Peppy's Dream Moving Adventure Blog

Before I start today's blog, I have to show you a picture of Chelsea after coming in from the rain.  Is she the cutest, or what?

I was supposed to pick up my friend, Stephen, from LaGuardia Airport this afternoon, but he arrived in NY early, because his return trip from Libya (yes, Stephen, world traveler that he is, went on a 3-week tour of Libya!) got a little detoured and instead of ending up in Toronto, he ended up in Newark on Friday.  Since he was supposed to fly here on Monday anyway, he figured he’d just stay!

So, instead of picking him up at the airport this afternoon, instead I had lunch with my old friend, Nancy, and I’m going to see a Wednesday matinee with Stephen, which suits us just fine!

Nancy, Eric and I became friends in 1989.  Nancy used to date one of Eric’s best friends, before she married her husband, Charley.  At the time, she and I worked in the same building in Manhattan – 1251 Avenue of the Americas – the old Exxon building.  She worked for Shea & Gould, the law firm (yes, Shea Stadium was named after Bill Shea of Shea & Gould).  I was working for Price Waterhouse (not yet PricewaterhouseCoopers).

We hit it off immediately and became the very best of friends.  In fact, Nancy even lived with me and Eric for six months (in the leopard room upstairs) when she was in-between apartments!  When she left, Eric and I had “empty nest syndrome.”

Nancy was such a good friend and although we never lived more than a few miles apart, we did lose touch for a while.  I got back in touch with her right before we moved to San Diego, because I just couldn’t bear to leave town without saying a proper goodbye.

Nancy has been married for about 15 years and has three beautiful daughters, Katherine, Olivia, and Charlotte.  Today, I met Nancy for lunch and we went to a great Thai place on Bell Boulevard in Bayside called Erewan.  Then, we went to their school to pick them all up and bring them home.  It was so much fun.

Have you ever seen three sweeter, more beautiful girls, smiling so nicely?

Nancy and I had a chance to catch up and then I got to see how grown up the girls are.  Her oldest is now 12 and the youngest is 6.  It’s hard to believe our little Nancy has three daughters – one of whom is almost a teenager.  Since Nancy is about 5 years younger than me (7 years younger than Eric) we always thought of her as being so young – thus the “Miss Nancy.”  I’ll never know how that started, but we both called her that.

Recently, I was working with a girl named Nancy in San Diego and I told her I always had the urge to call her Miss Nancy, because it just seemed right to put “Miss” before “Nancy!”  She didn’t get it!

Anyway, I left Nancy's house with her three beautiful daughters doing their homework together at the dining room table and came home to meet Eric.  We took a nap (what else?) and then Eric made us crab cakes and my leftover salad from last night for dinner.  I saw that there was a PBS Special called FINDING BILLY ELLIOT from 8:00pm – 9:30pm, so of course I made Eric watch it, much to his chagrin.

Mrs. Peppy and Miss Nancy

Although he loved the show, watching an hour and a half of how they scoured the country auditioning thousands of boys to find the three who now play Billy on Broadway was not his idea of fun.  He quickly fell back to sleep.

It was such a great special and, at the very end, Greg gave a backstage tour.  He’s so funny and cute.  I love him!  I really think I'm his biggest fan!

Tomorrow I’m going to take Andrew and Susan out to brunch and then Susan’s going to work and Andrew and I are going to resolve some problems with my new laptop.  It’s not really problems with the laptop, but rather me learning how to do certain things.  The laptop is really fabulous and I’m loving it so far, adjusting to the new keyboard and, I think, typing as fast as ever!

I’m even adjusting to the new mouse and it’s hardly slowing me down at all!  I am so grateful that Andrew helped me pick out what to buy and then set it all up for me.  When I go back to SD the only thing I’ll have to do myself is get the printer going.  I hope I can handle that much!

Eric started working downtown today – near Wall Street, so he drove into work and didn’t have to take the express bus and train as he usually does.  I was happy about that, because he doesn’t hit much traffic that early (6:00am) and it’s a much easier commute!

I was going to take Susan and Andrew out for brunch before Andrew helped me with my new laptop, but they’re having their upstairs bathroom renovated and Andrew needed to be home.

Since I wasn’t going over that early, I decided to do a food shopping for Eric, so he wouldn’t have to bother while I’m in Florida.  I went to Waldbaum’s where I did my food shopping for 21 years.  Everything was in pretty much the same place as it always was and it was amazing how much I remembered, even though I haven’t been there in a year and a half.

I got him chicken cutlets, which he likes to cook up and then put on bread for a sandwich every day.  He says it’s easier than dealing with cold cuts (how hard are cold cuts?).  I also got him some healthy snacks, like hummus and baked whole wheat chips.

And, for me – Diet Lemon Snapple Iced Tea – so I’d have something entertaining to drink while I’m hanging out here!

After I brought everything back to the apartment and dropped it off, I drove to New Hyde Park and stopped at STARBUCKS (of course!).  I forgot to mention yesterday that the first person to EVER bring me to STARBUCKS, the person responsible for this addiction of mine – is Miss Nancy!!!!!!  Many years ago – it must have been the early 90s, she took me to a STARBUCKS in Great Neck – which was the first one in the area, I believe.

I wasn’t that impressed then, but it grew on me – boy, did it grow on me.  I told Nancy of my current obsession and how she started it all and we laughed.  Who knew?

Anyway, I got myself a non-fat latte and got one for Andrew, too.  I also picked us up some “breakfast sandwiches” because I was getting hungry.  Mine was egg and veggies and his was low-fat turkey bacon, no-cholesterol egg and low-fat cheese on a muffin.  It looked really good and he said it tasted great, too!

We enjoyed our snack (it’s really not much of a lunch, but it hit the spot!) while three or four guys were in and out of the house (walking on drop cloths) cutting tile outside on the wet wheel and installing it in the bathroom upstairs.

Eric used to work on a wet wheel a lot, so I’m familiar with them.  Their bathroom will be done this week and I know it’s hell when you’re undergoing construction, but when it’s done they’ll definitely be in heaven.

The tile they chose is a warm and cozy terra cotta color with yellows and browns running through it.  They wanted a dark grout, which I thought would look so rich and beautiful.  Unfortunately, while we were working on the computer, one of the guys let Andrew know that they needed two more boxes of wall tiles – they didn’t have enough.  He also needed some other stuff and gave Andrew a whole shopping list!

I had a chance to show Andrew the problem I was having downloading pictures from my camera to the new laptop, but we didn’t have a chance to resolve it.  I decided the best course of action was just to leave the new laptop there and let Andrew work on it while I’m in Florida, because I was planning to take the old one there anyway.  I can still do everything I need to on the old one.

I would have offered to stay with Chelsea, the poodle, while Andrew ran his errands, but I never stay in their house more than ½ hour anyway, because I’m always worried about my allergies/asthma.  I actually started to feel it in my throat, so I knew I had to leave anyway.

I left Andrew with my laptop and headed back to Queens.  I came right back to the apartment and watched TV and, before I knew it, Eric was home.  He said he made great time with the car and he actually got home almost an hour earlier than he usually does.

He said tomorrow he’s going to put his bike in the car and ride from Chinatown to his job, because he didn’t like paying so much for parking!  I think it’s great, because that’s what he always used to do – drive part way and ride his bike the rest of the way.  It’s good exercise for him, and he likes to save money, my economic Eric!

After we talked for a while, I fell asleep, but he just watched TV while I napped.  When I woke up at 5:00pm he made us a delicious dinner of grilled cheese and salad, and also cooked the chicken I had bought with gorgonzola cheese and asparagus.  Now, he’ll have chicken cutlets for sandwiches for the rest of the week, and with asparagus for dinner one night!

Eric and I have always enjoyed just hanging out at home.  We don’t need to run around a lot – never have.  We've always been total homebodies.  We relaxed, watched TV and enjoyed each other’s company.  He said he’s going to miss me when I leave, and I told him I’m going to miss him, too.  It’s going to be very hard to be separated again after 9 weeks apart -- this time for 5 months -- but time flies and I’ll be back here before you know it!

My friend Stephen and I are going to the theatre tomorrow!  He got us tickets to see a matinee of YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.  I’m so happy.  It really is the one show I have wanted to see so badly, and it’s closing in January , so I’m glad we get to see it before it’s gone.  I’m sure they’ll have a touring company, and I’m sure it will eventually come to San Diego, but it may not be there while I’m there, so it’s best to catch it while I can.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN won BEST MUSICAL in 2008.  I have always been a big fan of MEL BROOKS movies and Young Frankenstein was one of my favorites (THE PRODUCERS and BLAZING SADDLES are the other two).  I’m not sure if Megan Mullaly is still starring, but I’m hoping she is, because I’m a big fan.  I saw her pre-WILL & GRACE when she starred on Broadway in HOW TO SUCCEED.

I can’t wait to see Stephen tomorrow and hear of his trip to Libya.  I haven’t seen him since June of 2007.  He came down to NYC to see me and Eric before we left NY.  He and I are “Broadway buddies.”  We used to go see all the musicals together and it’s been hard on both of us since I’ve been in SD.  Stephen is happy I’m coming back to NY, because there are lots of great musicals we haven’t seen and we have a lot of catching up to do in 2009!

So, just one more day until I leave for Florida!  I’m so happy I’m able to fit in a trip to Delray Beach to see my parents.  They’re so excited that I’m coming, and I’m happy as can be!  My mom already told me she’ll take me shopping on Friday, because Eric wants me to pick out something special from him for my birthday.  That’s always fun – going shopping and knowing you can buy whatever you want!  I’m not much of a mall person, but I’m sure I’ll find something I can’t live without!

They also told me they’re taking me to the movies Friday night and bought tickets to see a play at a local theatre on Saturday night, so it will be a fun-filled visit.  I’m so excited!

So, I wanted to download a couple of pictures I took today of Chelsea (my new favorite photography subject!) and I couldn't find the white cord that connects from the camera to the laptop.  I remembered putting it in the laptop bag when I took the old one back from Andrew's house.  I KNEW I had put it in there, but I couldn't find it.  You know those laptop bags -- they have about 20 zippered compartments and I checked every single one -- several times, but no cord.

I called Andrew and he said he didn't see it, but that I should shake the case upside down (he always has such great technical advice!).  I tried that, but still no case!  I figured maybe it fell out in the car (I couldn't imagine how, but I figured that's what must have happened), so I asked Eric to get dressed and go out to the car, but first I asked him to check the case, because Andrew had said it was probably in there somewhere.

Believe it or not, Eric said he could feel it through the lining, and we discovered it was in a "hidden zipper compartment."  I don't even know how I found the zipper to put it in there, but there it was!  Boy, was I relieved!  I knew I had put it in there, and thought I was losing my mind!

Anyway, I got to download the photos, so I'm definitely going to show them to you!

Here's Andrew and Chelsea.  For some reason, Chelsea is too shy to pose by herself.  She needs Andrew for support!

Here's Chelsea with two helping hands!

I really took pictures this afternoon because I was having trouble downloading pictures on the new laptop and wanted to show Andrew how it was working, so I took a few photos of their beautiful home.  Susan collects Lustreware, which is one of the most beautiful items I sold in the shop.  Made in the 1930s and 1940s, this elegant dinnerware sets the most gorgeous table and, as you can see, makes a beautiful display.

Many of these pieces were purchased in Peppy's Dream, some by Andrew as a gift for Susan!

Not only were some of these pieces purchased in Peppy's Dream, but the piece of furniture they are displayed in below was bought there, too!

Eric drove into Manhattan this morning, parked in Chinatown and rode his bicycle over to the job.  He said it was pretty easy, but he wanted to buy a backpack.

I decided to go to TARGET this morning, before heading into the city to meet Stephen for the matinee.  First, I stopped at MODELL’S, because I thought they might have backpacks.  They did, but nothing good for Eric.

So, then I went down the block to TARGET and found exactly what I was looking for in 5 minutes.  I also picked up a set of two baking pans, because he was cooking his chicken cutlets in take-out aluminum containers!

I stopped at STARBUCKS in TARGET on my way out and then headed into Manhattan.  It was only 10:30am, but I figured there might be a lot of traffic and maybe I’d still pick Stephen up at noon.
Turns out, there wasn’t ANY traffic and I picked him up at the apartment where he stays (Riverside Drive and 88th Street) at 11:30am.

The exterior of the building where his friends live (and where he stays when he visits NY from Canada) is the exterior shot of WILL & GRACE’S apartment in Manhattan.  I always feel very glamorous picking Stephen up or dropping him off there!

We drove downtown and parked on 42nd Street, since YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is playing at the HILTON THEATRE, which is on 42nd Street right off Broadway.  We just went to a little Italian place for lunch, where you go along with a tray and can get pizza, pasta or salad.  Nothing fancy!  I got baked ziti (and I have to admit it was fabulous).  Stephen got lasagna with vegetables on the side.

It was so great to see him again after a year and a half.  He is wearing his hair very short (he cut it so it would be easy when he was vacationing in Libya) and I told him he looks like a school boy!  So handsome.

He told me a lot about his trip to Libya and it sounded fantastic – so much history and so many beautiful landscapes.  Sleeping out under the stars in the Sahara Desert sounds like a little too much roughing it for a girl like me, but Stephen’s a real world traveler and is always looking for the next great adventure!  I wish I could have seen pictures, but he didn’t have any available yet.

Jimmy had asked me to get him a XANADU baseball cap while visiting in New York and Stephen and I had some time before and after lunch, so we wandered in and out of about 5 souvenir shops, but I couldn’t find one.  One guy actually told us another shop to go to on 44th Street across from the Majestic Theatre, which is specifically a Broadway souvenir shop, rather than a New York souvenir shop, but they only had one left – white with gold lettering.  I called Jimmy in San Fran, but he didn’t want it.  He only wanted black.  Oh well, we tried.

There may not have been any Xanadu caps, but there was plenty of Betty Boop (as always)!

I thought the guy sending us from his souvenir shop to another souvenir shop was very “Miracle on 34th Street,” and thanked him profusely.  I ended up buying something in his shop anyway, because I wanted to bring back a souvenir for the boy who is watching CONRAD.  I got him a small metal Empire State Building with a removable plastic King Kong.  I think he’ll love it!

There's my handsome school boy!

We walked over to Times Square to see the new TKTS, which has been under construction for several years and just recently reopened.  I had seen on TV that they built these big orange/red steps leading to nowhere.  You can just hang out on the steps, or climb to the top to get an amazing view of Times Square and the traffic going downtown.  We loved it!

Stephen's going to see Liza at The Palace, so I took these pictures of him by the poster!

Then, we walked back to 42nd Street and went inside.  Turns out we had EXCELLENT seats, even though Stephen had purchased them at TKTS downtown (where you can buy tickets for the Wednesday matinee on Tuesday).  We were on the aisle on the right side in row G, which was 7 rows from the front.  I usually like sitting in the Front Mezzanine, but these were excellent seats with a great view.

When the show first opened, it was a star-studded cast with Roger Bart as Frederick Frankenstein, Andrea Martin as Frau Blucher, Megan Mullaly as Elizabeth, and Sutton Foster as Inga.  Now, the only one left is Roger Bart.  That’s not to say that the cast wasn’t excellent – they really were.  It’s just that they’re Broadway stars and not TV or movie stars that are more well-known.

Roger Bart really makes the show.  His timing is so fantastic.  He’s such a funny guy, but also sings and dances really well.  He originated the role of CARMEN GHIA in the musical THE PRODUCERS and went on to play Leo Bloom.  I saw him as Carmen Ghia, and also saw him as SNOOPY in YOU’RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN a few years ago.

If you saw him on DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, or THE STEPFORD WIVES, you know he always makes an impression.  Beth Leavel, who starred as THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is currently playing Frau Blucher, but she wasn’t there for this performance.

The view from the top of the steps, looking downtown

Stephen and I both really enjoyed the performance, but I can understand why it’s closing.  It’s funny, colorful, fast-moving and entertaining, but it’s not FANTASTIC.  I think when there were more stars in the cast it attracted a wider audience, but it just isn’t as funny as the movie.  It’s almost EXACTLY like the movie, with songs thrown in.

The songs are funny and clever, and the dancing is great, but some of the jokes are well-known from the movie and just fall flat.  You’re expecting them.  You know they’re coming.  You’re anticipating them, and then they happen and they just can’t be as funny as the movie.  They just can’t.  So, that was a little disappointing.

One great thing that did happen was during the scene where the monster visits the blind hermit.  The hermit is supposed to light a match and then light a cigar for himself and the monster.  If you remember the film (Gene Hackman played the blind hermit), when he goes to light the cigar for the monster, he accidentally lights the monster's thumb on fire.

The view looking uptown

Anyway, his matches either weren’t there or they weren’t working, so he said something about his hearing being so good since he was blind that he could hear the candle wasn’t lit, or the match was out, or something like that.  Then, he walked offstage, saying he was borrowing matches from a neighbor.  He returned saying something about not being able to find matches and using a lighter.

The view looking East

Then, he said something about “knowing it will be just as funny.”  That got a big laugh and he said, “Even funnier.”  That got an even bigger laugh.  It’s great to see someone adlib because of a prop mishap.  That almost never happens on Broadway – at least not that you can tell!

After the show, we got back in the car and I dropped Stephen back off on 88th and Riverside Drive and then headed across town and back to Queens.  I got home in record time!
I picked Eric up outside the apartment at 6:00pm and we went to SUSHI VILLAGE nearby on Francis Lewis Boulevard.

Eric said, “I want to take you out for sushi, because I know you won’t be having it with your parents in Florida.”  That’s true.  As much as Jews love fish, most older Jews (seniors?) don’t eat sushi – especially seniors in Florida.  Please, correct me if I’m wrong!

We started with Shumai and an avocado and tuna sashimi salad.  Then, we had a Hurricane Roll and a Pink Lady Roll.  One had spicy tuna and salmon.  The other had shrimp tempura.  Both had a little “kick” to them – nice and spicy!

We then walked across the street and bought ice cream to bring home.  We got Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup ice cream.  We’re really doing it up right tonight!  When we got home I showed Eric the baking pans and backpack I had bought for him.  He loved them both!

I still have to pack for my trip.  It’s not so much what I’m taking as much as it is what I’m leaving behind!  I’m only taking my toiletries, two pair of jeans, my leopard sweatpants and some tops and sweaters in my little pink carry-on.  I don’t need pajamas (I borrow my Mom’s) and I don’t need jackets or cardigans, etc., because I can borrow my Mom’s.  I’m taking my old laptop, so I can blog while I’m there, and I want to show my parents the computer and my sisters and I are hoping they’ll want to buy one of their own.  Anyway, in all, I’m packing pretty light.

I was supposed to return my rental car tonight, but they closed at 6:00pm and I just barely got back here by then, so I’m bringing it back tomorrow morning and they’ll call me a cab to take me to the airport.  My flight leaves at 2:15pm and I’ll arrive at 5:30pm – just in time for my parents to take me out to dinner!

I had such fun with Stephen today – or should I say “Canadian Stephen” as I am known to call him.  He’s such a good friend, and so much fun.  He said that the last few times he was in New York and I was in San Diego it just wasn’t as much fun.  I told him that knowing we would be “Broadway Buddies” again when I return in the spring, and that we’ll get to see lots more great shows together in the future, made moving back to New York that much better!

It was so sad when Eric left this morning for work, because we both knew I wouldn’t be there when he got home.  After he left, I fell back to sleep and woke up again at 9:30am.  I packed, neatened up the apartment (I didn’t need to clean, because Eric’s so clean it was spotless!).  I left the apartment at 11:00am, went to CITIBANK to get some cash, and then drove the rental to ENTERPRISE on 165th Street and Northern Boulevard in Flushing.

I gave back the car and they called a car service for me to take me to LaGuardia Airport.  By the time I got through security, it was 12:10pm and my flight wasn’t until 2:15pm, so I relaxed, called Eric (while he was on lunch) and then had a slice of pizza for lunch.

I was dressed in my usual “flying clothes” – my leopard pants and a t-shirt.  I like to be comfy when I fly.  I thought about going without make-up, but I was afraid the pilot might see me and get so distracted and upset by seeing me that he wouldn’t do his best flying, and I really felt a responsibility to all the other passengers, so I put on some foundation, blush, mascara and lipstick.  Smoke and mirrors, my friends, smoke and mirrors!

After lunch I walked over to STARBUCKS and got a decaf, non-fat mocha latte to take to the gate with me.  I also bought an ELLE magazine and a souvenir NY t-shirt.  It was adorable and was on sale for $9.99.  Where do you see a t-shirt for $9.99?  It was black with LOVE New YORK in sparkly letters.  It’s the kind of sparkle that will probably wash off the first time I launder it, but it’s still fun and cute!

When I got to the gate, I read my ELLE magazine, drank my STARBUCKS, and watched the news on the TV.  The time passed pretty quickly and soon it was time to board.  All I wanted to do was put my seat back and take a nap.  I was so ready for it.  Unfortunately, I had the “flight from hell.”  I sat at the window in a 2-seater.  Next to me was a man whose wife and three children were sitting across from us in a 3-seater.

The entire trip he had one of the three on his lap, trying to keep them occupied, or trying to get them to stop crying.  It was SO frustrating.  I hardly slept at all.  The plane was also a little hot, and I felt myself getting a headache.  Thank goodness the flight is relatively short and before I knew it, we were landing.

As soon as they said we could use our cell phones, I called my parents, so they could come pick me up, and then I called Eric. Then, I got an iced STARBUCKS (because it’s hot in Florida!) and waited outside for my parents to pick me up.

They arrived about a half hour later (I spoke to Jimmy while I waited, because he always amuses me).  They took me to THE OLIVE GARDEN (one of their favorite spots).  I had Grilled Shrimp with angel hair pasta.  Mom and Dad both had their favorite – Chicken Marsala.  We also had salad and breadsticks (of course!).  I actually really like THE OLIVE GARDEN.  They treat you like royalty and the food is good.

After dinner went to PUBLIX, the big supermarket, so we could pick up a few things.  They bought me my cereal – SPECIAL K Chocolatey Delight and some other stuff.  Then, we headed home.  I quickly unpacked and then sat down with my parents for some dessert.  They had made a jello mold (they’re famous for it), so I had some jello, even though I’m not much of a jello person.  Still, it was THEIR jello, so it tasted great!

I showed them some pictures on the computer – of the Greenberg Soiree, Thanksgiving at my sister’s house, and some of my latest jewelry mosaic and decoupage projects, including the bookmarks.  They loved everything.

My parents had just completed a 3-day course at their synagogue with “lecturers, speakers, lunch and fun!”  Some of the topics included:

The Election is Over, Now What? – Dr. Robert Watson
The Importance of Being Oscar (Wilde) – Randy Del Lago
Saudi Arabia: Friend or Foe? – Dr. Robert Rabil
Great Love Affairs in Operas – Guiseppe Albanse
My Kids Are Grown: Why are They Still Driving Me Crazy? – Bea Lewis

The last one is my favorite.

They said they had fun, and that they actually enjoyed the lecturers.  Some of them were very interesting and funny.  I think it’s great that, at their age, they’re still interested in learning.
Tomorrow my mom and I are going to the mall.  Eric wants me to buy “something fabulous” for my birthday.  I’m not sure I’ll be able to find it at the mall (I’m more of an antique show or estate sale shopper), but I’ll certainly try!

In any event, I know I’ll have a lot of fun with my mom.  We always have fun and laugh a lot together.  I’m so glad I’m here with them.  It’s always great to visit with them!

My Dad was out playing tennis by 8:00am.  I slept until 9:30am and only emerged from the guest bedroom because I heard my Mom out in the kitchen.  I had my usual breakfast of SPECIAL K Chocolatey Delight with chocolate soy milk.  Then, my Mom and I talked and I worked on the computer for a while.

When my Dad came home from tennis we watched THE VIEW.  I haven’t seen it in about a year, because I’ve been working.  Then, Mom and I got ready to go shopping.  There were a few things we each wanted to accomplish at the mall.  First of all – and I hope this isn’t TMI – I wanted to get fitted for a bra.  I’m almost 51 and I’ve never actually been fitted for a bra.  I always just tried on a few and bought the one that seemed to fit.

I’ve been watching WHAT NOT TO WEAR and TIM GUNN’S GUIDE TO STYLE and they both talk about how important it is to wear the right bra, that fits properly, and how you should go and get fitted for a bra.  I wanted to do it in Manhattan, but I just didn’t have the time the two days I was in the city.

My Mom and I went to a big mall where they have a SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.  We went to their lingerie department and both got fitted.  Turns out I WAS wearing the right size bra, even though it doesn’t fit me right.  Go figure?  I guess I have the right size, but the wrong bra.

Mom and I tried on about 5 bras each and we got a good laugh.  An lovely Argentinian woman, Rosa, was helping us, and she was very disappointed to hear that neither of us likes underwire.  I just don’t like to feel metal digging into me all day long.  I usually wear the stretchiest, least constrictive bra I can find.  Anyway, I did end up buying a navy blue bra and a white bra, in my size, that fit good and felt great.  Eureka!

Next, my Mom wanted to go to SEPHORA, because she had to buy two gifts for two friends and we decided that any girl likes to buy herself makeup or perfume, and there is about 100,000 choices in SEPHORA!  While we were there, I decided to stop at the ANASTASIA eyebrow counter to get a new eyebrow pencil for my eyebrows.

I have a problem with my eyebrows, because for so many years the style was thin little eyebrows and I waxed and tweezed the hell out of them.  Now, they’re pitiful little sperm-shaped half-eyebrows and I have to pencil in the bottom half.  I wasn’t happy with the pencils I have, so I went to Anastasia, because that is the woman who is famous for doing the eyebrows of all the stars in Hollywood!

A beautiful young girl sat me down and drew in my eyebrows.  When I looked in the mirror, I looked like Groucho Marx, minus the cigar.  Okay, I didn’t have the mustache either, but the eyebrows were right up there with his.  I told her I thought they were too thick, too dark, and two long.  She wiped them off and tried again.  Still too dark.

The third time instead of using a powder and a stencil (yes, Anastasia has developed stencils that you place on your eyebrow and fill in), she used a pencil (like I’ve been using).  This time it looked much better.  The color was better than what I had (it’s called MEDIUM – ASH).  She also used a skin-colored pencil that goes UNDER the brow “to create a soft highlight on the brow bone.”  Who knew?

Mom got some work done on her eyebrows, too.  We both ended up getting Anastasia products for our eyebrows and walked out of there with more expression in our eyes than we’ve had in years!

We walked in and out of stores, and I was looking at all sorts of clothing and accessories.  Eric wanted me to buy something from him for my birthday, but I couldn’t find anything “fabulous.”  We went through MACY’S and I tried on a couple of things in the “Petite” department.  Nothing.

My Mom was looking for a cardigan and I found a bunch in some great colors, but she didn’t like them.  I ended up getting a sleeveless shell and a cardigan from AUGUST SILK in a bright teal blue.  It felt great and fit nicely.  I love sweater sets, or twin sets as they’re called, and have at least 5 or 6 in different colors, patterns, and fabrics.  They’re nice to just pair with a pair of jeans, slacks, or a skirt.  I’m always cold, so it’s nice to have the shell underneath and the sweater on top.

After MACY’S we needed a little treat, so we stopped at a STARBUCKS kiosk in the mall and got two tall iced nonfat mocha lattes with whipped cream on top.  We sat at stools and drank them and talked about our day.  I felt bad that I wasn’t able to find more to buy, since my Mom wanted to buy me a birthday or Chanukah present, too.  Unfortunately, malls aren’t really my “thing.”  I’d much rather go to an estate sale or antique show!

We got home at 5:00pm and my Dad was napping.  Mom and I both took a short nap, too, and we got up and left the house at 6:00pm to go to dinner at KINGSBURG, a great Chinese restaurant near the movie theatre.

We had to wait about 20 minutes to get a seat and the movie started at 7:30pm, so we were kind of pressed for time.  Our waitress – Fong Wong (yes, that’s her name, but it is her married name, not her parent’s fault) – was so sweet and Dad told her we were on a schedule.

We all had Wonton soup, egg rolls, and then shared Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, Beef with Eggplant (I just ate the eggplant) and Pork Lomein (I just ate the lomein).  There is not much good Chinese food in San Diego.  There’s tons of Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai, but not good Chinese, so this was really a treat.

We practically ran out of the restaurant and we made it to the theatre in time to catch all the previews.  We saw FOUR CHRISTMASES.  Boy, we had no idea it was such an all-star cast.  Besides Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, there was Robert Duvall, Mary Steenburgen, Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight, Jon Favreau, Tim McGraw, Kristen Chenoweth, Dwight Yoakum, and Carole Kane.

My mother and I laughed a lot.  I really thought it was cute.  My Dad thought it had “too much slapstick.”  He really can be a stick in the mud.  He is so opinionated about what’s funny and what’s not.  I am such an easy laugh.  If I find something funny – it’s funny!  I don’t over intellectualize it all.  I just like to laugh!

After the movies we came home and they read the paper and I worked on the computer and blogged.  Tomorrow Mom and I are heading out again.  This time, she’s taking me to a huge indoor flea market.  I want to try to find cheap sunglasses.  I looked at sunglasses today and they were $395.  Who spends $395 on sunglasses?  Not me.  That I can tell you.

I had a great pair of $8 tortoise shell sunglasses with rhinestones that I loved, which broke.  Then, I had a nice pair of $12 black sunglasses that I liked, which broke.  I now have NO sunglasses and I definitely need at LEAST one pair, so I’m going tomorrow to try to find them.

I also want another basic black purse for work.  I’ve been wearing the same purse pretty much every single day for the last 10 months of work and I’m sick to death of it.  I also brought it to New York and Florida and I really am bored of it.  I need a new purse!

I’m hoping we’ll have better luck at the flea market where things are priced more in my range.  Yes, that’s what I’m hoping!

I was up at 8:00am and my nose was running and I was blowing and sneezing (as usual).  It doesn’t matter where I am in America – my nose runs in the morning.  That’s just the way it is.  Then, it stops, and I am fine pretty much all day.  Until the next morning!

When I emerged from the bedroom, my parents were both sitting at the kitchen table, reading the paper.  I had my cereal for breakfast and we talked about what we were going to do today and tonight.

I was determined to buy new sunglasses and a new purse.  Dad was going to a men’s luncheon at the Club House.

Mom and I were dressed and ready before noon.  She took me to a place called CARNIVAL FLEA MARKET, and the first booth we saw had tons of knock-off pocketbooks.  They’re not even TRYING to look exactly like the original designer.  They just look “kind of like” the original.  I don’t care about designer names.  I just wanted a black purse that had all the compartments I need, and wasn’t too big or too small.  It had to be just right.

The style these days is bigger, but I’m too small for those giant purses.  I also travel heavy, so I need it bigger than the small clutch purses they’re showing these days.  It has to be big enough to carry my wallet, sunglasses, camera (I like to have it with me, because you never know when you’ll need to take a picture!), my phone, and miscellaneous items like tissues, lipstick, mirror, compact, and keys.

I found a Brighton knock-off, which was really cute.  It had handles, which I like, so I can just carry it around, but then a detachable shoulder strap, so I can put it over my shoulder if I’m shopping, or need to have two hands.

It’s not too big, nor too small, and had all the pockets and compartments I need.  Perfect!  Sold!
Next we found a sunglass booth.  They actually had some that fit my face.  They were $10 a pair, two for $18, three for $26.  I found two pairs I liked.  One was purple and the other was brown. 

They also had reading glasses – three pairs for $9.  So, I got three pairs of those, too.  The 99 cent ones I got at TARGET are already falling apart.  The pink ones with the rhinestones broke on the bridge – right between the two lenses.  On another pair, one of the stems broke off.  And I’m not even using them all day – they’re just around the apartment to wear if I need to see something small.

Now, I have two pair of sunglasses and three pair of readers.  I’m set for life.  Well, maybe for a year!

We walked around the flea market a little more, but there was nothing else Mom or I were interested in.  Then, we came back.  It was only 1:00pm.  Dad was still at his luncheon.

Mom made us soup and sandwich for lunch and then we relaxed and watched TV!  My mom is as big a napper as I am.  I am her cloney (that’s what she calls me).  That means I am like her clone, because we are SO alike in SO many ways.  It’s really ridiculous how alike we are.  There are too many ways to list, but here’s a few:

When we sweat, the hair at the back of the neck gets soaking wet.
We can both go all day without eating, but snack like crazy people at night.
We both can resist any sweets, except chocolate – anything chocolate.

We LOVE naps!

We both don’t swim well, and hate exercising.  We avoid exercise at all costs.
We’re non-athletic and never participated in sports (I guess that goes with the not exercising!).
We both have allergies and post-nasal drip and are forever clearing our throats in the morning.

A conversation on the phone with my mom before 10:00am sounds something like this:
“Hi, Mom [cough, cough, throat clearing noise].  How are you?”
“Fine, darling [throat clearing, cough, cough].  What’s doing?”

Anyway, Dad came home at 1:30pm and sat down with us, although he didn’t eat because he had lunch at the Club House.  Then, we all took naps.  When we woke up, we had leftovers.  I had Chinese food from last night and my parents had Italian food from Thursday night.  It was just as good the second time around!

At 7:00pm we left the apartment to go to the WILLOW THEATRE to see Patrick Combs in his one man show – Man 1, Bank 0.  It’s the true story of how he deposited a $95,093.35 ‘non-negotiable’ junk-mail check – hoping to spread a little banking cheer to tellers and how it erupted into a staggering and funny David vs. Goliath-like adventure.  Sounded funny!

There was a holiday display at the theatre, which was obviously for kids, since there was a little step stool in the back for kids to stand on when they stuck their heads in the hole for the camera.  That didn't mean we couldn't have some fun!

Turned out to be very entertaining.  The young man is not an actor, but was a great performer.  This is an absolutely true story, documented with receipts, letters, faxes, and photos shown on a big screen behind him as he tells his story with minimal props.

If you care to read more about it, just google PATRICK COMBS.  The event changed his life.  He is now a best-selling author and motivational speaker!

When we got home my Dad made us a treat of ice cream in chocolate soy milk.  So refreshing!  Then, we retired to our separate rooms to watch SNL.  I didn’t get very far.  I was so exhausted I couldn’t keep my eyes open!

I can’t believe I’m leaving tomorrow.  The three days have flown by so quickly.  We did a lot of running around and had a lot of fun.  My parents made sure they kept me entertained, and that I had everything I needed.  They are the perfect hosts.  So accommodating and caring and just wanting everything to be perfect for me.  Who could ask for anything more?

We all got up at around 8:00am.  I had packed the night before, so I was ready for my flight at 10:45am.

My parents drove me to the airport and dropped me off at 9:30am.  It was sad to leave my Mom, because I know she misses me a lot, but my sister Audrey is actually coming to visit them this Thursday, and I know that will make them really happy.  My parents love to have their daughters around, and they're so happy to show us a good time.

The airport was pretty empty and I had no trouble with security.  When I got through I walked to my gate – C2.  Right across the aisle was STARBUCKS.  What luck!  I got a decaf nonfat mocha latte and sat down to wait for my flight.

I called my friend, Adele.  Eric and I were having dinner tonight with her and her two sisters and I wanted to confirm the time and place (5:00pm – Bayside Diner).

I boarded the plane and found my seat, which was by the window in a three-across seat.  While I was waiting at the gate, I had seen the family with the three kids who tortured me on my way to Florida.  All I could say was, “Oh, NO!”  Fortunately, I was way in front and they were way in back.

I sat at the window, closed my eyes and waited for the plane to take off.  A young girl sat in the aisle seat and – miracle of miracles – the plane took off and no one sat inbetween us!  It was comfortable, roomy, quiet, and I slept the entire flight.  I didn’t even open my eyes for my snack or drink!

When we arrived in NY – on time – I realized how lucky I was.  This was my fourth flight in two weeks and I hadn’t been delayed, or cancelled, or had problems with security.  I shouldn’t really say anything, because I do have one more flight tomorrow, NY to SD, and it could ALL go wrong, but I still feel pretty lucky so far!

Eric came to pick me up at the airport and HE was right on time, too!  We went back to the apartment to drop off my stuff and relax for a little while and then drove to Williston Park to pick up my laptop from Susan and Andrew.

They are in the midst of a bathroom renovation and we got to see it in it’s almost-finished state.  It’s really beautiful and I was impressed by how quickly it got completed.  Eric and I agreed that they had chosen beautiful tiles, marble and fixtures.  I guess I’ll have to wait until spring to see the shower doors!

Andrew had worked on my new laptop and got everything going, so I took it and we headed to Bayside Diner to meet Adele, Debra and Susan – three sisters I have been friends with since junior high school!

Adele’s boyfriend was also there, as well as Debra’s daughter, Michelle, who will be celebrating her bat mitzvah in May.  I told them about the Bar Mitzvah I will be attending in two weeks in Los Angeles.  I am so excited to see Evan perform his portion of the Haftorah, and also to see lots of family from New York and California.

I know Ilene is planning the party of the season and it will be fabulous and festive!  I will be spending the night at our friend’s – Joe and Miguel – even though I’ll have to “sleep and run” because I’m also having brunch with my cousins.  At least I’ll get to see Joe and Miguel for a few hours!

Anyway, we had a great dinner with Adele, Mark, Debra and Michelle.  Eric had a dish called "The ?Whitestone" which was a turkey melt.  I had salmon with mashed potatoes and zucchini.

Unfortunately, the youngest sister, Susan, was unable to come.  Adele told Debra, Michelle and Mark about Scott’s Granny’s Game, because we had played last year, but it was just Adele, Susan and another friend playing with me and Eric.

We’ve taught that game to so many people and they all love it.  It’s really a fun card game that the whole family can enjoy!

When dinner was finished we said our goodbyes and promised lots of fun and laughter when I return in the spring.  We always have fun with these girls.  They are the best!

When Eric and I got home it was pretty early, but he fell asleep pretty fast.  I had to take everything out of both suitcases and pack for my return trip tomorrow.  I wanted to put all the clothes and other stuff in the big suitcase to be checked, and put both laptops (yes, I’m taking BOTH laptops home) and my costume jewelry in the other suitcase to be taken on board with me.

While I was packing I watched a HALLMARK movie called FRONT OF THE CLASS, which was about a man with Tourette's Syndrome who wanted to teach.  It was a beautiful story of determination and I really enjoyed it.

I finished packing and decided to blog.  I figured I’d use the old laptop, so I set it up, but – no matter how hard I tried – I couldn’t get the internet connection.  I think the computer got banged around a lot during the trip from Florida to NY and maybe I broke the Verizon USB modem.  That’ll teach me to leave it in while traveling!  I just never took it out.  The new one has to come out, because it’s shaped much differently and would stick out too far, but the old one didn’t stick out much and I thought it would be okay – at least it always was okay in the past.

So, it’s a good thing I have the new laptop, because I’m now sitting and blogging on the new HP, instead of the old Dell.  I’m hoping when I get back I can get it working again, or else I’ll have to go to a Verizon store and see if they can fix it.  I guess it’s no big deal and maybe I should even cancel it, since I don’t really need internet on TWO laptops.  Anyway, I can’t deal with it here.  I’ll figure it all out in San Diego.

I actually got a call tonight from Elsa in San Diego.  She wanted to know if I wanted her to pick me up tomorrow!  I told her that not only was l still in NY, but they had told me in HR that they didn’t need me anymore.  She works in HR and she didn’t know!  I guess communication isn’t as great as I thought!  Anyway, I told her they might need me in another week or two and she knew that they had a project coming up and it might get very busy again.  I am hoping she’s right, because I really do want to go back to work there.

I told her I’d talk to her when I get back and definitely see her on the 13th at the office party.  She’s so sweet and it was so nice of her to call and see if I needed a ride.

I’m all ready to fly back to New York, but it really is going to be so sad.  Eric told me he couldn’t wait for me to get back from Florida, but that he was also sad, because he knew I’d be leaving again tomorrow.  I really wish I could stay – at least stay longer than I have – but there are a million reasons why I need to get back to San Diego – not the least of which is Conrad, and my apartment, which is just sitting there waiting for me!  I do have a life there and I need to get a lot of things resolved before I can come back for good.

In the meantime, I told Eric we have to remember how good things were these past two weeks, and that they will be even better in the spring when I’m here to stay.  That will keep both of us going for the next 6 months!

Oy!  Such a traveler I’ve become!  This is definitely the most I’ve traveled in my entire life – four flights in 2 weeks!  Eric and I have flown more in the last year than we probably did in the last 10 years!

We flew to South Carolina last December; Florida, Asheville and Charlotte, North Carolina in April.  Then, Eric flew to NY in September and I flew to NY AND Florida in November/December.  Wow!

Anyway, I’m happy to report that this flight was as uneventful as the other three.  The only problem was when I checked in my big suitcase.  It was 5 pounds over and the guy told me it would be $50 unless I took something out.  I said, “$50?”  I just assumed I had heard wrong.  So, he said, “$50.”  And, again, I said, “$50?” and he said, “You can say it all you like.  The price isn’t going down!”  And we both laughed.  I took my bean-bag pillow and a pair of shoes out and it went down to 50.8 and he said that was good enough!

So, I had my pink carry-on and a shopping bag with my purse, pillow and a pair of shoes in it.  I TRY to travel light…

I realized when I was packing last night that I only wore about 25% -- yes 25% of all the clothes I brought.  I ALWAYS notoriously overpack, and this trip was no exception.  I’ve definitely learned my lesson.  Next time – I’ll wear the same things over and over and to hell with putting together outfits.  I just kept wearing my two new pair of jeans with different tops and sweaters.  I didn’t need the two dresses, skirts, or tons of other stuff I brought.  I really couldn’t get away with just the pink carry-on, but I definitely could have done with just the black check-in bag and that would have been it!  Oh, well.  Live and learn!

I got off the flight at noon and tried to use my phone but it was totally dead.  I mean deader than dead.  It wouldn't even turn on.  I had charged it in my parent's car on the way to the theatre on Saturday night, and it was only Monday afternoon, so I thought maybe the fact that I didn't turn it off during the flight had something to do with it.

I was in the very first row on the plane and you don't have a seat in front of you to stow stuff, so you have to put everything in the overhead -- including your purse.  So, when they said to turn off all electronic devices, i was buckled in and comfy, so I didn't get up to do it.

Anyway, I didn't need the phone (thank goodness) because I was just taking a shuttle home.  I got into a shuttle bus going to Clairemont.  I only waited at the shuttle stop for a minute and he was there.  And I didn’t even have a reservation.  He was so nice that he carried my two suitcases through the complex and up the flight of stairs.  It would have been very hard for me, so I really appreciated it and gave him a big tip!

It felt very strange coming into this apartment, which has been home now for over a year.  I just felt like I belonged back in NY with Eric, even though that apartment wasn’t mine, it already felt like home – because Eric was there and I was so happy to be with him.

I miss him so much already.  I really want to come back ASAP, maybe not to stay, but for another quick visit!

Anyway, I plugged my phone in to charge and set up my new laptop (which I’m typing on now) and read my emails and wrote to the girl whose son was watching Conrad, asking if I could pick him up tonight.  She said sure, and I said I wanted to give her son a few souvenirs I got in NYC and take them out to dinner.

So, I made plans to pick them up at their apartment at 5:30pm and after dinner I’ll pick up my baby and bring him home.  She said he’s been doing great, and that her finches have been laying eggs like crazy since Conrad got there.  I guess a little testosterone in the house is a good thing!

I unpacked a lot of stuff and hung everything back up in the closet – most of which I didn’t even wear.  I put a few dirty things in the laundry (I did laundry in New Paltz, with Eric in Whitestone, and at my parent’s house, so I really didn’t have much).  I watched THE BIGGEST LOSER episode from Thanksgiving week and saw that I have a LOT of TV to catch up on.  All my shows were recording while I was gone!

I left the apartment around 4:30pm to bring my coat to the dry cleaners before I went to Chula Vista.  That coat has been through hell these last 2 weeks.  I wore it every single day and dragged it around on all four flights, so it’s pretty beat up.  It’s also an old coat to begin with and the lining was completely falling apart.  I spent more than an hour in Florida sewing all the rips in the lining so I could make this coat last a few more seasons!

I had directions from my friend, but I used Betty anyway and she took me exactly the same way.  I got there just at 5:30pm and they came down and got in the PT Cruiser.  They said they had never been in one before and were surprised at how roomy it is.  Everyone says that!

We went nearby to a cute Italian restaurant called D’Lish.  They had mostly Italian dishes, but also had lots of burgers, salads, wraps and sandwiches.  I had a personal 5-cheese pizza (you can see I’m not back on my diet yet and – by the way – I gained 5 pounds while I was in NY and FL.  Yes, it’s just THAT easy!

Anyway, Tifney had a burger and fries and Josh had a turkey and bacon sandwich with guacamole!  I gave Josh the NY souvenirs I had purchased -- an Empire State Building with a plastic King Kong hanging on it, and a little NY license plate with his name on it.  He loved both items and his mom said he loves license plates, so I did great!

Everything was delicious, but we all ate only half and brought the rest home.  Then, we went across the shopping center to COLD STONE CREAMERY, because Josh wanted ice cream for dessert and I was up for anything.  I got the smallest cup of peanut butter cup perfection (my favorite from there – and I haven’t had it in a long time).  They ate theirs, but I took a lid to bring mine home after having a few tastes.

Then, I went back to their apartment and they gave me Conrad back, while the two pugs barked like crazy.  I guess Conrad had a bit of a wild vacation, since he was near 7 finches and 2 pugs and a 14-year-old boy all day and all night!

Here’s a shocker: He now eats millet, which is a long strand of seeds still on the branch.  Birds usually go for it like crazy and they’ll eat it over anything else.  Conrad would never touch it.  It seemed like he was afraid of it!  Well, I’ll never know how they did it, but he ate the entire branch of seeds!  Amazing!

I put him in the back of the PT, rather than on the seat next to me.  I think it was better, because he was straight instead of a little tilted, and I got us home as fast as possible.  It’s a 12-mile ride, but there was no traffic, so we were home in less than 15 minutes.

I brought him, his little snack tray table, and his food up with my leftovers and the ice cream and got us all settled.

Then, I got in bed and watched another episode of THE BIGGEST LOSER and had my ice cream.  He was chirping and seemed to know he was home.  It felt good to have him back with me and good to be back in my own bed after sleeping in four different beds over a 2-week period (Eric’s, Lenae’s house, the hotel, and my parent's house).

I started to fall asleep, and made myself stay up until TBL was over.  It was not even 9:00pm.  I figured I’d take a nap, and then wake up and blog and go back to sleep.  I had slept all the way here from NY on the plane, so I couldn’t understand why I was so tired, yet I was.

Next thing I knew, my alarm was going off at 5:50am.  I forgot to turn it off.  I slept from 9:00pm to 5:50am!  I turned off the alarm, went to the bathroom, and then went back to sleep.  I figured I’d wake up before 9:00am, so I could call Eric while he was at lunch in NY.  Well, the next time I opened my eyes, it was 10:00am!  So, that’s why this blog is late.

SORRY!

I don’t know if I’m sick or just still exhausted from my trip.  I just don't feel my usual peppy self.  As you know, I slept a LOT last night.  When I finally got up I just watched TV, kept unpacking (no, I’m still not done) and worked on the computer.

I finally got out around 1:00pm and first headed to the post office.  I picked up my 2-weeks of mail (mostly catalogs), stopped at STARBUCKS for an iced venti decaf non-fat mocha latte and then came back to the apartment, because I wanted to find my two paychecks in all that mail and deposit them.  I walked to the bank with my little cart and after depositing my checks walked over to KEIL’S to do a food shopping.

I stocked up on veggies for salad and also to make a vegetable soup.  They had a case of DIET LEMON SNAPPLE, so I got that and I also got some sushi.  I’ve gotten sushi from them before and it’s always fresh and really good.

When I got back I unpacked all the groceries and heated up my leftover pizza.  I had that with my iced latte while I read through all the mail.  I got a few lovely cards from friends and have started to receive holiday cards already.  I am decorating the top of my tv-less entertainment unit in the living room with all the cards I receive and it looks really pretty.

I paid all the bills I received in the past few weeks and answered some emails.  Then, I got into bed, watched more of my recorded TV and read through all the catalogs.  Nothing to buy, but I like looking anyway!

Finally, I took a nap and set the alarm to get up for yoga.  I had every intention of going, even though I wasn’t feeling great, because I knew it would be good for me.  Unfortunately, when the alarm went off, I realized there was no way I was going to drag my butt out of bed and drive to South Park.  I just didn’t feel up to it.  I am mad at myself, because I haven’t taken a yoga class since November 18th, but I’ll have to wait until next week.

I slept for another hour and then woke up at 7:30pm, because I knew if I kept sleeping I’d never get to sleep later on.

I had some hummus with baked chips and some sushi for dinner and then watched tonight’s episode of THE BIGGEST LOSER.  Next week is the season finale and I will be at DANCING WITH THE STARS ON TOUR, so I will have to see who wins the next day.  I also caught up with three episodes of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES.  It’s getting really tense.  So much going on.  Between Porter running off, Edie’s crazy husband, and the hint of a chance that Susan and Mike might get back together, I’m all in a tizzy!

Tomorrow I want to make my vegetable soup.  I always enjoy it and it’s healthy and very filling.  I’m making a big batch, so I can have it for at least a week and I can freeze some, too.  I don’t know if I’ll be going back to work on the 15th, but – if I do – it will be good to bring to work for lunch.  I can just heat it up in the microwave!

I talked to Eric three times today.  I’m missing him so very much and I told him I really don’t want to be here anymore.  It’s a combination of things going so well with him, and having such a great time, plus the fact that I’m not working, so I feel kind of aimless and lonely here.  I really want to go back to NY ASAP, but I know it’s going to take time to get everything together.

Eric wants me to spend the winter here, and I really don’t want to go back and face the cold, but I really, really, want to be with Eric again and I think I could face anything to have him back in my life every single day.

I went to sleep at a relatively normal hour last night (about 12:30pm) and woke up at a relatively normal hour (8:00am).  I didn’t feel great and I was sneezing and blowing my nose all day (instead of just all morning), so I guess I do have a cold.

I know I feel ooky (which is a word I made up which describes how you feel when you’re not actually SICK, but just not feeling well enough to get out there and face the world.  In case you’re unsure, it rhymes with pookie, but I spell it differently – hey – it’s my word!).

Anyway, I caught up on more TV, and finished unpacking.  Okay, so it took me almost 3 days.  I’m a slow unpacker.  Did I ever mention how much I HATE unpacking?  I don’t mind packing at all, but unpacking really gets on my nerves.  I had to hang up all the stuff I didn’t even wear, put away all the jewelry, the shoes, the purses, toiletries, etc., etc.  I finally emptied the big black suitcase I borrowed and will return it when I go to the party with Rosemary on Saturday night.

I’ve been emailing with the girls in HR.  They’re so sweet.  They tell me how much they miss me and can’t wait to see me on Saturday night.  I can’t wait either.  It sounds like so much fun.  It’s at a big hotel in La Jolla, so you know it’s going to be nice.  Some of the girls are staying overnight, so they said we can come up and get dressed in their room if we want.  I’ll get dressed at home and then drop off the suitcase at Rosemary’s, see her place, and then either drive her or follow her to the party.  I told her I’m willing to leave whenever she wants, but she said she may want to take her own car, so she can leave early if she wants.

I made my vegetable soup this afternoon.  I figured it’s probably good medicine for a cold, in case I do have one!  I chopped up celery, mushrooms, cilantro, and fresh spinach and sautéed them in a little olive oil with some garlic.  Then, I added a can of organic stewed tomatoes and a can of organic black beans.  Finally, I added a box of organic vegetable broth.  I let it simmer for about an hour and then turned it off to let it cool.

I had an appointment today at 5:30pm, which I haven’t written about, or told anyone about.  It’s not like it was a secret or anything, it’s just that I wasn’t sure how it would go, or what would happen, so I thought I’d wait until after it was over to write about it.

A few months ago, on DR. PHIL, I learned about an organization called VOICES FOR CHILDREN, which helps abused, neglected, or abandoned children who are living in foster care through a network of CASAs (Court Appointed Special Advocates).  I found out that becoming a CASA allows you to help a foster child by developing a one-on-one relationship, sort of like a big brother or sister, but also making recommendations to the court to ensure that the judge is informed about the child’s unique needs.

I have always enjoyed volunteer work and this sounded like something I would enjoy.  The office of VOICES FOR CHILDREN is just 6 miles away from my apartment.  Unfortunately, since I will be moving back to NY in the spring, I will be unable to train to become a volunteer.  I decided to go to the introductory session anyway, just to learn more about the organization.

I loved everything I heard about CASA and look forward to volunteering in New York, since CASA is a nation-wide endeavor.

I got home at around 7:30pm and had a bowl of my vegetable soup, which was quite delicious (if I do say so myself) and quite filling.  I watched TV and worked on the computer.

There was a new holiday episode of MONK and I finally got to see it.  It was so funny.  There was one scene where I was laughing so hard.  That show is the greatest!  New episodes start on January 9th.  Can't wait!

Tomorrow I have some paperwork to do and need to go to the post office, too.  I have my usual appointment (which I missed the last two Thursdays), so I’ll probably go out later in the afternoon.  I’m hoping to feel better when I wake up tomorrow.  In the meantime, I’m lucky I’m off this week, and don’t have too much to do, so I can rest and relax until I feel better!

A year ago, when Eric and I had our things shipped from New York to San Diego, a precious piece of art we had got damaged.  The artwork was a signed original lithograph of Marilyn Monroe that I absolutely treasure.  It used to hang in our living room.  The frame and glass were cracked, but – miraculously – the artwork was not damaged.

We let it sit, broken, for almost a year and then, after Eric left for New York, I decided it was time to get it fixed.  We had been given the name of a repair service, and the man had come and given Eric an estimate, but we never followed up.

I finally had him come pick it up and he just returned the piece today.  It was so good to see it again.  Looking at it was like looking at an old friend.  I realize how much I had missed her beautiful face.  I adore Marilyn Monroe – she’s one of my absolute favorite icons (along with Betty Boop!) and this piece is so different and unusual.  It was a gift from a man I worked with at PricewaterhouseCoopers for a short time.

He actually knew the artist and the artist signed it for me!

I’m going to hang it over the couch in the living room, so I can enjoy it for the next few months, before I have to pack it up again and bring it back to New York.  I hope it does better on the next trip across the U.S.!

Anyway, I woke up feeling worse than ever this morning, but as the day went by I felt better and better.  I didn’t do much – just rested, watched TV, and cleaned the apartment a little.  The repair guy came over at 3:00pm and then I went out to run some errands -- drug store, dry cleaners, Starbucks, Target, and then my usual Thursday appointment.

Boy, I had a lot to talk about.  She listened and I rambled.  It was good to tell her how great Eric is doing and what a great time we had together.  I told her that I was anxious to get back to New York, but a little overwhelmed at the prospect of packing up everything to ship back.  It’s not actually the packing part that overwhelms me, it’s the fact that I don’t want to ship EVERYTHING back.  There’s a lot of stuff I’d like to get rid of, and finding a way to sell it all before I leave is the overwhelming part.

I’m not ready to invest the time and energy in ebay, so I figure I’ll have to get a table at a flea market or something like that.  I wish I could just have a garage sale, but since I don’t have a garage, or a yard, or even a driveway…

After my appointment I drove to a nearby shopping center to find a BARNES & NOBLE.  While I was in NY a friend gave me a $50 gift certificate for my birthday and I was determined to use it.  I didn’t want to buy books for two reasons – first of all, I have so many books already and I don’t want any more to ship back to NY, and second of all, I can just get any novel out of the library, so there’s no use buying one.  Before we left NY I sold a lot of my coffee table books, which I really enjoy, and it would be counterproductive to buy more.

I ended up spending the entire amount on cards!  I love cards, and they had a great selection.  I found beautiful cards to send for birthdays, anniversaries, and even a great one for the Bar Mitzvah boy in two weeks!

When I got home I made a fast trip to KEIL’S and picked up a few items.  I bought baby carrots and a small onion to add to my soup, and added another carton of vegetable broth.  I also got a small six-piece sushi for dinner.  I had the sushi and a small bowl of soup.  The onion and carrots made it yummier than ever!

So, I do have a topic to write about today.  Toxic people.  What do you do if someone you love is toxic?  I’m not necessarily talking about a friend, or someone you can just dump.  What if someone in your life, that you love a lot, is completely toxic and you find yourself wanting to cut them out of your life?  How do you deal?

Okay, so maybe this is a topic better left for me and my therapist, but I feel compelled to talk about the people in this world who are selfish, self-centered, right-fighters, that only think of themselves and never think about how their actions affect others.  If you know saying something is going to hurt someone’s feelings, or even that it COULD hurt someone’s feelings, would you still say it?

I’m not talking about things said in the “heat of the moment” – things said in anger.  I’m talking about a general conversation and someone saying something and knowing that they’re getting a kick out of hurting you.  That they are lifted up by putting you down.  That’s what I think is toxic.

I’ve had toxic people around me for a long time and, the truth is, I really feel sorry for them.

I know they must have so much frustration and anger and sadness in their lives to lash out at others the way they do.  I know that if they could just feel better about themselves they wouldn’t need to ALWAYS be right.  They wouldn’t need to put others down to make themselves feel better.  They would just want people to be happy and healthy and live their lives and accept them for who and what they are.

I am praying that a toxic person I know can find peace within themselves and fill their life with good things and not need to lash out at others.  I am praying that this person can forgive me for whatever they think I have done to them to make them so angry at me.  I am praying that they can see that I have had a lot of pain this year, and that I am trying so hard just to get by and that I need love and understanding, and support, and not criticism and cruelty.

I don’t usually write about such personal things, but this is something that is weighing on me heavily today and which I felt it necessary to talk about.  I feel better just getting my feelings out there in the world.  I feel better every day when I blog, because I’m talking about my day, my feelings, my life -- and I don’t care if people like it or not.

And that's another topic I'd love to discuss.  My blog is like the TV or the radio.  If you don’t like reality TV – don’t watch it.  There’s plenty of other stuff on TV.  Just change the channel.  If you don’t like Howard Stern – change the station.  There are plenty of radio stations.  If you don’t like my blog – don’t read it.  God knows, there’s plenty of stuff to read on the internet!

I actually feel empowered by the fact that there may be people out there reading my blog who don’t like it – who are bored by my mundane life.  Do you know why?  Because they feel compelled to read it anyway!  Why on earth would you read something you don’t enjoy?  I would never subject myself to that.  I don’t understand it.  Never will.

Yet, I’ve learned there are actually people out there who aren’t my dear friends who read this.  And I feel empowered by it.  I feel important.  Maybe they’re total strangers.  Maybe they’re people who know me, but aren’t friends.  In any event, the fact that someone who isn’t supporting me or loving me is reading this makes it more than just a way to keep in touch.  It means my words have power.  And I like it!

Eric woke me up at 10:00am this morning.  I’m getting into a VERY bad habit of going to sleep late and waking up late.  That will not serve me well when I got back to work, which I hope will be VERY soon.

I had breakfast and watched the two hour finale of BOSTON LEGAL.  Unfortunately, that wonderful show has come to an end, and the last two hours were fantastic.  I really think it’s one of the best shows on TV in the past 10 years.  Most of the cast was over 50 and it appealed to an older audience.  It was smart, and witty, and touched on every major subject that has been in the news for as long as it has been on TV.  It was always funny, and touching, and maybe unrealistic, but endlessly entertaining, and it was sometimes exactly what you’d WISH could happen in a courtroom, instead of what does happen.

Anyway, it’s over and they’re replacing it with another reality show.  I am guilty of loving and watching those, too, but at least I supported BOSTON LEGAL while it was on.  I wish it would go on forever.  The good news is, you can watch it in syndication and if you’ve never seen an episode – I suggest you start now!

I wrote out some cards and worked on the computer.  Then, I decided to go for a walk this afternoon, to enjoy the beautiful weather, to get some exercise, and to get me some STARBUCKS!!!!

I put on my pedometer, took a small purse with a wrist strap and put my keys, my cell phone, a few tissues, and my Starbucks card inside.  Then, I took off.  First, I put my cards in the mailbox.  Then, I proceeded down Clairemont Drive.  It’s about 1.4 miles each way on Clairemont Drive, from my apartment to Balboa Avenue, so it’s a little less than three miles altogether.

It was 2:30pm and 63 degrees.  All I was wearing was a t-shirt and pants.  That, to me, is heaven on earth.  Even though I spent last winter in San Diego, it still amazes me that it is so nice in December.  It still astonishes me when I step outside every single day.  It’s something I will never get used to – especially since this is my last winter here!

Anyway, I got to Starbucks and got my drink.  Then, I sat outside at a table and called my parents in Florida.  My sister, Audrey, is visiting them this week and I got a chance to talk to her, too.

Then, I started walking back.  As I was walking, I would look around – at the construction going on, at kids walking home from school, and I also kept looking up at the beautiful blue sky with the soft white clouds.  Suddenly, I saw an eagle.  Yes, an eagle!  I was thrilled.  They’re not really uncommon here, as many live in the canyons.  It was gliding along in the sky so effortlessly, and I imagined that the eagle was enjoying this afternoon as much as I was.

At times it stayed in one place and kind of fluttered its wings.  I don’t know if it was looking at something on the ground (perhaps me?) or if it just enjoyed the feeling of weightlessness, feeling the wind pass through its wings.

I watched it for at least a minute, until it flew away – towards Mission Bay.  At that moment, filled with wonder, I said, “That is God.  That Eagle is God.”  I felt blessed to have seen it – to have had that experience.

So, here’s what I think:  God is not someone you go to visit in a church or synagogue.  He’s not someone you pray to in your time of need.  God is everywhere and everything and in each one of us.  He is an eagle flying over my head as a walk down Clairemont Drive with my mocha light frappuccino in my hand.  And I thank God for that moment.  It filled me with peace and allowed me to walk on with a light heart and a smile on my face.

When I got back I called Eric to tell him about the eagle.  Eric always enjoyed seeing things like that, especially when we were traveling in the RV.  He was excited to hear about my experience. 
After our conversation, I jumped in the shower and got dressed to go get a manicure before my cut and color appointment in Hillcrest at 6:15pm.

I drove to the Clairemont Town Square shopping center where HAPPY NAILS is located and was lucky enough to get Tina, who always does my pedicures, to give me a manicure.  Unfortunately, because I got in the car and drove to get my hair done without waiting long enough, I’ve put a little smudge in 3 or 4 nails.  It’s a very light lavender (which matches the dress I’m planning to wear), so it doesn’t really show, but I should have been more patient.

When I got to HAIRSPRAY, John was waiting for me, which was great, because a lot of times he’s running behind.  He was all ready for me.  He gave me a smock and I sat down in his chair.  Next thing I knew there was a magnificent little Chihuahua standing there.  I found out she belonged to John and her name is Coco Chanel.  He asked if I wanted to hold her.  I figured she’d be jumping around and out of my arms in a minute.

This quiet little angel sat in my lap for 45 minutes without moving as I pet her.  She looked up at me with those giant brown eyes in that tiny little brown and white head and I was in love!  I kept thinking about the fact that I could get sick from holding her, but I couldn’t let her go.  She was so sweet and calm and didn’t even change positions.

I told John I was astounded at how calm and quiet she is, because you always think of Chihuahuas as being very high-strung, hyper, and yappy.  She never barked, never moved, practically didn’t blink.  She was just happy to be held.  John said she’d sit in your lap 24/7 if you let her.  I said she seemed like a dream come true!

After he put the dye in my hair and I sat for a while, it was time to wash it out and get my hair cut, and he finally took Coco from me.  Someone else immediately asked to hold her.  She doesn’t want for attention, that Coco.

I told John I was ready to cut my hair short, even though I had originally said I wanted to lose 10 pounds before I did it.  I had lost 5 before I left for NY, but gained it all back, so I was back to square one.  John suggested that I wait until my next haircut, because the holidays were coming, and lots of social events, and if I didn’t like it I would be unhappy.

I told him that I’m VERY easygoing, and that I never complain about a haircut.  I’ve had my hair VERY short, pretty long, and every length in-between.  It’s been my natural color with highlights, red, and blonde.  I’ve never had a haircut that made me cry or anything like that.  My philosophy with hair has always been to be adventurous, because it’s going to grow back – whether you like it or not!

Anyway, if he didn't want to cut it short, I asked him if he would just cut it a little shorter than usual, and then figured next time I’d go “all the way.”  Next thing I knew, I saw hair flying everywhere and knew he was cutting it all off.  He took his time and it really felt like an artist was working on me.  He would step back, look at me and then come in and shape it some more.
It’s definitely a little shorter than I would have liked, but my theory on that is – it will be the perfect length in a few weeks!

I know I have the office holiday party tomorrow, and the Bar Mitzvah next week, but I just don’t care.  I guess I just have a lot of self-confidence, because I really don’t worry about whether people like it or not.  I told John I think half of how you look is how you feel – and it feels GREAT!  I know I can pull it off.  I’ve had very short hair many times in my life, but the last time I had it cut short was the early 90s, so it’s been a while – and I know a lot of my friends have never seen me with short hair, so it will definitely be a shock.  Fortunately, it will be many months before they see me in person, so I’ll have plenty of time to get it perfect!

In the meantime, I really am enjoying it.  When I took a shower (as soon as I got home, I laughed out loud while I was wetting it, because it just felt so different.  I have always said that I find short hair liberating – and I feel totally liberated!

During my haircut, John mentioned that he was going to go to a drive-through Mexican place on the way home and get a $4 quesadilla.  That sounded good to me, so I asked him where it was and he told me how to get there.  It was about 4 blocks away and it turns out that Eric and I went to eat there once and loved it.

I got a fish taco and cheese quesadilla for $6.50.  You can’t beat that!  When I got home I showered (my third today), and then had the fish taco and a small piece of the quesadilla and I was stuffed.  I guess I’ll have lunch for tomorrow!

I had called Jimmy while I was waiting on line at the drive-through, because I knew he’d be excited for me!  I told him the news of my new haircut and told him that I will take pictures tomorrow night at the party and will post them on the blog, so you’ll all get to see my haircut by Monday!

Meanwhile, I will be busy on Sunday, because John invited me to the HAIRSPRAY holiday party on Sunday night.  He said everyone brings a dish (I’m bringing my chocolate-covered strawberries) and they have karaoke and dancing, and it’s a wild and crazy party.  I can only imagine a room full of hairdressers!   It was so sweet of him to invite me and it sounds like a lot of fun!  Two parties in two nights.  Wow!

After dinner I watched some TV (HEROES), worked on the computer and looked at myself in the mirror a lot.  My hair is really short.  It’s a shocker – even to me.  I love the feeling already and know it will be so much easier to care for.  Even though my hair was low-maintenance (wash and go), it was still a pain, because of the shedding (my hair was always all over my clothes and the apartment), and the fact that I didn’t always like the way it looked.  I know people thought my hair looked the same every day – blonde and curly – but I felt I had good hair days and bad hair days.  Also, I used to think my hair looked fabulous and then I’d see photographs and hate it.  So, I think I’m going to be much happier with my short hair.  I just have to get used to the way it looks and I hope everyone else likes it as much as I do!

This was a wonderful day.  I'm over my cold, looking forward to the party tomorrow, had a great walk and a magical experience seeing the eagle, and then had a great adventure by cutting all my hair off.  I even got invited to another party.  I think it's things like this that make life exciting.  Change is good!

My phone was charging on the counter in the kitchen, so this morning when it rang, I sprang!  Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out who it was and I quickly lost the call, but when I went and looked at “calls received” I saw that it was Marygrace.

After I called her husband’s cell (by mistake) and then her at home, she finally called me back.  Turns out her phone accidentally dialed me.  I’ve had that happen, too.  We had a great talk and then I had some breakfast.

I was feeling very congested this morning.  Is it the remnants of my cold, or is it my darling Coco Chanel?  I tend to think it’s the latter, but maybe it’s my “dog paranoia.”

The truth is, I’ve stayed at Susan and Andrew’s for over a half hour on many different occasions and never had a reaction to their poodle, Chelsea, but I WAS holding Coco for about 45 minutes, and petting her.  Anyway, I’m glad it’s nothing too serious.

I just relaxed all morning and watched two episodes of HEROES.  I love that show!  I really enjoyed seeing Seth Green and Breckin Meyer.  I think they’re both fun, young actors and you could just see that appearing in heroes was the Best. Day. Ever. For both of them!

At around 1:00pm I started getting ready for the party.  I know that sounds VERY early, but I had to be at Rosemary’s at 4:00pm, so we could go to the hotel early for the pre-party that was held in one of the rooms.  The firm had rooms for $139 and lots of employees decided it would be fun to stay overnight.  There were actually many pre-parties going on, but I was going to the HR pre-party.

If I was going with Eric, I definitely would have gotten a room, too, but since the hotel is just 20 minutes from the apartment and I don’t drink, I’m not too worried about coming home late by myself.

Anyway, a bunch of HR girls got a room and the pre-party started at 5:00pm.  The real party was starting at 6:00pm, downstairs.  The affair was at the Hyatt Regency in La Jolla.  Everyone I talked said it is a fabulous hotel and they were right.  It was very elegant and fancy and I loved the décor.  I know La Jolla is one of the fanciest neighborhoods in San Diego, so I was not surprised.

I drove to Rosemary’s house and hung out in her beautiful home while she got ready.  She has owned the place since 2001, but lived in Seattle for a few years while she was attending law school and she just came back in June, so she hasn’t done much.

She is anxious for me to help her decorate a few rooms, and I’d love to do it, because the place is so great and has wonderful bones.  It just needs some color.  Right now it’s all very white.

We drove to the hotel, which was only a few miles from where she lives, and went upstairs to the room.  There were about a dozen people partying, and they had a bar set up with lots of liquor.  Everyone got an early start, but I figured I’d wait until I got to the actual party to have a drink, since I’d probably only be having one all night!

After hanging out there for about a half hour, we went upstairs to another room to pick up a bunch more people and then we all headed downstairs to the party.  I am happy to report that I got such a positive reaction to my haircut.  They all assumed I did it in NY, and were surprised to hear I had just done it the night before!

I thought my hair looked great and was happy with it, but it definitely made me feel better when I saw all my friends at the firm and they were so complimentary and enthusiastic about my new look.

I feel bad having to crop the girls out (because they all looked gorgeous), but I just feel funny putting them in my blog without their permission!

The first hour was in a huge hall with three bars set up at the far ends of the room and staff walking around with food on trays.  Eric and I always love the hors d’oeuvres, but I had to listen very carefully, because a lot of them had meat or chicken in them.  They had fabulous little crab cakes with a remoulade sauce and there was also seared tuna with a salsa on tortilla chips.  I didn’t eat too much, and had my one drink for the night – cranberry juice, orange juice, and a touch of vodka.  I couldn’t even taste the vodka – just the way I like it!

We walked around, mingling and saying hello, looking at how beautiful all the girls looked and how handsome all the men looked.  The variety of styles the girls were wearing was very diverse.  There were girls in gowns – real gowns, not just floor-length dresses.  There were girls in gorgeous cocktail dresses.  Some were in fancy pantsuits or dressy outfits, and then there were some who looked like they just left work and headed to the party (even though it WAS a Saturday night!).  I saw one girl in a white sundress with white open-toed mules and thought “Does she know it’s December and this is a holiday party?”  I guess I am too critical, but it just seemed so out of place!

I love looking at shoes and there were some fabulous shoes to be seen at this affair.  I noticed that bejeweled shoes are very big right now.  I’ve been wearing a pair I bought at LORD & TAYLOR on Long Island about 5 years ago and still love them (I wore them to Jessica’s wedding).  For this affair, with my black vintage party dress with the big purple cabbage roses, I wore fabulous black ankle-strap sandals with big black and white flowers on the band going across the toes.  On the flowers are beads, which make them sparkle as you walk.  I love them!

After the cocktail hour, we went into a huge room – I mean it was the biggest ballroom I had ever seen, but there were about 600 people at this event, which is much larger than your usual wedding.  We immediately grabbed two tables right by the stage, so we’d have a great view and would be sure all the HR girls and their dates could sit near each other.

Some, but not all of the tables had a sparkly blue tablecloth.  Ours did!

They had menus on each table setting letting you know what could be found on the buffet tables:

Chilled selections:
Sliced beef steak tomato with buffalo mozzarella (I had some of this)
Two salads: mixed field green and spinach (I had a little of each)
Fresh asparagus finished with tangerine dressing (I picked up a piece of tangerine, because in the dimly-lit room I thought it was a piece of lemon to squeeze on the asparagus.  Imagine my embarrassment!)

Hot selections:
Breast of chicken with sundried tomato pesto and basil beurre blanc
Black pepper crusted roast top round of beef au jus
Shrimp ravioli in a white wine cream (yummy!)
Sauteed mixed vegetables
Yukon Gold potato mash (I could have just had a big plateful of this for dinner and been perfectly happy!)

Dessert and coffee:
Plated trio consisting of mini cappuccino terrine (yum!), mini lemon tart (didn’t touch it) and cranberry swirl cheesecake (had a few tastes).
Starbucks coffee (wheeee!) and tea selections

I really enjoyed it, but didn’t really eat that much, so I didn’t feel stuffed.  Perfect! 

The owner of the company (who was wearing red light-up antlers all night long) made a speech.  I got to shake his hand.  I’m very starstruck by him.  He’s so down-to-earth and such a sweet and kind man who has had such huge success.  He talked about the fact that, although the company was started 34 years ago, they’ve only been having a holiday party for 25 years.  He said that the first few years it was just him, and him, and his dog, and a few family members.  I love this guy!

Then, they gave out raffle prizes.  Each employee got one raffle ticket and could decide to try to win a $500 gift card from BLOOMINGDALES’S, HOME DEPOT, BEST BUY, CRATE & BARREL, or BANANA REPUBLIC.  There were four gift cards for each store, so they gave out $10,000 worth of prizes!  I am happy to report that I knew almost every single person who won!  I’m friends with a girl who won a BLOOMINGDALE’S gift card and I asked her to take me with her.  She said, “Sure!”  Then she turned to the other girls and said, “She’ll hold my packages!”  We all got a good laugh out of that one!

Some of the entertainment they had tonight was a floor show called DANCING ON THE STARS (which sounds a little painful) during dinner.  It was a performance of ballroom dancers, which I love, so I knew that would be fun.  First they had a couple doing the jitterbug.  He was much bigger than her and he was throwing her around like you wouldn’t believe.  They were really fun and did a great job.

Next up was another couple doing a Fred and Ginger-type routine.  Although you could see they were both great dancers, I didn’t feel they were a great couple – it looked to me like they weren’t really partners and had just been paired up for the night.

The jitterbug couple was back in new costumes and did a fabulous tango.  They were really far superior to the other couple and the routine was very sharp and strong – just the way the tango is supposed to be danced.

Lastly, both couples came out and did a mix of dances for a big finale.  I really enjoyed it.  I love couples dancing.  The table had a big discussion about all the dance shows on TV.  I told them I watch them ALL -- SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, DANCING WITH THE STARS, AMERICA'S BEST DANCE CREW.  I have heard about a new dance show starting in January that will have dancers from all over the world in all different styles competing.  I'll be there

After dinner we got on line for the photo room.  They will take your picture and, if you like, put a variety of magazine covers in the background – like ROLLING STONE, COSMO, MAXIM or FORTUNE.  We were on line for almost an hour.  The line was ridiculously long and it took a while, because they would let you approve the picture, print it and put it in a frame while you waited.
I wasn’t even going to get my picture taken.  I was just standing with all the HR girls, because they always take a group picture.  They asked me to be in it, but I felt it wasn’t right, because I had only been there for a few months and wasn’t there anymore.  I took a lot of pictures of them all while they were being posed and took the same picture the photographer took.  I hate having my picture taken anyway, and knew I wouldn’t be happy with it, so why bother?

After that, one of the girls asked me to do the DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION game with her.  It’s a high-tech dueling simulator where you have to follow the arrows and step left, right, back and front.  Although I consider myself to be very coordinated, I could not keep up and also could not stop laughing.  It was hysterical and we had a huge crowd around us, which didn’t help my concentration!  One of the girls told me she filmed the entire escapade.  Can’t wait to see it!

After that, I was ready to sit down, but there’s no rest for the weary.  We got on line next for the Tarot readers and – believe it or not – were there for an hour and a half!  It’s a good thing we were near food and drink (I had a cup of decaf coffee) and were having a load of laughs, because we were just standing around.  I guess they didn’t realize how popular the Tarot readers would be, because they probably should have had four, instead of two!

At one point, while we were on line, one of the Tarot readers said she had to take a break.  It seemed like she was gone for a while and I said, "I wonder where she went!"  One guy said, "She's probably doing DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION!"  I thought that was the funniest thing I heard all night.  Just the image of the psychic -- who was wearing a very gypsy-like outfit with a Santa hat -- on the DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION game was hysterical.

I had my reading, which I thought was pretty accurate, and then we got on line to get a reading from the OTHER Tarot reader, just to see what she would say.  I guess we were gluttons for punishment.

In the BLU lounge – where they had the Tarot card readings, they also had live music (a quiet quartet), foosball and billiards, and the late night dessert buffet!

In the Casino they had Blackjack, Poker, Craps, and Roulette.  They gave you chips and you could play to win gift card prizes.

By the time we were done with our second Tarot reading, it was midnight, and we went back upstairs to one of the rooms where the girls were hanging out.  I was so jealous, because the girls that were staying over were already in their pajamas, and I still had on my tight dress and high heels.  I was ready to get in MY pajamas, too!

At around 1:00am we left.  I dropped Rosemary off at home and got to the apartment before 1:30am.  I got into bed and started watching SNL, but I didn’t last too long.

Tonight was really fantastic.  We hit all the rooms and all the fun!  It was so great to see all my friends again after three weeks away.  I’ve really missed the girls in HR, and some of the other people I had seen on a day-to-day basis for the last 10 months!

It’s always fun to go to an office party and see people dressed to the nines and having fun, instead of delivering mail, or staring at a computer screen in a cubicle.  So, I really enjoyed the whole night.  I don’t know when I’ll get to see them again, or if I’ll ever work there again, but this was definitely the way I’ll always remember them all!

Eric woke me up this morning at 10:40am.  I guess it was time to get up!  I thought I was going to another party tonight (at my hair salon – HAIRSPRAY), and I needed to go out and buy the supplies I needed to make my chocolate-covered strawberries.

I was exhausted and kind of dreading having to get dressed up again and go to another party.  My feet were hurting and I know it’s because I hardly sat at ALL last night.

I was too tired to blog last night, so that’s the first thing I accomplished this morning.  I am having problems with pictures on my new laptop.  I am now able to download them easily, from my camera to the laptop, but I am having a hard time resizing them.

It was so easy on my old laptop.  I had a software for editing photos that had a RESIZE option.  Now, the PICASA that I have on this laptop doesn’t have a RESIZE option!  I know there MUST be one, but I can’t find it!

That’s why there were so few pictures in yesterday’s blog and the one of me was SO big.  I couldn’t resize it!

Anyway, John, my colorist (and stylist) called to say he wasn’t going to the party and he had had a big fight with the management of the salon.  Seems he had invited too many clients to the party and they weren’t happy about it.  A big fight ensued and he said he wasn’t going to the party.  I feel so bad, because he was really excited about it and told me how much fun it would be.  He told me he had invited about 8 clients, so I’m glad I wasn’t the only one.  I would have felt horrible if inviting me caused this much trouble!

Once I knew I wasn’t going to the party, I decided I wasn’t going to go out at all.  Since I’m not working, I can do laundry and run errands tomorrow.  I need to go to the post office, and they’re not open on Sunday anyway, so I might as well wait and get it all done at once!

I tidied up the apartment, but didn’t do too much.  I watched COCO CHANEL, starring Shirley Maclaine, which I had recorded about a month ago, but hadn’t had a chance to watch.  I never knew much about Coco Chanel’s life and it was very interesting.

I had a bowl of my vegetable soup for lunch and some salmon and a salad for dinner.  I’ve already lost 2 pounds since I got back, but that’s just because I’m back to normal eating – not eating out a lot like I was with Eric and our friends and family for 2 weeks.

I saw a story on the internet about a couple who ate for $1 a day for 30 days.  They had a bowl of plain oatmeal for breakfast, a peanut butter & jelly sandwich for lunch (one tablespoon of peanut butter; one tablespoon of jelly).  They didn’t mention what they had for dinner, but if you’re interested – there’s a blog:  http://onedollardietproject.wordpress.com/

I was most interested when I heard they live in San Diego!  They’re both high school teachers and said they started this purely as an experiment – to see if they could exist on $1 a day.  They both lost a lot of weight and she said she was “very cranky.”  I think I would be, too!

They also commented on the fact that what they could not afford were any fresh fruits or vegetables.  That’s something that Eric and I have often discussed.  When it’s so easy to feed a family of 4 at TACO BELL for less than $10, why would poor people go anywhere else?  It’s so sad that eating healthy is so expensive.

I think that trying to eat on $1 day is going to an extreme, but I think it would be interesting to see how cheaply you can live without sacrificing your health or welfare.  I know the first thing I’d have to cut out is my STARBUCKS, because they’re so expensive, but that’s really the only thing I splurge on!

Well, there’s nothing good on TV tonight (in my opinion), so I’m going to rent BABY MAMA with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.  I love both of them and the commercials looked funny!

Okay, so maybe I wasn’t snoring (I’ve never been told I do), but I sure did sleep a lot last night!

I watched BABY MAMA last night, which was very cute.  It’s funny, but more a story of a friendship between two women who would never be friends if fate didn’t bring them together.  I didn’t know that Steve Martin or Greg Kinear were the other stars.  They were never shown in any commercials for the film that I ever saw.  Anyway, I did enjoy it!

I went to bed around 1:00am and set the alarm for 9:00am, so I could call Eric while he was at lunch.  I did speak to him, and also blew my nose a lot (it was really running), but I fell back to sleep.  I woke up to go to the bathroom, went back to sleep, and the next time I woke up it was 1:00pm!!!!  Yes, I was in bed for 12 hours – and slept most of that time!

What’s up with that?  I’m a little more congested today than I was yesterday, which troubles me.  I don’t know what I’ve got, but I feel absolutely fine except for the coughing and congestion and the sleeping for 12 hours!  I don’t feel like I have a cold, because as soon as I’m up and about the blowing and sneezing stops (as it does every morning).  I also don’t think I have the flu or anything, because I feel absolutely fine other than the congestion.  So, I spoke to “Dr. Jimmy” and he recommended lots of good stuff,including EMERGEN C (which I already have – it’s a powder you put in water with lots of Vitamin C in it.  I believe Geri and Larry bought it for us when we left NY!).

I also have a tea for colds (which G&L also gave us).  I’ve already been using both of these since I got back to SD, but Jim recommends adding DAYQUIL and NYQUIL, which I’m a big fan of myself!  I’ll see how I feel after all that!

It’s the rainy season in San Diego and part of the reason I kept going back to bed each time I woke up is that I could hear it was pouring outside and knew I wasn’t going anywhere in that weather.  When I finally got up and looked outside, the palm trees were blowin’ in the wind.  I later saw on the news that there was a “severe storm warning.”  I guess this is severe for San Diego!  I would rather NOT have to go out in this weather, but they say it will last until Wednesday afternoon and I MUST do another couple loads of laundry.

I guess I can wait until Wednesday to run my errands and I’m going to see DANCING WITH THE STARS on tour on Wednesday night with Rosemary so I hope that (a) it stops raining and (b) I’m feeling better!

I cleaned Conrad’s entire cage today, which is always a traumatic event for him.  He likes his cage and doesn’t like to leave and when I clean his cage I like to leave him in the bedroom (where he’s safe) while I take the cage completely apart, clean all the pieces, and put it back together again.  He spent about 45 minutes sitting on the window sill in my bedroom, watching the rain.

It was very cute, until I tried to get him back in the cage.  I had to grab him and he bit me.  Boo hoo.  I know he was scared, but it still made me sad that I scared him so much!  He never bites.  He never even pretends he’s going to bite (as some birds do).  He’ll just move away from you if he’s scared, but I got him so stressed when I grabbed him and he was just trying to get away.  My poor little Conrad Birdie!

While he was in the bedroom, sitting on the window sill, I also vacuumed the entire apartment.  Then, when I got him in the cage in the dining room area, I vacuumed the entire bedroom.  I am hoping I got the last of my long hairs out of the rug and off the floor.  That’s one beautiful thing about having the short hair – no more of my hair all over the place.  I shed like a dog!  At least if there ARE hairs, they’re short little ones!

I had a big bowl of my vegetable soup for lunch.  It just gets better and better every time you heat it up!

After my late lunch (which was about 4:00pm) I started working on my next craft project – a bejeweled mirror which was commissioned by the woman for whom I made the bejeweled hand mirror, the butterfly hand mirror and the yoga hand mirror with matching tray (for her daughter).  This is a big undertaking, because it’s a large mirror, but I’m just doing the border around the mirror itself, and not the frame around that.  So, it’s not THAT big.  She also gave me all the jewelry to use (which is SO fabulous), so the only materials I’m using is my glue gun, and the rest is just labor!

It’s funny, because I can procrastinate on starting a project, but once I get started, it’s hard to stop!  I know I’ll be able to finish it this week!

I watched ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, which was a special about 20 people who found something in the garbage, which turned out to be extremely valuable.  Trash to treasure – I love that!

It finally stopped raining, so I brought down my garbage and recycling and then picked up my mail.  I had a few birthday cards and a lot of Christmas cards.  I was so touched to see I got three Christmas cards from regular customers who became friends.  It is so nice that they still think of me – almost 2 years since my shop closed and a year-and-a-half since we left NY.  These are people who I never really socialized with outside the shop, but who were regulars in Peppy’s Dream and who I was always happy to see.

So, tomorrow is my birthday and the only thing I have planned is – stay at home and work on the mirror project and then go to yoga.  Wheee!  Big night out!  At least I’ll have a fun night out with Rosemary on Wednesday when we see DANCING WITH THE STARS!  I’m very excited about that!

So, before I close I must show you a picture of my absolute favorite birthday card -- from Chicken of the Sea!  I guess at some point in my life I must have signed up at their website and given them my birthdate.  Anyway, it's a coupon -- for 25 cents off any one Chicken of the Sea product.  Is that the best gift EVER or WHAT?  Can you imagine their generousity?  Not even a free can of tuna on my birthday (hey -- Cold Stone Creamery is giving me a free ice cream!).  No, 25 cents off.  Wow!  Now THAT'S a birthday present!

I set my alarm for 9:00am now every day, so I can be sure to call Eric while he’s at lunch.  This morning, I woke up at 7:00am!  Nothing woke me up, I just got up and I felt great – better than I have since I got back to SD!  I looked out the window and the sun was shining.  The rain and wind had stopped!  I was very surprised, because I actually watched the weather last night (which I NEVER do) and they said it would let up by Wednesday afternoon.

I was so delighted that the sun was shining on my birthday.  I decided I’d get an early start on the day.  I had breakfast, and then started working on my latest project – the large bejeweled mirror for Marlene.  It’s a VERY complicated and challenging job, because the mirror has a scalloped wood frame around it, then a 5” border, which I am completely covering with jewelry, and then a larger scalloped border around that.

What makes it so difficult is the fact that, since I have those two borders, I am greatly restricted.  Usually, I can overlap each edge a little bit, but since these borders are raised, I have to make every single piece of jewelry fit in between.  Suffice it to say, I think this is the most challenging piece I have done since the bejeweled tissue box (which Marlene bought!).  It’s a different type of challenge, but challenging nonetheless!

At 9:00am I called Eric and he sang “Happy Birthday” to me.  He said he felt so bad, because this is the first time since we met in 1982 that we have not been together on my birthday.  I told him that it’s okay, and that we’ll make up for all the missed days when we are together again in the Spring.

After working on the mirror for a while, I jumped in the shower, got dressed and started three loads of laundry.  Then, I got in the car and drove to STARBUCKS.  As I drove, I kept glancing up at the sky, looking for my Clairemont Eagle.  No such luck today.

When I reached the STARBUCKS drive-thru, I had the chutzpah to ask if they gave free drinks on your birthday (I already knew they didn’t).  Hey, you can’t blame me for trying!  I then got myself a Venti Peppermint Mocha Twist Frappuccino.  If you’ve ever had a chocolate-mint Andes Candy, it tastes exactly the same!

After Starbucks I headed to the post office.  The line was almost OUT THE DOOR.  I never saw such a long line at this particular post office, but of course it IS the week before Christmas!  There was a line of about 25 people waiting for help inside, and then a line of about 6 or 7 people waiting to use a machine.  I saw people with boxes standing on the line, so I asked if you could weigh and mail a box using this machine.  This young girl spoke up and told me you could, and you could also buy stamps.  Fabulous!  I immediately moved over to the shorter line.

As each person was weighing their package and answering all the questions the machine was asking, inserting their credit card, etc., this young woman was helping.  Then, an older man in black pants, a red shirt and a Christmas tie, came over to help customers.  I told him he should hire this woman, because she was helping everyone and was doing such a great job.  He said things were so tight at the post office that they didn’t even hire temps this year.  That’s unheard of, because they ALWAYS hire extra help at the holidays.  Things really are bad all over.

Anyway, when it was my turn, I measured the box, using their rulers, the machine weighed it, told me my options for shipping, and then printed out the postage on a label, which I just had to put on the package and drop in a bin.  Then, I also bought Christmas stamps.  If you’ve purchased these new nutcracker holiday stamps, you must have noticed that they are the thinnest, cheapest stamps I’ve ever seen.  Could they BE any cheaper?  They’re super-thin and you have to be very careful when you peel them, or they’ll rip right in half!

When I was done at the post office, I went back to the apartment and put some stuff in the dryer and brought the rest up to hang on the line.  I waited 40 minutes (working on my mirror and reading and writing emails) and then went down again.  Some of it was still damp (there were a lot of towels), so I put in 3 more quarters for another 40 minutes and came back up.

Eric called me again.  He had just gotten out of work and was heading down into the subway.  He’s back working on 87th and 1st and he takes the express bus, then the subway and then walks a few blocks to work.  Then reverses the process for the ride home.  It’s a long commute and when he was all the way downtown he’d drive all the way in and then ride his bicycle from Chinatown to Exchange Street.  It was a much faster commute, but he has to go where they send him!

Anyway, when the laundry was finally done, I went to CITIBANK to get some cash and, as I was leaving, there was a man getting on a Harley Davidson.  He looked to be late 50s.  I smiled as I passed and he asked if I had my helmet.  I told him I didn’t, but thanks anyway!  Then, as I’m walking towards my car, he calls after me and says, “I have an extra helmet!”  I laughed and turned around.  I said, “Today’s my birthday and you just made my day!”  He said, “How old are you?  21?  I said, “No – 51!”  He said, “You must be kidding!”  Which really made me feel good.

Then, he walked over to me and started talking to me.  I told him I used to ride with my husband, but he had a bad accident in 1987 and neither of us has ridden a motorcycle since.  He asked if my husband and I like boats.  I told him no –  we’re definitely not “water people” at all.  I didn’t mention that I can hardly swim and that Eric doesn’t like the beach. 

He told me he’s into yachting and photographs yacht races.  He then told me to check out his website DA-WOODY.COM.  Turns out he’s a wild and crazy guy who travels the world and drives an old woody car turned into a boat in Yacht races.  Check it out: http://www.da-woody.com/DA-WOODY.HTML

After CITIBANK, I headed to COSTCO for gas and a few sundries.   Here’s the best birthday present a girl could ask for:  Gas at $1.55 a gallon!!!!!!  I cannot believe I filled up my tank – 10.783 gallons for $16.70!!!!  It’s a birthday miracle!  That means, even on “E”, I could fill up the tank for under $20.  Even 2 years ago, in NY, it was costing me $32 to fill up and, more recently, it went as high as $50!  It really makes me happy, because cheaper gas means everything will be a little easier for people this season.

After parking the car, I walked inside the giant warehouse thinking, “Today’s my birthday, and I can buy anything I want!”  The first thing I saw when I walked in the door was fleece bathrobes.  I got myself an ANNE LEWIN lavender cozy fleece shawl collar 48” wrap robe.  I just love feeling it.  It’s SO soft!!!

The next thing I saw were slippers.  I NEED new slippers!  I got DEARFOAMS “special edition” black suede slippers with “plush cushioning” and “sure-grip soles.”  They’re really like shoes, because they have a sole you can definitely wear outside, which I like, because this way I can wear them to the laundry room or mail box!

Next, I got AAA batteries, which I needed for the headset I use with my television.  I originally got this way back in NY, because I used to stay up so much later than Eric when he was working and I had closed the shop.  This way, I could watch TV and he could sleep and the TV wouldn't bother him.

I haven’t used them in a long time, but when I have the heat on in the apartment it goes off and on all the time.  It’s a forced air system and when it’s on, it’s very loud, so I have to make the TV louder.  Then, when it goes off, the TV is too loud, so I have to make the TV lower.  It’s a process all night long and I have to hold the remote in my hand all the time.  I figure if I use the headphones, I won’t have to adjust the volume, and I also won’t bother the people downstairs with my loud volume late at night.  I have NO idea if I AM bothering them, but I know I can hear their TV when it’s quiet in the bedroom, so I’m assuming they can hear mine, too!

As I walked up and down the aisles I had a lovely lunch.  You know all the food samples you can get at COSTCO (or BJ’s, or SAM’S, or any of those big warehouse stores).  Well, I had some mini quiche, potstickers, mozzarella cheese, raspberry chipotle and cream cheese on a cracker, sweet and salty nuts, mini pizzas, and low-fat yogurt.  It’s so funny, because everyone is walking around the store eating.  I guess it keeps the customers happy!  Some of the things I tried were SO good, I was tempted to buy them (the mini quiche were to die for), but I didn’t.

I DID pick up a tray of sushi for my birthday dinner.  I also got balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, because I use a lot of that for cooking and salads.  The last thing I picked up was a mat for the front door.  I like to wipe my feet when I come in and leave my shoes on a mat, instead of on the floor or the rug.  It’s a chocolate brown, which goes nicely with the light brown rug in the apartment.  I didn’t see anything else I needed and had gotten everything I wanted, so I checked out and headed home.

After putting everything away, my phone rang.  It was all the HR girls on speaker phone, singing Happy Birthday!  We talked for a few minutes and they all said how much they missed me.  I had emailed my agency this morning and told them they should try to find me work starting Monday, 12/22, and the woman I work with emailed back and said she had called the firm and asked if they needed me and they said no.  So, I definitely won’t be going back there until 2009, if at all.  Well, it was nice while it lasted and I DID make a lot of friends while I was there!

Speaking of friends, I’m having lunch with Tifney tomorrow – Conrad’s babysitter!  She’s such a doll and we have a lot of fun together.  She told me she loves my company, which made feel really great.  I’m picking her up at 11:30am and we’re going back to SOUP PLANTATION.  It’s her favorite place and it’s just about a mile from the office, so it’s very convenient.

I again plugged in the hot glue gun and worked on the mirror (as you can see, once I get started…).  At around 4:30pm I decided to take a nap, before my yoga class.  I often used to come home from work at 5:30pm and take a nap for an hour before class and it really revived me.  Not so much tonight!  When I woke up at 6:30pm, I just hit the alarm, rolled over, and went back to sleep.  I really DID want to go to yoga tonight, because I haven’t been there in WEEKS, but the thought of staying home, working on the mirror and watching the season finale of THE BIGGEST LOSER was just too appealing.

I got up around 7:00pm, had some sushi, and then started work.  I stopped at 8:30pm and watched TBL.  I was SO worried that the evil, conniving, bitch Vicky would end up winning $250,000.  I really wanted Michelle to win, because she's such a great girl.  I wouldn’t have minded if Heba or Ed won, because they were a very sweet and cute couple, but I REALLY wanted Michelle to win.

Well, Heba ended up winning the $100,000 for losing the most weight for an eliminated contestant.  Michelle ended up losing over 45% of her body weight and won the Grand Prize -- $250,000.  And the Evil Vicky walked away with – nothing!  Karma is a bitch!

After THE BIGGEST LOSER, I watched ELI STONE, which is one of my favorite shows.  I’ve heard it’s been cancelled.  Boo hoo!  I really enjoy this one.  It’s very spiritual, and touching, yet there are a lot of laughs and – my favorite thing – musical numbers!  If you’ve never seen it, check it out!

So, tomorrow is my big day out.  First, lunch with Tifney.  Then, back to the apartment to change for DANCING WITH THE STARS!  Rosemary is picking me up at 5:30pm and taking me to dinner.  I can’t wait to see all the stars dancing in person.  I know it will be a fantastic night!

I got a lot of birthday cards, emails, e-cards and phone calls, which really mean the world to me.  The biggest surprise was an email from a couple Eric and I met while we were visiting Asheville last April.  You may remember I wrote about Keith and Amy, the lovely couple who owned the Indie Coffee House in Brevard (Pisgah Forest), North Carolina, right outside Asheville.  I am happy to report that their business is thriving, and they were kind enough to email me to wish me a happy birthday.  I guess I must have filled out something for them, too!  I'm always telling everyone my birthday -- Chicken of the Sea, Cold Stone Creamery, and the INDIE COFFEE HOUSE!

This was definitely not the most exciting, fun-filled birthday I’ve ever had, but walking outside on my birthday in just a shirt – no jacket – and turning my face to the sun to feel the warmth – well, that’s the best birthday gift I could have asked for.  I know my next birthday will be back in NY and it will definitely be cold, but I’ll have my Eric to keep me warm!

I couldn’t believe it when I heard the rain outside again.  How lucky was I to have a perfect, beautiful, sunny day yesterday for my birthday?  It poured all day Monday, and it poured all day today.  You might think it’s a wonderful thing, since San Diego is so dry and everything needs water, but this much water just causes massive flooding.  Today I heard about a ranch where horses were drowning and some had to be put to sleep because of injuries they sustained.  That makes me SO sad.  People are losing their homes due to this much rain.

I was supposed to have lunch with Tifney today, but when I hung up with Eric at 9:00am, I decided I wasn’t going out in this weather just for lunch! I called Tifney and rescheduled for tomorrow, even though it’s supposed to rain tomorrow, too!  Oh, well.  We’ll see.

I worked on Marlene’s mirror a LOT today – for about 4 hours.  Once I get started, it’s very hard to stop!  I got a lot done, but – as I said before – this is a very challenging project, so I really don’t move too fast.

I stayed in all day, because I knew I was going out tonight with Rosemary to see DANCING WITH THE STARS.  I wanted to get dressed up, but it was so nasty out, so I wore jeans, a leopard velour top, a brown velour cardigan and my black raincoat.  I also wore my practical black maryjanes, although I was tempted to wear knee-high rain boots I still own!  I didn’t bring my snow boots to San Diego, but I DID bring my rain boots.  I wore them a few times while we were in the RV, when it would rain and the campground would get muddy.

I was hoping and praying that the weather would improve by the time Rosemary picked me up, but when she called me from the road at a little after 4:00pm, it was still pouring.  I hate to complain, since – as Eric said – it’s beautiful for about 350 days a year and the two weeks that it rains everyone complains!  It’s true.  But it’s not just the rain – it’s chilly out, too!  I had the heat on all day today!  I figure if I’m going to be this cold – snuggling in my new fleece bathrobe and Dearfoam slippers – I may as well be in NY with Eric!

Anyway, Rosemary picked me up at 4:45pm and we headed to THE OLIVE GARDEN, which is right across the street from the SPORTS ARENA where the show took place.  It was convenient and I really do like their food!

We shared fried calamari and fried raviolis and each had salad and breadsticks (what else?).  I got Eggplant Parmagiana with spaghetti and Rosemary got Steak Toscano (Grilled 14 oz choice center cut Strip steak brushed with Italian herbs and extra-virgin olive oil. Served with Tuscan potatoes and bell peppers).

We were too stuffed for dessert!  I took home most of my eggplant and she took most of her steak!  We got back in the car, drove across the street and parked in the big arena parking lot.  We were lucky it had stopped raining, and it even warmed up a little!  We had good seats and were sitting for about a half hour, when an usher came and let everybody move down to the next section.  I guess the show wasn’t sold out and they figured it was better for the performers to have people in the closer seats.  Now, we were in the SECOND ROW -- right off the floor!!!!!  There were about 70 tables on the floor in a u-shape around the huge dance floor.  There were stairs leading up to a small stage and the band was behind that.

There's Marlee in the opening number!

We were all the way on one side, but I knew we were in a great spot, because all the dancing takes place on the dance floor, and not on the stage.  Turns out, we had FANTASTIC seats, because all the dancers came out and stood right by us, before they went onstage to dance.  At one point, Cheryl Burke (my favorite female professional) smiled RIGHT AT ME!!!!  I was so starstruck!  Rosemary couldn’t believe it either!

These little kids were the cutest of all the amateurs dancing!

Towards the end, Maxim (my favorite male professional) was standing right by us and I waved my hands madly.  He looked at me, smiled, and waved his hands wildly right back.  Rosemary and I were laughing so hard and we both wish we could have caught a picture of that!

Maurice Greene (2-time Olympic Gold medalist) and his partner, Cheryl Burke.

They started the show with an amateur competition, but it was VERY amateur, because they all were pretty bad.  They did one dance, narrowed it to 5 couples, did one more dance and narrowed it to 2 couples.  Then, later on in the show, the two couples did another dance and we had to text to vote.  Neither Rosemary or I bothered.  I’m sure most of the people who voted were the family and friends of the competitors!

The blonde guy is Derek Hough -- such a cutie -- one of the professional dancers!

Then, the show started.  The band was fantastic with two male and two female singers.  They played quite a variety of the latest hits (Beyonce, Rhianna, Jennifer Hudson, and some classics – (Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Sinatra, etc.).

This was an adorable number danced to "Fly Me To The Moon!"

There were 37 dance numbers – yes 37!  They had just as many costume changes.  It was an amazing show.  The stars were Marlee Matlin (from season 5), and Maurice Greene, Toni Braxton, and Lance Bass from season 6.  They all did a great job, but it’s really the professionals that dazzle.  They are such amazing athletes and they do most of the dancing all night.  I’d say the stars were in about 10-12 numbers, but the pros were in at least 20 each!  I don’t know how the girls do it – in their high heels!

Marlee Matlin in a fabulous tribute to Marilyn Monroe -- wearing the exact same outfit she wore in "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend."

Rosemary is not a fan of DWTS and never watched an entire season, so she wasn’t super-enthusiastic to go, but she knew we’d have fun together (we always do).  She told me she had such a great time and was so impressed that she’s going to watch next season!  A new fan!

She loves dancing, and said she’d love to take dancing lessons.  I told her I’ve been wanting to do that again for years, and maybe she and I can do it before I leave San Diego!

Lance did a sexy number with four of the pros to Michael Buble's arrangement of "Feelin' Good."

After the show we walked back to the car.  It still wasn’t raining and I’m hoping it’s gone for good, but they’re saying it could still rain more tomorrow!

When I got home I got undressed and into my fluffy robe and downloaded all the pictures I took.  As you can see, there was no rule against the taking of flash photography!!!  Everyone was taking pictures all night!  I think I really got some great shots!  What a fun night!

Toni Braxton (6-time Grammy Winner!) sang her biggest hit -- UNBREAK MY HEART!

A great shot of Maxim dancing!

Sexy Marlee in another number!

Cheryl and Maurice!

Edyta is famous for her amazing lifts.  Look at those legs!

 There's my boy Lance!  He was my favorite star this season.  I voted for him every week!

Wow!  I can’t believe it’s been 500 days since Eric and I drove off Leggett Place and changed our lives forever!  If you would have told me that 500 days later Eric would be back in Whitestone, steamfitting, and I would be sitting here in San Diego, typing on my new laptop, I’d have thought you were nuts.  Yet, that’s exactly where we stand, 500 days later.  Life is a constant surprise, don’t you think?  You never know what tomorrow will bring.  I think it’s kind of what makes life worth living – what makes each day exciting.  If you really did know exactly what would happen, it would get very boring very fast, at least I think so!

Anyway, my 500th blog entry will have many photographs, because I finally had a chance to download all the fabulous wedding photos my niece Melissa gave me on a CD.  So, you will get to see the gorgeous bride, Jessica, the handsome groom, Ken, the fabulous maid-of-honor, April, and all the rest.  You can reminisce about Peppy with her curly hair, because it’s all gone now!

I had a fun day today.  I got up at my usual time – 9:00am – and called Eric.  I was pretty tired, because I didn’t go to sleep last night until after 1:00pm.  It took me a LONG time to get all those pictures from DANCING WITH THE STARS uploaded, but I think it was worth it!  Do you know 2 people found my blog, because they were googling DANCING WITH THE STARS?  They loved my photos and both wrote to say they couldn’t wait to go see the show when it reached their town!  Very cool!

I had to run a few errands, but first I picked Tifney up at the office and we drove about a mile to SOUP PLANTATION for lunch.  We both had salads, and then I had chicken broth and a few noodles, some pasta, and a chocolate muffin.  It was all really good.  The place is a bargain if you can eat a lot, because it’s all you can eat and it’s about $12 a person, including a drink.

We had a great time.  Tifney is really fun and I enjoy her company a lot.  We made plans to get together for lunch again in a few weeks – after all the holidays.  She invited me over to her house for Christmas Eve dinner, which I thought was SO sweet, but she has two pugs and I know I couldn’t stay at her house for more than 10-15 minutes without getting sick.  Too bad.  I’ll bet it will be lots of fun.

After lunch, I dropped her off and headed back to Clairemont.  Ever since I got back from NY, I have been unable to access the internet on my old laptop.  Isn’t that ironic?  I get a new laptop, with internet access, and my old one konks out.  I brought it to CIRCUIT CITY, because that’s where I bought my VERIZON modem.  Unfortunately, the guy who checked it out showed me that it wasn’t the modem, but a piece inside my computer that was broken.  I told him this thing is an antique and I refuse to put one penny into it, so I just canceled my contract.  The good news is, I’ll save $60 a month!  The bad news is, that computer isn’t good for much anymore.

If I gave it to someone, they could get internet access the “old fashioned” way – through the phone or cable company, but not the kind I have – Wi-Fi – which means you can go anywhere and have internet access without being hooked up with wires.

It DID cost me $95 to cancel my contract, but they said you pay $60 in advance, so I really only have to pay $35 to cancel and I’ll start saving in January.  My contract was up in August, so if I DID keep it I would have spent an additional $420!

After CIRCUIT CITY, I went to the shoemaker, because the shoes I want to wear to the Bar Mitzvah needed new leather soles.  They’re dressy black mules from VIA SPIGA and I love them.  I wore them when Eric and I went to see BILLY ELLIOT and walking along the streets of Manhattan did a number on them.  This guy is good, so I’m confident they will be as good as new.  I told him I need to pick them up tomorrow morning and he said they’d be ready!

After running my errands, I came back to the apartment to hang out until it was time for my Thursday appointment.  I have been working diligently on the mirror for Marlene and I figured if I could finish it by tonight I could actually deliver it to her in Costa Mesa on my way to Los Angeles tomorrow and save her and her boyfriend the trip down here.  I know it’s a pain for them to come, because he works all day and then drives her down in Friday night traffic.  By the time they get home it must be after midnight.  This way, I can deliver it, and then be on my way.  She was absolutely thrilled!

This is the fastest I’ve ever completed such a large project, but since I wasn’t working this week I was able to put 4-5 hours each day into it.  That’s much more than I could if I was working.

I went to my appointment and couldn’t believe how cold it had gotten.  During the day, when the sun is shining, it’s so warm out, but in the late afternoon, as the sun was setting, it felt very chilly.  The temperature was only about 53 degrees, which is very cold for San Diego!  It gets cold in the apartment at night and I’ve been sleeping in my flannels under a few cotton blankets with the heat on every night!

I had a Birthday coupon for a free ice cream at COLD STONE CREAMERY, so I stopped by on my way home.  It felt too cold for ice cream, but I figured I’d take it home and have it for dessert while wearing my fluffy fleece robe!

Turns out, this particular COLD STONE CREAMERY is combining with ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHOCOLATE FACTORY and will now be selling chocolates by the pound, and caramel and chocolate-dipped apples.  A young man put a tray of something chocolatey on the counter and I said, “What is that?”  Turns out it was three chocolate covered marshmallows on a stick.  He offered me one and I couldn’t refuse.  I swear, I’m going straight to hell!  Between the ice cream, the marshmallows, and my lunch today with Tifney, I probably gained two pounds in one day.  Anyway, the marshmallows were TO DIE FOR!  I offered to tip them, because they gave me the ice cream and marshmallows free, but they just said, “Just come back and see us again!”  I promised I would and hope I get invited to a party, so I can bring some of their fabulous chocolates!

I had my leftover eggplant parmigiana and the rest of my vegetable soup (yes, it’s finally gone) for dinner. 

I don’t know if I mentioned this previously, but I have a friend who occasionally gives me typing work.  I haven’t done anything for him since last December (which came in very handy, because I wasn’t working last December either!).  He emailed me last week and asked if I’d be available for some typing.  I told him it was perfect timing because, once again, I was out of work!  I received the work today and will get started when I get back from Los Angeles.  The money from the mirror and this typing won’t exactly pay my rent, but it will keep me in groceries, gas and STARBUCKS!!!!  I’m lucky Eric is working, because he’ll be paying my rent this month!

Since my mirror is finished (and I’m delivering it tomorrow!), I just relaxed and watched TV.  I am REALLY tired, so I’m going to try to get to bed at a decent time, because I have to pick up my shoes at the shoemaker, get my mani/pedi and drive to Costa Mesa before heading up to Los Angeles.  I have a busy day ahead of me.

Enjoy these wedding photos!

The lovely maid of honor -- Jessica's sister, April!

My beautiful nieces -- Melissa and Stephanie (sisters):

Four of my beautiful nieces: Ashley, Michele, Stephanie and Melissa.

Brother and sisters -- Jason, Stephanie and Melissa.  Yes, that is a mohawk and bow tie Jason is sporting.  Like his grandfather and his Uncle Eric, Jason is also a steamfitter!

Here we are!

Jessica and Ken Mejia:

I wish there were pictures of all my nieces and nephews, but there just weren't!  I'm sure when Jessica sends out pictures I'll be able to show all 11 that were there!

This is late, because I had blogging problems, which have been resolved (although I don't know how, because Katie, my webmaster, saved the day!

I received a lovely birthday gift, while I was still in NY.  I mentioned to a friend that I needed a stronger magnifying mirror to put my makeup on, since I seem to be getting blinder and blinder by the month.  Next thing I knew, she bought me one.  It’s very laborate and high-tech.  It has a regular 6” round regular mirror above a 6” round 10x magnification mirror, with a light around it and an alarm clock!  It all folds up for travel, so I guess they figure it’s a nightlight, make-up mirror, and alarm clock all rolled into one.  Fabulous!

So, I set it up and the battery for the alarm clock is already in there (I had to add batteries for the light).  I tried to set the clock, and I’m usually very good at these type of things, but this was very complicated and the instructions weren’t very good.  Suffice to say, I couldn’t figure out how to set the alarm or the clock, so I just left it.

Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed that, from time to time, the mirror beeps and I figure it’s the alarm going off, but it was always during the day or early evening and it would stop after a few beeps.

So, this morning at 3:30am, the thing starts beeping and it won’t stop!  I finally had to go over there and press buttons until it stopped.  Then, I couldn’t fall back to sleep for about an hour.  Now, I’m not telling you this so my darling friends, who gave me this lovely gift, would be wracked with guilt.  No, I LOVE my mirror and don’t think I could give it up if I wanted to.  I NEED this mirror!  No, I’m just telling you, so you’ll understand why, at 4:00pm I was falling asleep while I was driving!!!!  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

I was up a few times during the night and when the alarm went off at 9:00am to call Eric, I was already awake.  I spoke to him and then started my day.  I had breakfast, worked on the computer, and started packing for my weekend in Los Angeles.  I had everything ready, but needed to go pick up my shoes (they were being fixed at the shoe repair) and then go get my mani/pedi.

When I got back, all I had to do was change clothes, put on some make-up (with my 10x magnification mirror), and then carry everything to the car.  I had put the mirror I was delivering in the car when I did my errands in the morning, but I still had my laptop (in a new much-smaller laptop case I purchased at CIRCUIT CITY yesterday), my clothes on hangers, my small pink and black suitcase on wheels, my purse, a box of tissues (because I’ve been using so many), and a small bag of jewelry to give back to Marlene.

It’s a good thing I didn’t have very far to go, because I was carrying MUCH too much stuff!  I got it into the car, made a quick stop at the drive-through STARBUCKS, and got on I-5 North to Costa Mesa and then Los Angeles.  It was exactly 2:00pm when I left and I figured I’d be in Costa Mesa by 3:30pm and then Los Angeles by 5:00pm.

Well, I hit a lot of traffic on the way.  I was either driving 80 MPH or 20 MPH.  Very frustrating.  I brought some great CDs with me – Bette Midler, Vonda Shepherd, Madonna, etc., so at least I had some good listenin’ and I was singing along.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get to Costa Mesa until 4:00pm.  I told Marlene that I couldn’t come up, because I was so late and wanted to try to get to L.A. before dark.

She came down with her son, Buddy, who is 26 and is absolutely gorgeous.  He is in a wheelchair, but you could see immediately from his bright eyes and his smile that he is full of life and personality.  I immediately gave him a hug and told him I felt like I knew him, because Marlene talked about him so much, and I had seen many pictures of him that she had emailed.

They were so disappointed that I wasn’t coming up, and I DID need to use the bathroom, so I parked the car and went up with them for the 5-minute tour of their gorgeous apartment.  Marlene is just like me – she loves decorating and she is really talented.  She loves bright colors, and lots of sparkle and glitz.  Her place was decorated for Christmas, and it looked even more festive than usual.

They have two dogs – a Chihuahua and a Yorkie, so I knew I had to make it very fast, and I told them that my cousins were expecting me for dinner.  I was out of there within 15 minutes, but the minute I got on 405N I hit a lot of traffic.  It was much the same as I-5 – speeding and then crawling; speeding, then crawling.

I finally got to Ilene’s house just as they were all getting into the car to go to the synagogue.  They knew I wasn’t going to go, but it was perfect timing, because she didn’t have to tell me where the key was hidden, and how to unlock the doors, etc .

As they all drove away, I got everything out of the car, put it away in Tyler’s room (my room for the night) and then got busy raiding the fridge.  I was STARVING!  The only thing I had eaten since my cereal this morning (at 9:30am) was a Piadini at Starbucks.  If you don’t know what that is (I didn’t know until I bought one), it’s a pastry with egg, spinach and mushrooms inside.  It’s one of their breakfast sandwiches.  It was yummy and was gone within 20 minutes of my ride!

They had Mexican food for dinner, and I had leftover rice and beans and then macaroni and cheese.  Lots of carbs – just what I need!

I had called Eric and Marlene to let them both know I had arrived safely.  Eric said it was pretty nasty in New York – first it was snowing and then it turned to rain and sleet.  I told him the good news was – he didn’t have to shovel!  He had to admit that was a good thought!

I had brought my laptop, so I put it on the kitchen table and blogged and checked my emails while I ate.  How lovely to NOT have to even plug it in.  This one actually has a working battery!  The one on my old laptop died, so you have to have it plugged in at all times.  What an inconvenience that was!

I worked on the computer, but couldn't post (because of my blog problem), so i just relaxed on the couch and was just dozing off when everyone got home.  I helped Ilene and Katie (Ilene's niece and my cousin) make gift bags with all kinds of fun candy in game-themed tins and boxes.  We all went to sleep around midnight.  I was really exhausted.  It was a long day!

Today was a long day.  And If I think it was a long day, I can only imagine how my cousin Ilene feels!  Her day started hours before mine, and ended many hours after mine, and she was much busier every hour in between!

I got to sleep in Tyler’s room, which has a really comfy bed, and a nice, fluffy comforter.  It was very sweet of him, because he had to sleep in his sister’s room on a twin-size inflatable mattress on the floor!

I always bring my own pillow whenever I travel -- near or far -- because I can’t sleep without it.  I got a good night’s sleep, but I heard Ilene up and about by 6:00am.  She had some errands to run before we could go to the synagogue at 8:30am.  I was meeting her and her niece Catie (my cousin) there.

I decided not to take a shower, to save time.  So, I just washed up, got dressed and headed to Starbucks.  Catie and I had mocha lattes (mine was decaf; hers was regular).

When I got to the synagogue, there were a lot of people bustling about.  Ilene had recruited many helpers, including her co-worker, Stephanie, who was the decorator for the entire event.  The theme for the Bar Mitzvah was “Winter Wonderland.”  The good news is, they made it look wintery, even though it was a gorgeous day in Los Angeles!

There were snowmen that lit up, life-sized penguins with white and black feathers, fake snow, giant snowflakes, and lots of other white, blue and silver decorations.  There were giant white and navy blue cardboard trees that had to be assembled – a lot of them!  What we didn’t know until we opened them was that they needed to be cut, hot glued and assembled.  There were a LOT of steps.  I don’t know what we would have done without all the helpers there, but when I left at 1:00pm, a lot of it was done, but I knew there was a lot left to do.

I drove to Joe and Miguel’s apartment and got there a little before 2:00pm.  Joe and Miguel were both home, and were busy cleaning and making sure everything was perfect for their guest.  They bought a brand-new inflatable queen-size bed, and set it up in the living room.  I really wanted to take a nap (I really needed one), but there just wasn't time.

I loved looking around their apartment, which is gorgeous.  They just got a lot of new furniture, and Miguel is an amazing decorator.  I relaxed with them for a while and then had to shower and dress for the Bar Mitzvah.  I wore the same skirt I wore to Jessica and Ken’s wedding (black lace with a cream slip underneath), but different shoes (black sparkly VIA SPIGA mules), and a black short-sleeve knit top with a cream-colored cardigan with lots of gold sequins on the shoulders and front.  I also wore a gorgeous new purse that was a birthday gift.  It’s black silk with lots of gold and red beads and sequins with a gorgeous gold metal handle.

I got back to the synagogue around 5:00pm.  The Bar Mitzvah was about to start and everyone was arriving.  Catie and I were greeters, so we handed people the program, and asked them to turn off their cell phones.  Then, when everyone had arrived, we took a seat in the back.

Evan did a great job.  He really spoke up and was very enthusiastic in his performance.  His portion of the Torah was about Joseph and his “Technicolor dream coat!”  After reading his portion in Hebrew, he told of the story, so those of us who don’t know Hebrew could understand.  It was all about how his brothers hated him, because his father favored him and they thought that Joseph thought he was better than them.

Then, he talked about what he thought it meant.  He said that the story was about sibling rivalry and about how you may not always LIKE your brothers or sisters, but you always LOVE them.  I say, “Hallelujah and AMEN!”

The wonderful thing about their congregation is that they have a baby grand piano in the room and an accomplanist played while the Cantor (who also played the guitar) and Rabbi sang.  There was more singing than I’ve ever heard before.  They both have beautiful voices and they didn’t speak as much as they sang!  Also, the piano player was fantastic and he played background music as they spoke, so it was very dramatic and very entertaining.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it was one of the most entertaining Bar Mitzvahs I have ever attended!

Ilene’s brother, David, and his wife, Mary Ellen, and their son, Daniel (Catie’s brother) were due from Schenectady in the early afternoon on Saturday.  Unfortunately, because of the bad weather in New York, they missed their connecting flight in Chicago, and didn’t arrive at the Bar Mitzvah until almost 9:00pm!  They missed seeing Evan become a Bar Mitzvah, and missed most of the party, too!

Other than that, everything went off without a hitch!  There were tons of games for the kids to play – DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION (I didn’t participate this time), some kind of ROCK STAR video game (like GUITAR HERO) where there’s a guitarist, bassist, drummer and singer.  I performed ROAM by the B52s with my cousin Karen’s husband, Mark, as the guitarist, my cousin, Tyler, as the drummer, and a young female guest as the bassist.  It was really fun!

There was a popcorn machine and slushy machine, a photo booth, and more video games.  Tyler also served as DJ and kept the crowd entertained with great music all night long.

Ilene looked gorgeous in a gold brocade gown with a lace-up back.  Very sexy!  Her 5-year-old daughter, Elise, looked beautiful in a gold party dress, but she's very camera shy, so she wouldn't pose for a picture!

Here's Ilene, looking gorgeous.  When I took out the red eye in the photo, it made some dark marks on her face.  I couldn't fix it.  Sorry!

Her friends, who had worked so hard all day long, were now dressed up and looking beautiful.  Stephanie, who worked SO hard all day, was still making sure everything was perfect, and looked gorgeous doing it in a black velvet dress.

There was a long buffet with salad, eggplant parmigiana, chicken parmigiana, baked ziti, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, garlic bread, and corn dogs.  Something for everyone!

I ate much too much, and then indulged in dessert, too!  There were mini cupcakes, chocolate-chip cookies, hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows and whipped cream, and a big cake shaped like a Wii machine, complete with the remote!

I sat at a table with my cousins, Chris and Al (Ilene and Karen’s parents), and Catie, Karen, Mark, and their kids – although the kids were so busy having fun with all the games that they hardly sat down for 2 minutes!

It was really fun to watch all the kids dancing, playing games, enjoying the food, and just having a great night.  Evan seems to have wonderful friends who were very sweet and friendly.

I feel bad that I didn't get more pictures of the family.  We were all busy taking pictures with all our cameras, but we didn't stop to pose for many.  I wish I got a picture of my cute cousin Catie!  We had a lot of fun tonight!

I had a wonderful time, but could feel myself crashing as everyone was leaving (around 9:30pm).  I knew there was a LOT of cleaning up to do, but I knew I just couldn’t make it.  We were all meeting for brunch tomorrow, and I just wanted to go back to Miguel and Joe’s and go to sleep on that comfy inflatable mattress!

I said my goodbyes, and went to their apartment, which is about 10 miles away.  The boys were at a party in Burbank, so they had given me keys.  I let myself in, got undressed and got into bed.  It was so comfortable that I quickly dozed off and woke up when they came home from the party.  I have no idea what time it was, but we spoke for a few minutes and then they went in to bed and I went back to sleep.

It was such a long day, but such a wonderful day, too.  I think the event was fantastic and Ilene really did a fabulous job.  She did so much of it herself and had only the help of her friends and family.  Kudos to her and her husband, Kyle, for their great organizational skills, creativity, and energy.  I’m sure it was a night Evan will remember for a long, long time!

I woke up at 8:00am this morning, right before my alarm was set to go off.  There’s a church nearby and the bells tolled 8 times, so I knew without opening my eyes exactly what time it was.  Not bad!

I had slept like a baby.  The inflatable bed was SO comfortable and Joe and Miguel gave me a lovely white down comforter, so I was comfy and cozy.  Joe woke up soon after and he and I hung out while Miguel slept.  We talked, caught up, filled each other in on people we both know, and just enjoyed each other’s company over coffee.

Shortly after Miguel got up I jumped in the shower.  They have the biggest, fluffiest bath towels (which I love).  I told them staying over was like being at a spa.  Everything was just perfect.

I left to meet the family for brunch at THE MAGIC CASTLE at 11:00am.  I was very excited, because it’s an exclusive club and you have to know a member in order to go.  They don’t allow children at all, except for a few hours on Sunday, and there are no jeans and men must wear a jacket.

Now, the only thing I brought for Sunday was a pair of my new jeans, but they really look more like slacks.  They’re black and thin denim, so I wasn’t worried.  I also wore the shell of a sweater set my Mom bought me in Florida.  It’s a bright turquoise blue, and I wore a black short-sleeve belted jacket over it with a turquoise and gold heart-shaped pin on the lapel.   The weather was gorgeous – even nicer than San Diego!

The magic castle is a hotel and restaurant, with many, many little theatres, and other rooms for entertaining.  It is a club for magicians and was built in the early 30s.  It’s décor, architecture and flavor is totally Victorian, which of course I love.  It is so elaborate and beautiful, but they don’t allow pictures (except in very few areas), so you’ll have to check it out on their website (by clicking on the link above!).  If you click on ABOUT THE CASTLE and then click on VIRTUAL TOUR, you can learn a lot about this magnificent building and the history inside!

Right across from the main entrance to the restaurant:

The ladies' room was one place you were allowed to take photos (go figure!), so I took some pictures of the elaborate chandelier and the decoupaged walls.  How often do you get to sit on a toilet and look up at THIS?

When I arrived, there was a long line outside.  I had NO idea why people were standing on line, but I knew that Ilene and the family were already seated inside the restaurant area for brunch.  So, after giving my car to the valet, I just passed by the line and walked right inside.  I saw a woman behind a desk, so I walked up to her and told her I was here for the Wachtel party.  That’s the last name of Ilene’s friend, who was our host for the day.  He is a magician and a member of the club (as well as an emmy-winning writer!).

I was told to go stand by a wall of books, look up at an owl and say, “Open Sesame.” 
Of course, I did this with quite a flourish, and when the doors opened, all the people inside – including me – said, “Ooooooooooooooo!”  It was very exciting.  I was then led up a flight of stairs and through many small private rooms to the one where they were seated, at two tables.

I was DYING to take pictures, because there was not an empty space on any wall, the ceilings were all painted with fabulous murals, and the red velvet, carved wood, and magnificent tablecloths and curtains were just overwhelming!

My cousin Catie saved me a seat and I was immediately approached by Gustavo and asked what I’d like to drink.  I settled on a mimosa.  I said my hellos to Ilene’s brother and sister, mom and dad, and all the kids.  Brooks Wachtell was sitting at the head of one of the tables and I was introduced to him.  He is a very interesting and charismatic man.  More on him later!

We got on line for the hot brunch, and there was so much to eat my head was spinning.  I had definitely over-eaten the night before and was determined not to do the same today, but – boy – was it hard!  I ended up having a little roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs, a waffle (which was not too big and was the best waffle I ever ate in my life), and a tiny blintz.  I haven’t had a blintz in so long.  They were little and delicious.

We all sat down and enjoyed the delicious food.  Even the kids, who are all pretty picky eaters, had a wonderful time.  After I finished the plate from the hot buffet, I moved on to the cold buffet.  They had peel and eat shrimp that were so fresh and delicious.  Lox with ½ a toasted bagel, fruit, and pastries.  The shrimp and lox were SO good – two of my favorites!  I finished with a few little pastries and some coffee.

When we were done eating, we got a tour from Brooks.  He showed us some historical sites, pointed out the turret where we were standing in a picture of the building in 1937, and then brought us through many hallways, explaining the photos, the posters, and the history of the club and building.

When we got to a lower level, he started asking people to go inside a phone booth.  When he closed the door he told us to face the back.  On the back wall was a mirror, but when he closed the door it became transparent and you could see a life-size skeleton.  We all screamed, just for the drama of it all!

Everyone had a chance, but no one told what was in there, so each person would be surprised.  It was really cute and fun.

Then, we had a seat outside a little theatre.  We all filed into the small theatre (with many other people in the club that day) and all the children were put into the first two rows with the adults filling in the rest of the 10 or 12 rows. 

There were two magicians and both of them were comedians, too.  I laughed so hard that by the time I left I actually had a headache.  They just really had great routines and could roll with anything that happened.  They used most of the kids (including the bar mitzvah boy, Evan!) for assistance with tricks, and anything that happened they would improvise and they were really fast and funny.

I sat inbetween my cousin David and his wife Mary Ellen.  Mary Ellen is just like me – an easy laugher.  We were laughing so hard.  David didn’t laugh that much, but every time I looked at him he was smiling.  He’s like my Dad (well, he is part Seidman!), because my Dad’s the same way.  He’s not a big laugher, but he smiles when he thinks something’s funny. 

Everyone totally enjoyed the show (unless, maybe, they don’t like comedy or magic!).  I absolutely loved it.  Brooks then took us on more of a tour.  He showed us a clip on a small screen of W.C. Fields, who has an area of one room dedicated to him.  In this clip, W.C. Fields is telling a story as he is attempting to hit the cue ball to start a game of pool.  I always think of W.C. Fields as a child-hating, cigar-smoking actor, but he was SO funny in this as he kept preparing to hit the cue ball and never was quite able to do it.

After more of a tour, we were brought into a much smaller, private theatre with a round card table in the front and 3-4 rows behind.

The kids all sat in the first row and some of the adults sat around the round table.  Now, it was Brooks’ turn to entertain us, and entertain he did!  I have never been that close to a professional magician as he did his card tricks and I really loved it.  At one point, he gave me an invisible tube of lipstick (how did he know!) and I had to apply it and then blow a kiss to the back of a card I had chosen.

When he pulled the card out of the deck, it WAS my card and it had the perfect imprint of red lipstick on the back.  How did he do that?  I loved it!  Brooks did a bunch of tricks using Ilene’s mom and Dad, Karen, Ilene, and Mary Ellen.  We all enjoyed it thoroughly and were completely intrigued.  He also had great one-liners and I realize how important comedy and timing are to a magician.  I guess not all of them have the personality for it, but Brooks certainly does!

When we left there we walked into a room where a baby grand piano was playing by itself.  He informed us that it was a ghost called Invisible Irma.  Okay, everyone has seen a piano that plays by itself, but then Brooks had a conversation with Irma.  He would ask her a question and she would answer with a song that fit the subject perfectly!

For instance, he asked her what was more important – love or money – and first she played LOVE AND MARRIAGE, but then quickly segued into I’M IN THE MONEY!  It was really clever.  Now, I DO believe in ghosts, but I have a feeling someone was within earshot with another keyboard that controlled the baby grand.  But, hey, I’m just guessing!

After that performance we left and all got our cars.  We said fast goodbyes, and then I drove the 3 miles back to Joe and Miguel’s.  Joe was watching football and Miguel was running errands.  I relaxed on the couch and closed my eyes a little until Miguel came home.  We relaxed in the apartment for a while and then I took them out to dinner at a restaurant we had eaten at with Eric the last time the four of us were together in Los Angeles.  THE ALCOVE -- CAFE & BAKERY -- is another fabulous place with great food and lots of antiques all over the inside.  The ladies' room ALSO has a great chandelier, with carved furniture and great pictures on the walls.  Lovely!

We actually sat outside, but they have those great heat lamps, so you don’t feel a chill at all.  The weather really was pretty nice and I guess most people wouldn’t even need the heat lamp, but we’re talking about ME here!  Joe had a steak sandwich.  Miguel had a chicken dish and I had a crabcake sandwich with Ceasar salad.  It was delicious!

After dinner, I dropped the boys off back at their apartment and headed to I-5.  I can take I-5 all the way from their apartment to my apartment!  I just have to pay attention to make sure I STAY on I-5!  So, I kept Betty plugged in while I listened to DREAM GIRLS, so she could instruct me to “keep to the left in 2 miles,” just to be sure I didn’t screw up and accidentally get on another interstate highway!

Thankfully, there was no traffic all the way home.  I left at 7:15pm and arrived at my apartment at 9:00pm – exactly.  I don’t think you could do it any faster unless you did 80mph the entire time.  I did 80mph part of the time, but usually did around 70mph.

When I got in I immediately went back out for my mail, and then started unpacking.  I thought I would fall into bed immediately, but I actually was pretty up.  I had bought a regular coffee for the ride home, but only took 4 or 5 sips.  It was just security in case I felt like I was going to fall asleep!

Conrad seemed VERY happy to see me.  He had plenty of water and seed for the weekend (aren’t birds wonderful and independent?).  I had left the heat on low, so it wouldn’t get too cold, and left the vertical blinds in the bedroom partially open, so he would get sunlight all day.  He did just fine!

I had a fantastic weekend from beginning to end.  Fun on Friday night with the family, the camaraderie of getting everything ready for Evan on Saturday, the lovely affair on Saturday night, the fabulous brunch on Sunday, and spending some time with my dear friends, Joe and Miguel.  I am so happy I was able to attend, but I do wish Eric had been here to go with me, and he expressed the same sentiment.  It just wasn’t the same without him.

I wanted to blog last night – I really did – but I was just not energetic enough to sit at the computer and download all the pictures, etc.  I finally did the Bar Mitzvah entry, but didn’t have the energy to post the photos, so I’m posting them tonight.  If you like, go through Saturday’s blog entry again to see some great pictures.  I didn’t get a good picture of Evan (he was either turning his head, blurry or his eyes were closed), so I wrote Ilene for some good pictures of the handsome Bar Mitzvah boy, but I haven’t received them yet, so sorry about that!  I do want you all to see the décor, because it was really fabulous!  Enjoy!

I’m still a day behind on my blog, so I’m going to be brief about Monday, because it was not very exciting.  Slept till 11:00am.  Had a bowl of cereal, showered, dressed, went to get my massage. 

It was raining, but not too bad and was still pretty warm out (55 degrees). Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, massage!  Lovely, except my nose was running during the entire thing and I had to keep stopping her to blow!

Came home, took a BENADRIL, had a little salad for lunch, watched a little TV and promptly fell to sleep.  I woke up around 7:30pm, worked on the computer, watched TV, and that’s about it!

I woke up at 9:00am and called my darling.  We spoke for a few minutes and then I started my day.  I had a lot of errands to run and wanted to get started early.

My first stop was the laundry room, where I started one load.  I then got in the car and went to the post office to mail a letter to Eric’s union.  I wanted to be sure I had enough postage on it, because there were a lot of enclosures.

Then, I went to the shopping center to pick up some millet for Conrad at PETCO.  If you don’t know what that is, it’s bunches of seed, still on the branch, and it’s like crack cocaine for birds.  They just go CRAZY for it.  I bought a big pack of 24 branches, so he’ll be happy for at least a month!

Then, I went to MICHAEL’S craft store, just to look around and see if anything caught my eye.  Nope.

Next stop was back to the apartment to put everything in the dryer for my “5 minute steam” and then hang it all on the line upstairs in the apartment.  Then, I went out again with my little old lady cart to KEIL’S to do a big food shopping.

I decided to make another big batch of soup, so I bought every vegetable I could think of, and then some.  I got a case of DIET LEMON SNAPPLE (score!), and more of my SPECIAL K CHOCOLATEY DELIGHT cereal, which is the best stuff in the world for breakfast with soy milk!

When I came back I did some work on the computer, watched a little TV and took a nap before yoga class.  I woke up at 6:30pm, drove to GINSENG YOGA in South Park and had a lovely class.  It was particularly serene there tonight.  She put a candle in front of every person’s mat and we had to meditate on the candle while we did our yoga practice.  It was very calming, and having something to stare at actually made it easier for me to concentrate.  I really enjoyed it!

When I got home, I had a six-piece sushi from KEIL’S (I had a $1 off coupon!) and a small salad.  Tomorrow I’m going to get going on my typing project, and make my soup.  Those are my goals for the day.  I won’t be going out at all, unless something comes up.  I really need to get going on the typing project, because if a job comes along I don’t want to be on the computer all day, and then again all night!  I also have a decoupage project, but I know she’s in no rush for it, so it can wait until the typing is complete.

I checked airline fares for a trip to NY.  I really wanted to surprise Eric and visit him for New Year’s Eve.  It’s hard to be apart for big nights like that, but the fares were so expensive (because it’s coming up so soon) and I worry about snowstorms, cancellations, etc.  I told Eric what I wanted to do and he said he would love it, but he doesn’t want me traveling during this time of the year, because it’s just too crazy.  I know he’s right, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting to do it.  I really, really miss him and I really, really want to be with him – if only for a few days.

I just can’t imagine really waiting until Spring to see him again.  I have to figure out when I can go and just keep my fingers crossed that there isn’t a snowstorm.  I hope this winter flies by – for everyone’s sake – and that spring is here before we know it.  My yoga instructor mentioned that the winter solstice had passed and that the days would now be getting longer.  That really made me happy, because even though it seems like the winter is looming ahead endlessly, we really have seen the shortest day and now the sun will be up just a little longer each day.  That’s a good thing!

Yes, that’s where I was today.  Quite a shock to me, too, I must admit.  Here’s the whole story:

When I was visiting with Joe and Miguel in L.A., I was telling them that after 10 months of employment I was now unemployed and hoping for more temp work in 2009.  They asked if I was on unemployment and assured me I was eligible.  They told me to check it out online when I got back.

So (after waiting two days) I decided this morning to see what the story was.  I filled out an application and, when they asked for my driver’s license number, I went to my wallet and – lo and behold – my license was gone.  Where was it?  I backtracked to the last time I saw it.

On Saturday night, when I transferred necessary items to my gorgeous new purse, I put my driver’s license and a credit card, along with some cash in there, so I didn’t have to take my whole wallet.  I emptied the purse on Sunday morning and put everything back in my wallet and big purse.  Or so I thought!

The first thing I did was leave a voicemail for Joe asking if he or Miguel found it.  I knew the answer was “No,” because they are so neat and clean and organized and I just knew they would have seen it if it was laying on the floor somewhere.

I emptied my big purse – looking in all the compartments inside.  I checked my wallet THREE times – completely emptying it and squeezing it to assure myself there wasn’t anything hidden inside.

I called Eric to tell him the bad news.  He told me, “You never lose anything.”  It’s pretty true.  See, he loses a LOT of things – sunglasses, keys, etc., but I rarely – if ever – lose anything.  I always say, “I never lose anything,” until I lose something!  Anyway, I searched my suitcase, the fancy purse, and looked around the apartment everywhere I could think of to look.

I called Jimmy to tell HIM the bad news and he also told me to keep looking and that it was probably somewhere in the apartment or the car.  I hadn’t checked the car, so I figured I’d do that before I went to the DMV.

I decided today was the day, since I was kind of hoping it might be less busy on Christmas Eve, and also because I might (hopefully) be working soon and I better go while the going was good!

I quickly showered and got dressed, but decided I’d better put my “full face” on, in case I had to take another picture.  I really dolled myself up – as if for a photo shoot – and even put on glitzy dangling earrings.

The DMV is about 4 miles from the apartment, so I was there by 10:40am.  I am happy to report I was out of there by 11:05am!  It was JUST THAT FAST!  They re-use your old picture and just need to print out your temporary license.  My advice – if you ever need to go to the DMV and you can choose the date – go on Christmas Eve!

I paid $22 and was given the temp license and told I’d receive the new one in about 2-3 weeks.  Then, since I was dressed and out, I decided to go to STARBUCKS.  I figured it was the bright spot in a bad morning, because I never would have gotten dressed and driven there just for coffee, but since I was already up and out…

As I was waiting at the drive-through, I looked at my purse, sitting next to me on the passenger seat, and noticed an exterior zippered pocket.  I thought to myself, “Did I check that pocket?”  I didn’t remember, but I knew it wouldn’t be in there anyway, because the only thing I keep in there are business cards and gum.

I decided to check and – lo and behold – there it was.  I just sat in the car, on line at STARBUCKS laughing outloud.  The first thing I did was call Jimmy who promptly called me a goober.  I guess I am.

I THOUGHT I had searched the purse everywhere, but I have NO idea WHY I would have put it in that exterior pocket anyway.  Then, I called Eric to tell him he was right – I never lose anything – I just misplace things temporarily.

Well, it only cost me $22 and a half hour of my life, so I guess I got off easy.  I then called Joe to call off the search and told him I was a huge goober (according to Jimmy) and had it all the time, but only found it AFTER I went to the DMV.

When I got home I stopped at CITIBANK so I could get money to put in an envelope for the building manager.  He has a brand-new baby girl, who is SO precious.  I get to see her all the time, because they love to walk her around.  She seems to like being outside and the weather is so mild they can stay outside with her.

Anyway, he does a great job of making sure everything runs smoothly here and it is such a pleasant place to live.  I really will hate to leave my little apartment on Clairemont Drive, because it’s so, so nice.  I wish all of you could have stayed here and seen it, because it is cute and roomy, and well-kept, and just a great place to live (and very reasonable, too!).  I just hope Eric and I can find a place as nice in Queens when I move back in the Spring!

I finally got down to typing at around noon.  I guess I didn’t lose too much time after all.  I typed, answered emails, typed, talked on the phone, typed, watched a little TV and typed until 5:00pm.  It’s hard to just sit and type from a book, even though the subject matter is VERY interesting.  It’s all about men and women and relationships.  It was written in 1976, so some of it seems out-of-date, but that’s why I’m retyping it – so the author and my friend can update and reprint it.

At 5:00pm I stopped to make my "famous vegetable soup."  This time I sautéed an onion, mushrooms, celery, spinach, baby carrots, garlic, and then added a can of corn, a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies (to add a little kick), and a can of black beans.  Finally, when it was all cooked down, I added two cartons of organic vegetable broth.  Then, I let it simmer for 2 hours and had some for dinner at around 7:00pm.  It came out really good – had a bit of a kick to it, which I really like.  This batch should last me the rest of the year and I’ll freeze some for 2009!

I wanted to show Rosemary pictures from my summer gig in Hershey park in 1981, because I was telling her about my dancing career while we were at DWTS.  So, I started looking through boxes.  I found them (thank goodness!) and then I started to go through boxes to see what I could get rid of, to reorganize, etc.  Two hours later I had gotten SO much accomplished!

I had left A CHRISTMAS STORY (which is my favorite Christmas movie) playing in the bedroom and walked in just as my favorite part came on.  It’s the scene where they go to the big department store to see Santa.  When he sits on Santa’s lap and freezes up and doesn’t ask Santa for the gun he wants, and then he climbs back up the slide to ask and then Santa says what everyone else says -- “You’ll shoot your eye out kid!”  The look on his face as Santa takes his boot and pushes him in the forehead with the tip of his shoe, sending him down the slide, is priceless.  Then, when he lands at the bottom next to his brother in the fake snow, he just lays there, not moving.  That gets me every time.  I could see that scene 100 times (and probably have!) and I’ll never get tired of it.

Peter Billingsley had a cameo in FOUR CHRISTMASES, working behind the counter at the airport, and he was great.  Thirty years later he’s still got those electric blue eyes!

After that I started working on my typing project again.  It’s going to take a LONG time to finish, since the type is so small and the book is almost 200 pages!

It was a very quiet Christmas Eve for me, but I got a lot accomplished and enjoyed myself.  I thought about the friends we’ve spent 25 Christmas Eves with and called Marygrace, but only got her voicemail.  Truthfully, if I could have my Christmas wish, it would have been to just spend the night alone with Eric, watching TV in bed and maybe bringing in Italian from Cascarinos.  That would be a perfect Christmas Eve!

So, I didn’t do much at all today.  Eric and I never did much on Christmas Day even when we were back in NY.  Before his sisters all got dogs and cats, we would spend Christmas Day with his family – especially when the kids were young and we could enjoy them opening all their gifts.

In later years, they all adopted dogs and cats, which made it impossible for me to spend time in their homes, so we just stayed home on Christmas Day, which suited us just fine, because we were usually out at our friend’s house until 2:00am on Christmas Eve!

I woke up pretty early, spoke to Eric, and then just did pretty much the same thing as yesterday – cleaning (Conrad’s cage), organizing, typing (I got a lot done on my typing project – I’m about ¼ through the book I’m typing!).

My nose is STILL running whenever I’m not on DAYQUIL or NYQUIL which is really annoying.  I don’t like to take the Dayquil at night, because I won’t sleep, but I don’t want to take the Nyquil too early either, because it makes me sleepy.  So, sometimes I just suffer and blow my nose a lot!

There wasn’t much on TV today except Christmas fare.  Even the decorating shows were all about Christmas decorating!  I looked at the movies on PAY PER VIEW, but there wasn’t anything I really wanted to see, so I just did a lot of channel-surfing, between having my vegetable soup and typing!  It was not a thrilling day, to say the least!

I spoke to Eric a few times and it turned out that he wasn’t feeling well and didn’t go to his sister’s house for Christmas Day.  I think he was feeling a little down, because he’s missing me, and didn’t feel like socializing.  It made me sad, because I was hoping he’d have a fun day with all the nieces and nephews and feel bad that he missed out on all that.  I’m glad he still has a 3-day weekend to enjoy!

It was raining on and off again all day today.  Even when it stopped raining the sun never really came fully out – it was pretty overcast.  I had the door open for a while, while it wasn’t raining, and it felt great.  I DO appreciate being here on Christmas Day and enjoying the warmer weather, although I was thrilled to hear that it was very nice today in NY – sunny and warm and beautiful!  That was good news!

I’m looking forward to going out to dinner and the movies tomorrow night with Rosemary and Michelle.  Should be a lot of fun.  I haven’t seen them since the office party, so it will be great to catch up on all that’s going on in the office!

I was so excited, because I was going out to dinner and the movies with my girlfriends tonight and I really needed a night out!  I had been in the house, working and just hanging around, for pretty much four days, with only a few trips out of the house.

It was a gorgeous day, so I got dressed and drove to STARBUCKS and then went to KEIL’S for a fast foodshopping before heading up to Del Mar to meet Rosemary and Michelle.  They were getting out of work early, so we were meeting at 4:00pm.

I spoke to Eric a few times and he was happy that I was going out with my friends, and that I was going to see THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, because I had told him I was very interested in the story, and he knows how much I love Brad Pitt!

I met Rosemary at the parking lot of the office, left my car and got into hers.  Then, we drove a few exits north to a shopping center where the sushi restaurant is and met Michelle there.  Unfortunately, it was 4:00pm and the sushi restaurant doesn’t open until 5:00pm, so we walked down a few doors to a Vietnamese restaurant that Michelle recommended very highly.

We all got #59 – Some kind of noodle dish with egg rolls in a big bowl.  Rosemary got chicken in her egg rolls and Michelle and I had vegetarian egg rolls.  They were cut into bite-sized pieces and there was lettuce and other vegetables along with the rice noodles in this big bowl with a lovely sauce to pour on top.  I enjoyed it very much!

After dinner we had plenty of time, since the movie wasn’t until 6:50pm, so we went to BORDERS.  We left Rosemary’s car in the shopping center and drove in Michelle’s car to another shopping center where the store was.  There was so much fabulous stuff there I wish I had a gift card there, instead of BARNES & NOBLE.  There were all kinds of great chatchkas and wrapping paper, shopping bags, journals, and fun stuff.  I could have spent a fortune.  Fortunately, I kept myself in check and just spent $1.25 on a postcard to send to my Mom.  It has a picture of a 1950s woman on the cover who is saying “Oh My God! My Mother Was Right About Everything!”  I just couldn’t resist.  I know she’ll get a big kick out of it when she gets it in the mail!

We got to the movie just as it was starting and sat in the last row.  It’s a very small theatre, so it was just fine for all of us.  I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the movie.  Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton and Taraji P. Henson.  I was mystified, because I definitely recognized Taraji P. Henson's face, but I didn't know that name at all.  I went and looked at her list of credits and she was in several episodes of ELI STONE and BOSTON LEGAL, both of which are on my "always watch" list, so that's where I've seen her before!  She was fantastic as his adoptive mother.

If you’d like to watch the trailer and some other clips, click here:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809785152/video/10367223/20081024/160/10367223-300-wmv-s.73952782-,10367223-100-flash-s.73952790-,10367223-700-wmv-s.73952784-,10367223-100-wmv-s.73952776-,10367223-300-flash-s.73952792-,10367223-1000-wmv-s.73952787-,10367223-700-flash-s.73952795-,10367223-1000-flash-s.73952797-,10367224-6800-qtv-s.73952800-,10367224-2700-qtv-s.73952799-,10367224-10300-qtv-s.73952802-

When the movie was over, we talked all the way to the car, and then in the car as Michelle drove us back to the shopping center where Rosemary’s car was parked. We were all so intrigued by the story, which is from a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  We talked about all the actors (especially Brad) and how beautifully they portrayed the characters in the movie.  I really, really enjoyed it!

I have always loved Brad Pitt, not only because he's super-gorgeous, but because he's a great actor, who can be really funny (his episode on FRIENDS is one of my all-time favorites, he's great in THE MEXICAN, and he's amazing in BURN BEFORE READING), and also can bring you to tears (I cried my eyes out in LEGENDS OF THE FALL).  He's one of my favorite contemporary actors and I always enjoy him.

When Rosemary dropped me back off at the office, I got in my car and called Eric as I drove to I-5.  I knew it was late in NY, but he had told me to call him when I got out of the movies, so even though it was just after 12:30pm, I decided to give him a call.  He answered and I could tell I woke him, but I just wanted to tell him I loved him and say goodnight.  He asked how the movie was and I told him it was great, and even though I loved Brad Pitt, I loved him a lot more.  And he said, “And he’s a very loveable guy!”  I got a laugh out of that, and then I told him to go back to sleep and drove home.

When I got home I found out I had “exceeded my bandwidth” again (whatever that means) and I was unable to access my blog.  I typed my entry (I always type it in WORD first and then cut and paste it into the blog), but I’m hoping the blog is “fixed” tomorrow, so I can post this.  So, this is late, with my apologies! 

I’ve gotten into a terrible non-working habit of staying up very late, waking up at a normal hour, and then taking a nap in the afternoon.  When I start working again in January it’s going to be very hard to get back into the weekday routine of getting up early and going to bed at a decent hour.

I woke up this morning and, as always, I called Eric.  I got his voicemail and left him a message saying I hope he missed my call because he was riding his bicycle.  Turns out, he was!  I heard from him about a half hour later.  He said it was pretty nice out.  It was pretty nice out here, too.  I decided to take advantage of the fact that the sun was shining and took a walk to Starbucks.  Once again, I wore my pedometer.  I took 7,286 steps, walked 2.64 miles and burned 160 calories.

Once again, I looked for the eagle as I walked along Clairemont Drive, but he was nowhere to be seen.  That kind of made me happy, because I’m always looking for him now as I’m walking or driving along Clairemont Drive and the fact that I’ve never seen him again makes me realize how special is appearance was that day.  It really made an impression on me and I cherish the memory.

When I got back I started working on packing and unpacking more boxes.  I have been putting aside things I want to get rid of before I move back, and repacking all the things I still want to keep and bring back to NY.  I’m not getting very far, but I realize I have months to do this, so I’m not going crazy.

I wanted to start my next craft project – the decoupage memory box for the girl at work who recently got engaged. I thought maybe I’d start it this afternoon, but I got so busy with my boxes and then took a nap before heading out to La Jolla to pick up Gili.

She got in the car around 7:30pm and we drove a few miles to a CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN.  We both got a Miso Seafood Salad: Shredded Napa cabbage with fresh avocado, julienne cucumbers, daikon, edamame, carrots, red cabbage, green onions, cilantro, crispy rice noodles and crisp wontons tossed in a Miso dressing and topped with blue crab and shrimp.  It was yummy!  Then, Gili suggested dessert.  All I could think of was the red velvet cake Eric and I had shared last time we were there.

I SHOULD have said, “No.  I can’t.  I’m on a diet.”  Instead, I heard myself saying, “Sure!”  I ordered a decaf cappuccino and a piece of red velvet cake and Gili had a piece of key lime pie.  I hated myself, but enjoyed every bite.  What’s the use of walking 2.64 miles and burning 160 calories when you have a piece of cake that’s probably over 500?

Anyway, when I wasn't filled with self-loathing, I had fun talking with Gili.  We have so much in common.  We can talk about the pressures and pleasures of running your own business, because we’ve both been there.  I understand what she’s going through, trying to make her rent in these scary economic times, and working 7 days a week to make it work.  She has great ideas and is really good at display, so her shop always looks beautiful, but La Jolla really isn’t the best place for a shop, no matter what people may think.

The truth is a lot of people just go there to window shop, and not really to buy.  There are plenty of places that sell similar items at a discount, because they’re not paying the same huge rents. What helps Gili to be so successful is her positive attitude and pleasant disposition, her skill and talent at display and arrangement, and her determination and commitment.  She has no one to help her and works every single day.   I think she’s pretty fabulous and her shop is absolutely wonderful.  I really hope she can survive through this economic crisis!

After dinner I dropped her off at home and then headed back to Clairemont.  It’s only a 5 mile drive, so I was home by 9:30pm. When I got inside I turned on the heat.  It’s amazing how chilly it gets in the apartment at night.  It’s a corner apartment, so I guess having three outside walls makes it colder than a middle apartment.  I’m not sure what it is, but it’s cold in here at night!

I got into my pajamas and my fluffy robe (how did I ever live without it?) and sat down do some more typing on my project.  I’ve now typed 85 pages of the book.  There are 196 pages total, so I’m almost halfway done!

I don’t have any plans for tomorrow, but I’ll probably do laundry, type and maybe start my decoupage project. The only reason I’ve been putting it off is that I know once I start I will work on it until it’s finished, and I feel obligated to work on my typing, too.

I have one more week off from work and then hope that something will come up in January. I’ve been off from work exactly 4 weeks – 2 weeks on vacation in NY and FL, and 2 weeks back.  It’s been nice, but I need to get back to work!

I got an invitation to a New Year’s Eve party.  I had been invited to my cousin’s party, in L.A., but told her I didn’t want to travel that far. I had not had any local invitations up until now, and it IS the 28th, so I really thought I’d be home alone, talking to Eric at 9:00pm to wish him a happy new year and then, maybe – if he could or wake up – again at midnight my time, which would be 3:00am for him.  I really had no problem with staying home, but it IS nice to be invited!

Bob, whose house I had been helping to decorate, decided to have a last-minute get-together.  I guess it will consist of all the losers who had nothing better to do on New Year’s Eve – including me!  He said we don’t have to bring a thing, but if we wanted we could bring an appetizer or dessert.  Maybe I’ll bring my chocolate-covered strawberries again.  They WERE a big hit last time.  I guess it will be nice to see in the New Year with some friends.

When I spoke to Eric and told him about the invite, he said I should definitely go.  He was friendly with Bob while he was still here and likes him a lot.  He’s happy I have someplace to go, even though he told me he’s definitely staying home that night.  I feel bad, but he’s not a party animal and we usually had pretty mellow New Year’s, so it’s not surprising that he is planning to be at home.

Also, he hasn’t been feeling well.  He was sick on Christmas Day and is sick again today.  He doesn’t know whether he has a flu, or just stomach problems, but he spent the day in bed. He told me he can’t even think about New Year’s Eve, the way he’s feeling right now, but I’m hoping he’ll be much better by Wednesday night!

Eric and I had many mellow New Year’s Eves where we would just go out to eat and be home by 9:00pm.  We’d watch TV, have some dessert, and I’d have to wake him at midnight for my New Year’s kiss.  Then, he’d fall back to sleep and I’d keep watching TV.  So, it’s not like we’re used to big, fabulous, festive nights out.

We had plenty of those in the last 27 years, but they were many years ago.  Many New Year’s Eves were spent with friends who have a band.  We’d go to wherever they were gigging that night and I’d usually sing a number or two with the band.  We’d be with all our friends, get dressed up, and have a blast.  Those nights were definitely fun and I look back on them fondly.  I just think that once you hit 50, your New Year’s Eves are usually spent quietly with friends – at a restaurant, or someone’s house.

Our last few New Year’s Eves in NY were spent with one or two couples.  We always had a great time and enjoyed the company of friends and had a wonderful meal.  That’s enough for us at this stage of our life.  We’re not party animals any more.  We did all the partying required when we were young – that’s for sure.

Between Eric’s wild group of friends and my rock ‘n roll days, we both partied enough to last a lifetime.  Even though this group I’m friends with from work are all younger than me (by about 10 years – at least), they’re not “party animals” either and I’m happy that if I go to this party it will be similar to the fun nights I’d have with friends in NY.

Last New Year’s Eve we were at our friends’ Greg and Julie’s house in Los Angeles.  That was quite an adventure, because we drove there and back in the same night!  It was, as we had hoped, a quiet night with friends, but their feast of fondue was so fantastic and made the evening quite memorable.

It will be nice to have a fun New Year’s Eve, instead of being by myself, so that I will have fond memories of my two Decembers in California.  Anyway, I am planning to go!

I didn’t do much today.  My allergies were really really bothering me again, so I took DAYQUIL, which at least allowed me to function without constantly blowing my nose, but it only worked for a couple of hours, and then I took two more. I worked on my typing project a lot.  I really want to start the decoupage project but, as I explained before, once I do that I will neglect the typing, and I’d really like to get that done for Leslie ASAP.  So, when I’m not typing, I’m trying to organize the apartment a little, and get things packed away that I know I won’t need before I move.

I keep thinking I may want to have some friends over, before I move, so that someone can actually see the apartment before it’s packed up and empty.  We have had so few people over since we moved in.  My cousin Audrey and her San Diego friends came by when we were only here a few weeks.  My nieces, April and Jessica, were here in January.  Jimmy was here twice.  Joe and Miguel stopped in for a look this past August. My brother-in-law, Rich, was here.

Others have come to San Diego and gone (our friend Scott, and my friends, Kris, Suzanna and Stephanie) without having seen the apartment, mostly because Eric wasn’t feeling up to guests.  It’s not as if the apartment is THAT fabulous, but I do think we did a great job getting it set up – and except for our new mattress and box spring we did the whole thing for about $1,500 – the couch, card table and chairs, headboard, bedding, shelving in the dining area and bedroom, coffee table/chest, and entertainment unit.  I love this little apartment (which really isn’t so little) and I’ve enjoyed living here.

Eric told me he’s looking at apartments and he still hopes to move before I get there. I am excited, because the apartment he’s in right now really wouldn’t work for the two of us, but I was fine with moving there and then the two of us finding a place.  It would save me moving twice, so if he can find something great and be settled in there before I come in the spring, so much the better!

So, as part of my organizing/packing, I went through a bunch of photos I had, still in the envelopes you get when you have them developed.  They were all from the period 2001-2005.  It’s funny, because all my photos are either in hard copy, and I don’t have them on the computer, or they’re on the computer, and I don’t have a hard copy.  I really don’t need to print out pictures I put on the computer, and I guess I don’t need my hard copy pictures on the computer, except as a backup.

I know people keep photo albums and scrapbooks and organize their photos beautifully, but most of mine are still in the envelopes.  I’m just not that organized! I have about 4 or 5 of those shoe-box sized decorative boxes filled with pictures from the last 27 years with Eric. I haven’t figured out if it’s better to keep them permanently in envelopes and just look at them occasionally, or put them in albums, which then takes up a lot more room, but makes it a lot easier to look at.  Help!

I also don’t know why my allergies have been SO bad today, but I’m wondering if all the boxes and maybe what’s inside them is dusty, because it’s been sitting for so long. I just know that once I started organizing, I started sneezing and blowing more than ever.  It’s so uncomfortable, so then I have to stop and lie down and just watch TV, or take a nap, because I feel so uncomfortable and tired from the allergies.

The DAYQUIL is supposed to be non-drowsy, but I find that sometimes it makes me tired. I also find that sometimes the NYQUIL will put me right to sleep, and other times I may be unable to fall asleep. My system is weird that way.  I don’t always react to medication the way it is intended.

Anyway, today was NOT a great day. I didn’t get much accomplished on my typing project, didn’t feel well all day, didn’t do any crafting and never stepped foot out of the apartment, even though it was a gorgeous day.  I was going to do laundry, but I know Sundays are always busy and I figure it’s kinder to do it on Monday, when most people are working. I’m just hoping I wake up tomorrow feeling a LOT better than I did today!

I woke up at 9:00am this morning and called Eric.  I was happy to hear he was at work and feeling much better.  He did take the express bus, instead of riding his bicycle, so I know he’s not 100%, but at least he was able to make it to work!

Soon after, I got a text from Tifney, asking me to go to lunch with her and another friend from work.  I was so happy to have a reason to get out of the apartment and I happily accepted.

They have lunch early, so I picked Tifney and David up at 11:30am and we went to a Chinese restaurant a few miles away.  That’s the way it is in Del Mar – you have to drive to a restaurant.

The place was very nice and we each had a lunch special. I had the Shrimp in Lobster sauce, which is a standard for me. It was really delicious and I probably ate a little too much, but I couldn’t finish it, but didn’t have enough to take home.  I gave my spring roll to Tifney to take home to her son with her leftovers (she had more than me!).

Tifney is such a great girl. She told me that when she heard Bob was having a New Year’s Eve party she called him and said, “I want to bring Peppy!” and he said, “She’s already invited and she’s coming!” It’s nice to know that Tifney thinks about me and the fact that I am alone here.  It really means a lot.

David and I were telling Tifney about THE CHRISTMAS STORY, because she said she may have seen it once – a long time ago.  We were both flabbergasted.  It’s our favorite holiday movie (I was surprised to hear that the two Jews love THE CHRISTMAS STORY, but I guess it IS a non-religious holiday tale!).  I talked about my favorite scene – when the boys visit Santa in the department store, and David was practically acting it out for Tifney.  It was so funny.  He’s a great guy and very entertaining.

After lunch, I headed back to the apartment and put in a load of laundry. I came back and was looking at all the loose change I have.  I use quarters for the laundry, but everything else goes into a big cup and it was almost overflowing.  I decided to drive to CVS in the shopping center 3 miles away and cash in my change at the COINSTAR machine.  First, I stopped at STARBUCKS and got myself a grande decaf non-fat mocha latte.  It made me happy, as usual!

When I got to CVS I read all the instructions for the COINSTAR machine.  Turns out, if you just get cash they take 9 cents per dollar, but if you get a gift card, they give you the full amount (I guess they get the 9 cents from the vendor).  I looked at the options and saw they had STARBUCKS cards.  No need to look further!  I figure it’s something I definitely will use, instead of getting a gift card for some store and then figuring out what to buy and spending money I didn’t need to spend.  This is something I KNOW I’ll use.  I ended up having $16.22 in change and got that amount on a STARBUCKS card.

When I got back I put everything in the dryer.  Then, I spoke to Eric again.  I told him that I was feeling very anxious and worried about all that I have to do in the next few months.  He was so sweet.  He told me not to worry, that it will all work out, that I can get the movers to pack everything and I don’t have to do a thing, and that it doesn’t matter if I work or not.  He told me if he can he will come out to San Diego to help me.  That’s the first time he’s mentioned that, but I told him that he definitely shouldn’t do that if he’s working, because he needs to work, but if he’s not working, I’d love it!

Anyway, I started thinking about how anxious I was feeling today.  Do you remember HIGH ANXIETY -- that Mel Brooks’ movie starring Mel and all the usual suspects—Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn.  I always loved that movie.  Unfortunately, that’s not what the heading of this entry was referring to!  I don’t know why, but everything kind of built up in me today and I felt so much anxiety about what’s coming in 2009.

First of all, I’ve been trying to organize and pack a little, since I’m not working, but it’s VERY hard, because I don’t want to pack away things I might need before I leave, and I also don’t want to strip the apartment bare and live in it that way, so I kind of have to leave a lot of things the way they are for the time being.

I decided I wanted to try to bring a lot less back to New York with me than I brought here, but getting rid of the stuff I no longer want is stressful.  I don’t want to do ebay (too much work).  I can’t have a “garage” or “yard” sale, because I live in an apartment.  I was thinking of selling at the flea market – you can rent a table for the day – but sitting outside all day – even in a San Diego winter – can be hard for someone like me.  Also, I’d have to do it all myself, or pay someone to help me.  Overwhelming!

Then, I got a bunch of information from Unemployment.  I really don’t want unemployment, because I DO want to work, but I figure if the agencies don’t find work for me, if I am entitled to it, shouldn’t I get it?  The problem is that they want you to find full-time employment and I really don’t think it’s fair for me to take a job and then quit in 4 months, do you?  So, I am wondering if I should be truthful with them and explain my situation, and that I’m only interested in temp work.  They may say if I don’t take any job I can get I don’t get unemployment.  It’s probably as simple as that.  Meanwhile there’s lots of paperwork and on-line forms to fill out.  Overwhelming!

I went to ON CALL, which is another employment agency I’m signed up with. I did a job search and found a long-term temp job working as an administrative assistant for a vice president of some financial institution.  When I read the list of responsibilities my head started to spin.  I starting thinking, “How am I EVER going to have a job like that and pack up this apartment to leave San Diego ALL BY MYSELF?  Overwhelming!

Back in NY, when I was packing and organizing in our house, getting ready to sell the house, and then getting ready to move after we sold, I wasn’t working – and neither was Eric.  I said many times that I had NO idea how ANYONE ever worked full-time and packed up a house to move – especially with pets and children!  I was overwhelmed then, and I’m overwhelmed now. I think part of my problem is that I’m too easy on myself. I’m not the type to push myself to my limits. I tend to baby myself.

The older I get the more I baby myself and the less I think I’m capable of. I probably can do a lot more than I give myself credit for, but I’m always afraid to try.  I need to be challenged and rise to the occasion and I have a feeling the next 5 months will be just the ticket!
After talking to Eric I really did feel better.  I know I’m just putting a lot of stress on myself and I really do have months to get everything accomplished.

I decided to sit and work on my typing project. I sat and typed for almost 2 hours.  Then I had salmon and asparagus for dinner.  After dinner I started working on organizing again.  I’ve been gathering up photographs, and I have them in so many different places in so many different types of boxes, albums, etc.  It’s SO disorganized, but I think getting everything totally organized would take weeks, and I didn’t have the time to do it in NY, and I don’t have the energy to do it in SD, so it will have to wait!  In the meantime, I’m just getting all the photos together and will box them up together, so at least they’re all in one place.

I watched some TV (there’s really nothing on during the holiday season – it’s all repeats), and did things around the apartment at the same time. The living room really looks like I’m moving next week.  There are boxes and things ready to be boxed all over the place. I have to get the boxes filled, type up a list of everything in each box, and then put them in the back room, so I don’t have to deal with them again until it’s time to move.  I think if I do it a little at a time, as I have been, even when I go back to work, I’ll be able to get it all accomplished by spring.

Eric is the motivating factor here. Everything I do, every day, is with the thought in mind that soon we will be together again. I keep saying I wish I could just snap my fingers and be back in NY with him, but of course that’s not possible. So, I just have to keep plugging away and do what I can, without being too easy – or too hard – on myself!

I spoke to my “guidance counselor” Jimmy this morning.  He gave me good advice about all my stress and anxiety.  What would I do without my Jimmy?  I also spoke to Eric a few times this morning.  He made me feel better, too – just talking to him always makes me feel better! I realize that I can’t sweat the small stuff. I managed to pack up a whole house and get it to San Diego just fine, so I can pack up a 2-bedroom apartment and get it to New York just fine.

I’m also not going to worry about work or unemployment.  Whatever happens, happens.  If I find work, great.  If not, I’ll get more done in the apartment, won’t I?

The one bad thing that happened today was that when I woke up at 6:30am because I had to blow my nose (big surprise), I pulled a muscle in my neck as I sat up.  Not good. It was the same thing that happened a month or two ago when I pulled a muscle turning off my alarm.  It seems when I first get up I pull muscles!  I managed to fall back to sleep and then took three Advils when I woke up again at 9:00am. I still feel it, but it’s manageable now and I think my yoga class tonight definitely helped.

After I got up, I had breakfast and then worked around the apartment.  I did an hour of typing on my project and then got dressed and went out at around 1:30pm. I drove to COSTCO, because I needed gas ($1.69 a gallon) and I wanted to buy strawberries for my chocolate-covered strawberries, which I am bringing to Bob’s party tomorrow night.

Well, I had a lovely lunch at COSTCO again – they DO serve the best samples – but they didn’t have any strawberries in the whole place!  I ended up getting a box of gum and a 12-piece spicy tuna roll.  That’s it!  When I was checking out I mentioned to the girl that there weren’t any strawberries and she suggested I go down the road to the fruit stand.  I have passed it many times, but never shopped there.  I thanked her and headed out.

I stopped at the fruit stand and they had the freshest, biggest strawberries -- $3.50 a tub or $9 for three tubs.  I got three and was on my way!  Next, I stopped at KEIL’S for chocolate chips.  COSTCO only had GIANT bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips and I need milk, semi-sweet and white, and I don’t need a GIANT bag, so I went to KEIL’S to pick that stuff up and then I headed back to the apartment to drop it all off.

Next, I headed to STARBUCKS and then drove to La Jolla for my Thursday appointment, which was on Tuesday this week, since Thursday is New Year’s Day.  Then, from there I headed to South Park for my yoga class.  It was the best class ever.  She never varies the class too much, or does anything really out of the ordinary, so you pretty much know what to expect, but this class was really serene and relaxing.  I loved it.

When I got home I had six of the sushi pieces and watched THE KENNEDY CENTER HONORS.  They honored Morgan Freeman (I LOVE him), Barbra Streisand, Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend, Twyla Tharp and George Jones.  I watched what I was interested in and fast-forwarded through the rest.

Tomorrow I am getting a manicure/pedicure and will make my chocolate-covered strawberries.  Then, I’ll be heading to Bob’s a little earlier, because I volunteered to help him set up.  I had asked him if he needed any serving platters or tablecloths, etc., and he said he didn’t really have anything (bachelors!).  So, I’ll go and make the place look pretty!  I’m really looking forward to it now.  I’m getting in a festive mood!

I probably won't blog tomorrow, but will do it on New Year's Day, so I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR and, as I've been saying all month -- I wish you a 2009 that's simply divine!

I just cannot seem to get as much sleep as I’d like to. I wake up, the nose starts running, the wheels start turning, and the bladder starts demanding attention.  Sorry, is that TMI?   As many of you know (and the rest of you will find out), when you hit 50 you just need to “go” more often.  Sorry, but that’s the sad state of affairs.  As my mom ALWAYS says, “It’s no fun growing old!”  Truer words were never spoken.

The first thing I thought of were my lovely strawberries.  I decided if I could get them done before I had my mani/pedi at noon, I wouldn’t have to worry about messing up my manicure later on with chocolate!  So, I washed them and laid each one out on a dish towel to dry.  That’s the first thing you have to know about dipping fruit – it has to be perfectly dry, because if any moisture hits the chocolate it messes it up. The chocolate isn’t water-based, so water coagulates and doesn’t mix in and it makes a mess and it ruins the chocolate.  So – fruit must be completely dry!

After I washed the strawberries and they were drying, I pulled together some tablecloths and other serving stuff to bring to Bob’s.  I know he needs help, not only because he just moved in, but because he’s a man (sorry guys, but I’ve found most men are helpless at decorating for a party)!  I have a few small plastic shell-shaped dishes, which are perfect for dips or spreads.  I also have some large platters that look so much nicer than plain silver aluminum, so I figured I’d bring them – just in case.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to dip the strawberries before I left for my noon mani/pedi. I stopped at STARBUCKS and then headed to the shopping center.  It was really busy, but Tina was waiting for me!  My darling Tina!  She is so sweet and does such a beautiful job for me.  I feel like the fact that my toes and fingernails look great when I leave is a bonus, because for me getting my arms and legs massaged and pampered is the main reason I go!  When I left, wearing capri pants and my flip-flops and I stepped out into the sun, I stood there for a second and said, "Take this in, Peppy, because next year you'll be back to freezing weather and snow.  Enjoy this moment.  It's New Year's Eve.  Feel the sun!"

After the mani/pedi I went into BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY to see if I could find a great top or shoes.  I was just in the mood for something new and exciting, but nothing looked good, so I just went home.

When I got home I got busy with the strawberries.  I usually double-dip them – first in milk chocolate, then in dark chocolate, and then drizzle the white chocolate on top.  This time I decided to start with the dark chocolate.  Unfortunately, as I was dipping them, a lot of the green leaves were falling off, which would make it impossible to dip them again without sticking a fork in them (which I don’t like to do).

I decided since I started with the dark chocolate, I would just drizzle the milk chocolate and the white chocolate.  They came out great.  They looked really pretty and were actually extra chocolately.  They went nuts when they saw them, but I’m getting ahead of myself!

Bob told me he was only expecting around 10 people, so I shouldn’t “go crazy” but I thought it should be fun and festive for 10 or 100!  I was excited about the prospect of less people, because I really wanted to play some party games.  I brought TABOO and SCATTERGORIES – two easy-to-learn games that can be played in teams, so everyone who wants to play can be included.  As it turned out, people came and left at different times, and when we were all together we were having lots of interesting conversations, so there was no need for any entertainment.

I decided that I wanted to dress up, yet I wanted to be comfortable, and I knew this was definitely a casual affair, so I decided on my new blue jeans (that are a thin denim and dressy-looking and really look more like slacks) with my pink sparkle sweater set and lots of rhinestones!!!!  I wore small drop earrings, three huge rhinestone bracelets and a rhinestone choker.  That way, I was comfortable and could sit on the floor if I wanted to, yet I was New Year’s Eve festive with sparkly jewelry!  The best of both worlds!

My manicure was silver nail polish with a sparkly silver top coat.  Very festive!  Unfortunately, the chocolate dipping was definitely NOT the best thing for a fresh manicure.  Oh, well!  They still look better than the mess I had of leftover gold nail polish from the Bar Mitzvah!  I got my usual red on my toenails.  It’s a classic! I wore my strappy black sandals which are also decorated with lots of rhinestones.

I got there early and helped Bob set up.  He made some delicious hors d’oeuvres and had tons of snacks – all the usual chips and dips and salsa and pretzels, etc.  There was also a lot of candy.  I stuck to the food and only had one of my chocolate-covered strawberries, so I did pretty good, but I DID drink a lot more than usual.  Bob made a mudslide, which is Kahlua, Bailey’s and vodka.  Sweet and creamy.  Yum!  We also had champagne at midnight, but – again – I’m getting ahead of myself!

There were two couples there whose husbands I worked with at my long-term temp job.  In fact one gentleman, an Englishman, was one of the people I reported to when I first started.  Bob is another person I worked for in my first 4 months on the job.  I got to meet the Englishman's man’s wife (who is not English) and it turns out she is friends with the Kulish family, whose son is starring as Billy Elliot on Broadway, along with two other boys.  Coincidentally, he is the boy Eric and I got to see when we saw the show on November 24th!

They had asked me where we were last New Year’s Eve and I told them we were in Los Angeles at a party.  Then, when we started talking about BILLY ELLIOT, I told them that I was at Greg’s house on New Year’s Eve, who is now starring as the father in BILLY ELLIOT!  It’s such a small world to go to this small party on New Year’s Eve and find someone else who has friends in the cast of this amazing show.

If you’d like to see Kiril Kulish, the young boy we saw on Broadway, perform a number on THE VIEW, click here: http://www.kirilkulish.com/.  There’s also a clip from an interview with all three boys and Elton John by Katie Couric.

It was a really nice group of people at the party – some couples, some singles, and one of the couples started talking about the fact that they met through MATCH.COM and have been married three years.  I told them that one of my best friends met her husband on MATCH.COM.  I think it’s a great way to meet people and is very different than years ago.

Anyway, they asked how I met Eric and I ended up telling the whole story, which is really very cute and romantic.  When I say, “We met on the street,” people are always a little taken aback, but it’s true.  I was working as a word processor (remember that?) in a building on 52nd Street off Fifth, and Eric was building 220 Madison Avenue – right across the street.

I must have talked about Eric a lot last night, because several people said they were so sorry he wasn’t there and that they didn’t get to meet him before he went back to NY.  They were asking if he would be back here before I left and I said I doubted it.  Bob was also telling them what a great guy Eric is.  It made me happy, even though he wasn’t there, that he was a big part of the conversation.

Most people left before midnight (party poopers!) and there were just a few of us at midnight.  We had already watched the ball go down in Times Square at 9:00pm, but we watched it again (the West Coast really gets the raw end of the deal, don’t you think?) at midnight and Bob opened a bottle of champagne and we had a toast.

We helped Bob clean up and I left there hoping I didn’t get pulled over, because although I knew I wasn’t drunk (I don’t get drunk!), I also knew I DID have some champagne just about a half hour before I got on the road.

It was a pretty easy ride home – I-15 to I-163 to Balboa to Clairemont Drive.  Unfortunately, it was SO foggy out that you couldn’t see more than 15 feet in front of you, so it was a pretty slow drive home.  I was a little scared, just because the visibility was so low and, after all, it WAS New Year’s Eve with all the crazies out, but the roads were practically empty and I got home in just 20 minutes.

I fell asleep pretty quickly, as it had been a long day and I hadn’t had a chance for a nap!  It was a sad night to be away from Eric, and he didn’t do anything at all.  He just stayed home and watched TV.  I called and woke him at 9:00pm, so I could say Happy New Year, but then he went right back to sleep!  I was happy to meet some nice new people (I made friends with one woman and gave her my card so we could get together!), and it was really a fun and festive night.

I’m glad the holidays are over, because it was very hard being apart from Eric during this time of friends and family.  I know the only other day that’s really going to be sad for us is Valentine’s Day.  I’d love to fly home, but I just worry about the weather.  It’s so complicated!

Anyway, I wish all of you a beautiful, healthy, happy New Year and hope all your dreams come true.  Anything you want to accomplish in 2009 can be done.  Make it happen!  I have a feeling this is going to be a FABULOUS year!