Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Long Awaited Puppy Pics!

Here are some pictures of baby Sadie and some bonus pics as well!

 

"view larger!"

Year In Review - 2005

What a year this has been. On the bus ride home last night, I thought of all the wonderful things that happened in 2005. At this rate, 2006 and 2007 should prove magical as well.

I will note high points and low points of each month as I remember them.

JANUARY

My best friend Kristine and I went down to Nashville to visit my friend Diana

My dear friend and closest co-worker Matt was let go while I was away. I was devastated. Lunch is still not the same without him around.

 I attempted to lose weight for Kristine's wedding. I do pretty well cutting carbs  and watching what I eat.

FEBRUARY

I attended my first casting call. An experience. I didn't get a part, but I'm glad I went anyway.

I went to the gym 2-3 times a week and maintained my lower weight for a while.

I had Jay, Dave and his girlfriend Christine over to the apartment I cat-sit at for a fun weekend in the city.

I got up close and personal with the likes of Ben Stiller, Rosie Perez, and Halle Berry at a work (HBO) screening.

MARCH

I applied for new jobs constantly since I was miserable at work. I could've taken a job with Queer Eye for the Straight Guy but decided it might not be a wise decision.

My evil evil co-worker quit when I got to takes Matt's place in the office. I think she was jealous. Yeah, that was a good day.

APRIL

My grandpa wasn't doing so well and could no longer live alone. We decided that he should live at Sunrise Assisted Living. It is like a resort - such a beautiful place. He is happy and well-taken care of and that is all that matters.

I threw a fabulous fortune cookie themed bridal shower for my best friend Kristine! Everyone had a wonderful time and she got lots and lots of gifts! It was held at Steak & Ale where my brother is a manager.

I started getting hooked on Scott Peterson trial books.

MAY

We had Kristine's bachelorette part in CT because Brian Kirk was playing there. Although it was rainy, we had a blast!

Jay and I started house-hunting seriously.

JUNE (a happy month!)

Kristine and John got MARRIED!! A beautiful day, a beautiful celebration, and the most beautiful bride EVER! : )

My second cousin Jimmy celebrated his 25th year as a priest and we were there to celebrate with him : )

Jay had a birthday and his co-workers gave him a cake that read, "May the Force be with You" : )

Jay and I vacationed in Cape May, NJ  - exit 0 on the Garden State Parkway! : )

We put an offer on a house and it was accepted! : )

JULY

Jay's sister-in-law is pregnant after trying for a long time! Congrats!

A month full of home-buying stress.

Kristine and John moved into their house at the end of the month. A very nice, big beautiful home in Stamford, CT. I wish it wasn't so far away...

AUGUST

I was thisclose to working at a store called Tuesday Morning to earn some extra cash. I decided it wasn't a good idea right then because I knew I'd want weekend time to work on our house.

Six Feet Under had its series finale. So moving, so haunting, SO GOOD. It will be missed.

We closed on our first house on August 24, 2005! : )

By the end of the month, we were already tearing the place apart!

SEPTEMBER

Major hurricanes wiped out communities in New Orleans and other parts of the south. My heart went out to those people and to the helpless animals. I ordered bulk pet supplies online and sent them to the North Shore Animal League to help them out.

We knocked down walls at our house - a messy, dusty job. I think it kick-started my asthma.

I got a new shorter 'do!

I was offered a new job here and I accepted! I'm an assistant to and executive V.P! I have my own little office with a TV and make more $!

OCTOBER

More and more progress on the house.

WE GOT ENGAGED!!!! -on our 9th anniversary together (10-12-05.) We went out for a lovely dinner at a really nice italian restaurant. It was really sweet when we toasted - he made mention that we toast to our new life in our new home. Afterwards, Jay went into his room to get me a present and asked me to close my eyes. When I opened them, there he was holding open a ring box with my grandmother's ring inside. He said, "Lesley, will you marry me?" My jaw dropped, I was in shock and I just hugged him tight. He kept asking me what my answer was, lol. We then went upstairs and told the whole world.

At the end of this month, I had a scare with my dad. I thought he was dying; I had to call 911. I still have flashbacks and nightmares of this day

NOVEMBER

My brother turned 31.

My family got a sweet baby girl puppy named Sadie. She is half beagle, half dachshund. Absolutely adorable.

Told Brian Kirk that we want him and The Jirks to play at our wedding!

DECEMBER

I turned 27 and was sick as a dog for my birthday. We had to postpone the celebration to a week later.

My co-worker Alex had no home for her dalmatian Chip. Jay's family took him in. He is such a gentle soul. I'm so thankful he didn't have to be put down prematurely. God bless June for taking in yet another dog in their already full house.

Looking forward to exchanging gifts, my parents going to Jay's for Christmas Eve, and asking Jay's sister and sister-in-law to be my bridesmaids. Diana and Kristine already know they are a part of the wedding.

Things You Might Not Know About Me

10 Things You Might Not Know

1. I was an actress in my past life ; )

2. I was treated horribly in school - always picked on and called names : (
3. I have hardly any family at all. In fact, I can count them all on one hand!
4. Jay and I have been together since 10-12-96 : )

5. I've been best friends with Kristine since 5th grade
6. I get to see celebs at my job often - love it!

7. The little boy from Chucky worked with my brother for a few years before discovering all the money he can make at conventions
8. Brian Kirk & The Jirks will be playing at my wedding! Can't wait! www.jirks.com

9. I played the drums for 8 years
10. We got our house for a steal because someone took their life in our garage. So tragic and sad. My second cousin Jimmy,who's a priest, blessed our house so I feel much better about it.

8 Places I've Visited

1. London - with my friend Matt and I met up with Diana too!
2. Nashville - to visit Diana on a whim, twice!
3. Boston - went to Lesley University in Cambridge
4. Virginia Beach - crazy vaca with Jay and a couple clowns 5. Florida - several times - Disney, Port St. Lucie... 6. Washington DC - shortest trip ever, whirlwind tour of our nation's capital
7. Adirondacks - so beautiful
8. Pennsylvania - The Poconos, Hershey Park


Eight Ways to Win My Heart

1. Hugs
2. Intelligence 3. A great smile
4. Sincerity
5. Surprise me
6. Buy me dinner : )
7. Put your arm around me in public
8. Tell me you love me

Seven Things I want to do Before I Die

1. travel the world -- not the scary parts though, lol 2. MEET TOM HANKS
3. Act again
4. Have children
5. MEET TOM HANKS
6. Do what I want to do for a living
7. Get in better shape

Six Things I'm Afraid of

1. Close family and friends dying
2. Calling strangers on the phone
3. My boss, lol 4. How much money my wedding is going to cost :-X
5. House going on fire 6. Mosh pits

Five Things I don't Like

1. Hunting
2. Fur coats 3. MOSHING, MOSH PITS, MOSHERS
4. Olives
5. spelling errors

Four Ways to Turn Me Off

1. Be a player 2. Be dumb
3. Be condescending
4. Be hateful

Three Things I Do Everyday

1. Let dogs in and out
2. See Jay
3. Dream about actually living in my house

Two Things that Make Me Happy

1. Jay
2. Doggies

One thing On My Mind Right Now

1. My back is killing me. I can't wait to get my mini-massage at our company party today!

Chip

So, Chip has a home.

And not just any home - Jay's family has graciously taken him in. Alex brought him over there on Saturday and he's been there ever since. Such a sweet, gentle soul he is. We all feel bad for him because he seems so sad and depressed. He misses his mommy and must be so traumatized from moving from place to place. Jay's house will be his last stop and he will be loved and doted on. Chip doesn't realize it yet, but he's got it good.

Whenever I am there I spend a lot of time with him - hugging him, petting him, and talking to him. June (Jay's mom) makes sure that he is comfortable and taken care of. One concern we have is that he has bad arthritis in his hind legs. Alex needs to get us his pain medication because he seems to be in a a lot of pain. I want to make that happen by tomorrow. Seeing him suffer is hard to bear.

I'm so glad this poor guy has a home. I'm even more content knowing that I get to see him almost every day. It must make Alex feel good that I can reassure her of his well-being firsthand.

I myself cannot imagine how painful it must be for her to have to give up her friend like that. The important thing is that his life was spared and Chip will live out the rest of his years in a loving, nurturing home.

Help me save Chip

Hello Everyone,

My co-worker Alex, a very sweet girl, has a pet dalmatian, Chip, that she got when she lived in LA. She now lives in an apartment in NYC that does not allow pets. Her mother has been keeping him at her home in Long Island but no longer wants the responsibility. She has ordered Alex to have Chip put to sleep. An appointment for this was made last week. In the eleventh hour, Alex found a friend who could watch him for another week. He is on borrowed time. He is a sweet, loving dog and he's about 10 1/2 years old. He is not ready to die.

If you, or anyone you know can take this dog in, please let me know. It breaks my heart that I cannot -my new house is not yet in live-in condition.

Thank you for your time.

Lesley
starlet56@aol.com

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is my birthday!!!!!!!!!

 

I sure hope I kick this cold soon. I need my appetite for The Cheesecake Factory!

Holiday

Well, tomorrow is a holiday - Thankgiving. Not looking forward to it much this year. There has been just too much turmoil in my house lately. In fact, I am dreading tomorrow. I'm worried about how the so-called festivities will pan out.

Each Thanksgiving, my brother, manager of a restaurant, must work. So, we can see him and have a good ol' feast for little dough, we go there. Albeit untraditional, it's always yummy and it's always good to see the fam.

Holidays are difficult when you are "with someone" and especially now that Jay and I are engaged. How are we going to handle holidays from now on? I wish my family and Jay's were closer. I hope it will happen. My family is tiny enough and certainly welcome to attend his family functions. I really enjoy when my family and his spends time together. It doesn't happen often though. A couple of times my mom has come by Jay's on Thanksgiving night after we've left the restaurant. It means so much to me when she does. I know it's difficult meeting lots of new people, but hopefully over time, they won't be "new" anymore.

Since I've been "thinking" about planning this wedding, nothing has officially been planned yet, I've thought a lot about family. I look forward to Jay's mother June meeting Cousin Jimmy, I know they will get along great and I'm so glad Jim will be marrying Jay and I. I may not have a large family but I'm so glad a member of mine will be doing something so special for us. It really means a lot to me.

Well, now I've gone on a tagent. My hope for tomorrow is that all members of my family behave, that we enjoy eachother's company and leave the dinner table full and with smiles on our faces.

 

I wish that for all of you too.

My Office

Just thought I'd share!

Sadie

So we changed the puppy's name, it is now officially Sadie.  'Hope' was just annoying to say all the time so that's what started it, lol.

She is a sweet lil' 8 week old baby girl. She has trouble walking at times because of her big floppy feet which she has yet to grow into. She also has big long ears. She's adorable and loving. I'm so glad we got her. Rudy, one of my other 2 doggies is still kinda annoyed at her presence. I'm sure they will become great friends someday... Kayla, my other dog, on the other hand, loves the puppy. I think she thinks of it as her own. She's constantly by her and wagging her tail with a big smile on her face- pure love and happiness.

Hope!

Hope

We are getting a puppy today! It will be a dachshund/beagle mix just like our boy Rudy but it will be a girl! We are naming it Hope. The perfect name at a time like this. My family is so happy right now. We definitely needed this ray of sunshine to break through the storm clouds. We are hoping that she takes to my dad especially. I'll post pics soon!

Yesterday

Yesterday was a very bad day. I thought my father was dying right before my eyes. I was alone with him. I had to call 911. Four police cars, mobile intensive care unit, and an ambulance later, he is okay. He is at the hospital. Thank God.  Scariest thing I've ever witnessed. Scariest day of my life thus far.

Hmmm

Congratulations! You are a traditional bride!

What Kind of Bride Will You Be?
brought to you by Quizilla

Out of Curiosity....

Do people actually read this journal?

 

 Do me a favor and drop me a quick comment if you do : )

House Progress - And There Actually is Some!

VIEW LARGER!!

BIG BIG BIG NEWS!

Jay and I celebrated our 9th anniversary together last night. We went out for a VERY nice dinner. We laughed a lot because it was so fancy : )

Afterwards, we went back to his home (parents' right now, we're currently fixing up our house). He told me to close my eyes because he had a gift for me. When I was allowed to open them, there he was with an open ring box with my grandmother's engagement ring all shined up in it. He said, "Lesley, will you marry me?" I was in shock! I kept looking at him and then at the ring trying to make a connection, like is this really happening?! I gave him a big hug and he keeps saying, "Well? Well?" Like I had to say anything, lol. Of course I said yes.

Afterwards, we ran upstairs to tell his family. They had no idea! We then stopped over my best friend's house to show her. Oh yeah, and of course I called my family and told them too!

Happy 9th Anniversary to Us!

Jay sent me these today! My favorite flower - hydrangeas!

 

Let the Games Begin!

This is our "new" free front door! Jay's uncle salvaged it from a job he's working on just for us. Isn't it beautiful?

Well today we finally got permits so work can officially begin! How exciting! I will keep you posted as things finally happen.

***************************************************************************************

This weekend Jay and I went up to Kristine and John's. It was really nice. A good bonding time. I like that Jay and I are getting to know John better now. The house is very nice, getting more and more settled in as time goes by. Nice new furniture in her living room now. Camps made us dinner  - chicken parm, pasta, and bread. Yummy stuff. We had some ice cream and cookies for dessert. I somehow drank a whole bottle of wine! I was fine though. No consequences - thank God.  

We stayed over Saturday night and spent most of the day there on Sunday. It's funny that after all these years we are still having "sleepovers" together. I can't wait to entertain guests at our house.  

There's been lots of talk in my household about getting a new puppy. Things on this front change daily. One day we are browsing through dogs on www.petfinder.org  together, the next, my mom thinks its a bad idea. Saturday night my mom called me to say that her and my dad were picking up a long-haired chihuahua the next day. Well, the next day, my mom sends me a text that they aren't. Enough. These emotional ups and downs are too much.  

 

So that's what's happening-

Movin' On Up

Well here I am at my new desk about to start week 2 of my new job here at HBO. I have my own little office all to myself. I have done some decorating but still have a box of junk to sort through and deal with. I really want to bring in my framed "big" movie poster. It'll be a pain to lug in but so worth it!

My boss's boss is responsible for making this happen for me. He really wanted to get me out of my previous dead-end department on this floor. And he did it! He presented the off to me about 2 weeks ago out of the blue and I accepted. I am still on the same floor, but on the "cooler" end, lol. I'll be interacting with a lot of big name people, in fact I already have! There is sooo much responsibility that goes along with this position, so I have to admit, I am scared right now. I don't look forward to coming in every day right now because it is all sooo new and I'm always afraid to try something for the first time. I am working for someone very important in the company so I feel like there is no margin for error.  At least I'll be earning more money for all this anxiety I'm feeling. I cannot wait until things become second nature.

 

In house news, we are currently waiting for permits to be ready. We cannot go any further with progress until we have those. I seriously cannot wait to see walls put up and fixtures installed. Ahhh.. how lovely that will be! We just found out we are getting a beautiful front door for free!! Jay's uncle is getting it from a job he's working on. The homeowner just bought some $4000 door and was getting rid of this one. It is wood and has 2 lights (windows) in it that are sort of stained glass looking - or so I hear. I haven't seen it yet : )

 

I've been having bad allergies and asthma and such but since my trip to the company health center, I'm feeling much much better!!

Well off to another exciting work day...

Got a New Job Here!

 

I tell you more about it soon, but it's a good thing! I'll also include a picture of my new very own office. YAY!

Like the new 'do?

Do it!

 

I sent them some much needed supplies today  - cat toys, dog chews, and antibacterial soap.

It feels good to do good. 

Demolition of the Week

Take a peek at all the work we've been doin' on the joint!

 

And "view larger" for goodness sakes!

Me Against the Plaster

yeah!

Misery

God bless those poor souls who are suffering. God Bless those who have died. God bless the animals and beloved pets that are scared and alone.

 

 

May all the violent, greedy bastards go to hell.

More House Pics & Progress

Enjoy!

Just a few hours til' home-ownership!!

Woo Hoo!

We close on the house tomorrow!

I already set up our electricity, water, and gas!

 

 

Six Feet Under

What a show. What a finale.

It took my breath and tears away.

If you haven't seen it yet, go to www.hbo.com/schedule for scheduling info.

 

wow.

No Tuesday Morning For Me

Tuesday Morning finally called today. I told them that at this time I was looking into making a change with my full-time job (I'm looking to get a new, better job here!). They told me to call back in the future I am interested again. Today was just not the day to ask me about giving up my Saturdays. It's just one of those days ya know?

100 Things About Me!

1. I’ve been with my boyfriend almost 9 years
2. I’ve lived in the same house, same town my whole life
3. I’m in love with Tom Hanks
4. I’m in love with Ewan McGregor
5. I have a cat named Oprah but we call her “Opie”
6. I have a dog named Rudy
7. I have a dog named Kayla
8. I drive a red, 2003 Chevy Cavalier
9. My boyfriend’s name is Jay
10. We are buying our first house next week!
11. Jay drives a silver mustang
12. Jay works at Walgreens
13. We met at Walgreens in 1995
14. I work at HBO in NYC
15. I commute into the city everyday by bus
16. Howard Stern and my iPod mini get me through my bus rides
17. I love root beer but hardly ever have it because I always feel the need to get diet coke to save on calories
18. My all-time favorite sitcom in Night Court
19. My favorite drama series is Six Feet Under
20. I hate strawberries, too tart
21. I love ripe peaches
22. I can’t eat olives even though I’ve tried to several times in my life
23. I love pickles
24. Fried pickles with horseradish sauce in Nashville rock!
25. My friend Diana moved from NJ to Nashville a lil’ over a year ago
26. I think 100 is a high number
27. I have a Crest White strip on my teeth right now
28. I’m starving. My belly feels like an empty cavern
29. I’m going to ceramics class tonight with Jay
30. We go to ceramics every week
31. We always eat at The Fireplace in Ridgewood before class
32. My parents used to go on dates together there
33. The smell of pizza is getting to me. So hungry.
34. Everything I’m wearing today is from Old Navy
35. I can’t afford to get “nice” work clothes
36. I’m no good at buying the right clothes. I just go for sales.
37. I have lots of collector’s edition Barbie dolls
38. I had a major crush on Jeff Timmons from 98 Degrees
39. I like Shrinky Dinks and Colorforms. If you don’t know what I’m talking about then you are a youngin’. Damn you.
40. Oh yeah, Lite Brite too
41. I love cheese - especially muenster and fresh mozzarella
42. I love the movie, Amadeus
43. I’ve acted and sang in many plays and musicals
44. I haven't been in a show since 2001. It saddens me
45. I enjoy food waaaay too much
46. I don’t get enough exercise
47. I do enjoy bike-riding
48. Tiramisu rocks my world
49. As does crème brulee
50. I <3 Red Lobster
51. I hate stupid, incompetent people
52. I’m picky about spelling. Very picky
53. I have a strong vocabulary
54. I don’t have many girl friends
55. I’ve never felt like I was a part of the “girls club.” Always felt like an outsider when girls talked in a group. I felt like I was being privy to information I shouldn’t be.
56. No, I’m not gay, just weird
57. I pride myself on not being an obnoxious, game-playing girl
58. I interned for Sally Jessy Raphael for 6 months
59. My iPod mini is pink
60. I only have 528 songs on it
61. I own a pink trench coat
62. I have baby pink Skechers
63. I apparently, really like pink
64. Red was always my favorite color
65. Hydrangeas are my favorite flower
66. I’m a tree hugger
67. I’m an animal lover
68. Chex Mix rocks (see there I go with the food again)
69. I hate sour things like Sour Patch Kids
70. I hate orange-flavored toothpaste. What a dumb idea that was
71. Black licorice and black jellybeans are NASTY
72. The Wonder Years was a good show
73. I need to work on my posture
74. I’m 5 foot 5.5 inches tall
75. I weigh…..hahaha, yeah right
76. I hate my hair – no real color, no real style
77. Ponytails rock. What a lifesaver they can be
78. I wear my glasses more often than necessary
79. My glasses are for distance
80. I’m hoping that you are not bored by now. God bless you if you are really reading all this drivel
81. I will mostly only read autobiographies
82. I could not get through Animal Farm because I couldn’t handle animals talking
83. I had an awesome English teacher in high school. He let me get away with doing poorly on Animal Farm quizzes. “We won’t count this one.” Thanks Mr. O’Neill!
84. I love Moulin Rouge
85. I hate Star Trek
86. I hate movies like Krull and Jason and the Argonauts. Jay loves ‘em
87. I’m enthralled with the Scott Peterson case. I’ve read 3 books on the subject
88. I like the Daily News better than the Post. Editorial section is better
89. Silver is better than gold
90. I love the painting, “The Singing Butler,” by Jack Vettriano
91. I just saw Meat Loaf in concert at the Beacon
92. I’m going to see Green Day at Giants Stadium Sept. 1.
93. My brother graduated high school in 1993
94. I only have 1 sibling
95. I hardly have any family at all
96. My anniversary with Jay is October 12, 1996
97. I graduated high school in 1997
98. I played the drums from 4th – 12th grade
99. I love the beach
100. I have 3 BLOGS going on at the same time

Quote of the Day

If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't jump with them, I'd be at the bottom to catch them.

Tuesday Morning on Saturdays

     <---link

 

I think I just got a part time job here this past Friday. The cool thing is is that I'll only be working there Saturdays and I get a 20% discount! Sweet. Sure, I'll only have one lousy day off a week now, but I'll have some extra cash. I'm surprised they'll let me work there only 1 day a week. But it's perfect for me since I'm still working full-time at HBO!

I hope they pay me more than  $7.50 an hour because of my 8.5 years of Walgreens (retail) experience! We shall see!

Back In Time

Enjoy!

haha...

 

And why is this funny? I dunno, but it made me laugh!

Miscommunication

Rosemary (realtor) called this morning very very apologetic. She just got my messages this morning; she was away. Apparently the inspection company called her last week and requested an appt. change. Rosemary thought that since I had made the initial appt. that it was cleared with me first. I told her that the inspection people said she requested the change. She was outraged! "Why would I change an appointment that you made? In all my years, I've never had anything like this happen!" She told me that she would immediately call them and ream the receptionist out! Well apparently she did because 5 minutes later the girl called me to apologize. She said that the inspector had a family emergency and they scrambled to free up his schedule. They had assumed that Rosemary would let us know. The girl wanted me to be sure that I not no ill feelings towards Rosemary as if was their fault not hers.

The house!

*I finally added captions! Please note, it is very difficult taking house pictures! You can never get far enough back to fit anything in the frame! Try it yourself at your own house if you don't believe me!

By the way, here's an update. I'm having major realtor issues right now. Jay, his father, and I all took time off yesterday for the 9am house inspection. No one else showed up. I finally tried calling realtor to no avail. I then called the inspection company only to find out that my realtor changed the inspectation date the day after I booked it. It is now scheduled for Friday at 3pm. Not convenient at all. So I was steamed. I am even more angry now as I called my realtor and her partner yesterday REPEATEDLY and left numerous messages and they NEVER CALLED ME BACK! I'm starting to get worried and even more agitated. I've never had trouble reaching them before. I will call them again as soon as I close out the entry.

Woo Hoo!!!!

Our offer was accepted!!!

Hey Y'all!

I'm still alive : )

 

I was in Cape May and Manahawkin with Jay all last week. I will post pics soon.

The biggest news right now is that we put an offer in on a house last night! I'm so excited! It would be in the same area Jay and I both grew up. I really hope it pans out. The house needs some TLC but thats fine with us. Then we can make it how we want it before moving in. Here is a pic!

Keep your fingers crossed for us!!!

 

THIS JUST IN FROM JAY:

 Jay [11:48 AM]:  The realtor lady called me, said they are reviewing the bid today and we should get an answer by tonight

Happy Birthday Jay!!!

Jay got a cake at work today for his special day! YAY!

Cousin Jimmy

My second cousin Jimmy is a priest and has been for 25 years. Yesterday, there was a celebration for him, his silver jubilee. It was great to see him again and to see how loved and respected he is. He must've felt great too. Some many people got up and spoke about Jimmy, many recounting funny stories and experiences they shared with him. Jimmy is a great speaker and I enjoyed his homily; wished it was longer. While yesterday was a happy occasion, it did make me a little sad. All these people knew Jimmy so well, better than me, a relative. I wish I saw him more often. I always enjoy conversations with him. He is a wonderful man.

We don't have a large family at all. In fact, My mom (his first cousin), my brother and I are his only living relatives. And he made it a point to acknowledge us in his final words. He said, "I don't have much of a biological family at all, in fact they're all at just one table." He pointed to us and everyone looked our way and clapped. This made me feel good. I felt proud to be related to Father White (or cousin Jimmy as I've always known him.)

What a great day. I hope to see more of Jimmy in the future. I want to be included with the lucky others that are close to him, know him so well and have my own stories to tell about him at his next anniversary celebration.

I am glad that Jimmy will be the officiator at my wedding. I look forward to that immensely.

More Wedding Pics

Amazon  Browse Photos <-----Kristine's co-worker/friend  took these

Kristine & John's Wedding Pictures (6/4/05)

These are pics that my mom took.......

 

Also some Kristine's Aunt Judy took: Amazon Sign in to Amazon

 

 

More to follow!!!

House Hunt Commence!

AAArrgghh! I just wrote this entry and AOL knocked me off before I could save it!!!

 

Anyways, Jay and I are house-hunting again although this time more seriously. His mom, Jay, and I went to look at a house last night in Wayne. The house was cute and had a number of positives. The property was a nice size albeit quite narrow. It had a new roof, new carpeting, and new marble in the bathroom. The kitchen was a nice size, bright and modern. The first floor bedroom and living room however, were about the size of a small guest room. The bedroom couldn't accomodate more than a twin size bed. The living room would not even fit Jay's couch. There was a staircase from the kitchen that led up to the upstairs "master bedroom." It was unbelievable; a room built for midgets! We could maybe fit a bed but no dressers! The ceiling was so low that Jay hit his head on it! The basement was also frightening. You had to lift up a cut out piece of the wood flooring by the front door to get to the place I call a dungeon. It was like 6'x6' and was all dirty, musty cinderblock. I almost fell down the steps getting down there because they were all broken and uneven.

All in all, the place had nice features: yard, bathroom, kitchen. These aspects were not enough to overshadow the negative ones. I think we would feel trapped in that house if we lived there. Not to mention, where would we put all of our stuff!

We spoke to the agent for a while last night about what we are looking for. We want to have a relatively easy commute to our jobs in Yonkers and NYC, 2 or more bedrooms, an eat-in kitchen, not a galley kitchen ~ my request, and if he finds a townhouse, they must accept pets. He is supposed to send me listings today which I wish he'd do already! He also recommended that I talk to one of the "mortgage people" at his office to get pre-approved. We really need to do this to see how much we can afford. Maybe we can do a little better than this place. It was listed at $259,000, super low for anything around here for all you Nashville-ites that can get a mansion by you for much less.... <grumble grumble>

That's all for now folks! Over and out!

Bridal Shower Pics - Finally!

Everybody happy now? I finally put them up. No captions though...maybe later if you're lucky ; )

Bachelorette!

Click here to view pics of the debouchery!

-------->           Kodakgallery.com  Slideshow

 

Recommended Reading - Peterson Trial

I learned from Rosie's blog  that you can join what's called an "associate" program with amazon.com and earn some extra cash by linking to some favorite products. I wrote an entry a while back about some Scott Peterson Trial books I was reading. I am now on my third. Am I sick? I mean, I just find this case utterly fascinating for some reason. Below are the books I've been reading, in the order I've been reading them. I'm only like a fifth of the way in to A Deadly Game. This is the most in-depth one. It even contains evidence and testimony that never reached the jury. I look forward to diving into it every day at lunch.

 

Amber Frey: Witness for the Prosecution of Scott Peterson

 

Blood Brother: 33 Reasons My Brother Scott Peterson Is Guilty

 

A Deadly Game: The Untold Story of the Scott Peterson Investigation

 

 

Moron's Quote of the Day

They just keep on coming:

"My doctor showed me a diaphragm of a surgery"

                                      - my office mate

Jay and I

our recent cellphone self-portrait : )

Bridal Shower Pics - sort of

Here are some of the pics of some of the accessories from the shower, LOL. Real pics from the event to come!

Moron's Quote of the Day

"I hate when callers stay on the phone and want to conversate with you"

-my office mate

Stuff I've done

Stuff I've done...(stolen from Holly ; ) )

( ) smoked a cigarette
( ) crashed a friend's car
( ) stolen a car
(x) been in love
(x) shoplifted
( ) been fired
( ) been in a fist fight
( ) snuck out of my parent's house
(x) had feelings for someone who didnt have them back (who hasn't?)
( ) been arrested
( ) made out with a stranger
( ) gone on a blind date
(x) lied to a friend
(x) had a crush on a teacher
(x) skipped school
( ) had a crush on one of your myspace friends
( ) been to Canada
( ) been to Mexico
(x) been on a plane
( ) thrown up in a bar (in the bathroom)
( ) purposely set a part of myself on fire
( ) eaten Sushi
( ) been snowboarding
(x) met someone in person from myspace
( ) been moshing at a concert (cried at a concert b/c of EVIL moshers!)
( ) been in an abusive relationship
(x) taken painkillers
(x) love someone or miss someone right now
(x) laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by
(x) made a snow angel
( ) had a tea party
(x) flown a kite
(x) built a sand castle
( ) gone puddle jumping
(x) played dress up
(x) jumped into a pile of leaves
(x) gone sledding
(x) cheated while playing a game
(x) been lonely
(x) fallen asleep at work/school
( ) used a fake id
(x) watched the sun set
( ) felt an earthquake
(x) touched a snake
( ) slept beneath the stars
(x) been tickled
(x) been robbed
(x) been misunderstood
(x) pet a reindeer/goat
(x) won a contest
( ) run a red light
( ) been suspended from school
(x) been in a car accident
(x) had braces
(x) felt like an outcast
( ) eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
(x) had deja vu
(x) danced in the moonlight
(x) hated the way you look
( ) witnessed a crime
( ) pole danced
(x) questioned your heart
( ) been obsessed with post-it notes
( ) squished barefoot through the mud
(x) been lost
( ) been to the opposite side of the country
(x) swam in the ocean
(x) felt like dying
(x) cried yourself to sleep
( ) played cops and robbers
( ) recently colored with crayons/colored pencils/markers
(x) sung karaoke
(x) paid for a meal with only coins
(x) done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(x) made prank phone calls
( ) laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) danced in the rain
( ) written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) been kissed under a mistletoe
(x) watched the sun set with someone you care about
(x) blown bubbles
( ) made a bonfire at the beach
(x) crashed a party
(x) gone rollerskating
(x) had a wish come true
(x) worn pearls
( ) jumped off a bridge
( ) screamed penis in class (what the heck??)
( ) ate dog/cat food
( ) told a complete stranger you loved them
( ) kissed a mirror
(x) sang in the shower
(x) had a dream that you married someone
( ) glued your hand to something
( ) got your tongue stuck to a flag pole
( ) kissed a fish
(x) worn the opposite sexes clothes
( ) been a cheerleader (hells no!)
(x) sat on a roof top
(x) screamed at the top of your lungs
( ) done a one-handed cartwheel (can't do any kinda cartwheel)
(x) talked on the phone for more than 6 hours
(x) stayed up all night
( ) didn't take a shower for a week (eww, I could never do that)
( ) picked and ate an apple right off the tree
(x) climbed a tree
( ) had a tree house
(x) scared to watch scary movies alone
(x) believe in ghosts
(x) have more then 30 pairs of shoes (probably about that)
( ) worn a really ugly outfit to school just to see what others say
( ) gone streaking/flashing
( ) played ding-dong-ditch (huh?!)
( ) played gay chicken
( ) been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on
(x) been told you're hot by a complete stranger
(x) broken a bone (may've broken my pinky toe, don't remember, LOL)
(x) been easily amused
( ) caught a fish then ate it
(x) caught a butterfly
(x) laughed so hard you cried
(x) cried so hard you laughed
(x) mooned someone
(x) had someone moon you
(x) cheated on a test
(x) have a Brittany Spears CD (all but 1!)
(x) forgotten someone's name (all the friggin' time)
( ) French braided someones hair
( ) gone skinny dipping in a pool/spa
( ) eaten rattlesnake
( ) humped a monkey

Moron's Quote of the Day

From a memo to people in our department:

I am taking a personal day off last minute tomorrow Wed, May 4th b/c of my son's Strep throught still lingering and not permitted in school till Thursday. Bill is aware. So please inform me about tmrw's meeting on Thursday.

PERFECT!

You Belong in New York CityYou're an energetic, ambitious woman. And only NYC is fast enough for you. Maybe you'll set yourself up with a killer career Or simply take in all the city has to offer What City Do You Belong in? Take This Quiz :-) Find the Love of Your Life (and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

Scott Peterson Trial Books

I just finished reading Amber Frey's book and Scott Peterson's sister's book. They were both RIVETING! I highly recommend these 2 interesting books. For the first time in a long time, I read these in record time without being able to put them down.

Witness: For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson by Amber Frey

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060799250/qid=1114712331/sr=8-4/ref=pd_csp_4/102-9103384-6836117?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Blood Brother: 33 Reasons My Brother, Scott Peterson is Guilty by Anne Bird

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060838574/qid=1114712331/sr=8-2/ref=pd_csp_2/102-9103384-6836117?v=glance&s=books&n=507846



P.S. I'm not a sicko or anything....

Shower Success!

Kristine's bridal shower went super well! Here are some of the pics! Mine will be up soon-

 

-ish, LOL!

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BACK ON THE DIET

I'm back to christmas cookie weight - not good yo!

 

Here goes nothing! Ha!

Current Executive Decision

Well, a new decision has been made. This is it. We are moving my grandpa into a Sunrise Assisted Living Community - Sunrise of Woodcliff Lake. He really needs more attention and care than if he moved back into his apartment. This whole thing makes me sad. I feel horrible that he can't go back to his "home" again : (

We're going to bring him a bunch of his things to make his Sunrise apartment more homey. What I'm worried about right now is all the stress he's going through because of this. I hope it doesn't kill him : ( He keeps calling the house with concerns that pop up into his head. I imagine he's not sleeping well. It also doesn't help that his roommate blasts Saving Private Ryan and other war movies 24/7.

The Sunrise place is lovely and he will have his own space. They said they'd bring him his meals so he doesn't HAVE TO eat in the dining room, although, they'd like him to eventually. We all would. It would be good for him to not be  so anti-social. Can't say I blame him though.

This is tough for me, tough for all of us. It's not like he's "out of it" or anything. He is of sound mind. He doesn't want this. He wants to go back to his independant life, but he can't. This place encourages independance which is good. He'll have his own mini-apartment, he can lock the door. He can have his own pictures and knick-knacks.

I wonder if he thinks about my grandma through all this. They were married over 50 years and she died in 1994. We think that's why he wants to go to the apartment again. He wants to live where they lived together and where she died.I don't know if he still does, but he used to spray her perfume on his pillow to remind him of her. Now that's true love.

 

Man this is tough. Getting old is hard. : (

My poor grandpa.

Another Update

We have made an executive decision. We are going to grandpa-proof his apartment. There will be wall to wall carpeting with good padding, less furniture and knick-knacks around, and he will have a home health aide for 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week. He was sooooooo relieved when my mom called him and told him of our plans. He has to keep up his side of the bargain too. He cannot walk without his walker and he must always wear his sneakers, not slippers.

Grandpa Update

I had to take a personal day yesterday.

My mother woke up in the early morning hours with a panic attack. She had a full day ahead of her confronting the administration of the nursing home/ rehabilitation center where my grandfather is now. They have not been doing right by him. She also needed to speak with someone at an assisted living facility to see if that's a viable option for my grandfather. She was very upset and dreaded the thought of handling this on her own. She needed my help. I toyed with the idea of just coming in late but didn't think that it was feasible; and it wasnt. These tasks consumed our entire day.

We yelled at rehab center people and then checked out Sunrise. You've probably seen them around. They are BEAUTIFUL assisted living communities. I want to live there! You get to live in this mansion and have your own little apartment. Someone does your laundry and makes your bed everyday. But you have so much privacy; you can lock your door. The place is drop-dead gorgeous. They have a lovely dining room and bistro and a yellow lab named Abby that lives there : ) They also have tons of activities. Yesterday they were doing ceramics! My mom and I were there for like 2 hours.   We have to convince Grandpa how wonderful this place is. He doesn't belong in a real nursing home, this would be perfect for him. He'd still have his independence. There is a bit of time pressure because theres a special going on now until Friday. You save $25 a day for the duration of his stay there. That's a lot considering it's normally like $120 a day!!!   My parents are going back Thursday. They want to bring him there so he can be in on the decision-making. This would be his new, permanent home.

A Real Update Entry

It's been awhile since I did a real update in this journal.

My grandfather had a mild embolic stroke about two weeks ago. He was weak on his left side and blind in his left eye but has since regained a little strength and his vision. His doctor has decided that he should no longer live alone.

My family was considering having a live-in stay with him in his apartment but now they are considering a nursing home. Right now he's in a rehab/nursing home type place that is really nice. It's family owned and is like a resort inside. There's a beautiful dining room with linens and fresh flowers on all the tables. There's a nice deck and "backyard." In the lobby, 3 cats wander around all day. My grandpa gets a kick out of them. There's also a piano that some of the patients play. My grandpa enjoys listening to it and naming the songs. This would be a good place for him since he gets to interact with people - something he hasn't done much of since my grandma died in 1994.

The staff even put my grandpa in a room with a fellow Yankee fan. They're also going to get them the YES network so they can see all the games. My grandpa even likes the food - he said it's "not bad," which is a rave coming from him : )

Now we have to working on either cleaning or cleaning out his apartment. If he eventually goes back there to live with a live-in they place will need to be in order. We also have to remove valuables. If he stays where he is, which we'd prefer, the apartment needs to be cleaned out so rent won't continue to be paid for nothing.

I have to go see him this weekend, it's been about a week since I've seen him.

Your Love Style is Agape You are a caring, kind, and selfless partner. Unsurprisingly, your love style is the most rare. You are willing to sacrfice your world for your sweetie. Except it doesn't really feel like sacrifice to you. For you, nothing feels better than giving to the one you love. What's Your Love Style?

Survey

1. What time is it? 9:57am

2. Name as it appears on birth certificate: Lesley Anne *******  

3. Nicknames: Les, Hes, Spanky  

4. Piercings:  2 in each ear  

5. What is the most recent movie you've seen in the theater: Robots -  'cause Ewan McGregor's voice is in it!

6. Eye color: greenish-blue me thinks  

7. Place of birth: Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, NJ (where Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas have their babies) : )  

8. Favorite foods:  Snow Crab Legs, lobster, bread 'n' butter, chicken parmesean, penne alla vodka  

9. Ever been to Africa: Not yet!  

10. Ever been toilet papering: nope  

11. Love someone so much it made you cry: yeahhh  

12. Been in a car accident: Yup....not fun  

13. Croutons or bacon bits:  Bacon bits... croutons can be too hard sometimes for my wussy teeth

14. Favorite day of the week: Saturday  

15. Favorite restaurants: Red Lobster!  

16. Favorite flower: Hydrangea....soooo friggin' pretty  

17. Favorite sport to watch:  none really... baseball in person is good though  

18. Favorite drink: Barq's Root Beer or a strawberry-banana smoothie. Fav alkie drink - Vanilla Vodka and Coke

19. Favorite ice cream: Cold Stone Cotton Candy or Cookies & Cream

20. Disney or Warner Brothers: Damnit I gotta be loyal - Warner Bros. ..... F- that everyone knows Disney is better!  

21. Favorite fast food restaurant: Chik-Fil-A , why can't there be more of them?

22. What color is your bedroom carpet: Green, nuff said.  

23. How many times did you fail your driver's test: 0  I think  

24. Current CD in car: A bunch in my changer: Eminem, Dave Matthews Band, some homemade 80's ones

25. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card: Express  

26. What do you do most often when you are bored:  TV or answer lame survey online ; )  

27. Bedtime: around 11:30

28. Favorite TV shows: The Apprentice, America's Next Top Model, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, and of course Night Court

29. Last person you went to dinner with: Jay  

30. Ford or Chevy: Chevy, that's what I got ~ love the one you're with~  

31. What is your favorite color:  Pink or periwinkle  

32. Lake, Ocean or river: Ocean!  

33. How many tattoos do you have:  Zero, as it should be : P  

34. Time you finished this survey: 3:53 pm (no, I didn't sit here doing this all day. I have a very important job ya know)  

35. Which came first God or Evolution:  ummm, damn...this is like that whole chicken and the egg thing. It's hurting my brain, haha....

Chivalry Is Not Dead!

Last night I had to get home in a timely manner because I had a dentist appointment for a cleaning. Of course like 20 minutes into the trip, our bus drive pulls over on the side of the road and says we need to get on a different bus cause only one wiper was working - doh!

Another bus comes like 5-10 minutes later but we can't get on. The driver shoos us away.

Then like 20 minutes later another one comes. We all pile on and its packed. I'm going to have to stand, along with like 4-5 other saps. This nice man in his thirties I'd guess then says to me, "would you like my seat?" What a sweetheart! I said, "That's so nice of you, thank you." : )

What a guy...we were stuck in traffic after that too. What makes it extra nice was that he was on the bus originally before us scrubs got on.

That was really nice.

You Belong in 1972 1972 If you scored... 1950 - 1959: You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in! 1960 - 1969: You are a free spirit with a huge heart. Love, peace, and happiness rule - oh, and drugs too. 1970 - 1979: Bold and brash, you take life by the horns. Whether you're partying or protesting, you give it your all! 1980 - 1989: Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You're colorful at night - and successful during the day. 1990 - 1999: With you anything goes! You're grunge one day, ghetto fabulous the next. It's all good! What Year Do You Belong In?

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!

Moron's Phrase of the Day

care of my office mate:

 

"She's got the cutest mold on her face"

Virtual Lesley

this is fun! I made "before" and "after" models of myself on www.myvirtualmodel.com When I say "before" I actually mean, "now" sad to say...

click "view larger"

Moron's Word of the Day

Yes, my office mate actually said this:  

"Do you get to see him oftenly?"  

AND....she pronounced the "t"    

 

<bangs head on desk repeatedly>

My New Abode/ Ding Dong The Witch Has Quit!

Well, this is my new office. I am out of the hall and now I get windows, a TVand a VCR. It is definitely a more comfortable (as far as space goes) place to be than the work station/cubicle I was in before.

There is awful tension here though. There is definite resentment.

FRAN QUIT!!!!!!!!

She's the evil co-worker of mine that has caused me grief this past year. I think my moving into this office had a lot to do with her resignation. Good riddance I say.

Right now, I have a new problem - Veronica. She's my office-mate. This is a very large office so it is shared. *Matthew used to be here : (  She's been nothing but nasty and rude to me since I moved in here yesterday. She b*tches all day long and there's tension between us. She thinks I'm favored which is probably true and so what. I actually do my job and do it well. That's what happens.

She keeps trying to implement changes here that would have dangerous ramifications to our day-to-day routines. When I explain that these changes are not logical or practical she becomes argumentative with me.

This isn't good. It's only been 2 days.

 

 

* Just a foot note, ha ha... Matt broke his ankle a week ago today during  a spur-of-the-moment ice-skating excursion in Central Park. The poor guy is laid up at home and in tremendous pain. Get Well Soon Matthew.

John Stamos Gave Me Flowers!

I got free flowers this morning on the walk to work. On like every corner up 42nd Street people with billboards for John Stamos' new show, "Jake In Progress," gave out flowers. I collected three stems in all three colors. YAY!

You're Betty Grable!

What Classic Pin-Up Are You?
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The Gates of Yore

Here are the infamous gates that were in New York's Central Park for 16 days. Take a gander will ya!

The Wax Museum Collection

Pictures from a recent trip to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in NYC. Jay, Dave, Christine and I went. "View Larger" for optimum viewing pleasure ; )

Quick Update on Queer Eye

Here's what happened with the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy job interview I was to have:

I called to confirm because of the weather (snow) and the lady told me that she needed someone right away and she knew I needed to give 2 weeks notice and she can't wait that long. She told me she'd hold on to my resume for the future and told me to call her if things change and I can start sooner. What the F?

I hemmed and hawed (hope u know this expression!) and finally gave her a call back. I wanted the opportunity to meet with her to discuss what the actual job was that I'd be missing out on. I wanted to see if it'd be worth leaving here in just a week. So when I called her back she was all rushy and rude and said she was in a meeting and couldnt talk. I barely could get my concerns out there. She asked if I could come in that night and I said I couldn't because of the weather. She then said to come in the next morning, but I said I couldn't do that either -- hello, she knows I have a job. She then said to call her back, she had to go.

Ugh... I gave up on her. She sounded too looney for me.

I have since gotten a really nice raise, so I'm pleased for the time-being : )

I scored a 52% on the "how fucking JERSEY are you?" Quizie! What about you?

Oh Yeah!

I have an job interview on Monday for 

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy!!!!

Wish me luck!!!!

It's About Time...

...I add a new entry!

Things are usually pretty quiet so I wait until I actually have something to write about.

On Valentine's Day Jay and I had a nice dinner at an Italian Restaurant called Campania. We both had the penne alla vodka, it was scrumptious! We also brought a bottle of wine so we felt very "adult" : )

I am cat-sitting in the city again and this weekend I shared my abode with Jay, our friend Dave, and his girlfriend Christine. We ate dinner at John's Pizzeria, one of my favorite places in NYC. Afterwards, we had sinful ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. MMmmm.... On Sunday, I gave everyone a tour of HBO. Dave will be interviewing there tomorrow for Matthew's job. <sigh>

After that we went to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum - always a blast! I recommend it highly if you've never been. It's very expensive I must admit, but I fortunately got an $8.00 off discount for each of us through a Time Warner deal. We took lots of pictures which I hope to put up here someday, lol.

I'm still looking for a new job. It's tough. I've sent out my resume to about 25 places this year so far and have heard nothing except for that one interview I had with Conde Nast. I haven't heard from them so I guess that's that. I'm not upset though. I like HBO and I don't want to be just a receptionist. The pay was the same anyway. On to bigger and better things!

I'm so broke right now I really need a windfall. Kristine's wedding is draining me! I enjoy planning her shower so much it's costing me a fortune!

Ah well, it'll be her turn someday to do it for me : )

I'm still trying to be a good girl and eat decently. I also try to go to the gym 3 times a week but it usually only works out to 2. I haven't gained so that's good I guess. I would like to lose 3.5 lbs before the dress fitting which will be anyday now. Oh well. What can you do? I at least hope I have toned arms for the wedding because it's a strapless dress and there's no mercy there.

My newest motto:

Eat To Live, Don't Live To Eat ~~ I'm so guilty of this!

 

<3

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

L Light E Energetic S Saintly L Loud E Enjoyable Y Yummy
Name / Username:

Name Acronym Generator
From Go-Quiz.com

In the Stiller of the Night

Woo Hoo!

Last night I worked at an HBO premiere of the HBO Film: LACKAWANNA BLUES ( http://www.hbo.com/films/lackawannablues/ )                I had such a great time!

My job was to help people to their seats and at the restaurant I guarded the reserved tables.

I got to see lots of famous people and eat lots of delicious food! I'll just rattle off the names: HALLE BERRY, ROSIE PEREZ, LIEV SCHREIBER, BEN STILLER, OLYMPIA DUKAKIS, MOS DEF, PHYLICIA RASHAD and several other familiar faces.

Halle Berry is absolutely breathtaking in person. Stunning. She had long straight hair and just looked radiant. I saw her throughout the night and one time I had to turn sideways so she could get by me, we were that close.

The most star-struck moment was first seeing Ben Stiller. I was at the door of the theater and he walked down the hall to me. I had the biggest smile on my face while looking at him. He looked at me and said "Hi" just as he entered the theater to get to his seat. Those sparkling blue eyes were mesmerizing, just like when I saw Alec Baldwin at the last event I worked at. One surprising thing was that his hair was gray. It looked nice though with his baby blues.

At the restaurant, we ate before the guests arrived. We had this yummy spinach and cheese thing, potatoes, vegetables, fish, rolls, and breadsticks. There was an open bar but I just had diet Coke. For dessert, there were out-of-this-world crepes that were warm and lemony, mini blackberry tarts, mini lemon meringues, and an AWESOME cake that I cannot describe but it was probably the best I've ever tasted!

As guests started to arrive, it got crowded fast. The room was like a huge ballroom and I stood by the reserved tables. A colleague informed me that Ben Stiller was to sit where I was standing and he told me that he was on his way over! Yikes! He came over and was standing directly in front of me, like I could give him a neck massage! His back was to me because he was talking to an HBO big shot. I told a co-worker of mine that I was told to seat him and she told me to let Ben know! I waslike do I say Ben orMr.Stiller? He stood and talked for a solid five minutes and then saidHBO big shot asked him to sit at his table, just one over. I checked with another colleague and they said it was fine.I guess as long as Ben was happy, right?

What an exciting night! Afterwards I got driven to Cindy's apartment on the Upper West Side in a towncar. I'm cat-sitting again. All this and I get paid overtime!

Life is sweet and so was the friggin' cake!

Cattle Call

I can't believe it's been over a week since I last wrote!

I attended my first open casting call this past Saturday. It was for a show called Forensic Files on Court TV. It was at Chelsea Studios on W. 26th Street between 6th and 7th Avenue. I'll bet they saw at least 2000 people that day. I was number 327. The call was from 11 -5pm and I got there at 10:45. We waited in line in the freezing cold for hours!

We finally got inside, in the lobby by about 12:50. We then went upstairs in groups of six and went into a rehearsal studio filled with people waiting in chairs. We were called up one by one to have our pictures taken and were put into groups of three. We were given scenes to work on. The sheet just gave a brief synopsis and three lines. The idea was for each of us to take on a character and after the three lines, improvise the scene. I was with an older woman named Sarah and a sweet girl about my age named Tina.

Here is the scene summary: Two roommates are involved in illegal activity. The third roommate finds out and threatens to go to the police. The two roommates tie her up and eventually kill her. The third roommate's family reports her as missing. In this scene, a detective interrogates the girls as to the third roomamtes whereabouts.

My line as roommate number two was, "Uh...I don't know, a couple of days? What is this all about anyway?"

Shortly after getting the "script" and coming up with a few ideas for the improv we got called into the room for the audition. It was another rehearsal studio but with long tables. There were about 6 women sitting behind them facing us. They said, "whenever you're ready." We got about thirty seconds into the improvisation and they yelled, "cut!" We were handed slips on our way out that said they'd let us know in the upcoming weeks, months if they needed us for any principle, background, or extra work.

All in all I think it went well and I'm glad that I did it. It  would be nice if I got something but, we'll just have to wait and see. The show films in Allentown, PA but they pay for transportation and the pay for a shooting day is $400-$500. They also pay for a hotel if the shoot carries over into the next day.

 

Fingers crossed!

Random

I mentioned to Diana that on this day last year, I was leaving London after a 7 day trip there. She emails me back:

"I heard on the news today that a poll taken in London found that January 24 is the most depressing day of the year."

 

Odd huh?

Snow Dogs

We had a lil' blizzard this weekend. We got like 12-18 inches of snow. Its windy out so it's blowing the powdery stuff all around. Some drifts are higher than others.

I let my doggies out this morning and took some pics of them wading through it.

RED ALERT!

I got my hair done for the first time since 9/4/04!

And boy is it RED again! Woo Hoo!

Check out my silly pics!

Things

I thought I owed y'all an update.

I'm down 6 lbs. so far!! Woo Hoo! Not bad right? I started on January 1. So it's like 2 lbs. a week which is a healthy way to do it : )

Work still sucks. I'm still bummed about the whole thing. Luckily I am well-liked and just got a kick-butt yearly review and a new job title. I was Communications Assistant, now I'm On-line Communications Coordinator. Nice huh?

You might find it funny though that I'm job-hunting. The title is nice but the pay and BS stay the same. In fact, this will be the second day in a row that my two co-horts are out and I have to hold down the fort all by myself!! My boss is going to be so ticked! He was yesterday and let me leave an hour early!

Yesterday I got a call from Conde' Nast, one of the largest magazine publishing companies around! I mailed them a resume like a week ago and I already got a call! The woman I spoke with is extremely nice and in fact, I have an interview next week! It is a receptionist position in the Human Resources dept. She said the benefits are excellent and that this is a great stepping stone and foot in the door. This would be a great company to work for. And there big beautiful office is right on 42nd Street! I pass it every day!

I'd feel bad leaving my boss and department in the lurch since I'm the best worker they got but I gotta do what's best for me.

You can check out their site at www.condenast.com and see all the big magazines they put out such as Vanity Fair, Allure, Glamour, GQ etc.........

 

Down

Well, I'm back from girls' weekend in Nashville and we had a really great time. Thank you Diana for showing us the sights and for being D.D.

I would love to be all excited and happy and able to elaborate, but I just can't right now I'm afraid.

To start, I lost 2 more lbs. This isn't necessarily good news. I lost it all since Monday and it's because I've had ZERO appettite.

I cannot go to deep into this or I'll make myself cry yet again. I've been crying several times a day.

My best friend at work, Matt was let go on Monday. I found out right before I got on the plane to come home. I had tears streaming down my cheeks for most of the flight.

He and I worked in the same little department since I've been here. I hate the other people I work with. They take advantage and never show up or they come in wicked late. They are dumb and cannot speak or write effectively.

I will never understand why this happened. I hope that Matt finds something better and more worthy of him. Until then I am miserable. Today is the first day without him. I have no friends here anymore. Our other friend Youssef (Yahoo) was laid off at the end of last year because his department was done away with.

I'm devastated. I don't want to be here anymore.

Back to Nash!

Goin' for another fun-filled weekend in Nashville THIS WEEKEND!

This time will be extra fun cause Kristine is coming with me! This will mark the first vaca we've ever taken together! It's about time since she will be getting married soon. *Sigh* I have so much prep to do for that.

Anyways...We will be staying with Diana (*Jersey Girl in Nashville) who will give us the grand tour again which she is so good at doing : )

I have to be good though because I'm low-carbin' and there's lots I can't have. No yummy pancakes at Cracker Barrel! I guess I'll have an omelette....ick, getting sick of eggs.

I also have to worry about the plane food so I'm bring some stuff with me. All and all this diet has been easy. It's just when 'special' things such as a weekend away come up, it can be difficult.

I know we will be goin to Demonbreun (street of bars, lol) Saturday. I was so planning on a few drinks but I really shouldn't. Ugh... We'll play it by ear I guess.

I'm down 2.5 lbs so far....woo hoo!

Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.

*ps. Did you like the plug Di?

Another One Bites The Dust!

I lost another pound!

That makes 2 so far!

It's Working!

I already lost a pound!

Yesterday I went to Shop-rite and stocked up on low-carb/no-carb goodies! I got low-carb yogurt, cheese, sugar-free jello, light whipped cream, Atkins rye bread, and, Atkins ice-cream sandwiches!

Last night Jay and I went to Spanglish and I was craving chocolate so I got Carb Alternatives Hershey Kisses ~~ soooo good!!

I'm enjoying the diet foods I've been eating. The Atkins bread is especially good believe it or not. When I have it, I toast one slice with butter - scrumptious!

Dieting isn't so bad after all!