My Brain. My Heart. Figuratively. Literally.

As of Late

2011-05-12T00:04:00.000-04:00

I haven't really sat down to write lately...

But I find that Joel and I have been sharing our story more and more these days with new friends and sharing the testimony of God's protection and faithfulness.

So, in that spirit I will re-direct you to these posts:

-Memories of the Big Day

-Hole in the Heart (PFO)

-Raising Awareness

And one for fun:

-Ways I Confuse My Huz

Enjoy!

National Wear Red Day - February 4th.

2011-01-26T11:18:00.009-05:00

Go Red for Women is a mission created by the American Heart and Stroke Association.
It's goal is to raise awareness that heart disease isn't just for older men. Go Red for Women is dedicated to "celebrating the energy, passion and power we have as women to band together to wipe out heart disease and stroke."

With this, they created National Wear Read Day, which raises awareness nationwide by wearing red.

This year, Wear Red Day is on February 4th.

Awareness starts with us.
Support the fight by wearing red on February 4th.
Help raise awareness, look for free check-ups in your area, go see a cardiologist, start eating better, work-out, stop taking birth control (yes, stop birth control), take care of yourself to be a better, healthier you.

This movement is close to my heart, literally.
After having a stroke on May 25, 2008...the doctor's found I had a hole in my heart and I ended up having open heart surgery on June 15, 2009.
Many of us think that heart disease, stroke, and any related heart issues are a man's thing or for someone older than 50.
This is NOT true.
Wear red on Feburary 4th and do yourself a favor and go see a cardiologist...even if you think you're safe from heart disease, get checked.

Meet Market!

2011-01-26T10:52:00.004-05:00

*postcard graphic design: Armistead Booker

Meet Market is back folks!
Come see us February 4th and 5th.
We have a great cast and you won't wanna miss it, just in time for Valentine's Day!

Meet Market is an improvised dating game that I created years ago and we still perform every so often, especially around Valentine's Day. The show is set up basically like the old 'Dating Game' TV show and the audience gives us all of the suggestions for characters, questions, dating locations, everything.

For more info and tickets go to our website, hope to see you there!

*February 4th we will be taking donations for National Wear Red Day / Go Red for Women.

Our first Christmas

2011-01-04T14:11:00.005-05:00

(our wee little tree and stockings we made the first Christmas we were married)

Joel and I have been married for 3 1/2 years, and just this year had our first Christmas together. It was grand! We decided to stay home this year, not traveling, not flying, not getting stuck in a snow storm, not moving around from house to house, just the two of us and our china.
We made a lovely traditional* dinner on Christmas Eve, had a special breakfast Christmas morning, and used our china almost the whole week for all of our meals. We had a great time relaxing together, watching movies, cooking, shopping, spending time with friends and family, Joel put together a new kitchen table and chairs, and I got to play the accordion for the first time!
*the dinner is a meal my Grandaddy always made throughout the year and something we have made into a tradition at my Dad's for 15+ years on Christmas Eve. -- Steak marinated for 2 days and Gumbo! NUM NUM!

Searing the Teriyaki

Grouchy Gumbo! (ground sirloin, veggies, and tomatoes)

The finished product! (seats up to 10 people! - bonus: our NYC apt has a dining room, a rare treat in NYC)

We also went up to CT to see my 'family' for a couple of days. I have some close friends that I grew up with in IL and most of the family was in CT for Christmas. Joel and I were able to go up and spend time with all of them. (unfortunately I didn't get any pics of the adults).

Uncle Calvin with 5 of the 7 grandkids

The other 2 of the 7 grandkids

While we were in CT, the snow storm hit the Northeast and we came back to this:

YAY!! SNOW!!! :)

The past 2 years, our Christmas plans we re-routed due to snow storms and we sure were glad we didn't have to deal with that this year! instead, we got to play in it!

It was a great Christmas and New Years and for any married couple out there, I would HIGHLY recommend doing this. It's good for the relationship, and the bank account.

I will now leave you with this:

(my first weak attempt on the accordion playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on Christmas Day).

Thanksgiving "Dinner"

2010-11-29T23:42:00.001-05:00

Who's the dude (or dame) that came up with the original menu for Thanksgiving?

I have to file a complaint.

I don't like it.

Nope, not really a bit (well, a wee bit) but not really.

What's with the menu?:
Turkey -- a big fat slice of dry meat

Mashed potatoes -- a dry chunky blob of something so wonderful when kept in the skin.

Yams/Sweet Potatoes -- a gooey pasty tasteless blob of (again) something so wonderful when kept in the skin.

Stuffing -- soggy croutons with onions.

Cranberries -- tart, floppy, weird texture...not so good.

Green Bean Casserole -- a gooey squishy liquid mess of an otherwise yummy veggie.

Pumpkin Pie -- a pasty gooey mush of what should be dessert

I am the gal who, on Thanksgiving day has my plate filled with all of a mini slice of turkey, a small plop of mashed taters, and a roll.
In all my years I have had only two Thanksgiving meals where I actually liked everything on the table.

The First : at my friend Elizabeth's last year. She is an AMAZING cook. Everything tasted so great. She put a gourmet twist on everything. I will usually be polite and take a bit of everything to try it all, and that was the first Thanksgiving I remember going back for seconds.

The Second : when my cousin and I spent the day together and went to a Greek restaurant for the holiday...mmmm, Greek food!

If I had my choice I would probably cook Mexican, or Greek, or Italian, or Indian, or Brazilian food for Thanksgiving. Maybe next year that's what I'll do and stop complaining about the food I mooch off of others.

I certainly enjoy the time spent with friends or family on Thanksgiving Day. I love playing games, laughing, watching Christmas movies.

I love to remember how thankful I am for being alive, for having wonderful friends and family, and for an amazing huz.
Thanksgiving, for me, is certainly a day where I don't eat much, but I love the time spent with those I love, keeping in mind the many blessings I have.

ZAP!

2010-11-10T22:09:00.001-05:00

I don't know which part of this song is my favorite:

-the lead singer

-guitar player on the left

-gentleman in the choir in the back, who has no interest in being there

-1:55 "ZAP!"

you choose...

The Renewed Mind is the Key...

2010-11-10T22:00:00.003-05:00

My thoughts exactly Joel McHale.

and to go along with it...Lady Gaga got in on the action:

Glee oh Glee - Sue on Halloween

2010-10-28T21:39:00.007-04:00

I have always loved watching Jane Lynch in her Christopher Guest roles (A Mighty Wind, Best in Show, For Your Consideration) and and now that she's on Glee, more and more folks are learning of her awesomeness.
This little diddy was on Glee the other night and I can't help but laugh, because I actually have similar feelings towards Halloween.
Call me a party pooper, but I believe Sue Sylvester hit it pretty right on here:
(Watch to 0:13)

"you know, halloween is fast approaching
the day when parents encourage little boys to dress like little girls
and little girls to dress like whores.
and go door to door brow beating hard working americans into giving them free food."

awesome.

Dear Jane,
I would love to improvise with you someday, k?
thanks.
ps--kicking myself for not stopping you in the street in NYC 4 years ago.
we could've had a nice little chat, coffee, done a little improvising, take a pic or 2, you would've introduced me to Christopher Guest......

"Never Bothered to Watch"

2010-10-04T16:57:00.004-04:00

"Oh, those are all of the shows I never bothered to watch".

These are the words that came out of my new scene partner's mouth the other day when we were talking about the early '90s. Our scene takes place in the '90s and we were discussing fashion trends and costume ideas. With this our director referenced the show Friends. I was enjoying the bit of nostalgia as we tossed out costume options and remembered what I had in my closet in those days. wowee.

Later in the rehearsal, my scene partner mentioned that he is 23.

Wait!

The reason that "those are all of the shows he never bothered to watch" was because he was 7 when Friends first aired.

It was interesting to talk with someone who didn't have much of a recollection of my "Must See TV" line up. Has he ever seen Cheers? Seinfeld? ER? Frasier? Or even Family Ties? Kate & Allie? Cosby Show? A Different World? and not just the reruns?

Does he know who Rerun is?

I suppose I'm entering that stage of life where I need to always be updated on the Mindset List.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot.

2010-09-29T23:50:00.002-04:00

The past two days I worked at the Javits Center at the Spa & Resort Expo & Conference. A conference for folks who love beauty and medical treatments, along with your everyday Botox junkies. (I can't even tell you how many scary Botox infused ladies, and men, I saw).

I was on the expo floor today walking around handing out flyers to the exhibitors. One of the gentlemen told me that he unfortunately didn't enjoy this year's conference too much, it wasn't as big as last year, disappointed, blah blah. I said "I'm sorry sir that it has been an unfortunate experience for you." ... or something along those lines to hopefully make him feel better. Then I said, "So, what kind of product are you promoting?" He told me how it was some sort of lazer buzz thingy that you put on your face, it helped take away wrinkles in minutes, yadda yadda. Then, I say "oh, well, I'm one of those people that says just grow old gracefully anyways. I'm getting older, but 'eh' whatever" .....

That's when I realized what I was saying....I was telling a guy at a spa & plastic face fest! that I thought folks should basically just go with the flow of aging!

oops!

yeah, I won't be buying his product.

and, I didn't make him feel one bit better about his time at the show.

Dear Sir with the lazer face thingy : sorry I basically insulted your product.

Dang, wish I had a TV.

2010-09-24T17:40:00.008-04:00

Yes, you read that correctly, we don't have a TV.

Usually it's great and we just watch stuff online or lots of movies (this has certainly worked, being that it is my means to an end with my new addiction to Glee) and I don't miss too much of what's out there. But I miss being able to watch all of the awards shows and fall premieres along with wanting to just sit and watch a mindless Seinfeld rerun.

Mostly though, I will miss not being able to watch TV tomorrow afternoon at 12 noon. MSNBC will be airing it's annual Go Red for Women TV special. The show shares the stories of three survivors and helps raise awareness to prevent heart disease...something I feel quite passionate about. I am not (yet) on the national level with the American Heart and Stroke Associations to speak out to help raise awareness...but I aim to do so here.

Do you have a history of migraine, stroke, heart attack, heart disease in your family? Are you a smoker? How's your blood pressure? Cholesterol? Have any chest pain? How bout stress? Do you use birth control? Drugs? How much do you drink? How's your weight? Do you not get your 30 minutes of cadio a day?

All of these are risk factors, yes, ALL. And there are more.
Also, be aware that these issues are NOT just for your grandparents.
There have been reports of children having a stroke as young as 13, 2, 10 years old! yes, this happens.

Heart disease is also a big issue in women. One woman dies every minute from heart disease.
every minute!

As women, we usually take care of our friends, our husbands, our children, our family, our pets, everything else before we take care of ourselves.
Take care of yourselves folks.

Go to a doctor, if even just cuz.

Late?

2010-09-21T16:06:00.003-04:00

The train always takes longer, there is always more traffic, people are always in your way...when you are running late.

Things I saw in NYC today....

2010-09-21T14:49:00.003-04:00

-There was a man (in a wheelchair, with the pedestrian right of way) trying to cross the street.
Another man (in a car, who had a handicap sign hanging visibly from his rear view mirror!!) was trying to turn the corner.
The man in the car honked, many many many times, at the gentleman in the wheelchair to get him to hurry across.....uh, you think the man in the car would've have more sympathy!

-a little girl going to school :: little curls, pink shirt, pink pants, cute pink backpack with an elephant on it, dad carrying her dolly....and she was carrying her lunch box, with Spiderman on it.

Please oh Please!!!

2010-08-31T18:19:00.000-04:00

someone's gotta tell these old fellers to just stop with the comb overs

Quick, Random.

2010-08-27T00:16:00.000-04:00

Said good-bye to some dear dear friends this week, they are moving to Denver.
we will miss them oh so much!!
Shed some tears many times knowing they were leaving, it came at random times, it came in spurts.
But when we said our final good-bye...we were all teary eyed, saying our last good-bye...& we were at the entrance of Costco.
Probably one of the oddest farewells in my 11 years here.

Also
Joel & I went to the free US Open qualifying matches tonight.
sat in the bleachers next to Robin Givens (Head of the Class, Mike Tyson's ex)
she is teeny! about the size of my left arm!

And
sat next to some famous tennis gal (Melanie something or other...I think she's a big deal)
it was fun & we saw an amazing match between these 2 kiddos (Ryan Harrison from USA & Rui Machado from Portugal) that in the end probably lasted about 2.5 hours!
amazing skillz.
good times.

Where's the Scar?

2010-08-12T15:56:00.002-04:00

When I tell people I've had open heart surgery, the first reaction they have is to glance down on my chest.
They are looking for the scar. They do not say it audibly, but the action certainly tells me what is going on in their head.
I will either just let it pass or say something.
This past weekend, I had one of those occurrences.

I was at a wedding, speaking with a friend I had not seen in a few years. I noticed the glance and said "you were looking for the scar weren't you?" Embarrassed, my friend smirked and said "yeah, well...yeah!" I then proceeded to tell him how the doctors did the surgery on my side and that the scar can not be seen. (pictures and further explanation of the procedure here).

This moment got me thinking...
In NYC we encounter 100's if not, at times, 1000's of people a day.
Do they have scars?
Some we can see, some not.
We all have a story, we have all been through something in our life...we all have scars.
From surgery, to break-ups, to accidents, to the bully in 1st grade.

Some embrace the scars, share the stories. Some bury them deep down in a well of bitterness and mope. It is up to us to decide which way we will turn.

Now I am not saying to go shout from the mountain top all of the problems you have ever encountered in your life, but do not be embarrassed by them either. You never know who you might be able to encourage by sharing your story, by sharing your life.

I am still working on fully embracing all that I am, all that I have been through...but I realize that as I do so, others are comforted, others are blessed, and so am I. I have a wonderful, supportive, amazing husband who loves me dearly because 5 years ago I decided to let down some walls and share some 'scars'. I also have some FANTASTIC friends that I know I can depend on.
I move forward in the support, in the healing.

I desire that in sharing these stories that I will raise awareness on stroke and heart disease, but to also raise hope.

"Change is inevitable, growth is intentional." -Glenda Cloud

Ways I Confuse my Huz

2010-08-11T14:24:00.000-04:00

I love watermelon flavored candy,
but hate watermelon.

I love raspberries, strawberries, & cherries, & raspberry or strawberry or cherry flavored candy as well as raspberry or strawberry or cherry flavored drinks,
but hate raspberry or strawberry or cherry flavored ice cream, the green supposedly 'strawberry flavored' gummy bears, or anything filled with raspberry or strawberry or cherry goop.

I love black licorice,
but hate black jelly beans.

I love oranges,
but hate orange flavored candy or ice cream.

I love boston cream pie,
but hate boston cream filled donuts.

I am a carnivore,
but will not eat meat on pizza.

Yup, there is likely lots more on this list,
& yes, my poor huz gets so confused.

My Granny Cart : My Car

2010-08-05T13:30:00.000-04:00

In NYC, we generally don't have cars...we must improvise :

Buying an area rug from Home Depot

(January 2009)

returning the AC to Home Depot

(July 2010)

returning the AC to Home Depot

(July 2010)

Dear {you}....

2010-07-19T17:49:00.003-04:00

The beginning of what I hope to continue...
"letters" to various moments of my life.
(here's some oldies)

Dear....
October '09 ::
-Craigslist Scammers : you don't trick me!
-iPod Classic : stop playing the same songs over and over and over again...on shuffle!
-Other side of the tracks : I guess you're not so much "the other side of the tracks"
-Facebook : you seem to have broken since you, once again, changed the layout. thank you.

November '09 ::
-Blind Man : sorry I told you to 'watch your step' as I helped you across the street.
-Discount Website : you are not a discount website as your tickets aren't any cheaper than a regular website.
-Man in Elevator Lobby : I already pushed the elevator button, it is lit. you pressing it again, many times, will not make the elevator arrive.
-Customer Service : you outsourcing my call does not count as 'customer service'
-2009: thank you for being here for me and helping me laugh through everything, but now that you are almost over, I can NOT wait to put you behind me. bring it 2010!!!

December '09 ::
-Person using the dryer before me : check your pockets first, I could've stolen that 200 bucks! (but I didn't)
-Snow : two years in a row I miss my Christmas flight because of you!? come on!
-Ladies who wear heels in the snowy slush : what are you thinking?

January '10 ::
-Billing Agent : I can't pay the bill if you don't answer your phone or call me back!
-Stores within the depths of the NYC subway : how do you stay in business? who shops there?

February '10 ::
-Myspace : goodbye.
-Customer Service Rep : you do not know me. don't call me hon, sweetie, honey, sweets, doll...and anything else that is SO NOT professional!
-NYC : you smell like an old wet dog today.

March '10 ::
-Hershey's Syrup : stop tempting me with your chocolate milk goodness
-Customer Service Rep : I am standing next to you, face to face! please don't tell me to 'call customer service' to help me with my issue!
-Customer Service Rep : I have been on hold with you for 20+ minutes just so you can fix what you already messed up on!? arg.

April '10 ::
-Beautician : I asked you to trim my hair, not cut off 3" and make it uneven with a Marsha Brady slope in the back.

May '10 ::
-Friends : your 4D baby pics are creeping me out.
-Home Depot : Just because I am a woman in your store does not mean I don't know what I'm doing...and it ESPECIALLY means I'm not there to pick guys up.
-People : is it too much to ask for you to do a job with ethical standards and at a top notch level?
-NYers : please look up when texting and do not run into me.

June '10 ::
-Old Women who shop in Forever 21 : don't.
-20 year old intern new to NYC with your hands full : it's not such a wise idea to carry 7 Starbucks drinks in their nice little carries and leave the last/8th slot open to carry your iPhone and credit card.
-Zac Efron and HSM : you have nothing on the old school awesomeness of "Grease"

July '10 ::
-Big Man with Lots of Hair and a Beer Belly: Just because it is a million degrees outside doesn't mean you don't need to wear a shirt.
-Woman pushing the stroller : don't put all of the groceries on the stroller canopy, just above the kid's head.
-Kid in line for Shakespeare in the Park tix: Yes, this play will be "all in that, like, Shakespeare language".
-Man with Stroller : You can not push the stroller through a revolving door. thank you.
-Woman trying to get in the elevator in the lobby : Just hold your horses! You think I wanna get back on this thing and ride back up with you!?

I'm a surviv-ah!

2010-06-30T13:15:00.042-04:00

On June 24, Joel and I walked with friends and family in the American Heart Association's Start! Wall Street Run and Heart Walk to help raise awareness against heart disease and stroke.

We had some walkers with us in the Financial District along with team members in: IL, Vancouver, Kalamazoo, NJ, Upper East and West Sides, and Dr. Oz received an honorary team member tee.

The front of the tee was a shout out to Dr. Oz, who did my surgery. The tinman (Wizard of Oz, get it?) asking if you've "got heart".

The back of the tee said:

'operor panton per totus of vestri pectus'

(Do everything with all of your heart. Colossians 3.23)

Some pics (I will post more later):

I'm a survivor!

Those of us wearing red caps during the event were all survivors and showed that we are "Fighting Back"!!

Our walking team in the financial district (thanks guys!)

Some of our remote team members:

Dad and Mama Jan in IL Mom in IL

Shannon in Kalamazoo, MI Peter and Cheryl in NJ

Amanda and Laura in NYC Laura again, my favorite little lady

We also had many family and friends support us (via The American Heart Association) financially, which was a huge blessing. This money helps to improve patient care, advocate for better health, reach out, educate, and raise awareness.

Heart Disease and stroke are the number 1 and number 3 killers in America and I'm certain each of us know someone affected by one or both. I am very passionate about helping raise awareness, especially to alert young people that these issues are not just for your grandparents. We are all affected.

It is hard to believe it has been two years since we started on this journey. Amazing how the path of life drastically changes and your passions take a major shift as well. I was unaware of so much those short two years ago and I will continue to share my story as long as I know it can help save lives.

Open Heart Demo & Memories of the Big Day

2010-06-16T13:43:00.009-04:00

Joel and I went to an open heart demo at the hospital on June 8 and it was a-ma-zing!
so cool and SO informative.
How often do you go into open heart surgery (or any surgery for that matter), are knocked out for 8+ hours and have a clear idea of what is happening to your body during that time?
....yeah, never.

There were a few things I remember leading up to the surgery:
-waking up stinking early the day of and taking a cab to the hospital
-waiting in one room and then being shifted to another room where Dad and Joel came with me. In the second waiting room I put on my robe, went to the bathroom (yeah, as if that was needed as just moments later they put in the catheter, ha!), took out my contacts, and waited to be called into the O.R.
-a nurse then escorted me down the hall and into the O.R. I couldn't see a thing without my glasses or contacts, so I remember hanging onto his elbow
-we walked into the O.R. and the nurses and docs had me lay down on the bed
-they spoke to me for awhile telling me a bit about what would happen during the surgery and then told me they were going to put the anesthesia mask on. They continued to ask me questions about basically nothing, then... I. was. out.

After that...I have not a clue what happened.

So, Joel and I went to this demo to find out what the heck they did to me!
This was certainly not for those with a queasy stomach.

The doctor giving the demo showed us a video of my awesome doc in the O.R. and some basics of what he does along with shots of the heart/lung bypass machine. (a pic) wow.

He also passed around:

--a chest tube (also: here and here) which is "used to remove fluid from the space between the lungs and the wall of the chest. The tube is placed between the ribs and into the space between the inner and outer lining of the lungs".

--a pace maker

--the wire attached to your heart during and after surgery. I don't remember the name of it, (AICD? Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator?) but it helps maintain the electrical current of the heart...similar use as a pace maker, but it's temporary

--and some other tools used (note the one in the top center, thats how they crank and keep ya open! wo.)

It was amazing to see and touch these items. (I did not have a pace maker put in, but it was still pretty neat to see what it was.)

He also told us some of the steps that happened after we are knocked out:
-they wash our whole body with a special anti-bacterial soap
-cover us up with the fancy blue sheets (one which had a special window just to the heart)
-cut open our skin, pry open the ribs, do the wee little op, and sew us back up!

Now, my surgery was a minimally invasive open heart surgery and not your traditional crack open the breast bone surgery. So instead of being on my back during the procedure, the docs had to roll me on my side and stretch the ribs open instead of just opening and closing the breast bone.

As the ribs shift back into place it is certainly pretty painful, but the recovery time for minimally invasive is shorter. With this, you can return to your normal life and activities pretty quickly.
There is less also scarring with minimal invasive,
I have an incision only about 4 inches long under my right breast:

(this pic was taken just 4 weeks after surgery, now, just over a year later... you can barely even see any of the scarring! woot! Vitamin E oil helps the scarring as well)

Needless to say this demo was incredible and very informative. Joel and I were the youngest ones in the room, but it was wonderful to be in a room full of supporters and folks who had been through the same thing and to learn more about what has happened to my body. Incredible.

One Year & kicking strong...

2010-06-15T00:34:00.001-04:00

ONE YEAR...

June 15, 2009: Open Heart Surgery

June 15, 2010: thanking God for all of His blessings and protection through crazy times. I'm onto bigger and better things...and oh so grateful I'm still alive. wow. PTL

What is so hard about the word "trim"?

2010-05-20T23:14:00.000-04:00

I REALLY needed a trim a couple weeks back, so I thought "I'll just shoot across the street & get a quick trim. They can't hurt my hair too much by just cleaning it up"....boy oh boy oh boy was I WRONG.

I get to the salon- there is a woman there who looks pretty hip and capable of cutting my hair...then she passes me along to a 70+ year old woman who didn't speak English (having a language barrier when trying to communicate to someone how you want your hair is not ideal...)

The 70+ lady then proceeded to 'wash' my hair. She tugged and shoved my head in various directions, got water all down my face and in my eyes, and I didn't even get that nice head massage always given when your hair is washed.

I ask for my hair to be TRIMMED! ...the woman cuts some off, shows it to me, and gestures as if to say "is that ok? good?" (remember we have the aforementioned language barrier happening...) I look at the chunk she cut off (pretty close to 4-5 inches) & I say "no, no that is way too much!!!" Now of course the woman didn't understand what I was saying so the 'hip' lady had to try and translate for me.
The rest of the cut seemed to proceed pretty well with my head being yanked around only a small number of times...but then....

As the woman went on to dry my hair I ask to have it diffused, so that it will be curly (my hair varies depending on how it's dried). Again, we have the language barrier and ms. hip helps us again. Moments later....my hair is dry. It is uneven. It is 3 inches shorter. and I look like Farrah Fawcett.

I realize now that I should have walked out of the salon as soon as my head was tugged around as it was being washed. But, alas, now I know my lesson.
Don't just 'pop-in' to a salon hoping to get a nice safe quick trim.

Why is May important?

2010-05-10T13:02:00.002-04:00

Did you know that May is Stroke and High Blood Pressure Awareness Month?
As many of you know by now...I had a stroke on May 25, 2008.
There are many ways that a stroke can affect someone...some are unfortunate and loose their lives, some paralyzed, some can't talk, some go blind, the side effects can be quite scary.
I am one of the lucky ones.
Sure, I may have to be more fervent with certain tasks of life such as working out my left side more than my right...but these are small trivial side affects. I have been able to go back to living my life as I did before. I still play sports, I still can remember random moments from the past (as my friend KatieG is so keenly aware of...how do I remember the name of the random lady from childhood who's birthday is on leap year?), I can keep up with the pace of the NYC life, and I can praise God for keeping me alive.
In this blessing...I aim to raise awareness.
Get your exercise. Drink Water. Eat healthy. Know your family's health history. Definitely know your own body and health history. Take preventative action.
Don't say "Oh, I'm young. I'm not at risk for anything" this is just plain ignorance folks.
Take care of your body.

Gummi Bear??

2010-04-29T14:16:00.007-04:00

The other day I saw this girl on the subway and I couldn't help but to try and sneak a pic.
After many tries and a with major zoom from my less than perfect cell camera...I got it.
Here she is...know who this reminds me of?
Anyone? Anyone?

"I bet you never smelled a real school bus before... Gummi bear? It's been in my pocket; they're real warm and soft."

I certainly couldn't stop laughing to myself! Was it because she still had the major 80's glasses, haircut, and wardrobe? Was it thinking of the many times I've watched this movie with my sister as we quote along? Was it then thinking of the many moments I've spent with my sister just laughing for no reason at all?
Probably...all of the above.

I also knew it certainly was a good thing that my sister was not with me on the subway, we would've laughed like little girls do in church when they're not supposed to be laughing...
And I definitely knew it reminded me of how much I love my sister & how she's always been there for me to laugh and laugh and laugh with thru good and bad.

Didn't think this blog was gonna get all sappy...

but I LOVE MY SISTER!!!!

postscript: this blog was actually named with my dear sis and our fun times in mind...

Just call me Andy Millman...

2010-04-24T00:34:00.002-04:00

Andy Millman is my name

being an 'extra' is certainly not my main game....

but! I have started doing it a wee bit.

I've always been intrigued by the world of film and TV and doing extra work is a nice way to weazel your way into it to learn...and get paid!

With it though, goes the professional extra's.
(there's even a documentary about them)

Me oh my...they are some characters.

Here's the honorable mentions (and only after 2 days):

-the guy who with every conversation found ways to tell me all about all of his extra work. what he did, who he ran into, and what movie he was 'in'

-the gal who spoke of all of the 'roles' the casting director called her for, that she missed. all the while, talking loud enough so that everyone in holding could hear her (tho the 'roles' she spoke of were those like: gal at the bar, woman with stroller, things like that...)

-and of course there are the many who 'compete' with one another to be in just the right spot so the camera can see them pantomiming just perfectly

-and those who pretty much just drool over seeing the famous actor we are working with (instead of remembering that said famous person is a just human being and that, yes, we can talk to them like regular humans)

and my favorite of them all...

-the gentleman who was Indian and was proud to tell me that "because he was Indian" one of his "dream roles [as an extra and as an Indian]" was to be a terrorist on 24. wow.

yes, of course there are those of us that are there to learn, to get some on set experience, and to maybe just maybe become BFF's with the PA. Who maybe just maybe like you lots and want to use you more. And then maybe just maybe you'll be in the right spot at the right time...and maybe just maybe they'll want to give you a line or 2...

yes, this would be super cool...a gal can dream....

And of course, I also have to admit that I did enjoy my brief interaction with Jeff Goldblum where he had me read a script with him that he was working on. This lasted all of 2 minutes, but yes, it was fun. :)

I am certainly loving the experience and the things I'm learning on set, yet I have no intention of becoming an professional extra.

But maybe just maybe...I may become BFF's with the PA and who knows....????

until then, look for the blur walking by on Law and Order.

Overheard on the Subway...

2010-03-30T18:04:00.001-04:00

A conversation I overheard on the subway train today...
Man on his phone:
"Hey man! What's up!?
Yeah, I'm late. Sorry.
Train...Ya know!!!?
Yeah, Yeah, I'll be there soon though!
In about 45 minutes or so."

45 minutes!?
"soon" ???
really?

OH, the Subway

2010-03-30T16:56:00.001-04:00

In the last week on the MTA Subway System I saw:

a young woman who was inside the tunnel,
forgot her umbrella was up.

a man carrying a saw...creepy!

What is a Patent Foramen Ovale???

2010-03-24T23:51:00.006-04:00

A Patent Fo-what O-What?
A Patent Foramen Ovale.
{pronounced PAY-tent fore-A-men O-val-eh}
What is a PFO??

First, there is the need to explain what the Foramen Ovale is ::
When in the womb, our circulatory system works differently than when out. We do not yet use our lungs when in the womb because we receive our vitamins & nourishment from our moms through the umbilical cord & placenta. Since our circulatory system works differently at this stage, the Foramen Ovale is the small hole in the atrial septum (upper chambers of the heart) that allows the blood to circulate.
When we are born, the circulatory system changes. The Foramen Ovale usually closes with our first big breath. This breath causes the lungs to fill and thus causing Foramen Ovale to close because of the pressure of the circulatory system getting 'on track'.

BUT!
When the Foramen Ovale doesn’t close properly it is called a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO).

This type of defect generally works like a flap valve, opening during certain conditions when there is more pressure inside the chest. When the PFO is present it allows blood to take 'short cuts' through the heart.

(See the image to the left for what the PFO looks like.)

Approximately 25-30% of the general population has a PFO (occasionally, it can be heard with a heart murmur). Many people can live with a PFO without any problems. But there is the possible risk of migraines, strokes, and the possibility of not being able to scuba dive.

resourses for this info:
--mostly, my brain and things I've learned in the past couple of years. along with these links ::
--Foramen Ovale
--PFO
--Fetal Circulation

"Now Go Out & Change the World"

2010-02-28T23:00:00.005-05:00

These are the words Dr. Oz spoke to me on Friday, February 26. I went to a recording of his show and said hello to him when the taping was over...he remembered me.
He did my open heart surgery June 15, 2009.
I told him thank you.
I told him he did a fantastic job.
I told him I feel great.
He gave me a couple of hugs and then said "Now go out and change the world"
quite a big feat!
"change the WORLD!"
well, I don't know if I can change the entire world...but I sure can at least continue to share my story.

Today's Entry
young women can have a stroke
Yes, it can happen.
Strokes are not just for older folks or people who are overweight or smokers or those who have high blood pressure or are migraine sufferers...
I was 30 when I had my stroke.
I had no family history of stoke, blood clots, heart issues...none.
Yet, I had a stroke.
One huge contributing factor: birth control (along with my 'thick blood' that the doctors found after I had the stroke...why did they not test this before I took the pill!?)
Doctors are so quick to prescribe the pill that I feel that they don't ask all of the precautionary questions or even take any precationary tests at all before handing out this extemely powerful daily drug. Since I had my stroke, I have heard more & more stories of young women who have also had a stroke because of birth control. Some have died, some paralyzed, some were lucky like me & hardly have any residual effects.
(Here is another woman's story...quite similar to mine. and another link to cnn.com on the same topic)
Awhile back, I was in one doctor's office and was talking to him about my stroke. I got on my soapbox and mentioned "If only doctors would do all of the precautionary testing on women before prescribing such a powerful drug" and he said "What, we're supposed to test every single woman that goes on the pill!?" I replied "YES! save a few lives!"
However, in addition to doctors being more careful about prescribing any old thing to their patients...we as the patient need to be careful in letting them prescribe any old thing to us.
Take charge, know your body, do your research.

I will admit, I took the pill without doing all of the precautionary research for myself. I assumed, like many of my friends and other millions of women who take it, that I would be fine. That I was immune to the small print on the prescription info sheet. Yet, I was only on the pill for a year and a half...then had a stroke.

I can't really tell you what to do with your body and what to put in it or not put in it....but I can raise awareness. Just like knowing that we need to do 30 minutes of cardio and eat our fruits and veggies each day, we need to be aware of the fine print.

Know to take care of your body, know the warning signs of a stroke. Tell your friends and neighbors...and be careful of what you put in your body.

I can not go back and change the past.
I am a young woman who has had a stroke and open heart surgery.
I now share my story, I raise awareness, I will try and do as Dr. Oz has challenged me and "go out and change the world".

postscript: I am convinced that my mom is the only one that reads my blog and I really do appreciate it Mom!, but I'm curious if there are others out there...what are your thoughts, questions, stories?

She's Here & I'm STOKED!!!!!!

2010-02-06T17:30:00.008-05:00

My dear sweet awesome loving faithful friend had her baby today.

I AM STOKED!!!!!!!!

Laura is her name.

She is awesome!

She is long.

She's gonna be so loved by so many and her parents are gonna do a WONDERFUL job.

We love you Laura!

Welcome to the world!

February 6, 2010

7:53am

YAY!

CONGRATS AMANDA AND LEE LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!

PS: for more pics check out Kate's blog.

And it's only January 13th!

2010-01-13T13:19:00.004-05:00

Dear 2010,
thank you for beginning in the way you have, I can already tell you'll be WAY better than 2008 & 2009.
Thank you.
-I have not been to one doctor's appointment! (quite a change from last year at this time)
-I am in an acting class I have wanted to take for years. Now I can afford it, now I have the time, & now I am not in the hospital.
-Along with the improv theatre I've been with for almost 7 years, I am reviving the improvised dating game I created & produced 5 years ago. We will be doing a 'Valentine's Special' Show.
In NYC? come on out, Feb 12 @ 7pm.
-I am back at teaching improv (for now, just workshops)
-one of my best best dearest friends is due with her first in February

2010
you will be awesome
thank you for that.
I'm READY!
Thank you Lord!
2 Cor 5:17 "...the old has gone, the new has come!"

Don't Forget about February 5th

2010-01-08T13:18:00.000-05:00

Folks
February 5th is National Wear Red Day.
Along with Go Red for Women, which is dedicated to "celebrating the energy, passion & power we have as women to band together to wipe out heart disease & stroke.", National Wear Red Day raises awareness to take control of our own health.
It starts with us.
Support the fight by wearing red on February 5th.
Help raise awareness, look for free check-ups in your area, go see a cadiologist (or mine, Dr. Kizer at New York Presbyterian-Cornell... LOVE HIM!), start eating better, work-out, take care of yourself to be a better, healthier you.
This movement is close to my heart, literally.
After having a stroke on May 25, 2008...the doctor's found I had a hole in my heart & I ended up having open heart surgery on June 15, 2009.
Many of us think that heart disease and any related heart issues are a man's thing or for someone older than 50. This is NOT true.
Wear red on Feburary 5th & do yourself a favor and go see a cardiologist...even if you think you're safe from heart disease, get checked.

A New Kind of Church Experience

2009-12-09T22:24:00.012-05:00

I went to a church tonight to check out their mid-week service and had an experience like never before...

First of all, the church does not have their own building, so they meet in different locations throughout the city.
Tonight, they were at the Manhattan Center. A building that hosts various events during the week, one being church.

I got off the subway (right at the corner, where the Manhattan Center is) and thought something might be up as I walked towards the venue.
There were many hippies in the street and on the sidewalk and you could smell the strong scent of marijuana as doobies filled the air with smoke.
stink.
I thought, maybe it was just a crew of college kids waiting to get back on the buses that lined the streets, yeah ignorance. I just wasn't sure.

I walked closer to the venue and the crowds got bigger.
I walked up to one of the doors that looked like an entrance, asked the woman at the door if I was in the right place for church, she directed me to the doors a few yards down.
I made my way through the crowds, that got bigger as I progressed, towards the line, and proceeded through the barricades.
I thought, "wow! this is amazing! so many people showing up for church! and it's so crowded that they need security!"
(did I mention this was my first visit to this church and it's location?)

I went through security, they checked my bag, and asked if I had a ticket "huh? a ticket? for church?"
ok, then I def knew my ignorance was getting the best of me.
As the security guard asked for my ticket I said "for church?"
She looked at me, smiled, and pointed me in the direction of the door I had come from, the door where the first woman directed me to the line of barricades with security.
oh boy.
I finally made it back to the first door, asked the first lady if I was in the right spot for church and she apologized for thinking I was not there for church.
ahh....I was in.
I went inside, up the stairs and was ready to sit down.
Though, again, I was in the wrong place.
The smell of pot got stronger and the noise from whatever concert was there got louder.
Back down the stairs.
I once again went back to the lady (that kept directing me to the wrong places) and told her I had no clue where I was going.
duh.
She finally pointed me in the right direction, I was on the elevator headed to the eighth floor, and then in the Grand Ballroom.
now, I sat.
Church was awesome, the preacher was fantastic and I sat next to some lovely ladies.

Then, it was time to go!
Instead of taking the elevator back down (because there was only one for the many folks at the service) I decided to walk down the stairs...the smell of pot was really really strong as I went more and more flights down to ground level. The concert was in full force.
I made it to the ground level, saw the lady at the front door that had lead me with so many misdirected directions (some front door greeter she was), thanked her for her help, and made my way outside taking a big breath of fresh air.
Never once did I think I would go to church and have the stale stench of pot lingering on my clothes.

In the future...
I now know the Manhattan Center has two venues inside: the Grand Ballroom (where church was) and the Hammerstein Ballroom (where the concert was).

I also found out what the concert was...Joe Russo, whoever that is.
I enjoyed church and got my fill of some good preaching.
The concert attenders went to a show and got a whole other high.

Church like none other.

It's almost the end...

2009-12-09T12:16:00.006-05:00

Last year I was SO SO happy to have '08 done & over with...after having had a stroke, the passing of my last grandparent, & a little catheter shoved up my groin to put in a wee little device.
ah, after all that 2008 was over.
yippee!

Little did I know what 2009 would entail:
-a major surgery that left a mark almost 10" long to remove said 'wee-little device'
-a nice little open heart surgery!
-months of recovery time
-& many many many hours fighting billing agents, hospitals, & insurance companies.
er, yay!?

praise ye the Lord 2009 is on it's way out.
bring it on 2010!!!

BUT! as I've been trying to focus on the good things...
this year has also been full of many blessings:
-Dr. Oz was my amazing, wonderful, kind, gracious, & compasionate doc for the open heart surgery. LOVE him.
-We moved into a new apartment; went to my college reunion, saw many lovely wonderful old friends, & showed Joel the beautiful place where I went to college; my bro-in-law got married
-spent many wonderful days with family & friends this year (many bittersweet because of the surgeries, but wonderful nontheless)
-took some trips to break up the recovery/between surgery time (including seeing Canada, Atlanta & the Grand Canyon for the first time)
-celebrated weddings & baby showers

Though an extremely rough year, I have been blessed.
The Good Lord has protected me.
I am still alive.
I have deeper friendships.
I know (more than ever) the stick by-ness, go into the trenches, love, encouragement, support, protection, care, blessing, loyalty, strength, prayers of so many around me.

Especially my amazing husband.
LOVE HIM!

May I not forget the good of 2009, yet I am so excited to have a new year, come on 2010!

Could've been 200 bucks richer

2009-12-01T11:37:00.006-05:00

It's a good thing I'm an honest gal...

When at the laundromat there is an unspoken rule:

If the person using the machine before you does not come back for awhile to claim their goods you have the right to empty the machine out & put your stuff in.

Today this happened to me.

I waited for about 15-20 minutes after the dryer was done...waited...the woman did not come back.

So, I emptied her dryers & used them.

Upon emptying the dryer with many pairs of jeans,

I found $200 cash.

I'm assuming she didn't check the pockets before loading in the dirties?

I just stuffed the cash within the pile of clothes...what else to do?

But, she came back eventually (another 10 minutes later) & I told her what I found.

She was grateful.

Merry Christmas lady! & Happy Holidays!

Subway Observations...

2009-12-01T11:33:00.002-05:00

The other day on the subway I saw:

-a woman strumming her guitar on the 7 train (in Queens) who I used to see ALL the time when I lived on the Upper West Side, 9 years ago.

-a homeless man helping a blind man onto the train

-a man on the platform tossing bread to the rats

yes, all on the same day.

all in a days work...

back to bloggin'

2009-11-04T19:49:00.054-05:00

So, it's been quite some time since my last post ... where shall I begin:

**Joel & I moved into an awesome wonderful huge & lots-of-light-you-don't-need-to-turn-on-the-lights-til-it's-530 & close to Manhattan & dear friends & tree lined streets & cute stores & wonderful brunch places & a FARMERS MARKET! (yay) apartment.

LOVE

IT!

this is the new living room! LOADS of sunlight

(last place was a cave, always had to have lights on)

& the kitchen, where I am inspired to now cook

(DEF a new thing for me)

our awesome bedroom {where the King bed does not feel huge & Joel doesn't have to stub his toe getting out of bed everytime & where we also need curtains (since our current 'curtains' are sheets) & new bedding}

...YAY!

**A week after moving into our apartment, we went to my college reunion (so how did I get old enough & years passed so quickly that I now have had a college reunion?)

we had an AWESOME time.

--SAW SOME DEAR FRIENDS (my 'transfer' buddies)--

we all transfered the same year, thus all becoming friends & starting our own clique

tailgating before the football game:

Joel & Me; Joey (his family couldn't make it); Jill & Andy & their 3 kids

with my old roomies

Joel & Me (with Erin's son); Laura; Shannon; Erin & her daughter

so great to see all of them, haven't seen Erin since she was pregnant with her oldest, Laura in about 8 years, & Shannon since our wedding 2 years ago.

--TOURED THE CAMPUS--

the 'famous' Anchor of Hope

album cover with Shannon

the Anchor & beautiful chapel in the background

--SHOWED JOEL HOLLAND'S DUTCH VILLAGE THEME PARK

(where I worked as an 'actor' the summer after graduation)

& WOODEN SHOE FACTORY--

Joel tries on his first pair of wooden shows, there are SO many shoes to choose from

reliving my days & sporting the wooden shoes

Joel contemplates a pair

Dutch Village Theme Park entrance...

where we only got tourists on Sunday's

all other days maybe up to 10 folks stopped by

--WE ALSO WENT TO THE BEACH & HOLLAND'S FAMOUS ICE CREAM STOP--

Tunnel Park

Joel runs down a sand dune

YUM! Captain Sundae's & their famous Tommy the Turtle

**a week after visiting Holland...Benjamin (Joel's bro) & Laurie got married in NYC:

Beautiful Bride & Groom.

Joel & I were in the wedding.

all 12 of Joel's siblings were able to make it for the wedding.

All in age order: John, Matthew, Samuel, Paul, Rebecca, Esther, Luke, Stephen, Rachel, Joel, James, Philp, & Benjamin (the groom)

Mom & Pop in front

{& in case you were wondering: there is a 19 year difference btw #1 & #13 & there are no double births)

WHEW!!! & that was just the first 3 weekends since moving into our new digs!

we are happy to be in our new home & LOVE having people over & cooking in our new awesome kitchen (more pics on that later)

Hopefully from here on out I will blog more, I have lots of soapboxes as well to talk about from my 'health hiccups' as I call them.

& I'm aiming to get back to the funny NYC observations I used to do when initially starting this blog (here & here are some examples)

The trains...

2009-09-15T15:15:00.007-04:00

With the new move & being on a new train line, I realized that I will now have lived on all but 2 of the colors represented on the MTA subway in the 10 years I've lived in NYC.
I've lived off of:
-blue
-red
-orange
-green
-light green (when the G decided to actually stop at Steinway)
-yellow
-purple

only ones missing are grey (the L line) & brown (JMZ).
& I'm not counting the Shuttle here, since it just has one stop back & forth.
whew!

The End of an Era & A New Apartment!!!!

2009-09-15T14:50:00.008-04:00

There has been a Hope College Alum in this building for over 8 years...now the end of an era has come:

After seeing about 30ish apartments in 3 neighborhoods, 12 realtors, & having some crazy/nasty stories to share along the way (see old post & old post)... Joel & I have FINALLY found a new apartment! YAY YAY!

We've learned for this particular situation it really paid off to:
1) be extremely picky (we really strongly dislike our current place)
2) take our sweet time (we'd been hunting for about 2 months). We had actually been wanting to move for quite some time now, but with my health 'hiccups', well, that had to be postponed for over a year.
3) with taking our sweet time, the apartments we were shown got bigger & cheaper as time had passed into the fall season.

Thank you Lord for giving us the perfect place! :)

Some things I will miss about the old place:
-many memories with friends over the past 8 years.
-having a lovely friend live upstairs from us who brings us yummy homemade treats (we'll miss ya Julie!)
-inexpensive (by NYC terms) rent
-overlooking a cute garden in the backyard
-a cute front yard
-the big closet in our bedroom
-a nice landlord
-our 'faux' 2-bedroom
-not having to give directions to friends since they know exactly where we are
-being super close to Panera & the movie theatre

Some things I will not miss about the old place:
-the thin walls
-no insulation between floors
-the lady below who pounds quite rudely on her ceiling with a broom
-her son who will basically threaten us if we don't 'keep it down' (past 8pm)
-hearing the son snore below us
-hearing the folks below us talk, sneeze, caugh, drop a pan, etc...
-feeling as if we always have to vouch for whoever comes over or what we're doing to the folks downstairs
-the nasty shower that has no hope no matter how hard you scrub it
-the bathroom being so close to the kitchen
-living on the first floor so that we hear every peep as folks enter in the front door
-feeling like we live in a cave because of lack of windows
-not having any lights on (inside or out) when you enter the building at night, we've been told to turn these lights off many times...not good, even though it's NYC law (sec 27-2039) to have lighting.
-although there is a wonderful front yard, we can't use it because it's "not nice" to do so with the noise (even though the apts surrounding us all have balconies, basically serving the same function as the front yard)
-this apt has been like my 'recovery home' for over a year...some not so wonderful memories...

Some things to look forward to in the new place:
-still being super close to Manhattan
-a huge foyer when you walk into the apartment & beautiful lobby as you walk into the building
-lots of closets
-a wonderful eat-in-kitchen
-LOTS of windows (even one in the bathroom!)
-corner unit
-5th floor (elevator, not walk-up like some of the places we looked at)
-laundry in the building that is cheaper than the laundry mat we currently go to, 3 blocks away.
-1 block to the subway
-dear friends living super close
-renovated kitchen
-the cuteness of the hood & all of the lovely trees
-being able to sit outside & enjoy the weather & neighborhood
-nice neighbors
-the cute church across the street that has a pumpkin festival!

Oh, there is SO MUCH......
Joel & I are incredibly grateful & are looking forward to having a place that is ours.
He moved into my place when we got married so most of it was my stuff & already in place...now we can work it out together to make it our place.

YAY YAY YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Open or Closed?

2009-08-22T14:26:00.005-04:00

It's signs like this that make me confused...
perhaps it should say "Yes, We're Lazy"

The apartment search continues...

2009-08-21T21:49:00.002-04:00

So, Joel & I saw some more apartments tonight.
Many of them were a lot more promising than others we've seen & we are loving the 'hood we've been checking out. The management companies seem to really try to update these places with new bathrooms, kitchens, appliances, paint jobs...very nice.

however, there were a couple bumps that I must share:
-we had a different realtor today than a couple nights ago (diff folks have diff listings so we have to 'cheat' on the realtors to see the most of what is out there). Tonight's woman tried to show us an apartment that the woman a couple nights ago tried to show us. Initially Joel & I smirked at each other knowing we had just been there before, but had hope for tonight since the other woman didn't have the right keys & we couldn't get in before. Well, after walking up four flights of stairs in 90 degree humidity...we couldn't get in and see the place again. Didn't have the right keys...guess this place is just not meant to be.

-in another apartment, Joel peeked into the new restored beautiful cabinets & there were dead crusty roaches inside. ew.

-and lastly, this is my favorite: Joel was quite intrigued by what was out of the window on the 'balcony' (aka: fire escape) of one of the places & I walked over there to see what he was peeking at...a dead mangled bat.
double ew.
i need to start bringing the camera.

the search continues!
off to see more this week, I know the right home is out there for us.
:)

Oh Ugly Bathrooms....

2009-08-21T17:03:00.003-04:00

My husband & I are apartment hunting.
Here are some things we are finding in the places we are shown:
-a bathroom all in blue: blue toilet, blue tub, blue sink, blue shower curtain, blue floor, blue tiles.
-another bathroom with 3 layers of tile on the floor, guess they couldn't make up their mind?
-in addition to the 3 layers of tile on the floor, the wallpaper on the ceiling (yes, wallpaper on the ceiling!) was a blue tinfoil-type wallpaper similar to: so, but blue & uglier & with a hue of gold in it.
-another bathroom with lime green & black tile throughout the shower & a matching lime green toilet.
-the outside of the apartment 'building' covered with brown wooden shingles, everywhere. (& it definitely did not have the nice cabin/country feel to it...more like the creepy lady inside feel)
-another building that Joel so aptly named 'Transylvania'.

why do they punish us so?
I'm assuming these owners think that these are acceptable forms of 'interior design'?

I know God's got the right place out there somewhere...in the meantime I'll enjoy the gaudiness.
we're off again tonight to see more!
I wonder what we'll find!?
Queens, NY you have such a way with your decor!

Warning Signs of a Stroke

2009-08-21T16:51:00.002-04:00

Do you know the warning signs of a stroke?
I am meeting more & more women who have had a stroke, & it's not just for your grandparents...young folks have strokes too.

I take this info all from the American Heart Association's Website:
Stroke Warning Signs
*If you or someone with you has one or more of these signs, don't delay!
-Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
-Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
-Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
-Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
-Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Immediately call 9-1-1 or the emergency medical services (EMS) number so an ambulance (ideally with advanced life support) can be sent for you. Also, check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared. It's very important to take immediate action. If given within three hours of the start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke. tPA is the only FDA-approved medication for the treatment of stroke within three hours of stroke symptom onset.

A TIA, or transient ischemic attack, is a "warning stroke" or "mini-stroke" that produces stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage. Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke. The usual TIA symptoms are the same as those of stroke, only temporary. The short duration of these symptoms and lack of permanent brain injury is the main difference between TIA and stroke.

The basic jist to start us off...

2009-07-29T22:42:00.004-04:00

I am just starting to write this story down...it'll take awhile to get all of the specifics out, but I only hope to help & encourage (& maybe even educate??) others by sharing the crazy year that Joel & I have had...

Basically, here's the jist:
-May 28, 2008: I had a stroke.
-the next week I am in the hospital & the doctors find out that I had a hole in my heart (I did not know I had a hole in my heart up until this point & the hole is something docs are learning are a major cause of strokes)
-so, we learn we have to fix the hole
-Oct 3, 2008: we fix the hole with an 'umbrella' (aka: Amplatzer Septal Occluder - something that has been invented to help avoid having to do open heart surgery)
-Jan 21, 2009: we have to remove the umbrella, after finding it went terribly wrong.
-Spring 2009: we know we still have to fix the hole in the heart to help prevent future strokes
-Eventually: we decide we do not want to try the umbrella again.
-we then know that we want the best of the best of the best after having the previous complication, so I push & push to get Dr. Oz to operate on me.
-June 15, 2009: Dr. Oz performs minimally invasive open heart surgery on me.

now, I'm all better!
Joel & I are so incredibly thankful for the good Lord's protection through all of this & for prayer from folks all over the world...we couldn't have done it otherwise.

I will update this more....so, please check back for more specifics...about other things like: warning signs of a stroke, birth control, listening to your body, being pushy with the insurance even though they told me they won't cover Dr. Oz since he's not on our plan, physical & occupational thearapy, very minimal residual effects from the stroke.

what a year!

Me & the Wizard...

2009-07-29T11:37:00.006-04:00

So, from the encouragement of my huz, some friends & a little doc we call Oz, I have decided to start blogging again to share my story. I will update this over time, but here's a little taste of it all....

Yup, that's me & Dr. Oz. I LOVE him! he's a wonderful, sympathetic doctor & you know he's trying his hardest to make the world of medicine a much better place. I feel so blessed that we were able to get him. :)

Rambo

2008-05-08T20:26:00.002-04:00

While watching Rambo in Spanish tonight (a language my husband doesn't speak), he says "some movies just don't need words".
So true.

It's a hard-knock life...

2008-04-25T16:32:00.003-04:00

There was a guy in Staples the other day yelling many things...it was hilarious:
-can someone help me here!
-I need to make a copy & I don't know how to use these machines, you [the sales clerk] need to help me.
-It used to be so easy in the old days! You'd hand them a piece of paper, tell them how many copies you wanted made & it was done!
-What does someone have to do to get a copy made around here!!!

I wish I had a video.

Madonna

2008-04-25T16:27:00.005-04:00

Last time I checked...Madonna was from Michigan.
So, uh...why is she speaking with an English accent?
(Also here.)

Notes from a flight...

2008-01-06T22:31:00.000-05:00

Ok, so it's been QUITE awhile since I've posted...but the holidays gave me plenty of fodder.

Here goes:
I love to observe, watch, notice, take note, & of course make fun of folks on flights...it's the best place to people watch.
On my & Joel's flight to El Paso for Christmas on December 18, 2007 we had an early morning flight to Chicago for a quick layover & then proceeded to El Paso. Our flight left at 7:55am & arrived in Chicago at about 9am, getting all of the 'suits' on the flight into Chicago just in time for that 10am business meeting.
Joel & I were quite tired & planned on getting a nice cat nap on the way to Chicago...yet, we couldn't really plan on that. There was one Suit who liked to talk quite loudly, making sure that everyone else on the flight knew she was there & what she thought of everyone she worked with, along with her other thoughts on life, love, politics, and cashmere.
She was just two rows behind us.
Just as the Flight Attendant was about to close the door & we would be requested to put on our seatbelts, I asked Joel if he could help me get a blanket from the overhead compartment. Joel, being the wonderful helper & chivalrous husband he is, got up & retreived a blanket, just above Ms. Suit. As he reached up & grabbed the item that would keep me warm & cozy for the first leg that began our holiday vacation, Ms. Suit made note of this & said to her friend in a low, hushed voice yet certain that she was loud enough that we could hear her:
(Picture her with me -- a well dressed woman, perfect hair, make-up, pumps, & Coach bag with that nice Upper East Side 'I can purchase anything I want' attitude & way of speaking...similar to Meryl Streep in Devil Wears Prada)
"You know, I can't use THOSE blankets anymore & I travel SO much that I bring my own. A $325 cashmere Vanity Fair blanket. Cashmere, it's SO soft & nice!!!"
I was about to turn around & ask Ms. Suit if I could borrow the aforementioned blanket, but instead I warmed up with my non-cashmere blanket & got some nice quick shut eye to begin what was a wonderful Christmas vacation with my new in-laws in TX.

What's in a name?

2007-09-11T11:51:00.001-04:00

Women get married, women take their husband's name.
It happens all the time.
OH!

Except when you live in Queens, NY or Vegas...then, there are special rules.
Our government Social Security offices have decided that if you live in Queens, NY or in Vegas... that there are special rules to submit your paper work.
It seems as if anywhere else in the country you can change your name with some ease.
But not when you live in Queens or Vegas....we're special here & have to do it the special way.

Let me tell you a bit about my journey:
~Joel & I go to get our marriage license.
~on the marriage license you tell them what name you want.
-keep your maiden name
-take your husband's name
-hyphenate the 2 names
-do something else.
this is suppose to make it easier when you change everything with Social Security & all the other peeps.
~I chose to keep my maiden name (as a middle name) and add my husband's name (as my last name) , without the hyphen.
~this is recorded on the license, we get married (YAY!), now I'm all set to go to Social Security & change it all....
~I go to the Social Security office, during my lunch break, wait for about an hour & 15 minutes
~I observe how easy it is for the other "name changers" in line as they submit their paper work.
~I get to the front of the line, submit my papers and.....
WAIT! They tell me I'm not supposed to be there! I live in Queens & I have to go to the special office.
~ok, not such a big deal, I only wasted my lunch break waiting in line to do nothing!
then......
~I take a day off work (because the SS office is only open during office hours) -- fortunately my husband was able to come with me, it was nice to have the company.
~we buy a train ticket to Jamaica, Queens -- really far out in Queens & WAY too far to try & ride the subway to.
~I wait in line for an hour at the SS office in Queens, all my paperwork filled out & ready to go!
~I get to the front of the line, only to be told that I can't have my maiden name as my middle name (WHAT! I have other friends who have done this with NO problem!)
~I am told I have to go to the "Name Change Office" to officially change my name.
(which seems a little odd since, according to the Social Security website, your marriage certificate/license is enough proof for the name change)
~ok, we got to the Name Change Office, fill out all the paper work, & have to submit a fee (yes, I had to pay to do all of this....)
~so, now......
~I am waiting for the judge to approve my name change & tell me "it's ok" for me to have my husband's name & keep something I already have (my maiden name)
~it takes "about 8 weeks" for my paperwork to even reach the judge's hands
~then I have to put a note in the paper telling the world I have a new name:
the gal formerly known as "Megan middle name last name" will now be known as "Megan middle name last name married name"

It all seems like a lot of work.
yes, I know I'm making it a little harder on myself by not just dropping my maiden name, but that name means a lot to me & even tho I can't 'officially' carry on the family name, we only have a couple of gents who can do so.
So, I wanna help keep the name alive.

Did I mention that the "customer service" at the SS & Name Change offices weren't too helpful either?
I just wanted to ask questions to make sure I was doing the right thing!

So, now I wait for the judge....
Oh, how I pray it'll all work out ok.

For now I feel like I don't have a real last name.
& don't get me started on trying to book travel (flights, car rental, hotels) through all of this!!!
Sheesh!

You'd think that by now with the millions of women who get married every year, that the government would know how to handle this & make it easier!
Lord help us.

Any words from the wise who have done this run around before?

Jail Time.

2007-09-06T10:33:00.000-04:00

I heard this on the subway the other day:
"Sometimes I think they let me outta jail too early!"

yeah, me too.

A little morning show & a little print work...

2007-08-30T14:15:00.000-04:00

Matt Lauer is now doing print work for CVS.AWSOME!

addendum: and...in doing some 'research', seems as if I'm not the first person to notice this.

OUCH!

2007-08-23T15:38:00.000-04:00

Note to self:
be careful with the new waffle iron.
ouch!

Working...

2007-08-20T10:26:00.000-04:00

Hum....
I guess I can't work today!

I forgot my hat.
dag.

Just tell the truth.

2007-08-17T10:05:00.000-04:00

This morning I was walking to work & passed by a cute little man (about 9 years old) & his father.
The little guy said "I want a donut."
To which the dad (older & wiser) replied, "There is not a place to get a donut around here, let's go."
Kid: "Yes there is, right there!"
(the child pointing to the New Yorker's ever faithful coffee, bagel, & donut cart.)
Dad: "No, there's not."
Kid: "Yes there is Dad! I saw one right there!"
(again, pointing to the coffee, bagel, & donut cart.)
Dad: "No, there's not, now let's Go!"
(dad, obviously in a rush & trying to get the cart out of view of the child).

I heard them bicker like this a few more times & it just made me want to go over to the kid & say:
"You're not crazy, you could have gotten a donut back there, I saw it too. But your dad was in a rush & probably on a diet & didn't want you to have a donut. So instead of telling you the truth & saying, 'no we can't have one daddy's dieting & in a rush, lets get fruit or something instead'....he said: NO DUNUTS HERE JUNIOR!"

ah...this poor child.
If only dad would've told him the truth.
Then the kid probably wouldn't be questioning his sight.

Makes me wonder sometimes...am I really crazy, thinking I see things?
or do people just lie a lot?

But! What if I'm on Fire?!

2007-07-13T14:09:00.000-04:00

Today I was in a building.
I walked down the hall to the restroom.
On my way, I walked past the fire escape.
Then I stopped & looked:
-there was yellow caution tape laid lazily across the door & taped up with some office scotch tape.
then, there was a sign:
-on 8 x 11 white office paper
-written with a black sharpie
-with the printing of a 4th grader
it read:
"Fire Escape is under construction, please do not use."

Well that's just great!
What if I leave my hot pocket in the toaster too long & the kitchen is on fire & we have to RUN!
then what?
not very convenient folks.

(ps-- bonus points for whoever can tell me where I stole the hot pockets fire ref from)

I love it when...

2007-06-27T14:41:00.000-04:00

I love it when:
I push the elevator button & it's all lit up & ready to roll, then...someone will come up behind me & push the button again hard, many times.
As if I didn't push the button hard enough.

We're Back!

2007-06-22T16:54:00.000-04:00

The Wedding & Honeymoon were AWESOME!
now, back to reality...

The Blind Man

2007-05-21T16:56:00.000-04:00

This morning, I helped a blind man cross the street.

As we got near the curb on the other side I said:

"Watch your step!"
-oops.

Influenza Campaign

2007-04-26T16:55:00.000-04:00

I started to write about this before, but I didn't have the pictures to go with the story. Now, you can see the goofiness for yourself...thank you MTA.

Here we go............
Influenza is just a fancy way to say 'the flu'.
This past winter the MTA started a 'campaign' to warn us to be careful of catching the flu.
They showed us darling pictures of family & friends, with a scare tactic tag line on the side that said "INFLUENZA KILLS!!!" (insert evil scary music here)
While running this campaign they told us to be careful, take necessary precautions, & not be around too many sick people...all while tainting our view of precious moments spent with family & friends....it was pretty funny.

See pictures below:

PICTURE #1

"Influenza Spreads by word of mouth"

I like to call this, "don't spend time with your friends, they could make you sick"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PICTURE #2

"Influenza likes to keep it in the family"

I call this one, "& don't spend time with your family either"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PICTURE #3

"Influenza loves private moments"

or as it read on another train "Even moments like this can cause influenza"

And this (my favorite one of all...) I call "don't read with Gramps, he's sick & you might die."

A little crazy...

2007-04-26T16:03:00.000-04:00

I went to the stationary store yesterday to buy 6 pieces of cardstock paper.
I needed the paper cut in 4's.
They wanted to charge me $1/cut to cut the paper.
yes, one Dollar PER cut!
(for 6 pieces of paper, 2 cuts per peice of paper...that's 12 cuts & a bargain of $12 to CUT PAPER!)
a little out of control...ya think?

So, I went to Staples & used their paper cutter to cut the paper myself.
Where the paper cutter with the big sharp blade was left out in the open for anyone (sane or not) to use.
Well, at least I cut the paper for free!

Fun Facts....

2007-02-27T15:04:00.000-05:00

ok, I dunno how true these "fun facts" are, but I was cleaning out some old emails & thought I would share this info:
Weird Things You Would Never Know!!
* Butterflies taste with their feet.
* A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
* In 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all of theworld's nuclear weapons combined.
* On average, 100 people choke to death on ball-point pens every year.
* On average people fear spiders more than they do death.
* Ninety percent of New York City cabbies are recently arrivedimmigrants.
*Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating arealready married.
*Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
* Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
* It's possible to lead a cow upstairs... but not downstairs.
* Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
* It's physically impossible for you to lick your elbow.
*The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every yearbecause when it was built, engineers failed to take into account theweight of all the books that would occupy the building.
* A snail can sleep for three years.
* No word in the English language rhymes with "MONTH."
* Average life span of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.
* Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and earsnever stop growing. - SCARY!!!
* The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
* All polar bears are left-handed.
* In ancient Egypt, priests plucked EVERY hair from their bodies, including their eyebrows and eyelashes.
* An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
* TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters onlyon one row of the keyboard.
* "Go," is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
* If Barbie were life-size, her measurements would be 39-23-33. Shewould stand seven feet, two inches tall.
* A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
* The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.
* Americans on average eat 18 acres of pizza every day.
* Almost everyone who reads this will try to lick their elbow. (You tried to lick your elbow, didn't you?!)

You Can't Trust the Irish!

2007-02-13T15:26:00.000-05:00

One day early last fall, Joel & I were leaving church & there was a woman standing outside asking for money & food. Well, neither of us are too comfortable giving out money, so Joel said "hey, there is a deli around the corner, why don't I buy you some food!"
The woman kindly took Joel up on his offer & he bought her a nice healthy chicken breast. We chatted with her for awhile, as she told us how she got to be in her situation (an uncle took the family wealth...or something) & then we were on our way.

A few months had passed & I was on my way to work one morning (across town from where we go to church) & I saw the same woman.
I walked up to her & I said "Hi, I remember you! My boyfriend bought you food one day outside of our church ____."
She said "Yes! That is my church! Are you able to help me out?"
Again, being uncomfortable with giving money out, I said "Well, I have some of my lunch in my bag, you can have some of that!" and the woman took it with a smile.
After taking the food from me she said "Do you possibly know of any place that can help me get a job? I really need a job right now."
I said "I know lots of places & temp agencies, there's actually a really great temp agency right down the street & they can probably help you pretty quickly."
Immediately after I finished telling her where she could go to look for a job, she asked me "Are you possibly Irish?"
I thought to myself, what kind of question is that!?
But replied with a grin full of Irish pride..."Why, yes I am!"
As I said yes, the woman grabbed the food I had given her out of her bag & handed it back to me while saying "I'm sorry, but the Irish always seem to steer me in the wrong direction, I'm going to have to give this back to you."
I said "No, please I am trying to bless you!"
She said "No, thank you, I've just been steered wrong by the Irish."
I said "Ok, well, God Bless!" & walked away.
But as I was starting to walk away she asked me if I had any money.
I said "No, sorry." & walked off...chuckling to myself.
She couldn't take my advice or my food since I was Irish, but she could take my money...interesting!

Of course, I immediately told this story to Joel & we laughed about it...eventually forgetting what had happened.
Until this past Sunday.....
Again, we were leaving church & again the same woman was outside asking for money or food.
As I saw her I pointed her out to Joel telling him "LOOK! It's the lady who doesn't trust the Irish!"
So, as we walked past her & she asked for money Joel said to her "I'm sorry, we can't help you...we're both Irish."
Then I heard the woman say something like "OH, ok."

Now, I couldn't help but laugh at this.
I'm not laughing at the woman being in her position & needing to beg (I pray that I never have to go through that.)
But...to have prejudice against someone because they are Irish? When you are in need of help?
That is just silly.

So, if you do see our friend & would like to help her, please do...I would like to, but I'm Irish.

4 Months From Today...

2007-02-02T16:27:00.000-05:00

4 months from today...
I will dance, eat, dance, celebrate, dance some more...
AND!
I will be the Mrs. to this hottie!

YOWZA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice Picture Junior!

2007-01-12T10:34:00.000-05:00

So, there is a kid in RI who thought that this picture:

would be an appropriate way to express himself in his senior yearbook.
His school however, rejected the picture because of its "zero tollerance against weapons".

The kid's mom also agreed with Junior that this was his way of expressing what he was interested in at the time & had nothing to do with promoting violence. So, then mamma sued the school cus she was bummed that her little Knight wouldn't be seen in his Senior yearbook.
(all info taken from msnbc.com).

I don't know about you, but I think this case should go to the school cus that poor kid is gonna go to his 10 year reunion & think "Dear Lord! What was I thinking!"

Queasy Stomachs Beware!

2007-01-08T14:24:00.000-05:00

TRUE STORY:
I was waiting for the 1 @ Columbus Circle on Saturday morning & I noticed a gentleman doing 'snot rockets' onto the subway tracks. Gross!
BUT!
The t-shirt he wore:
had a picture of a bacteria looking creature with a circle around it & line through it to cross-out the creature. above this, his t-shirt read "Bacteria Busters", as if he was saying "I represent Bacteria Busters".

I don't know about you, but after seeing this display of behavior I don't think this man should be allowed to wear the shirt.

Note: for those of you that don't know what a 'snot rocket' is...I will just say it has to do with blowing your nose with as much force as possible, without the tissue. This display of behavior is usually seen when watching the World Cup.

TIMMY NO!! Stop Spending Quality Time With Grandpa!

2006-12-14T15:39:00.000-05:00

On average, I spend about an hour on the subway each day with my many trips to & fro throughout the city. I don't always have a book with me, so I end up reading the various signs that line the overhead advertising in the subway car. I have become quite aware of some of these signs & would like to share some with you...

One of my classic favorites that MANY of you New Yorkers will recognize is the Dr. Z dermatologist ad:
I have always loved the before & after make-over pictures & this one is a classic case.
before:
1) the gal obviously didn't shower before taking the picture.
2) she doesn't have on any make-up
3) she is not smiling
4) she looks like she just rolled outta bed
then! VOILA!
in her 'after' picture she is smiling, has taken a shower, put on some make-up, & obviously got a few hours of sleep the night before.
wow! what a shower, smile, & tube of lipstick can do for a gal!

Another new favorite of mine -- (oh how i wish i had a picture of it...it's WAY cuter than this picture)

let me describe it to you......
there is a lovely picture of a Grandfather reading a book to the cutest little 4 year old boy you ever saw! curly hair, wearing a sweater vest over a nicely pressed plaid shirt, khaki's, & the biggest smile of adoration for his Gramps.
& Grandpa looks like a happy feller too!
He's holding Jr. in on his lap with his arms around the boy while reading a classic story to the youngster.
ah...a lovely picture of quality time between Grandpa & Jr.
BUT WAIT!
there is a caption underneath it that reads:
"Even moments like this can cause influenza"
then the ad proceeds to tell you about influenza & how it is caused.
wow, I never thought a precious picture of Grandpa & Jr. could be so tainted with influenza! thank you MTA.

OH NO! I misplaced my leg!!!

2006-11-20T14:39:00.000-05:00

This ad that is in the subway is quite bizarre...

Tell me something...how do you lose a prosthetic leg?

other odd things shows that people seem to lose on the subway or bus:

-tin cans that are already open

-king cobra's

-something that looks a heck of a lot like a UFO

-boomerang

-dentures

WHAT!?

The Little Things....

2006-11-09T16:42:00.000-05:00

I'm in a bit of a reflective mood today...thinking about my life & where I've been, where I'm going. And I tell ya I wouldn't have it any other way.
I went to 3 colleges, but I got SO SO MUCH out of each one I went to. I cringe to think that if I had not transferred to my last college, that I would not have the friends in my life that I have from that last school...all of them also transfer students.
I have been in NYC & seen my ups & downs in regards to my career & where I've been, but I can see how I've learned something from each & every experience, good & bad.
I have also had relationships/friendships, good & bad. I have learned so much from each of those as well. Especially when being pulled in a direction I'm not necessarily comfortable with. But man oh man, the growth and strength I feel at the end of those 'trials' is quite rewarding.
I believe that God only gives us what we can handle & I'm grateful for the way He's helped me handle my life. Sure, it's not always been easy, but it's always been good.
I love the quote from The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe: "Of course he isn't safe... but... he's GOOD... He's the King."
Life has not always been safe or easy, but it's been good.
Look at the little things, step out of your comfort zone, & focus on THE One who is Good...and with that I believe that you will be directed towards life more rewarding then ever dreamed.

Note to Self (part 2)...

2006-09-25T11:02:00.000-04:00

Note to self...

Do not unplug the spaceheater at work while it is still on.
This could cause an electric shock.

Yes, I have to use a spaceheater at work...they like to keep the AC on year round.

And no, I did not get electricuted when unplugging it, just almost.

Note to self...

2006-09-21T15:27:00.000-04:00

Note to self:

--Do NOT order the "special" at the mexican restaurant 'Spinach & Mushroom Burrito' when the E.Coli outbreak is happening.

Yes, it was the special last night at dinner with Joel.

A little vent...

2006-06-26T15:33:00.000-04:00

I have come to realize that when living in a NYC apartment, you usually give up one thing to get another…compromise. You give up THE location to have more space or give up space to live in THE location.

I love my apartment. I love how easy it is to get places. (I am in Queens & it is closer for me to get to many places I go to than when I was on the Upper East Side in Manhattan!). I love that I have many friends that live right in the neighborhood & upstairs. I love that I have 2 grocery stores (& I mean REAL grocery stores) just minutes away. I love that I can see the sky clearly when I get outta the subway. I love that I live on a cute tree lined street. I love that I have the best Greek restaurant just 10 blocks from me. I love that I have a REAL kitchen, living room, bedroom, closet, & bathroom. I have given up “location, location, location” to live in a great apartment, in a great neighborhood, by myself (something that is quite rare in NYC unless you’re a rich rich man or wanna live in a box).

All of this said, I have to say…I would give it all up if I didn’t have to deal with the WACKO! that lives below me. I live on the first floor & the landlord’s sister lives down stairs, yes…in the basement. Our building is a ‘family business’. Although, I have been told by the landlord that his sister “is a leech” (you can probably all guess what that means…) & he does not really like to deal with her. But because he runs the building & it is owned by his father, I guess my landlord is willing to deal. Well, I am at the end of my rope with this lady. Let me tell ya a little bit about her…examples:

**When I was moving in she came into my apartment (uninvited) & said “I hope we’re not going to have any trouble” …uh, no! I’m not a drug dealer!
**she told my boyfriend (who she knows & has seen many times) that it was ‘not nice’ for him to sit outside on our little front lawn on a beautiful spring day we were having. (NOT NICE!? What!?)
**on New Years she told my friends upstairs that they were being too loud (just minutes after midnight! On NEW YEARS!)
**I was listening to my music in the middle of the day, at quite a reasonable level, & she came upstairs & asked me to turn it down. I was not having a dance party or anything, I was listening to music.
**when my mom & sister were visiting we were getting ready to leave my apartment & as we were walking around the apartment she banged on her ceiling, my floor…cus we were too loud. We were just walking.
**that same weekend my mom & sister were visiting we were coming home & she heard us coming home & came upstairs to see who was coming into ‘her’ building. (um, sometimes people have friends & family come over!).

The walls in my building from are quite thin & you can hear the people above or below you walking around, talking, watching tv, even flushing the toilet. I can often hear the people upstairs from me walking around or talking & I can hear the lady below me talking & watching her TV too...but this is what happens when you live your life, these are things people do. & you WILL hear these things in a thin wall building.

Last night was the worst...I just got back from a really great relaxing weekend in VT & came home to a hot apartment. So, I immediately turned on the fan in my room (a quiet rotating fan) to cool down. Since it was late, I was trying to be respectfully quiet as I dragged my bag into my room & unpacked...opening & closing dresser drawers, putting my bag away, etc. At about midnight I hear a knock at my door & hear the voice of the lady downstairs “Megan, it’s Vesna!” “CRAP!” I think..."what the heck does she want...I was totally quiet!!!"
I opened the door & she says “do you have a fan on or something?”
"Yes” I say.
“well, can you please turn it off or put a book under it or something? It sounds like a something is hammering & it is quite loud”
I give her a look of are you freaking serious? You’ve got to be kidding me!
& then politely complied “yes, sure, goodnight”

I close the door & I am furious!
A fan, A FAN!!!!! Is now too loud for her! What will it be next?!! Me breathing & taking a shower & cooking dinner & opening the fridge & LIVING MY LIFE!

Wow.

I love my apartment & have the best of both worlds with location & amount of space, but compromised thin walls for all of it & now...this ‘leech’ has GOT to stop.

I should tell her that she needs to stop snoring cus I can hear her in her bed below me when I’m trying to get to sleep.

well, DUH!!!!!!!!!

2006-04-20T14:13:00.000-04:00

As I read through articles on msnbc.com today, one of the headlines reads: "STUDY: Tired drivers are four times more likely to crash than rested motorists." OH! REALLY??? Why don't they also have a title that says something like: "When a baby's diaper is wet, you should change it." or "Too much McDonalds can make ya fat!" or "Heat makes people warm." I am constantly amazed at the money that is spent on 'studies'. What about the money that could be spent on helping others get food, clothes, & shelter? It's pretty easy to know that if you're overtired you shouldn't be driving, money does not need to be spent on that study. I could've told ya myself (& saved the research money) that if I'm tired it's not a good idea for me to drive, operate heavy machinery, or even balance my checkbook. It's just bizarre to me the money that is put into silly things. There are people without food, teachers being underpaid, & familys without homes & yet....we are spending our money to find out just how bad it is if you don't wash your hands after using the restroom. Well, DUH! Of COURSE you should wash your hands after you use the bathroom! Gross! How 'bout we use our money on a things a little bit more important? I don't really need to know what the ratio is of people who write in black vs. blue pens. (which, by the way...I use black).

Gonna be a Smoker...

2006-02-07T16:23:00.000-05:00

As the chilly winter wind blows & temps are down...I've been noticing more & more how people handle themselves in the cold. (be warned: stereotypes do follow)... The short & cute & pretty girl with perfectly straight hair keeps her cute & trendy image in stilettos & perfectly pressed pants as she walks down the street with no hat or gloves...but she still looks stylish (& cold) ... The tall 'suit' walks down the street in nothing but his suit & perhaps carrying a black portfolio of some sort to go to meet his boys at the popular bar down the street where all the other 'suits' are...but he too still looks stylish (& cold) ... As these 2 types walk down the street in this chilly NYC winter you can see that, although they look great, they can't hide the fact that they are still cold & can't wait to get inside. The last type I have noticed (that seems to not be affected at all by this cold) is the smoker. They sit outside on a bench or in the courtyard outside their office or just resting against a building without a coat, hat, gloves, scarf...NADA! & they have no signs of being chilly. They calmly rest during this break time, often times with a cup 'o joe in hand, enjoying a chat with a friend (who usually is also a smoker), & seem to have no cares about the day or the 20mph wind that is briskly hitting their face. Why are they not affected by the cold??? Now, I was raised in the cold Chicago burbs & went to school in western MI (where in both places we KNOW the terms 'lake-effect' & 'wind chill factor'). Yet, I have not been able to master the calm & collected ease that smokers have on chilly days like these. Perhaps it's sheer determination for the chance to have a break for 15 minutes or the opportunity to catch up on gossip outside of the office....whatever the case, I admire the smoker's will & perseverance. I do not want to be so affected by this chilly weather anymore & I don't like having to worry if I have my coat, scarf, hat, gloves, boots, leggings, (& all other things we wear to keep warm) when I go outside to get lunch....it's just too much to remember. (seriously, how many times have you left a hat or glove behind?) So with this, I've decieded to take up smoking. I too will then have the thick blood & skin that all smokers seem to have. Sure, I may cut 20 years off my life, have a terrible cough, have yellow teeth & fingers, spend about $5 every couple days on a pack of smokes, & one day have to carry around my own personal oxygen....but!!!!!.....I will not be cold & be able to handle walking outside in the chill for 15 minutes (or longer!!!). Come on world...join me in supporting your local Marlboro Man & smoke with me! You may never have to wear a winter coat again!

Just Call Me Maggot.

2005-12-15T12:18:00.000-05:00

When I was in college in Chicago, I went to visit a church in hopes of finding a 'home church' while at school. During the meet & greet moment of the service I introduced myself to a cute little old lady that was sitting next to me. (& how cute & little she was ... about 4'10" & wrapped all nice & warm in her Chicago winter clothes). I shook her hand & said "Hello, my name is Megan." "WHAT?!" she said. I repeated myself "Megan!" "Maggot?" she said. "NO, MEGAN!", I said louder. "Maggot?" she said again, this time seeming more confused. After that second time I thought "oh, why bother...she can't hear me." And so I didn't say anthing as she said "MAGGOT?!!" a third time. And after saying "Maggot" that third time...with a perplexed & curious face she just politely nodded & said "Oh, well, that's an interesting name!"...and I remained silent. So now, there is an 80 year old woman running around (well, maybe not running...) in Chicago thinking that there is a girl in this world who's parents named her Maggot. I imagine that she went to her gin rummy game the following evening & told all of her other lady friends about the girl with the "interesting" name that she met at church the night before. For years this story has been my funny story to share with folks of the ways people mess up my name. & believe me, there aren't many stories of that....Megan is a pretty simple name....or so I thought, until recently. Two more times in the past couple of weeks I have had similar misunderstandings happen. 1) I answered the phone for my boss at work & it was his father on the other line. After a minute or so of talking to his father, he says to me "And what is your name?" "Megan" I say. "Maggot?" (flashbacks race through my mind of that time in college.....) "Megan" I say again. "Uh, Oh, ok...well, nice speaking with you." I am certain this man thinks that I have "an interesting name" just like the old woman in Chicago. 2) Then just a few days after that I was calling to make an order for lunch. The gentleman on the other line asked for my name (as they do) & of course I say "Megan." "Maggot?" he says (nightmares are starting to happen by now...) "Yes" I say...just to make it easier for all of us. Until now, I never thought my name was that hard----it's plain & simple.....phonetically spelled....MEHG-IN. (not MAAYG-IN...as MANY New Yorkers & other east-coasters seem to say it.) But now, there are at least 3 people in this world thinking that there is a girl with a name that means: (as Webster's online defines it...) a soft-bodied legless grub that is the larva of a dipterous insect (as the housefly). However, I would like to point out that if my name is now to be Maggot (since Megan is SO confusing & hard to pronounce...note sarcasm...) that Webster's online also has this definition listed second: Maggot--a fantastic or eccentric idea. So, people of the world...call me Maggot all you want! my nightmares & flashbacks are comforted in the fact that Maggot is: a fantastic or eccentric idea. I don't wanna be like everyone else anyways...eccentric...OK! YES! Maggot it is!! that IS an 'interesting' name! :)

I should SUE!

2005-11-07T10:10:00.000-05:00

People sue others over really weird things nowadays & win. (For example: the klutz who spilled hot McDonalds coffee on herself, sued McDonalds, & won about $2 million bucks! & how about the woman who had no self-control, ate lots of Pirate's Booty, gained weight, & sued Pirate's Booty for her weight gain. and how about the guy who sat on the toilet at Home Depot & got stuck to it?) So with these odd legal cases I have decided that I am going to sue the Marquis Theatre over my experience I had there last week. (I could use a few extra bucks!) I got some free tickets & went to see the show Woman in White with some friends &, as I always do, went to the restroom during intermission. Well, what an experience that was. The line was long, as always; it took longer than the allotted 15 minutes of time to get through the line & as a result I had to run back into the theatre to get to my seat on time (good thing I didn't fall or anything while running, otherwise we'd have another reason to sue); and (to top it all off!) the door on my stall didn't lock tight so a woman walked in on me. I guess I could sue the Marquis for embarassment, not being sensitive with my time, not providing enough stalls, & not having secure locks in the facilities. Are these all legit reasons to sue? Seriously though. I think that we all need to take more responsibility for ourselves & our actions. The woman who spilled the McD's coffee on herself was balancing the hot styrofoam cup between her knees while trying to put creamer in it as her grandson was driving. Why not just take another minute to not drive off & take care of the drink in the parking lot? Or why didn't she sue her grandson for the sudden stop that caused the coffee to spill? And to the Pirate Booty lady .... it is important to take responsibility over our bodies & eat a balanced diet. You can't have a diet on one item or brand, it's just not healthy. And toilet guy...don't EVER sit on a public toilet! That's just GROSS!!!! So I guess with these thoughts, perhaps I won't sue the Marquis Theatre for my embarassment & time crunch. I could've stood up immediately as intermission began & went to the restroom right away & also held the door (just in case) so nobody would walk in on me. Marquis Theatre...don't worry, this gal is not coming after you, you can save your $3 milllion. I did have an enjoyable evening laughing the night away at an entertaining show. Wait! Woman in White is supposed to be a drama! Andrew Lloyd Webber....I'm suing you for false advertisement!!! :)

Quit your cryin'!

2005-10-27T17:06:00.000-04:00

Ok, so the White Sox won the world series. They have not won since 1917. Chicago has rarely seen the month of October in the baseball world. Now, the White Sox have won. I guess I can say I am happy for the city of Chicago as a whole. However, I am not the happiest for the Sox. I am a Cubs fan, that's how I was raised. If I were to root for the Sox...well, my grandfather would be turning in his grave.
I will say this, though, to the Yankees fans of New York City...quit your crying.
Yes, Steinbrenner has done quite a job making the Yankees who they are. Yes, they are a winning team (they have been to the World Series 39 times & have won 26 titles). But seriously, can't they be happy for the underdogs? I guess once you get used to being a winner, you don't take loosing all that easy. Now the cities of Chicago & Boston...well, we are used to loosing in Baseball. These two cities will be glowing in their World Series wins for perhaps another 100 years until they win again. Although I am a Cubs fan, I am happy for the Boston Red Sox & (I suppose) the White Sox. Perhaps this DOES mean that my Cubbies can win next year (they haven't won since 1908!). So to all you Yankees fans out there....WATCH OUT! Perhaps this means that the curse of the billy goat is over.

Even if I wanted to...

2005-10-14T16:25:00.000-04:00

Even if I wanted to, I couldn't do it. OK...so here's something I've been thinking about lately-- useless insignificant inapt pointless senseless additional information (i'll call it UIIPSAI & obviosly use more words than necessary to stress my point). The NYC Transit seems to really like using this UIIPSAI process. Many times I have seen signs that just tell me something that is completely irrelevant. For example: I have seen signs that say "no transfers at this station" or "the E train runs express this weekend from Roosevelt Ave. to Queens Plaza" or (my personal favorite) "no tokens at this time". Why bother wasting all of that signage & ad space to tell me I can't do something even if I wanted to do it? Transfers: If I wanted to transfer at the station with the sign, I couldn't anyway...so why bother to tell me I can't. The E Train: the E always runs express on the weekends from Roosevelt to the Plaza...so why tell me it is still doing what it always does?? The tokens: I LOVE when I see this sign!! Tokens were pretty much retired from use within the subway system a few years ago. There is no place to even put a token if you had one & wanted to use it to pay your fare. This information telling me "no tokens at this time" is just silly & useless. This is like putting up a sign at Starbucks that says "we don't have inexpensive coffee right now". (nor will they ever, if I wanted to get cheap coffee there, I couldn't). Or a sign at a sushi place that says "we don't have burgers today". I think the philosophy that may go with this extra signage seems silly. The people that put the signs up in the Subway may think "we'll put up more information so we don't confuse people." Yes, there is something to be said for clear communication & that is SOOO important. However, on that road to strive for clear communication we can tend to over stress our point or give UIIPSAI that confuses the other party & may steer them in the wrong direction. Clear communication....yes VERY important. UIIPSAI....too too much & potentially causes further confusion. Consider yourselves warned-- Beware of UIIPSAI.

The 99¢ Menu

2005-09-20T15:20:00.000-04:00

When on the subway recently I saw an ad that read: "Take your date somewhere that doesn't have a 99¢ menu." EB Games. My intitial thought when I read this was..."YES! of COURSE you don't take a date to a place that has a 99¢ menu! Isn't that a common known fact? You take them somewhere a bit nicer...even if (in suburbia) it is a TGI Friday's." However, when further reading this ad, I realized exactly what kind of company this was---EB Games is: an Electronics Boutique that offers a large selection of new, used & hard to find titles at great prices with fast processing & shipping. (info blurb taken from google.com) With this I came to my own conclusion that the ad was saying "take your date to a video game store instead of the place with the 99¢ menu." Then I thought...uh NO! you do NOT take your date to a video game store either!!! Gentleman, gentleman...I sure do hope that with the influence of the media ads like this that you do not think that it is OK to take your date to a place with a 99¢ menu or even a video game store. Even if you're broke...be creative! Pack a picnic, go somewhere to people watch & make stories up of the people you're seeing, go for a walk...there are many alternatives to spending money on a date. (shoot, I'm even a gal who will help pay for the bill...the man does not always have to get it). I will say yes...it is nice to be taken somewhere amazing & romantic & lovely...but it is not always necessary to spend lots of major bucks on a date. Along with this goes the simple gesture of chivalry .... it goes a LONG way...you can try to woo & wow with the lobster dinner on the sea, but if you don't have even a bit of chivalry, you don't have much. (I am fortunate to have gentlemen in my life exemplify this & it is a nice gesture). All of this said...be gentleman & put in a little thought to what you are offering your woman, otherwise you could be eating your 99¢ burger alone while playing Frogger.

For One LOW Price!!!

2005-09-09T10:39:00.000-04:00

I was browsing through a FAO catalog that came through the mail at work & wanted to let you know about an AMAZING deal!!! For one low price of $25,000 your kid can have a slumber party with 15 of their closest friends at the FAO store! With this you get "Ice Cream, Piano Lessons/dancing (on the giant Dance-On piano), rides on a 3-D motion simulator, & hours of games & activities throughout the store!" And, while at lunch yesterday, I also read an article in U.S. News about the amazing deal parents are getting on bar/bat mitzvah's, Quinceanera's, & other 'coming of age' parties. Some parents are spending as much as the low price of $65,000!!! (please note sarcasm)OK, OK you have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!! this is freaking RIDICULOUS!!! When I was a kid we NEVER spent that much money on my bday parties & we STILL had "ice cream, piano lessons & dancing, a 3-D similator, hours of games & activities" aka... LOTS of FUN!!! We bought ice cream from the store, played the piano in the living room, if we wanted to dance...we'd just turn on the radio, our '3-D simulator' was watching movies too close to the TV (or when we were young enough for him to carry us...by playing 'Superman' with Dad). & 'hours of games & activities' were accomplished with our imaginations & the occasional pin the tail on the donkey, truth or dare, chubby bunny, & prank calls.Why are parents spending SO much money on a stinking birthday party? Does part of it have to do with the guilt of not spending enough time with their kids cus they are working a MILLION hours a week to spend money on the aforementioned party & then they are making up for the lost time with the elaborate gifts & parties that they worked SO SO hard to pay for that will last all of 3- 6 hours? Do parents think that they can buy the affection & love of their kids? (uh...anyone heard of 'quality time'?)

For One LOW Price!!! (con't)

2005-09-09T09:55:00.000-04:00

OK, yes I do realize that I am not yet a parent. & perhaps I will spoil my kids. But I'm pretty sure I'll spoil them with love, affection, adoration, praise, discipline, manners, respect, direction..."raise them up in the way they should go." My sister & I never had these elaborate parties, yet I know that my parents really loved me as I was growing up (& still do today!). I know this because they've told me with their actions & words. I never needed parties like that to know I was cared about growing up. Also...my sister & I were capable of using our imaginations to entertain ourselves. Give us a tape recorder & a few blank tapes & we were set for hours! I think that kids today are pretty darn spoiled & have so much stimulation with video games, TV, movies, iPods, gadget upon gadget upon gadget that they don't know how to entertain themselves & appreciate the small things. I am grateful for all I had (& didn't have) growing up. I am a stronger person & harder worker because of that. Parents please...if you can spend that kind of money...good for you! But remember it's the quality time that counts. You kids will remember the "I'm proud of you" & "I love you" comments along with the quality time MUCH more. I know I do...I can barely remember what I was given for my 18th birthday, but I DO know I was surrounded by love.

The Gossip.

2005-08-26T16:16:00.000-04:00

My office gets People magazine delivered every week. This is fun because it gives me an opportunity to catch up on the latest celebrity gossip & it is a nice brainless activity to split up the day a bit. I think that my favorite thing about these types of magazines, however, is the 'sources'. I've noticed that in almost every article the information cited is from 'a source', 'a relative', 'a friend', 'an onlooker'. So this makes me think...how accurate, really, is this information? Not very. Yet, as interested Americans we dive into these gossip magazines & live vicariously through the stars. Their fancy cars, gifts, party life, & turmoils...all to make us feel better about our own problems. With the help of these publications we can forget that we may be having problems at work, with family, or just life in general. Through these articles we can avoid getting into deeper conversations about ourselves & merely say "did you hear about Jen & Vince?... Brad & Angelina?...did you know that Bennifer2 did get married?" Yes, I am guilty of making comments like this too, but COME ON PEOPLE!!! (you, people...not People) lets try & be genuinely interested in one another & see what is going on in each other's lives. Community, interaction, support, love, meaningful conversation... these are all essential ingredients to help us get through life. It makes us stronger & it's a lot more healthy than talking gossip about someone we don't even know (well, any gossip for that matter is not good either-- whether we do or do not know the person). So, tell me about yourself! What were your parents like? Where did you grow up? What are your dreams, desires, passions, secrets? Tell me some of your hobbies, things you do for fun. And I will tell you mine. I don't want the 'onlooker, source, friend' to tell you that I was "seen eating soul food with friends at Sylvia's in Harlem last night".

Where are the humans?

2005-08-10T14:51:00.000-04:00

I am looking for human beings. Has anyone seen them? When I make a phone call I usually get voicemail. When I check-out at the grocery store, buy a Metro Card, or buy a movie ticket...I can do it myself without a cashier. If I lived in the suburbs & had a car...the old school days of someone getting your gas & washing your windows for you are gone (that is, unless you live in Jersey). When I call customer service, I get the automated voice on the other end prompting me through a series of choices. I like people, I like human interaction. I don't always want to have to do things online. I like to speak to the voice on the other end telling me that "it will all be taken care of." Would it be possible to go back to having a human answer the phone rather than Ms. Automated Lady? Or the simple service of the nice cashier at the store. Along with this goes the fact that we need each other. We need the support, ears, hearts, hugs of the community around us. Hugging has even been used as a 'presciption' for some in recovery from surgery or for depression. (I read this online somewhere...don't have a footnote). I am SO SO grateful to have my network of friends & family .... they are my support group & I am happy for that. Maybe I could get one of them to work at the grocery store so I could chat to someone when I check out....! :)

I am a nerd.

2005-07-28T14:01:00.000-04:00

Not long ago, in a time not so far away... society told us that you were a 'nerd' if you had a computer & knew how to use it. Now, it's the other way around...you are a 'nerd' if you don't own a computer &/or don't know how to use one. Technology is such a significant part of our lives these days that when I often tell people that I don't own a computer they give me the "WHA?!! HOW?! OH MY GOSH!" response. I suppose I am living in 1982-- I do not own a computer, I do not have cable, I do not have an iPod, I do not have long distance on my phone, I do not have central air, I do not have a dishwasher, I do not have a digital camera, I do not have a fax machine at home, I still pay my bills with a checkbook & stamps...I do have a cell phone & DVD player though! (but my cell only makes calls & does text messaging...I can't surf the web or take pictures from my phone ...& my DVD player...just plays DVD's, nothing fancy) I suppose I am venting all of this to say that is why I have not blogged in quite some time. I was in L.A. the first week of July, then I was at a temp job with no computer access (WHAT!), then I was off work another week with no computer access....& now here I am at my new temp job with computer access....bloggin'. I missed you all & hope to be back here more frequently...if not...I might have to pick up the phone or send you some 'snail mail'. WHAT! WHAT WOULD THAT BE LIKE!?!?? Phone calls & letters in the mail to update you on my life instead of email, text, & blogs!? that's crazy talk.

I just gave Tom Hanks 2 bucks!

2005-06-29T15:38:00.000-04:00

I was on a 'retreat' last night & went to Target to run some errands (I LOVE that place! SO refreshing!) :) & they had a special edition 2 disk DVD of Forrest Gump on sale for $9.44 & for that price I just had to get it! Now, as I figure....if actors & directors get residuals for movies when they are bought....Tom Hanks & Robert Zemekis will each probably receive about 20% of my purchase ---about $2. With this $2 Tom Hanks will possibly buy a pack of gum, a can of pop, or give it to his kids for some candy. Mr. Zemekis will maybe go back to IL & buy his mom (who, coincidentally...goes to my Dad's church) a cup 'o joe. So, with my purchase last night .... as I see it... I have contributed to the cavities of Tom Hanks' children & the love that Mrs. Zemekis will shower on her son for that lovely cup of coffee. As the other non-Tom Hanks/Robert Zemekis film saying goes.... "pay it forward" people. My $9.44 has gone a long long way....won't you consider doing the same & purchase the $9.44 DVD of Zoolander to go towards Christine Taylor's chai tea from Ben Stiller?

It's not raining.

2005-06-28T15:54:00.000-04:00

A few things that I have come to realize as truths while living in NYC: you will know who the homeless person is on your corner & start to worry about them when they are not there. You know you have a good deal when you pay $850 a month for a 'cozy' 1BR apartment. And people will use their umbrella when it is not raining. Yesterday, it rained. But it only lasted for about an hour... a little humid shower when, yes, we did need our umbrellas. However, after this little pour was over I was walking around & people were STILL using the umbrellas. It's as if people think that if it was raining when they got on the subway... that of COURSE it's still raining when they get off. They don't even check to see if the rain has stopped, they just automatically put up their umbrella. This becomes especially annoying when coming home at rush hour & you can't get around Mr. Suit & his big massive golf umbrella that will fit 4 of his buddies underneath there with him. (even if it was raining, this umbrella....still way to big for NYC streets). Seems that people see the wet ground so they think "clearly I need to use my umbrella!" Just because the ground is wet, you do not need your umbrella. The doorman may have cleaned the sidewalks with the hose...you do not need an umbrella. An air conditioner may be dripping from the apartment above...you do not need an umbrella. Someone may have dropped & spilled their coffee outside of Starbucks...you do not need an umbrella. Please people please....check to see if it's raining before you open up the umbrella, you don't need it when it's not.

A little slice of Heaven.

2005-06-23T15:34:00.000-04:00

I am a gal with big feet, size 12m. It is a hard hard task for me to even attempt to get shoes (if I want something super comfortable that will last long & not pay a million dollars). Yes, Payless is a pretty good spot for me, but they are more of a one-season-don't-wear-them-everyday shoe. (& I was really sad when Parade of Shoes went out of business, they carried 12's......arg.) Growing up it was hard for me to find shoes too. As an 11 year old wearing a size 11 shoe, all I wanted was a nice comfortable flat dress shoe & not too many people made '11 year old looking shoes' in a size 11. Many times I have even had to resort to buying men's boots or gym shoes. Usually when shoe shopping....I walk into a store, don't even look at my choices, but first go to the sales person & say "what is the highest size your shoes go?" This size usually... a small little 10. I don't say what I used to ask "do you carry shoes in a 12?" because with that question, I would usually get a lovely response of "UH! NO!!!..." from the rude salesperson & a look that said "...you from Mars or something?" But yesterday...I walked into (for me) what I believe to be a little slice of Heaven. [When in Heaven, we may not have to worry about shoes, but if we do...we will be able to get the size we need, no problem]. I found a store in east mid-town where big shoes are there specialty! They have probably 100 or so choices to choose from & they don't look at me weird when I say "Does that come in a 12?" They say "Sure! let me see what I have!" & if they don't have that specific shoe, they bring me 3 other similar styles...all in a lovely size 12. (They even seemed to have a small little section for the drag queens in honor of the gay pride parade this weekend... he he he). I just found out about this store a few months ago & wow...it is truly amazing. I feel like other women in there are in Heaven also! Everyone was talking to one another saying "Oh my Gosh! look at these shoes! they're so cute!" ....& things like that. So, whoever you are....shoeman that owns the big shoe store....thank you. & Ladies with big feet (or, um....drag queens) check this place out! You'll be in Heaven too.

Looking for my "Friend"

2005-06-20T16:30:00.000-04:00

In the office where I temp, a lot of people don't have their own office because they are 'out in the field' on a regular basis. However, when they do come into the main hub here, they are able to reserve a spot & the 'hoteling' guys will put their name on the office doorway so we know who is where. Well, for the past week I have been waiting for Matthew Perry to arrive. His name has been on this office door for the past week, right across from where I sit. Where could he be? Perhaps he is hanging out with Rick Schroder reminiscing about the days when they were just starting out & Matthew was on Silver Spoons with Rick (then Ricky). Or perhaps he's hanging out with Jason Priestly, talking about their days on 90210. Or he may just be in L.A. gloating in the fact that he got paid a million bucks an episode for a show (in my opinion) that got worse as it came to an end. All I know is that he hasn't reported to work here. I have been looking for my 'friend' & he has not arrived. Matthew Perry where are you???!!!!! Wait, what was that? ... oh I just heard someone say it's not my 'friend'...it's another guy who's an accountant or something.... OOPS! Well, he's not been here for the past week either!

Old skills DO come back!

2005-06-17T17:02:00.000-04:00

A few years ago when I was temping for some conferences...my job was to act as a 'bouncer' of sorts. A whole bunch of 'suits' were having meetings in various rooms & my job was to keep them on time by knocking on the door when they had 5 minutes left & then knocking again when time was up & then bringing in the new people...and the cycle would continue. During the off time I would sit outside & kill time with the other temps doing the same thing. As time passed I would think...how is this skill going to help me in my future? where will these new found life skills take me? is this really useful or what? Well, today I was able to answer all of those questions. (answers: I will use it again. to a time when I use it again. YES! this is really useful!) I had to do the exact same thing for some interviews at the temp job I'm at now. The only difference... I was not able to sit & chat with other temps around me by killing time & making jokes. I would go back to my cubicle world & let time pass (by er...writing a blog, along with my other very important temp responsibilities). But I am thankful for those times years back when I had to be the 'bouncer' ....otherwise! GEEZ! what would've I done today without all of that skill??? Hang on to what you've learned... you never know when you'll need it again! :)

Words from the wise...

2005-06-13T15:46:00.000-04:00

If "with age comes wisdom" .... then I would like to share some 'words from the wise' with you. I went back to my hometown this past weekend & spent some quality time with my grandma (who is 84, almost 85) & friend of my dad's, Dave, who is 80. These comments made me laugh...I hope you do the same. ---- I was at a picnic at my dad's house where we were eating brats. I noticed that Dave was getting his food, but had not got a bun for his brat. I said to him "Dave, would you like me to get a bun for you?" & Dave said "No thank you sweetie, I can't have one because then it'll make my teeth fall out!" Then there was discussion about how good the lunch was with brats, sauerkraut, grilled onions, & baked beans & Dave said "You all better watch out! I may have to pull over a few times on the way home from this one!" When I was with Gram we went for a walk to a pond by her home & in it were a bunch of ducks...but only the mamma & her babies. In response to seeing this Gram said "Those male ducks, they just do their little trick & then leave 'em!" Then Gram was telling me about a friend of hers (who is also in her 80's) & the woman's new boyfriend. Apparently the woman said to Gram "Well Peg, there's not going to be any hanky-panky with him because the man has prostate problems & I don't wanna mess with that!"Older folks have lived a longer life & because of this they find it their 'right' to be able to say what is on their mind. Well I tell ya... I'm glad they do....I found a lot of joy in these statements! ... In addition to spending some quality time with some wonderful, wise, absolutely amazing people.

Can't we all just get along...

2005-06-10T10:12:00.000-04:00

I am one of many people who HAS to ride the subway in the morning during rush hour...we all have to do it. Yet there is always one CRAZY lady (& I mean crazy-- malicious, impudent, Jezebel) who thinks she owns the subway & will do everything in her power to manipulate her teeny amount of space on the train car. She will push, she will yell, she will give you a dirty gaze in attempt to scare you, she will even stand wider than she is in order for you to not get into her space. And, yes, she will likely win. Why will she win?...because if she doesn't we have to endure more of her maliciousness & who wants that? We are packed in like sardines, there is nowhere to go & we all have a destination...lady, you are NOT the only one on the train, not by a long shot. The train has problems: it will make you late, it will stop & you will be left stranded, it will suddenly change route without notice, there are too many people & not enough trains....but lady, please just keep your cool & help make the commute a little bit more enjoyable for the rest of us. Since we have been subject to being stuck on the car with you. Thank you.

My first Blog...

2005-06-09T15:48:00.000-04:00

This is my first blog (YAY!) ... & I am going to share something with you that I wrote last week & my sister thought was funny.
maybe you will think the same...
Here goes!...

Things I hate to hear in the dressing room.
OK, so I rarely get on any soap boxes or anything.. but i've been at stores lately looking for a dress for my HS reunion & GEEZ people these days!
what is UP?!!
here's a little note on my observations.....

things i hate to hear in the dressing room or in the store.....
(& have heard over the past couple of days)
"all of their sizes are too big, the smallest they have is an 8!"
"the 4 is too big on you"
"God! what size is that jacket! a small! it's WAY too big on you, not flattering at all...makes you look huge"
"there's too much room in that 2, you totally need the 0"
(then after she apparently had the 0 on...)
"the 0 is a bit too big also, you have some room in that too"
"can you get me this in a 2? the 4 is just too big"

i have heard many other things over the years & past few days... but you get the picture. whatever happened to the days when the woman's body was celebrated?
when paintings of women featured a beautiful gal w/ voluptuous curves?
when marilyn monroe's size (a 12) was considered normal?
...but now is percieved as "big" or "plus sized".
i say .... in the words of SirMix-A-Lot..."Shake it! Shake it! Shake that healthy butt!"
sure... i could loose a few pounds... but i'm pretty much happy w/ what i look like!!!
i've got a big butt (or as my family calls it "fluffy duffy") ...& uh...bigger 'chest' size & some guys seem to like it....ahem.... black men mostly (thank you gentleman for appreciating a woman's curves!)....my first boyfriend was even black... his name was Alphabet, we were 4.
[he he he]
so embrace what the Lord gave ya & lets not live up to what 'society' tells us is 'beautiful' or normal.
be proud of who you are! & use it baby!!!!
and now i am climbing off my soap box.
xo