HAPPY EASTER !!

Happy Easter Everyone!

So I survived!  40 days without Facebook was a tough thing to do for me.  But I come away from this experience with a whole new outlook on life.  We as a society need to value relationships more on a physical level and intellectual level, rather than just on a social networking site.  It really is a shame how much people are missing out on by only communicating through a computer or even text messages.  Before I started this whole thing...I couldn't even remember the last time I talked to one of my friends on the phone...and now I find myself making more and more phone calls to people to simply just say hello or to catch up.  I have really taken for granted the people in my life and have realized that ...you never know when your time may be up, so you need to tell people how you really feel and appreciate them to the fullest.  Treasure the moments you spend with your family and friends, and really just live life to the fullest!  I just wanna thank everyone who has always supported me and been there for me in my life, you all mean the world to me and I love you all so much.  And to my family, thanks for always being my number one fans and believing in me in whatever I set my mind to. xooxox  HAPPY EASTER!

THE LAST DAY!

Two little girls gave me these Justin Bieber trivia cards for Easter... it made me smile haha

Today was my last day of not going on Facebook and I spent it wisely!  I woke up early and did some Zumba, went tanning, then ran to the store for my mom.  Then I came home and helped clean and made some lunch.  After that mom and I went shopping all day...and squeezed in a nice relaxing pedicure!  Dinner was a team effort...we made angel hair with asparagus and tomatoes... it was so yummy!!  I dyed Easter Eggs with my parents...Dad's didn't come out so great but he gets an "A" for effort.  Then I took the time to paint mommy's nails since she never paints them herself...I think she really appreciated it, which is good. :-)  I like to see her happy..because then it makes me happy.  I finally got to watch Shawshank Redemption tonight after hearing how great of a movie it is from my dad for months now.  And it really was a great movie...highly recommend watching it if you haven't already!  And now It's time for me to get some sleep.  Good night! :-)

it's a good, good friday!

This is Sally, my 102 year old bff.  She is such an amazing woman and has the best stories ever!  She always puts a smile on my face when I see her.  I just feel so honored to be able to talk to her and hear her life stories firsthand.  It really is an amazing thing.

Friday's are always pretty laid back at work and sometimes can be boring.  I look forward to Friday's all week..the last day of the week and the start of the weekend.  After work I decided to go to Old Navy to do some shopping....epic fail!  So I came home and my parent's were busy planting away in front of the house.  I told them it was good they were actually doing something for Earth day...they weren't too amused by it.  But, since they decided to rip the shrubs out, they knew they had to put new ones in!  We went to Vincenzo's for dinner, which was amazing as always!  Then when we got home, Mom and I decided to watch T.V. in her room.  At 3 a.m. I woke up so confused as to where I was.  Then I realized I had fallen asleep in my moms bed....so I went to my room to go into my own bed but my dad was in there.  It was pretty funny actually.  But it was nice to have a sleepover with mommy :-)

Baby Ty Thursday !

Baby Ty!!! Such a cutie!

I was excited all day and could hardly wait for Jenn and baby Ty to arrive!  I couldn't even concentrate at work.  It was so nice to get to spend time with one of my oldest and dearest friends and her son!  He is simply ADORABLE!! We talked for a long time, catching up and reminiscing about the old times.  I miss having her live across the street.  Life was so much easier back then...we could just walk a few feet and see each other.  But now, we have to drive an hour...which is better than the 8 hours away she used to be! But still, it'd be nice if she was still right across the street.  She misses living there as much as we miss her and her family living there.  But we do keep in touch and it was so nice of her to come visit! We had a nice dinner ...she got to eat the Jersey pizza that she's been missing!  Nothing compares to NJ pizza, just saying!  Baby Ty is the absolute cutest baby ever!  He's such a happy baby, doesn't care who's holding him, feeding him, he loves everyone...especially my dog Dallas.  But I think Dallas liked Ty more...he wanted to be near the baby the whole time! All in all it was a great day and it was so nice to get to spend a few hours with the both of them! Hope we get to see more of them in the near future!

Weigh-in Wednesday!

Chinese food dates with mom make me happy... here's the Fortune from Dinner after Weight Watchers!  ...Interesting....

Wednesday's are always really hard.  I'm always nervous to weigh-in...worried I've gained weight rather than lost it.  So all day I'm really careful about the things I eat.  The clothes you wear to weigh-in really do matter.  The outfit I usually wear was in the wash so I was trying to find something that would equal about the same amount of weight of the clothes I usually wear.  Well, I kept trying on outfits and running back and forth to the scale to see if I weighed what I was suppose to weigh.  SUCH A PAIN! My mom was laughing at me because I asked if they could just weigh me naked...then it would be accurate!  But all went well.. I reached my 5% goal and I lost 3 pounds for the week! So I'm Happy!!!  I'm down 13.4 pounds and my mom is down 13.6!  I even got her to go for a 30 minute walk with me the other day ... so we've been good! :-)

let the good times roll...

This quote is SO TRUE.  LOVE LOVE LOVE It.

Tuesday was a slow day.. I haven't had much to do at work this week so I've been bored most of the time.  Amusing myself with stumble upon was the only thing that got me through the day!  I was suppose to go out to dinner with my parent's and my dad's family that was up to visit from South Carolina...buttttt I had other plans.  I went out to dinner and for some drinks with an old friend.  It was a really good time ! We had a lot of laughs about the past and about how crazy our parents are (mind you our parents are best friends).  I can't believe I've lasted this long without Facebook.  I'll tell you it's hard because I don't remember everyone's birthday's without the little reminders on facebook and I feel so out of the loop not knowing what all my friends are up to.  But this has been a really good experience so far so I can't really complain!

getting active

hahaha we have a little too much fun at work

Work went by really slow Monday.  I don't have much to do lately, so it's kind of boring...unless the resident's are busy telling me stories...then my time goes by a little quicker.  After work I went tanning...gotta get ready for Vegas!  Mom decided she wanted to start walking, so we went for a nice long walk for about a half hour.  When we were almost home I told her to jog to the driveway.  She wasn't having it!  She kept being like "people are watching me!"  She's gotta learn to not worry about what people think of her and just to do what she's gotta do.  But I do give her a lot of credit for getting off her butt and walking 30 minutes! I'm so proud of her, that's a big step!  Now let's see if we can both keep it up!  After our walk, I did Zumba for a little while and then I came upstairs to relax and shower.  I got to talk briefly with an old friend yesterday and she's coming to visit later this week with her son!  I can't wait to see them both and to finally meet Ty! :-)

shopping and puppies

this is the cutie that i fell in love with today.  I think it's better to fall in love with puppies than boys....puppies won't break your heart ;-)

Today was a very productive day.  I woke up and had  a nice breakfast with mom and then headed to the basement for a nice workout.  I even helped mom clean the house a little bit...yes I do clean once in a while, shocking I know!  Then I got to see Kim, whom I haven't seen in months!  We have such opposite schedules that it's hard to hang out.  But I'm glad we got to spend the whole day together today! We did some shopping at Marshall's and DSW and then we met my parents for lunch at the Stagehouse.  On the way home I decided it would be a good idea to stop at the puppy store.  I instantly fell in love with this chocolate lab and HAD to see him out of his cage so I requested to take him out.  WHAT A CUTIE!  Kim and I played with him in the room for probably a half hour.   Too bad he was like $1300, otherwise he'd totally be home with me right now lol.  Puppies make me happy, although puppy stores make me sad.  Most of those dogs are from puppy mills which is just plain wrong!  These puppy mills just keep breeding dogs when there's enough dogs out there in shelter's that need homes.  But, that's a topic that I clearly feel strongly against.  I really think puppy mills should be illegal and someone should do something about it.  Anyways...today marks one week until I'm back on Facebook! I can't believe I've actually lasted this long without it.  Yeah, I do feel out of the loop...two of my sorority sisters got engaged and I had no idea until someone told me.  With Facebook, I would have known right away!  It's crazy how much we depends on networking sites to keep in touch with people and keep up with their lives!  Well now I'm going to watch the Wizard of Oz since it's on T.V. and it's my FAVORITE MOVIE EVER!

April Shower's

This is one of my bestest and oldest friends.  We were neighbors for quite a while, but she moved to NY and we go long periods of time without seeing each other.  But whenever we do see each other..we pick up right where we left off.  This picture was taken at her baby shower... I can't wait to meet her son Ty! and obviously to see her! :-)

I understand it's April and all but really? all this rain is not necessary! I went shopping ALL day today with my mom.  I had to get some things for my Vegas trip.  I hate bathing suit shopping more than anything in the world, and I'm sure I'm not alone on that!  BUT...for once I actually found 2 bathing suits that I loved and fit me really well, so I was happy!  I can't wait til Vegas so I can wear all my new clothes..and for the warm weather there.  The rain really puts a damper on things...makes me wanna cuddle up in bed all day.  Ali and I decided to do dinner and a movie.  We went for Sushi and Shogun on 22 and then went to go see Rio in 3d...it was actually a really good movie, even if it is a kids movie!  Since it was so rainy, I didn't feel like doing much else so I got a good night's sleep.

one really big catch up post

Sorry I've been MIA lately... been busy with a lot of things.  For starters, this past weekend was the Easter Egg hunt at work... I went to help out even though I wasn't working.  It was a good time...my mom got her face painted to look like a lion..it was pretty hilarious.  After the Egg hunt I headed up to Hartford for Kyle's wake.  It was nice to see all of my sisters and friends...but not so nice under the circumstances.  It was bittersweet being up there again.  I got to attend one of the ritual event before initiation, which brought back memories of my collegiate days and experiences.  My Biffy and I got to have lunch together at Cheesecake Factory and got to catch up (Since we haven't seen each other since January...definitely WAY too long!)  The wake was really nice..they had great pictures of Kyle and all the people who cared about him were there.  We got in line at 2:30 and didn't get up to give our condolences to the family until like 5:45...that's how many people were there to pay their respects.  But we all know he is in a better place now.

Monday meant back to work.  I was busy Monday and Tuesday working on a report for the state.  It was pretty easy, but a pain in the butt!  Wednesday I was pretty busy making a ton of copies and the phone was ringing off the hook for some reason.  And Thursday and Today were pretty laid back.


Tonight I'm hoping to go to this new place in Branchburg called Willie Mcbride's.  Hopefully it's good, we shall see!

And that's the quick update...not very interesting I know. haha Hopefully next week will be more interesting.... 9 more days til I'm back on Facebook.  I think I'm not going to be as addicted to it anymore as I was before lent.  I have a whole new outlook on life now...and more appreciation for the people in my life.  I'd rather spend time with the people that I love and am friends with, rather than just talk to them on Facebook.  So that's what I'm going to do...spend more time with people.

i love taking pictures at the beach

i love the fact that i finished college in 4 years and got my degree!

i really have an obsession of taking pictures of animals and reptiles on vacation.. this is by far my favorite pic!

this makes me happy and defines my relationship with my parents

best spring break of my life with some amazing sisters

this picture makes me laugh every time

LOVE light houses!

love taking crazy pictures..especially on the beach.  (p.s. this pic took like 15 minutes to take bc sara couldn't get it right hahaha)

Sad day....

i love my sisters <3

Today was really slow all day at work.  It's been nice since the boss lady has been at a convention all week in Florida.  Everyone is much more laid back and less stressed than usual which is good.  I went tanning after work for the first time in almost a year.  I figured I'd better start tanning before I go to Vegas so I don't look like I'm a member of the Cullen Clan. haha.  I've been bored without mom being home.  She's in AC right now with my aunt and grandma...and I'm stuck here at home.  I made turkey burgers tonight for me and dad..they were pretty good.  Then I got some bad news about my sorority sisters brother passing away today.  We all knew him because we went to school with him.  He was an RA around campus and actually dated my second little for a while.  He even helped me sneak into her room one night so I could decorate it for big little and we talked about how he liked to watch Gilmore Girls and that we shouldn't judge him by it ....which we didn't.  He would come to our apartment all the time complaining of the noise level...when really we were just singing Lion King songs.  He was seriously a really smart, funny, and nice guy and will be missed by everyone who knew him.  Rest in Peace Kyle...may the angels lead you in.

Weight Watcher Wednesday

My favorite little cheerleader! This is my cousins girlfriend Meredith.   I absolutely adore her! She's like a little sister to me and she is one of the nicest people I know!

So I was freaking out all day since it was my weigh-in day.  Everyone knows you barely eat on weigh-in day...hoping you weigh less by the time you weigh in haha.  Anyways.. I really didn't think I was going to lose anything because I had a bagel, pizza, drinks, and filet mignon this weekend.  BUT I learned at the meeting that you shouldn't deprive yourself of the food that you love because one day you will break down and eat a whole pizza in one sitting...or a dozen bagels.  And I definitely don't want that!  I ended up losing 2.8 pounds bring me down to a total of...9.8 pounds in 3 weeks! I am SO happy..you have no idea.  It's been so hard to lose weight, but weight watchers has made it easy.  It's also helped to keep my mind off of Facebook.  It's made me more active and more interested in cooking healthier meals...it's actually fun!

never want to see another easter egg again!

these are the eggs and beach balls i had to blow up haha

So...since the egg hunt is coming up, I had to stuff plastic Easter eggs ALL Day!  I kid you not.  It was fun to play with the toys while I put them into the eggs though, I can't lie haha.  And we had a little egg fight in the lobby so that was pretty entertaining.  Needless to say...I was EGGhausted hahahaha. I'm corny sorry.  Then after I had to blow some eggs up and beach balls for the babies.  I was so tired when I got home that I just put my PJ's on and laid on the couch.

hi-ho hi-ho it's off to work I go...

god I miss Aruba...being tan...andddd MY BIFFY!

Another Monday...they all seem like a blur.  As usual I was busy...Phone ringing off the hook, stuffing some easter eggs for an egg hunt that's coming up Saturday, and copying a lot of papers.  I was unusually tired though for some reason and couldn't wait to get home.  When I got home, instead of taking a nap I decided to push through and do some Zumba and work out a little.  I'm so happy I did!  After, I went outside in the hot tub since it was sooooooo nice out!  Then mom and I enjoyed watching Secret Life of the American Teenager together... such losers I know! haha but I love the show despite the terrible acting!

Steak Sunday

This is one of my bestest friends in the whole world!  Kim has been there for me through everything and I love her to death!

Sunday, Mom and I went food shopping and to Home Depot.  Home Depot took foreverrrrrr because she was trying to return a light that she bought 2 years ago.  After we got home and unloaded the groceries, we went to get some steak on a rock in Elizabeth.  Steak on a rock is SO GOOD.... if you haven't tried it.. YOU MUST! you cook it yourself at the table and put some nice garlic and butter on it...DELICIOUS!!!  Then we came home and relaxed for a little until Army Wives came on.  Mom, Dad, and I watch it every Sunday...cute, I know.  I feel like these weekends just fly by!

Happy Birthday Ali

This picture is kinds old but happy birthday ali! Love you!

Saturday was my cousins 22nd birthday! I slept ALL day since we didn't get home til 5:30am.  Finally I got the motivation to get ready and Sara and I went down to Long Branch to Avenue to celebrate with Ali. Shitshow doesn't even describe the events that occurred. But, It was a good time.  Sara and I headed out early since we were exhausted.

Happy April Fool's

I really love the backstreet boys.  Nick and I had a moment outside of the gym at Mohegan Sun before this concert.   He was on the elliptical and I was leaving the pool area... I took a double take and We locked eyes...I was shocked...he realized I recognized who he was...smiled and waved.  I was star struck

Everyone kept calling me Ms. Brandystar at work.  Quite comical..but I am proud to have won the award!  I got April Fooled by a 90 year old...that was amusing. haha.  I had a hair appointment after work.  My hair dresser and one of the other hair dresser's ...and myself were the only one's in the place.  So we were obviously talking about crazy things.  It was a lot of fun and helped to pass the time while my dye was setting in.  The phone rang at one point and I was so confused bc I had a feeling it might be my mom.  Well with that, the one hair dresser's boyfriend was there and he goes..I'm going outside for a cigarette I'll be back.  He comes back in and goes..."Man someone's car got really messed up...looks like it was a hit and run."  and I was just sitting there and my hair dresser goes... "What kind of car is it?"  and he responds "some ford...it's kind of like an SUV...it's a brownish color and parked on the right.  The tail light is off and everything."  I said yeah right and asked if he was paying an April Fool's joke...he kept the straightest face in the world and I ran outside to check....my car was fine and they all yelled april fools! Such jerks...but my mom DID call and tell them to do it haha.  After my hair, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go out or not but I decided just to go since it was our friend Jenna's birthday.  The night was insane and that's all I can really say.  I walked into my house at 5:30 a.m. and proceeded to talk to my parent's as if it was 5 in the evening. haha I just had to tell them about my night.. They think i'm crazy but that's okay!

Theeeeeee Yankees Win!!!!

This made me happy.  I can't believe I won it! I love what I do and enjoy being around the people I work with.  I don't look at it as a job, but as an opportunity to meet new people and learn new things.

Today at work I was extremely busy with marketing stuff, but it was well worth it.  Today I won the Employee of the Quarter... aka the Brandystar! I was so surprised.  I've only been there since August so I didn't think I really even had a chance...but guess I was wrong!  I was so excited...they threw me a little party with cake and balloons and I got a nice letter from the CEO of the company, a certificate, and a visa gift card for $150!! I'm glad my hard work is paying off and isn't going unnoticed.  I love my job and my resident's.  I never dread going to work in the morning...I always look forward to seeing all of their smiling faces and helping them throughout the day.  Today was also opening day...the Yankees obviously won!!! So mad I couldn't watch because I was working.  The resident's got to enjoy it with a little party. They had chips, hot dogs, and crackerjacks! SO jealous! Now it's time to cook dinner and enjoy a relaxing night of T.V. and some celebratory wine!

Opening Day Eve!

This is Freddy Sez.  He has been at every Yankee game that I've been at since I can remember.  Unfortunately he passed away this past year.  Yankee Stadium will never be the same without him banging his pan.  He's the meaning of a true Yankee Fan!

Let's just say i'm overly excited for the quest to #28!  It's all I can think about lately.  I can't wait to finally be able to watch baseball and go to some games.  Win or lose, I always love my yankees!  Nothing really exciting went on today at work.  I'm just happy the weekend is almost here.  I've been so tired lately...must be from all the zumba i've been doing haha.  Mom and I went for our weigh-in at weight watchers but we didn't stay for the meeting.  Instead, we met grandma for some Chinese food and of course I got my favorite... wonton soup, grilled shrimp with vegetables, brown rice, and brown sauce on the side! But anyways.... at our weigh-in I lost another 2.8 pounds and mom lost .8 so now we're equal..both lost 7 pounds total! I honestly feel so much better eating more vegetables and fruit.  I do have the occasional craving, but I just have a weight watchers ice cream to handle that....which I will probably have one right now hahaha.  So now it's time to relax and watch some Idol!

Turkey Burger Tuesday

This is my branch of the Shining Star Family (missing the 4 oldest sisters and the 2 newest additions).  I love them with all my heart.  And miss them terribly now that I'm not at Hartford anymore!

Work was really busy again today.  Another resident passed away unfortunately...so it's been a rough could of weeks for our building.  I've been helping the marketing director with a few projects and I had to meet with the executive director for a webinar.  But once again, my day went by really quickly!  After work I went right down to the basement and did my Zumba!  I'm on a roll! Let's hope I can keep this up haha.  I made my favorite turkey burgers for dinner and mom made the baked veggies to go on the side...DELICIOUS! Dad's mad that we're making him diet with us...but, we gotta stay healthy!  Since there was nothing on T.V. we decided to watch 127 Hours.  Such a good movie! James Franco did an amazing job! I can't believe it was a true story!! Mom fell asleep so she missed all of it, but dad and I enjoyed it.  I was extremely tired so I went upstairs to bed once it ended...at like 9:45.  I know, I'm such a grandma! haha but I love getting a good nights sleep!

4 months til my birthday!

This picture makes me happy.  It was my first game at Fenway with my biffy!  of course it was Red Sox vs Yankees...and OF COURSE the YANKEES WON! Can't wait for the season to start!

Monday marked 4 months until I'm 23...ugh depressing! Where is the time going?!  I remember when I was younger I couldn't wait to be older, and now it just seems like time is flying by.  Monday was a very busy day at work.  Two people were taken to the hospital, one more passed away, and I had a lot of work to get done.  But, having a lot of work helps the day to go by faster so I can't complain.  After work I got a good workout in.  Love going home and doing some Zumba!  It really is a great work out if you do it for at least 45 minutes.  I love to dance so it's a great way to work out.  Secret Life of the American Teenager came back on at 8...the season premier was amazing! Can't wait to see what the rest of the season has in store!! After it was over, I caught some of DWTS.  Kirstie Alley is definitely one of my favorites!

weekend catch-up

Taking pictures of random things makes me happy.  This was taken outside of one of our favorite restaurants...the Spain Inn.  It had just rained and the flower looked so pretty!

This weekend was slightly crazy for me.  Saturday I went shopping all day with my mom and grandma.  Mom did some damage...spent $700.  I got offered a job by the owner of the store because she was so impressed by how I handled my mom while shopping...basically forcing here to try everything and anything on. haha.  She needed a good shopping trip though, she really never goes shopping because she hates it.  After spending about 2 hours in one store, we went to pick up grandma at our house and went to DSW.  I wear a size 10 or 11 shoe, so I usually hate shoe shopping.  This time was nice though.  I think DSW just got a new shipment in because every shoe I liked had my size! Needless to say, I bought 4 pairs of shoes.  But in my defense, that's a rare occasion.  After buying shoes, we had to run over to the nail salon because we had a 5:00 appointment...of course we didn't make it until 5:15.  Typical.  Grandma and I had a nice manicure, while mom had a relaxing pedicure.  If I had enough money, I'd get my nails and toes done every few days...it's so relaxing!  By the time we got home we had to rush to get ready because we were going out to dinner for my cousins birthday.  We ended up going to this place Angelina's in Staten Island... the food was good but wayyyyy overpriced in my opinion.  Our bill was outrageous because my dad and uncle thought it would be a good idea to take shots of soco and lime...and not just one round, 4! 4 shots for 11 people each..=crazy! But, we did have a good time and good laughs. 

The New York Yankees are by far my favorite baseball team ever!  I love going to the games and getting to experience them in person.  It makes me happy that I get to share the experience with my dad.  He's one of the biggest Yankees fans and taught me all about baseball!

Sunday I had a bridal shower to go to. It was for one of my best friends sisters'.  She was so surprised and got just about everything she needs for a new home with her hubby!  It's so surreal to me.  Sara and I used to listen through her wall to spy on her sister and her friends.  We would hear them talk about school dances, boys, parties, and we would be so jealous!  They would have sleepovers and Sara and I would try to crash them...they were not too happy with us.  We recently found out the real reason as to why they didn't want us joining in on their sleepover.  They would sleep in the basement under the pool table with all blankets on top of it to create a fort.  Well we thought they were sleeping...but little did we know, they would wait til we were asleep and sneak out the basement window! Too funny, we were so naive back then!  I miss being young and carefree...only worrying about pointless things in life.  Life was so much easier back then!  Well I hope this week goes by fast because Baseball season kicks off on Thursday!!! Can't wait!

happy friday

loving these sunglasses! and the new hair style. haha

I love Friday's.  Mainly because the one person I can't stand at work is off on Friday's.  Plus we had really good entertainment for the resident's... one of the better ones at least.  I went shopping with Sara...epic fail. Couldn't find any clothes that I liked..but I did find a really cute headband and new sunglasses!  I have a slight obsession with sunglasses...it's slightly a problem.  I was planning on going out at night but instead I decided to stay home and relax.  I was so excited to see that Mrs. Doubtfire was on...it's one of my absolute favorite movies!  My favorite part is definitely when Robin Williams sticks his face into the cake and says "HELLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO". ha gets me every time!  Dad made me switch back and forth to the basketball games, which I'm not really a fan of basketball.  I find it kind of boring...I'd rather watch football or baseball.  Baseball season kicks off less than a week from today! I can't wait! LET'S GO YANKEES!  Okay well sorry this is so short but as always i'm running out shopping with mommy.  Happy weekend everyone!

things happen in 3's.

In honor of the Jersey Shore season finale...here's a picture of me and my little in front of the jersey shore house!  I love my little so much.  She seriously makes me so happy and is always there for me.  I don't know what I would do without her!  LOVE YOU LITTLE!

I honestly believe things happen in three's...whether it be good or bad.  In this case it's been bad.  3 of my residents have now passed away this week, one more passed this morning.  Elizabeth Taylor also passed away this week which makes me believe that two more celebrities may pass away in the upcoming weeks...which is sad.  But I guess that's life...and you gotta live your life to the fullest because you never know when your time will come.  Don't have any regrets, love your family and friends with all your heart, and just be happy...life's way too short to be anything but happy.  We moved some of the furniture around at work today which upset some of the residents.  Instead of having couches when you walk in the building, there's now a piano and 2 chairs.  This upset them because they like to sit up front and see what kind of action is going on and gossip.  I feel really bad for them but it was out of our hands and wasn't our choice to move the furniture it was the CEO's.  The piano has been quite entertaining.  One of my co-workers and I did a little duet of Heart and Soul on the piano...it was pretty funny.  I actually wanna get back into playing the piano.  I took lessons as a kid, but that's because my mom basically forced me to...and kid's never wanna do the things their parents tell them to.  But now, I'd like to learn more songs and maybe even write some of my own.  Writing poetry is something I love doing..so I figure, why not try writing music and lyrics?  We'll see how it works out haha.  I got to skype with my little and grandlittle today for a little while which was nice.  They told me all about their trip to Costa Rica..so jealous of them! I miss them and my sisters so much.  It's hard living so far away from them.  Tonight's the season finale of Jersey Shore...kinda sad about it.  It's one of the shows I get to watch with my Dad.  He'll say he only watches it because there's no football or baseball on...but I know he really actually likes watching it because he knows all their names! He's too funny.  Guess we're just going to have to find something else to watch on Thursday's now.  My mom's been really worried about her job.  The township wants to privatize which means they might get rid of the bus drivers, secretaries, aides, and custodians.  Getting rid of the bus drivers is crazy... they don't understand how seriously these people are taking their jobs.  My mom looks after her kids as if they were her own...and the parents are so grateful to have her as a driver.  I wish there was something I could do to help her...she's pretty sure they're going to tell them on the 24th that they're out of a  job for next year.  I'm hoping it's not true...she will be devastated.  She's been so stressed out about it as it is...but I know she's a strong woman and will be okay in the long run! I love her so much and just don't like to see her sad and angry...really wish there was something I could do !

busy busy bee

Frozen drinks make me happy and so does American Idol...combine the two together and It makes me super happy! Especially when you have a few frozen drinks and watch idol together with a good friend!

I've been so busy lately that I haven't gotten a chance to sit down and write on here since Sunday! I'm such a slacker...sorry!  But, I guess being busy is good..since I'm not occupying my time with facebook anymore.  Monday was a sad day at work.  I found out one of the residents passed away.  He was such a sweet guy, 93 years old.  Everyday I would give him his newspaper along with a baggie that the newspapers came in, and some rubber bands.  He loved them and jam packed his pockets with them.  He was a big Yankee fan, so we always talked about how great the Yankees are.  Everyday I'd ask him how he was doing and he would always reply "I'm fine, I'm always fine...I'm almost 94 years old...no use in complaining."  He would bring me banana's and cookies all day while I was working ...he was such a sweetheart and will be greatly missed.  Monday night I decided I would cook dinner.  Mom bought turkey burgers to make, so I found a great weight watchers recipe to spice it up a bit.  I shredded garlic, onion, and squash...along with some pepper and salt, and mixed it in with the turkey patties that my mom bought.  They were delicious!  You are really suppose to use zucchini and not squash but the squash worked just as well! I also made a nice salad to go along with the turkey burgers (which we didn't eat on a bun...too many points!) and my mom made some nice baked veggies. 

Looking up at the moon and the stars always relaxes me.  The moon has looked pretty amazing lately because it's the closest it's been to earth in a long time.

Tuesday felt like a long day.  I think the weekend finally caught up to me by Tuesday and I felt like I could sleep all day!  Since it was nice out, I decided to go for a walk with my friend Sara and her dog Holly.  I obviously couldn't bring Maggie because chances are that she would attack Holly.  But, I did bring Dallas because he loves all dogs...except it's more like he's walking me when we go for a walk.  I hadn't been on a walk in so long and it felt so good to be outside and getting a little exercise in.  By the time we got home, Dallas was exhausted! Mom was glad I tired him out for once..plus, he needed some exercise as well.  My parents wanted to go look for a new kitchen table before we went out to dinner so we decided to stop at a store on 22.  Little did we know, it closed at 6 and it was already 6:30...oops!  We were arguing about where to go for dinner and we finally ended up at Vincenzo's in town.  I had an amazing meal, Salmon with roasted garlic and onions...DELICIOUS!  Their salad is my favorite...I don't know how they do it but, their dressing is so light and tasty...I could probably eat like 4 plates of it haha.  When we got home from dinner Mom and I watched Wheel of Fortune as usual...and Dad went outside to smoke a cigar with Dallas.  TBS had a Law and Order SVU marathon on (mine and Dad's favorite!) so we ended up watching that until bed time.  I sometimes think it's a bad idea to watch that right before bed because I usually have some crazy dreams.  But, I just can't get enough of that show!

Family time always makes me happy.  I love spending time with my parents and the dogs.  In this picture you can clearly see Dallas thinks he's a lap dog hahahah.

Wednesday was another rough day.  Another resident passed away.  I know it's a part of life...but it's still sad when someone passes away..even if they are 97.  I love working where I work but it does get a little sad on days like this.  You never get used to it, you just learn how to deal with it.  But, seeing my residents smiling faces everyday makes it worth working here.  Plus they give me a good laugh everyday which is great!  It snowed on Wednesday...even though it's suppose to be SPRING! I'm seriously so sick of this snow...it's slightly miserable!  Mom had a delayed opening so I was clearly jealous that she got to sleep a little longer than me.  Work was so slow for some reason... I don't know if it was the weather or what the situation was...but it was a long drawn out day.  Wednesday nights Mom and I go to our Weight Watcher's meeting.  Since it was our first weigh in and our completion of our first full week, I was excited and nervous at the same time.  I was hoping I didn't gain any weight...but I was also hoping I lost more than 1 pound.  So I stepped up on the scale first and I was down 4.2 pounds! I was so happy!   and Mom lost 6.2 pounds in a week! I was so happy for us and even announced it at the celebration part of the meeting!  So far so good, but we still have a long way to go!

The Weekend

These are some of my amazing sorority sisters.  I am a Delta Zeta and have been since 2007.  I love my sisters to death.  As you can tell by this picture, we can sometimes be a dysfunctional group of girls...but, we love being a part of Delta Zeta.

Had a crazy weekend so I haven't had time to write on here until now.  Saturday I went shopping with my mom all dayyyyyyyy from 11 til about 5:30.  Then I came home and had to shower and get ready and eat dinner before 8.  I ended up going to Hoboken with my friend Sara and we met up with a few other people there.  It was my first time actually going to a bar there and we had a great time! We ended up meeting up with my cousin and her boyfriend at a club ...which had good music, but the people in there were pretty old and creep status.  We were leaving and I found out that friends of mine were at a bar down the street, so I ended up meeting them to say hello because I hadn't seen them in months.  After, we ended up heading home and Sara and I shared a ziti pizza slice on the way hahaha.  (what a mess that was! But delicious).  It's a good thing I had a few points left that day so I was able to keep on track with my weight watchers!

I love taking pictures of the sunrise more than anything! It's so relaxing to get up and see the sunrise in the summer when I'm down the shore.  My family and friends sometimes think I'm nuts for waking up so early...but, it's truly a magical experience.  I suggest everyone watch the sunrise over the ocean at least once in their life!

Sunday morning I woke up and had a lazy start with my mom.  We snuggled with the dogs for about an hour and then had a healthy breakfast.  We decided to go furnirture shopping because we need a new kitchen table and a new couch for the den.  Dad wasn't as into it as mom and I were, but he was a trooper.  We ended up going to Spain Inn in Piscataway for an early dinner.  When we were pulling up to the restaurant, I noticed a small fire on the playground at the school across the street.  I asked my parents if I should call 9-1-1 and my dad said no and that the fire would go out since it was probably just rocks and dirt.  Well..boy was he wrong! By the time we pulled into the parking spot and looked over, the smoke was so black and the fire had engulfed the area.  We had the owner of the restaurant call for help but some kids walking by had already called.  The owner was telling us that the section of the playground that was on fire, was actually all made out of old tires and rubber.  The large boulder in the middle was even made out of rubber...which is why the fire spread so quickly.  Of course, since I've never seen a fire like that...I took pictures and a video.   The firefighters got the fire under control in like 2 minutes...although it took them like 15 to get there.  Crazy! But anyways, after a nice dinner we went home and had some family time on the couch.  A nice end to the weekend!

avoidance is key

This is my biffy, sister, and most of all...my soul mate! We seriously are the same person and always understand each other.  I love her so much and I'm so happy to have her in my life.. idk what i'd do without her! 

Friday's at work are always fun because there's live entertainment.  Today was nice because there wasn't much to do and I got to spend most of the day talking to the residents and their family members.  It was way too nice out today to be indoors.  It was killing me all day to have to sit at a desk when it was that nice out.  After work I was planning on walking my dogs..but somehow I fell asleep... guess I didn't get a good night's rest last night.  I went out to dinner with my parent's to Uncle Vinnie's Clam Bar in Raritan...we love it there.  We saw my aunt and uncle there, as well as their friends.  After dinner I met up with Sara and we went out for drinks.  We went out of this small town thinking we wouldn't run into anyone...boy were we wrong.  You try to avoid people ...and you just end up running into them anyways. It's like the worlds way of screwing you over.  But, we made the best of it and had a great time as usual.  And now that it's like 1:30 it's time to go to bed.  Lot's to do tomorrow! Getting a lot done without Facebook, and getting a social life back! woo!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

This is a picture of one of my oldest and best friends and I.  Sara and I have been friends since first grade!

St. Patrick's day was an interesting day at work.  All the resident's were decked out in their "Irish for a day" clothing.  They had a Shamrock Shake Social to celebrate (vanilla milkshakes with green food coloring).  I, of course, rocked my obnoxious bow headband to work to show my irish spirit.  I spent most of the day working on stuff for the director of nursing again and training the maintenance director's son.  I didn't have time to really worry about Facebook, which was nice.  I think now I'm getting used to not having Facebook and actually enjoying other things.  I actually went to the park today with my 3 year old neighbor so her dad could cook some corned beef and cabbage.  She made me go down the slide with her (mind you I was still in my work clothes haha), as well as going on all the other equipment with her.  Lifting her up and down on the monkey bars was a workout in itself...but it was fun having an excuse to play on the playground haha.  After the playground we went back to my neighbors house where my mom came over to give some tips on how to cook corned beef.  The 3 year old wanted to play school so I played along...and then she put my mom in detention...for no reason. haha.  She's too funny.  When I got home I decided to Zumba on the wii.  I did the whole 45 minute workout and then did some crunches and push-ups.  Needless to say, I'm sticking to the diet pretty well and hopefully I'll see improvements soon!

2 in 1

Spending time with my family and friends is one of my favorite things.  This picture is from Jenkinson's Boardwalk in Point Pleasant.  We went there last weekend and played Skee Ball.  from left to right...Sara's score, Mom's score, my score, and dad's score.  Clearly I didn't do well this round haha but it was still so much fun!

Clearly I've been occupying myself with things besides Facebook and have lost track of my blog in the process.  Sorry!!! So this will be a 2-in-1 to catch back up.  Tuesday was uneventful to say the least.  Went to work all day and was busy so I didn't really have time to worry about logging onto Facebook.  Except that it was a friend of mine's birthday and I wish I could have gone on to wish him a happy birthday...but instead I texted him.  Then I thought he might have gotten another number so I had my mom write on his Facebook for me.  So technically it wasn't cheating! After work I relaxed for a little with my mom and then we went out to dinner at the Dunellen Hotel.  We met up with 2 of our family friends.  We always have a good time with them..and always have a good laugh.    After dinner we came back to our house for a few drinks and us girls watched t.v. while the guys went outside to smoke a cigar.  We watched some crazy show on T.V. that seemed like they were aliens and the girls were all killing people with these tails that came out of nowhere... not really sure what it was. I think it was that show V...and I've come to the conclusion that it's called V because power of the V...you know, like the girls were killing people with these crazy things that came out of ..what seemed to be...there vaginas hahaha.

Working at an assisted living place is amazing! I have the best residents in the world.  They have the greatest stories and are always making me laugh.  This picture above is one of our residents..he's 98!

Wednesday was a busy day at work. I trained the maintenance director's son for the receptionist position, in case we need help in the summer.  We worked on a project for the director of nursing...it was a lot of pasting pictures onto other paper...kind of like being in preschool again! But, it did keep me busy allllllll day! I'm still working on it today.  After work, my mom and I finally officially started weight watchers! Took us long enough to get there since the past few weeks she's had meetings, or been sick, or had a bummed foot...or I've been sick..or whatever the reason.  But the point is, we finally got there.. and it's the first step to a better, healthier, happier life...so I'm excited!  After our meeting we went  for some Chinese food.  I always get the grilled shrimp with steamed veggies and the brown sauce on the side with a side of brown rice.  It's my fav!  My mom wanted to run to the food store after but it was cutting it close to American Idol so I said no.   Well, we only had 2 rolls of toilet paper in our house...and we have 3 bathrooms...which is a problem.  So, I was going to my friend Sara's and my mom told me to ask her for a roll of toilet paper... I was hysterically laughing and said no way!  So, my mom went into the bathroom at the chinese food place and stole a roll out of the bathroom!!!! SO EMBARRASSING!  I nearly pissed myself from laughing so hard.... all because I didn't want to stop at the store haha.  So when I got to Sara's, I told her the story.  She thought it was so funny and was going to give me a roll to go home with just to mock my mom.. buttttt she forgot to give it to me! It would have been funny to see the look on my mom's face.  Needless to say...she's going food shopping today and better have bought some toilet paper!

Bye-Bye fishy

My Second Family. 

They are the nicest, most generous people in the world!  I love them so much and it makes me sad that we live so far away from each other....but we keep in touch often!

Sorry again for not updating this last night, but I figure that doing it the next morning is just as good.  So yesterday work went by really fast.  I don't know if it's because we set our clocks ahead or what.  I didn't really have an urge to go on Facebook at all yesterday.  I spent most of the day listening to stories from my 102 year old friend.  She was telling me about the time she met Eleanor Roosevelt and she showed me the picture of her and her husband with Eleanor...and it was signed!  That's seriously an amazing memory for her to have and a piece of history! I was amazed by her story.  She told me stories of when she was younger, the dates she went on in Central Park, how her sister married a wealthy man, and how she was happy with all the memories she had and the long life she is living.  I hope to be as positive and spunky as she is when I get older.  When I got home from work, I asked my mom how my fish were doing since one of them seemed to be sinking rather than swimming.  She said they were fine so I went upstairs to my room to check on them and there was only one fish in there.  I thought I was going crazy until she came upstairs and said I'm really sorry but Ke$ha your fish didn't make it.  Then she proceeded to go into the bathroom and handed me another small container with a fish in it.  She went out of her way and went back to Petsmart to get me another fish so I wouldn't be sad.  I have to say, I have the best mom ever.  Why she didn't do this when I had my goldfish Goldie that died when I was 4, I'm not sure.  That time her and my dad told me they let Goldie go in Round Valley.  Like a gullible little girl, I would go there almost every weekend just to say hi to Goldie.  Little did I know, Goldie was NOT in Round Valley.  Goldie was a goldfish I won at a fair and he grew a tumor on the side of his head.  He grew to be too big for his bowl so we had to get him a bigger one.  Well, one day mom and dad found Goldie dead and tried to flush him down the toilet...since he was too big to fit down there, they said they had to basically chop him and force him down the toilet.  Traumatizing story I know...and to think, up until about 4 years ago I really thought Goldie was in Round Valley...jerks! haha.  But anyways, the new fish is named Miley... typical I know :-)  ...  We put Miley into the bowl with GAGA and I didn't have the lid on it because I wanted to see how they interacted with each other.  My mom and I were taking a closer look into the bowl and all of a sudden GAGA came from the bottom of the bowl and full steam ahead shot up and jumped at our faces with her mouth wide open!  I never screamed so loud in my life and my mom and I ran to the other side of the room as if it was going to bite our heads off.  I have to say it was pretty hysterical! Other than that, my day was pretty uneventful.  I got to video chat with my biffy (who's in the picture above with me and her fam) for an hour.  We had a lot to catch up on since she lives in Cape Cod and I'm here in Jersey and we haven't seen each other since January! This is the longest we've gone without seeing each other since graduation in May...crazy! But, she's coming to visit in April...I can't wait!!!! Well now it's time for another eventful day at work.  Hope you all have a good day!

 

A Fishy Sunday

Here's a picture of the new fish or at least the best picture I could get of them haha.  Gaga is on the left and Ke$ha is the blue blob on the right.  Love them!

Sorry I didn't get to post this yesterday, I was busy enjoying family time!  Yesterday was an amazing day.  Usually Sunday's I spend with my parent's, but yesterday I was lucky enough to spend time with my grandparents and aunt and uncle as well.  The day started off pretty slow.  I decided to clean my room and helped mom clean the house.  Dad thought it would be a smart idea to wash the kitchen floor with acid...yes I said acid.  He's crazy and doesn't read directions.  So, the whole house smelled like acid.  My mom and I took a ride to Petsmart so I could get my new fishy friends.  I ended up getting two female Betta fish and named them GAGA and Ke$ha because they both stood out from the rest  and were a little crazy.  While at Petsmart I saw a dog that I absolutely must have at some point in my life... a Newfoundland! These dogs were absolutely beautiful...and HUGE! When we got home from Petsmart my grandparent's were already there.  I got GAGA and Ke$ha settled into their new home and then spent some time with my family.  We had our St. Patrick's day dinner last night since it was more convenient for everyone...corned beef, cabbage, irish soda bread...the whole nine yards.  it was DELICIOUS ...thanks to my mom! After our feast, my aunt and uncle stopped by to say hello.  I showed them my new bedroom and then we all watched some old home movies together.  We all got a little teared up watching videos with my Great Grandma Angie, Great Grandpa Ralph, and Great Grandma Hannah in them since they have since passed on.  It was nice to look back at all the memories all together.  My aunt and uncle left around 9 and I turned on Army Wives which we watch every week! I'm obsessed with it to say the least.  And since we lost an hour of sleep yesterday, I got ready for bed right after the show was over at 10.   Needless to say, it was a pretty busy day yesterday so I didn't really have time to worry about Facebook...which was a good thing!

the hardest and longest day ever!

My family is the most important thing in my life.  Since I've already said a bit about my parents and grandparents I'll mention my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins in this one.  They are like my second parents and brother and sister.  They are always there for me and always supporting me 100%.  I love them so much! Our family is closer then most families....and crazier than most at that! 

Okay so, today I had to work 11 1/2 hours.  It was pretty intense! And pretty boring...which is why it was so hard to stay off of Facebook...buttttttt... I did fight the urge.  I focused most of the day on making up move-in packets for the marketing director but once I was done with that... I had to find something else to occupy my time.  I have to say, I did go on stumbleupon most of the time...and perez hilton.  But there were points during the day that I just wanted to go on Facebook really quick just to get rid of the craving.  I had to distract myself through other websites or by talking to some of my residents at work...which is always entertaining.  You get the best stories by working in an assisted living! My 102 year old friend needed my help fixing her T.V. after work and she told me that she loved me as soon as I got wheel of fortune on for her.  Just putting a smile on the resident's faces always makes me feel like I've had an accomplished day.  And since I've had a long day... I'm going to spend some quality time with my parents and watch a movie! Ciao for now!

jersey shore

My grandparents are the absolute best people in the world.  They have always been there for me and I am grateful to have them in my life.  I love that we are so close and I am able to turn to them for anything.  

Today I had the day off so I decided to go down the shore.  My friend Sara and I went with my parents to Point Pleasant for the day.  We spent the day running around the beach like children and playing in the arcades....yes we are 22, but we can still release our inner child every so often!  Skee Ball was so much fun...we ended up giving all the tickets we won for the day to two little boys...they were so grateful!  It was nice to spend a day outside and enjoying the nice weather without worrying about checking Facebook for once.  I actually got to take some really great pictures too.   After the beach, we met up with my grandparents for a few drinks and a few games of shuffle board at Leggett's in Manasquan and finished the day up with a nice Italian dinner at Maria's (my absolute favorite restaurant!).  I really enjoyed spending quality time with the people that mean most to me.  It honestly wasn't too hard to resist Facebook today.  If I could have days like today...every day, it would be a hell of a lot easier!

almost an accident

My parents mean the world to me.  They are my best friends and I would be lost in this crazy life without them.  I love them with all my heart. 

Today I only had to work until 11, so being at work without Facebook wasn't too challenging.  When I got home I decided to just watch some movies that I hadn't seen and really wanted to.  (Burlesque was a really good movie for those of you who haven't seen it...you should!).  For those of you who really know me...you know how much I dislike talking on the phone.  Well, since I don't have Facebook as a means of communication, I actually had three conversations on the phone! Shocking, I know.  And it really felt good to talk to them directly, rather than through a computer.  Sometimes it's hard to tell the expressions or see how people really feel without seeing their face or hearing their voice.  I feel like talking on the phone or in person is much more effective in getting the point of your story across.  So I have to admit, I almost accidentally went on Facebook today.. but I managed to stop myself! I was going through some pictures on my phone and realized there were a few that I wanted to upload to Facebook.  Good thing I caught myself in time! It was a pretty lazy day for me since it was so rainy here...so it wasn't as challenging as the first two days.  Hopefully I can keep this up!

Losing Sleep

maggie and dallas.
i love dogs and could never live without one!
animals mean the world to me.

Lost some sleep over this whole situation last night. haha.  Had a dream that I secretly went on Facebook and got caught at work and my co-workers wouldn't let me live it down since I had "failed".  When I woke up this morning I actually had the urge to go right on Facebook and check my updates like I usually do every day.  But, I managed to fight the urge and check Perez Hilton instead (can't live without his blog!).  The hardest part of the day was when I was at work.  Usually when I'm bored at work or things get slow, I'll log on to Facebook and chat with people, or play Wheel of Fortune, or...let's face it... Facebook stalk!!  You know you're all guilty of it...don't lie!  So instead of logging on to my favorite social networking site, I decided to stumble on www.stumbleupon.com (if you haven't discovered this website yet, YOU NEED TO!  it's amazing, but make sure you have a lot of free time to stumble!).  It was a lot easier when there were busy parts of the day...the occasional story from my 102 year old friend, need for toilet paper in a room, help reading something, oh and of course answering the phone.  (a typical day working at an assisted living).  Now that i'm home for the night, I'm happy that I have American Idol to occupy my time and take my mind off of Facebook.  I've got to say, I do have a sense of accomplishment by overcoming my urge to go on today... let's just hope this lasts!