UPDATE!!!

as far as the miss new booty situation... the results are slow but i am sooooo not sticking to my meal plan. I told my trainer that i was not gonna be back on track until Jan. I knew Thanksgiving and Christmas were gonna have me off my game and well... i've pretty much been eating what i want since nov. so starting in Jan, I am going to be serious about my meal plan again, and keeping a food journal. that should be helpful. the good news is, even with the cheating, the results are apparently showing. this morning, a co-worker who i barely know, came over to me and said, "girl i just had to say something because i keep seeing you losing weight like crazy. what are you doing?"
so i responded, "thank you so much! i am working out twice a week with a trainer!"
so she says,"well it shows... i've been noticing for a couple weeks now you keep getting smaller. you go girl!! keep it up!"
That was so encouraging! it did make me smile! i can tell in how my clothes fit and stuff but i didn't really think it was that noticable...

so as you all read on Chris' blog... yes we are engaged. I am excited and happy and looking forward to our life together. I know it's not going to all be peaches and cream and i know there are gonna be rough patches and times when we are going to be overwhelmed and disenchanted. But i also know that I am strong enough to deal with the challenges... and smart enough to not let the little things turn into big things. I know Chris and I still have a lot to learn about each other and that learning process will be ongoing. I also know that we have love, respect, and communication in our favor so as we learn each other and as we continue to grow and experience the ups and the downs that come with all relationships, we will be come more complete individuals. we balance each other out... I feel calm around him and we enjoy being around each other in silence or in conversation... it's just a dope relationship and a dope feeling to be appreciated and to know that you are with the right person.

I'll recap Christmas later... gotta get back to work.

Oh, but I can't leave close this post without giving a big shout out to Poppa C! HA HAAA!!! I'm just kidding... Luv ya!

bah humbug

it's Christmas Eve and here I am, at work.... miserable. this place is absolute torture. I can not understand why people feel the need to call here and harass me over foolishness. For example, the customer I have on hold now wants a supervisor because we charged her for directory assistance. seriously. i'm like lady beat it. we have been charging for 411 for a long time and you are not getting a credit. she is retarded. it just irks me to my core to have to do this all day. and it has the nerve to be busy. like.... shouldn't people be out buying or wrapping gifts or something??

on another note, why are the meteorologists on the news so dang dramatic? this morning, i was watching the news and they were saying how there was a ice storm over night and all the roads are covered in black ice so if you don't have to leave the house, stay in. yeah well i decided to go to work anyway, and not only was there no ice, but i got to work faster than ever. granted there weren't a lot of people on the roads but still... way overly dramatic weather forecast this morning. I guess the northern part of the state was more affected than the southern...

there really is a lot on my mind right now... i just don't know where to begin and i don't want to offend anyone so i am gonna just sit with my thoughts a while. when i figure out how to say what i want to say, i'll update...

sooooo

i'm at work on a saturday... booooo
this is absolute torture. but whatever. i'll live.
I have almost NO Christmas shopping done. I know what I am getting everyone... just haven't really purchased that much... I have all the M.A.C. gift sets i am giving out... and I was done shopping for Chris in like oct. my mom wants a kitchenaid mixer with the pasta attachment so me and lil sis are splitting that. all of my nephews are getting sneakers from me. my two god daughters will probably get gold earrings or maybe a cross pendant... I'll probably get my dad like some quality cognac or something... i dunno. i know what i'm getting momma e but i can't say cuz she reads this sometimes! lol...
i have no idea what i am getting poppa c (ha haaa) or my room mate... no clue. what really sucks is that i am just gonna have to power shop next weekend because i have no other time to do it.

anyway enough about that.

I am going to see Cirque de Soleil in Atlantic City tonight. I am somewhat excited. It's bizarre that I am even going though to be honest. my friend s sent an email to me and pink shoes/scrabble girl asking would we go to the show. but i must have misunderstood because i thought she was asking like would i go theoretically like would i go ever in life. so pink shoes said the same thing and then like a week later, s emails us again like okay girls i got us tickets to go on the 13th. so i was confused because how do you just pick a date and buy tickets without saying anything. i have no clue what she was thinking but i felt obligated to go. i'm sure it will be fun but i am tired... lol. so anyway a few weeks after she bought our tickets, she saw people selling them online for like $400 each. tickets in our section which were $30 were now $400. so of course you know what i said... sell my ticket immediately. but s physically has the tickets and didn't want to sell them. she's like "i really want to go" aaargh. so whatever. i'm going. i'll have fun. we are supposed to go to dinner first at my current fave restaurant in the quarter. carmine's...

mmm mmmmm mmmmmm!


until next time amigos...

maybe i am bi-polar...

cuz i definitely don't feel like continuing my rant from before...
i do, however, feel like talking about how much I despise my job. I mean they pay me remarkably well (I made just about 80k my first year), and the benefits are fantastic but the job itself is ridiculous. no it's not even the job, it's the work environment. It is so unbelievable negative... the morale is non-existant. the reason is some people get away with muder while others are being susp and fired for the alightest infraction. And our union does nothing about it because the people getting away with murder are union members as well. It is just so unbelievably disheartening. seriously. but i can't leave. not right now anyway... i know i would be hard-pressed to find a job paying me what i am making now without a college degree. And aside from the pay, I've won a ridiculous amount of stuff over the last 3 years... a wii, 3 tv's, 2 laptops, an 80 gig iPod, maybe about 2k in gift cards macy's, foot locker, etc. I love all of that. I love winning prizes... I got the majority of that in my first year and a half. the perverbial well seems to have dried up. and on top of that they are now routing our sales calls overseas and to 3rd party vendors so they don't have to pay out commission. and that is fine if that is what the corporation deems necessary. but in the last year and a half outr sales objectives have quadrupled (not exaggerating) with less payout and less sales opportunities. to top it off, we get to deal with the backlash of the vendors making up prices and telling the customers whatever they want to hear... whether it's true or not. i can't stand it. i dread coming into work. I start half-way having anxiety attacks on sunday nights thinking about coming to work on monday... something has got to give. at what point to i put my mental health and well-being over "stuff"? I am not going to make any rash decisions... I am gonna stick it out and pray for the best... I don't want to leave Verizon necessarily but I do need to get a new position STAT... uhgggg

on a completely different note... have you ever seen someone's ex and gotten mad at them for even talking to someone so atrocious? like how annoying is that? am i the only one that gets mad at that? ha haaa... especially if there was no personality to make up for it... just completely wack on every level...

fin.

i promise i am not bi-polar...

But I do feel much better... we talked about it and I choose to forgive and move on. I did however, start thinking about different type of women and why some are so willing to settle for whatever they can get. I have at least one friend that could fit in every category i am about to talk about. and believe me, I am not jusging necessarily... just curious as to what makes these hoes tick. lol

seriously though. the first group i want to talk about are the emotionally competitive folk. these are the chicks that are not interested in a dude until he is interested in someone else. is it the "want what you can't have" syndrome? this is pretty annoying... i mean, if someone is trying to date you, talk to you, whatever, and you are blowing them off, making plans and flaking, etc., why do you think that person would continue to pursue you. the chase is only fun for a while then it gets old. now i call these people emotionally competitive because as soon as the dude starts showing interest in someone else, all of a sudden, they want to start calling and asking for kisses and shit. that is retarded. it would be one thing if you actually liked the dude but if you are just trying to throw him some play because his affection is elsewhere, that is selfish and ridiculous. how little you must think of yourself if you need someone else's interest to make you feel good. even if you are not interested back. this type of title can also be extended to the girls that wants everyone in the room to want them. this is the chick that is cool as hell until a penis walks into the room and then they turn into a seductress. I do have a friend that does not like any dudes until someone else in our group shows interest first. then she makes it a point to try to get with the dude first whether she really likes them or not. that is crazy to me. she even went so far as asking my ex-fiancee, while we were still together, if he wanted to sleep with her. she just needed the satisfaction of knowing everyone in the room wanted to screw her. that is weird. and yes i did check her on that. what i want to say to this type of woman is: Learn to validate yourself. Don't depend on men's attention to make you feel like you are pretty or desirable. know that ish in your head. If you think you are hot, everyone else will too. and there won't be a need for you to act like a whore to get attention.

NEXT

Tramps- these people, I have no patience for. tramps like to screw unavailable dudes, just to see if they can. again they are usually not even interested in the guy they are messing with. just want to see if they can. they get some sort of sick satisfaction out of knowing they got someone to cheat on the person they claim to love. they are the ones you hear saying, "well if she was all that, why he with me?". HE'S NOT WITH YOU... He is using you as much as you think you are using him. wake the hell up. getting someone to sleep with you does not make you special. it makes you easy and of low morals and a TRAMP!. I want to say to these chicks: Stop being #2. Please take a dollar and go buy yourself some self-esteem. know that you are worth more than just being someone's side jawn. want more for yourself... and for those of you that are saying, oh but it's just sex. stop lying to yourself... you can not just sleep with someone repeatedly and not become attached to them emotionally... which is how people end up being mistresses for years. and honestly if it was really just about sex, you can find sex from someone unattached so go fly a kite with that one.

To be continued...

OH btw, I love love love my new google phone! It is the bomb!

stormy weather...

disappointment is very hard to swallow at times. I'm learning to lower my expectations to avoid being hurt. I've always thought the majority of people were inherently good and there were really just a few that weren't. that opinion is changing more and more each day. can anyone be trusted anymore? With all I've been through in life, I've managed to stay open to people and optimistic. but this... this may be the proverbial last straw. I don't want to become jaded or bitter... this too shall pass right? I don't want to lose my trust in people all together... i just don't know what to do. i mean. i know i want to forgive and move forward. i just don't know how. i don't know how to absorb the hurt and the pain spiraling through my body and refocus it to something positive. i don't know how to not let this affect my level of trust. i am like thinking about it obsessively. the more i try to not think about it, the more i start thinking of possible scenarios. possible outcomes... my imagination is running out of control. do i just close myself off? become a cold, hollow shell of my former self? that so goes against the very fabric of my person.
i'm done.
the end.

this is the longest post ever....

So Chris has been out here visiting me in Jersey for the past 10 days or so and it has been splendid. I love him... and I love when he is here. I am still trying to finagle some time of from verizon so I will be able to go out there to visit him and momma e and big c and the grannies. i miss them all even though i haven't spent too much time with them but chris and i are connected and that makes me connected to his fam as well.
so thanksgiving with my family in maryland was fun... the food was delicious. I got there early and helped my momma cook. we made turkey, ham, lamb, stuffing with sausage and dried cherries, cornbread stuffing, cornbread, mac & cheese, candied yams, corn, potato salad, collard greens, tossed salad, and of course the gravy. well what i actually made was the cornbread dressing, man & cheese, the grazy, the candied yams, and the glaze for the ham. my mom made everything else. she also baked 2 apple pies, 2 sweet potato pies, and a pecan pie the day before. while the various items were baking, my younger sisters and i decorated a pumpkin that my mom hollowed out and used for a vase. we used paint and nailpolish to make leaves and i wrote Happy Thanksgiving with purple nailpolish then added glitter. before we ate, we went around the table saying what we were thankful for and everyone had something meaningful to say. especially my dad... he was saying how he is thankful that he is able to provide for his family and that none of his children are criminals or strung out on drugs and that he is thankful for his grandchildren and that he gets a chance to see them grow. it was so sweet and heartfelt... so sincere. i thought he was gonna start crying but he manned up. ha haa... so we ate, told stories, and laughed at my dad saying retarded stuff. we watched a movie. then chris and i came home...
so Chris asks me if he can take my truck to go to best buy early in the morning on Black Friday. I couldn't venture out because i had to work black friday but i told him if he was geeling confident then he could take it. he was saying something about going to best buy looking for some external hard drive or something so i didn't think much of it. now the whole week prior to thanksgiving, i had been trying to get guuitar hero for my wii and for some reason i never got it. when i was finally going to go buy one, chris is all like, you should play with it first to make sure you like it. so i still wasn't thinking anything of it. i was just like uh ok. anyway back to the story... so chris gets up at like 3:30 and leaves for his black friday excursion. i was sleep! I have no idea when he got home or anything... all i know is my alarm went off at 7 and i got up and turned on the light in my room and in the middle of the floor is a huge bag of stuff and a homemade card from chris saying "Merry Christmas!!! I know it is a month away but I am not gonna be here so I wanted to give you your stuff now. I hope you like everything." I was so shocked... i had no idea he was trying to surprise me but it was sooooo sweet. i think i squealed! He got me a crap load of jeans and sweaters... and i was just complaining that i needed sweaters... i felt a little guilty because i know he is not working right now and i really was not expecting or needing a gift from him. so i was super excited. i loved everything. so i thanked him profusely and had to rush to get ready for work. so i go through my morning routine and as i was leaving, chris followed me out to the living room which was a little strange and he was just chatting with me but i got my coat and was about to leave and chris is like ok i didn't get the response i want so you must not have seen it.
and i say, seen what?
and he says look down
so i look down and i am looking at my feet and the Jordan 5's I had on thinking to myself like is something different? did he clean them? relace them? what?
then he says now look to the right doofus
so i look over and RIGHT beside my foot is the stinking Guitar Hero I had been trying to buy. i was so stunned, it was so sweet and thoughtful. i was so surprised. i really don't know how i missed that big box in the middle of my floor. lol. i dunno. i got him a lot of stuff for Christmas but this was so dope. it really was. so i had my christmas in november and it was fantastic.

we went back to md on fri and hung out with my family again... we watched kung fu panda and went to sleep. sat morning i made banana pancakes (from scratch) with pecan syrup and it was DELICIOUS! i also made some fried eggs and my mom made bacon. my dad made corned beef the way us jamaicans eat it with rice. so it was more like a brunch than a breakfast but everything was good and we went shopping with the fam.

then

I went to Sonic for the FIRST TIME. OMG! it was fantastic! mm mmmmmm
so after that we went back to the parents house and watched some movie. hung out a little bit then came back home. so on the way home chris and i had a fat moment. how? well we used my new google phone (which i ABSOLUTELY LOVE btw) to find the sonic nearest my house. i had no idea there was any near me and lo and behold not even 15 minutes away in PA, a big, beautiful sonic. so yes we went again before we went home and got some sticky bun ice cream thing... sooooo good.

well Dexter is on now so i'll have to continue another time. but all is well... there is a big part of the weekend that i am leaving out temporarily but i will blog about it sometime next week. i'll explain why then... okay i am missing dexter and he needs to kill miguel. like he has to. there is no other option... uhg i love this show...

recap

so i know it's been a while... sorry for the delay. i have been very busy as usual. so first let me update you on the miss new booty sessions! so i've been working out for about 6 weeks now. i missed one week out of the six so i technically have worked out twice a week for 5 weeks with my trainer. sooo i don't see a huge difference but i do feel the difference. i do have more energy and i am definitely stronger. my jeans fit better. i can see my thighs have slimmed and my waist has slimmed some. my upper arms have slimmed some. my workouts have gotten harder but i am able to sustain them... i don't get as sore as i used too. so all in all i feel better. i have been cheating on the meal plan though. i can't even lie... lol. not cheating terribly but enough to slow the progress down. i have to get serious though.

in other news... chris is back in nj as i'm sure you all already know. i really like having him around. he is my snuggle muffin! LOL! he got to experience his first family gathering at our annual pre-thanksgiving get together. The saturday before Thanksgiving, my roommate and i, have a thanksgiving get together at our place for our families. we do this since people always have so much to do ont hanksgiving and people sometimes feel torn as to whose house to go to or they are rushing trying to make all invites. my little apartment was completely packed with people and kids. it was loud and ridiculous but so much fun. i have not laughed so hard in a long time. we ate and talked and laughed and played taboo. taboo was ridiculous... the kids played dance dance revlution on my wii... it was good times. so my turkey day plans are pretty much to go down to my parents house and relax. i have to work friday then shopping shopping shopping all weekend!!

i'll see if i can post more later... like how chris almost killed us driving home from philly on thursday! LOL! he left that part out of his "the bridge is over" post....

i am pissed

to the highest level of pissed-tivity... this has got to be one of the crappiest days thus far. it's been gloomy and rainy all week and i think that may be part of what is affecting my mood. i dunno... all i know is I woke up a few minutes late then i stepped on my glasses and i don't even know how they ended up on the floor but whatever. then i was stuck in traffic for 20 minutes because of some corny accident. that made me 15 minutes late for work... torture. then i get here and open my email and we get this lovely bit of information:

Good Morning Team,
A corporate decision has been made that Verizon will be open on Thursday, January 1, 2009. Our hours of operation will be 9:00AM to 5:00PM.
Wanted you to know in advance so you can plan accordingly.


what type of ish is that?!? are they serious? WHO is calling for new service on Jan 1st. NO ONE! what the eff are they thinking. we have never opened on new years day... this is absolutely uncalled for and i am P.O.'ed... aaaaargh. double triple aaaaargh!

other than that... christopher is back in IL and i miss him... he's coming back for thanksgiving though so that makes me happy and i am supposed to go out there for Christmas... however, effin verizon is being extremely gay. i have no vacation time available but i will have one comp day i can use for working veteran's day. but i can't use it the day after christmas so i really don't know how it's gonna work out yet. i'll probably end up just calling out and taking an occurance.

my sneaker collection is growing rapidly... i have about 50 pairs now... and that is added to my 80 pairs of heels/boots etc.. it is such a problem.

i am off to make my Christmas wish list... that should cheer me up. maybe i'll post it when i am done.

everyone is going green...

so in honor of the new environmentally friendly attitude the world is taking on, i've decided to recycle... while i still throw soda cans in the trash instead of the recycle bin i don't have, i have decided to recycle this post from a few months ago.. i was curious how it would come out since i've added some stuff and... well... it's pretty funny!

MEME Rules:
1. Put Your iPod/ music player on shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT
After you’ve answered all of the questions, tag 5 other people and then let them know they’ve been tagged to do the meme themselves!

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
I'm Still Standing- Dorinda Clark Cole

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
The Ride- Prince

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Pussy Control- Prince (this is really what came up on my ipod... that is HILARIOUS)


HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Can I Walk With You- India.Arie (this is soooooooooooo true)


WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
That's How Long I Love You- Chi Lites


WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
The Anointing- john p kee


WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
touch and broken bones- the hives

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
passenger seat- death cab for cutie

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Out there Grindin- DJ Khaled

WHAT IS 2+2?
West- Prince


WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Hangin on a string (contemplating)- Loose Ends (this is true of my homegirl Dee- she crazy)


WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
A day Without You- Art Porter (chris must have put this on my ipod cuz i have no idea who this is) oh i just listened to it- smooth jazz stuff.. interesting


WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Self Conscious- Kanye West

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Big Dog Status ft. scarface, T.I., & UTP- Lil Wayne (ha! this is true)


WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
How Could It Be- Eddie Murphy


WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
I Know- Destiny's Child


WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
I was Made to Love Her- Michael McDonald (aaawwww... take notes chris!)


WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Milestone- Miles Davis (true)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Girls and Boys- Prince


WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
When the Day Met the Night- Panic at the Disco


WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Back to You- Men of Standard

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?
So High f/ J. Ivy- John Legend Solo Sessions Vol. 1 live at the knitting factory (DOPE version of so high)

I'm better

I feel a lot better... i don't have time now but i will explain more later. i am still stressed and still overwhelmed but no longer falling into depression. uhg... i have to get to work... torture

the blues

i know i haven't posted/commented in a while. but i think i am falling into depression. i am not a person that gets depressed often. actually the last time i even came close i was breaking up with the ex-fiancee. and that was more of an emotional breakdown. and before that, i can't remember ever really being depressed. i am an optimist by nature but something has happened to my mental state. i don't know what this is. i'm in a funk. i feel like i am just falling deeper and deeper and no matter how hard i try i can't bring myself out. like quicksand.. the harder i fight, the faster i sink. i am overwhelmed. i can't stop crying. even now. there's too much going on to even type but i will try to talk about it more later. for now, please pray for me.

R.I.P. BOOG...

I am really having a hard time today. i found out one of my friends and co-workers at verizon died on saturday. in all honesty, i am really not sure why this is affecting me as deeply as it is.
here is the article

Apartment fire kills woman in Northeast

A 26-year-old woman was killed in a fire that started in her apartment in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday night.
The 9:30 p.m. fire was confined to the bathroom of the victim's first-floor apartment in the 600 block of Waterview Lane, off Woodhaven Road, Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Picozzi said. The apartment is in one of several three-story buildings in the St. Ives apartment complex.

Picozzi did not immediately release the identity of the victim. The fire, which was brought under control in 20 minutes, is under investigation.

there is speculation as to whether or not she took her own life. i just don't know what to think... we weren't the best of friends but i just always looked at her like a lil sister. we would argue about everything... friendly arguments but arguments none the less. She was just so cocky, always talking trash... but i could see past the bravado to the hurt that was inside. even the "arguments" we had were more or less just me trying to get her to see the bigger picture... i always wanted her to be "better"... it was just a weird, complex friendship that we had. i will miss her even though i didn't talk to her everyday, i talked to her enough to feel the loss. i mean 26... i am in such a diffent place now at 28 then i was at 26. so much has happened and so much is yet to happen. i know it is cliche but her passing definitely made me examine my own life and beliefs. as corny as it sounds, it made me value my salvation... it made me really value and appreciate the grace of God. i say that because i have put myself in more than a few situations that could have turned out very badly for me, i have made decisions that were irresponsible and just flat out dumb and dangerous. i realized that i could just have easily not lived to be here typing this but God had some mercy on me. i know i don't talk about my beliefs that often on here but it is a major part of my life... i just feel like maybe i was taking some things for granted. i am so sad about this. sincerely heart-broken. there are so many things i wish i said to her... i dunno.

RIP Kyra -aka- Boog

I am gonna miss you...

Miss New Booty: session 2

so on saturday, i had another session with the trainer. it was harder than the last one! we started with the bike again to warm up but longer this time. the "hard minute" almost killed me. from there we did jump rope. i haven't jumped rope since i was about 14... it was more tiring than i remember. from there we went to the floor to work with the big ball thing again. then wee did some boxing type stuff and that was fun. from there we did some light weights to work my shoulders. 3 measly pounds in each hand but my shoulder muscles were BURNING by the end of it. torture... so all of this was in an hour. my muscles feel like they are going to go on strike... i am sore as heck... I am scared to go back on tuesday but this is what i needed. it's about time i started taking care of myself!

so as promised here is a sample of my meal plan...

7:00 AM- oatmeal w/ a banana or whole wheat (not enriched) bagel w/ organic fruit spread

10:00 AM- 25 grapes or 25 blueberries or an orange or an apple or 20 RAW almonds (you get the idea)

1:00 PM- grilled chicken over salad w/ organic dressing ( no corn syrup or additives)

3:00 PM- repeat 10:00 AM

6:00 PM- grilled salmon of chicken or turkey w/ any 3 veggies or small amount of brown rice.

and i am supposed to drink a crazy amount of water...

I am gonna start the meal plan portion of it on the 22nd so i'll keep you posted on that as well!

Miss New Booty! session 1

That's what I was expecting from my exercise session last night with the personal trainer. But I was pleasantly surprised that is not what i got at all. Last night was the first of 8 training sessions with Rick. I was very worried for a few reasons... 1- he calls his gym "the dungeon", 2- my cousin, who is way more in shape than i am, threw up after his first session, and 3- i am soooooooo not in shape it's not even funny. so anyway, i get there and rick is very nice, personable, not a weirdo like the vision i had in my head. and he explained every thing to me. what the exercise was and why we were doing it and how it's going to help. i learned a lot. so apparently, since my goal is the triathlon in june, we are focusing on white muscle fibers instead of red muscle fibers... never knew there was a difference but essentially working the red muscle equals bulk and the white equals tone and endurance. we started out with me on a stationary bike for about 15 minutes. and towards the end of that time, he turned the resistance up and made me give him a "hard minute" of pedaling as fast as i could with the resistance high. dude... 1 minute of that and i was fittin' to PASS the bleep out! LOL! so from there we went to the bosu and i had to balance on that sucker and do squats... like this



that was way harder than it looked. okay so after that, he straps these resistance band things to my ankles. and we did some stuff with the big ball thing. and then we did some light 2.5 lb. weight for my arms. i was hurting. but it was well worth it. i felt good afterwards. i am still not ridiculously sore but i think that will happen tomorrow. day 2 is always worse. so my next appt will be on saturday at 12 and i have to do 30 minutes of cardio on my own one day this week. i also have a meal plan to follow which doesn't seem too hard. i'll try to post some "before" pics and my meal plan later this week.
i'm excited and i definitely think i made the right decision. triathlon aside, almost everyone on my dad's side over the age of 40 has "sugar". and we are all chunky butts... sooooo this is motivation to get in shape for my health and well being as well as proving to myself i can do it!

I can do it!!!

so i have decided to participate in a triathlon next June. it's a three part race with swimming half a mile, biking some miles (i forget how many but i want to say 13 or 23) and running 5k. yes i am chubby as hell and yes i have not seriously exercised in years BUT I am determined and dedicated to doing this. I got a trainer who specifies in this sort of conditioning and our first meeting is next Tuesday. He is putting me on a meal plan and i have to meet him twice a week for an hour in "the dungeon" which is what he calls his gym. i am nervous already but i am excited as well. i will be posting my progress with some pics during the next 8 months...
So far 2 people have laughed at me and said i am not gonna do it... little do they know... i can be quite determined. AND i will do this for the satisfaction of proving them wrong. Really though, i am doing this for myself. i want to prove to myself that i can do it... that anything is possible. so you guys pray for me and we'll see what happens...

frinkles and sand tastles

so chris was out here last weekend and we had a grand time as usual. didn't really do too much... he met one of my bestest friends dee.. and we pretty much hung out. he tested for verizon and did well so that is good news. things are moving so fast now but i am excited more so than anything else. there is some mild anxiety because i don't want him, or his family, to be resentful of him moving out here. but the selfish side of me is ecstatic.
oh so maybe i should explain the title of this post... Saturday we went to Asbury to the beach with my sis and her 3 yr old son. So we are walking along the boardwalk and there was someone building a sandcastle so my nephew goes "Look!! A sandtastle" so we chuckled and i was trying to tease him so i asked "that's a sandtasle?" and he goes "NO not a sandtastle, a SAND TASTLE!" so a few minutes later, we stopped to get some snacks and my nephew declared he wanted an ice cream cone with frinkles. you already know i had to tease him again. so i go "frinkles?" and he goes "THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAAAAID!! I SAID FRINKLES!" so we went back and forth a few times but it was so cute.
i don't really have anything too deep to say tonight.... but i did promise mama ede that i would post tonight! anyway here are some pics.

me and chris... aawwwww



me and my nephew with chris sabotaging the pic



chillin in the apt


my sweetie at my apt

wtf?

so this morning, i am watching the news, getting ready to start my day and i see this craziness...
some dude on a train got attacked by another dude with a hammer... for no apparent reason. this is so bizarre on so many levels. the attack happens about a minute into the video



i want to know if that was the attacker's child that was with him? what makes someone haul off and beat someone with a hammer? did he want the seat for him and his kid? who took the kid when he got off the train beatin the mess out that other dude? why did none of them grown ass men on the train even try to help. at least restrain dude? i honestly don't know how i would have re-acted if i was a passenger on that train when the attack happened? i mean... i definitely wouldn't have been able to do anything physically but i just don't know. i find this extremely disturbing. i really need to know what provoked him. the kid looked like he was falling asleep... was he snoring? does the dude know him from somewhere else? i dunno but here is the news interview with the dude that was attacked.



what would you have done?

happy monday

My Eagles killed the season opener!! I mean in all honesty it was a pretty boring game because it was such a tremendous blow out... but it was a nice way to start the season.

And here is my favorite player... Brian Westbrook!


Chris says he is mediocre (he's hatin') but i love him... love, love, love him. i watch him every week... entire games...not just on espn clips soooo there you have it.

anyway this weekend was pretty uneventful.
We had a visit from Hurricane Hannah on Saturday.... that was interesting. It was technically a tropical storm by the time it hit the Del Val but it was still more storm than i like to see. We generally do not get extreme weather out here so i am a big punk when it comes to hurricanes and what not. I mean, i was fine until the Emergency System came on EVERY channel... talking about tornado warnings... no thankyou! i am in an apartment... i have no basement. so i went around the corner to my neighbors house since they have a basement. i guess i may have over-reacted slightly but i don't play with stuff like that. eff that.

wow... that was the highlight of my weekend... that is pretty sad! LOL!

I'm Back

I'm back from visiting Chris and I am still processing the whole weekend. but all in all, I had a great trip! i got to meet his family and they are awesome (not just saying that cuz he reads this). I did get interrogated... but that was to be expected! I was dumb nervous... i was trying to just be myself but I didn't want to be too goofy. i dunno, i was pretty much just a quieter version of myself... i was intimidated! chris' mom is super cute! so nice... so warm. definitely helped my nerves having her around. his dad is a nut! so funny... so so funny. i can definitely see the similarities in personality. It was definitely cool. i think my meeting the family went well. the only one i was really scared of was his grandmother. but i love her personality. i think she is funny, how she says stuff. but i didn't want to laugh and have her think i was retarded. but i like her. i hope she liked me too... i think she did but that was only like 2 days... so i'm looking forward to the next trip out there so i can get to know them all a little better.


i will give more details later when i have time... but for now, here are some pics!

so saturday, we went to uhm... somehwere... i dunno chris will have to fill in these details because i don't know what the names of anything is but this is at a wine bar place we went to... and yes chris is doing something weird in the pic.



my wines


chris' wines


so after the wine tasting and walking around to the diff shops on the street, we caught the train to somewhere else to go to the Hard Rock Cafe.
my first time on the train.. well waiting for the train




self portrait that chris sabotaged with his big fingers.. lol


us... yes i am as short as i look in this picture...


this is us on monday before going shopping with his fam...
and yes we are corny and yes our t-shirts match! LOL!



i'll probably talk more about the trip later when i have more time...


***i don't know what's up with the pictures but i can't be bothered to upload them all over again soooo you still get the point***

what the....???

first of all... why they show look wack?
why is there like only some fake smoke and that's it?
why k-ci keep singing with his bird chest?
and why did the audience start clapping??
and why did the girl taping it keep saying pick him up like someone could hear her?
and why the bouncer scoop him off the stage like that?
and why did no one seem concerned except for the girl taping?
and whyyyyyyyyy did i laugh HARD at this video?

so sad....
they probably used to him passing out...
drugs are bad.. mmmmkay

I don't get it...

so the chick that sits next to me at work is completely bizarre... I mean she is bizarre for a number of reasons but today she took it to a whole new level. A few weeks ago, she asked me if I was dating anyone and I said yes. So she then asks me if I think it is going to work out. So again, I said yes. then I asked her why she was asking because we are not really cool like that. So she proceeds to tell me that she is trying to find a wife for her brother. My response was uhhhhhh ok. I mean what was I supposed to say to that? So she goes on to tell me that he is thirty and she is tired of him being single and she is ready for him to settle down but she doesn't like any of the girls he dates. My response to that was uhhhhhh ok. So anyway, I thought the issue was over with. Then this morning, I was talking to my other neighbor and I see this chick's hand outstretched with her phone in my face. It caught me off guard so I was like what the heck are you doing? so she says, very casually, "oh im taking a picture"... like that is normal. So I was like, "well why are you taking a picture?" and she says, "to send it to my brother. I told him about you so he wanted to see what you look like." so I said, "ok and did you tell him I have a boyfriend?" and she said, "well I'm just waiting for yall to break up." what in the sam hell is wrong with people??? that is so psychotic. I mean I guess I should be flattered but i just think it is weird. It's not weird that she wants to set her bro up with someone but it is weird how she is going about it... and it''s super strange that she thinks i would fit the bill for some reason. we are not friends. I joke with her about work but that is only because we share a cube wall... i dunno


ooooh and i saw Mirror last night with pink shoes/scrabble girl. it . was. WACK!
ok maybe i am being overly critical but it was not good. it had potential... it wasn't THAT bad. but it wasn't that good either. the last 30 minutes was the best part of the movie. and the "twist" at the end was dumb.


and can someone PLEASE tell me whyyyyyy Gwen Stefani named her son Zuma?? why why why??? i mean... that is not cute. Zuma sounds like a remote village in a third world country... actually, it reminds me of that clear malt beverage.... ZIMA!!



remember Zima? do they even still make that crap?

Naked Juice

I loooooove them! mmm mmmm... well the ones without pineapple. YUM! my favorite is mango... i mean they are thick and heavy so i really don't drink them with food because that would be too much.


so i never went back to caribbean festival on Sunday. one of my cousins got into a pretty bad car accident sunday morning and no one really wanted to go. i ended up chillin with a gi-normous migraine... taking 2 aleves... then going to the movies to see Tropic Thunder.... i laughed. could it have been funnier? sure... but i still enjoyed it. i won't spoil it in case anyone wanted to see it.

i am going back out to the chi labor day weekend... looking forward to it.

i haven't really been watching that much of the olympics... i don't really care either.

my friend has had my ipod for like a month. he was supposed to be putting music on there for me... so he apparently finally got around to it so i BETTER have it back by Friday or it's gonna be something! especially since he made me promise to make him baked mac and cheese as payment... he could have at least been timely about it...

i am in a weird mood... don't really feel like talking about it just yet. but i will post again later. gotta get my thoughts together

two posts in the same day... wow

so saturday, my sis calls me to ask if i am going to the annual caribbean festival on penns landing. i wasn't really planning on going but i told her if she came and picked me up, i would go. we met up with my mom and other sisters and my cousin and his kids. we decided to park in Camden and take the ferry over to Philly. here are some pics on the ferry ride to Philly.

the philly skyline


me representin with my jamaica hat!


so far so good, right?

yeah.... no
we got there and no caribbean festival in sight. at all. apparently the caribbean festival is on sunday not saturday. but all was not lost because there was an Indian festival going on so we decided since we were already there, we might as well check it out. i loved it. it so appealed to my geek side. i figured since i was already there, i might as well embrace the experience and try something from another culture. my sister and i decided to get henna tattoos.

lil sis getting her henna applied


my henna application



here are some kids dressed up... i thought they were adorable


i'll spare you the pics of all the kids but here are some i took on my way back to camden from philly. this is probably my favorite picture of the day

"a squirrel and a can are the same thing when you are holding a b b gun!"

so i decided to stop being lazy and force myself to post something. it's not like i don't have a lot to talk about, i just haven't felt inspired to type it all out... i am gonna force myself to try to get it out now.

first things first...
my weekend with Chris was super fantastic. i dig him... we are just so compatible in a weird way. so chris met my family and some of my friends... everyone likes him of course. so friday when he got here, we went sneaker shopping and then to dinner then hung out with my friends (my roommates cousin and her husband)and that was cool... then saturday we hung out with my friends kev and shauna... that was really fun... kev and shauna ended up going to dinner with us at Marrakesh. after dinner we decided we were gonna go to a hookah place and that was ridiculous. i didn't know where it was exactly so i google searched on my phone then called the one that seemed closest to us. when i called the restaurant to ask where they were, the dude that answered said they were in old city which is a section of philly i am familiar with. we get to old city via my lil sis who came to pick us up, then we park and we are looking for the place with no luck. i pulled up this address and off we went again. we walked about 7 blocks back to where we started from and the place was right there... torture. it was also closed by the time we got there... AND it was not in old city at all but actually in Queen Village (a diff section of philly). it was still fun hanging with kevv and shauna and laughing at how retarded we are... sincce hookah was closed we went to this place called North where i used to hang and i had a few b-day parties there. when they closed, we came home and passed out. sunday Chris came to church with me then we went to maryland to meet my family. he fit right in with my family which is super cool. he didn't seem intimidated by the crazy jamaicans at all which is def a plus. i don't know why i was really surprised considering how he and i interact already. we are so comfortable around each other and that is especially weird to me. this is probably gonna sound extremely corny but one of my favorite moments while he was out here was saturday morning... i made some coffee for chris and a cup of tea for myself and we were just sitting on my sofa, chris on my computer downloading music and me reading an entertainment weekly magazine... we weren't even talking to each other but it was so intimate in a weird way... and very comfortable. like it's always been that way. i dunno... i guess i am starting to sound a lil psycho so i will move on...

work...
sucks.

next
i wanna see that new scary movie Mirrors... i LOVE scary movies! but alas, i have no one to go see it with me... roommate doesn't watch scary movies and pink shoes/ scrabble girl is in Vegas.

so i decided not to go to Costa Rica in Feb like i was originally planning. why? well... .it's too stinkin expensive for me right now. i would rather go somewhere less expensive and stay longer. so now i am thinking about Cancun or St. Maarten... i dunno... any suggestions? i wanna have it nailed down by sept!

well....

i'm too lazy to type and actual post right now but here are some pics of the weekend...

this is us at dinner at Marrakesh... a fantastic Moroccan restaurant in Philly




These two are me dancing with the belly dancer.... i have no idea how i got suckered into doing that... lol



a pic of us.... kinda blurry but i was trying to get a pic of the Ben Franklin Bridge in the background to show in the pic...



and another pic clearer but no bridge



last one from dinner... i don't know why chris refuses to just take a normal pic... but at least his eyes are open!!!


that's all for now..

no strike

our contract is up as of today and the latest word is no strike. i am pissed. why? because last week was one of the most tense weeks at work. they had me wearing red everyday, had us clean off our desks and take personal stuff home so it wouldn't get "misplaced" during strike time.... all that.... all that JUST to say we are gonna work without a contract. wtf? and this is exactly what management was telling us. when we said we were walking out they laughed in our faces. matter of fact on Friday, our manager said see ya on monday! and chuckled. the only reason i am a little bit relieved is because now i can go get my coach shoes i fell in love with on friday.

AAAAAAAARRRRGGGHH!!!!

finally friday! yessssssss (napoleon)

so i am going to a shoe party tonight... a stiletto party. it sounds really fun. i have my FLY ass $550 ashley dearborn shoes (i only paid $160)... i'll post more about that next week as i will probably be home on strike.

so i am in a few different chats during the day at work. here is the one from today... we really are retarded... i didn't bother changing names because you can't see the whole name anyway... oh and the whole fake spanish accent thing... i really don't know where that came from but sound it out and it makes sense... heh heh


***disclaimer: most of the people in the chat are hispanic... well there are 2 cubans, 1 puerto rican... then there is 1 haitian, me, and one american...

Me: morning lovelies!
Sylvia: Morning Honnies!!
Magdalena: Morning Chula's
Martine: hey people!
Sylvia: HEY MAMA
Martine: how abt i accidentally told my hubby i bought his cologne from walmart
Martine: lmao
Magdalena: lmao
Me: which one did you get?
Sylvia: HAHAHAHAA
Tesha: ur such an air head yo
Tesha: lol
Sylvia: LMAO
Martine: nah..cuz somethin funny happen to me at walmart yesterday which i was abt to tell him abt..but even b4 that..he was like...u got this on ur lunch
Martine: i was like no...i dont have a car..i was like this is weeks in the making!
Martine: i got him polo
Martine: lmao..so he laughed and was like yea ok..lmao
Martine: so then..later on..we were just chillin and i accidentally blurted out...yea..so i went to walmart today...and i caught myself
Martine: lmao..and he was like BUSTED!
Sylvia: HAHAHAHAHAHHA
Martinei was like...ummm..ummm...what had happened was..lmao
Tesha: y dude like yea i need the channel line up -b im like print it from web - he like no i did the glassy paper
Tesha : oh yea sir
Tesha : well guess what
Martine: but listen to this tho..it gets better...so i felt bad..but i was like that's ok..we got mexico coming up..and i'll surprise him w/somethin else...so i kinda justified it in my mind..then tell him y later on..as i'm making him dinner..he just looks at me...like he wants to tell me somethin
Sylvia : WOW..let me find out
Martine : so i'm like what? then he was like nvrmind..the moment passed..i was like just tell me..he was like nah
Martine: so i'm like whatever..then outta know where..he just hands me this jewelry box
Martine: and i'm like GET OUT!
Sylvia : Christ almighty
Martine: i was like omg..tell me it's an empty box! he opens it and it's a diamond bracelet!
Martine: i was like OMGAAAAA
Martine: LMAO
Sylvia : ahahahahahahahahahahaa
Sylvia : wow mama wow
Sylvia : does Daybee have a brother?
Martine: i was like u didnt have to do that....we got a trip coming up..we're going on strike..u didnt have to..so he goes so i guess these earrings would be outta place then
Martine E. Stephenson/EMPL/NJ/Verizon: and i'm like OMGAAAA again
Martine E. Stephenson/EMPL/NJ/Verizon: and it was a pair of diamond earrings!!
Sylvia M. Rios/EMPL/NJ/Verizon: wow
Martine E. Stephenson/EMPL/NJ/Verizon: so i felt this small
Sylvia M. Rios/EMPL/NJ/Verizon: holy wow
Martine E. Stephenson/EMPL/NJ/Verizon: like i got him walmart cologne
Martine E. Stephenson/EMPL/NJ/Verizon: lmaooo
Sylvia M. Rios/EMPL/NJ/Verizon: awwwww dayum
Sylvia M. Rios/EMPL/NJ/Verizon: u will make it up to him
Martine E. Stephenson/EMPL/NJ/Verizon: actually i did make up for it!
Martine E. Stephenson/EMPL/NJ/Verizon: it was on and poppin! ok this is where the story stops..lmao
Me: LMAO!
Me: i was about to say
Martine: lmaoooooo
Sylvia : HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA
Me: i HOPE you acted like jenna jameson otb
Martine: LMAOOOO
Martine: true!
Me: (YAY I USED OTB)!
Martine: yay!!
Sylvia: hahahahahaha so proud i am
Magdalena: lmfao
Magdalena: martine u might be the worst otb!
Magdalena: hahahaha im kidding
Martine: LMAOOO
Magdalena: omg he is great yo!
Martine: i really am
Magdalena: awwww
Martine : thx mama
Sylvia : MAMA HE REALLY IS
Sylvia : I was jealous when i saw him open the door for u
Sylvia : I was like wow..dudes do that?
Martine : awwwww...thx..yea he's a goo hubang sontines
Sylvia : lmao
Martine: lmao
Me: heck yeah! let someone get me ! diamond earring
Me: like not even a pair
Me: shooooooot
Martine: lmao
Me: i can't even tell you the despicable things i would do for that person!
Me: lol
Martine: lmao
Martine : i'm dyin
Sylvia : hahahahahaa
Me: hope that doesn't lower your opinion of me girls
Sylvia : u said EARRING
Sylvia: IM WEAK
Me: true
Martine: lmaoooo
Tesha : lol
Sylvia : ummmmmmmmmm, if possible I LOVE U MORE NOW
Sylvia : hahahaha
Sylvia: cuz Im a fresh pants
Sylvia : the end
Magdalena: lmao @ liz
Magdalena: UMMMM NOOOOO
Magdalena: never!
Magdalena: as a matter fact..
Magdalena: let me find out you wont do dispicable things otb
Magdalena : might be a convo between u and bellz quickly!
Sylvia : hahaha
Me: i promise if one more person asks about a dayum channel guide i am going to flip
Me: seriously
Me: losers they all are
Tesha : yeah i hit justin up this morning abt that
Tesha : i have yet to get a response
Tesha : lol
Magdalena: LOL
Me: how about i have cable and they ain't give me not even 1 channel guide... did i call crying and complaining
Me: ?
Me: NO!!! effers...
Me: i hate them all
Me: sorry... i had a moment... it's all okay now
Magdalena: lol
Tesha : u really did - lmao
Me: because yo this old broad screamed on me for 4 minutes about how absurd it is that she only got one channel guide
Me: i wanted to tell her she was lucky to get that.
Magdalena : lmao
Tesha : true
Tesha : stfu
Magdalena: bad!
Me: i mean seriously... WHO looks at paper for channels when you can use the guide on the screen?
Magdalena : eff her
Tesha : old people
Magdalena : exactly!
Me: true
Tesha : my dude talkin abt he need 5 glossy covered line ups
Tesha : hahahhahahahaha
Magdalena : them be the same mofo's that will lose it in a week.. then call back again
Magdalena : eff them
Tesha : cuz regular paper rips
Tesha : lmao
Magdalena : yeah tell him to eat a d
Magdalena : i want some crab rangoon
Tesha : cant
Sylvia: haysooooooos
Tesha : i know u do mama
Tesha : double order
Sylvia : ima ball with that shrimp tonight dammit
Sylvia: tesh..me and u
Sylvia: OTB
Tesha : true mama
Sylvia : hahahahaha
Magdalena: yeah NO..Im balling with 3 orders of crab rangoon
Magdalena : yall mad?
Sylvia : HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Sylvia : U MAD IMA GET A BURGER TO GO OTB
Tesha: yo im abt to shake my mini, get me bodied is on
Sylvia : awwwwwwwwwwwwww shucks
Me: i'm straight freeloadin
Me: thanks
Sylvia: lmao
Tesha : hahahaha
Tesha : u freeloadin liz
Sylvia : there is no freeloading amongst family
Tesha: lmao
11:24:28 AM: :: Cecilio joined the chat. ::
Cecilio: oh mii gaaa
Magdalena : lol
Sylvia : hola my freng!!!!
Martine: hola Cecilio!
Cecilio : Syl gwas da mata fo ju
Martine : lmaooooo
Cecilio : hola Maltine
Magdalena: hahahahahahaha
Sylvia : noseeng papa
Martine : lmaooooo
Cecilio : ju r bery callada
Magdalena : lmao yo!!! he has me dyin every single day
Sylvia : jes...I dong know gwas rong weeth me
Sylvia: I ang going thru somesing
Sylvia: i yus need un dreenk
Magdalena: me too and some crab rangoon
Sylvia: jes
Me: i'm about to drink now
Me: these cus are wack
Sylvia : hahaha true
Cecilio : oh mii gaa loo its lisabet
Sylvia: jes
Cecilio : hiyee homie
Martine : lmao...LOO ITS LISABET
Martine : lmao
Magdalena: omigaaa
Martine: che r freng
Magdalena: dees laydee wants un chenel li uh
Martine : omgaaaa
Martine : if i get another call abt a line up
Martine : i'm gonna go postal otb
Me: see
Me: lol
Me: that's how i was feelin!
Magdalena: Jes. Eets a probeleng
Me: HIYEE CECELIO
Me: how you doin baby??
Cecilio: ooomiigaaa dis estupida gwane gno gwhy chi no hafe pikcho en 2 teebee. chi no hafe bosx
Martine : LMAOOOO
Cecilio : hi liz
Magdalena : lmao
Cecilio : i got some ignorant ish to tell u on the low
Cecilio : just for old times
Martine che no hafe recepchon en 2 teebeess
Magdalena : Oh yeah?
Martine : gwow
Magdalena : jes porque che no go bosses
Magdalena : bendeja
Cecilio : lol
Cecilio : guau i sinke iss tine to go hong
Sylvia : JES
Sylvia : I AGREE

it just keeps going like that... helps the day pass though! have a good weekend everyone... I'll update once i know for certain whether we are striking or not...

post traumatic slave syndrome

thanks nas for today's title...
this really isn't going to be as deep as the title implies... but i am stressed out. this strike business is getting to me. well not yet but i have been a slave to verizon for the past 4 years and to think these n-words don't want to agree to any of the improvements requested for our contract. i can even understand not wanting to agree to new amendments to the contract, but they also don't want to agree to extend the contract with the current terms.... sometimes i feel like maybe we are asking too much since our benefits are 100% paid for and verizon pays tuition upfront and books... and my base salary is fantastic... especially since this is a sales job and i make commission in addition to my salary. BUT then i come in here and i am a SLAVE to verizon. i am chained to my desk, big brother watches every move, there is no room to breathe, it is HIGH pressure and at the end of the day i am required to make verizon $625k in revenue this month... just like all the rest of the consultants here. we don't get any sick days and there is zero tolerance for lateness... and we get a measly hal hour lunch. my head is usually ready to explode by the time i leave... i earn every penny i get here. so i am a slave to verizon and stressed out and looking forward to striking.

on a much lighter note, i realized yesterday just how sick i am and just how much i need prayer for my love of shoes... me and two of my homies (pink shoes/scrabble girl and Dee) were talking about my new found love of sneakers and dee was saying she wants me to go back to stilettos. pink shoes co-signed... i had to remind them that my shoe collection is still fabulous and i still buy other shoes... i just didn't realize there was a whole sneaker culture and i am totally drawn into it. so the convo eventually progresses to dee asking me if i could get a bmw to trade in all my shoes would i do it. and my answer was honestly no. I actually felt a twinge in my heart when thinking about actually parting with ALL my shoes. simply couldn't do it. but i would think about it really hard... so dee and pink shoes told me i was crazy. which i concede, may be true. BUT i needed stipulations... i mean are we talking a base model 3-series or a fully loade alpina b7?? so i decided i would only be able to part with ALL my shoes for a 745 Li, an Alpina B7, an M6 or an M5, or the hard top convertible (i think 325) fully loaded of course. pink shoes girl still thought i was crazy but then said she wouldn't cut off her hair for a car. and i think that is crazy! i would walk around bald as ghandi for a hyundai accent much less a bmw!! but she said she would give up a toe before her hair because she can disguise not having a toe but not her hair. even though dee pointed out her hair would grow back and her toe wouldn't... so who is really the crazy one??

also

i'm thinking about getting an industrial... not sure though
i just don't feel like dealing with the healing process and i would prob only keep it like maybe 3 or 4 years...
i dunno... gotta think about it some more.

this is an industrial


yes or no?

random

i have a few things floating around in my brain...
first things first

so i never talked about this when i came back from florida but i was really weirded out with disney world taking pictures of my fingerprint to get in and out of the various parks. we had park hopper passes so you can go to all the parks in disney as many times as you want. i understand them wanting to make sure people aren't sharing park hoppers but fingerprints? it made me uncomfortable... and the conspiracy theories overwhelmed my brain. i mean it's been a few years since i've been there but when the heck did this start??
that is all i am willing to say about it at the present time because i am slightly paranoid! LOL!

next.

i went to see the x-files movie last night... it was lame... and i am an x-files fan. it wasn't nearly as suspenseful as the episodes were. the only satisfaction in the movie is finally seeing scully and mulder as an actual couple... there weren't even any aliens in it...

next.

so the strike situation doesn't seem to be getting any better. i heard the rally in new york was a success. lots of people showed up... mostly from new york and new england... not so much from new jersey. but it looks like we are definitely going to strike. so we'll see what happens. Verizon postponed payment of our quarterly bonus until 08-06 which will be during strike time so those who don't have computer/internet access are gonna have a harder time cashing out. (we get our payouts in points that can either be converted to cash or gifts/giftcards or combination). people are getting riled up in here. i'll find out saturday at midnight whether we are definitely striking or not... stay tuned

and last

one of the perks of our job is that there is no enforced dress code. we can literally wear whatever we want to work... most people wear jeans and sneaks... casual wear for the most part. but then there are the chickens that come in here like it is club verizon. one chick in particular is always inappropriate. her boobs always almost exposed bouncing around and she walks with her boobs poked out to the front and her butt poked out to the back. it annoys me because it is not cute... it's whorish. this is not the strip club...
UUUHGGG!

cnn... and other stuff

i am so glad i am not the only one who was utterly annoyed by the cnn special about black men in america last night. i'll admit that i didn't watch part 1 about women and families so i don't know tha spin on that part. but part 2 was some foolishness. i just don't think it was a fair or balanced portrayal of black men or the real struggles they have to deal with. it seemed like the only successful black men besides spike lee that were interviewed all had identity issues... issues trying to fit in with their black contemporaries. maybe i am naive but i don't think that is a fair representation. they couldn't find one successful black man that didn't have those issues? i could have suggested a few.

so i started this post a while ago but had to take some calls and these wack customers have taken the wind out of my sails... so as much as i hate to just switch topics like this...

WHYYYYYY did Will get eliminated from So You Think You Can Dance??? america is a bunch of haters!! he was good... and his body was perfection... like for real...
see!



ok well you can't see that well in that clip but trust his body is the truth...

DANG IT!! another call... uhhhhg

okay i'm back... new topic.
so i changed my hair SLIGHTLY and everyone is acting like it is so amazing. i don't get it. like seriously i don't get it.
i usually wear my hair out of my face becasue hair in my face annoys me... the other morning, i was rushing and didn't curl my hair so it was straight and the back half ended up in a ponytail the front half just kind of looked like long bangs swooped to my left (i usually swoop to my right when i do wear my hair forward). nothing dramatic or fantastic but apparently eveyone likes it. i've gotten more compliments this week then ever. chris thinks i'm dumb that it annoys me but it really isn't that serious. most people just said they liked it and it's cute but then one dude said it made me look exotic... and another dude i'm cool with was like damn you're really beautiful. i was just like uhm ok. thanks.
now day 1 of this new style, i did catch my reflection somewhere and was surprised that it was pretty cute since it required absolutely no effort and i did wear it the rest of the week but i still don't get the response... eh whatever


TGIF!! woooo hoooooo!!

oh and 2 weeks til chris visits! YAY!

stolen from monie!

so i changed my display name from jirzygurl to liz since chris had my name all on blast anyway... didn't see the point in leaving it jirzygurl...

aaaaaand we stole this from monie! (but left out the questions that didn't really pertain to us and chris added the ones about the ipod and artist)

Name: Chris
Age: 25
Height: 5'10.5ish"
Weight: "I can't make it without biting, ask Owl."

Occupation: Product Performance Management

Okay, enough about you. What do you LOVE about me?: Smartest woman I know outside of my family, cute, funny, interesting, insightful, stylish, playful, attentive, caring...I can't continue...must go on to next question...

One thing I do that drives you crazy: making more of the situation than what it actually is

One thing I do that you think is cute: the way you word/say certain things; like -ing words.



Weirdest thing I do: Claim that your feet are normal sized...there aren't that many women that share shoes with toddlers... (whatever!!! my feet are normal and i wear grade school not toddler... hmph!)

Do I have a hidden talent?: The ability of adaptation...making someone feel loved from hundreds of miles away.



What was our first date?: Well...I'd say driving from O'Hare to Downtown...the scenic route!

What was our SECOND date???: Walking around Water Tower Place

What would you like to name our potential, maybe, if you act right, kids?: Well, I like Jasmine or Denise...and for a boy...Blaze or Rufus! (i'm cool with denise... my parents were actually going to name me that after deneice williams the singer but then my mom had a dream or something weird like that and changed my name... i'm actually okay with blaze too... sounds like a weed smoking superhero)

What's one thing that someone could only know if they lived with me?: You are self-conscious of your drool...even though it doesn't matter.

What would you change about me?: Your zip code

What Artist do you like that you wouldn't tell anybody about? Barry Manilow...for real.

What CD do you have on your iPod that you are ashamed of? Best of Fiend - There's one in Every Family

wanna know what i said about chris???

the countdown continues...

so chris comes to visit in 15 days but that is definitely not the countdown i am referring too. our union contract with good old verizon is up on 08-03-08 and we have not agreed on a new contract yet. that means 08-04-08 we go on strike unless something happens between now and then. i must say we knew there was a possibility of strike for a while now but i always figured it would get worked out before aug 4th. the work environment around here is hostile to say the least. people are getting suspended left and right for stupid reasons. they cut our overtime and they are sending our sales calls to vendors. i am a little worried because i have money to cover august bills but if this goes into sept, i am screwed. i think i am going to try to get a part time gig somewhere during the strike so i can at least have some gas money coming in. i am nervous... the ideal strike for me would be 3 weeks.... enough time for me to feel like a little vacation but not enough to really be a detrement to my finances. beyond that is gonna start hurting.
the buzz on the streets is that upper management is anticipating a lot of scabs (people who cross the picket line) due to the state of the economy. Apparently they are thinking the union doesn't have the support of it's members due to the fact that a lot of us (including myself) don't attend the union meetings. i mean i can understand that line of thought because, for instance, there is a union rally in NYC in front of one of the corporate offices on saturday. i am not going. why not? because it would feel too much like work and i need my saturday to unwind from the week. it would be a 2 hour ride to NY then the 3 hour rally then another 2 hours to get home. that is a 7 hour day. and while i understand the union is fighting for my salary and benefits, i still am not going. that in no way means i am gonna cross a picket line though. absolutely not. which is why i'll be looking for a part time gig in the meantime. the managers here are all getting trained to take calls... it's gonna be ridiculous around here.

in other news, there is a free concert tomorrow night at Penn's Landing featuring Ledisi and Layla Hathaway... i am gonna try to con someone into going with me...

in other other news, i wanna give a shout out to EDE... thanks for the comment... i am looking forward to meeting you also... albeit a little nervous with you being who you are, but excited as well! I really appreciate what you said!!

my favorite things of the moment

NAS- what can i say? this latest cd is FANTASTIC.... like from beginning to end. from the first track to the last. definitely a classic!!

The Dark Knight- Fan-frickin-tastic movie! i loved it. i saw it opening night while i was in Florida. midnight showing.... it was packed. i bought tix 2 days ahead of time and most theaters in the area were sold out. there were more than a few people that got really festive and came out in there finest joker costumes... seems everyone loves a bad guy. i don't want to talk about the movie itself for anyone who hasn't seen it yet (cough... chris... cough) but it is really good. definitely lived up to all the hype. i will prob go see it again...
here is a pic of my roomie with one of the dudes dressed as joker


sneakers: this is soooooooo chris' fault. i don't know how i got sucked into this world of sneakers but i am like so into it and it is so weird. i guess it isn't really that weird since i already had a shoe obsession but i am still amazed by how easily i got caught up in sneaker frenzy! my latest obsessions
creative recreation... i heart the colors


and i am so in love with this composition pack. like i think it is so cute... i want all three. the dunks high, low, and the air max! i love the notebook paper part... it appeals to my inner nerd)


and a better pic of the air max


Christmas Shopping: yes i started already! LOL! but when you see a good deal you have to jump on it.... and i have tons of people to shop for including 2 brand new nephews in addition to Asa. i have all 5 of my younger sisters and my brother... but i am thinking sisters won't be getting much this year since i will be shopping for their kids. i'll get something for my parents and for chris and my roomie and her sis and pink shoes/scrabble girl and a few other people. i have to shop for my 2 god-childen too... so yes i am starting mad early this year.

and last but certainly not least

my chris: i really heart him. i try not to post about it too much because he reads my blog and i don't want to seem cheesy but dang it this is my blog and i'll write what i want! he is coming to visit me out here in Jersey in August. saying i can't wait would be the understatement of the century!! i literally am counting down... 17 days to go... he really is like fantastic. he has some "only-child moments" but i think they are cute. he makes me feel like i am this great person that is worthy of love. real love. not convenient love but amore... the stuff in love songs. i seriously catch myself waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under me. like for him to turn into pyscho crazy person or something. i dunno... but he is in my favorites list for now. there... that wasn't too sappy!!

i'm back

so florida was good fun. i got a little baby tan... like it might not even count as a real tan... like i am still yellow as hell but my freckles are a tad darker. anyway here are some pics


this is day 1



my favorite pic i took during a safari ride



day 2


epcot at night



dinner



the crew




dinner the last night