lock it up!

i have been dreading writing this blog for a couple days now. but life goes on. maybe it will be a lesson to all the girls out there in their little studios... i will try to make this minimally depressing. i live in a studio apartment. it is pre-war, with a new bathroom & kitchen. aka. it is perfect. i live alone. and enjoy every minute of it. i like learning how to be on my own.... with this in mind..

i came home thursday evening from a long day spent at work and then a nice workout at the gym. *i had been gone from 7:30 am- 10:00 pm. .....needless to say, my door was wide open. i peered in and sure enough, the place was torn apart..but done so in a meticulous way. ie. all my receipts put on piles, pictures in piles, and here is the kicker, my jewelry (which is always tangled up), was laid out perfectly on my futon....

i called my Mom, the cops and Janel *bff who lives close by. the cops came, about an hour later. they were incredibly good looking, go figure. and proceeded to hit on my bff janel & i. perfect right?!!?! come oN! find the criminals. take fingerprints! but once they heard electronics were safe (my laptop and tv) they were pretty much over the whole investigation portion.

we discovered the losers took every prescription i own, and OTC drugs. ie. cough syrup, lactate medicine.. (weird?!) and my digital camera. i had pictures from france on that fricking camera. never printed them out. so now i will have to see if i can order them online? ohh the frustration. on a positive note. i sleep soundly. and i still do love my place. but really. i am bitter.

my landlord installed all new keys and locks. and bars inside the windows. Mom & Dad want to install ADT security but we shall see. basically, it just makes me think more or less, why do i choose to be independent when i could be living with the hkyplayer and basically having my own body guard. but i do know this time is important, it allows me to be thankful for when he and i are together..and when i am folding clothes and wiping dirty noses i will know i did it once by myself..& family & love beats out being alone and doing things your way. BY FAR. so Europe here we come..last year I went in January.. the hkyplayer takes flight August 1. I wonder how long i will last in the states....

here is a picture from france, that was taken with the camera (RIP) :)

on to bigger & better things. will.not.let.this.get.me.down.

isaiah 41:10

...so do not fear, for i am with you, do not be dismayed for i am your God. i will strenthen you & help you; i will uphold you with my righteous right hand'....

Quizzes, Quizzes, Quizzes...

... It is another rainy day. So here is my early morning post. Well kind of a post..

8 Things I Am Looking Forward To:
Memorial Day weekend poolside in Montreal
Boating and Family the first wknd in June
Youngest Bro's High School Graduation
Knowing where the hkyplayer will be this season
The weekend!!
Sunshine, it has rained for about a week straight now
Sushi date with Janel, long over due
Shopping for upcoming wknd trips


8 Things I Did Yesterday:
Went to the Apple store on 5th Ave.
Actually left the building for lunch, Qdoba with Kate
Slept thru my alarm clock
Went to the gym
Watched bad MTV
Against my better judgement, walked home from the gym
Read the latest issue of Esquire, as torture, because Megan Fox was on the cover
Cooked turkey meatballs for Dinner


8 Things I Wish I Could do:
Speak French
Cook every single night
Be in 3 places at once
Get through the morning without coffee
Run for an hour on the treadmill
Go into stores without buying a thing
Telaporte
Have a pet


8 Shows I Watch:
Real Housewives of NYC
Jon & Kate Plus 8
Good Morning America
Keeping Up With the Kardashains
E! News
American Idol (the hky player and his team mates sucked me in)
Rachel Ray
if I am home: The View


8 Favorite Fruits:
Oranges
Grapes
Strawberries
Pineapple
Apples
Bananas
Kiwi
Blueberries


8 Places I’d Like to Travel To:
London
Spain
Somewhere tropical with the hkyplayer
British Columbia to visit the hkyplayer's sister
Montreal *yay 2 weeks!!
Washington DC to be with the college bff
Cape Cod, relive childhood memories
Australia (minus the flight because I could telaporte :) )


8 Places I’ve Lived:
France
Niagara Falls
Hoboken
Queens
Liverpool
- Covered Bridge Apts.
- Blackwood Drive
- Zodiac Circle




Quiz Time...
1) Are you currently in a serious relationship? Yes
2) What was your dream growing up? The Happily Ever After ending
03) What talent do you wish you had? Anything musical. I have Zero talent in that department
04) If I bought you a drink what would it be? French wine
05) Favorite vegetable? Cucumbers. (pickels!)
06) What was the last book you read? Breaking Dawn
07) What zodiac sign are you? Scorpio
08) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Explain where. Pleading the 5th
09) Worst Habit? Ruining a manicure, wanting sweets after a meal
10) If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride? No. especially because I am in the city aka, no car!
11) What is your favorite sport? Hockey :)
12) Do you have a Pessimistic or Optimistic attitude? Optimistic!
13) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me? SPAZ. and call 911
14) Worst thing to ever happen to you? I don't believe it has happened yet. Nothing to complain about!
15) Tell me one weird fact about you. I read my horoscope every morning, as well as close friends and family, txt them when I think they might be relevant
16) Do you have any pets? Family dog, Lefty. I miss you!!
17) What if I showed up at your house unexpectedly? I would be shocked. Just moved and not too many people know the new place just yet. But if I liked you Id offer wine and some good reality tv.
18) Do you think clowns are cute or scary? Scary. always have.
20) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be? Oh the list I could write. Just 'tightening' :)
21) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience? I can be both
22) What color eyes do you have? Green
23) Ever been arrested? No
24) Bottle or can soda? Fountain is the best
25) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it? Pay off debt! And college loans and then vacation with the hkyplayer before he is off to Europe.
27) What's your favorite place to hang out? in front of a movie on the couch with the hkyplayer, on my parents boat, with my best girlfriends
28) Do you believe in ghosts? ...only the good ones.
29) Favorite thing to do in your spare time? relax, as spare time is rare, shop, good meals with my bffs
30) Do you swear a lot? No
31) Biggest pet peeve? sniffiling, people licking their fingers
32) In one word, how would you describe yourself? Considerate
33) Do you believe/appreciate romance? I appreciate AND believe.

wednesday whoa is me's...

i woke up to the sound of my neighbors shuffling around. this might not seem like any big news ... but here is the thing. i have never heard them before. not once. oh wait!! maybe because i woke up when i typically am already in commute to work.. turned off the alarm mid-dream and next thing i know, an hour has passed. so throw the hair and a bun and all black outfit. go. i tried to remain positive until i realized, the subway cut off one of my favorite part of the mornings. i just love how the pre-recorded woman's voice says 7th avenue. it is a highlight of mine. for some reason, today it was cut off. me being me, i superstitiously thought- ut oh today is not going to be a bright spot in my life... another superstition, i thought wednesday will be a nothing-day because thursday is going to be chaotic. oh right. jinx yourself why don't you.

@ the office i was informed that no, my vacation will not be allowed. this vaca. was requested over a month ago. it is over memorial day, up to montreal to see the hkyplayer and his lovely family. the family i have not seen since July 2008. not because i am a terrible gf, but because the hkyplayer is abroad, MIA, gone, absent, etc. August 1- April 1. my poor 'MIL' had been waiting for this trip for ages, just yesterday she told me, while I was in Duane Reed buying trail mix, 'i cannot wait until my house is full again.' welp there goes that. hky player has no idea the trip was cancelled, sleeps in until at least noon....my company does tend to cancel my wknds, holidays and vacas...nothing new here. nature of the beast.

tomorrow is my year review, 3 months past due. i WILL bring up the vacation. and i WILL bring up all of the holidays i DID work....more to come...reminisce...

now counting down until a possible early happy hour at lunch. yes please.

King of Queens (?!!).

see! toldya- more updates. here we go.

SIKED for the season finale of RHONYC. you know, real housewives of new york city. the girls in the office all love bethenny. last episode she won me over. i am over the countess. mainly because she called her daughter's hands paws. yeesh. the co-workin' gfs say they are going to a Betheny book signing tonight in the city..but all the rain puts a damper on things..
LOOKING FORWARD to doing laundry. well anxious. very first time i am doing laundry in the public realm. eek. some how or another i always got away with having washer n dryers 'in house'. even in france we did. I enjoy laundry. scratch that. i enjoy all parts minus the putting away. i am brainstorming better storage possibilites as we speak aka as i type.

LATEST & GREATEST King of Queens ?!!... Middle Bro. called. He asked if he can stay w. me this summer, possible engineering co-op in the city. First I txt fwd the txt to Momma. She is in Chicago at a work convention so until later on her thoughts, and then I called hkyplayer. He is for it. and said, just as long as Middle Bro knows, this is my life. Your here. No Judging. And go with the flow. Basically, I am a work-aholic that likes my fair share of wine on the wknds... then I started thinking...I DO have a free guest pass per day @ my gym, he is like me, needs a daily workout to be sane. and I DO have a new futon.... and wow. my bro. he is good stuff.

This is the Middle Bro in a nutshell.

He is Smart: Mechnical Engineering Major

He is Sentimental: He txts about our parents gifts weeks if not months before and ALWAYS comes through with great ideas for a good price. I love getting gifts from him.
He is Handsome: Turns heads. I hate to admit it, people always thinking we are dating. Yeesh. Older woman, ie. grandmas and my moms friends hit on him. He is just charming.

Bottom line: In some ways we are the same, in others, so different. Youngest Bro balances us all out perfectly. But I am looking forward to spending time together. How fun. AND random!

bloggin' about bloggin'

there are a million things going on right now. but instead i wanna take a moment & let everyone know where this blog is headed. i started following my first blog Chitlins & Camembert last winter. yes, i work in PR, but typically not in the consumer-friendly side. but for some reason or another i was researching mommy blogs. & BAM here pops up Amy's site. it was the SAME wk. my company informed me they would allow me to work remotely from Tours, France while the hkyplayer ..well duh...played professional hky. he had moved there august 1st....i was not arriving until january 15th. this was long over due. SIX MONTHS. a part.

Amy is fabulous. in a nutshell. AND my mentor. here she is. socially awkward amongst the french woman, raising two gorgeous children in the french countryside. i would read her blog several times a day before departing for france as a reminder that 1.) i can be American and be o.k. in france. 2.) my Lord it is not easy to raise children--let alone while teaching them 2 Languages... it was the first time I ever brainstormed this.

(I should back up)

The hkyplayer & I met in college, he is from Montreal Q.C. originally. So French has always been a part of our lives. No, I do not speak a lick of it. Yes, I have tried. We have been together for 5 yrs. and i do pick up things here and there. Ok back on task, Chitlins & Camembert provided me with confidence and entertainment. it allowed me to visualize myself emersed in the French culture while staying close to my roots. (Amy did the whole NYC living thing prior to France too.)...HE works in mysterious ways doesnt he?! All this from a google search in the workplace...Ok. so anyway. My life is not normal. Long distance is not easy. NYC living is not easy. Paying $1100 a month for your very own studio (yay!) not easy. Being away from your family (Mom, Dad & 2 Amazing Bro's + Lefty *dog) is not easy. But blogging about it helps. And hearing other stories helps.

I just love blogs about new mommy's, newlywed's. I live vicariously thru you all, for I pray each day the hkyplayer & i will get to share those life moments together. I look forward to hearing about all your funny anecdotes and sharing my own. x

download of the day: City, Sara Bareillas

taking a big bite out of the big apple. again.

hi all. wow.

so the whole french countryside blogging did not go as planned. to say the least. but in my defense, my PR co. offered to have me work part time from our lil apartment. and part time shortly changed to full time. next thing i knew i was a full time PR associate, trophy wife and maid. in that exact order. another reason for my non-blogging blog...the hockey player & i were obsessed. any free time was spent together. honeymoon phase. and second, after long hours on my crummy laptop the last thing i wanted was to be online typing away about random french tidbits.

we had an amazing time.

- GREAT Weather

- I got to go on runs DAILY. (aka I was balanced).

- Work went well.

- I LOVED our lil apartment.

- met some great girl friends.

- he played VERY well & was injury free...come to think of it..my klutz tendencies caused me to be the more injured of the 2..shocking.. i know...

- he & I got in ONE (basically) fight...in Paris...the most romantic city?! I think not..paris is not my thang. grey. not a lota culture. but thats just me. maybe some day i will be in luv. so far montreal still has a strong hold on my heart...in the genre of favorite all time cities.. says the girl who lives in NYC.

- & the whole thing solidified hey..we like each other STILL. after 5 yrs and off and on the long distance..we are still going strong. For the next chapter, I am back in NYC...after glancing over my previous blogs, who would of thunk'it. but I am doing it.

* New apartment :) :) this charming pre-war studio in Astoria. (will update pics)!

* New job, Night job that is, hostess at Uncle Jacks, a very Uptown (Midtown) Steak House in the City... drains the life out of me but takes away the guilt of over-spending on the weekends.

...it is that whole saying of hitting yourself with a hammer (?!) because it feels so good when you stop... my life is complete shit Sunday & Monday..but Tuesday morning feels like Christmas morning every week. Because that is when I only work 1 job. :) we shall see how long this lasts.

* New work out regiment (a very lax program currently..yeesh)...I now belong to a gym, quite different from my morning runs by my lil French countryside lake. It is a young gym. It is a busy gym. It has fat mirrors. again... lets see how this goes....

There is so much to write. I must save info for future blogs. But I am back on board. If even ONE person gets the joy out of the blogs I read daily..then I am a happy girl.
Gbyes for Now.. Back Shortly I PROMISE! xx