Eating Gold

So it is March 5th and I am 4 months away from the big day. I have spent the last 4 months planning the important stuff: Food, Liquor, dress. Oh was there more important stuff? You see I hate fussing over stupid details like what color should the flower girl dress be - who cares? So long as there is no screaming crying baby running down the aisle - you can put her in a green camouflage overall outfit for all I care. So when it came down to trying to decide if I wanted to spend $33.00 on a flap that hangs over the side of my invites - I was ready to scream. The wedding industry as I have mentioned before is nothing more than a way to get people to spend way too much money on things they can't afford and everyone will forget within the first 3 martinis. So I figured that's it!!! Focus on Martinis! So I started looking at martini ice luges. For anyone who has never seen one - it is a 200 lb block of ice where you pour the vodka down what sort of looks like a water slide in Disney and the vodka comes out chilled as you catch it in your martini glass - Brilliant. What worries me is that I may have people with their tongue stuck to the ice sculpture because they have decided to catch it with their mouth (see Exhibit A above). Trust me those people will probably be the Midwestern and me - bitsandgiggles are you in? During my research, I also came across this new luxury vodka that has Gold flakes in it. Wow! How cool would it be to ingest 24 kt gold flakes, that has got to increase my net worth some how right? Does anyone know if our bodies can even digest gold? Ahh all these details.....

War or Honeymoon?

I was sitting in the living room when I heard the Midwestern say something to the fact that "Chavez is sending troops to Colombia." What? Chavez? Colombia? What the hell is that batshi*t crazy psycho doing with Colombia? I mean anyone who goes around chewing coca leaves all day has got to have a few brain cells short of a oraguntan. Well it looks like not only is Venezuela going to send troops to my homeland, but so is Ecuador (my other homeland)- WTF? You see for me that is a big problem considering that my wedding is in Ecuador and my honeymoon is in Colombia. I really do not feel like flying through enemy airspace. Not to mention that it is already normal to be greeted at the airport by AK47's, but now I have to worry about being caught in the middle of the military fire or trying to find a pink bullet proof vest to go with my outfit. You know most people pick normal places to have their wedding and honeymoon, like Mexico, Bermuda, Jamaica, or Hawaii. Not a 3rd war countries that are run by Farc, and especially not countries that have thousands of paramilitary guerillas walking around as if it were a cops during the St. Pattys parade in NY. So with that being said, I am on the internet looking at the refund policy of my airfare under the category "war", and hoping that I can change my hotels as well. I mean Avianca (colombian airline) has to understand, right? I mean they do not really want to be target practice either do they? Anyone have any places I can get some nice combat boots?

I was not sure that whether my fingers or my nose was going to fall off first, but I knew if I did not get to work soon one was going to go fast. Today was probably the coldest day of the year, if anything has convinced me not to move to Chicago this was it. Luckily I heard the weather while I was getting dressed so I pulled out my wool slacks, my turtleneck [which I bought on one of the coldest days in Paris] and then grabbed the J-Lo coat. I have this coat that is long and furry and suede and sort of makes me look like Jenny from the block. It is a mix between ghett-o-licious and fab-o-licious. And I am sure if I had as much money as J-Lo I would own two. The coat also makes me feel like a Russian princess with its big hood, so I thought "Bring it!" That was until I started walking my way up Pine Street and I though Oooh...God must be really pissed off at us for this global warming thing, that he decided to kick our a*ss this morning. God: "Oh so you want to keep driving those SUV's don't you?" Us: "Yes we do and what are you going to do about it." God: "Well how are you going to feel when 9 of your toes have turned black. Now let me see you push that gas pedal on that Escalade....What you got!!?" (I swear I have these conversations in my head) The Hummer thinks it won the battle with its Hybrid (that is such an oxymoron). So instead of gas we use hydrogen - And? When the car is THAT big it doesn't matter if we use Champagne, I still see a world war breaking out over some grapes. So now I am sitting at my desk next to the window, being thankful that I work on the 50th floor where I can feel the unprotected UV rays of the sun beating down on my face. Ahhhh...I can slowly start feeling my circulation pump back into my toes. Whew, because it would suck if I only had one - How else would I drive the "beast" in Puerto Rico?

Farewell my Friend and Confidant

Farewell, my friend and confidante! As you go, so must I return upon the well-worn path. Each soul must travel by. Wend where you will, my wanderer, Even as you stay. Long-treasured in my lonely heart, Loved well, though far away.

I am writing this blog with much happiness and sadness to my dear friend JK. He is currently sitting in an internet cafe in his flip flops somewhere near the Andes drinking a cafe con leche. I did not have a chance to bid farewell and am very saddened for that. However, between him trying to finalize the last 30 something years of his life in NY and me trying to rush out of NY practice class at 8:30 - our paths never crossed before he took off on his journey to the Equator. So instead I send this message to him by the only means I see fit - Internet blogging. So as I sit here and think back to the late nights of eating Lobster tails at Outback in White Plains, or the CD production logs that kept us so long in that God forsaken building of IBM... I still smile. Then we progressed to a deeper friendship over highlighting trial exhibits and sticking labels on green folders in the pencil top skyscraper of CSM. Ahhh what we would do without the life of 80 hour weeks of the corporate legal world to bind us? I have met so many amazing people over the midnight Island Burger meals at a conference table on the 36th floor. And now I bid adieu to one of the first and definitely one of the most important of the original CSM crew. I will miss you JK - keep wearing your slippers even if it is 80 degrees in Cusco and keep in touch. In the interim, I will save the lobster tail for you senor frog until you return.

Sadness in Election 2008

I regretfully announce that my boy Richards oops, I mean Edwards has dropped out of the race. I call him my boy because according to http://www.campaignissues2008.com/, he is my preferred candidate. I feel bad that he has decided this race is mostly about either putting a woman in the white house or putting an African American in the white house. Since when did it become a race about "history blazing its path" http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/2374923/? I thought it was about the Iraq, health care, stem cell research. Not lets see how much history can be made in 2008 - is it a woman or is it a man? Is it white or is it black? Well I am very disappointed that the celebrity candidates have pushed out a perfectly good candidate from the campaign. Okay enough of my political platform, I will just let the celebrity candidates rip each other to shreds until the best man/woman wins. Now I have to go take that quiz again to see which of the two is more "my candidate". Too bad they do not ask questions like "Are you more interested in hot pink pumps?" or "red patent pumps?" Then I would know who is my candidate!

BitsandGiggles Big 30!

I have been sort of behind on posting my blog entries. It has been a variety of laziness, being busy reading for school, and watching too much WE channel. So I have to back track to Jan. 18th when Bitsandgiggles celebrated her big 30. The night started with Russian vodka infused with cranberries or was that raspberries? The night ended with russian vodka infused with more cranberries...Ooh and then the honey came out. I vaguely remember calling the Polish restaurant (I know I said Russian, but it is owned by a Polish woman), at 11 pm and asking..How long are you open just for drinking? Yes, I said drinking not drinks. I was excited what can I say. Her response was "How many?" How many what? Drinks, I don't know, one, two okay lets be honest three carafes of vodka. Oh wait she meant how many people! Six! Okay she said. We walk up to the place and her husband (I think), was pulling down the gate. "Wait" I think that was bitsandgiggles running in her new zebra print Steve Madden shoes. So we walk in and went through 4 carafes of vodka - ok we lied. It started as three I swear. I will say the night was a blast. It was full of yummy middle eastern food, belly dancing, bitsandgiggles suggesting Scores, etc.. I lost the bet of bridezilla leaving early, but she let me slide..whew! I could not afford another $20 bet. I just lost one the day before - damn she knows her friends. I never got to show her the evite that I created with pink polka dots, but I believe it went off without a hitch and we all had a great time. But the best of it all is now the Midwestern and LJ want to exchange email addresses. What else can we ask for??

Engagement What?

I woke up sick as a dog on Saturday to the blaring sound of not one but two cell phones. Apparently, my parents think that if I do not pick up the phone the first time then either a) keep calling until I do or b) call the Midwestern and me at the same exact time until someone picks up. So I wake up frantically thinking someone must be hurt, dead or worse. I answer to hear my dad yelling why don't I pick up the phone, blah, blah, blah. My head is asking "get to the point dad, because I have enough Nyquil in me to numb me for another 3 hours." He starts telling me how my uncle (my mothers brother) is upset because he is throwing me an engagement party and no one is attending. WTF? When I hear that my uncle is throwing me a party to celebrate my engagement, I think lunch at his house with the family - right? Wrong! Apparently he thought catered food, bottles of champagne, the paparazzi. Why didn't anyone tell me? Oh yeah, because he somehow lost his ability to dial a telephone number on his cell phone and now is crying "oooh no one is coming to my party!" So I start making a million phone calls to all my friends. Okay the truth 10 phone calls to my only friends. I already knew that it was going to be hard to drag people from Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx and Manhattan to Greenwich, Connecticut. But my uncle has offered to have his driver (I must be in the wrong line of business), pick up my friends in NY and bring them back. So problem solved right? wrong? It still does not take away from the fact that it is 1 week away and I actually do only have a handful of friends. Which is ok because better a few great friends than a lot of bad friends. Thus here I am 5 days away from my engagement what? Party. With a half a SUV filled with a few of my friends who so graciously have agreed to eat and drink with me and take the trip to another state. AHHH what would I do without you guys.

Last Will and Testament

I have been sick for over a week now and I have decided it is not worth living. I am tired of drinking Nyquil (is that stuff addictive?), taking Theraflu, drinking Dayquil (the color is cute), and ingesting an obscene amount of disgusting antioxidant juice. Not to mention these concoctions that the Midwestern bought me with beets, wheat germ, spinach and apples and other disgusting nasty stuff. The only good that has come out of the past week is two days off from work, home made chicken soup, and the occasional pity party from people. But now I am getting people asking me "Your not still sick right?" Why? is there a time line? Or is it illegal to hold onto the flu..or the cold..or whatever the f&*k this is for longer than 4 days. I start school this Wednesday and I am not looking forward to sitting through 4 hours of class when I am coughing out a lung. But in the process I do have some home remedies that my Russian friends have recommended which I am going to try tonight. One involves drinking a shot of vodka with pepper. Even if that does not work maybe my liver will feel better. The other involves boiled potatoes on my chest (No, not boiling potatoes and my breasts). This sounds like it might land me in the burn unit. The last one involves a ridiculous amount of raspberry preserves. Believe it or not that remedy is actually from my Russian doctor. Instead of just prescribing me some codeine and antibiotics like a normal M.D., he tells me to eat as much raspberry preserves as possible and call him in the morning. I am not sure where my health insurance money is going, but I swear if I do not feel better by tomorrow and my finger nails are stained red, I am having him pay for my manicure.

Crashing the Bar

So my dear friend bitsandgiggles is preparing for the most terrible experience of her life - no she is not getting married or having a baby she is taking the bar exam. I have been vicariously living through her while she is going through the PMBR and the new BARBRI classes. Even though I can not even fathom what 5 hours of class and 9 hours of studying 6 days a week does to a person, I am trying to find humor in all that surrounds it. We need the spirits alive! So when I read the Barbri method, I finally understood why so many lawyers are addicted to drugs. Are they kidding me? Not to mention that they make you buy 380 lbs of books and then not sleep, or eat for two months. Then I read this article and it all made sense http://blogonaut-blogonaut.blogspot.com/2007/11/lawyers-defense-to-meth-charge-i-did-it.html. Of course our lawyers of America are making Meth! But that is not the worse part, the fact that they are able to get away with drug charges for pleading "handicapped" because he was high is BRILLIANT! So when these law school graduates are sitting through hours of contracts and torts and then realize their $150K education did not teach them half of what they need to know for the bar. All they need to know is at least they will be able to keep themselves out of jail. So, I have decided to start staking up on Sudafed and ammonia, and I have the dog already. Bitsandgiggles hang tough, and know that there is light at the end of the tunnel or crack pipe whichever comes first.

Oh the weather outside is frightful!

So the holidays are upon us and I have spent the past few days doing last minute Christmas shopping, cleaning, entertaining, cleaning, entertaining, eating - Did I mention cleaning? This Christmas week, it has been all about the apartment. I know it is only 700 square feet but since I did not decorate this year I wanted to get the place in order. There are a few projects I have been meaning to tackle for example: new closet doors, new bookcase, filtered water (Hoboken water tastes like Mexico city), add lights in the kitchen, putting up pictures...Okay so my list is big. But I will say with the help of generous parents (mine and the Midwestern) we now have new pictures, a light in the kitchen, a water cooler [I love 50 degree water], and have the closet doors on order. Oh and you can not forget the new stainless steel recycling bin - Hey if I must save the environment why not do it in style? I know I sound sooooo domestic, but with all the time I spend studying at home (the library can get a little exhausting) I might as well love it. Even if all it took was some clean water and some pictures on the wall.

Hitting the Town & Country

So the last day of finals ended with a wonderful engagement AGAIN. I was treated with a beautiful visit to our old favorite champagne bar Flute in midtown and then surprised with a proposal and a canary diamond so big my eyes hurt. After being treated to strawberries and cream by the manager we were off to dinner. Then the night ended with a fab dinner at Country where the ceilings were 20 feet high and the chandeliers were bigger than my sofa. And even though there was no chair for my purse (Daniel Boulud your the greatest), there was still plenty of cool items. Such as the frog legs...OHH Kermie! And the complimentary champagne and the balcony table for two. Not to mention the menu with our names on it and the white chocolate with "Congratulations" written in dark chocolate. Should I tell the chef I hate chocolate? NAH! After 3 exams, one which included the horrid Federal Tax exam I needed this. Because after the tax exam, I came close to sticking a large object in my eye or possibly ripping my fingernails out one by one - I figured either one would be more pleasant then how I spent those last 10 hours. If I have not said it already - Law school will suck the life out of you and then spit it out and make you eat it. With that said, nights like this one spent with the Midwestern are welcomed in order to take my mind off what horrors lie behind and ahead.

Thats just my baby daddy

The past 7 days have been spent eating fat free pringles, wearing sweatpants and flats, not doing my hair or make up and reading pages of Bankruptcy and Tax. But before I could subject myself to the stale air of the Newark library, I went to my new gym. My thoughts were "be healthy & don't get fat" because eating easy mac and fat free pringles just was not going to keep my figure slim. I also figured it would assist me in getting through the day. So that while I am sitting at an exam I can think about how I did an extra 10 minutes on the elliptical machine so I can eat that extra gummy bear staring at me. But then it hit me, the real reason I was going to the gym was not for the fancy locker rooms, or the new ski machine but it was for Maury and Montel. It occurred to me that I ran to the gym to plug in my head phones so I can finish watching "my daughter is sleeping with 50 men" or "Shocking DNA!" episodes. I guess I figured if I am sweating while I jog on the tread mill that it excuses my sorry self from watching mindless talk shows that are trashy and disgusting. I keep telling myself if I have to read endless notes about indebtedness and adjusted basis then I deserve some trash TV. But what I did not appreciate were all the commercials. I timed it, Montel spoke for all of 4 minutes and then he kept taking commercial breaks. If I saw one more Reggaeton Optimum online cable commercial with the mermaids I was going to scream. So now exams are over and no more Maury and Montel, but I will miss "My babby daddy is my boyfriends father" on Friday damn!

Bat shit Crazy

So the past two weeks have been lovely. Puerto Rico, great friends, birthday, then Thanksgiving, great family, etc... I know that this is all coming to an end because finals are around the corner, but luckily I started outlining early that I am not too behind schedule. So when I opened up my mail the other night with the return address from a HS friend of mine - the first thing that came to mind was "AWW" She sent me a belated bday card. NOT! So I open up this paper of pure evil and read a page about how I am not the friend I used to be, and there is some discussion of her feeling "numb" - Damn you would think I was sleeping with her and I forgot the foreplay. The letter discusses this stupid fight we had and in so much words how I swept it under the rug and acted like nothing happened (or chose to ignore or forget it - I think were her words). And then ended with a Good bye and have a nice life! What I forgot to mention is that this fight happened 4 yrs ago. Yep folks you got it - she is bat shit crazy (thanks bitsandgiggles for the adjective that is so perfect). Not only had we been on speaking basis for a year, but we did lunch just a few days before the letter showed up. Flutter, flutter, do I hear the bat wings? First off, who the hell holds a grudge for 4 yrs and then keeps it quiet for a year and then writes a poisonous letter right after my 30th birthday after a lovely lunch date?? Those nasty little black flying insects oh and her! So am I a little bitter? Yes. Am I probably developing some psychotic tendencies? Yes. But I promise, I will not write a letter if I need to discuss my frustrations. I will handle it the mature way...Sticking my Stuart Weitzman's in her eye.

Gobble Gobble

Another Thanksgiving gone, and another fall semester coming to the end. I am sitting here doing practice exams for Tax and of course no answers! So I sit here and waste endless hours doing questions that I will never know if they are right or not. And I listen to hours of monotone voices on CD of a boring professor that they hired from some southern state to teach me Bankruptcy. UGGH, life sucks again. I have eaten massive amounts of mac n cheese, mashed potato, green bean casserole, and the pies...Oh the pies! Pumpkin, squash (I made that one), sweet potato, cherry, apple, pecan. I am looking for different ways to pump my stomach and remove everything I just ate in the past 4 days. Not to mention that the weekend consisted of the Midwestern's two stepbro's showing up which always entails loads of Makers Mark and endless hours of cigar smoking. I can tell the wedding will be fun and smelly :0 So as I contemplate over the past few days and think of where the next few weeks will leave me. I am not sure what I would rather, read about capital gains, eat another pie, or staple my stomach with a Swingline and no anesthesia.

The BEAST

So as much as I am worried about the environment and the oil wars, I have to admit my father owned a beast for many years. The beast being what half of America or at least the entire state of Texas own....A "SUV". I just finished reading an article about the price of gas going up to $4.00. I did not know the effects of this until recently when we tried to refill the gas tank in Rincon. The price of gas was in liters so I did not realize how pricey it really was. I remarked "WOW" "Gas is so cheap in Puerto Rico." I never was good at conversion. Then as J was pumping the gas (well I couldn't because I got my drivers license in Jersey so I never took the pumping gas class), we saw the numbers creep up. Is that machine broken? J reacted and said "No, it must be in pesos!" Nope we were both wrong - the total being about $55.00. Well I guess I am not a minority according to this article http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/HundredDollarFillUpComingToPumpNearYou.aspx?gt1=10621
So lesson learned, do not buy a large beast unless you want to continue to pump ridiculous amounts of cash into your gas tank, continue to enjoy hot days in October because our ozone has become almost non existent, and most of all unless you want to spend another x-mas with our boys in Iraq. See Puerto Rico was even a learning experience of current affairs - who would have thought?

30 and counting!

Well the past four days have been spent snorkeling, taking in the sun, eating mofongo, swimming, driving around in a large SUV, and consuming an enormous amount of alcohol. I celebrated my 30th birthday in Puerto Rico. It was 87 degrees on average, the ocean was 80 degrees and the surfers were out. The town of Rincon, is beautiful (even if it is invaded by guys with blond hair and flip flops). The food is cheap, the town is small but with enough to do to keep 7 people very busy. The house we stayed at was gorgeous and the kitchen was bigger than my Hoboken apartment. The 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom house had 2 living rooms, a pool, dining room, patio, balcony, 2 car garage. I could not have asked for anything more. Not to mention that all the people I care about the most were celebrating with me. Who else would drive 1 hour and half to see glowing micro sea life? Who else would finish an entire bottle of Tortilla Tequilla and a gallon of Puerto Rican rum with me? God I did not think I could eat that many cheetos in one sitting. [Note** do not mix with Cheez wiz) Who else would make sure I always had a coconut in my hand? Not to mention there is one person in mind who stood by me when we were being stalked at the airport? I mean come on! Anyone who sighs at Bette Midler and can sing "Always" by Bon Jovi at the top of their lungs deserves kudos from me. I love you. I do not know how to thank my friends for what they did, but they made this the most memorable birthday ever!! I still think back to admiring green moss ocean rocks with J, watching sunsets with the Midwestern, salsa dancing with K, and driving to Homeland security singing "God is watching us" with Bitsandgiggles. "Sigh" So no more bowling in the living room, eating lots of processed cheese, and drinking Rum with pistachio ice cream at 2 am.....What are we going to do without Rincon?

Countdown

So I have 8 days and counting until I turn the big 30! I thought I would be scared and depressed and there was a time when I sort of moped. I thought I should be making more money, I should be living in a huge apt in the city, I should be finished with law school, and I should have a rock on my finger. Then I realized, I got credit cards who needs money, my 700 sq foot apartment is still closer to NY than my friends who live in Brooklyn (sorry guys), I should not be rushing to pay student loans, and well lol and behold I am engaged. So I guess I cant complain. Not to mention I like my job, my boyfriend, my family, my friends and most of all my dog (cant forget Spike). On top of all that mushy stuff, I am going to Puerto Rico in 8 days where I will swim naked in my pool, and snorkel with strange animals in the Caribbean (and the fish too:), and drink an obscene amount of alcohol, and hope not to puke in my hair. So life ain't so bad. I have just rewinded back into my 20's except the only difference it will be on some tropical island. So I have concluded that the older we get the only thing that really changes is the places where we decide to stick our head in the toilet just become more exotic.

We got it going on!

Instead of going to tax and bankruptcy on Tuesday night, I was jumping around dancing singing "Shot through the heart and your to blame..." You get the point. Jon, came to visit our humble city of Newark this week. Actually he is here for 10 days, to celebrate the grand opening of the new Prudential center. I will say the show was amazing as usual and it was even better that it was free. But what got me most was that I actually enjoyed the opening act. Big & Rich, this country band that apparently half the women over 40 in the audience knew the lyrics of. Scary that I can say I enjoyed it with them. Especially when they sang this song "I play chicken with the train" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0jvyyz4Bhc with a beautiful black cowboy named Troy. Well, I never knew they had them in Texas. So now that I cant stop singing "Go on kinfolk tell you mom and them,Chugg a lugga, Chugg a lugga, Chugg a lugga" OMG what is next, I will start voting Republican and I will think Bush is a genius. Help me God.

Orgy Happy Hour

Okay so I got your attention, well it was not quite an orgy, but somehow I missed out on a whole lot of action the other Friday night at happy hour. Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the drunken idiots. The story goes as follows: Tom, Dick and Harry go out for drinks with their co-workers Paris, Lindsey, Britney and Kevin. After numerous beers later, Paris says to Lindsey "I have always wanted to know what it would feel like to kiss someone with a tongue ring." "Okay" says Lindsey. Next thing you know they are sharing spit. But the night progresses. Tom, Dick and Harry were shocked but definitely not disappointed. Soon after another beer, Britney and Kevin decide that there is just too much going on and they do not seem to be included. They begin to feel left out, after some cuddling and smooching themselves...Paris does not give up without tasting a little bit off each menu. She asks Britney for a "kiss", without further notice there is tongue wrestling. After a 10 minute make out session with Britney and Paris, Lindsey feels cheated but she just raises her eyebrow and makes no comment. Kevin did not know whether to slap his B""tch straight or just enjoy the view. Instead Tom, Dick and Harry make a solemn swear to not tell anyone at work..OOPS except me. Man, it is going to be weird on Monday morning when Paris has to go make copies.

Going postal on postal

It is 4:59 and I am staring at what looks like the worst rain storm ever is about to hit. At the same time, my mind is going a million miles a minute because we can not locate the deposit for my engagement ring. There is probably some man with a blue postal suit who has decided to run off to Vegas. On the other hand, I sit here with my ring finger looking so bare. You see we are having my ring custom made by a jewelry designer in Mass. and it takes 8 weeks to make. So we were waiting for the bank check so we could put down the deposit and then pay the full amount when completed. But now there will be some guy named Earl probably calling his live in girlfriend right now at the trailer and telling her to pack her bags because they are going to the Elvis chapel of love and he will probably buy her a white frou frou dress and some expensive buffet dinner - and all on my ring $. And the bank will not reissue the check for 30 days - Don't they understand my finger is lonely and needs the big fat diamond to keep it company. Damn US postal!!

Why doesn't this window open?

So the last month since labor day has been non stop at work, and I am ready to start trying to find a way of opening the damn window in my office. I am on the 50th floor but I figure by the time I reach 48 I will be dead. I love my job don't get me wrong, but there is so much to do and so little time. Not to mention that my cable is out at home so I have nothing to take my mind off work and school when I get home. Yeah, I forgot to pay my bill. But between the deposit on the photographer and the mimosas on Sunday - I figured the WE channel took a back burner. The wedding planning has taken a halt, as I finished all the major things. Is it weird I know the woman at the Ritz by first name? The remaining items might have to wait until after the semester. So long as that day I am not naked, there is someone to take pics of me not naked, there is booze, food and I am able to dance not naked - then I am all set. Oh and of course, my friends, because what else would I do without those late night texts that say "This train has really ugly people on it". So I am doing a focus group this week (yes I am that desperate for $), but I figure someone has to pay for those shoes. In this group, I have to film myself and my life. I never realized how funny it is to see from the outside. Once it is up on You tube I will let you guys know. God when is the cable going to get turned back on???

Wedding Planner

So my new job has become wedding planner. Should anyone be in the need for some research or help in planning any future weddings. I know every venue in NYC and plate per person charge, I know every DJ from Manhattan to Long Island. I can tell you about every photographer in the book. Not to mention, I can also tell you about things not to waste money on like fancy save the date cards, or invitations, or church flowers (who cares what the pews look like), runners, cake toppers, flower petals, confetti, personalized napkins. All these things that were invented to make people like me spend more money. Since the engagement, I have found the dress, shoes, DJ, reception place, church, priest, hotel. There are still a million and eleven things to do and traditions I have opted to remove. Who in the world said all bridesmaid have to look like bobbsey twins? If you don't know who they are just wikipedia it. So I am not doing the macarena, or the electric slide (my DJ actually does not own it). There will be no girls at the altar, and no poofy pink bridesmaid dress. Not to mention, probably no bouquet throwing since I don't want a bouquet. Why so it can die in 1 day? I have learned that in order to not drop 25K on a wedding (which according to statistics is the medium), you need to be smart. But I am going to take all the extra money and put it where it belongs. For example: Liquor! Top shelf 5 hour, and food (people need to eat), and Music. You gotta dance, and good music does not come cheap. And of course location, location, location. So with all that said, I need to go back to my excel spreadsheet called W.day, and update it with the recent charitable contribution for the priest. Damn, even the Catholic church wants money. When did getting married become a business?

Back from S.A.

So I lets start with whats important.....I'M ENGAGED! Oh and I lost 5 lbs. I am not sure if I attribute it to Alli or to the 5 hours of hiking I did for 3 days or the white water rafting or the drinking tea and crackers for dinner for 10 days. Hmm, who would have thought exercise and eating less would work better than a pill. So yes, the engagement is official. It happened in the Ecuadorian Rain forest, wow! Could that get any more romantic. Not to mention it was in a lodge nestled in the trees overlooking the cloud forest, after drinking an entire bottle of cheap red wine and playing scrabble. I was exhausted from the 5 hour hike to the waterfalls and it was a perfect night to snuggle up and sit on my balcony in the rain forest drinking wine and playing German boardgames (oh I couldn't find the English scrabble). It was then that I heard the words "N, You are the one for me." "Will you marry me?" And a whole bunch of other very sweet romantic, tear jerking stuff that only people who are in love, engaged or newlyweds could appreciate. Or just any girl in general. So I will spare you all the story details, because you will probably hear it at my wedding when I say the speech of my two proposals. Yep, that is right. I get the honor of two proposals. I am not sure when the second one will be, but I am expecting down on one knee and all. Not sure if it can beat the rain forest, but I am sure it will be just as cool. The Midwestern had to ask my dad for my hand in Ecuador, so there were quite a few traditional steps he had to take before this became official. But if anyone knows me even a little, in my book I already have the date selected, colors picked, bridesmaid list, guest list, and instead of Google my homepage is http://www.theknot.com/. So it's official - Two proposals = two weddings. Clear your calendars!

ALLI

I have officially decided to start the Alli diet plan. No I am not obese or overweight. But I have a trip to South America in 3 weeks. This trip will include loads of family members whom I have not seen in a year, I can't let them think shacking up with the Midwestern caused me to put on the pounds. It is bad enough a good Catholic girl is living in sin, they will probably tell each other that was God's punishment, little do they know it was the bag of cool ranch doritos every night. Also there might be a side trip to my native land Colombia, and I could not do my people justice if I showed up with a muffin top over my low rise jeans. Besides women from Cartegena are gorgeous and voluptuous, and so I need to make sure the Midwestern does not decided to run off with some hot mama. So Alli it is! I know you have probably all heard of the terrible side effects as did I, but since I am troubled with discussing anything dealing with the digestive system that will not be in my blog. I read the 500 page book that comes with the $60.00 bottle of pills. And it is simple, don't eat fat!! You are only allowed 15 grams of fat per meal and you are 3 meals a day plus snacks between 1200-1400 calories a day (which is normal I am told). Not bad, 15 grams is more than enough. That is unless you are scarfing down a Big Mac and in that case you do not want to take Alli. And other tips are avoid fried food, fast food, cheese, greasy food, eat a balanced diet consisting of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats, etc.. So no Fettuccine Alfredo for me, but I do get to still eat all my favorite items like Tofu, Soy cheese, tofutti ice cream, veggie dogs, and fake chicken. I think this was made with me in mind. Before I know it I will be getting into my Nicole Richie outfit by next week.

My best friend's wedding

One of my best friends asked me to be her brides maid just the other day and I am elated! I have never been chosen to be a bridesmaid, except for the 5 days notice from my Ukrainian friend as she surprised me with a "I'm getting married in a week." She got engaged while in St. Petersburg on a vacation with her boyfriend. Damn these Russians act fast, well when you know what you want - why wait? That is unless your the Midwestern and in that case, just keep keep procrastinating for as long as possible. But as I played the bridesmaid role of helping her get ready, calming her down, telling her she looked beautiful and holding her dress so it would not scrape the streets of Brooklyn...Little did I know that I was training for the day when I would be asked to be a formal bridesmaid where I get to wear the same dress as four other girls, and get to attend a bridal party, bachelorette party and walk down the aisle with a groomsmen looking fab! (me that is) The following day, I called the one person I knew would be the expert in this field - bitsandgigles has attended enough weddings and been in enough wedding parties to be able to train me. Her reaction "SAY NO." I explained that I was a virgin at being a bridesmaid and I could not say no, besides I was flattered and excited. And so the journey begins. I have faith, in my dream world of bridesmaid heaven. I will get chosen to wear a sexy little black dress and not be made to put my hair up in one of those frou frou wedding do's. And then we will all go to Vegas and pole dance in a huge suite while we do shots and drink Ben and Jerry's Peanut butter ice cream. Oh wait that is my wedding!

Stop the Presses!

They are building a Tiffany's across the street from my job! Since, I will probably be 50 by the time the Midwestern proposes, I might have to start putting a down payment on the ring that I want. Which one girls??

Catch Up!

I have been out of touch because of the insane amount of reading, studying and writing that is part of law school exams. Every time exam period comes around, I pray and say "If I get through this I will never do this again." And so hence here we are another semester, another year. I survived 1st year barely, and asked God to keep me off probation and I will give him my first born. Now I am in second year, and the prayers have changed to let me get to 3rd year and he can have my second born. Since I don't foresee having too many kids, I might sacrifice the first again for graduation and maybe the second to pass the bar. We can double dip prayers right? So 2nd yr done, and summer school around the corner. Copyright ooh so exciting. My choices of class schedule has narrowed down to, who gives easy exams (take home..maybe), who doesn't take attendance and where can I get a B with little or no effort. If they pass one of the criteria, the class is sold. The problem is usually you end up with a 25 page take home. No that is not bitterness in my voice. Enough of school!
Another recent event that has given me suicidal thoughts..."I just closed on my apartment!!"
All 700 sq feet of it. If you are from the Midwest and reading this don't even bother making "GASP" noises, because I rather live in a cool hip city then drive to Walmart and the only food available are chain restaurants. Even though I do like Outback. So now I am broke, tired, and trying to pack all at the same time. I learned how to paint quickly since I don't have money to pay anyone to do it for me. I also am learning how to change bathroom fixtures, I would even mess with the lights but electricity and me don't mix. Is plastic a conductor? So back to reality. I will be eating mac n cheese and pbj's for awhile, and I will have to learn how to share closet space and try not to kill the Midwestern in such small quarters. But the upside no Jersey Jim knocking on my door on Halloween. Oh I can not wait to blast my radio the last night before I move at 1am. I hope I wake up both kids now!!!

You might be in law School if??

You know all sorts of sneaky and creative ways to steal from clients thanks to your Professionalism and Ethics class.
You consider dropping out of law school approximately every hour, but after that first semester you realized you were already in too much debt to be anything other than a lawyer.
You aspire to one day own Blackacre.
Substance abuse becomes you.
The drama in your life now rivals that of high school.
You make adverse possession jokes.
You can name without hesitation at least three people who make you want to throw things when you see them raise their hands in class.
You think IRAC and CREAC are just code for saying the same thing over and over.
You are truly and deeply unnerved by the thought of some of your classmates becoming attorneys.
You think tequila shots are essential to ordered liberty.
You wonder if that one professor who always seems angry and irritable and treats students' minds as his personal playground is actually a sociopath or just didn't get enough hugs as a child.
Sometimes during disagreements you are tempted to 12(b)(6) the offending friend or family member.
You know and understand the complicated epistemological and metaphysical differences between a conspirator and an accomplice.
You know and understand the complicated epistemological and metaphysical differences between coffee and red bull.
You can't remember if you decided to come to law school because you wanted to help people and make a difference in the world or because you hate yourself.
You think whoever came up with the Socratic method should have his face lit on fire and then beaten out with a rake.
You can't think of any legitimate reason why a law student would need access to certain public records, but you can think of a whole lot of illegitimate ones.
After the first semester you realized that "briefing a case" need only consist of looking it up on Lexis or Westlaw.
You've given yourself carpal tunnel from all the spider solitaire you play in class.
When someone is expressing their frustration or anger about something that is in any way related to the law, you can't be sympathetic because you're too busy figuring out in your head if they have a cause of action.
You hear about the death of an elderly friend or relative and wonder if they died intestate.
You have considered changing career paths to hot dog vendor, stilt walker, or career alcoholic.
You're pretty sure the reasonable prudent man is a friendless tool who still lives with his mother.

Size XXXL here I come

My entire life I have spent trying to keep myself in shape, popping diet pills, watching endless episodes of thin and trying all sorts of gimmicks. And all that work was for nothing, because that's all over. Bikini season is around the corner and ladies we no longer have to count calories, and live off liquid diets. We can eat what we want, drink what we want, even indulge in deserts and fried foods without any concern. The new bathing suit of the season doesn't have strings and is not made of that flimsy material that doesn't cover or hide any part of that pizza you ate last night. Instead it hides all your assets and conceals cellulite and the new bathing suit will not care how much Chinese food you have eaten over the weekend. Check out http://www.wholesomewear.com/page-4.html, and get rid of your hydroxycut and stacker III, I know you all hide them in your handbag where no one can see them. Instead eat, drink and be fat!!

Hair today gone tomorrow

So tomorrow is St. Paddy's Day and no callbacks on the shot girl application. Wow, what a shot to a girl's self esteem. So to make myself feel better and boost my self image, I decide to splurge and go see Flor. She is my Brazilian waxist. We have not seen each other for awhile and I missed her and her me. As I walked into the salon, I realized she had a new haircut. I complemented her and she scolded me for not visiting for so long. Well, you will pay for it she says. Oh Jeez, I know I will. So after making small talk about the shade of brown she colored her hair and the new blow/cut she got, I spread my legs and here we go. I cringed every time she "taught" me a lesson for waiting longer than 4 weeks to see her, but I forced a smile and told her I thought her eyes looked nice with the new sweater she had on. After she told me to basically touch my nose to my knees, I ran out of things to tell her so we discussed Brazil and how beautiful the women are there and how this is a must for all that live there. After all is said and done, I walk out feeling like a new woman. I realize the pain is so worth it when I look down to view the lovely work she has done. Hitler's moustache is this week's choice and I am proud as I put on my clothes. So screw you bars that refused to hire me as a shot girl. Who needs you! I am beautiful and proud and whenever I need reassurance I will just rip out my hair follicles from the root of my sensitive skin to prove it - Yes, us women are weird.

Shot Girl

So, for the past few weeks I have been desperately trying to tighten my budget in order to save up for an apartment. Yep, you heard right in this world of real estate my goal is to own a second piece of property before I am 30. It is quite the feat but if it gets done, I might end up eating peanut butter sandwiches for the next 30 years. Because of this, I am watching my budget, cutting back on mani/pedis, wax, haircuts, etc. I still do the night out on the weekends, and the occasional shopping spree at whole foods but that is just because I think eating and drinking are necessities. In the hopes of making extra money, I have been surfing Craig's list for part time jobs. I am actually looking on how to make money fast because law student, a full time job, and kickboxing is enough to occupy every minute of the week. So after I passed on numerous postings with titles such as: "open minded ladies looking to make $1000 a week" and "Do you have pretty feet?". I finally came across an ad for a St. Paddy's shot girl. Brilliant, one night of wearing some skimpy green outfit where I have to deal with drunken men all night long while they drink body shots off me. Sounds like an easy $300-500 bucks. So I send in my response and it goes something like this: 28 yr old, law student, looking to make extra cash, no experience but am quick to learn, positive, persistent and energetic. I am 5'3", 120 lbs, brown hair, brown eyes and measurements, 36x27x34. So I lied about my age by a year because the idea of being almost 30 I thought would prevent me from getting the job, I am not sure about my measurements because I never put a ruler to my ass, but I am guessing it is 2 inches smaller than my breasts. I figured the waist by a pair of pants I am wearing and I scrapped 4 lbs off my weight - Ay what do they know, they won't put me on a scale will they?? I might have to take diuretics and run around the bar in a trash bag to loose the extra 4 lbs if they do. Or I hear there is this salon that wraps you up in foil and cooks you and you are guaranteed to loose 6 inches. Not sure how pleasant that would be, but hey whatever it takes.

Nip and tuck

I am not sure why the idea of plastic surgery has suddenly become my new obsession. It might be because I have tapped out of all furniture searches for small spaces. If I watch any more HGTV shows, I think the Midwestern is going to leave me. I am not sure what did it, but I guess it had something to do with Pimp my Bath playing in the background during a romantic interlude. So instead I have decided to look up ways that I can suck huge amounts of fat deposits from my body. I am very scared of pain, and I am sure that I would chicken out kind of like when you are waiting on line for the front row of the roller coaster and you end up slipping underneath the bar and run out before it is my turn. I can't imagine how I would sneak out of an operating room, maybe I can stuff some pillows underneath the white sheet and then sneak out through the back. The problem is how can I not get noticed with the hospital gown on and my bubble butt showing through the back. Maybe I can get a free ride back to Hoboken?

40 yr old virgin

I am walking down Wall street being passed by my morning breakfast of good looking men in 3 piece navy blue suits. And while I am passing the stock exchange, getting ready to enter my gold skyscraper that I call home from 9-5, I am bumped by a black and white furry bear. No, there was not a bear walking around the financial district. But instead there is a 40 yr old woman dressed in a hooded parka who just walked past me, with a blue backpack that has a stuffed panda bear attached to her zipper. I start to think that maybe I should not have skipped breakfast until I realized that this is the same woman that I heard in the copy room say “I am not allowed to sleep over a boys house.” No we do not support child labor. This is in fact a 40 yr old woman. I could hear my mother’s voice in my head say “I do not want you playing with that girl, she is very strange.” I was in the copy room one morning when I heard Goldilocks telling another co-worker that she told her parents she was sleeping over a co-workers house for the weekend so she could actually stay over her boyfriend’s house. Which sounds vaguely like an excuse I used 15 years ago. Apparently, she has been dating the same guy for years and lives at home with mom and dad AND they still think she is a virgin. Oh did I mention the Easter bunny was in the copy room too. I felt as if I am watching a scene from Pleasantville and any minute now I will see a shade of red. Or so I hope. I think my parents sort of gave up on me somewhere in my teens, when they realized that girls in my neighborhood were buying maternity clothes. I am not sure if it was the panda bear attached to her Jansport that gave this woman’s parents the idea that she is still a budding flower, but I could not fathom that people like that exist. I should have known when she showed up at work in pink UGGS.

Hi my name is Conchita!

Why is it that I open up my hotmail account to read a message that goes something like this...My name is Guadalupe. I found your email on that dating site.I also love sex on the side. I have a loving partner but he is working 16 hours a day and we have sex only once a week :(If you are interested and wanna see my pictures just email me at___. No I am not revealing the email address just in case it is a legitimate e-mail and we establish a lesbian relationship. Where in the world does my e-mail pop up that these crazy websites find me? Was it that one time that I was curious what tea bagging was?! Could googling the velvet rope get my e-mail snatched by these dirty hackers? Damn, if I would have known it was that easy to get an offer of sex from a sexy Latin girl, I would have googled dirty porn long time ago, or just stayed at home with myself and Bugs.

My Hero

There was a time when action movies were entertaining and even though they were sometimes outrageous we could have fun living vicariously through Bond. Now, we are forced to deal with action heroes like Jason Statham, Vin Diesel, and the Rock. Each of these actors has had one good movie that gave them this title, but they have all slowly moved to more ridiculous characters. Which has caused me to loose all hope in the action hero of this generation. When Vin Diesel is changing diapers and fighting crime with a baby bottle in his hand, I begin to forget what attracted me to his lovely bald head. When the Rock is wearing a baby blue powder suit while fighting crime, I start to think what happened to the guy who could beat up five guys with a 2x4 and somehow still make a sweaty black BVD look good. Then we have the guy who used to be my favorite super star Jason Statham, a.k.a. Frank Martin, http://www.transportermovie.com/home.html. I seem to notice a baldness connection, which works out well in case the Midwestern ever looses his hair. So long as it is a good head, not egg shaped like Brad Pitt. Who thought he could look so bad http://www.tmz.com/2006/12/01/brad-gets-bald-in-big-easy. Okay back to "Frank", I was so excited when it was time to watch the sequel, I put on my favorite pajamas and grabbed the light microwave popcorn and pressed play with the same excitement that comes on Monday nights at 9p.m. to watch my man Jack. After the 1st hour into the movie, I was ready to turn it off. Jason had disappointed me with ridiculous stunts that made Spider man seem believable (another bald one). And what was going on with the blonde with anorexia and non waterproof mascara?? I think I threw my popcorn in the air after I saw him race the Audi 8 into the air and over the dock, flip it over while the hook of a crane catches a bomb. The bomb explodes, but his car somehow lands safely and the "Frank" is without a scratch. [Besides the fact that I know want an Audi]. I have given up! I am moving on to turtlenecks and Ron Burgundy. At least then I can look forward to the receding hair line.

Hard Knock Life for Us

It is ten below zero, the crowd is yelling at decibels way too high for my ears (perhaps my dog can hear it). I can't hear myself think and my fingers have frostbite. No, I was not watching the superbowl in Chicago, I was at Jay-Z's club 40/40 http://www.the4040club.com/

The ultimate hot spot for Superbowl everyone says. Yeah, maybe if your a polar bear with the salary of a Chicago Bear. This place not only broke my bank account, but I could not even speak to anyone at the table (Did I mention the hypothermia?). The plasmas were so loud, I thought my eardrums were going to come out of my head. I do not care who owns this place, but no one in the city of Manhattan should be able to charge $90 for mozzarella sticks. It is fried cheese! I was dining at Vong on Friday and spent less. Since when did Jean George get cheaper than Beyonce and Jay-z? And if I am dropping $180 to drink bud light and eat mozzarella sticks and wings, then why can't Jay-z afford to put some heat in this place? Maybe because he dropped $4 million to build this damn bar, he must have run out of cash before he was able to put the boiler in. The web site says "We tried to create a place that would be favorable to both men and women, and we think we have found it with the combination of sports and an upscale hip lounge." I don't know about you girls, but last time I checked fried twinkies and sliders were not my idea of an upscale lounge. I may need to have a talk with Beyonce. On a positive note, you can purchase a membership for $1,500 to gain unlimited access to the VIP room. Maybe they have heat there?

Size does matter

So just when I thought my insecurities about being short were unwarranted, I read an article on msn.com that states the taller you are the more money you will make. Now, if I didn't already have a million reasons why I should buy 5 inch stilettos, besides making my calves look phenomenal in skirts, and adding a little spice in the bedroom. Now I have to add the fact that it might allow me to make a 6 figure salary. God, will this ever end? I already think I have a problem, and have secretly admitted myself into shopaholics anonymous, and now I am forced to go out and buy all new shoes to ensure that my 5 foot 2 stature does not prevent me from succeeding in life. The amount of pressure that this puts on me and my Nordstrom card is quite stressful. I am not sure exactly how I will be able to overcome this. Perhaps through some serious psychological counseling and a couple shots of tequila. But I am weary about my possibilities of survival in this world when I am constantly trying to compete with: 5'10" women who make more money, therefore allowing them to afford better clothes, who then get taller men, who also make more money, thus allowing them to wear better clothes. Then they buy a fancy apartment and both of them make children who are tall, beautiful and rich (with nice clothes). Next thing you know, the happier, taller, richer people start taking over. Soon, you will see them everywhere, because they will be posted on billboards, advertising the new condos that I can't afford. K, when they beep you on the apocalypse don't forget to get me in the Saks shoe department.

Gingko anyone?

So I have diagnosed myself with ADD or I think the adult version is ADHD. I took a quiz on-line and yep I have it. I decided that this might be an issue when all within 1 hour I was on-line searching for apartments in Hobo, flights to Chicago, housewarming gifts on Macys.com. I get so obsessed and overwhelmed with the amount of things I want and need to do, and next thing you know I have 10 windows open and I wonder why my computer crashed. The apartment hunting is because I have this vision of being the next Trump and owning all of Hudson street, the flight is for another wedding (damn it! If one more person gets married I am becoming a lesbian), and the housewarming gift is for my newly divorced, father of a beautiful baby girl, friend of 10 years (wait that sounded weird). Oh, so I guess I should also have a toysrus.com window too! New father's housewarming party is the same night of K's birthday and it took so much trouble to get reservations at the TBA (Ha you thought I would spill it) that I am going to have to either miss it entirely, or show up fashionably late (as always). But not without a story on how wonderful the evening was - OOh I feel like I am competing with K's birthday surprise of Batali and Jean George all in one night. How can I compete?? But I will try. I don't know how being diagnosed with ADHD has anything to do with Batali, but alas here we are. Off to some more window shopping.

Look dead bird flying!

I am not sure what we have done to piss off the powers to be, but the headlines on the news has caused me to wonder. On Saturday, people are walking around Hobo in tank tops and shorts; there are dead birds in Austin; barn owls are dying in droves in southern Idaho; and today there is a weird odor in NY. Could it have something to do with Wielgus collaborating with the Polish communist?

Bling Bling

I don’t know when I decided to stop being shallow…But I am sure it was somewhere between realizing my rich suga' daddy was really someone else’s daddy and having my 2 carat diamond ring stolen by some guy named Pinchingo. I guess I woke up one morning and realized: 1) I had no diamonds 2) who knows when I will ever see that many carats again (chicken soup perhaps), 3) I no longer had a fat ugly bf with deep pockets. In this epiphany came the notion: Why should women get diamond engagement rings? There are kids killing each other and people dying for these stones, just so I could wear it on my hand and show it off at Del Posto. So instead I thought I would be different, I would get a non-diamond engagement ring. Brilliant! Everyone would ask me and I would tell my good heart felt story (which everyone knows I love so much) and it would be different, and people would think me so kind. That was until Leonardo Di Caprio ruined it for me. The movie “Blood diamond” has started this exact trend. And as much as I am glad that a blockbuster movie may have put an awareness to the blood baths in Africa, it also stole my idea! Now what? So I am in search of new ideas. K has suggested an engagement necklace, I am opting more for an engagement piercing, but it has to be in a place where I can show it to the parents. Or tattoo rings – Miami ink here I come! Or maybe I can find some rare stone that can only be mined in Uzbekistan or Nepal and then I can have a Sherpa help bring down my engagement stone from the mountain. Could make for quite the story? Or I could just go back to the traditional idea of a big fat diamond rock which costs about three months salary…Hmm, who needs to save the world anyway. Too bad because I really would have liked to have Ami with a needle to my calf while I rubbed his head for good luck. .

Happy New Year

It has officially been about one year since I have posted in my blog, and my new years resolution is to make a diligent effort to keep this blog up to date. Where did 2006 leave me? I am still struggling in law school, but I have officially hit the hump! I am half way to paying $1000/month in student loans. Oh, the things to look forward to. I figure it will resemble my life now, eating at Bouley while putting off my cable bill for 2 months. Who needs Lifetime anyway? This past year was a difficult semester, as I had a nervous breakdown after having a 4 hour exam on hearsay. All of a sudden easements and covenants sounded exciting to me. Without fail, spring semester starts in a week, and I am excited (I always was a masochist) to jump right back in to giving up my social life again, eating anything in microwavable form, walking around in slippers and sweats for weeks at a time, and listening to Podcasts of lectures instead of the latest song on Jack FM. Aside from school, my social life has improved in 2006. No psycho bf, or crazy Russians. Still going strong with the Midwestern (except now employed and sharing the same time zone). So, even though the rent on the new crib in Hobo is the GDP of a 3rd world country, we are pretty happy with the new living situation. In conclusion, the new year has brought me more disposable income, more debt, escrow issues (don't ask), and cutting down on Spike's daycare to twice a week. How else am I going to save money for the trip to Barcelona on spring break? Ahh, the more things change the more they stay the same.

Let them eat cake

One of the exercises that we were asked to do in Criminal Law class is to come up with "a story" for the defendant we represent. Now this exercise can be quite fun, yet disturbing at the same time. Especially when you are blaming drunkeness on beating a grandmother to death, or a seizure being the reason the defendant ran over his cheating wife. or my favorite was the lawyer that constructed the "story" of the husband who threw his wife overboard on their honeymoon because she ate too much cake. Remind me to stay away from the lemon meringue.

Battle of the Bulge

Any who has known me even for a fraction of my life, knows that I have always been thin. I am not saying this to brag, I have a fast metabolism and I was always small as a child and teenager too. But the days of eating bags of cheez doodles and powdered donuts are over. Since May of last year I have somehow managed to put on 16 lbs. Now I am a whopping 5 feet 2 inches, and regardless of the 5 inch heels I am a short girl. You see, 16 lbs on me makes me look a little bit like Daniel Baldwin. Yep that bad guys! Luckily, the LIL has not noticed and even if he has, he still tells me I look beautiful. AHH, love is blind. But when I tried to put on those tight little courderoy hip huggers the other day, and I could not get them past my J-lo on steroids ass I realized I was done. It was time to make a change. But what did I do wrong? Was it the changing of jobs? Changing of BF's? Was it the late night meals, or the new chef in the house? Finally, I narrowed it down to the Cappucino muffins, and the Freshman 15. So after many weekends hiding in sweats and having sex in the dark, until that black Friday when my dad told me I was putting on the pounds. Okay goodbye muffins! I decided about a month ago to do what I never thought I would be doing - Dieting. And don't get me wrong nothing wrong with it, except that there are so maby fad diets out there that it has become a craze. One day it is the eat all fat, grease, fries, steak and eggs, and loose weight diet, the following week it is eat only raw foods, then no white foods, etc... When it came for me to join the fat wagon, I decided on good ole fashion diet...WW. I don't have to spell it out, those that are on it know exactly who I am talking about. The LIL doesn't know I am a member, but I am sure my internet history doesn't lie. Especially, when everything that pops up is points, smartones, and I just dropped $50 on Lean cuisine. So here I am - 8 lbs lighter and counting. My goal was to drop 3 more lbs by the time I go to Puerto Rico, which is tomorrow. Which means unless I purge or take tons of horsetail, it aint going to happen. But I am okay with that, I am still throwing the bikini on and will be walking down San Juan with my head up high. Because the one advantage to sun bathing in Latin countries is that latin men love a good size booty and thighs. Thank god for my people! If not for the love of the curves, every Hispanic would be forced to look like Kate Moss. But since the men all want your ass to look like a mix between Beyonce and Scarlett Johansen - I am all set for the weekend. And the good news is that the Lean Cusine's have not burned me out yet, but I have become overly obsessive (like I do with most things). It is a sad day when I am counting 21 cheetos on my plate.

Baby Come Back

Well it has been way too many months since I have posted anything of any relevance, not including the angry letter to the editor that I was so very proud of. Well let’s cut to the chase and do a briefing on what’s been going on since the last entry. In October, the Midwestern came back (a.k.a. BF). After two weeks of heavenly bliss, and endless days of not getting out of bed, all that patience finally resulted in permanent residence. The BF abroad has graduated to Live in Lover. Quite a feat considering that he was first the friend, (after a messy break up with Hitler and a rebound with the Russian) then the friend with benefits, then the commitment phobic BF, then the somewhat serious but leaving for sabbatical BF, and finally the BF abroad. (Long distance sucks in case anyone has not figured that out by now). Go back through the Archives if you missed any episodes. The one advantage to having the BF abroad were the lavish exotic places I visited for our romantic rendezvous. (And of course the shower in the jungle). After a transitional and very exciting 10 months, I think we have developed into quite the couple. Even though we were pretty head over heels over each other for most of it, it was just a matter of getting him to stay still (read Taxi entry). I would even be bold enough to say we have become the envy of most, so perhaps that is why I have avoided writing in the blog. Because no one who has any brain cells wants to hear all the lovey dovey details of someone else’s relationship. It is almost as bad as putting a picture of the two of you on your cell phone (okay yes I have one of those too - I can’t help it). What’s next? His face as my MSN messenger icon? Damn it, too late! (Just kidding Kim) Lets be honest, the exciting blog entries are those that contain ugly fights, hidden wives, suga daddy’s, and restraining orders. Ahh memories…So since for once in my life I don’t have any cheating boyfriends, jealous lovers, or saggy ass booty calls, I figured I would take a break from the blog writing. Until I was out the other night, and I realized there is still plenty to discuss besides googly eyes. So I am back and hopefully with a vengeance. Stay tuned “battle of the bulge”.

Memoirs of a Geisha

In response to the article "Real Estate In Ecuador Beachfront And Mountains" ~ By Jorge Loor Zambrano. This article gives a brief description of purchasing property in Ecuador that was for the most part accurate; however, what disturbed me most was the last paragraph. Mr. Zambrano wrote "And why not mention about those Men that are looking for good wife (Ecuadorian women are similar to geishas...they take very good care of their husbands)... This is a great place to find dedicated women."
Not only does this comment by Mr. Zambrano paint him, and your magazine by association, as endorsers of sweeping gender and racial stereotypes, it is inaccurate. It may be true that members of powerful, wealthy nations like the United States have historically gone to economically challenged areas--within the United States or beyond its borders--with the hope that they may use their money to lure women to become servile wives. That this is a practice that obviously attempts to objectify, if not dehumanize women is not my concern in this letter. My concern is that your magazine fully endorses, recommends, and thereby celebrates viewing women in this light, more specifically Ecuadorian women, making the claim that "Ecuadorian women are similar to geishas."
A geisha is defined as "a Japanese woman trained to entertain men with conversation and singing and dancing." Even though strictly speaking Geisha does not mean prostitute, the word “geisha” contains connotations of prostitution. There has been much confusion regarding this inaccurate depiction in Western popular culture, specifically in the United States. Hence, the comments by Mr. Zambrano are insulting to the women of Ecuador, more so to women in general. A woman’s character should not be judged solely by her ability on being a “good wife”, especially when the standard that is being used is based on the act of obedience, submissiveness, or sexual favors.
In order to remove the ignorance associated with this comment, I would like to give you an example of what is truly an Ecuadorian woman:
In 1944 a woman named Dolores Cacuango founded the Ecuadorian Federation of Indians (FEI) and led Indigenous forces in an attack on the local army barracks in Cayambe. In Quito, white feminists including Nela Martínez and Luisa Gómez de la Torre who had founded the Ecuadorian Feminist Alliance (AFE) helped organize a human enclosure around the Government Palace in Quito and gained the surrender of the men stationed there. Without the support of the military, Arroyo resigned the presidency. Contemporary reports indicated that the women's committees played an important role in the large street demonstrations which accompanied this major change in government.
According to a recent report by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, 7% of the local governments are women, and in 1999 15% of the Ecuadorian Congress were women. In 2000, a total of 24.8 % of women were represented in politics. In order to increase woman participation in politics in Ecuador, a quota was established. Ecuador has a 20% quota law that requires women's participation as candidates in legislative elections. In Latin America, Ecuador was the first to recognize women's political rights, in 1929.
Yes, Ecuador is a great place to find a dedicated woman. An example of what kind of woman can be found in Ecuador would be someone like Angiolina "Angie" Wiskocil. Angiolina Wiskocil, is an Ecuadorian woman who is the Senior Vice President of Network Services of SBC Communications Inc. She is an Ecuadorian woman who is responsible for network operations strategy and staff support, capital program management, and network regulatory support, and has headed the SBC/Yahoo strategic alliance, been vice president for Network Engineering West, and served on California's United Task Force to bridge the "Digital Divide." She also has represented SBC Communications in the national women's group Leadership America in the United States.
But let us not forget to mention, that Ecuador for a brief period of time, had a woman president. For a couple of days, Vice President Rosali'a Arteaga, initially backed by the military, and Fabia'n Alarco'n, head of Congress, jockeyed for the post of president. While taking time out of her role as a “geisha”, she has also been a central figure in the affairs of Ecuador for many years. Rosalía Arteaga Serrano was vice president in 1996-97 and served briefly as the country’s president during a constitutional crisis in February 1997. Before that she held a number of important government positions, such as minister of education, culture, and sports; president of the National Council of Development; and several other prominent posts in the Ministry of Education and Culture and other areas. She was also a councilwoman in her native city of Cuenca in 1986-88. Today, as secretary-general of the Brazil-based Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, she plays a major role in helping to restore the Amazon region and rescue it from the threat of environmental disaster. She works at high levels with the governments of all the countries in the region. A journalist and a lawyer, Ms. Arteaga has written several books and publishes articles and columns regularly in newspapers, magazines, and journals.
Other woman whom have played a major role in Ecuador include, but are not limited to: Cynthia Vitery, deputy of the Christian Social Party, possible candidate for presidency, Nina Pacari the first Indigineous woman to be elected to vice president of the Ecuador’s National Assembly, and deputy of the Pachakutic party, possible candidate for the presidency, Ximena Bohorquez, Congresswoman and the first lady of Ecuador.
As written by Doris Solis Carrion, the first female vice mayor of the city of Cuenca; “Ecuador [Cuenca] is giving its full support to women's empowerment and to the realization of their rights and aspirations. By doing so, it is building a more democratic society which can serve as an example for other regions…"
Not only was the comment by Mr. Zambrano a racial and gender stereotype, it is also untrue. Ecuador has historically led the way in Latin America in the area of women's rights and civil liberties.

Natalie E. Flores


References
Mujeres y poder politico en Latino America, International IDEA, 2002, Mala N. Htun

Women in power: from tokenism to critical mass., Foreign Policy, Jaquette, Jane S.,; Fall 1997, n108, p23(15)
The Politics of Exclusion, Ecuador's Glorious May Revolution of 1944 , Assistant Professor of History, Truman State University, Marc Becker
The 50 Most Important Hispanics in Technology & Business: Pushing to the Top in American Industry, Hispanic Engineer
http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/Candidates_Vice2000.htm
The political participation of Indigenous woman in the Ecuadorian Congress, Nina Pacari
Creating Laws to Combat Violence Against Women, Doris Solis Carrion

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego

So it has been way too long since I updated the blog and with good reason, the BF has landed and I have not been able to come up for air. School has been kicking my a*S and I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. All I can hope is that the final grade will show for all the hard work I have been through. The return of the BF was anything but easy. I spent three days on the phone with a ghetto South American airline threating to call the US embassy for losing a plane of 150 passengers. It looks like in order to avoid some showers in Costa Rica, some honor student at this airline decided to land the plane in a disaster zone where 250 just died from a hurricane. I spent hours on the phone trying to figure out when the plane was being removed from hurricane alley and onto safe ground in NYC. No one was able to tell me anything, every hour, they told me they landed in another country - from Honduras to Nicaragua, but never did they mention where the passengers really were which was El Salvador. So after four days of traveling from Buenos Aires to NYC, I am sure my BF was glad to be home. He told me stories of earthquakes and queens from Japan, but for the most part his adventure to El Salvador was unproductive. And I was glad that I did not have drive to JFK again just to be turned back to Jersey at 2 am in the morning. Damn the things we do for sex. A lot has changed since the return of my don quixote. The living arrangement is now a permanent one. I know there was a period of time when we both thought that it was temporary, but as my previous blogs have explained about the economics of the tri state area...People move in with each other faster here than out west because of the exuberant amount of money you pay in rent. Not to mention the six rounds of sex on a Sunday afternoon. The past month has been seamless, and I can not lie and say that the new roomate is putting a cramp in my style. Because the truth of the matter is, there is nothing but good things to say about the way things are going. You hear all the horror stories of snoring, toilet seats that stay up, fights, and toothpaste on the sink. I was scared too, because the last time someone tried to live with me, I ended up almost pulling my hair out. This time I have someone else to pull my hair. Ahh the joys of moving in together.