Wow.. a whole week! I guess that cruise took more out of me than I expected. Actually, it wasn't the cruise, it was the trip home:

We got off the boat and were at the airport by 10:00, ready for a few hours of waiting until our 2:00 flight to Chicago. Out of the group of 31, 6 of us were on the 2:30 flight, the last one of all of ours to leave Orlando. Around 1:00 we notice our luggage is now off the plane. Shortly after, there's an announcement that we're waiting for a mechanic to check out our plane. HOLY RED FLAG. I think I'm going to crash every time I get on a plane, so this was NOT good for me. The last thing I wanted to do was get on THAT particular plane. So, we wait.. and we wait.. and we wait. The people at United keep saying they're going to update us, but it's to no avail. All we can get from them is that there's a leak on the plane and no one knows what it is. Tre has a meeting at 8 am in Saratoga on Tuesday, so we HAVE to get home. Well, at least she does. She goes to the desk to talk to the people to se if there is any other flight she can get on and at one point, the woman says "I need a break" and walks away from her. It was unreal how unhelpful they were. We finally find out that they might be getting us another plane and we'll leave around 6:30. There is a 5:00 flight at the next gate but we were having trouble finding out if there was room on the plane. We had pretty much given up hope when a few people in our group happened to be walking by the gate and they heard Tre's name get announced (something we couldn't hear from our gate). They come running for me cause I had Tre's boarding pass, and she gets on the flight. I was bummed to be by myself, but she needed to get back so that's the way the cookie crumbles. Our friend then asked if there was any way I could get on the flight, and I was able to. However, I consistently asked the woman at the desk if we would make our connecting flight and she insisted we would. Considering our flight was leaving at 5 and our connecting flight was at 5:52 out of Chicago, it was doubtful, but I thought maybe I was wrong about the time difference or something, so I let it go. As expected, we got to Chicago and missed our flight by an hour, so we were basically in the same boat we would have been had we taken the same flight as our friends. We head to the United desk to see if there are any flights to Albany, and the first one was at 8 am the next morning. I really thought Tre was either gonna punch someone or cry. She then asks if there is a flight to Newburgh, which there wasn't. Last ditch effort: Hartford. There was a 9:15 flight that would get us into Hartford around midnight. I instantly called J (he's still out on worker's comp so he can't work until his next doctor's appointment) to see if he could pick us up and save my parents the trip. He says yes, so my mom emails him directions and we are relieved that we'll get back to sleep in our own beds. For the first time that day, we got lucky, as this was the inaugural flight of this route. It was only an hour and 45 minute flight and we got into Hartford before midnight. We had no baggage to pick up, so we were ready to go. However, there was some construction on I-91, so J didn't get there till about 12:30. We finally pulled into the driveway around 2:15 am, which was fine for me, but not so much for Tre. I'd say she got about 4 hours of sleep. She's still recovering!

Course, we still have no luggage. My friends had to stay overnight in Chicago and were taking the 8 am flight to Albany, so I had them call me when they got in to be sure our luggage had made it from Orlando. Luckily, it was there... as was my car. J had to take me to the airport to get everything and I was relieved to finally have all my stuff back. The day before was such a long day and I was just happy to be home. Bunks on cruises are TINY, so it was very nice to sleep in my very own bed again! I owed J big time for picking us up, so I had to take him to Moscatello's in North Greenbush for dinner. How come we basically did this for Tre and me, the unemployed one, is taking him to dinner. How the hell did I get the short end of the stick on that one?!

Here are some pictures to get you through:

This was our first night on the cruise, as we were leaving Port Canaveral. Beautiful blue water, and Senor Frogs!Tre and I at Senor Frog's later that night. Check out that tan line!This is a shot of the private island we were supposed to go to on Sunday. However, (as you can probably tell) the weather wouldn't allow it, which made us spend our day drinking on the boat. It was a trainwreck waiting to happen.

Topic of the day: Project Runway!

The winner was Leeanne, and I'm not saying she didn't deserve it, as her collection was beautiful, it was just a little bland, kind of like Leeanne. It was certainly the most innovative and I found it visually stunning. Like I said, she didn't use much color, but I enjoyed the ones she did use. Still, as the judges said, is she stuck in that petal phase? I guess we'll find out. Personally, I thought Korto got robbed. Her collection was really stunning and I can't wait to see what else she'll do. I even liked Kenley's collection, believe it or not, but I had a feeling with all the "copycat" talk, the judges wouldn't give it to her.

Not sure what the future of Project Runway is. I know there is one, but who knows where it'll end up. Hopefully Bravo will take it back!!!!

How many more of my new favorite actors can we put together in one film?

Wu-Tang won our second soccer game of the season last night, 2-1. The woman I had to play against was a BRUTE! She knocked me over like I was 95 pounds.. It was probably cause she was pushing 250-300, but still! I felt like I got hit by a ton of bricks, even when she just slightly hit me. It was unreal. Still, we brought our "A" game to Afrim's and hopefully we can do the same next week for the final game of this session. Next session we are changing our name to Nytropalooza and we'll be playing in Level 2E, so we won't have to play some of the really kick ass teams we played this session (there wasn't a level 1 this session). Regardless of whether we win or lose, we all have a great time!

Speaking of great times, you won't be hearing from me for a few days cause tomorrow morning I board the plane for Florida and then board a boat to the BAHAMAS!!! I can't wait and with the weather being all gloomy and such it's even more motivation for me to get some sun! Try not to miss me while I'm gone and enjoy your weekend!!

So Madonna and Guy Ritchie are really divorcing this time, huh? I just don't get why you go to great lengths to deny, deny, deny and keep things a secret, then do exactly what everyone said was going to happen. It defeats the purpose. Still, as a single woman, I'm giving up hope. I mean, if MADONNA can't sustain a marriage in this world, who can? (Sarcasm kids.. look it up).

Yesterday's post about teeth brushing made my friend Rachael think of Aaron Karo, a comedian who has his own website and even sends out a newsletter type thing of his ruminations. He also asks people to put their own ruminations on his site, which I did this morning. I think I have five "gourment points" and only one of them came from someone who knows me. See? I'm funny.. :)

Last night, J and I saw Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and all I can say is that it is certainly a must-see. I think Michael Cera is the next Ralph Macchio, as he may be playing teenagers until he's 50, but ya know what? I'd watch him do it because I find him so endearing and sweet it's ridiculous. The movie is very funny (which will bring the boys in) and even turns out to be kind of a sweet love story (you know.. for the chicks and the 'mos)! Christopher... next time we get together, we're watching it and I'm sorry I had to see it without you! I know you've seen her in the trailer, but the drunk girl friend... Priceless..

In what was the biggest no-brainer of the season, Rocco DiSpirito and my FAVORITE dancer Karina Smirnoff (again... sarcasm) were booted from Dancing with the Stars. Rocco got a reprieve last week thanks to Misty May-Treanor having to withdraw, but nothing could save him two weeks in a row.

I'm hoping for a soccer win tonight. The team we're playing is probably just around our skill level and it'd be nice to grab a win, even though Tre and Allyson can't be there. Next week is the final week of the session and we play the last place team, who (as of today) have no wins. So... there's still a chance! We'll change our name next session. I think we've used up all the fun of Wu-Tang and will switch to Nytropalooza. It has a little something something... ;)

I should have packed for my cruise today, however, I got sucked into cleaning out my closet instead. I have two HUGE garbage bags full of clothes to take to Goodwill which I'll do tomorrow... while I should be packing. Procrastinate much?

I really don't care if it's real drums or rock band drums, he's still close to the top of my list!

Don't forget! Tonight is the season finale of Project Runway and the last season that will air on Bravo. It's seriously gonna kill me to watch Lifetime... on purpose.

Things I am ashamed of today:

Ever since I've been on unemployment, I've been having a really hard time remembering if I brushed my teeth. When you have a job, you get up in the morning and brush your teeth before you leave the house. It's a no-brainer. For me.. not so much. I hope I have brushed my teeth too much, rather than not enough, but to be honest, I can't remember.

My intense need to know what happens on tonight's season finale of The Rachel Zoe Project. I have never liked her and always thought she looks a bit like a crack baby, but damned if that show is can't miss tv for me.

My Sunday night revolved around the premiere of Rock of Love Girls: Charm School, The Girls Next Door and Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane... and I LOVED them all..

Things I am NOT ashamed of:

I FINALLY watched The Shawshank Redemption and loved it. I guess I should be ashamed that it's taken me this long to watch it, but it was worth the wait.

LOVE LOVE LOVE True Blood on HBO. Sue and I had a mini-marathon yesterday and after five hours, I am in love with the show.

My love for Jeremy Piven has continued, as on Sunday night's episode of Entourage he displayed his tickets to the gun show in a golf shirt.. Grrrrrr

I came up with a kick ass costume for my sister: Bristol Palin, Sarah Palin's knocked up teenage daughter. She LOVES it.. we just have to figure out how to pull it off.

Now that she has that, I'm kind of leaning towards Hillary Clinton as a companion piece, but this site could help me out.

What a weekend!

Friday night was my cousin Chrissy's wedding and family dinner afterwards. Here's a quick pic of Chrissy in her dress:

Anyway, after the wedding, everyone went to the Carolina House for dinner. My sister tripped over a stair and fell pretty hard on her side. It was pretty entertaining (to my family) but the other people were pretty concerned about her.. Until she started laughing her face off. I mean, what can you do after busting your ass in front of 40 people!? The food was very good (it's only the second time I'd ever eaten there) and we were all pretty full afterwards. We also had a celebrity sighting, as Mary Stuart Masterson was eating in the dining room. Apparently she has a house in Stuyvesant and adores Columbia County. Small world, eh?

Saturday was the actual reception, and it was an absolute blast! My family didn't leave the dance floor all day and it was well worth it. It was a really great time and if you didn't have a good time, well, you didn't try hard enough! Chrissy and Kenny both looked amazing and the food was to die for! I've always loved Jackson's chicken cordon bleu, but Barry really took the cake yesterday. It was by far the best I've ever had. J normally has something bad to say about everyone's food but he actually said "this is really good prime rib." I kept waiting for the "but" to come after it, but it never did, so it had to be good! I took over 80 pictures, so here are just a few snippets for you.

I knoq his eyes look closed, but I swear it was early and we were both semi-sober at this point.

The newlyweds having their first danceAll the Nytransky girlsTre and Dad were having a blast on the dance floor.

Like I said, it was a really great wedding! I can only hope that mine (if and when it happens) is half as much fun!

J and I went to the mall yesterday and about 15 Halloween stores to try to find costumes. I've narrowed mine down:

A flapper - it's slightly sexy and cute, plus I think I'd look good in fringe. However, there's a good chance of someone else wearing a flapper costume and who wants to be the girl in the same dress as someone else. Especially if the other girl looks better in it. :(

Wednesday Addams - I'd get to wear a black wig (I looked AWESOME in a black wig when I was Cleopatra in college) and it'd be easy to do - black skirt.. white shirt.. black sweater.. I could probably do it all at Goodwill or my closet.

Hillary Clinton - The hair would be cake and I am sure I could find a pastel pantsuit. Hell, I used to wear them all the time when I first started working.... in 1999! Unfortunately, I am not the size I was in 1999 so we have to go elsewhere.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments. I really want them.

Tonight is my cousin Chrissy's wedding ceremony, while tomorrow is the reception. Therefore, I should have some pictures to post on Sunday or Monday. But don't rush me, as I might be hungover for a few days from this one. I might get better JUST in time to go on the cruise and booze it up again! Enjoy your weekend!

Ok.. so as much as my sister insists she hates my blog, she asked me to post something. Tre is famous for her "questionable" Halloween costumes. She has been a victim of the Ethan Allen boat crash in Lake George, the tiger that maimed Roy Horn (I got to be Roy) and Steve Irwin, just to name a few. Anyway, it's been a year not so fraught with disaster (at least by Halloween costume standards) so Tre is looking for some ideas. If you have any, drop it in the comments section.

And oh yeah.. I'm still waiting for a good costume idea for me! I went through celebrity mug shots, but couldn't find anything substantial to use so I'm back to square one.

I got my first unemployment payment today. I guess I should be appreciative, but I don't think my bill collectors will be. Or my life! Thank god I start a job soon...

No one got booted from Dancing with the Stars, thanks to a ruptured achilles tendon suffered by Misty May-Treanor. I wasn't really a huge fan of hers on theshow. Everyone said how gerat she was, but her "game face" and lack of femininity kind of threw me off. Certainly doesn't mean I didn't feel sorry for her! They showed the injury on the show and it sounded awful. You could tell how much pain she was in. It must have been awful for her, as a competitive athlete, to get hurt dancing. That didn't come out the way I wanted it to, but you get the point.

I went to my friend Sue's last night where we celebrated my job by eating Wendy's (mmm.. baconator) and catching me up on Entourage. She has also taped True Blood for me and though I'd only watched one episode, I'm already in love. Everyone I talked to said I would love it, and they were right. It's by the same guy that did Six Feet Under so I can't say I'm totally surprised I enjoyed it. It looks like Sue and I are in for a marathon when I head to her place next week.

This afternoon I'm headed to my sister's soccer game, which is a pretty big one for her, so hopefully she wins! Regardless, we have a soccer game tonight against the best team in our league, so it's probably going to be a bloodbath. Hopefully it won't be as physical as the last few weeks. This team is a pretty nice group of people, so I don't think it'll get too bad. Hopefully.. I sitll have turf burn from last week.

I watched Harold and Maude the other day. Not really impressed. I thought I was really getting somewhere with the older movies, but this one just didn't do it for me. Still attempting to get through The Shawshank Redemption. My attention span just hasn't been there.

OK.. all I really need to know is how this is going to impact "The Girls Next Door" because my reality tv show watching is top priority! I mean... the season just started and now I have to wait FOREVER to find out the truth!? Granted.. she's the marrying kind and he's not, but he's 82 years old! Milk that shit for all it's worth and as long as you can, cause that is a manner you can not possibly keep yourself accustomed to.

I need no excuse to post something about Chris Daughtry, but I think I might join his bandwagon on this one. I mean, how much worse could it get!?

In other news.... I got a job! I got the call this morning and as of right now, will be starting October 27th. I'm pretty excited and kinda happy there's an end to my unemployment..

I've always said we were meant to be, and this is just one more indication:

Statham Hooked On Reality Dance Show

Movie hardman Jason Statham has shattered his tough guy image by confessing he is addicted to U.S. reality TV show So You Think You Can Dance?
The Snatch actor has built his image on his hard reputation, but admits that he likes nothing better than watching the dance competition.
He says, "I've been hooked on So You Think You Can Dance?"
And although Statham would never consider going on a reality show, he would like to dabble in dancing - because he enjoyed watching musicals when he was younger.
He adds, "(But) It would be nice to do a little tango or a little rock 'n' roll jive. I love all the great musicals - West Side Story, Singin' In The Rain. My mum and dad were fanatical about those. I've seen those films many times.
"On The Town, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Donald O' Connor, Cyd Charisse. Brilliant. Great music, great physical drama. I love all that, very expressive."

I thought unemployment would give me more time to blog, but it seems it's done just the opposite (as you can tell by my lack of posting lately). Let me get you up to speed:

Tuesday I drove past the gym (WAY too crowded for my taste) and instead went down to Kingston with my mom. She was looking for a dress for my cousin's wedding while I searched for something to wear underneath my suit for my interview on Thursday. The jacket is kind of short so everything I had was a little too long. Luckily, I did find something that worked at the last minute and got a decent lunch at Panera. I never go there just because the one time I tried, they couldn't work what I wanted to my satisfaction. I really hate it when places won't attempt to make it your way. I know not everywhere is Burger King, but people have likes and dislikes, know what I'm saying!?

Wednesday: Believe it or not, I babysat.... for a 9 month old. I can honestly say I'm not sure if I've ever watched a child that young, but I did it as a favor for J's sister's friend and it turned out OK. Course, it would have been a little better if they had more than two channels for me to watch, but I made do. I changed diapers and fed her, two things I can safely say I haven't done in a VERY long time!! The little girl was absolutely adorable and it was kind of cute when she fell asleep on my chest, which gave me a chance to sleep a bit since I was sneezing my face off. The family has three cats and apparently I'm slightly allergic. I kept sneezing and waking the kid up, which was not a good thing. Later on that night we had a soccer game, but first, we went to Beff's for dinner as a team. We might have had a couple too many beers, but we still had a great time and a really great dinner. Their mozzarella logs are to die for! Anyway, I think we were a bit weighed down, cause we lost our game by a goal. A goal my friend Shannon scored for the other team. We don't have much luck this session. We're playing like shit and the teams we've played have been as whiny as can be. They can dish out the pushes, but they can't take them back. It's so annoying. At least the Wu-Tang can dish it out AND take it!!!

Thursday morning I had an interview at a law firm in Albany. The ride wasn't so bad and I felt like it went really well. Everyone was super nice and since my friend Shell works there, I got to stop in and see her too! My mom called me afterwards and she was at the mall (again) so I met her there. I got a dress that I can take on my cruise and I also got severe pains in my feet. I am not used to walking in heels lately, especially through the mall! I couldn't wait to get out of my shoes after a tasty lunch at Applebee's! I had my cousin's birthday party that night, then went to my sister's soccer game. After that, J and I went to see Eagle Eye, as neither of us had to work on Friday so we could finally catch a late movie! It was an interesting flick. Lots of action, but a little freaky to think stuff like that and the concept of Big Brother really could happen to people. I really wanted to see Burn After Reading, but Eagle Eye won out. I really didn't care as long as I got popcorn out of the deal.

I got up Friday morning, ready to run a couple of errands, one of which included dropping off my resume for a local job. It would be great to get as I wouldn't have to go very far and would be making good money, especially for this area. However, it's an appointed position and it's basically one of those "it's who you know" type of deals. Still, I wouldn't be upset if I got a shot at it. I then spent the afternoon watching my friend Allyson's kids (they're 5 and 11). It got off to a rocky start when I didn't know how to make tea or ramen noodles (They are the one thing I never made in college) but we ended up playing games and it was a good afternoon. However, they also had three cats, so I was a sneezing fool once again. I forgot to take Benadryl so I am going to use that as my excuse for bowling like shit. I did nothing Friday night, cause sometimes you just don't want to leave the house!

Saturday I was the Assistant Coach for my sister's high school soccer team, which basically meant I got to watch the game from the other side of the field and look official. To quote my sister: "I wasn't worthless." I actually did yell to one of the girls while Tre wasn't paying attention so I felt like I did my job. She bought me dinner afterwards, so I think it was a win-win situation. We went out later that night. We wanted to get out of Hudson so we went all the way to Valatie. The tiki bar wasn't open so we ended up at Kappy's where we played the jukebox for free and I did way too many jagerbombs. I really don't know what I was thinking. J picked us up around 12 - 12:30 and when we got home, we realized that no one had keys to get in the house. Luckily someone was able to jimmy a window open so we got in. Unbeknowst to me, Tre decided the party was not going to end so she and a few others were playing games downstairs. I missed that, as I was passed out. Poor J - not so much. I'm guessing he got about three hours of sleep so I offered to make him dinner tonight. I'm not quite sure if that's a good thing or not. If it all goes wrong, at least I have a Red Baron pizza in the freezer. It's my first attempt at beef and noodles (I know, it sounds easy but when it comes to me and cooking, nothing ever is).

That's about all that's been going on with me. Just been keeping myself busy, but I'll do my best to entertain as best I can. Tomorrow I have a big day planned, with my dentist appointment and some cleaning to do. Tre is having her soccer team over so I'm going to make myself scarce. They're great kids, but 20 high school girls in your house is a lot to take, and a lot of noise. So, I'm heading to my friend Sue's to catch up with her, Entourage and True Blood. It seemed like a better alternative!

I'm trying to come up with a Halloween costume. I was thinking of a flapper, Wednesday Addams or some celebrity mugshot. I really just want to wear a wig. I'm taking suggestions..

Another Monday, another annoying day at the gym. Luckily, I was only on the cardio machines, but I could see how packed it was and now I am convinced the best time to hit the gym is after 1:00. Do I want to be unshowered that long? No, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to keep her own sanity.

Speaking of not having anything to do, it seems I'll be watching someone's kid on Wednesday. Let's just say, the parents are desperate. They had a situation where they had to get their kid (9 months old) out of the current daycare and are kind of stuck until they can find another daycare place to take her. I'll be honest: I don't know if I've EVER watched a kid that young without help and yes, I might be calling my mom asking for advice, but J's sister asked if I could do it and well.. I had nothing better to do! And don't worry.. it's paid.. just don't tell the unemployment gods! They have some daycare interviews this week so I might only have to do it once, if at all. I'm kinda hoping for the "not at all" part. That's not a good sign, is it?

I have an interview Thursday morning, so we'll see how that goes. Apparently I'm "not reachable" for the Attorney General's office (how you have an interview and are then not reachable I don't know) so as much as I don't want to take the first thing that comes along, so far it's the ONLY thing that's come along. Scared? Stressed? Yeah.. just a little..

Guess I have to go to the grocery store today, as when I tried to make a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch (a sandwich I was REALLY looking forward to), my bread had a blue tinge to it. I hate the store but at least maybe it won't be so crowded as most people should be at work. The 3 cheese and chicken quesadilla lean pocket was so not the same as the grilled cheese (with bologna) that I wanted.

I guess that whole rehab thing hasn't worked out so well for her.

Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds (grrr) got married in a very hush hush ceremony in Canada over the weekend. Let the deathwatch begin!!!

Both Travis Barker and DJ AM have been released for the Georgia burn center where they underwent treatment after being the sole survivors of a horrific plane crash (sole survivors is probably the wrong way to put it. I bet I would have been raked through the coals in english class for that one, but it's kinda true!). If I'm not mistaken, both will continue treatment in the LA area.

Kathy Griffin is suing KathyGriffin. (DOT COM that is)

Finally, after one hell of a battle, the legendary Paul Newman died over the weekend at the age of 83. Have I ever seen a Paul Newman movie? I don't think so - although now I guess I have to see Slap Shot! Still, after filming Nobody's Fool at the Iron Horse Bar in Hudson (once my softball team sponsor) he's kind of a favorite son and it's sad to see him go!

Well.. time to replace my blue bread and get ready for tonight. J is making lasagna. Ok, when I say making lasagna what I really mean is taking it out of the freezer and putting it in the oven for two hours, but it's better than nothing. Looks like we're going to bond watching Heroes. I know.. we need to get lives.

This morning I participated in the "Out of the Darkness" walk for Suicide Prevention. All I can say is that it was a really great experience. Suicide is something that you don't understand the effect of, until it effects you and I can safely say I was one of those people who never quite understood it and perhaps the mental illnesses that cause it. I was enlightened today, and I'm happy to say it was done by people I've always cared a lot about, even if I don't see or talk to them as often as I should. My godmother, Barbara, was the chair of the event and she and her co-chairs did an amazing job getting the walk together. There were 150 walkers, who together raised over $11,000.00. I could not believe that one walk could generate that much money and awareness, but it has. My godmother's daughter, Debbie, was one of the guest speakers, as she works with the Capital Region Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (she, along with the majority of others who do such work, is a volunteer). I can't fathom how she does it. She's so eloquent and is so good at getting her point across. The minute I went up to her and my godmother I started to cry. Granted, I'm a sap, but I just couldn't hold it in! Course, Barbara didn't help. All she had to do was thank me and tell me how much it meant to her and I burst into tears, but I felt bad because I couldn't even get across to Debbie how amazed and in awe I am of her. She's such a strong person and if something like that ever happened to me, I don't have any idea how I'd handle it.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm very proud that I participated in the walk and I can only hope even more people participate in the coming years. If anyone is interested, the AFSP is still accepting donations through the end of the year and you can donate on my own personal page. Thanks so much to those who did donate. You have no idea how much I appreciate it!

I'm really working hard to find a good time to go to the gym during the day and all I've found is that 10:30 and 9:30 are not it. Don't get me wrong, I love the senior citizens.... until they spend all their time sitting on the machine I need to use at the gym. And no, I don't mean they are using it, I mean they are literally SITTING on it! If you need to take a rest, get off the god damn machine. There was a man this morning that was on the same machine for the entire time it took me to go through 7 machines. I counted. And, another man just miraculously kept appearing on the machine I needed right before I needed it. It's like he knew where I was going and was subconsciously drawn to my next machine. Like I need another reason to cut my workout short. Maybe mornings aren't as good a time for me as I thought.

In one of the biggest non-shockers ever, Jeffrey Ross was kicked off Dancing with the Stars. Tonight, someone else goes and sad to say, I kinda hope it's Cloris Leachman. I mean, she's entertaining, but she can't dance worth a lick, no matter what her age is! She sure is making the censors earn their money this season though!

I know, I never did an Emmy fashion post, but that's because it was kind of boring and nothing made me go "holy shit, that was an amazing dress." I mean.. nobody looked incredibly horrendous (I'm not touching Kathy Griffin.. she's my girl, but ooh that was a bad weave and not the greatest dress she's ever worn) unless they were someone you didn't know how they got on the red carpet in the first place. So, let's just congratulate my man Jeremy Piven (grrrr), Mad Men, Tina Fey, Damages and 30 Rock and call it a day, shall we?

Oh my god... No WAY! I TOTALLY didn't see this one coming (did you catch the sarcasm?)

I got a juror questionnaire in the mail today and I am probably the only person ever who's been excited about it. I've always wanted jury duty, just cause I think it's interesting and I'd like to see what it's like. However, with my job description, I figure they won't have me on a jury anytime soon. It's been forever since the last time I got jury duty (and i was never called) so I'm ready to send this back and maybe give me something to do while on my unemployment.

Speaking of which, I'm headed out to golf with my dad. This could be interesting..

Yesterday was my first "official" day of unemployment. Everyone was calling and asking me how my day off was. Um.. a day off is something you take, not something you're forced to take, but I appreciate the concern.

There was a Keeping Up With the Kardashians marathon on all day yesterday. Someone at E! loves me. My mom called me last night as she was watching Dancing with the Stars and I was watching Heroes (and yes.. it was awesome.. at least in my humble opinion) and asked me who Kim Kardashian was. I think my response was "Well.. her dad was OJ's attorney and she's basically a nicer version of Paris Hilton with a big ass." If someone else can think of a better description, feel free, but that one appeased my mom!

I probably would have enjoyed Heroes more if I hadn't had a brain splitting headache last night while watching it. I'm trying not to take my Ambien cause as of October 1, I won't have health insurance, so I bought some Tylenol PM instead. Therefore, I was waiting till bed to take it, so I didn't get drowsy and miss any of Heroes, even though I was DVRing it. Anyway, come to find out, I had a 99.9 degree fever, which explains me feeling like crap and being exhausted all day yesterday. I woke up with a fever today, but it's gone down considerable in the last hour and a half, so I'm still going to get my hair done. Priorities..

I can already tell this whole unemployment thing is not going to be a good thing for me. It's only Sunday and I've gone to the gym, cleaned my bathroom, bought a Swiffer WetJet, baked cookies and actually cared about who got voted off I Love Money on VH1. Someone please stage an intervention or something.

I spent a thrilling Saturday night going grocery shopping and watching Mulholland Drive. Wow.. remember what I was saying about David Lynch a few days ago? Yeah.. well, nix that, cause I TOTALLY didn't get this movie. I thought I did, then about two hours in, I have no idea what happened. I kept waiting for an explanation that never came. I can't say I didn't like it, cause up until that point I was intrigued and really enjoying the storyline, but I have to admit, I just didn't get it.

Yesterday, Mom and I went to the Lancome counter to get our makeup done, so of course, I had nothing to do on a Saturday night but look in the mirror and try to figure out how I was going to copy what the makeup artist did. It didn't work out. I did learn a few things, but eye makeup will still be a skill that escapes me and I think I'm ok with that and just need to come to terms with it. Perhaps that's another subject we can discuss in my intervention.

How crazy was/is this story!? I really want to know where those guys were sitting on that plane. I mean, how weird is it that out of 6 people on the plane, the two that survive (albeit with burns, don't get me wrong... it's not like they walked away completely unscathed by any means) are the "famous" ones. I mean.. seriously, how weird is that?! Regardless, it's a terrible tragedy and my thoughts go out to anyone involved. I heard Travis Barker's assistant (Little Chris) has a newborn baby and his brother just died in a car accident a few weeks ago. I can only imagine what that family must be going through.

On a lighter note, tonight is the Emmy's and with all this free time on my hands, I should be able to pull a good red carpet post out of my ass. Who am I rooting for, you ask!? Well.. Mad Men, The Office and Jeremy Piven. Need I say more?

Oh wait.. I do. Tonight is also the last game EVER at Yankee Stadium, which will hopefully be won by my very own, Baltimore Orioles. Yes.. I understand that it's the last game and blah blah blah, The Yankees Win! and all that, but it doesn't mean I'm going to hope the O's give it to them for free... on purpose.. you know what I mean. Enjoy your Sunday!!

Will the final challenge have something to do with leggings!? Cause if not, this pairing really scares me. WTF Lifetime!? Not a good way to start..

Regardless, this is some funny shit...

Bet the guy that parked next to me feels real stupid lately: He has a bumper sticker on his car that says "Spitzer/Paterson." If only I could remember what the slogan was.

That is basically one reason why I would never get a political bumper sticker. Granted, I know I should, but I really have no interest in politics, so there's another reason. It's like a tattoo: It's on there forever and if your party loses, you drive around with that reminder of who ran in 2000 on your car. At least it's on the back so you're not reminded of it ALL the time! I mean, I've never even had an Orioles bumper sticker and I have an Oriole tattoo. That's something I'm gonna like and will hopefully be around for all my life, unlike two people who "might" rule the country (or state in this matter) for a few years. I don't get it..

Today is my last day at work. To honor that, I woke up with what can only be described as a headache reminiscent of someone shoving an icepick into my brain. I'm thinking it could be slightly stress related. My co-worker and I had left over cake for breakfast. We were going to get those chicken biscuit sandwiches at McDonald's, but then we both realized we had issues with having chicken for breakfast. I mean, chicken, egg and cheese maybe. But chicken on a biscuit? I think I'm gonna have to pass. A McGriddle it's not.

You would think this guy's face would be pretty recognizable, but I totally didn't see it.

Well.. he didn't get a car, but at least he got a little more than his original winnings of $50k!

First a unanimous vote against him and now this? It really hasn't been a good week for Memphis!

So, today at work my co-worker and I are FINALLY giving our boss our baby presents. Yes, the baby is over a month old, but we were trying to put together something with the whole building and we just couldn't work it out. So now, with my imminent demise, it had to be done. Anyway, we ordered lunch out because I had to have a buffalo chicken calzone from Chris's Cafe one more time. We order from there all the time and they have this GREAT tomato tortellini soup that we've been craving all summer and every time we call, we cringe when they don't have it. I guess it's just not a summer kind of soup. So, we call today and after months of waiting, tomato tortellini soup! We're in shock. This is going to be the best lunch ever.

J brought this to my attention.. It looks like they have all the people they need, but wouldn't it be cool!? I mean, I certainly have the free time... If only I'd been laid off ealier! Granted, I have an affinity for falling asleep during movies so I probably wouldn't do so well, but I can watch flicks with the best of them!

Super news - "It's Complicated," Denise Richards reality show on E! has been renewed! It's a guilty pleasure and I think I've mentioned how really entertaining and funny she can be. Apparently filming will start soon.. Yippee!!

Oh lord.. soccer was a hot tranny mess last night. I was feeling really good about our chances after last week's game, but this week just wasn't what I had hoped. We did get our jerseys, which are very nice. Hot, but nice! There was a lot of pushing and in one instance, my newly manicured nails puncturing the skin of a tall, fast, skinny blonde. I'm pretty sure she called me a whore, which I always find funny considering she doesn't know me. Call me a bitch, I mean.. that one you can figure out. I can't say I knifed her with my nails entirely on purpose, but I probably didn't pull them out of her skin as quickly as I could have. About 10 minutes later she was showing the ref which I found hysterical cause at this point, what was he gonna do about it!? Go all CSI on me and see if I had her skin under my nails? I think not! I figure it was just retaliation as I still have the imprint of a soccer ball in my thigh where she kicked it as hard as she could when I was right in front of her. Yep... we're even. She also didn't slap my hand after the game, which was just childish. Granted, I didn't race after her either, but she was right in front of me and just walked away. Get over it sweetheart, it's a game. A game in which you kicked our ass (5-1) so show a little compassion for our frustration! We've decided that we need to practice. At this point, I'm not sure it'll help. I'm just hoping we're slow starters.

It's official - Dylan is the father of Kelly's son on 90210. I really thought it was Brandon or that they would throw Steve in, but Dylan is the one. Big surprise, considering their "history." I know everyone thinks this show is kind of a mess and that it's stars don't eat and I'm not saying I don't agree. However, that is why I like it. It's like when you pass a car wreck and you don't want to look, but you might see a severed leg if you do.

Here's one for the Heroes fans: Our favorite character (well Ok, he IS a real person too) HRG has his own blog on Television Without Pity. Ok, like I said.. he IS a real person (Jack Coleman) and the blog is his, but he should be putting forth some Heroes wisdom and talking about stuff that happens on the set, etc. Should be some entertaining reading, I hope!

I'm pretty sure some very prominent, dead country artists just rolled over in their grave, thanks to this.

Yesterday, I got a fortune cookie with no fortune. Later on that day, a praying mantis landed on me. Do you think these two cancel each other out, or do I still have a little bit of luck coming? I mean.. I don't think I really got the good side of the luck coin from that whole "bird shitting on me" incident in July, so I'm thinking karma might owe me.

In the first ever unanimous vote, Dan was proclaimed the winner of Big Brother 10. Memphis went home with $50,000 while Keesha narrowly beat Jerry for the Jury Favorite prize of $25,000. Seriously.. I like Keesha, but what about Renny!? The entertainment she provided was priceless!!! Another season over, and the application for next year is already up. Maybe I'll apply... At this point, I don't have many other things better to do! Might as well make myself useful!

There are some things you do NOT want to run in your family...

I hate to admit it, but I would seriously love it if this happened..

It's no World Series of Pop Culture, but it might be kind of interesting.. I've always wondered what kind of people know the answers to some of those questions.

Well, I've never seen any of these movies, so it won't be hard to find a place to start.

Ok.. why didn't my "awkward stage" look like that?

Tonight is soccer, where we once again play an undefeated team. The big joke is that the guy at Afrim's is my secret boyfriend and I'm beginning to think he is because he's obviously trying to make it look like we're not together by making us play only teams that do not have losses in our league. Good move, secret boyfriend... Well played.

I know it's been a while since I've said it, but what the hell... Hump 'em if you've got 'em and make sure to tune into ANTM tonight.. it's MAKEOVERS!!!!!

PS - what do you think of the new blog layout? Thanks to Jen for finding a cute layout and allowing me (through her blog) to find out where to go to get my own. Now that I know there are more options, I'll probably change it more often!!

I have 108 movies on my Netflix queue (that includes seasons of shows and such). How many do you think I'll get through during my unemployment? Maybe I should upgrade to the 3 at a time plan...

Last night I watched Blue Velvet. I was a fan of Twin Peaks so I thought I wouldn't necessarily find David Lynch films as strange as others. Blue Velvet is strange alright, but the story kept me in it through to the end. It's definitely a creepy take on what can happen in small town America! I had pushed Mulholland Drive further down my list in case I didn't like Blue Velvet, but I didn't NOT like it, so I'm going to see how it goes.

The Office starts next week (yay) so here's an interview with the one and only, Andy Bernard.

Who wants to see the movie poster for Kevin Smith's new movie, Zack and Miri Make a Porno? I think you'll be surprised, hopefully pleasantly... unless you're a perv.. I'm looking forward to this one and not because I'm a perv, but because I have this sick affinity for Kevin Smith movies... I even have a soft spot in my heart for Jersey Girl...

I know it's only Tuesday, but hasn't this been a shitty week for celebrity news? I mean, God.. could SOMEONE go to rehab or get married in Vegas or something? You're killing me Smalls..

Oh wait, I lied - Apparently TRL is going off the air, which is funny, cause I thought it went off the air years ago.. ya know when MTV stopped playing videos.

I have a zit on the side of my nose that is RIGHT in my eye line. All day I've thought I've had this HUGE random boogie in my nose.. Either way, it's not attractive.

Tre and I watched Fringe in all our free time this past weekend. It's interesting. I like it, but I'm not quite sure why (besides the inclusion of Pacey Witter, of course). It's got it's graphic moments and the story line (so far) is one of those "ok, could that really happen" kind of things. We've already got it set to tape for Tuesday night, as (if we're home) we'll have to watch the finale of Big Brother, where either Dan or Memphis takes home the half a million dollar prize. Your guess is as good as mine on this one!

Interesting coupling... This is one of those times where you really wish you didn't know where your man has been...

Kathy Griffin has won another Emmy for outstanding reality show and Sarah Silverman scored a win for the ever popular "I'm f*cking Matt Damon!"

Slow news day... slow day in general. Just trying to tie up loose ends but I guess I really could have done that... um... last Friday. Oh well.. mama needs a paycheck so we'll stick with it!

Finally, Happy Anniversary to my parents (35 years - holy shit) and a happy birthday to my god daughter Courtney! Hope everyone has great days :)

I promised pictures, so here goes:

The bride and groom
Our "dates" wouldn't dance, so we danced with each other. I think I'm leading..
This is when I realized my boobs were a little out of control. Out of control to some.. FABULOUS to others (I got lots of compliments). After all, my dress might have been petite, but my chest is not! Regardless, it's still a good pic of me, Tre and Fish!

We took a "nice" picture too, but this one just cracked me up too much not to share.

Not only was Sarah and Pete's wedding beautiful, it was a hell of a lot of fun! Longfellows was a really nice place to stay and there was nothing bad to say about the reception. The food was phenomenal, the drinks were strong and everyone had a great time! Granted, we never made it out to Saratoga, but I really don't think anyone really needed to go out. The after party in front of the hotel was probably enough!

I'm not a HUGE fan of documentaries, but this is one I can't wait to see..

I have to say, I am NOT disappointed by this turn of events... Although can I tell you what kind of hell it is to have not watched Wednesday night's Project Runway episode and have to avoid every article/web site about it so I don't know who the designers are that showed at Fashion Week!? It's not an easy task.. I have a feeling that after next week, catching up on my DVR'd shows won't be as much of a problem for me..

As of next Friday, September 19th, I am unemployed: Words I never thought would leave my mouth.

Ever since my boss had her baby, things have been pretty slow at work. Excruciatingly slow and I'll be the first to admit it. There have been many times where my co-worker and I silently (to each other) said "why doesn't she lay us off?" We didn't really mean it, nor did we think it was really going to happen. Granted, it only happened to me, but still.

I hold no hard feelings about it. I mean, I know how things work and it's the right thing to do, but it's really scary to know you don't have a job and haven't been actively looking beyond sending canvas letters back to the State. I hope something comes from that most of all, but that doesn't mean I won't be looking elsewhere as well.

My cruise is on October 17th, so I guess I have a vacation (kinda) until at least then. It'd be silly to start a job prior to that and have to tell them "oh yeah, I have a cruise to go on."

So yeah.. if anyone wants to buy me drinks, dinner or make me something pretty and tasty, I'll take it. I have no shame right now ;)!

Not only is today Jason Statham's 36th birthday (thanks San), but it's also Bald Is Beautiful Day. Coincidence? I think not...

Soccer went MUCH better last night.. for most.. We only had one sub and within 5 minutes of the first half starting, I somehow toed the turf and thought I sprained my ankle. I literally couldn't walk on it.. I came out instantly and tried to walk it off, as I was now the only sub we had! After about 10 minutes I was able to work it out so I felt like I could at least get back on the field. We ended up losing 2-0, and on one of the goals, our goalie just had a brain fart and practically let it go by. The look on her face was priceless and she let me know that as much as she didn't want the other team to score, she was kinda glad they scored that second goal so the loss wasn't entirely on her shoulders!

I don't know if anyone remembers the circumstances in which we stopped playing last session. There was some drama and I emailed the guy who was a douche and cc'd the email to his boss. Well, he has never been nicer to me and it's kinda freaking me out. Last night, the minute I walked in he called me over to the desk, because he saw me at Jeff Dunham last week. Apparently some relative of his is Dunham's agent. So, I was at "will call" getting my tickets with J and I guess this guy was trying to get my attention and I never even noticed. I swear, I didn't! I guess his girlfriend said "are you sure you know her!?" which I find to be kind of funny.. Small world...

We all know I love a good (or bad) mug shot.

Once again, Chubby Checker tops the charts..

Yay! Office news!

(Posthumously), Mitch Hedberg has a new comedy CD out..

I still need a Halloween costume. Who has ideas?

I know I just blogged about taking part in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention walk in a few weeks. Sad to say, there's recently been a teenage suicide in Hudson. Apparently, the kid killed himself because he was gay and kids were making fun of him (That's what I heard). I'm pretty saddened by the fact that in this day and age, being gay is still an issue that prompts ridicule and unfortunately, situations such as this. All the more reason to take part in the walk or donate to the cause.

I went to my friend Sue's house on Monday night. She is roughly four months pregnant and I haven't seen her in forever, so our meeting was LONG overdue. We usually figure something out for dinner, but when I got there she informed me that she was making tacos (SWEET) and already had nachos in the oven as an appetizer. She made a cookie tray full of nachos. A WHOLE cookie tray... for three people. I'm not just talking one layer of nachos... oh no! I'm talking at least three-four tiers of nacho, cheesy goodness. We never made it to the tacos, as the nachos were awesome and we all overindulged and didn't feel the need for dinner, as our appetizer had overpowered us. I think she learned her lesson on that one. Not only did we get to catch up, but she and her husband Pete are my HBO saviors! They DVR'd Entourage, so I have yet to miss an episode. I told her that I might be at her house every Monday and if not, we'll just have to do an Entourage marathon. She promised not to delete any of them until I watch. She's a good friend..

Rumor has it that Jennifer Lopez will be the guest judge on the final Bravo episode of Project Runway. What can I say? It makes sense. She's a fashion guru and I'm sure she's opinionated enough to bring the designers to their knees. Way to go out in style, Bravo!

Nastia Liukin is lucky Ryan Lochte has hair or I'd have to choke a bitch...

Shit hit the fan last night on Big Brother, as the Renegades kept Jerry instead of Keesha. Problem is, Keesha figured it out the night before and gave Memphis (the sole vote) one hell of a tongue lashing. Dan's playing Keesha like a violin, telling her he tried to get Memphis to keep her and even (I think) putting on a show after Keesha was evicted by saying to Memphis: “I really can’t believe you did that, though, man. You’re out of your mind if you think I’m taking you. Out of your mind.” Dan knew Keesha was going, so I'm sure he was saying it to get Jerry's gears moving and to make him think he still has a chance. SPOILER AHEAD - the first round of the three part HOH has gone to Memphis, so Jerry's chances are diminishing by the minute. I can't even say who could win. If it's Dan and Memphis, I think Dan might have a shot, especially if Keesha has anything to do with it. That, and Dan might have won Michelle over just a bit by taking her to the private island instead of his houseguests (unbeknownst to them). But like they say all the time "expect the unexpected" and every time I pick someone to win that's a lock cause everyone hated the other person, I'm ridiculously wrong, so I don't think I'm gonna even go there this year. Screw it!

Speaking of exits from reality tv, this is an interesting photo gallery..

I have a wedding this weekend and my cousin's wedding in October (a two day affair for me) so I needed a new dress. Amazingly enough, I found more than one! I can't find any pictures of them, but I'm sure I'll take enough pics of me in them, so you'll have to wait! I also got some really cute stuff for my boss's baby and a gift for my goddaughter's birthday on Monday. It was a very fruitful shopping trip, to say the least.

Tonight is soccer and it might be as colossal a trainwreck as last week was, as my sister and another girl can't make it. Therefore, we have one sub for 7 out of shape girls (well 6, since our goalie doesn't get taken out... EVER). Either way, I'm stopping by Allyson's hot tub after the game for a beer and some relaxation, even though I don't particularly have time for either. It's been a crazy week to say the least.

And to end the day (so far) this is for all you 80's kids...

We could do worse (believe it or not, the O's do NOT have the worst record in baseball - just the AL East), and there's no F'N WAY Angelos will pay out for Texeira... and if he does, I hate to see who he'll get rid of (besides Millar) to do it. Let the waiting begin and the rebuilding continue..

I will be walking in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention "Out of the Darkness Community Walk" on Saturday, September 27, 2008 in Hudson, New York.

As you may or may not know, my Godmother lost her son, and I lost a wonderful person in my life when Thomas Kappel committed suicide 11 years ago. My godmother, Barbara, has done an amazing job at getting the word out regarding suicide prevention and I can think of no better way to help her cause.

I hope you will consider supporting my participation in this event this year. Any contribution will help the work of AFSP, and all donations are 100% tax deductible. Also, please consider walking with me for this worthy cause! Donating online is safe and easy! To make an online donation please click the "Support This Participant" button on this page: http://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&eventID=608&participantID=15646.

Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!

How I forgot about this, I have no idea: J and I went to see Jeff Dunham at the Times Union Center (Pepsi Arena, Knick Arena, whatever) on Thursday night. We had dinner at Savannah's first which was filling as always (as were the shots Pete insisted we share with him) and then headed to the box office to get our tickets. I had ordered them the day of the show and let me tell you, if you have the opportunity, do that. It's the second time I've gotten tickets the day of the show and had OUTSTANDING seats. We were two sections from the stage, in the very first row, which is kind of important when you're going to see a ventriloquist! Granted, they had a screen right behind him so no seat was a bad seat, but ours were great! The opener was a comedian basically called "guitar guy," who told jokes while playing the guitar (hence, an operative name). His son is one of the members of Avenged Sevenfold and if he plays guitar half as well as his Dad, he's probably got a pretty decent career ahead of him! Anyway, Jeff Dunham came on around 8:45 and did a little stand up on his own, then he brought out Walter, his curmudgeonly friend. After Walter, there was Achmed, the Dead Terrorist (the highlight of the show for me) Peanut and Jose Jalapeno (on a stick). I had to pee the second we got there, but never wanted to leave my seat for fear I'd miss something! The show got over around 10:15 and I think both J and I had stomach pains from laughing so hard. If you get a chance to see him, I promise you won't regret it. Unless you're like... afraid of puppets and ventriloquists or something..

The Orioles have exercised their 2009 option for Dave Trembley, ya know, cause the team is doing so well under his tutelage. I know... sorry... cynical. Congrats Dave!!! :)

I knew she looked familiar...

2009? I know, I'm so impatient...

So... I don't know if I've discussed this before, but my sister got rid of HBO a few months ago, which really wasn't a big deal. Granted, it sucks that I'm not able to watch "John Tucker Must Die" if I can't sleep at 3 am (or you know, any other time), but I wasn't all that upset. Until I realized I would no longer be able to watch Entourage, which premiered last night. Where the F am I going to get my dose of Piven!? So, I think, I'll just ask Mom and Dad to DVR it for me. Guess who else got rid of HBO? I'm so going to have to get every season on DVD now and I blame my family. That, and I kind of wanted to check out True Blood, the new show from Six Feet Under creator, Alan Ball. It hasn't received great reviews, but I'm still intrigued.

Engagements have run rampant around Hollywood, and I admit, I'm a little sad this stud muffin is one to bite the dust.

Ok.. the VMA's.. I admit, I'm probably 18 years too old to be even watching the show, but I had to see what happened with Britney as the opener and it was nothing but anticlimactic. Girlfriend should know how to hold a mike by now! However, I admit I cheered when she won her first ever VMA, although you had to know she wasn't going home empty handed after the year she had.

John Norris needs to hang it up. He looks AWFUL and could certainly be the father to most of the people on or around the show. John.. a pair of skinny jeans and a bad dye job do not a hip "newsman" make.

I know she was on ANTM and all, but I guess I didn't realize how beautiful Kim Stolz really could be! A dress and some weave does wonders huh!?

The Jonas Brothers got ripped up by host Russell Brand, but congrats to Jordin Sparks for standing up for them and all those other "pure" celebs.

Great performance by Pink, as usual. I would say it was the most entertaining performance for me, personally. Then again, I didn't really know what a "milli" was until Tre told me, so I guess I should just keep my mouth shut!

Bad night for my man Peyton, even though I didn't watch the game. The minute I did, he threw the ball away, so I figured it was best if I kept my distance. I think he gets nervous...

Enjoy the rest of your Monday and remember, only two more weeks (I think) till Heroes season 3 debuts... I stole (borrowed) seasons 1 and 2 from J, just to refresh my memory so we'll see if I can get the job done before then!

I feel like I have so much to go over, and I know I'm not going to remember all of it, but I'll give it a shot.

90210 - Yeah.. I kinda liked it. Not kinda.. REALLY had fun watching it. I know it got shitty reviews and I'm not going to pretend it was the best show in the world, but it was fun to see how they incorporated people from the old show into the new one. Speaking of which, am I the only one who was a little shocked at how bad Shannen Doherty looked!? I don't know.. she looked like she got rode hard and put away wet, but who cares?! Brenda Walsh is back!

Big Brother -As expected, Renny got the boot and Dan won HOH, so Jerry's only hope is to win the POV or else his time in the house is over.. Renny was a really great sport when she left and while I didn't like her in the beginning, I kind of found her entertaining.

Bowling started on Friday. I got nothing out of it but a sore arm. It's gonna be a good year.

Soccer was a train wreck of epic proportions. We are all out of shape, and no one had any idea where anyone else was playing. We lost 6-2 and while God knows we hate losing, we still had a blast doing it. I wasn't as sore as I expected, which is a good thing. I think a dip in Allyson's hot tub after this week's game will really hit the spot! The five months we had off didn't do us any good whatsoever, but I think we just need some time to get our shit together and remember how everyone plays. Hey, our first session last year we lost every game but one, so we can't do much worse this session (famous last words, right?).

Stella finally got the boot on Project Runway. It was only a matter of time, as she really couldn't (and didn't want to) do anything out of her "aesthetic" but like Renny on BB, she was entertaining as all hell! Apparently Diane Von Furstenberg and Stella won't be working together any time soon.

Oh lord, I watched the 2 hour premiere of America's Next Top Model, now well known due to the fact that there is a pre-op transexual competing. I feel a little bad for her, as everyone has their own opinion about whether or not she should be competing (and questions about tuckage), but she's just not attractive to me. I mean, I've seen drag queens that you would never know were men, but you can instantly tell there's something going on with Isis, and not necessarily in a good way. However, she took a decent picture this week (even with the haters harassing her behind the curtain) and since she's good TV and people will tune in just to see what happens, she'll probably stick around for a while. Oh ANTM, I wish I could quit you.

I can't find my list (oh yes, I make a list) so that's all for now. However, the VMA's are on in about an hour and a half so I can only imagine the material I'll have for tomorrow.

I want to see Death Race, not for any good reason than the man you see in this post. I love him, I think he's hot and I want to have 5,000 of his babies. Case closed. J seemed to think I should NOT see Death Race, until I had seen Death Race 2000, the movie it is based on. WHICH HE OWNED. That is 78 minutes of my life I am never going to get back. I think he wanted me to realize the premise of the film and all that jazz, but I really don't care. Let me tell you: Britney Spears (and her INSANE acting ability) could play the lead and there is no way it could be worse than this movie (the original). I mean... Stallone!? Awful.. there were funny parts, but not enough to make it anything more than the cult movie it should continue to be. And no, I'm not sure that's a compliment.

Heroes season premiere will be three hours long. J got Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD so I've been catching up as much as I can, but three hours is a long time to sit and watch. I'm still looking forward to it. It's gotten rave reviews for the upcoming season and it's been too long a wait!

Ah, the woman who could be future Vice President must be bursting with pride...

Ok.. I was too busy watching Death Race 2000 last night to watch the premiere of 90210, but you know damn well I taped it. I'm a little ashamed, but I'll save the full shame for when I've actually watched and enjoyed it.

Speaking of things I'm embarassed to still enjoy, MTV's new Real World/Road Rules Challenge, The Island, premieres a week from today. I admit, I have no idea who most of these sluts and backstabbers are (as I gave up on the Real World and Road Rules YEARS ago, but still way later than I should have), but god damnit, they're awesome TV.

Things got a little sketchy in the Big Brother house, as Dan's worst nightmare came true and Jerry won the HOH. Jerry nominated Dan and Keesha, and made a deal with Memphis to go to the final two, who has similar deals with Dan and Keesha. Jerry then fell into the pool. I admit, I felt bad laughing, but it was pretty funny! Anyway, Memphis won the POV and used it to remove Dan, giving "The Renegades" another week and more than likely sealing Renny's fate. Jerry might as well put his head between his legs and kiss his ass goodbye for next week, because there really isn't any way he can stay unless Memphis sticks to his deal, which he already hasn't done since he took Dan off in the first place. Dirty dealings in that house.. dirty.. and that is the way I like it.

Soccer starts tonight! I'm so excited... out of shape.. but excited. Nice thing is, the team we play will have already played at 8, so hopefully they are in as good a shape as our team is. I'll let you know how it goes.

America's Next Top Model (aka "Tranny Watch") begins tonight with a two hour premiere episode, as does Bones. My poor DVR. It's that time of year!

Hump 'em if you got 'em... And if you can get away with it, hump them even if they're not ;)! Happy Wednesday..

Our neighbors are selling what can only be described as the cutest cocker spaniel puppies I've ever seen. They're a chocolate color and they're just downright adorable.

Tre even called to see the price and all that jazz. I think she's at her breaking point and we could very well have a puppy soon...

But I'm not one to gossip, so you didn't hear that from me.

This is me, trying to get on the bull. I am short. This makes it difficult. This is me, MASTERING the bull...
This is me... after I was mastered by the bull..
Nikki and I both got mat burn after being thrown from the bull. It hurt, but we got a sticker!
As usual, the fair was a really good time. I have eaten my weight in corn dogs and gravy fries and may very well have gained 10 pounds in one weekend alone, a personal record. Thank god the fair only comes around once a year! Later on that night, I got the hiccups like I've never had the hiccups before. I drunkenly decided to do a head stand, which explains the hay on my pillow. There are reasons I am the one wielding the camera.

It was a crazy night on Big Brother, so much so that Tre and I made them turn it on at Melino's so we wouldn't miss a minute, even though we were pretty sure we knew what the outcome would be. Last night was double elimination night, with the backdooring and subsequent exit of Michelle just the beginning. I think my favorite part was when Julie Chen had to tell her that Dan was not a plant, and is in fact, playing the game. She was sorely disappointed. Fast forward through the week, as Keesha wins HOH and puts up (unsurprisingly) Jerry and Ollie. Dan wins POV and doesn't change the nominations, forcing Ollie to leave by a vote of 3-0 in the quickest exit in BB history. Obviously (unless he wins HOH) Jerry is next week's target and it's gonna get a little sticky after that. However, if Jerry wins HOH, it'll most certainly be every man for himself!

David Duchovny? A sex addict? Granted, I don't have Showtime so I've never seen Californication, but it sure does make me wonder if Duchovny isn't really that great an actor... Who'dve thunk!? Perhaps the truth really is still out there (Come on.. I couldn't help myself)!

Brings the theories of Team LC and Team Heidi to new levels.. Notice which team has more players...

Yeah yeah yeah.. Michael Jackson turns 50 today.. BIG DEAL - cause so does my Uncle Jackie!!! :) He might not have the money, but he sure did get the better end of the deal.. After all, he was born white and stayed that way (and he has me for a niece).

Enjoy your weekends and I'll try to have pics up from the beer tent at the fair. Ah, the joy of small town life...

My 700th Post

Ok.. I know I'm not doing titles, but I think it's pretty amazing that I've reached 700 posts. Kudos to me!

So yesterday, I played hooky and went to the Woodbury Outlets with my mom and sister. It was a kind of uneventful trip, as I basically found nothing that looked REALLY good, and got run over by foreigners and Hasidic Jews pushing their kids in these huge strollers as they went to Aldo to buy their orthopedic shoes. Seriously, what do the Hasidic Jews do to make their money, cause I work and I am certainly not buying my long black skirts at Tommy Hilfiger. Someone enlighten me! I did get a new pair of sneakers though, which are apparently supposed to motivate me to go to the gym, but will more than likely just make them dirty and leave me feeling unfulfilled.

Speaking of fulfillment, I had a McGriddle for breakfast this morning. Considering that I need to go to the gym hard core and stop eating like a fiend or I really WILL get harpooned on my cruise in October, I'm going out full force this weekend. Oh yes... the McGriddle is only the beginning. Two nights of dinner at the fair should satisfy me for a while... Let the corn dogs and gravy fries begin!

Grr... someone SHOULD quit their day job.

Speaking of baseball, apparently Cal has taken ownership of a minor league team in the Tampa Bay franchise and threw out the first pitch in a Rays jersey. Oh yes... everyone's up in arms, but come on! He's not an Oriole anymore and this is BUSINESS! (Ok, he'll always be an Oriole, but you get my drift) If Peter Angelos wanted to sell the team to Cal I'm sure he'd throw out the first pitch every day in full uniform, but he isn't, and Cal's got kids (and hopefully soon a newly 32 year old mistress) to feed. Cut him some slack and don't mess with my man! (thanks for the heads up Rob!) Oh yeah.. the O's start a weekend set with the Rays tonight. Ya know.. the Rays.. the first place Rays.. Yeah.. looking forward to those highlights on ESPN.

You'd think after almost getting your head shaved during a drunken night (for your competitors) on a Bravo reality show, he wouldn't be drinking too much these days.. WRONG!

Yet another 70's icon falls off the wagon... Eat your heart out, Tatum O'Neal...

Someone needs to teach my two favorite Orioles exactly what constitutes junk food.

I nominate myself.

Speaking of O's... Happy Belated Birthday to my favorite O (forever and ever), Cal Ripken. He celebrated his 48th birthday on Sunday, August 24th. I celebrated in my own way.... just.. unfortunately.. not with him :(. SOMEDAY!!!!

I am bound and determined to start up at the gym after a month long furlough, so I downloaded some new songs for my Ipod the other day, and I feel I might need to explain myself:

Do Me by Bell Biv Devoe - It's a good song for the cardio and who can resist a man who says "smack it up, flip it, rub it down OH NO!" I know I can't. It basically describes my entire gym going experience, although there is certainly not enough rub down, and way too much OH NO!

The Past by Sevendust - I've only listened to it once, but Jason (the knocker upper, but since I don't know what the real deal with that is, we'll just call him Jason) told me Chris Daughtry sings on it, so I had to download it. It serves no purpose but to give me another soundtrack to my Chris Daughtry fantasy. Did I mention he played the State Fair last Thursday, and I missed it? That's right up there with my "forgetting" Counting Crows were in town.. WTF is wrong with me!?

Disturbia by Rihanna - Again, cardio.

When I Grow Up by The Pussycat Dolls - I'm ashamed and I'll admit it. I would NOT listen to this song when it first came out. Probably for no reason other than, well, I would be ashamed. Well, my sister heard it and insisted that there's one part where they say "they want boobies." Come to find out, they want groupies, but now every time we hear it, we say "boobies" instead. Hence, I have to listen to it every time it's on the radio because I'm a child and giggle when people say "boobies." And it's grown on me...

If you read a book by any author this year (I'm thinking this will be more of a girl thing) read ANYTHING by Jen Lancaster. I just finished What a Pretty Fat and laughed my ass off, mainly because I've said or thought of saying lots of the things she had the balls to say out loud. Her writing is incredibly relatable, and laugh out loud funny. Check out her books and her blog.

I unlocked a new yoga pose, the Triangle, last night. That didn't go so well.. But I've done yoga for three days in a row so that's something. I am sore, so I guess it's working! There is muscle underneath my fat. I can't see it, but I can feel it!

I had a big lunch yesterday so I wasn't hungry until it was time to watch Big Brother (Memphis won POV and Dan reneged on his deal with Ollie by putting up Michelle), so everything I had for dinner started with Pop! I had Frosted Cinnamon Pop-Tarts (my favorites.. I haven't had them in YEARS) and when that wasn't enough, I had some microwave popcorn. I miss those staples that got me through college but are really way too bad and/or embarassing for you to eat as a mature adult: Pop-Tarts, Steak-Ums, Easy Mac.. (ok who am I kidding? Kraft Mac and Cheese will NEVER go out of style).

It was only a matter of time before DWTS came to their senses: Lacey Schwimmer (one of the finalists on last year's So You Think You Can Dance and brother of Season 2 winner, Benji Schwimmer) is partnering Lance Bass on the upcoming season of DWTS. I think they have a lot to live up to and hope they don't fall victim to the Chris Daughtry curse (where everyone loves you and assumes everyone else is voting for you), but I'm REALLY looking forward to it. My Mondays are starting again.. Yay! (it's the little things)

My latest call tone (When I Dream of Michaelangelo by Counting Crows) has expired as of today. I went old school with my new choice, once that had been in the running the last few times: Corey Hart - Sunglasses at Night. I might call myself, all day.

I did yoga again last night. It might look like it's not working (to people who aren't doing it) but I can definitely feel it. I'd take a class (if I could find one) but it's one thing to be unbalanced in your own home, as opposed to in front of a group of skinny yoga groupies. I'll pass..

I went to the Chinese Buffet tonight for the first time ever. I'm lucky no one harpooned me on the way home.

I think I've mentioned that I've been trying to enlighten myself by watching "classic" movies. I watched Easy Rider the other day and it was ok, but I didn't think it was ground breaking. Then again, I wasn't alive when it was made, so that might make a difference. Tonight I watched Dog Day Afternoon. LOVED it! Al Pacino was amazing and it kept my attention the whole time. I've had some issues with my attention span lately and if a movie is any more than an hour and a half, I find I have trouble concentrating on it. Dog Day Afternoon was about two hours and I never once checked to see how much longer I had to go. If you haven't seen it, check it out! Great (true) story and really great acting. I might sound like a broken record, but I really can't say anything more about, especially nothing bad!

I did yoga on the Wii Fit yesterday. I can't feel my calves. I can't tell if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Who's got the over/under on the NEXT Charlie Sheen custody hearing? Ah, I know.. I'm such a cynic, right?

The new cast for Dancing with the Stars was officially announced today. I think I'm a little excited about it. There are some interesting "celebs" on the list and I'm always curious to see how the athletes will do. Hopefully Misty May-Treanor has more rhythm than Monica Seles! Kim Kardashian could be the first trainwreck to go, however she probably has a bigger fan base than say... Jeffrey Ross.. So she might have to get through her ill-timed foot injury to continue to compete!

J and I finally made it to the drive-in this weekend, where the double feature was Tropic Thunder and Stepbrothers. Yes, we've already seen Step Brothers, but I was going to the drive in come hell or high water, before the summer ended. I enjoyed Tropic Thunder. Tom Cruise's cameo is REALLY funny and shows that believe it or not, he does have a sense of humor! I understand why there are protests and stuff, but it's really not as bad as it's made out to be. Granted, I don't have a mentally challenged relative or friend, so perhaps my thoughts about it are skewed. I don't know.. I kind of think it's much ado about nothing and is certainly no worse than anything else out there. This movie also continues my summer crush on Robert Downey Jr. Who'dve thunk!?

I'll never learn.

I went to bed early last night, and had told myself I was going to get up at a decent hour to beat the rush at Jiffy Lube, as I needed an oil change. I think we all know how much I loathe Jiffy Lube. I know nothing about cars (except, luckily, where the gas and wiper fluid go) so they always manage to sell me something. Not today, so I thought. I walked in there with my coupon and was determined to "Just Say No."

The technician (very cute and bald) brings me out and asks me what kind of oil I want. I was smart enough to see the prices on the screen and picked the cheapest. He then shows me my air filter and tells me it was pretty dingy, or something to that effect. I don't remember because the minute he said "air filter" my eyes glazed over. He caught me off guard and I said "sure, change my air filter." My $28.00 oil change (with coupon) morphed into $52.00 and I had to hide my shock and disappointment in myself as I made small talk with Cutie McMechanic. I lamented with him as to why they were all backed up (3 people called in), and how you can't find good help these days and I pray to God he works on commission... that he should use to take me out to dinner. It's only fair..

At least I got a free car wash.

Today is the first time I realized (I think) that in the song "Baby Got Back", Sir Mix-a-Lot says "LA Jeans with an Oakland booty." I don't know what I thought it waspreviously and maybe I'm still wrong, but that certainly wasn't it. The only reason I thought of it is because Terri on Project Runway had a shirt on in one of the recent episodes that said that. Ok, something LIKE that. I can't remember the slogan exactly, but I know it said something about having an Oakland booty and thought to myself "I bet I have an Oakland booty." Weird..

Great game... not so great as a baby name.

I am dragging something fierce today. Tre, our friend Brian and I met some of the guys that we play ball against at the Towne Tavern in Averill Park. I drove. Big mistake.. Tre and I had made a pact that we would leave by 11:30... 12:00 at the latest. We got home at 2. Good lord those boys can knock down the beer and liquor. Tre invited them to Hudson which would be fun, but I admit, I'm a little scared.

Daniel FINALLY was let go from Project Runway, as the designers had to create outfits for drag queens. This might have been the funniest episode I've ever seen (ranking right up there with the episode where Santino impersonates Tim Gunn) and I was surprised at how... kinda hot and normal some of the drag queens were! Joe (our token straight guy) finally won (oh, the irony) and his drag queen was a sexy bastard!

The first week alliance on Big Brother (ya know, the one that basically encompassed the entire house against Brian) was let down once again, as Libra was booted last week and April this week. Granted, April and Libra have been on different sides of the coin as of late, but I've really enjoyed watching how Dan, Keesha and Memphis have banded together to keep themselves in the game. I mean, I thought Dan was a goner from Day One and now he's (SPOILER, I THINK) HOH! Should be an interesting week in the BB house. Apparently April hasn't gotten her period since her unprotected sex with Ollie and there's a double elimination next Thursday. Must be the end of the summer!

The final 3 on Shear Genius are Charlie, Nicole and Dee. I thought I watched the whole episode, but once I deleted it, I realized I had no clue who was in the final 3 besides Nicole, as she won the short cut challenge to get there. Then again, it's Bravo so I'm sure I'll see the ending and many marathons before the finale.

The Olympics are almost over and I've found my new LOVAH (sorry Jonathan Horton.. you've run your course). He's a little on the doofy side, but the tall, skinny dork has been my thing in the past. Maybe it's time to bring it back (hush your mouth C. Howe).. Speaking of the Olympics, the probe into the Chinese gymnastics age really turned into a farce and was dismissed within hours of the news breaking. The US Women's Soccer team are the gold medalists, while the US Softball team was upset by Japan. Think they did it on purpose to end their world domination and convince the IOC that softball is still relevant? I don't either...

Time for my weekend o'detox, which I think I might start off by having McDonald's for lunch today. Food coma, here I come! Enjoy your weekend!!

Oh, what a beautiful morning... Thanks for the pick me up, Rach!

Last night, Tre, Fish and I treated ourselves to ice cream at Lick. My favorite cinnamon flavor was not one of the selected, so I was more than likely going to relegate myself to chocolate chip. Boring, I know, but so are my taste buds. Anyway, there was a milk chocolate and a hot chocolate so we asked what the difference was: The hot chocolate has chili peppers in it. We HAD to give it a shot. We all got little samples of it and it was interesting: Tasted like chocolate but had an aftertaste like you'd just eaten a dozen wings. I got a scoop of it and while it was good, the sample was probably enough. My mouth was cold, yet on fire. A very weird feeling...

Seriously, someone figure out a way to introduce me to this guy...