilty pleasure!

How Indie Are You?

Lets-Ban-the-Superbowl Sunday

Okay, well, I didn't really ban the Superbowl. I went to a girlfriend's house and it was just the two of us and we decided not to watch it. We did indulge in the Superbowl required finger foods...I made a yummy Mexican pizza and we had mint chocolate chip ice cream with fat free No Pudge cappucino flavored brownies...yum. Instead of watching the Superbowl, we watched the Last Kiss with Zach Braff. It was definately NOT a chick flick--very realistic and on some levels, disturbing. It did have a somewhat happy ending but not really one you'd expect. I would certainly recommend it though!

Concerts

My apologies for my lack of postings as of late! I've been seeing quite a bit of live music lately!

On Saturday, January 20th, Amber and I went to see the Subdudes, at Irving Plaza. The Subdudes are "originators of a gumbo of roots music that melds soul music, gospel music, Louisiana music, blues and good old rock!" (I borrowed that line from their website because its worded much better than I would have said it myself! They are five men in their 50's and 60's from New Orleans. They put on a great show! It was my first time at Irving Plaza and I have to say--the place was really full of some good, positive energy! One of the highlights of the show was when the band played "unplugged," in the middle of the audience. They unplugged their instruments and played totally acoustically. How cool is that?


This past Wednesday, I went to see two great bands play at Warsaw, in Brooklyn. Essex Green is a Brooklyn-based band thats play pop, reminiscent of the 60s. Camera Obscura is a band from Scotland that plays music with a mellow vibe which sorta reminded me of Jenny Lewis. The venue in itself was pretty cool. Warsaw in a live music venue inside of Brooklyn's Polish National Home. The place was crawling with hipsters!

Norton in Action

Isn't this a great photo of my boy?

My Whirlwind Trip to Louisiana

My loyal readers, my apologies for the lack of postings! Right before Christmas, I took off 3 days from work to fly to Louisiana for a good friend's wedding! On Wednesday, December 20th, I flew from Newark to Dallas, then Dallas to Shreveport on a tiny turboprop plane! Of course, I hit delays and turbulence but otherwise, made it in one piece! Wednesday night, once I arrived, was spent at the Olive Garden and Target, then chilling at Jaime's and Corey's apartment. Thursday was spent decorating the reception site...then the rehearsal...wedding was Friday. It was a lovely ceremony and a fun reception, followed by some two-steppin' at the Rockin' Rodeo Bar! Saturday morning, I had a delightful breakfast at Shoney's with Jaime's uncle then once again, spent too long waiting out delays at various airports...But all in all, it was a lovely trip! Congrats Jaime and Corey!

Happy New Year!!!

Hope everybody had a fun New Years Eve '06, whether you were relaxing at home or partying in Vegas, like some friends of mine! I wish everybody a happy and healthy 2007 and may all of your goals come to fruition!

Personality test

Last week, I took the personality test that Jennifer and Becky blogged about. So here are my results...they were pretty accurate!

You are exceptional and unique. Your quest in life is to identify exactly who you are and why you’re here. What’s important to you is the journey of self discovery, determining who you are today is not the same as who you’ll be tomorrow.
(Pretty true)


You resist being categorized and are quick to question any social standard that you sense someone imposing on you. Stereotypical gender roles always interest you and, in your mind, connect to issues that most other people would never even consider related.
(True)



You can “connect” with any individual person and practically read their mind, but you have a natural tendency to match your actions to the expectations you read from their mind and yearn for company that lets you truly, naturally be yourself. You struggle between letting yourself naturally match the sentiment of the group (which feels like putting on a façade) or letting your individuality shine, which may allow people to see how different you are.
(Yes, this is pretty much me.)


You are particularly accepting of other people and have a special talent for seeing people’s true selves instinctively. It takes time for you to trust your gut instinct about people because even you don’t believe that someone could be so right about another person’s nature so quickly. This intuitive sense about what people are thinking (which is actually your hyper-attention to nonverbal cues) is your special talent. You may think it is available to everyone and that others just ignore it, but in truth others could never develop the skill to the level which comes naturally to you.
(Absolutely.)



To you everything happens on a personal level. Your friends come to you for advice because they know that you’ll love them for who they are and put yourself in their shoes to look at the world. Your advice, although varied in delivery, usually boils down to “be true to yourself” and “listen to your heart.” You are also an excellent confidant because things told to you never return to anyone through the grapevine. You exude this quality so strongly that even strangers will sometimes spontaneously begin confiding their deepest secrets in you.
(Yes, this is me.)



Despite all of that, you are not much of a talker. In fact, words sometimes trip you up because you prefer nonverbal communication. Unfortunately, most of the world is not as attuned to nonverbal communication the way you are, so your opinion can get overshadowed if a more outspoken person is part of the decision.
(Well, sometimes, I am quite talkative.)


You focus more on nurturing other’s self esteem than any other type. As a result of this naturally caring nature your close friends often turn to you for moral support.
(I think this is true.)


You are by far the most talented of all types at reading nonverbal cues. In your admirable attempts to convey a message diplomatically, those who aren't sensitive to inflection, tone, insinuations or body language sometimes simply do not get your message because they only receive the verbal half of what you said.
(Interesting.)



In the same way that you're the best at reading nonverbal cues, you're also the best at sending them. When you speak they miss the nonverbal half of your message, then they speak and transmit twice the message (verbal + nonverbal) which often gives away more than they intended but is sometimes carelessly inaccurate since they don’t send nonverbal cues as well as you do. When you're tempted to assign bias based on someone’s tone or other nonverbal cues it is wise to have them restate what they said and see if ignoring the careless, unintentional nonverbal half of their message lets the true meaning through.




If you have children your focus is making sure that your child has a strong self-image and high self-esteem. More than other parents it is important for you to be friends with your children.
(Well, i hope this will be true when I have children!)



You are more philosophical than most and passionately think about ethics and justice more than other types. It is when ethical issues come up in conversation that you most strongly sense that you are fundamentally different from other people. You become visually emotionally focused when these issues arise, while others easily laugh them off and switch topics to something trivial. To you, it seems that everyone should be passionate about ending racism, sexism and other social ills.
(YES!)



You go by the book and are suspicious of anyone suggesting that rules or laws should be ignored. You think constantly about improving laws, and see that at a major avenue for advancing social change because you see legislation and rule creation as the consensus opinion of the group working together. For you the focus is seeing everyone working together in harmony.
(hmmm...)



You are a healer and probably give great massages and know what foods will make people happy again. You prefer to surround yourself with direct, honest, authentic people who let you reinvent yourself every time you meet. You want nothing more than for there to be peace and harmony in the world, and your actions clearly reflect that vision.
(I guess so.)



You are more strongly moved by poetry and artistic expression than any other type. You are interested in the finer points of different artistic mediums, having many complete and incomplete poems and stories in your head if not on paper.
(I always have incomplete poems and novels running through my brain.)

Cool Stuff

Last week, I went to PBS's website for the first time to discover that they have a lot of really cool features!


1. An online independent film festival! I really liked Chickens in the City!

2. Create your own backyard paradise! This one is fun and is incredibly addictive!

Truly Yummy!

I received some free samples of this new product called True Lemon in the mail a couple days ago. This product consists of small packets (looks like packets of sweetener)of a crystallized lemon substitute! I have fallen in love with both flavors--True Lemon and True Lime! Add them to water and you have instant water with lemon or lime! You can use these packets in any way that you would use fresh lemons! Check out the website for free samples and coupons!

Good News for the Bears!

Today after many days of non-blogging, I have some good news to report!!! There will be no New Jersey bear hunt this year! It has been rejected by DEP commissioner Lisa Jackson. It infuriates me to no end to think that all these innocent bears are hunted every year...and why? Because WE have infringed upon THEIR habitat to build some more McMansions on the land that was theirs first? But anyway, victory for now. Check out this link if you're interested.

Friday

Glorious Rays of Sunshine warm my skin
Golden coppery leaves furiously skitter and skip across the soaken roadway
Shiny and damp is the Parkway today
Raindrops danced a caliente salsa number!
Now the wind gusts rustle the trees with a fury
Cerulean blue is the sky
dotted with brilliant grey and white clouds
The bright sun burns my eyes!
Traffic is stopped.
Everyone has a place to be, Friday afternoon.
Driving, splashing, through puddles reminds me of childhood.
Jumping in the muddy new pools of fresh rainfall.
Some things change but some stay ever the same.
Wait in line, take your turn but please don't cut.
Friday afternoon
Smile :)

Happy Fall!!!

Monkeys Run Amuck!

The other day, I heard the most hilarious story on the radio. New Delhi, India is infested with monkeys. Rhesus macaques, to be exact. These monkeys cause plenty of real-life mischief! They knock people off mopeds, ransack government buildings, pick pockets, steal lunches. The monkeys ride the buses and subways. They steal cigarettes and smoke them! On a more serious note, a man was killed because one of the monkeys dropped a flower pot on his head. So the government has tried to contain these monkeys. Larger monkeys, called langurs, are hired to patrol the streets of New Delhi and to scare away the macaques. Well, this tactic apparently wasn't doing much for the people of New Delhi. So according to the radio story, the government paid $54,000 to move all of these monkeys thousands of miles away. I did some research on the Internet. Here's an older story about the monkey situation in New Delhi. I've been trying to find video of the story but to no avail.

Update: I found a recent story about the banishment of the monkeys here.

Friday the 13th

In honor of Friday the 13th, here's a hilarious spoof of The Shining I found. Its a 30 second animation reenacted with bunnies!

New Music

My brother and sister-in-law gave me an itunes giftcard for my birthday so lately, I've been listening to a lot of the new music I'd been dying to check out. I have to rave, rave, rave about the new Gomez album How We Operate. Its an amazing cd which I can't stop listening to. I'd say something like Barenaked Ladies meets Oasis. They are an awesome band. Check them out if you haven't already and let me know what you think of the album.

Newness

I'm sorry that I haven't posted in way too long! However, one of my Jewish New Year's resolutions is to post more often! Today in between services and while I was fasting in honor of Yom Kippur, I bought myself a new digital camera. Thanks to Mom and Dad who are chipping in as part of my (upcoming) birthday gift. The camera I bought myself is a Canon Powershot a630. Its a great camera full of options and all kinds of modes. It shoots awesome photos even at night! I took a lot of photos in which I played around with the colors. Here's one from today.

Movies, Movies, and more Movies!

I spent most of Sunday, Monday and Tuesday home with strep throat! It was not too fun but I did catch up on watching some movies I'd been wanting to watch for a while. I've also been taking advantage of my libary's dvd borrowing priviliges!

On Sunday, I watched...

1. Taxi with Jimmy Fallon and Queen Latifah. It was pretty funny though I probably wouldn't want to see it again.

2. Breakfast at Tiffany's. Third time watching it--although probably only the first watching it in full without falling asleep. Wonderful, wonderful movies. One of my new favorites.

3. Madagascar. Disney-Pixar flick about the animals that escape from Central Park Zoo. Very cute!

On Monday, I watched...

4. Elizabethtown with Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Wonderful story and great music too. Go see it, go see it! Another new favorite!


On Tuesday, I watched...

5. (Not quite a movie but) The Office, Season one. Funny, funny, funny! If you've never seen it, its an office comedy about pretty much nothing!

6. Madea's Family Reunion. I thought this would be a really stupid-funny type comedy. Yes, it was funny, but equally touching. I can't wait to see the rest of Tyler Perry's movies now.

Fresh Bread

Today I decided to make some Challah bread from scratch! I have to say this is the first time I've made any bread that involved kneading and rising since 8th grade Cooking class! Although it came out a bit too cakey--it was quite delicious indeed!

Wanderings Around

Today I took the eight minute ride to Metuchen, one of my favorite small towns in New Jersey. I enjoy going to Metuchen quite often. Whether its for ice cream, coffee or perusing one of my favorite local bookshops. Well, today I decided to venture to some different Metuchen sites, one of them being the Old Colonial Cemetary. This cemetary is so old that there are Revolutionary War soldiers buried here. Certainly, an interesting place indeed!

Feelin' Good Now!

Last night, I went out to dinner with Katie, Karen, and Katie's sister Lauren. Well I ended up drinking 1 beer and 3/4 bottle of wine by the time we had ice cream at Emach and Bolio's. Another beer at Katie and Mike's house and I was feeling pretty damn good! What toothache? We had breakfast at Atlanta Bread Co and then I stopped at the Metuchen Farmers Market on the way home. I just made an awesome fresh zucchini and tomato soup from scratch and now I'll get a few things done before deciding on a plan for the rest of the weekend.

Diagnosis of Toothache

So after 3 phone calls to the dentist and one round of antibiotics, he finally let me come in at 8:30 this morning. Bright and early. I could have been sleeping instead. Doc found the problem--a crack in my wisdom tooth. It had to be pulled of course. The worst was the giant sized needles of novocaine. And the waiting. And then it was over with rather quickly. I was given direct instructions though for the rest of the day. No drinking out of a straw. Don't eat anything too hot. No smoking. But liquor is okay. Yes, I asked.

My Growing Garden

Well, every year I say I am going to grow a vegetable garden. And, alas, every year, I get too lazy to do it. I say to myself, too much work. Well this year, I decided to grow a potted vegetable garden. It was easier than finding a place in my yard to prep. So I have been growing 2 kinds of tomatoes, zucchini, eggplants, artichokes, thyme and rosemary. The herbs have been wonderful in salads! And I finally have some ripe tomatoes! Yum yum! This morning, when I went to check on the other veggies, I found baby zucchinis growing! Yay! Here's a pic of some of my ripe tomotoes. I'll keep y'all posted on the rest of my garden.

Nervesawreck

Mynervesareawreck. Last night, I could hardly breathe. I was hyperventilating. I've been bitten up by many mosquitos--or maybe its one mosquito that just really liked me. I had a rash on my face. My mouth has been in pain since my root canal last week. When I called the dentist, he prescribed an antibiotic. On a daily basis, I'm drugged up on Aleve with an ice pack on my face. I'm too much of a wuss (or too big of a drinker this week) to take the prescription painkillers. Sometimes I cannot deal with making decisions. I think I want to run off to Montana. I take money orders and Paypal if anyone wants to help me out there.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Fourth of July, Everybody! I've had a busy weekend. I hope everybody is enjoying their holiday weekend.

Friday night, I had the rehearsal and dinner for (my cousin) Andrea and Frank's wedding. It was fun and I drank a lot of wine!

Saturday, I ran errands and got a pedicure and manicure, which took me all of 2 seconds to mess it up. Also, I had a date Saturday night! It went well--we had dinner and saw the Lake House, which I really enjoyed. After the movie, I took him back to his car, which he left at the restaurant. Unfortunately, while we were at the movie, his car was broken into and his navigational system was stolen! He had an hour and a half drive back to New York without a driver's side window. I felt really bad for him--but it sure made for an interesting end to a first date.

Sunday, I had Andrea and Frank's wedding, which I was in. It was a lot of fun and I partied hard til 3 am. Good, good times.

Monday, I went to a bbq at Steve's. I hung out with some friends and we had a good time, followed by Jenn sleeping over.

Today I'm looking forward to doing nothing. Enjoy!

Fun in the Sun

I am composing this blog entry from seat 17F on Contintal Flight 455 West Palm Beach to Newark. I enjoyed four lovely days down here for my cousin Andrea's bachelorette party. My aunt and uncle were gracious enough to "lend" us their Port Saint Lucie vacation home (complete with screened-in pool). There were ten of us and we enjoyed a limosuined night out on the town in West Palm--a lot of relaxing and chilling, eating and drinking, along with a mean game of Taboo. (Ahh...as I type this, I'm back home in New Jersey...I sort of miss the palm trees and lizards scampering about!)

Yay, its Summer!

At 12 noon, I'll be free for the rest of the summer! Yippee! I have an interview later today which will hopefully pan out to some summer tutoring. On a side note, a couple days ago, I made a decision which I had been pondering for some time. I am happy to say that I made the right move and am feeling light and free like a million pounds have been unburdened from my shoulders. I am now ready to enjoy myself this summer with friends and family!

Bummed

I'm into many new bands/performing artists and am bummed out that I have so many obligations this summer! I'm missing Animal Liberation Orchestra on Sunday (Father's Day), Jackie Greene on Tuesday (Sister's High School Graduation) and on Thursday (I'll be in Florida). I'll miss Feist at Central Park Summerstage on the 26th and Josh Rouse doing a free concert in July!!! Can't my brother reschedule his rehearsal dinner??? Well, I'm seeing my boys DMB in August and Paul Simon in July. Hopefully I'll make some other shows this summer.

My Latest Impulse

Thanks to Jesser's recent post, I could not resist the urge to purchase for myself a Nintendo DS on ebay. I.Just.Could.Not.Stop.Myself. In all seriousness, isn't it time I upgrade myself from my original eight bit Nintendo?

Top Five Reasons Why I'm Frustrated at this Very Moment

1. The Nintendo DS has not arrived.

2. My ipod is once again not working.

3. My feet hurt from standing all day (Spring Concert at school today).

4. I have lots of laundry to do.

5. My Nintendo DS still has not arrived.


I have more postings to catch up with. I'll get to it soon. Promise. Thats all Folks (for now anyway)>

Sleep-Deprived

Well, it was certainly a grandiose weekend! I spent Thursday through Saturday in Point Pleasant Beach for Karen and Chris' wedding. Thankfully the weather held out for a beach wedding. It was a lot of fun to hang out with the whole college crew again. The rest of the weekend was busy. Sunday was spent with family (brunch with my family and then dinner with Scott's) as well as friends in the City.

Today the weather is cold and rainy and icky. It feels more like March 15...not May 15th! After running around for five days straight, I really need a good night's sleep tonight!

I just sent out three more resumes for summer jobs...keep your fingers crossed for me.

I'm Back!!!!

I feel like its forever since I have blogged and it almost has been! I'm very sorry, Readers...I have not meant to neglect you all...I've just been very busy...

Spring has sprung and that means wedding season is in full swing. Since May began, I've had 1 bridal shower, 1 bachelorette party and 1 wedding. In the next week, I have 1 retirement dinner, 1 rehearsal dinner, 1 wedding (which I am in), and 1 more bridal shower. Add them all up and what do you get? Insanity and a checkbook in the negatives!

I'm now in the process of trying to find a summer job. I've sent out 5 resumes since Sunday. Wish me luck!!! From here on in, I'll try to do a better job of keeping everybody in the loop!

Happy Spring!

Spring has sprung! Look around...crocuses and daffodils are popping up and the happy birds are chirping away! Today I saw 16 or so robins hanging around outside my school! Amazing! In this new season, I'd like to share two new products I've tried.

I LOVE Rachael Ray. Whether watching her 30 minute Meals or $40 a Day, I think she's a fabulous cook and cute too! Yesterday, while perusing the brand new Target in my town, I discovered this magazine. Every Day with Rachael Ray. I liked it so much, I just subscribed. Look for it if you like her. Its fabulous!

I had to make a lunchtime Starbucks run today to try their new Vanilla Light Frappucino! Yum! Its coffee based and you can get a tall for only 160 calories and 1g of fat!

Norton ate my Blog

I was going to post an apology for my lack of postings as of late. I was going to cite a few different embellished excuses.

1. Working out a lot.
2. Busy planning weddings and showers and bachelorette parties for a million and one weddings coming up.
3. A Jewish holiday just passed.
4. Work has been crazy and frustrating in the past couple weeks.
5. Plenty of chores at home keep me busy.

After reading through this list, I realize my excuses are pretty lame. Here is why.

1. I worked out twice this week. Last week I had a cold, so didn't work out at all.
2. Actually, I haven't done enough for all the weddings coming up to warrant using that as an excuse for not writing in my blog.
3. Yes, Purim just passed. I spent an hour in temple on Monday. Thats not exactly time-consuming.
4. This part is true. I am usually very laid back and easygoing at work. Lately, I've been frantic and moody and pissed off.
5. I have been trying to keep up with all this stuff at home. But who has time with my busy schedule?

So, in truth, I really have no valid excuse for not posting recently. But, my friends...this is not work...this is not school. This is my blog. There are no required entries. So there. I don't need to make up a "Norton ate my homework" excuse. I can admit that I've just been lazy. So there!

Birthdays

Tonight I baked for some upcoming birthdays. I dug up a yellowed and wrinkled recipe for dog biscuits that a co-worker gave me a couple years ago. Wednesday is Marley's birthday (one of Scott's dog) and Dusty's birthday (Scott's sister's dog). So I made some dog shaped cookies for a few very special pups. Norton taste tested tonight and boy, does he approve!!!

Snow Day

Tis Sunday and its blizzarding out there! Why do we have to get 18 inches of snow on a Sunday? Couldn't it come on a Monday or Sunday night? Then we'd at least get a day off out of it. I should be happy because I have lots to do at home. But I have cabin fever.

What kind of food are you?

You Are Mexican Food

Spicy yet dependable. You pull punches, but people still love you.

What Kind of Food Are You?

Sliding

When I was a kid, we kept a spare twin-sized mattress in the basement for sleepovers. This morning, I was remembering how my brother, Ryan, and I would put the mattress over the stairs so we'd be able to slide down the stairs. Crawl up the mattress, slide down the mattress. Isn't it funny what random memories pop into your head at unexpected times? I wish we still had that old mattress...

I guess you could say I've been coasting in second gear for the past couple of days. Friday morning, my grandfather (mom's dad) passed away. In all actuality, he wasn't living anyway. He was subsiding in a nursing home suffering from Parkinson's Disease and lung cancer. He's in a better place now, though we'll miss him very much. Tomorrow is the funeral and we'll be sitting shiva every night between Sunday and Thursday at my Nana's house.

So yesterday I was sharing some Pop Pop memories with my sister, Ashley. Its sad because she is only 18 so most of her memories of our grandfather center around him being sick. So I will share some memories with you all, my fellow readers.

1. Pop Pop worked close by to our house so oftentimes, he'd come over and be with us during his lunch hour. Lunch would be a big bucket of KFC! Or we'd meet Pop Pop at the Roy Rogers for lunch. Ryan and I consumed many pickles at the Roy Rogers Fixins' Bar. We don't even have a Roy Rogers anymore!

2. Since Pop Pop worked for an electrical company, we always had a supply of batteries and flashlights. I was around 11 years old when he brought me a penlight. Oh joy! I was so thrilled!

3. I remember one Passover seder in particular when Ryan, Josh (our half uncle whom we grew up with) and I got into trouble with Pop Pop for fooling around. Dear readers, a Passover Seder is not a time to fool around when you have a very strict grandfather. Yet, it makes for fond memories down the line!

4. Finally, I recall when I was 18 years old and got my butterfly tattoo. Pop Pop had 2 tattoos on his forearms from his days as a Marine in World War II. I guess I was thinking we'd now be compadres, both of us with tattoos. So I was thrilled to show Pop Pop my new tattoo. But...Pop Pop was very dissapointed in me, alas.

May you rest in peace, Pop Pop! We'll miss you!

Gone Postal

On my way to work this morning, I heard the news about the postal worker in Goleta, California, who shot and killed six of her fellow coworkers before critically wounding another and commiting suicide herself. Craziness! Imagine that! Going to work on what you believe to be a "routine" day and being murdered by a coworker! How terrible! And why do we hear so often about postal shootings? I know there are school shootings too...are there other workplace shootings? I am sure there are. But when was the last time you heard of a Red Lobster hostess shooting all or a Barnes and Nobles bookseller going berserk? I am not making light of this tragedy...just food for thought for a Tuesday morning.

Yippee

Well, I was very pleased to go through my closet this morning and find that some of my pants are way too big and some fit after being too tight! Yay, progress! I've lost 9 1/2 pounds or so in the past couple months. Go me! I borrowed some things from my mom and sister and put together a tres cool outfit for tonight's party!

Four Things

I found a "Four Things" meme on Becky and Peter's blog and couldn't resist filling it in for myself.

4 jobs I’ve had in my life:

Teacher
Paralegal
Server
Papergirl

4 movies I could watch over and over:

Office Space
You Got Mail
Napoleon Dynamite
40 Year Old Virgin

4 places I’ve lived:

Long Branch, NJ
South Plainfield, NJ
Belleville, NJ
Montclair, NJ

4 tv shows I love to watch:

Gilmore Girls
Supernatural
Flavor of Love
Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals

4 places I’ve been on vacation:

Yellowstone National Park, WY
San Francisco, Ca
Key West, Fl
Las Vegas, Nv
4 websites I visit daily:

Little Jenny C
Jesser
my own!
ivillage.com

4 of my favorite foods:

Dark Chocolate
Cheese
Indian food
Tiramasu

4 places I’d rather be right now:

Watchung Reservation on a nice day
Anywhere in California
Austin, Texas
Vermont

Tag, you're it. Except I'm being a rebel and not tagging anybody. I wasn't tagged. Therefore, if you'd like to do this, go ahead, but I won't force anybody!

Relaxing

This week flew by--perhaps, because it was such a busy week! Monday, the kids were off on account of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day but us teachers were forced to attend workshops. However, we got free breakfast and lunch (see there is a such thing as a free lunch!) and cookies! I also enjoyed plenty of joking around with coworkers! Monday night, I watched Bewitched (the movie). It was funny and cute.

Tuesday night, I had Takeout and Movie Night with my friend, Lakisha, and her son Tashae. We had Chinese and watched one of my all-time favorites, Napoleon Dynamite. I also enjoyed watching Tashae play Sonic the Hedgehog!

Wednesday, I went over Scott's after school. We watched Wedding Crashers. I know I had high expectations for this movie and we were both quite dissapointed. There were some funny parts...but overall, the movie moved slow and wasn't cohesive, in my opinion.

Thursday night, I stayed in and watched some Space Ghost. Friday, I enjoyed Happy Hour with some of my fellow coworkers. I had a great time, got home around 7:15 and just relaxed for the rest of the evening.

For the second Saturday in a row--I actually cleaned my room. The rest of the weekend will be fun--we'll be partying with Katie and Mike tonight and enjoying a nice day in Princeton tomorrow!

A Good, Good Weekend.

So it was a good, good weekend.

Friday night, I hung out with Robin and my sister, Ashley. We went to this great coffeehouse in Montclair called Cafe Eclectic. It was fun and relaxing. I enjoyed my vanilla chai latte! It was fun to hang out with two of my favorite girls! Robin slept over too. Saturday, I spent the day cleaning my room. Now don't keel over from the shock! Saturday night, I had pizza, beer and good times with Andy, Dennis, Big Mike and Jenn. After the unexpected snowstorm, Jenn spent the night. Two sleepovers in two nights! Yay, it was great!

Ok, you're all waiting for the latest in the dating news, right? Sigh...it went really well...he came over this afternoon around 12:30....met my family and pets...we went out for lunch and shopping. We came back for video games and tv-watching. Then...dinner with my folks! Scott (yes he has a name!)even pleased my dad by watching the football game with him! So things are going great....and I'm really very happy! Yay! Yay! Yay!!!

Dinner with the Folks

I'm happily surprised to say that things are going well with the new guy. Last night, I went over his house and had dinner with some of his family...sister, parents and dogs...his two and his sister's big dog! I think I impressed his family with my capabilities taming and calming his sister's mutt! So New Guy and I have tentative weekend plans...keep y'all posted!

Flavor of Love

Last winter, I caught a couple episodes of VH1's Strange Love. Ah...the night and day romance between Flavor Flav and Brigitte Nielson. That was one surreal reality show. (Fun fact: they met on the Surreal Life) Well, as you may or may not know, that romance didn't last. Brigitte married somebody else. So, now, single ladies, Flavor Flav is back on the market! Check him out in the ghetto-fabulous version of the Bachelor. The show is titled The Flavor of Love and I caught episode one. There are fifteen chicks left who consider this guy a real catch...gold teeth, big clock and all...I would suggest watching the show for its amusement factor alone!

What a week...

It's certainly not easy to go back to work/school after having a nice, long, relaxing vacation. We had Monday off, so I only worked three days this week so far but it feels like the longest week ever! Yesterday, I ended up at the doctor yet again! Last week, it was for bronchitis. This time, it was a sharp, throbbing pain in the big toe of my left foot. As it turns out, it is an ingrown toenail. Nothing too awful but that means more antibiotic and foot soaks twice a day (ahhh).

Dating Update: Tomorrow is Date #3 with Jdate #6. I have a good feeling about this guy. Our first two dates have been lunch and coffee. Safe choices for the first couple dates. Tomorrow will be a little more risque as we are having dinner and seeing a movie!

New Year, New Me

I heard somebody use that phrase yesterday: "New Year, New Me." It's catchy and I like it--but at the same time, do I want a whole new ME? No, I like quite a bit about myself. I think its perfectly healthy to make one or two New Years Resolutions. But I also think its just as important to think about the good things that we accomplished in 2005. When I first began pondering that question, I couldn't think of anything. Me? What did I accomplish? I got a new car and a new computer. But thats not an accomplishment. Is falling in and out of love an accomplishment? No, I don't think so either. So, you're now wondering, what did I accomplish? I accomplished..."finding" my Jewish self. Thats a pretty important accomplishment, I think. I spent the last 10 years thinking about spirituality and exploring different religions. It wasn't until I began learning about my own that I found a perfect fit. In 2006, my resolution is to continue my healthy eating regimen and working out more. Cheers to all my readers on accomplishing their goals in 2005! Good luck on your 2006 resolutions!

PS...for those of you who were wondering how my date today went...it went well and he says he'll call tonight. I'll keep Y'all posted!

Happy New Year

I hope everybody has a happy and safe New Years Eve tonight! My New Years Eve plans entail a get-together at my brother and sister-in-law's with some friends and family. I'm looking forward to some good food and drink as well--though not too much drink--as I have a New Years afternoon date so a hangover might not be too attractive. See Y'all in 2006!!!!

Ah. Vacation.

I love having time off from school. Its been nice to relax. I've had a couple dates since I've been off from school.

1. Jdate Guy #5 and I went to see the Producers Sunday night. Nice guy. But not for me. A little too nerdy (again, I'm not knocking nerds, I do find many of them attractive!) for me and besides he smelled funny.

2. Jdate Guy #6 and I had lunch in Montclair on Tuesday. We then had coffee, perused some of the shoppes before ending the date. It was fun and he was a nice guy. I'm seeing him again on Sunday. We'll see how it goes.


Today, I'm spending time with my friend, Allison, who I have not seen in a year since she has moved to Arizona. I'm blogging right now from the "black room" of the 100 year old home her parents live in. This is the creepiest room in the house. Spooky! I plan on using some of my giftcards today before shopping for bridesmaid dresses later on for my cousin Andrea's wedding. Busy day!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Chanukah! Merry Christmas! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy New Year! Happy Winter Solstice! Happy Diwali! Did I skip any holidays? I think I got most of them there! Anyway, to all my readers, I hope you enjoyed your day!

Congratulations!!!

First off, congratulations are in order to Jaime and Corey, who just got engaged. I don't think Jaime even knows I have a blog, so I will have to email her to tell her to check this. They are tentatively planning a December '06 wedding! I am thrilled--and of course, that means I need to start saving my money to fly down to Louisiana! (For those of you who don't know, Jaime and I began our friendship as pen pals at the age of 15! Since then, I've flown down there once, and she's been up here three times. Crazy!)

My apologies to Jennifer and all of my faithful readers who most likely checked my blog on a near-daily basis wondering, "Where is Marisa? Why is she not posting?" Well, I am alive...but I've been suffering a cold again! Ouch! Throat aches! Eyes burn! I'm so congested and I have the desire to sleep for days on end. I took Tuesday off to rest and rested most of last weekend. However, I did have the opportunity to take Dave out for Indian food for his birthday last weekend! Happy belated Birthday, Dave! Also, happy belated birthday, Ashley!

Sunday, my grandma and I spent a glorious day together. First, we had lunch at Panera Bread. Then we went to a "Tea with the Author" at my temple. We had the chance to meet Myla Goldberg, who wrote the best-selling novel, Bee Season (which I highly recommend).

So, now its off to bed to rest this sore throat of mine...

Surprised?

Congrats! You are a Dave Matthews Band NERD! You
eat, breathe, and drink DMB. You've seen at
least 10-20 concerts, met a band member or two,
and trade their live concerts on CD-R. You
rule, and know what music should sound like.


What Dave Matthews Band fan are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Weekend Ramblings

This weekend, I saw my boys play at Madison Square Garden two nights in a row! Friday night, I partied too much with my fellow ants to really enjoy the show. But thats okay! We had a blast at P.J. Clark's before the show. Saturday night, I stayed sober and enjoyed an amazing concert. What an experience!!!! We danced and sang and partied at Blarney Stone after the show. I caught the 1.40 train and was home in my bed by 3am. Good, good times.

Sunday, I had a third date--and I think it went well. But--I can't relax. Questions ponder through my brain, such as...Does he like me? Doesn't he like me? Why hasn't he emailed me today? When will he call? Will he call? I know--I need to relax. But thats not something I'm good at. Anyway...we'll see what happens with this one and I'll keep y'all posted.

More Worst Dates

I guess my bad date story wasn't that hideous. My friend sent me this link and some of the stories are really funny. Though--glad they didn't happen to me. JDates Gone Wrong

A random list of things that make me smile

Isn't there something magical about...

The first snowfall of Winter.
First kisses.
New Friendships.
Hot Cocoa.
Cuddling with somebody utterly cuddlicious on a cold night by a fire.
Heated blankets.
Dogs.
Cats purring.
Mittens.
The beach on a cold, snowy, peaceful, winters day.

I hope we can all experience some or all of these things by the end of Winter.

Worst. Date. Ever.

Okay. So maybe it wasn't the worst date ever...but it definately ranks up there in the top five. I'm recovering from a sinus infection and didn't even feel up to it, but had plans to meet this guy at the Cheesecake Factory. I had never met him before--or even talked to him on the phone! He was from an online dating site--shhh! Don't tell anybody! lol . Anyway, we had dinner and I was not feeling him whatsover. Me and a dorky pharmacist? Not going to happen! The clincher? He tried to pay a $5 tip on a $43 bill! Cheap!!!!!!!! I threw a couple extra dollars in for the tip (this guy didn't think I needed to. He said $5 was a good tip. Oh boy.) After the date, we shook hands and he told me to email him.

PS I normally don't call people dorky. I'm a nice person. I wouldn't call him geeky--because, its kind of cool to be geeky nowadays.