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.

I am an exhausted wreck. Going out three nights in one week makes Chef's Widow go crazy. Last night was great though, good to see friends from home, good to eat hubby's wonderfully amazing food, good to drink martini's. But this 'ol girl is done for a minute. I can't handle it. I need the beach.

These pictures are from The Chocolate Show that I went to last night. There was a fashion show where the designers & pastry chefs joined up to design a chocolate outfit. It was pretty cool, although I actually thought that Jon's pastry chef did the best. She made the white hat and dress and all the flowers were chocolate. It was fun, one of my girlfriends came so I actually walked around instead of hanging around the husband all night.

Sono combattimento con il mio marito, più da venire domani.

Last night after driving nine hours back from Cleveland with the boy I went to the Taste of New York. Jonathon's restaurant had a table and I got to walk around tasting some very yummy food and drink. It was nice but I was overly exhausted and almost fainted twice. I stayed for about two hours and then Jon took me home. I am really excited because on Thursday, the restaurant has another event and Run DMC will be performing live after an all chocolate fashion show. Super sweet.

Couldn't see this one coming.

Dear Pennsylvania,
You suck and I hate you. Why do you insist on making my drive back to NYC so impossible? I hate driving through you, it takes soooo long due to your bullshit one lane construction 7 mile stretches where absolutely no one is working! I also hate you because I drove 311 miles across you and I counted 37 dead deer on the side of the road. That is one deer every eight miles. You've got to be kidding me. You suck tremendously!!!!!
Love,
Chef's Widow

Sorry about my bullshit posts. I have been in Cleveland for the past three days and I have barely had a chance to sit down. I think on average I have had about three hours a night sleep. It was a whirlwind trip and now it is over, thank the lord. It's too much for me to try and squeeze in and I am husbandless so it's all on me. Let me break it down for you.

Thursday:

3.pm Leave NYC

1.am Arrive North Royalton, Ohio

Friday:

7.am Wake Up

11.am Get car fixed

1.30pm Hair

4.pm In Laws

5.pm My Parents

8.pm Catcher Bedtime

9.30pm Dinner @ Lola

1.am Arrive @ My Parents, Sleep

Saturday:

7.am Wake Up

10.am Target, Halloween Wig Shopping

2.30pm Catcher Nap

3.30pm Cafe Siam with my parents, Jon's parents, cousins, great grandma, uncle john, Jon's brother & sister-in-law, chicken heads, & fish with tumors.

6.pm Pick up my fantastic newly sodered wedding ring.

7.pm Amanda's house

7.30pm Candice's Halloween Party, Heavy intoxication due to giant bucket of Sangria

2.am Go to bar, decide to loady, take Amanda home, head to Sawyers.

2.30am Try to unlock the door, not happening, call husband, make him call his parents to let me in. Not embarrassing at all by the way.

Sunday

9.am Wake Up! Yes I actually got to sleep in-thank you in laws!!!

12.pm Go pick up Amanda

1.pm Head to Denise's Baby Shower with awesome Pottery Barn Kids Tye Dye Crib Set

4.pm Leave shower feeling like death.

5.pm Arrive at Strongsville Rotary Clambake.

6.30pm Leave clambake starving because food took so damn long and the boy was getting crazy.

7.pm Come back to my parent's, put the boy down, pack, wax eyebrows.

8.pm Watch the Simpson's' Halloween Spectacular-

It's 8 right now so I gotta go chillax for a second and watch The Simpsons with my husband via phone. Enjoy the pix.

Honestly I know now that I would go even more crazy if I lived back in Strongsville. I just can't take it. This town makes me looney! The traffic is honestly worse than NYC traffic. Even my parents are making me nuts, they are on me for feeding my son organic food. Are you kidding me? Why wouldn't they be proud of the fact that I am trying to raise a healthy child? Also why don't the respect my wishes of him not getting fed potato chips and candy? Anybody got some answers?

We made it back to Cleveland after a VERY long drive. Headed out with the ladies right now, will update later.

I am so excited and so bummed at the same time. My husband is going to be on the CBS Early Show doing a cooking demonstration! The bad news is that it is on Thanksgiving morn. We just planned our Thanksgiving. I was going to fly home with the boy and Jon & the dogs were going to drive the night before and leave together a couple days later. Looks like that plan is shot. Hopefully he will be able to come home after the taping. Make sure you watch!!!

Last night we had a little fiesta pre & post Park Slope Halloween parade. My hubs bro, his wife, & there two kiddies came over. We made tons of food and had a few drinks before hitting the rough streets of Brooklyn. I wasn't really sure what to expect of the parade, although I was a witness to the gay parade earlier in the summer that took place right in front of our casa. But this parade was hella different. There were at least 20,000 people in attendance. It was a madhouse of parents and their children. There were tranny dancers, hippie bands, little 10 year olds dressed as Starbucks cups, rowdy kids with shaving cream, and the ultimate family, The Ritchies with new baby David in tow...and I happened to snap a pic!