I hate that this might be happening. Please email Peter Vallone and demand that these actions against pitbulls be stopped. What happened New York? You were such an advocate for pitbull rights! People need to stop being so ignorant and try to understand that it is not the breed but the owner who should be banned. Every decade it is a new dog to persecute. This needs to stop. Even if you don't live in New York, it can't hurt to write this guy and let him know you are outraged and will not stand for this kind of action against pits. Do it for Potato Pit Bull!


NYC councilman wants to make the city pit bull free

NEW YORK (AP) -- Regarded as dangerous pets by their detractors but loved for their assertive nature by their owners, pit bulls may find themselves banned from New York City.

City Councilman Peter Vallone Junior said Tuesday that he wants to ban the canines, calling them a danger to public safety.

"Pit bulls are responsible for many, many attacks," the Democrat said. "A parent on the street can't protect their children, or themselves from this, what is actually a weapon."

Vallone said that many gangs and criminals train pit bulls to be attack dogs.

The canines do account for 15 percent of animal attacks in the city. They are also among the most commonly abandoned, found in disproportionately high numbers at the city's pet shelters.

But pit bull lovers said they don't think pit bulls are inherently dangerous and that they don't need to be banned.

Pedro Rosario, who owns four pit bulls and has worked at the Manhattan shelter and adoption center for more than a decade, said Tuesday that the dogs' temperament depends on how their owners raise them.

"With a responsible owner, this could be a great pet in the house," Rosario said, as he sat in the shelter, ruffling the fur of one of the famously tough dogs.

Another pit bull owner, Greta Godoy, agreed with Rosario. "It all has to do with how you teach them, how you nurture them," she said. "If you do abuse them they will become very aggressive."

Vallone's proposal would ban pit bulls from being sold or bred in the city. Current owners would be able to keep their pit bulls.

Other cities have placed similar bans on pit bulls - including Denver, Kansas City and Miami - after high-profile attacks involving the canines.

As well all know very well my husband and I are not lucky people. We may be perhaps, the most unlucky couple of people ever. However this morning I was notified by Vera from I'm Not Obsessed that I won her Girlawhirl contest. I am going to get a nice litlle goodie pack in the mail that will includes:

• Flavored Olive Oil and Vinegar from O Olive Oil
• Treezers from Ramy
• Peeled Snacks Numi Tea Coupons
• Akhassa Foot Soak
• Paddywax Candle
• Aveda Atmosphere Ambiance Set
• Method Hollyberry Handwash and Candle Set

Thanks Vera!

I am obsessed with my dogs. They make me young and happy. My dream of all dreams is to buy a shit ton of land and open a pit bull rescue commune + doggy day camp. Well looks like someone beat me to it minus the PB rescue commune. Check out how awesome the Glencadia Dog Camp is. If we weren't so broke ass poor I would send Tato & Vito there while we are in Florida.

The family is back from the holidays now and I will resume writing as of now. We had a fun and fantabulous Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, & mini vaca in Hershey, Pa. Christmas turned out to be a super sick day for me. I had begun to feel shitty the night before and Christmas morning I woke up feeling awful. Catcher, on the other hand, had a blast opening presents. He was so serious with each one. He took meticulous care with the paper and then once the present was open he would gently place it on the bureau where the other presents were. He didn't crack a smile or say a word for two hours. He is so silly. He got a lot of great gifts from a lot of great people.
Here is a breakdown of some of the items Catcher received on Christmas morn, not from Santa:

• 1500 Lincoln Logs
• Vintage Radio Flyer PushCar
• Bath Drums, Bath Fishing Rod Set, Bath Roadways, Bath Sink (Someone loves his bath)
• Mittens, mittens, & more mittens
• We Sing Italian Kids Songs
• Melissa & Doug Deluxe Art Easel
• Paints, Markers, Crayons, Chalk
• Books, like 20 of them
• New Booster Seat
• Clothes, not limited to but including as Boater's sweatshirt
• Subscription to Maxim (starting him early...j/k)
  

I would have to say that his favorite gift was from his mommy & daddy, a vintage Radio Flyer push car. His eyes lit up when he saw it and present opening was put on the back burner. He had to play on it and then when he found out there was a bell, it was all over. Christmas was done and the playtime had begun.
Mommy was a happy camper too...Daddy got her this bad ass Gucci ring, Flowerbomb & Narciso Rodriguez parfum spray, a beautiful locket with pictures of my boys, a plethora of oil paints, Bikram yoga gift card, & a knitting class.

The husband didn't make out so bad either...new tattoo, ipod, undies, bluetooth headset~

My husband got a nice little blurb in In New York Magazine. You can check it out here.

How cool is this pic? Well my friends, hopefully you will all have a beautiful, magical, and amazing holiday. Thank you all for reading and I will be back next week. Cheers!

CHEF JONATHON'S CHILI



Beef (1/2 lb)

Pork (1/2 lb)

Tomato (Can/Fresh)

Put can of tomato's in big pot and start to simmer.

Brown Pork & Beef



Add Seasoning To Taste~

Goya Adobo

Salt & Pepper

Chili Flake

Dried Cilantro

After Meat is Brown, add Chopped Onion (1) and Chopped Garlic (2 cloves)
Strain & Rinse Bean (Choose which ever you dig, I love Black Eye Peas)
Add Beans to Meat, Onions, & Garlic.
Cook for a couple minutes.

Add mixture to tamata's and let simmer for about 15 minutes and Viola!

OK! I have been sucking lately but I have had a lot of shit going on. Of course nothing that I can talk about here however let's just say my week has been full of blackouts, broken hearts, and a lot of tears. No nothing at all to do with my relationship with the Chef or the boy. So today to cheer myself up I am going to make chili! And for the first time ever I am actually going to publish one my dear husband's recipes. Give me a few hours and I will post some pics of the extravaganza and the recipe~

This is what I have been doing for the past couple of days. I just haven't felt like messing around on the computa'. It gets tiresome. More later. Still recovering from some Christmas festivities.

Another lame Saturday night for me and the boys. However lame, I did manage to make some super sweet articles of clothing. I bought 2 doggie tees and 2 longsleeve onesies and some iron fabric and I went to work. The final products:
1. Vito Tee w/ Skull & Crossbones (quite appropriate for the little mean black dog)
2. Potato Tee w/ 'Free Vito' Pic from when Vito was imprisoned in doggy jail.
3. Catcher Tee w/ 'Liberty' Black Flag
4. Catcher Tee w/ "Strollerhead' Logo (Like Motorhead but for babies:)

Sometimes I think that the man I married doesn't know me at all. He really doesn't seem to be able to read me or my emotions. Is that a man-woman thing or is it a relationship thing? How can someone who I have vowed to live and love for the rest of my life walk out the door thinking that everything is fine? WTF? For the most part I know he gets me. He understands my insanity, he complies with my crazy logic, and he loves me no matter what. He just can't see when I am sad. And right now, I am sad, I am sad because I am not going home for Christmas. First year ever, even when I lived in Italia I made it home for the holidays.
He just left for work and was on his phone with his mom (who were spending the holidays with) and it really depressed me. He didn't even see it, he just walked out the door and went to work for the next 28 hours. At least I have the little guy to hang out with today.
Yesterday we went to Target and it was a g*d damn madhouse. It was at least 80 degrees and there were about 6 checkout lanes open and 30 people in each checkout lane. Mass chaos ensued and once we finally got out and walked home, I realized I didn't even get what I went there to buy. Now I am headed back this afternoon to brave the crowds.

I just watched The Office for the first time ever and I think I may have pee'd my pants a little. I get the hype. It is f'ng hilarity.

I could possibly be the worst mother (besides Britney) on the face of this earth. I do some stupid things sometimes. For example, yesterday we had big day of holiday hurrah planned for the boy. We decided to go to Bloomingdale's to see Santa. We get on the Q and head into the city. Being the most intelligent woman in the world I decide that it is a good time to trim my son's fingernails. They are totally nasty and he's strapped in the stroller, so what bad could happen? You guessed it~ I missed a nail and clipped the skin on my baby boy's thumb. All hell broke loose. Blood started going everywhere and C started screaming. Jon picked him up all the time blood is spurting all over his tuxedo shirt. Everyone on the train is looking at me like 'why the f would you clip your child's nails on a subway?' I'm an idiot that's why. So the day started off bad. We had to get off at 34th instead of 59th, so we ended up going to Macy's. Then we were starving, and being extremely unfamiliar with midtown we ended up eating at this super pricey steakhouse. We eventually got to FAO Schwartz which is where we really wanted to go but by that time we were so exhausted all we could do is go home. I suck. Oh and we never saw Santa or made it to Bloomingdales. We did see three Rolls Royce's though.

Going to see Santa today at Bloomie's. I wonder if the Santa is gonna make the boy crazy. You know like in the movies...

I stole this from someone else's blog but I thought it was kinda cool. Very varied. The things in bold, I have done. Cheers.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost 100 pounds (close to it)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

When I went to that Chocolate Show event I snagged a bottle of Alchemy Chocolate Vodka. Tonight I made myself a cocktail consisting of chocolate vodka and raspberry soda water and it is yum yum yummy...It taste like a chocolate covered raspberry and if I wasn't such a great mommy (unlike this mamma) it may get me into some trouble. But alas, I will only have one. Maybe two if Jon gets home early enough.

I have been listening to this Ani DiFranco concert for the past hour and boy does it bring me back. Whenever I listen to Ani these days it is like a time machine. I become the girl I used to be. The girl who would spend all her money at a ticket broker for front row seats to her show. The girl who would pit wires in her hair to turn them into Medusa curls. The girl who would go with her best friend to the candle store and pick out the perfect one for Miss D. The girl who worked for RBR while she lived in Italy. It's amazing how music can mold you into the person you are. When I started listening to Ani I was in high school. She changed my life and influenced who I was. Her music spoke volumes to me and every show I went to I treasured dearly. She has been a constant in my life hence forth. Whenever I need a reminder of that inner independence I have always been so proud of I flip on Ani DiFranco.
It's actually kind of funny that she is still in my life especially now that I am married to Jonathon. I remember when we were in high school, he was off to a Phish show while I was rocking out at an Ani show. He used to hate listening to her. Now not so much. On our road trips he lets me get a few of my fave's in before he tunes out.
I would like to share this great show with all of my two readers...:) It will change your life. Just make sure you've got an hour to let pass by because you won't be able to turn it off.

The weekends are the hardest part of being married to a working Executive Chef. I find myself not being able to go to sleep without him but having an extremely hard time waiting up till 2am. How funny is that? I, have a hard time staying up till 2 am. There was a time where I would have laughed hysterically at that. I used to go out at 2 am.

He has been taking a way better schedule lately. I feel like we are rejuvenated again. We are back in sync, he knows what I need, I know what he needs. This marriage is hard but it's fucking worth it when it's good. Because when it's good it is the best thing I have ever experienced. It's like nothing matters except our little family. I love it when its good. Now I just need to get some friends.

I guess the 'friend' issue is always on my mind. It's hard to make new friends especially if you have had the same friends for 10+ years. In college, I only made 1 girlfriend. That's right 1. After college, when I first lived in NYC, I made 1 more girlfriend. So I'm pretty much averaging 1 friend for every four years. I think I have one more year left until I can add a new friend to the list. I am so lame.

What am I going to do tonight? Maybe a bath and a book...

This is the coolest preview I have ever seen. I wish it was a real movie. The husband and I would totally check it out.

I just found this new band from Stockholm called Hello Safe Ride. They kind of remind me of The Juliana Hatfield but with smarter quirkier lyrics. Check them out here, here, & here.

Dear Husband,
I am going to provide you with some guidelines of what I want for X-Mas. I know you have a hard time picking stuff out so here are some examples and links! Don't forgot about the limit! Love you more.
Your Wife



1. Some kind of locket necklace or bracelet
2. Narciso Rodriguez Parfum For Her
3. Oil Paints

Some funny dog pics for you...

The boy and I made a Catcher Crazy Face Christmas tree last night. We had a blast, I cut, Catcher tried to steal the scissors. I hung the ornament, Catcher ripped it down. Now that they are all up out of arms reach he kinda gets freaked out by seeing his face on the tree. He keeps going to the lowest pic and giving it kisses. He is f'ng super sweet- I think I may have started a family tradition. Each year I will cut some pics out of the annual Catcher calender (not all like I did this year, don't want to have a little Dorian Gray on our hands) and turn them into ornaments. Then I will save my favorite one from each year and hang it the next year. By the time he is 18, we will the 18 faces of Catcher. Hells yeah.

My husband was off work today and he made me a delicious lunch that consisted of perfectly cooked Roasted Chicken with Broccoli & Olives. It was tasty! I am so lucky that I am married to the most passionate chef in the universe.

Ahhh Sunday how I love thee...
This morning we woke up bright and early and headed down 7th Ave to do some grocery shopping. Catcher was in the stroller reading Amelia Bedilia and I was chatting with my bff on the cell. As I came to the corner of Union, I noticed a beautiful family walking towards us, then I noticed that they were not in fact just a beautiful family. They were in fact the talented and amazing Paul Bettany & Jennifer Connelly family. Now I think I have mentioned before that they live in our neighborhood and we see them often. What I don't think I mentioned is that they are really really good looking, so good looking that they should probably start a Center For Children Who Can't Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too, a place where they teach you that there's more to life than being really, really good looking. Anyways here I was in my scrubs, my Fidel Castro hat, and mascara under my eyes and here J.C. was with the same 'get out of bed look' going on and looking like she just accepted an Oscar. Really great self esteem boost for the early am Sunday walk.
Well whatever movie stars are supposed to be super hot all the time without even trying. They got that down pat. Chef's Widow's not so much...

P.S. Check out one of my all time favorite Jennifer Connelly movies here.
P.P.S Bettany is easy on the eyes...seriously, I might bump him to my top three.
P.P.P.S There is a blog rumor that they are expecting, didn't look like it to me but people this pretty shouldn't be allowed to procreate.

My husband and I have the absolute worse luck (i.e apartments fire, $1000 stolen on Honeymoon, etc...). Seriously if it's not one thing it's another. Every night at 8 I take the dogs and the baby for a walk. Last night we decided to walk by our car. As we walk past, it is on the other side of the street, I notice that the back passenger door looks strange. I gather the dogs and cross the street. The car looks strange because somebody bashed the shit out of it. The panel was hanging and the door was dented in. I took the hanging panel and put it in my front seat. What else could I do? As I open the door this little note falls out that says 'I saw what happened, call me at 718-xxx-xxxx, 10.55am.' So I go home and call and it is some kind of state mental retardation board. The dude who answers barely speaks English and tells me the girl I am looking for is on vacation until the 15th of the month. Seriously wtf do we do to deserve this? I mean just when things are starting to even out and we feel a little bit good about our life something turns to shit. Thank god I have the most adorable insane baby in the world. God knows what I would do without him.

New York living at it's finest. Remember a couple days back my post was regarding my new washing machine? Well it is all set up and I have a semi-decent working laundry room in my bathroom. It's a bit tight but I love the fact that I can wash something and it will be ready to wear within 24 hours. Plus it reminds me of living in Italy. When I first walked into my gorgeous Italian apartment I noticed there was a washer but no dryer, there was just a drying rack. I love having my clothes air dry, even if it's not fresh air. It is so much better than a dryer. Loves it!

This is it! The last post of November. I thought this damn day would never come. I really did have a nice time writing (sort of) of post for this blog each and every day of the month. It sort of felt like I had homework each night.

Yesterday we drove out to Long Island and sawed down a Christmas tree for our humble abode in Brooklyn. It was a quick drive and when we got there we were pleasently surprised at the multitude of choices we had. After much consideration we finally settled on a beautiful Concolor Fir that smells like lemons & oranges. Yum! We headed home to decorate and after about two hours in gridlocked traffic we finally made it. May I present to you our beautiful tree...

We just found out today that Potato is a Russian pitbull. I guess we gave him the right name.

Heads up mommies & daddies! Our doctor told us this before our baby was even born but now the ADA is actually standing behind it.

American Dental Association: No Fluoride for Bottle-Fed Infants

In a little-noticed but dramatic turnaround, the nation's leading fluoride advocate, The American Dental Association (ADA), issued an alert on November 9th urging parents to avoid fluoridated water when reconstituting infant formula, warning that "Infants less than one year old may be getting more than the optimal amount of fluoride if their primary source of nutrition is powdered or liquid infant formula mixed with water containing fluoride."

The dentists are worried that fluoride exposure at this age will permanently damage teeth, not protect them. A growing body of research also links fluoride to weakened bones, reduced thyroid activity, and possibly bone cancer in boys.

The advice, however, has gone largely unheeded. Nursery Water, the nation's leading fluoridated water for babies still markets its product nationwide at Wal*Mart and other major retailers.

Help us stop this unsafe practice. Sign our letter to Wal*Mart, asking them to stop selling this product.

I never thought I would EVER be a housewife. Seriously my hopes & dreams of the feature involved me, vodka, camel lights, Vito, & the world. My hopes & dreams have changed. I am now the woman who is so f@#%king estatic that she is getting her very own Avanti portable washing machine. Yes that's right kids I am stoked about doing laundry. The reason for this excitement is merely based on our financial situaion. As of now we take all our laundry to a wash & fold. It costs around $40 a week. My brand new portable washer costs $200 on Ebay. Hells yeah. Think of the damn savings! No more dreams of vodka & smokes, now dreams of yummy clean clothes getting washed in my very own bathroom by my very own washing machine!

I guess celebs blog it out too...My fave is RuPaul:)

Ellen DeGeneres' Ellen's Blog
"These puppies were absolutely adorable, but I wasn't kidding when I said something did not smell good..."

Rosie O'Donnell's R Blog
"dinner was across the street/borrowed humans"

Ken Jennings' Confessions of a Trivial Mind
"[Curious] George has been emasculated by his own marketing success."

Pat Sajak's Sajak Says
"Most people keep more than their sexuality in the closet."

David Byrne's Journal
"Rationalism can never win on pure sense and logic alone."

Moby's Journal
"...we have lower employment standards for presidents and vice-presidents than we do for people who make wedding invitiations at kinko's."

Adam Curry's Curry.com
"You know you've made it when you have your own board game."

Randy Jackson's Hit List
"What up dawgs!"

Zach Braff's ZachBraff.com
"I lost my voice this week."

Kevin Smith's My Boring-Ass Life
"I'm happy there's one person watching what I do, let alone a few million."

Morgan Spurlock's indieWIRE Blog
"Alex and I went to Fiji last week, got married, threw a coconut at Keith Richards, and survived a tsunami."

Roseanne Barr's Roseanne's Blog
"Michael Richards' implosion is going to happen to more and more folks."

Margaret Cho's Margaret's Blog
"...maybe he isn't a racist, and he just has some insane form of racial Tourette's Syndrome."

RuPaul's Reworked
"i'm spending the day pampering myself. any idea where i can get some pampers that will fit me?"

Gene Simmons' GeneSimmons.com

Tom Green's TomGreen.com
"I can't feel the five screws of the metal plate in my leg, but there is still a tingling."

Bill Maher's HuffPo Blog

William Shatner's MySpace Blog
"If any gas comes my way, I will post it immediately and you all will know."

George Takei's GeorgeTakei.com
"I wonder what Sulu would have been up to in those early days at Starfleet Academy?"

Wil Wheaton's WWdN: In Exile
"They're my comic books! I gave him unfettered access to all of my comic books!"

Lisa Whelchel's Coffee Talk
"I thought I'd just post a little thing I wrote the other day after reflecting on an especially sweet time just worshiping the Lord."

Alyssa Milano's AlyssaMilano.com
"Aaron Spelling always had his finger on the pulse of pop culture..."

Alec Baldwin's HuffPo Blog
"You know what's got me down even more than the election? That Tower Records is closing."

Barbra Streisand's Statements

Harry Shearer's HuffPo Blog
"O.J.--You Can't Keep a Bad Man Down."

Alicia Keys' MySpace Blog
"Didn't think I'd be back this soon! hhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

Britney Spears' Stream of Consciousness
"Until you face what is going on in your life, I guess you'll remain a false tabloid."

Dane Cook's MySpace Blog

Joe Rogan's MySpace Blog
"Fear factor has reached it's end, and I couldn't be happier or more excited."

Barry Bonds' Barry's Journal

Anna Kournikova's Journal

Jeff Bridges' JeffBridges.com
"I can't respond to your messages, but they make me smile & occasionally go like this: Huh? Ahhhaggh. oooo."

Ian McKellen's McKellen.com
"It would be a wonderful gift to be able to somehow control, limit, even eliminate noise in public places."

Fred Durst's American Alien
"cheap thrills mean everything to some people who just can't get it up."

Barenaked Ladies' BNL Blog

I am going to freakin' die. Today has been a tough one and I keep getting these god awful headaches. I don't know if it's from stress, travel, or the boy's outlandish temper tantrums. All I know is I want them gone.
We are back in Brooklyn now, just in time for the beginning of New York Christmas Season. I adore the city this time of year and I am making a promise to myself and you that the boy, husband, & I are going to participate in everything we possible can. I was to go see the lighted tree at Rockefeller Center, I want to take CCF to FAO Schwartz, I want to go to Bloomies & Macy's, and I want to go ice skating in Central Park. I want to be a tourist all the way up till Christmas. I love the anticipation of the season. I absolutely can't stand the actually holiday but the anticipation, that's where it's at. I am really excited for my baby boy. I want him to have the most illustrious holiday that a 18 month old possibly can.
Well apparently blogging gets rid of bad ass headaches. Good to know.

I have really enjoyed writing a blog post everyday this month except for the past three days. I was back home in Ohio for T-Day and it was just a chaotic mess. It was great though and when I am not exhausted from driving 9 hours back to Brooklyn I will fill you in a little bit more. As for now, here is a pic from our big night on the Strongsville town square.

We are still in Ohio. I think we may leave tomorrow now. My posts have been lame but we have been going back and forth to so many people's houses, I barely have a chance to sit down and check my email. I have some fantastic pics of the week but of course I forgot my camera cord and can't download anything. More lata.

My husband is so mad that I am posting right now. But I have to. I am a part of NaBloPoMo. Gotta do it. This is my absolute favorite piece of literary beauty ever. I would like to share it with you, my dear friends and readers.

Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe

It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of ANNABEL LEE;-- And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me.
She was a child and I was a child, In this kingdom by the sea, But we loved with a love that was more than love-- I and my Annabel Lee-- With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven Coveted her and me.
And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud by night Chilling my Annabel Lee; So that her high-born kinsman came And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a sepulchre In this kingdom by the sea.
The angels, not half so happy in Heaven, Went envying her and me:-- Yes! that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of a cloud, chilling And killing my Annabel Lee.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we-- Of many far wiser than we- And neither the angels in Heaven above, Nor the demons down under the sea, Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee:--
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise but I see the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride, In her sepulchre there by the sea-- In her tomb by the side of the sea.

We made it. We left the city at 6 and got into North Royalton at 2.30am. Then the boy decided it was playtime. No rest for the wicked.

Today we drive home but first we have to drive all the way to the Bronx, then back to Brooklyn to pick up the dogs, then up to Manhattan to pick up the husband from work. It is going to blow big time. I am going to be in our car for at least 15 hours today. At least I get to go home for the holidays...

The past couple of days have been rough. Our landlord is giving us s@#t, Catcher is extremely 'spirited' (I refuse to say BAD), I have had a constant bloody nose for almost two weeks (thanks steam heat), and I have literally had a headache for almost 48 hours. Hopefully things will start to get better when we drive back to Ohio tomorrow. Speaking of Ohio, Go Bucks! I don't really want to go home, the drive is not enticing. I think we should have just stayed in the city. I think we may plan on a Christmas celebration in New York. It is just so much hassle getting the boy, the dogs, the husband, and myself all ready for a 3 day trip, 14 hours being in the car.
P.S. It is the one year anniversary of Jon's fabulous marriage proposal on the most deserted, southern most beach in Key West. I love you baby.

I love Bikram yoga.

One of the many things that I am not a big fan of is hurting someone whether intentional or unintentional. Somehow, on this blog, I managed to do that. In an earlier post I spoke quite vividly of a friend of mine who gets high while she is pregnant. I never once brought up my opinion to her, I'm not sure why, I guess I just felt it was none of my business. I write on this blog for me, if something is bothering me I let it out here. In retrospect I should not have called her an asshole. I should have stated my opinion and left it at that. I guess the reason I am upset is because here she is doing something that is so obviously bad for the development of the unborn child and she doesn't think twice about it. During my pregnancy I did everything by the book and my boy was born with this. I guess I just think that you shouldn't take a baby's health for granted, you should feel lucky and blessed that you don't have to have bi-weekly ultrasounds and non-stress tests. You should be thankful that you will never feel the dread of knowing that if your baby were to play any physical sports and had somehow gotten hurt, he would have to do dialysis for the rest of his life. By the way, for anyone who needs proof that smoking pot is detrimental while pregnant or breastfeeding click here or here. The point of this post is basically to back my opinion up and to apologize for any hurt I caused you. We have different opinions, that's all.

Tuesday is the one year anniversary of when Jon asked me to marry him on a deserted beach in Key West. I had an entire evening planned out for us. On Monday night a good friend was going to baby-sit. We were going to go down to the Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Center), enjoy the view, maybe go ice skating after. Then we would head downtown to Beppe, a very great Italian restaurant. Jon also happens to be buddies with the chef. This exciting plan got squashed when we decided to go back to Cleveland for Thanksgiving. So instead of be bummed, I rescheduled the plan for last night and to include the boy. We got all dressed up, hopped on the Q train and headed into the city. Catcher liked the train at some points. He was flirting with some Russian ladies and they were ignoring him so then he started pointing. So funny. We kept our plans for Top of the Rock but we nixed Beppe (being a Friday night and all). For dinner we headed to Little Korea, we had some interesting food that I in know way will attempt to name. As a family we had a great time and the timing of the entire evening was perfect, although our train home got held up because of a 'police matter,' but we made it home eventually.

Remember when we had the apartment fire? It was in June, right around the time I started this blog. Well, the hubs and I called the city for an electrical inspection after it happened just to make sure our apartment was up to code. Well the inspectors came on Halloween, that's right, a whole 4 months later. Anyway, they found oodles and oodles of problems with the pad. They told us our landlord was not going to be happy and boy were they right. Our landlord (who is hella shady and really wants to keep our $5000 deposit) called us today and told us that we had to make all the corrections to our apartment or he would take us to court. Let the battle begin. We immediately called our lawyer friend and he told us to call him back and give him our lawyer's phone number. When the hubs did this, issue squashed. He is such a blowhard. But now, we may have to take action because he insinuated that the repairs and code was never going to be fixed. The main concern I have is the lack of window guards. We have huge windows and no bars on the outside of them to prevent falls. The boy is getting big enough and smart enough where the lack of window guards could be a real danger. NYC state law requires the LANDLORD to install them if there is a child under 6. There is, he's not.

I totally forgot that I took this amazing picture of my two favorite boys. I am so in love with them both and this picture has opened a floodgate of emotions relating to that love. I am one lucky biotch.

I need a babysitter bad and the only one I know is busy. Next Tuesday, Rachel Ray will be filming at Jon's restaurant and they need 'filler' of friends and family to 'fill' Parea out. Not cool. In other news, the fam will be heading back to S-Ville for Turkey Day. I am actually not a big fan of Thanksgiving. I think it is quite awful that we as a whole (USA) conveniently sugarcoat the past for our own benefit and absolution. My son is definitely going to know the entire Thanksgiving story, not just the Charlie Brown one. Plus I hate turkey and those orange god d@*n potatoes with marshmallows on top, Yucky! The only thing I really like about Thanksgiving is the mini high school reunion that happens at the local watering hole where we can check out how fat everybody got and if the town drunkard is still drunk-. Good times.

Is this a joke?

I have realised that I only paint when I am depressed. My mother in law was in town over the weekend and she always compliments my 'creativity', which I appreciate. This weekend she asked me if I was working on anything knew and I immediately came to the realisation that for the first time since I have been in New York I have had absolutely no desire to paint. I must be happy, how strange that my happiness can be measured by the amount of paintings I produce per year. I'm f'ng nuts. I am gonna end up like this guy.

I am helping a friend out (as well as earning some extra $$) and am acting as a contributing blogger on the best gossip site on the web, Bricks & Stones, CHECK IT OUT!

I just got home from my very first Bikram Yoga class and I feel incredible. I actually feel somewhat high. It may be from the fact that I just did yoga for 90 minutes in a heated room with a temperature over 100 degrees or it may be the fact that my fat a@* hasn't worked out in like five years. It was really really intense and I think I may have made a friend too. Very cool. When I first got there (20 minutes early) I noticed that pretty much everyone was in very little clothing. I mean the boys were in tight boxer briefs and the ladies in sports bra and short shorts. I however, wore long leggings and a wife beater because I am really self conscious about my belly. The girl at the desk told me to take my time and relax during class if I needed too. She pointed me in the direction of the class and I went in and got set up. The class to me was strange, obviously I had never heard of the heated room, & the teacher doesn't do the poses, she just 'guides' them. After what seemed like 3 hours I noticed that only a half an hour had passed. Once my mind got ahold of this I noticed the class became extremely difficult for me. I was feeling light headed and was having trouble doing some of the poses. The 'guide' told me that it was most important to just stay in the room. So I did. I probable sat down a total of 5 times for like one minute each time. I sweat like a banshee. I mean sweat was coming out of my eyeballs. By the time the class was coming to a close, my clothes started to come off. There really is no point in wearing a soaking wet shirt. Tomorrow I will be wearing a bra & shorts. Yes that's right I am going back tomorrow @ 7am. I am going to get my self back in shape no matter what. I am so sick of hating my body. I want to love it and be proud of her again! And no this has nothing to do with the fact that I went to the doctor yesterday and he told me I was at least 15 lbs. overweight if not more. Aaaahhhhh!!!

I started this blog so I would be able to get s@#t off my chest. I have some things on my mind but I can't express myself because too many people who read this will know what I am taking about and tell on me. Sucks. So instead I will just say that I am bored and I am so happy that I was raised the way I was raised. That is all.

Trying to pick a X-Mas card? Which pic do you think? If we use the Star Wars one, we would say 'Wishing you a happy holiday from a galaxy far, far, away..." & if we used the family shot it would say "Holiday Greetings of champagne wishes & caviar dishes..." So let me know on my comments, the highest votes picks our 2006 Christmas Card- and I'll even send you a hard copy!!!

This is my new favorite blog. I could spend hours reading this shit but after about 5 minutes it depresses the hell out of me.