Testing 1,2,3...

Is this thing still on? Hah. So, a year huh? Let's me try to summarize what I have been up to in the last 15 months of my life. Turned 26, purchased my first Christmas tree, spent Christmas in Long Island with my boyfriend and his family, spent New Year's Eve taking ridiculous amounts of Patron shots, got a puppy, wondered why the hell I got a puppy, got offered a job in the Seafood department, smelled really badly everyday I came home from work, went to the new Yankee Stadium, lost my wallet the first time I went to said stadium, went to Citifield, thought it was nice but not as nice as Yankee Stadium (although the food choices trump Yankee Stadium - SHAKE SHACK!), went through a lot of paper towel cleaning up after my puppy, obsessed over the new version of 90210, celebrated mine and my boyfriend's one year anniversary, my puppy got big, bought Sims 3 - it wouldn't work on my laptop, got rear ended on the way to a Mets game, haven't worked since July 28th 2009, played a lot of WII, went to Las Vegas, got x-rays, had a separated shoulder, went to a lot of physical therapy, became mildly obsessed with twitter, visited Rochester, got an MRI, found out I have bursitis in my right shoulder, got a cortizon shot, cried, got a new laptop... I think that pretty much should bring everyone up to speed. Any questions? Smashing. I wish I could also say that I moved into a new apartment, but that just hasn't worked out. I'm so terribly sick of not having a dishwasher and/or washer and dryer that it makes me slightly insane.

So, I don't know if you heard or not, but the Yankees are going to the World Series versus the Phillies. I am rather excited about this World Series, largely in part to the fact that the Yankees made it back to the big show, but it's an All-Northeast World Series. I think that's pretty freaking exciting if you ask me. Not only are they both Northeast teams, but the two cities are roughly two hours apart. I'm also located pretty much smack dab in the middle of both locations - 50 minutes to New York City, 60 minutes to Philly. I know a ton of Phillies fans here and a ton of Yankee fans here, so it's going to be an exciting time to be a baseball fan in the Northeast this next week or so. Mets fans simultaneously vomited all over the place last night upon the conclusion of the Yankees victory over the Angels in Game 6 of the ALCS. My boyfriend is a Mets fan, so I am witnessing firsthand what this World Series means to Mets fans. Come Wednesday they will all be in the fetal position with their eyes closed, covering their ears, rocking back and forth and talking to themselves. The two teams Mets fans hate the most, meeting in the ultimate baseball showdown. Who do you root for? I look at it this way... if the Mets ever met the Red Sox in the world series, first you'd have to talk me off of the GW Bridge and place me on suicide watch, then I'd choose to root for the lesser of the two evils and pick the Mets. However, I digress on that subject. I do find the fact that Jay-Z will be performing at the World Series both exciting ad puzzling. I don't nessicarily find that the World Series is the proper place for a rap performance, I thought the World Series was more or less an event where simply playing baseball took place, apparently I was mistaken. I guess the song just feels like the anthem of the team, so I suppose it's fitting. Just something about hearing "Performing at the World Series" makes me scratch my head a little bit.

I mean, I don't know how Alex Rodriguez took the news but I was aghast when he was slighted for ALCS MVP honors last night. Sure, CC Sabathia was god-like in his two performances against the Angels... but A-Rod deserved it far more. Late inning heroics from A-Rod in the playoffs (things you never imagined you'd hear in the same sentence) were monumental for the Yankees even moving onto the World Series, I don't know that they would have made it there without all of his clutchness. Joe Girardi is the worst manager for the best team, and I really dislike him with every fiber of my being. I believe he quite possibly mismanages the bullpen worse than Torre did (in his later years) and made many substitutions that were highly questionable. I simply don't think he knows what the hell he is doing or possibly just isn't good at what he's doing. I'm not quite sure which of the two it is. I could touch on Joba Chamberblain and how much he annoys me, but I really don't have the time. Nothing like a impending World Series appearance to inspire me to write something again.

I'll leave you with a qoute from a great actor and beloved politician, Arnold Schwarzenegger... "I'll be back".

I like it when you're clingy...

Whenever I'd complain about my lack of luck finding a guy to share my time with, everyone would always tell me, "It'll come along when you least expect it". Can't say as though I ever believed that cliche, though. I tend not to listen what other people tell me or suggest to me, I've never really been good on receiving advice and only good on giving it. But, something did in fact happen when I least expected it. Imagine that. Shortly after my last entry nearly two months ago, I stumbled upon something. Something that at first, I wasn't even sure what it was. I at least knew something somewhat important, that I wanted to so badly kiss this guy. It wasn't until I was hanging over my toilet and vomiting that I confessed it out loud to one of my friends. Sadly, it took me quite a while to actually put that plan in action. If you want to get to using one more cliche, I suppose it is in fact better late than never. It was a guy who I had at least known of since I moved to New Jersey. We work together, so I saw him pretty often. We had a lot of the same friends, but he still never talked to me. Although younger than me, I was kind of intimidated by him. So I guess you could say that I really never, ever in a million years thought I'd end up with a crush on him. Let alone dating him. Forget the fact that maybe it's too early to tell, but I think he's very well one of the greatest things to ever happen to me.

While I've had my share of pretty good guys and pretty terrible guys, I don't think I've ever had one as good as him. He's not happy unless I have a smile on my face and if I don't have one, he knows what he has to do to get one there. He talks so nice to me, actually will take me out, and doesn't treat me like I'm just one of the guys... he treats me like his girlfriend. Novel idea, I know. I don't think there are enough adjectives in the world to describe him, and he puts up with my shit. That's saying a lot right there. I haven't been the easiest, especially the last few days. I'm in Rochester for my little cousins wedding and he's in New Jersey and I guess we got spoiled with spending basically every waking hour together and now I feel like I'm a raging bitch without him.

While life, for the most part is treating me really well... the Yankees are one big pile of misery. This series against the Red Sox has been a joke. They went on a hot streak there for a little bit, now they are just miserable. A-Rod and the wifey appear to be getting a split, in which you know she is going to make bank on. I just would love to know the real story behind this circus! You know the media will blame the Yankees poor play as of late because of A-Rod and the media attention he brings on himself and the team.

So, my cousin is getting married tomorrow and I'm in the wedding. This is the first wedding I've actually been part of, so I'm pretty excited for all of it. I'm sure I'll be standing up there crying along with her and all the other bridesmaids. I told her though there is no shot in the world she is getting me out there to attempt to catch the bouqet. I caught it at one of my other cousin's weddings like two years ago and clearly it didn't work the way it was supposed to. I'm not about to jinx this amazing thing that I have.

I've injured myself yawning...

Opening day is upon us and I could not be more excited. I am not too excited to know that Pettitte is going to begin the season on the DL, but I need to just keep reminding myself that baseball is a very long season and hopefully we’ll see him before we know it. I am just glad to see Wang as our opening day starter... I remember how hard so many of us laughed last year as Pavano was penciled in on the roster as the starting pitcher for opening day. Oh where is that man anyway? I suppose the further away he stays from the team, the better.

To get me even more excited for the impending season, Men’s Vogue decided to get me all hot and bothered by letting A-Rod grace the cover of their March ’08 issue. The Yankees are giving me much to be excited for this season, just like they do every single season. I think other than seeing what crazy things A-Rod can accomplish this year, I am totally stoked to see what Girardi can do with this team. I have been a huge supporter of the Girardi for Manager movement for years now. There was always something about listening to him commentate on the Yes Network that made me believe he’d be a fantastic manager. He proved it with the Marlins, let’s just hope he can work his magic with the Yankees. It’s time. 27 is on the way.

Lots of drama has ensued here in Jersey this past week or so - in all aspects of my life and really I took it all with a grain of salt and laughed in the face of it. I finally feel like I’m starting to settle in and get a bit more comfortable around here, so I have to take the good with the bad - however, at this point in my life I am choosing to concentrate on the good instead. I’d really prefer to keep it that way, too. It was most definitely a good week with some very, very bizarro and random moments but I think in general I’m in a pretty good place right now. I hope I can keep it on this pace.

Myself and the Season 3 Road Trippers celebrated an anniversary of sorts the other day. March 27th, 2008 marked one year ago to the day that we all moved into our apartment in Manhattan and embarked on the most amazing and insane journey of our lifetimes. I don’t think I could ever put into words what that whole experience was really like. Being on television was truly a unique experience that not everyone is mentally cut out for. If I could do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat. Hands down the best job I will ever have had in my entire life. I still keep in contact with all five of them, some of them more than others - if you ever watched the show I am sure you could guess who I am not so close with. However, the five of them will always hold a very special place in my heart and no matter what happens to us or where our lives take us - I hold them all very close to me.

What makes me very happy right now is Danity Kane’s new album. These girls are amazing, beautiful and ridiculously talented. If you don’t have it, you need to download it, buy it or whatever... just put some DK into your life. You will not regret it. Oh and JabbaWockeeZ winning America’s Best Dance Crew equals happiness as well. This has been literally all over the place, so for now I’m out.

Allow myself to introduce .... myself.

In the past twelve months, my life has been anything but predictable. Last year at this time I was preparing myself for the possibility of leaving life in Rochester, NY and moving to New York City for five months. I was waiting to hear back if I was indeed going to be chosen to take part in the Yes Network reality show, Ultimate Road Trip: Season Three. March 27, 2007 I moved into an apartment off of Broadway with five total strangers, and since that very day my life has been totally altered. I left the show in Late August and upon my return to Rochester, I realized life would never go back to the way it was during the 24-years that I lived there. To put it mildly, I was not a happy person. About two months after I returned home, I packed my bags and relocated with my company and moved to Central New Jersey. Everyone told me how brave I was to make sure a big move all by myself, and I never really even thought of it as a big deal and I guess it never really occurred to me how difficult it would get at times. When it all boils down to it though, I am really proud of myself for doing what I had always wanted to do with my life.

I’m sitting on my friend’s couch in Boston, watching Making the Band 4 (Props to Day 26 – Q is from the Roc) and really just dreading going back home to Jersey tomorrow. I have to go back to work after a week off and it’s surely something I am not looking forward to. I’ve worked for the same company for 10-years and I am really ready to put myself out there and do something different with my life. As life rolls on, I sometimes recall things that I wanted to do with my life when I was a little girl. I think at one point or another I wanted to be just about everything under the sun – A dolphin trainer, an astronaut, a police officer, a marine (for those who really know me – that is a hysterical thought), a photographer, a fashion-designer, an MTV Vee-Jay… you name it, I wanted to do it. I may not be a lot of things but one thing I’ve always prided myself on is the fact that I am very self-aware. I know exactly who I am, what I want and what I need to do to get what I want. I’ve never been afraid to take chances, and I need to make sure I continue to be that way. It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it in the end.

Last night my friend and I took in a little NBA action at the Garden – Celtics vs. Cavaliers. While it was truly one of the worst games I have ever seen the Cavs play in, it was a historic event as King James became the youngest NBA player to record 10,000 points. Now who really wants to argue with me that Lebron couldn’t hang with Jordan back in the day? I didn’t think so. Let’s all take a moment and realize we are currently witnessing a man who, when his career is done will more than likely be considered the best player in the game. Just like what Yankee fans need to realize about Alex Rodriguez. Be thankful that man is putting on the pinstripes. But, guess what? 31 days until Opening Day, the final Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. In the meantime, please keep Bobby Murcer in your thoughts and prayers.

Somehow I'll manage to get my ass back to New Jersey. Maybe.