Happy Valentine's Day

Jon and I celebrated Valentine's Day on Sunday because we thought I would be working on Monday and wanted to get in a good night's worth of celebration. Here is a picture of us getting ready to go out.


After we got ready to go out, Jon handed me the Best Valentine I Would Ever Get.
Here is a picture of me reading it.


It was THE BEST VALENTINE I EVER GOT because he proposed to me. Here I am positively glowing with happiness. If you look closely, you can see my face is red from happy crying.


And finally after telling everyone and then going out for a nice dinner, here we are at home, at the end of the evening, engaged.

A New Favorite

Rainblo Bubblegum is my new favorite snack.

It was introduced to me by KF.

We chew gum all day long at work because it's fun!!

Friday

Hee hee. It's Friday again.

How wonderful and splendiforous. This weekend starts the Christo installation of thousands of yards of orange fabric tented all over Central Park.

Pictures will be take for those of you who won't be able to come into town to enjoy.

Enjoy writing in the passive voice, I do.

Thursday is Trumpday

The Apprentice
Two teams produced two ads for Donny Deutsch to promote some DOVE product or the other (that's two tie-ins, thank you very much.) Both teams made commercials that sucked so bad that both had to see The Donald in the Boardroom. Final tie-in of this and every episode is the huge YAHOO HOTJOBS banner on the taxis that pickup the ejected, dejected and rejected apprentices. Tonight was no different.

I don't know what kind of 30 second commercial Donald Trump and Donny Deutsch expected either team to produce. Neither really had the experience and they certainly didn't have the time.

These tests don't always accurately measure the abilities of the teams and their members. They are unfairly difficult.

The tie-ins are excessive but indeed a lesson in advertising and product placement.

Will I watch again next week? Absolutely. I'm hooked. Mark Burnett is a genius. Is he looking for an apprentice? I want to be a contestant on THAT SHOW.

Reelin' in the Days

Here is stuff about some things you should know:

Tuesday night I played Tuesday NightTrivia. My friend and a co-worker K.F. was a welcome addition to the team which consisted of T.A.B., Vidiot and B., and Erik and of course me. We named our team LOSE LIKE AN EAGLE, to honor the losing Super Bowl team and we did. Caren, who did a great job of hosting, pointed out that we "lost like an EAGLE" because we came in second. I keep telling myself there is no shame in coming in second, we still finished in the money, but I don't know if I can stand for that next week.

Last night I went to the gym directly from work. I am determined to lose weight and tone up and feel better. I set out to do exactly what I did on Monday. I just wanted to walk briskly on the treadmill for 35 minutes or so. But 5 minutes into last night's treadmill routine, my shins were aching. After 15 minutes, I had to stop. I was so mad and frustrated. How am I going to do the high impact aerobic exercise necessary to lose weight if my body won't cooperate. I angrily submitted to my weakness and peddled furiously on one of those gym bikes. I focused all of that frustration and anger into the peddles. By the time I was done, I was crimson red and sweating hard. People were looking at me with alarm as they often do when I exercise. My face always turns deep red. If you've never seen that happen to someone before, it could be pretty upsetting. But my heart rate was fine. My target rate is 167 and last night it didn't go above 148.

I felt better when it was all done. The frustration left through the opening I provided - my peddling feet - and the steaming hot bath I took later finished the job. I slept really well last night.

It's true. Exercise does make you feel better.

Baby Blog

Baby Quentin has his own website. What can I say? This is just too precious.

The Simp Life

Does anyone else find these two offensive?

The Godfather - Excerpt

Stuck in the tunnel for no apparent reason on the 7 train, I pulled out The Godfather and started reading. I only made it through the first few pages but I'm already intrigued.

Here, Mario Puzo introduces his readers to Sonny Corleone.

His face was that of a gross Cupid, the features even but the bow-shaped lips, thickly sensual, the dimpled cleft chin in some curious way obscene. He was built as powerfully as a bull and it was common knowledge that he was so generously endowed by nature that his martyred wife feared the marriage bed as unbelievers once feared the rack. It was whispered that when as a youth he had visited houses of ill fame, even the most hardened and fearless putain, after an awed inspection of his massive organ, demanded double price.

Wednesday's Cry For Help

Hump day. (sniff) Why doesn't anybody like me? I mean, what did I ever do do hurt anybody. I wish I were more like Friday. Everybody likes Friday. He's soooooooo popular. Monday I was eating my breakfast in the days of the week cafeteria and all the other days of the week were sitting with Friday except for Monday because he was hiding somewhere. I tried to squeeze in between Tuesday and Thursday but they wouldn't let me. They just looked down at their trays pretending not to notice me. (sniff)

I don't understand. I'm part of the Day family. Maybe it's because my name is longer than anyone else's. But that doesn't make any sense because Saturday won't pay any attention to me either. As a matter of fact, both Saturday and Sunday eat in a separate cafeteria with waitress service while we lower days of the week have to go up to the buffet and make our own plates (sniff)

It's not fair. I want to be like everyone else and I want everyone else to like me. People don't like to wake up on Wednesday. I hear them groaning on their way to work. They think I'm stupid and boring. There isn't even anything good on TV Wednesday nights, except for Law and Order but nobody wants to stay up that late because Wednesday is SO HARD. It's the MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. They want to get sleep on Wednesday night so they can watch ER on THURSDAY NIGHT. They don't mind staying up late for that.

I hate everyone just as everyone hates me (sniff), but I sure wish someone would buy Wednesday a cup of coffee some time. Just so I don't have to sit here alone and think about how much everyone hates me.

Oh shit. Today is Wednesday. I'm running late. That's why the other days weren't talking to me. Because I'm supposed to be working.

Gotta' run!!!!!

Pretty as a Picture

My friend Caren found a tree with balloon blossoms and posted a picture of it on her website and then she linked to our friend Dawn for linking to her balloon blossoms picture so I'm copying Dawn.

Tuesdays with Jon

Jon stopped by my office for lunch and brought with him a copy of The Godfather. We watched The Godfather yesterday with the commentary by F.F. Coppola. The commentary is by him and only him - interesting. We watched it on the recommendation of The Wounded Liberal. I'm sure of Orsen Welles could have added a commentary track to Citizen Kane, it would have sounded much like Coppola's The Godfather commentary. Do I need to say any more than that? If so, I will try to explain. If not, then you know what I mean.

I plan on reading the book on the train this week. I'll let you know how it is when I'm done.

Tuesday Lament

Monday was neatly tucked away because I called in sick to work yesterday. I called in sick because I was having trouble walking due to my sore legs. Yesterday, Monday was kept at bay. To help my legs I went to the gym and did more exercise and you know what? It helped. It helped a lot. My legs feel much better today - only residual soreness.

Tuesday feels like Monday. I'm tired. I'm dragging. I can't wait for the day to be over. I just want to go home and work out. I look forward to it and I am thinking of ways to leave early, although that wouldn't really be fair to my 5:30 appointment.

Tuesday night means American Idol again. It's my favorite sporting event to watch on television. Even moreso than the Super Bowl, if you can believe it. Okay, maybe that's not so hard to believe but American Idol is competitive. It is also violent but in a different way - more emotionally violet. Simon Cowell leaves crying heaps of young talented people in his wake. Simon can take down a 6 foot 2 hunky guy with one bite of his critical venom.

And I can't wait to see it tonight.

Superbowl Sunday

I've been holding Monday off all day. He wanted to write a rebuttal to Friday's harsh critique but I thought it would kill the fun mood we were all in today. So instead, I tied Monday up and locked him in the closet.
======================================
Superbowl Sunday.
Jon and I went to T.A.B.'s house for a superbowl party but due to strict restrictions outlined on his website I did not make any visual record of the evening. I can tell you that people were excited about the game. Why wouldn't they be. The game was great, suspenseful up until the last 2 minutes. T.A.B. has a 60 inch television and he was not afraid to use it. He also gave us a great spread. Chips, dips, pizza, cold cuts. . .it was awsome. I'm hungry just thinking about.

I did take pictures before and after tho.

Here I am standing in front of a large bobble head of a famous baseball player although I couldn't tell you which one. This store is full of sports fan paraphernelia and enormous bobble heads.


Here is a shot I took waiting for Sarah outside of Port Authority. It is the new 42nd Street. Some might say it's a sad statement about how New York is changing. Others, like me, might say it's nice to be able to walk down 42nd street without someone reciting you a list of drugs, a to z, every three minutes.

Here are pictures of the busride home. Pictured are Sarah, The Wounded Liberal, My Urban Kvetch, Wes, and Phil. Also pictured are Barry and Rachel who's blogs are forthcoming.

Saturday

Saturday. I couldn't pull it together in Saturday. Falling back into old patterns, I had a lazy Saturday. It wasn't completely lazy, mind you. I did take some pictures of the neighborhood. (one of them above) I did meet with a trainer at 8am for the work up that I was entitled to for joining the gym. My trainer is 24 year old B, who is a ballerina from upstate.. She's 24 years old and can't weigh more than 100 pounds. She took my blood pressure to start - 120 over 78. She asked me what goals are and then she weighed me. That was shocking. I'm heavier now than ever, the heaviest I've ever been. That was pretty depressing. What was even more depressing was discovering my physical limitations with the simple exercises she gave me to do. It turns out that all of my muscles are "OUT OF BALANCE" which accounts for the odd aches pains I've been getting over the years. The simple exercises she gave me are meant to correct my balance. I like her fine and she really seems to know what she is talking about. She worked me out for about an hour. This morning, I had trouble getting out of bed. My body is sore in places I didn't know or forgot existed. I mean I've worked out before and I know how to work out or so I thought. She corrected the weigh I was doing a lot of different little exercises and I really feel the difference this morning. Basically, I'm going to have to do a lot of cardio and gradually work on increasing my target heart rate and I need to burn at least 300 - 400 calories in each cardio workout.

So, I accepted a new job. "What's that?", you may be asking in a shocked tone. "Didn't you just start a new job?" The answer to that is YES. I did. The job I just accepted is one I interviewed for back in November, the day after I lost my old job. As you may recall, I had scheduled the interview before getting fired. Anyway, I really liked the job and really wanted it. Then I went back for a second interview and thought the job was mine. At that point, it wasn't. So, I took off a couple of weeks, started the job I have now and took a third interview a few weeks after starting the new job. At the third interview I got the job and I'll start in a couple of weeks.
==========================================
I"m watching 20/20 - Caught on Tape. They are running the third segment which is about people's home sex videos. All I have to say about this controversial issue is this.

YUCK!

A Word From Friday

Hi. My name is Friday and without sounding too egotistical, I am the most popular day of the work week. My colleague Monday will make the argument that he is the most popular based on the number of people getting up and going places early in his day. But Monday doesn't take into consideration that people don't enjoy doing this. Monday also doesn't do anything to make people happy. Monday is unrelenting and stands alone as the one day when people groan upon hearing their alarm clocks summoning them to their respective responsibilities.

Friday, as in me, myself and I, is the day when most people get up with enthusiasm. They face me with the kind of attitude that says, "HEY. ONCE I GET THROUGH FRIDAY, I'LL BE DONE FOR THE WEEK." Monday can not say that it enjoys this luxury, because once people get through Monday they have the rest of my work week colleagues to face.

I can confidently say that I AM THE MOST POPULAR DAY OF THE WEEK - even more popular than Thursday, with it's Thursday night television line up and day before Friday status. People will never tire of me as they do when Thursday night starts showing reruns. Fridays are always FRIDAY. Friday, in most cases, will always be the last day of the work week.

Perhaps, I'm using the phrase "last day of the work week" too much but what can I say? It is the one and only reason why I am the most popular day of the work week.

So , IN YOUR FACE MONDAY.

UP YOURS TUESDAY.

SHOVE IT WEDNESDAY, aka Hump day. . .sheesh. Honestly, you call yourself a day?

SIT ON IT THURSDAY.

People of the world. Embrace Friday. I am your leader and as your leader I promise that I will always remain the last day of the work week.

You Are a Peacemaker Soul

You strive to please others and compromise anyway you can. War or conflict bothers you, and you would do anything to keep the peace. You are a good mediator and a true negotiator. Sometimes you do too much, trying so hard to make people happy. While you keep the peace, you tend to be secretly judgmental. You lose respect for people who don't like to both give and take. On the flip side, you've got a graet sense of humor and wit. You're always dimplomatic and able to give good advice. Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul, Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Thursday

Eh.

Wednesday

it's almost 3pm on wednesday. middle of the day. . .middle of the week. i'm looking forward to the part of the day where i'm working out in the gym.

Tuesday

Today is today. That's all you need to know.

I'm tired and I'm not exactly sure why. Worked, worked out, came home, ate, slept from 9:30 to 6:30 and I'm still tired. I'm also coughing and congested which probably is not a good sign.

Oh well. The flu was bound to catch up with me sooner or later.