My Life

I love my boy Barack...

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:57:00 -0400

But after mechanical difficulties delayed my plane for half an hour, now we are grounded until the President’s flight takes off. This is seriously cutting into my 3 hour layover in Vegas… The one city I was ever excited to have a 3 hour layover in.

2 hours later update: Still waiting… No longer Obama’s fault though. Just Continental’s. I’m now foreseeing a future of me sprinting to my second flight. Gotta work off that Mickey D’s dinner anyway.

NYC Settles Police Shooting Lawsuit for $7 Million

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:29:23 -0400

NYC Settles Police Shooting Lawsuit for $7 Million:

Good.

My wedding day was one of the happiest days in my life. I cannot even image how beyond devastating it would be if instead of waking up to a beautiful sunrise, surrounded by my friends getting ready for the day, I was woken up to find out that there would be no wedding as the groom was shot 50 times by police officers the night before.

Oh god oh god oh god. I have to fly the dreaded US Airways again. I made a vow in 2006 to never fly...

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:51:50 -0400

Oh god oh god oh god. I have to fly the dreaded US Airways again.

I made a vow in 2006 to never fly them again and have since opted for flights that are sometimes more expensive just to avoid them. So I am redesigning my vow to state that I will never spend a single cent of MY money on US Airways. As this will be for a business trip (and I had no say in the airlines), I’m okay.

On the pre-eve (eve-eve?) of my four year wedding anniversary let me tell you a little story.

After our incredibly beautiful wedding (clearly I’m biased but still) in Hawaii we took off across the country for a honeymoon cruise departing from Barbados. Everything was going great until we had to get off of our flight out of Charleston due to the plane’s mechanical difficulties that meant we were going to be missing our connecting flight in Puerto Rico to Barbados. The next flight would get us into Barbados the day after our cruise left. Being the overly cautious person I am, we had even decided to fly into Barbados a good 24+ hours in advance of our cruise. Apparently that wasn’t good enough.

So we got rebooked by 2 incredibly rude US Airways flight attendants on a flight up to Toronto (read: north… by a lot) for a 12 hour layover before a flight down to Barbados, arriving the morning of our cruise. As it was the only flight that could get us there in time. Does no one fly to Barbados?

Things that suck: Working really hard on your report last week...

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:20:00 -0400

Things that suck:

Working really hard on your report last week only to be an idiot and erase the whole thing.
Waking up at 4:15 to catch the EARLY train down to the city to redo erased report

Things that do not suck:

Watching the sun rise over the Hudson
The tranquility of being the the only one around to watch said Hudson sun rise
Knowing that in 3 days time I will be seeing a similar beautiful sunrise as I land in Honolulu.

I have no words.

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:02:42 -0400

I have no words.

Purchase's Hilltop Restaurant operator evicted; landlord seeking new operator

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:00:41 -0400

Purchase's Hilltop Restaurant operator evicted; landlord seeking new operator:

Guess who used to eat here at least once a week for four years? Oh yes, that would be me. Which means that my favorite part of the article was clearly:

Buildings officials shut down the the longtime Anderson Hill Road eatery in February after inspectors found roof leaks, electrical and gas line problems and a faulty grease trap in the kitchen. The Westchester Health Department also cited the restaurant for dead rats and rodent droppings.

Yum.

Teen Mom, A Few Judgmental Comments

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:22:13 -0400

First of all, yay – it’s back. I really love this show, because it’s like a car accident… you just can’t stop watching!

Amber – where do I even begin? #1) what should you do (first) when you think you are pregnant? Should you call your cousin over to discuss how this will ruin your life? Should you tell your boyfriend (and have him call up his friends) to explain how this will ruin your life? No! FIRST, you buy a damn pregnancy test from Walgreens for $10 and you pee on a stick.

#2, my sister was homeschooled throughout high school and so to “graduate” she needed to sit for the GED. And because I’m a huge nerd I read through her study book. The test? It isn’t hard! How is she still trying to pass this exam 3 years later?

#3, the reason for the pregnancy scare was because they “got caught up in the heat of the moment.” Let’s ignore for a moment the blatant reminder of the consequences of doing that (aka the 1+ year old crawling around their feet) and focus in on the “heat of the moment” part. I’m sorry but have you seen Gary? HOW were you not able to pause for 1 second and think hmmm…. Better safe than Leah 2.0.

You see my point right?

Farrah. Okay so of course I abhor domestic violence, but come on. Her mom is what? 1 dress size larger than Farrah is. Next time, lift your hand and smack hers out of the way before she hits you. And if you are going to call the cops on your mom and have her thrown in jail, don’t expect to live off her!

I’m a weakling, and I could have taken her.

Catelynn, sigh. You were my favorite. No wait, Tyler was my favorite but we’ll get to him next. Of course giving your child up for adoption is something that would be hard for anyone to get over. But as an impartial audience member, I’m kinda getting bored with all the whining 3 years after the fact. Where are The Hills’ writers when you need them? New story line please.

Now on to Tyler, and how he is letting me down. 1) if you are in high school and decide proposing is a good idea, have the decency to tell her alone (and not in front of other girls in the high school) that you are not ready to be engaged. Or better yet, if you aren’t ready. Don’t ask! And 2) if you think it’s time to send your fiancé packing back to her psycho mother and stepfather’s (read: boyfriend’s father – can you say trashy?) drug laden house, have the balls to tell her yourself. Don’t have your mom do it for you!

Macy. Words cannot express how much I love you. Homegirl (I’m channeling LC) takes the loser ex to court for child support while juggling college and work.

So what does all my bitching mean? I can’t wait for next week’s episode!

Check out my new bling! I’ve been whining to Ryan forever...

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:55:53 -0400

Check out my new bling! I’ve been whining to Ryan forever about getting me the Remember ring… you know, for your past, present, and future… And yesterday he finally caved!

Yeah right.

Or, a horrific event occurred yesterday morning. Or I’m 90% sure a horrific event occurred. I think this monster ate my wedding ring. Which means that I’m super upset about losing my ring and freaked out about the health of said monster. Since my engagement ring needs to be fixed and I didn’t want to be ringless, I bought this beauty… for $19.99 on Amazon. I feel just like Amber (a la Teen Mom).

This also means that my plans tonight include shifting through excrements in the kitteh litter (and trying not to barf).

To my first child: I love you Spam! Happy Birthday!!!

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:02:00 -0400

To my first child: I love you Spam!

Happy Birthday!!!

July 16th - I picked up Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland...

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:00:46 -0400

July 16^th -

I picked up Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Read: downloaded free copy with my iBooks App) to read since I recently started to follow (and therefore joined?) The Lost Book Club blog. It’s an awesome idea for the Lost-fanatic book lovers out there as we are reading through the books that came up in Lost. I had to give an oral presentation on this book in elementary school. Since I never actually read the book (this seems to have been a trend) I ended up standing in front of the class and giving my book report based on the Walt Disney cartoon version. Now I can finally see just how bad my book report was.

July 17^th -

Things are looking good in terms of my book report - there was a white rabbit. And a Cheshire cat. And a smoking caterpillar. And a queen of hearts. Phew.

Meanwhile, I’ve had three 45 minute train rides so far and I’m not even halfway done with this 66 page book. Can you say b-o-r-i-n-g! I guess it’s not fair to compare a children’s book to the last book I read but still.

July 18^th (Morning) -

Oh hallelujah! I’m done. Turns out it was only 52 pages long. And yet that took me all weekend. So sad. I really hate Alice by the way. She is so very annoying.

July 18^th (Evening) -

Dammit dammit dammit. There’s two?! I also have to read Through the Looking Glass. (Ryan isn’t understanding the “have to” part of my problem and keeps pointing out that it’s just “some blog” I found last week. Not the point Ryan. Not the point.) At least that book is free too. Thank you iBook.

July 19^th –

Done and done. Review? Looking Glass wasn’t as bad as Alice’s Adventures as there was almost sort of a story line. Still, I don’t get why it’s such a wonderfully acclaimed book. Sure the imagination of Lewis Carroll was amazing, but it was so disjointed I couldn’t stay engaged for more than a minute.

Oh, and I am pretty sure that my book report was on Through the Looking Glass, which sucks as there was no white rabbit. No queen of hearts. And no smoking caterpillar. I knew my teacher gave me an I-know-you-didn’t-read-the-book kind of look after I was done. Darn.

So jealous... a weekend debrief story

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 23:13:48 -0400

(The Monday morning conversation turned as always to what we spent our weekend doing.)
Wealthiest 16-year old I know: I spent the weekend in the Hamptons.
(Conversation after she leaves)
Non-millionaire #1: What she left out was that she spent the weekend in the Hamptons... at HER house.
Non-millionaire #2: Clearly she and I had very different weekends as I spend my time moving from my old place in Queens to a basement studio apartment in Manhatten.
Non-millionaire #3 (aka yours truly): My weekend wasn't so different from hers. I caught up on a few episodes of Royal Pains (which takes place in the Hamptons*).
NM#2: That does not count at all.
*BTW - if you didn't know that it means you don't watch Royal Pains. And you should. Because it's awesome.

My coworker walked in today and called out in a sing-song voice,...

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:00:42 -0400

My coworker walked in today and called out in a sing-song voice, “Sonja… I’ve got a present for you!” Turns out it was this and a GQ magazine with Taylor Lautner on the cover. We spent a good part of the morning discussing whether it was appropriate for him to go back to the store to buy the “Eclipse” magazine with full length pull out poster of Taylor. I deemed it fine after a google search turned up that he turned 18 this year.

And yes, I realize the hypocriticalness considering I was just making fun of the more exhuberant twilight fans a couple posts back.

Sneak Peek: Get Ready to Sing Along With Your Favorite Gleeks! - E! Online

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:01:59 -0400

Sneak Peek: Get Ready to Sing Along With Your Favorite Gleeks! - E! Online:

carolinek:

Glee on Wii?? I could not be more excited!!

Guess who was the studious one (read: overachiever) in school

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:00:44 -0400

Me: I'm reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland right now and it's so painfully boring.
Him: Why are you reading it then?
Me: Cause I found this tumblr blog called The Lost Book Club and we're reading all the books that were shown on Lost. It's so cool. So I can't quit after the very first book. I just have to get through this one and then it should be okay. I heard the next two books are pretty good. Heart of Darkness and Lord of the Flies.
Him: What do you mean you "heard" they were good? I know for a fact those were both required reading books in high school.
Me: Ooh so you read them? Were they any good?
Him: What do you mean "did I read them?" They were required.
Me: Are you telling me you read every single required reading we had?
Him: Of course. It was required. Didn't you?
Me: Oh, well I read a couple. Um, there was Ethan Frome... And then... Hmmm... There must have been others too. I got the gist of most through cliff notes so that must count as partial reading.

Every couple of months or so I get asked to provide recommendations of things to do, eat, and see in...

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:00:42 -0400

Every couple of months or so I get asked to provide recommendations of things to do, eat, and see in Hawaii (I started writing this post last week when an email request came in and then I just got another one today - hope this means Hawaii’s tourism is finally picking up again). I always work hard to come up with a list, pass it on, and then I’ll lose it by the time I get asked again. But no more. I’m starting a “Greatest Hits” list (ahem… title stolen from one of my favorite Lost episodes) and posting it to my blog so I’ll stop having to redo these lists. First up: Maui.

Watch the sunrise at Haleakala - Beautiful (but cold) view at almost 10,000 feet above sea level. You can drive up and down the volcano but my favorite is the sunrise bike tour where you get bussed up to the top and just ~~bike~~ coast down the 28 miles to the bottom.
Snorkel (or scuba or snuba) at Molokini - The volcanic crater about 3 miles off the coast of Maui is home to around 250 different marine species. Boat tours from Maui take you out for a morning (or afternoon - but go in the morning) of diving and provide guests with snacks and drinks as well.
Eat and Tour at a Plantation - Take a break from the beach and the surf to tour a 60-acre working plantation aboard a tram. Then enjoy lunch with a gorgeous viewat the Waikapu Grill.
Take the Road to Hana - Hana is a nice, secluded and tranquil area of Maui but the point of this trek is the journey, not the destination. Kind of a crazy drive as sometimes there’s only one lane (for 2-way traffic) but the scenery is breathtaking. Don’t forget to pick up an I survived the road to Hana t-shirt from the Hasegawa General Store and take a dip in the 7 sacred pools during your drive back to town.
Spend your nights on Lahaina’s Front Street- Nightlife kind of dies on Maui past 9 PM so Lahaina is the best place to spend your evenings with streets filled with stores, restaurants, and bars along the water.
Go to a Luau - (The Old Lahaina Luau is one of the best). A trip to Hawaii is not complete without spending an evening at a luau. They serve authentic Hawaiian food (which I full heartedly recommend sampling but they also typically serve some more Americanized food such as BBQ chicken if you’re a more cautious eater) and perform dances (including usually a fire dancer).

Conversation that took place next to me last night while...

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 11:05:00 -0400

Conversation that took place next to me last night while watching the opening scene of The Girl Who Played With Fire.

Woman: Wait, this is in Swedish?

Man: It’s two hours of subtitles?

They quickly vacated the movie theater.

Me: Wow. Did that just happen?

Possibly why we have never opened a joint bank account or credit card nearly four years later.

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 14:52:42 -0400

Me: Can you please stop buying so many books on Amazon?
Him: Why?
Me: Cause I decided to use that recommendations page on my account (you know, the account that's in my name that I had for years before I knew Ryan) and it was all recommendations for you! I had to go through pages of recommendations before I found even one book that wasn't based on your preferences.
Him: Yes! That's awesome. Just wait till I start rating [those books]. It's my account now.

That was so easy. I set up the carrier and less than 1 second...

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 10:50:00 -0400

That was so easy. I set up the carrier and less than 1 second later Spam jumped in, ready to go.

Except that Spam is not the one with an appointment for his annual rabies shot. Sushi is.

Note: post also in response to my Mom’s request for up to date pictures posted of her grandchildren.

I finished this novel on the train yesterday morning and all I...

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:00:42 -0400

I finished this novel on the train yesterday morning and all I can say is wow. I was engaged from the beginning and by the last couple of nights I was losing sleep as I raced to finish it.

The Last Child tells the story of a 12-year-old girl who went missing a year ago, as told through the eyes of her twin brother, Johnny, and the lead detective of the investigation. With each new chapter there was a twist in the story that kept me captivated throughout. Definitely more of a mystery story than anything else but with the heart-wrenching tale about how a family deals with such a horrific tragedy of the loss of a family member.

I already went online to download another of John Hart’s novels, Down River, hoping for another fantastic novel.

Spoiler Alert if you haven’t seen The Hills Finale yet...

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:05:42 -0400

*Spoiler Alert if you haven’t seen The Hills Finale yet* though chances are you have already found out how it ended anyway ~ I know I did.

Can everyone please stop with the “Well, I knew it was fake the entire time.”

It’s like saying you know that sparkling vampires don’t exist. There’s sort of a “duh” factor implied isn’t there?

Meanwhile, I thought that was the perfect ending shot. I burst out laughing. And I totally didn’t know it was that fake. Scripted yes. Shot on a Hollywood lot instead of on location, no.

My Life

I love my boy Barack...

NYC Settles Police Shooting Lawsuit for $7 Million

Oh god oh god oh god. I have to fly the dreaded US Airways again. I made a vow in 2006 to never fly...

Things that suck: Working really hard on your report last week...

I have no words.

Purchase's Hilltop Restaurant operator evicted; landlord seeking new operator

Teen Mom, A Few Judgmental Comments

Check out my new bling! I’ve been whining to Ryan forever...

To my first child: I love you Spam! Happy Birthday!!!

July 16th - I picked up Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland...

So jealous... a weekend debrief story

My coworker walked in today and called out in a sing-song voice,...

Sneak Peek: Get Ready to Sing Along With Your Favorite Gleeks! - E! Online

Guess who was the studious one (read: overachiever) in school

Every couple of months or so I get asked to provide recommendations of things to do, eat, and see in...

Conversation that took place next to me last night while...

Possibly why we have never opened a joint bank account or credit card nearly four years later.

That was so easy. I set up the carrier and less than 1 second...

I finished this novel on the train yesterday morning and all I...

*Spoiler Alert if you haven’t seen The Hills Finale yet*...

Spoiler Alert if you haven’t seen The Hills Finale yet...