Sea heist turns happy ending...

April 12, 2009: In this photo released by the U.S. Navy, Maersk-Alabama Capt. Richard Phillips, right, shakes hands with Lt. Cmdr. David Fowler, executive officer of USS Bainbridge after being rescued by U.S Naval Forces off the coast of Somalia.

This Easter we were all grateful to find out that the Maersk Sea Capt, Richard Phillips, was safe and sound in the hands of the USS Bainbridge. Navy "snipers", as they were first referred to as, shot and killed three of the pirates and saved Capt Phillips. Later the "snipers" were identified as SEALS... Obviously!!! The fourth "pilot", as MSNBC referred to them as yesterday, is in US custody at this time.

Our hearts and prayers are with Capt. Phillips and his family. Good to see a happy ending out of an all too scary story.

Peeps and such

Well... you all knew it was coming. I've been talking about Peeps for weeks! AND I told all of my loyal readers (Hi Annette!) that I was writing this one today.

Easter is about Jesus, but let's face it it also has the added bonus of having a candy variety that rivals that of another famous holiday that is NOT about Jesus, Halloween of course! I do enjoy a good candy corn now and again, but those mini sugar traffic cones can not hold a candle to some of the candy confections that the holiest day of the year brings to the table...

PEEPS!

OMG! I know them! I've eaten every color! And they all taste the same. These little sugar coated sugar babies are the life blood of Easter candy, and this is coming from someone that craves chocolate like you would not believe. What is so great about Peepers, that's my pet name for them, is that they are as adorable as they are delicious. I mean seriously. As they stare up at you with their sad little chocolate brown dot-eyes, you can't help but feel guilty as you eat their lil' heads off, and devour the rest of their family.

This year they have a new color, orange, and don't tell but I put them in Steve's Easter basket. I can't say they will be more delicious then blue, green, pink, purple or the famous yellow, but they do bring a certain something to the table.

and there's MORE variety! Try the bunnies. They taste so good! And the company got a little crazy, and added Peeps for all seasons. Easter, Christmas, Halloween and even Valentine's Day. Buyer beware: some of these "fancy" Peeps include "fancy" marshmallow flavors that just ruin the whole thing. A peep just isn't a peep when it tastes like strawberries.. eww. If you ask me though, you can't go wrong with a chick or a bunny though.

And these crazy people have started making recipes for Peeps. You can make smores or cakes and stuff. Go to www.marshmallowpeeps.com for more. It's a sickness I tell ya!

JELLY BEANS

Poor forsaken jelly bean. You used to be the crowd favorite, but now you just lie hopelessly at the bottom of Tommy's Easter basket amongst robin's eggs and plastic grass while he plays with those frickin' scary looking sugar chickens and rabbits! Damn you Peeps! Your stealing my sugar thunder!

But wait, could it be? A jelly bean comeback? Ah yes, the jelly bean is coming back revamped and ready to rumble. The makers of candy favorites like Starburst and Jolly Ranchers have been coaxing the jelly bean out of submission for years by turning their popular candy into a magical tasty bean! And Jelly Belly has always been a popular jelly bean maker. Thank you candy makers.. Because this year I truly saw a Dora the Explorer jelly bean on the Drug store shelf, and that's when I knew the bean was back!



REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER EGG

O death thy name is peanut butter egg. How else could you take one of the most fatty, delicious candies, and turn it into a bigger, more fatty and delicious candy...shaped like an egg?!? I love these things, and THIS is the reason I have to workout so much around this season...

CHOCOLATE BUNNY

Fat kids rejoice! If you thought peanut butter eggs were bad, take a gander at the chocolate bunny. Are you kidding me? It's like a candy bar on steroids... shaped like a bunny! What is it with Easter? You take a candy and reshape it, and it's supposed to be okay now? No. If my parents ever wondered why I did wind sprints in the backyard in my Easter dress, and then passed out on the porch on Easter Sunday, it was probably because I just ate a whole chocolate bunny. SUGAR HIGH!!!!! and then the crash.... Ha!

Thank you Easter for your magnificent attempt to make a Jesus filled holiday more sugarfied.....

Jennifer Aniston..omg!

So last night I saw Jennifer Aniston. I was walking to the subway for a visit to my local Target store.. Maybe not "local".. It's in Brooklyn. This guy wouldn't let me cross the street, and I soon figured out why. Well first of all I was walking around the corner at 2nd and 53rd, and I walked right through craft services, where the actors/crew get their snacks and such. Then this guy wouldn't let me cross the street. There were huge lights all over the place, and it was pretty obvious they were filming, but I didn't think the actors were there! I pretty much assume they just show up at the last minute and do their thing, ya know? So finally I could cross, and there were all of these photographers against a blockade taking pictures of something. So I asked one what we were looking at, and he said Jennifer Aniston. So I looked, and sure enough there she was. I told my best friend Katie, and she asked if she was as pretty in person. Well, I'm assuming so, but she was kind of turned at a weird angle talking to directors and everything, but her hair was gorgeous. Like those Hollywood curl/wave that every magazine tries to tell regular girls how to do, but it's damn near impossible. I haven't seen any of photographer's pics on People.com yet, but I'll keep you posted!

Apparently she is shooting a new movie called "The Baster", which is about a 40 year old woman who goes to a sperm donor only to find out seven years later that her best friend switched his sperm with the donors. Sounds kind of weird to me, but I'll probably see anything with Jen. She's just one of those actors...

fat AND broke.. what's a girl to do...

NYC why do you have so many delicious places to eat? You are killing me.

While my sister was in town I took her to some of my favorite NYC eating spots. We went to 123 Burger, Spice, Krunch pizza,and of course Ess-a-bagel. (Home of my favorite grumpy guys serving up the best kosher delights anywhere... yum) Not only did I take her to all of these places, but I walked her little booty all around town. You would think this would be enough exercise, but o no, alas I have done nothing but gain weight in this city. My favorite jeans don't fit, I have the elusive "beer gut" and when my sister went home she told my grandma I gained 15 lbs... Hey now! Definitely not 15!!!! More like 12 or 13 sheesh!

So on top of NYC having so many great places to eat (I mean I live above a pizza place AND a philly cheesesteak place), it is also one of the most EXPENSIVE places to stay healthy ever! I swear. A gym membership can run you anywhere from $90 and up and the average is around $125. That is CRAZY! And if no one has noticed, NYC gets hit pretty hard with RAIN and freezing weather. Running outside is for crazy people. NOTE: I know there are some that enjoy running is sub-freezing degree weather. I am not one of them.

So what choices do I have? Not a lot. I occasionally borrow my BF's gym when I go to New Roc to visit, but other than that I am not left with a lot of options. I got Yoga Booty Ballet for Christmas, and have used it a few times, but my apartment is borderline trailer quality with very thin floors that squeak up a storm, and I'm not 100% confident that they wouldn't fall in. I'm not chancing it. I also have an exercise ball, weights, a body band and jump rope. Do I have room to use most of these? Not so much. But I still try.. I love that Body Band!

But now it's spring.. and I have no excuse. I am bound and determined to lose this winter insillation by eating right and running 5 times a week. I ran yesterday, and Sunday I hiked for 3 hours so I think that counts. This morning I did get an early morning call to go run, but alas I ignored, so I know what I'll be doing after work! ;)

So we shall see how this all works out. Hopefully I'll get back to my semi-fighting weight. No more eating ice cream and watching biggest loser (I know. It's horrible.) I will be fit.. but probably still broke...

BABY SNUGGIE... YIKES

For the woman who's always wanted to be a kangaroo...



I have been posting this everywhere. #1 I think it's hilarious, but #2 it is a bit disturbing... What do you think?

hiking on Bear Mountain

I have a new hobby. Well, I've only been twice, so I don't know if I can call it a hobby yet. I don't know what the qualifications are for it to be a hobby, but that's what I'll call it. HIKING. Ahh, the fresh air, the mountain breeze, the little animals peeking out from underneath the brush, the hidden streams, the steep hills and rolling rocks underfoot, the MUD, the pain I feel the next day... Oops! I let that slip.

It was great though, as someone who always wants to do these things, but can't drag my mall loving, "where's the elevator", "what do you mean there's no bathroom" friends along on the whirl-wind hiking/camping adventures I'd always dreamed about. Although I do remember cursing my hiking cohort and asking if he KNEW this steep hill was here, and was just trying to torture me. Alas he didn't, so I couldn't be mad.

After all the tripping, sweating and trudging through the brush, it is all made apparently clear at the top. The view was gorgeous. As much as I wanted to leave it as a journey that was only physically straining, I can't help but think of the obvious metaphor. LIFE is like a hike.. You work so hard and can only see the next hill. You try so hard to keep up, but stumble still. It's not apparent what the purpose of it all is until you come to the top. Until you see the horizon, and the valley below, and know why you worked so hard and didn't stop. Why you suffered all of those times. It is so clear all at once.

While discussing "organized" religion one friend, whom I will not name, once told me that in nature he feels closest to God. That he doesn't 100% see the purpose of having to go to church or being part of an organized church. And yesterday I could kind of see his point. While walking through a dense brush, I saw a deer, and because he was uphill from me, he could not smell or hear me. And I just stood there for a few minutes. How beautiful. How close to God and all he has made I feel. I know what my friend was talking about...

I hope to have many more outdoor adventures. I have finally found a hobby that doesn't involve calories (eating/beer I'm talking about you). And it might even benefit me physically... and spiritually as well.

Thank you notes.. on real PAPER!

Ah yes, if there was one thing my mother harped about while I was growing up it was the thank you note. Every Christmas, after the brightly colored paper was picked up, and the tinsel vacuumed out of the carpet, we sat down and were practically forced to write thank you notes for all of the gifts we were given. I say forced because as young children, most don't fully appreciate what they have. It may not seem like a big deal to write a thank you note now, but think back to when you were 8 years old, and Mom made you take time from playing to write Aunt Jess a thank you note for the present she sent you. It was a pain. What you really wanted to do was go play with the Barbie that you had asked for ALL YEAR LONG and finally got under the Christmas tree. Yes, this is sad that some children are so spoiled, but it is true. I guess I was one of those children, and maybe some of you were as well. But you know what happens to those kids that are "forced" to be grateful? In most cases, I know in mine, they end up BEING grateful.

And this happens in the corporate world as well. How many atta-boys do you have in your inbox though? Probably a few, or maybe you should just change your career... hmm. Now mean how many hand written thank you notes do you get for things you do? Probably not a lot. The reason I say this is because I am a huge advocate of hand-written correspondence, or even verbal. These days the Internet is ruining our manners. I don't know about you, but to me it means so much more to get a call from a company/org I'm working with and have them tell me "Thanks, it's been great working with you", than to have someone randomly send me a "Thanks" email, which took them all of two seconds to send. No thought, no preparation. Just today, we received a letter from the Gen. thanking us for our help with his visit. So you know what I did? I sent a thank you letter to a lady that's been helping our office with a bunch of stuff lately. That's right... on PAPER and IN THE MAIL! Craziness!

NOTE: Mom, I still send thank you notes for just about everything. Just like you like it. Yes, I had a rough time this Christmas, so I MAY still have a couple that never got sent, but I did write them... You'd be proud. Thanks for making me have manners. As much as I hated you for it before, I love you for it now...

MoMa

What do you call free art that is better than art you had to pay a ton to see? I call it AWESOME! We went to MoMa Friday, and thanks to Target (my favorite) we got in for free. That's right. Every Friday from 4 to 8, Target stores give free MoMa visits to all!!!! Just show up, and you get in for free. What can you get for free anymore? Sugar packets? A hug from that creepy co-worker? The Staten Island Ferry? Well you get my point... not a lot.

A few weeks back, I told you I went to the Guggenheim, and it was not what I would have expected... We won't revisit in great detail. MoMa was exactly what I expected. Real art by REAL artists that I understood. Masterpieces that I had heard and seen in media and history books, but never seen in real life. Some of my favorites were Gustav Klimt, Andy Warhol, and even a couple by Picasso. Yes, our friend Picasso did have some "issues", and some of his stuff I don't like, but I did enjoy his piece "girl before a mirror" and the one of some weird looking people fishing.

They had a special exhibit of Martin Kippenberger, which was extremely interesting. This German artist used a wide range of symbolism in his works. In fact, you can't possibly fully enjoy his works without the commentary. Just knowing what you're looking at, and why, makes the art so much more meaningful. He painted a car and a "healing" box with brown paint and oatmeal. Weird, I know, but once you heard why he did it, it was beautiful. In another piece he made a life size sculpture of himself standing in the corner out of various materials to show his faults as a human being. For example, one was made of resin and cigarettes, because he smoked. He also had quite the obsession with frogs and eggs... but I'll let you figure that one out.

Although there are still some of the "artsy" disasters that make me crazy, they are far and few between. No needles in faces... no neon rooms with buzzing noises (Dream House!!!). I will bring my guests here... mostly on Fridays.

House guests and circus elephants

Helllloooooo! I took a bit of a hiatus this past week, but because of good reason. My sister came to town! And the circus! Woo! No seriously, they walked the elephants through the Lincoln tunnel at 1230 AM because they can't bring them in on trains or semis. Isn't that crazy!?! I didn't go because my bed was super comfy that night but I heard it's amazing, and if you aren't lazy like moi, you should go next year. When are you going to get to see an elephant walking down 2nd Ave like it's a normal thing? Never. It's a good thing they bring the alligators in on trucks now instead of the East River... people were getting pissed when fluffy went missing. Yikes!

Okay and my sister came to town!?! Woo! With her she brought her two wonderful friends Heather and Kayla. After I walked their little hineys off all over Manhattan, these girls hated me! If people wonder why I don't weigh 300 lbs eating all the crap I do it is because of the extreme walk-a-thons I do on a daily basis. Walking 10 blocks is normal for me, but these girls drive a block to Wendy's in Columbus... ha! God love'em. I introduced them to dollar beers at Turtle Bay, my pizza man/Manhattan dad Tommy and public transportation. What I should not have introduced them to was burlesque, Buttercup cupcakes and Brooklyn.

BURLESQUE: This was hilarious! My little sister should have a halo I swear. One for dealing with me, and two becasue she really is a naive little angel. We went to the Slipper Room Thursday night, and not only were we the only straight, out of town, twenty-somethings, but we were even picked out as such by the Emcee of the show. My sister and posse believed that this show was going to be something like Dita Von Teese like they had seen on America's Top Model, but it ended up being more like a satire of the show they thought they were going to see. Way more skin, and at one point, a girl came out in a dinosaur costume and started stripping to "Godzilla". I am not kidding. NOTE: Grandma, when you read this, take a couple deep breaths before you call and kill me. I had NO IDEA this was the show we were going to. Overall the night ended up laughable, and we all got a laugh at the show, and Emily as she covered her eyes, and acted appauled at just about everything. It was great.

BUTTERCUP: These things are DELICIOUS! My house guests soon realized how great they were too. I got some for Emily's birthday, and on Saturday before they left the girl's went and got some to take home.... or eat at 10 pm after drinking all day... yuck. Let's just say making a habit out of eating these candy-colored cupcakey delicious bites is NOT a good idea...

BROOKLYN: What was supposed to be a classy evening in Little Italy, eating Italian cuisine and wearing our Sunday best, ended up being a 6pm drunk-fest in Brooklyn. Now wait... before you think I'm a horrible person, I would like to clarify... We started out just having a beer at the Surf Bar in Brooklyn. It was a calm afternoon. Actually I think everyone was annoyed because everywhere we went beers were $5 to $6, the Brooklyn brewery was so packed we couldn't get in the tour, and the girls just wanted to get home to Columbus where they didn't have to take subways or sleep in my cramped apartment. I understood, believe me. But then we found it. On our way back to the subway, we found the Irish Rose Pub. We went in to have a drink, and develop a game plan for the night. We ended up meeting a Brooklyn Tunnels' and Bridges' officer and his friends who introduced us to the biggest beers for $3 served by the most adorable old-man bartender named Freddie. That is how we ended up eating Mexican food instead of Italian, and in Brooklyn instead of Little Italy. O and, by the way, sleeping like babies at 930 instead of out til the dawn on their last night in NYC. Your welcome girls... lol.

I love house guests... They never know what to expect next... I can't wait til my parents and Grandma come to visit!

When the two-star comes to town

Last week the boss of ALL things Army public affairs came to town... He was awesome. He engages everyone, even random people on the street, which as those of us in New York would know is a hard feat. Everyone here pretty much acts like no one else in the city exists when walking around. I always try and make eye contact, and people are REALLY freaked out.

Okay so anyway the two-star came to town, and it was my job to drive. O NO!!! If anyone has either driven with me or heard about my driving you know what I am talking about. Maybe this wasn't the best job for me.. haha. We did numerous practice runs of the routes,and scenarios that may occur during his time here. Basically we wanted everything perfect, which you would too if your boss came to town, and was a two-star general. So for the first two minutes of his trip it went well. Then it went slightly downhill for a bit...

See apparently at the airport there is a special exit just for taxi cabs. It is two lanes of nothing but taxis, blocked in by a semi-large median. So once you go in the taxi lane, you are not getting out. So safe to say we ended up in said line. Outside I was calm, cool, and tried to act as if this was the only way to get out. I mean this was practiced. Inside.... I was freaking out. The little voice inside my head was saying, "O my gosh I am dead. My career is over because I can't drive." Maybe I was exagerrating a little. Or maybe not. He could read this and change his mind. He may say, "Wait a minute. That driving WAS terrible. She is done" Let's just hope not.

We were in the taxi lane. No way out. Trapped like ummm... a Chevy Venture in an airport taxi lane. All of a sudden I hear the sliding door where the Gen. was sitting behind me open. The two-star gets out and calmly walks over to the taxi next us, taps on his window and asks him to move back a little so we can get out. WHAT?!?! I could not believe this was happening. Taxi drivers in NYC won't even talk to you most of the time if you are IN the cab. A two-star general is now outside directing traffic...for me. Ha! This is not happening. Then he just calmly tells me to simply drive over the median. WHAT?!?!? Now this is really not happening. This is dangerous. I just know that I am going to get stuck in the middle. How am I going to explain this to the tow truck? But I certainly am not telling a two-star no. So just like it was part of the plan I do so, checking for traffic of course. I think I did close my eyes for a moment though... don't tell. Wow. And just like that things were back to normal. He got in and we were on our way. Ten seconds later I did find myself turning head-on into a city bus... but that's another story.

The rest of trip went well. He got to his destinations safely, and only told me "safety first" a couple of times. I needed it though. I started thinking like a cabbie for a while. Hunched over the steering wheel, silently cursing people cutting me off, calling them "weiners" and other non-curse words.

When we dropped the Gen. and his aid off at the airport, I felt accomplished. We were alive, and had survived the mean streets of Manhattan traffic. the Gen. gave me his coin and said it was for "dangerous and reckless" driving. I was the DA intern that was now cabbie trained. I just know now why I take the subway all the time...