Britney Spears' Stunt Double
I kid you not. I was waiting (read: held captive) in the waiting room of the OB's office yesterday for an hour. The larger portion of which I was in close proximity of which can only be described as "Britney Spears' Stunt Double". This woman-child (she wasn't older than early 20's) was dressed in torn, stained sweats that were ill-fitting. (I understand, she recently had a baby, but I mean, c'mon, at least find the clean clothes to wear out of the house) She was chewing her gum so loudly that you could hear it in the next office. Tommy got up to give me his chair since the room was packed. After I settled in, she PUT HER FEET ON THE ARMREST OF MY CHAIR. I was thisclose to saying something, but my inner filter kicked in. So I gave her dagger looks (which of course went over her dim witted head). She spoke on her cellphone to her groomer to have the dog ready that evening "Yeah, have her groomed and her nails clipped." I said loudly to Tommy, "Heh, look at that sign right behind you." The one that said, "Cell phone use prohibited in the office." Not soon enough she was taken in and came out and announced loudly to her companion "Well, they said it's infected." Ewwwww. Just when you think it's safe - there's another Britney out there.

The Neatest Day

So I had the coolest day on Tuesday. Seriously. Friends and I were invited to be a part of a recording for Equity Cares - it's a Christmas cd that they sell after Broadway shows. And our friend needed to flesh out the strings and invited us to play along. It was just the essence of coolness.

So we embarked out for Manhattan's theater district Tuesday morning, making great time and finding parking easily. We walk to the recording studio (which was sandwiched between a great looking restaurant and a strip club) and take the elevator up to the 10th floor. We find where we're supposed to be and chill in the "green room" (which was more of an area than a room) and relax. The "real" musicians from the pit for Legally Blonde trickle in and hang out. They were incredibly laid back and just fun. We had a great time just hanging out. So we wait and wait and wait. Finally the strings are called in and we troop in and set up. We run through the piece once and record twice. That's it. We're done. So we troop out and head down. We invite this one cellist Jessie to have lunch with us. We head over to the Burger Joint - a secret little burger place in the fancy-schmancy Parker Meridien (yes, the same company shown on Bravo's The Parker). It's a little dive of a place where you have to fight for a seat and know exactly what you want before you get to the front of a line. Not that there's much to choose from - there's burgers and fries and that's it. You can get a beer with your burger though. Or a milkshake or a brownie. But it was delicious. And the fries were up there with crisp, fresh McDonald's fries. But the best part was just shooting the breeze with Jessie - who plays with.....JayZ and Kanye West. How freakin' cool is that?? It was just so much fun to talk to her and hear about the "real" music world.

After lunch we say our goodbyes to Jessie and head over to peruse the sheet music haven that is Patelson's, which we've all ordered music from. A disappointing cello selection though - not many albums of favorites where I could pull from for lessons. So I just parked my preggo butt and looked through other stuff. Steph and Jill make out well though, finding a slew of violin stuff. So we head off from there, a little weary and stop at Fluffy's Cafe for some water and brownies. Mmmm...chocolate. It was a cute little place that had tons of goodies in the case. I could have stared for hours.

So after that we head over to Manny's Music - a NY landmark where Jill and Steph grab tuner/metronomes and I drool over effects pedals and amps. Then we meet up again with Matt who brings us to a Portuguese tapas restaurant: Tintol. Mmmm...how I've never had tapas before is beyond me. We ordered about 5 or 6 dishes: chorizo, blood sausage, lamb ke-bob, lamb meatballs, lamb loin and some grilled mushrooms. The chorizo they brought to the table, doused in alcohol and flambed right in front of us. The blood sausage - as scary as it sounds tasted like a curry-infused meatloaf - tender and spicy with a moist texture to it. The lamb loin was like eating a tiny bit of a tender chop. The lamb meatball was tasty and the lamb ke-bob was good too. The mushrooms gave a needed break from the carniverous activity. So we stuffed ourselves, chit chatted and had a nice meal. Then home again, tired but having had such a great day.

Gee Your Legs Look Hairless*

I bought this contraption years ago, tried using it and decided it didn't really work. Thankfully I never threw it out. It's amazing. Just like the Pocket Fisherman. It took some getting used to and figuring out, but I never shave my legs anymore and I never get stubble. It's just the coolest grooming product I've ever known. And I've tried Nair. I've tried waxing. I've tried shaving with a variety of gels, creams, lotions and razors. Never again.

So what are you waiting for? Go buy one now!

*Ten points if anyone can tell me where this is from.

Ode to My Cowboy

My sweetie made sure I loved my birthday this year. We had a fabulous meal out and I received 3 new cds I had been lusting over! He also made sure the apartment was clean and tidy. He's the best. This is my favorite picture of him - I was playing with my new digital camera at the laundromat - we were staying cool last summer. I can even tell you that he was wearing his Bob Ross tee-shirt that day. But in a nutshell, that's the smile I live for, the one that tells me he's happy and content. It's the same smile I got when I got off the plane at O'Hare over 10 years ago to bravely meet this fella I had met on the internet and decided to go meet in person.

Reasons I Love Him So:

a.) He's a romantic. 'Nuff said.

b.) Children and animals follow him like he's the Pied Piper. Who'd have better judgement?

c.) He knows just about everything there is about The Simpsons, baseball, and the writings of J.D. Sallinger.

d.) He cleaned and flushed my chemo-catheter every day when I was sick.

e.) He lets me watch my wacky t.v. shows even if there's a good baseball game on.

And the most recent:

We were at my parents' house to celebrate my birthday and eat up my delicious nephew. He, my dad and brother-in-law were looking at an old (1942) atlas trying to find where Ahmed (the b.i.l) will be going if he has to go to India on business. So there's my dad, my husband and my sister's husband all gathered around this ancient book sharing together. I just took it all in and loved watching them.

I'm a lucky gal.

Look at Me, I'm Gorgeous!*

I re-discovered a hair care item I had originally banished to the product graveyard. Greg Juice. Now, before you go, ewwwwwww, that sounds nasty - it's doing some amazing things to my hair. I'm using it as a leave-in condish instead of a refresher and POOF - magically soft and healthy curls. It's amazing. I can't stop looking at my boingy curls. And now the company has a version of this that smells like fruit. AND it's on sale. What's a curly girlie to do? And can I say that I'm loving that's it natural stuff. I'm tired of dousing myself in chemicals all the time.

*Taken from a song from the musical "The Apple Tree" - I'm not really that vain, just excited about good hair, especially in the summer. I should have re-worded it to say "Look at me, I'm enormous," since my tummy has recently popped.

A French, Delicious, Donald Fagen Birthday

My birthday came early this year. Two days early in the interest of being able to celebrate on the weekend. I was lavished with gifts this afternoon: Donald Fagen's "Kamakiriad" and "The Nightfly" and Steely Dan's "Two Against Nature." I'm swooning. I love it. I love how Nightfly sounds so throwback-ish - he's channeling the soft jazzy loungish sounds he grew up with in his childhood. I love how Kamakarind is this little journey. And I love how Two Against is just Steely Dan. But the best part of my gift was the card from Tommy, it always is.

Then we got all gussied up and set off for Bistro St. Germain, a French restaurant I've wanted to try since passing it while running an errand before a dinner dance 2 years ago. We drive aaallllll the way there and *POOF* it's gone! Signs removed, dusty interior. I was aghast. I had gone to the OB's office a WEEK ago which is on the same block and viewed people enjoying lunch there! So we thought quickly, and made a hasty phone call to Gabrielle's in Rockville Centre and snagged 6:15 reservations. We were told we'd be seated at the bar. (Which made me a little apprehensive but worked out nicely.) We make it to RVC (which really, is just a cute town, so I was glad we were there) were able to park and find the restaurant. It's decorated beautifully and we have a lovely, very private booth in the bar area, which is dead since it's only 6:00. It was comfortable, and when I went to the ladies' room, I noticed it was much nicer than the tables in the dining section. So we scored. It's a restaurant with a prix-fixe menu; appetizer, entree and dessert for $25. A steal, if you ask me. They had specials for which you could tack on an extra $10, or $3 for a special dessert.

I started with a delicious crabcake. It wasn't a lump crab cake, but one where the crab and stuffing were completely blended so that the cake was this moist co-mingling that was pan-grilled, so it was ensconced in a slightly crisp outside. And the "tartar" sauce it came with was very herby - more like a dressing. I was in heaven. I actually exclaimed gleefully, "This looks like something they'd make on Top Chef!" Then, for my entree, I had hangar steak grilled which was served over creamed spinach and grilled gnocchi in a bourdelaise (?) sauce - a red wine sauce. Which was savory, but not heavy. I still tasted the garlic in the spinach. The steak was buttery, it almost melted in my mouth. And the gnocchi - it soaked up the wine sauce, but still kept it's potato-ey taste. And good creamed spinach is just a naughty pleasure. I had to have 2 pieces of my steak and some of my sides wrapped up to take home for fear that I wouldn't have room for dessert. I upgraded. (Hey, it's my birthday!) A small chocolate lava cake was presented to me. It was delicious. A crisp, but not hard outside hiding the treasure of gooey chocolate on the inside. Even Tommy, who's so not a chocolate guy took a taste and got wide-eyed. You know it's good when it's rich but not off-putting. It was a perfect meal. The service was great, the restaurant is beautiful and it's a great value if you want something a wee bit more special - exactly what a birthday dinner should be.

L-O-S-E-R

I have seen the biggest loser in the world. Seriously. He was driving in my vicinity on the Northern State Parkway. I saw his Jeep from the back first. It contained:

A Mets Sticker - I happen to like the Mets and this wasn't bothering me.
A decal of Calvin urinating on a Yankees logo. - I HATE these things. They're so repulsive and classless. It's no wonder that Europeans laugh at us. I just wince when I see these things. It makes me wonder just what kind of person feels that that's an appropriate way to show their displeasure for something.
A license plate border that states, "Patience My Ass, This is New York." - Okay, see, this is why everyone else thinks New Yorkers are a$$holes. I hate seeing stuff like this. It's just self-perpetuating crap that gives loser New Yorkers like this the mindset that they can be rude, pushy morons since they are New Yorkers.

So, I pass by and peek in expecting to see some burly Joey Bag of Donuts kind of guy. Nope. A whiny looking, balding weenie type looking guy. I'd have kicked his ass if I saw him in a parking lot. Loser.

This In a Nutshell Is Why I Don't Get Running

Maybe some of you bloggers out there who do run can help me understand. Because I don't get it. I hated running the dreaded mile in school when we'd do the Presidential Fitness Test. I still don't like running. It hurts my boobs. It's boring. It's the reason why I love step classes and hip hop aerobics. Every time I pass someone running, they look miserable, they certainly don't look like they're having any fun. I just don't get it.

Mmmmm....Special Sauce

My pregnancy cravings haven't been that outrageous or that demanding. I've really had a taste for bacon, but I've always had a penchant for bacon. I'm still devouring and loving chocolate. Which is reassuring - I was worried when Annie told me that her chocolate affection went out the window when she was pregnant.

But of late, I've been dying for hamburgers with special sauce and onions. Which everyone else knows as Big Macs. However, Big Macs to me have always been hard to manage. They fall apart on me if I don't eat them at light speed which is no fun. So a while back I discovered "Mac Jrs." They're Big Macs in a one-layer size. Perfect for goobers like me who apparently can't handle two-layer sandwiches. Now, they're really not on the menu (you can't even find them on the website), but at McDonalds not run by complete idiots (you want a what?) they'll wrangle one up for you. Mmmmm......special sauce and onions.

Busy Weekend

Just when you think you can kick back and relax......

Friday - I went from work to the hospital to check on a relative there. Was there for a few hours. Then ran to my lesson to teach my two girls. Then filled the car with gas. Then checked out dressers at 3 different places along the way home. (Note to self, Target's furniture is circumspect, no matter how cheap it is) Then met mom at home, whereupon we dashed to Friday's and had a lovely dinner. (As much as I'm not crazy about chain restaurants, Friday's has more than decent food with decent service.)

Saturday - Lazed around till 1:00 p.m. Went to get my eyebrows and lip waxed, went to check out more dressers (I went to this one store thinking I'd find a bargain, I found $1200 dressers!) then went to my hair appointment. Got a great haircut. LOVE this guy that does my hair. He hums while he cuts and my hair always looks amazing. I don't think I've ever loved my hair as much as I do now. And he's always interested in what I use in it and what I do. AND, as soon as I walked in, this other stylist raved about it. I felt wildly glamorous. Especially after having my lip hair removed and my eyebrows cleaned up. Then off to Diane's where we hung out, henna-ed our hair. What a process. Mixing it, glopping it in our hair and then rinsing it out. How painstaking. AND to no avail. My grays are still gray and the color looks exactly the same. Diane's hair looked great though. So now after 2 henna attempts I am hereby officially giving up on henna. But at least we watched a good movie - The Number 23. I was surprised at how good it was. My kind of movie, incredibly well-shot, interesting story, great acting and an interesting ending. I really really liked it. Say what you will about Jim Carey. He was great in "Man on the Moon", he was great in "The Truman Show", and he was great in this movie.


Sunday - Lazy girl. Went to Trader Joe's and stocked up on essentials (mmm....avocados), got stuff to do my hair and came home and did my hair, relaxed and made "baked oatmeal" which I now bring for breakfast. It's delicious. Then I watched tv for HOURS. Seriously. I vegged (which I never never do). I wasted time by watching "Waterworld" from beginning to end. As bad a movie as it was, I still think Kevin Costner's a decent actor. Then delighted in Tommy coming home from a weekend baseball trip. I missed him.

So I did relax. Relaxing is good once in a while.

***Caution - Healthy Baby Under Construction***

We had our big sonogram on Friday. I had turned down all genetic testing (too many false positives for my liking) and so I was a little nervous. But everything looks PERFECT! Baby Jordan is growing the way they should and exhibited a few personality traits even (in the interest of avoiding confusion I will refer to the baby as "her" since I think it's a girl, but we didn't find out):

She kept her tiny hands in front of her face the whole time, as if to say "This isn't my awake time, please come back later." Refused to move them, so the 3-D pictures show a teeny hand by the face at all times.

She's a very "mellow baby" as noted by the doctor.

She's got an incredibly sweet face, which includes most of her daddy's features, but most likely my nose. (Poor kid.)

She's smart. She's stretched out over the width of my body, with her head by my right hip and feet by my left, hence why I still look tiny. She's using all the space she has. (If that doesn't say girl, I don't know what does!)

She's perfectly healthy. (I know that's not a personality trait, but I can't stop saying it.)

Last night Tommy and I agreed, that we've been patient and not anxious, but after getting such a glimpse of the baby, we can't wait to see and hold her. We got a fix last night when we saw nephew Ismaeel at a SURPRISE SHOWER (impromptu since Merry Berry is here visiting) and held him. He settled in watching baseball with his uncle and promptly fell asleep. Tommy didn't acquire the nickname "Uncle Sandman" for nothing. We recieved many a lovely gift, adorable little sleepers - some of which are baseball themed. I think Tommy's favorite gifts were from my sister Annie (Ismaeel's mommy) - two storybooks about baseball and little teeny Converse that look like baseballs- white with red stitching. I kid you not, if there was gift giving as an Olympic event, my sister would have the gold wrapped up - she always buys the most perfect gift.

Baby Jordan is adding their $.02 as I type this so consider that a greeting!

CVS Sucks, But Grandma and Taco Bell Make It All Better

I went to CVS under the premise that they would have their sale items in stock. What a joke. They had almost nothing on my list. I was so angry that I actually left my items at the checkout. Who's the guy in charge of inventory? You'd think they'd say to themselves, "Well, since we put item X on sale this week, we had better order more." Because that would make sense. Rather than every single time I go to pick up something that's on sale, it's not there. Losers.

So I decided to give this mom-and-pop ice cream place called "Grandma's Ice Cream Shop" a try since I was denied the new Oreo Cakesters that were on sale at CVS. (Slap a 'new' sticker on it, and I'm there. This was a double whammy though since I will do almost anything for Oreos.) So I walk in and first of all, they boast 24 and more flavors of soft serve. Just like Lake George! I was so excited. But I knew soft serve wouldn't make it home well and wouldn't travel well since I had also planned on hitting Taco Bell. I amble up to the counter and they actually had a bakery-type display case. And lo and behold they had treats - a dollop of soft serve on top of an oreo or a tiny brownie and then dipped in that Brown Bonnet stuff. I was elated! I ordered one of each and plan on laughing out loud at CVS when I eat them.

Then off to Taco Bell. Say what you want about it, but I like it and it makes me happy. So I order my food and pull up to the window. The pleasant guy at the window takes my money and then says, "Did you have a good day? You look very happy." I said, "Not particularly, but I did just get ice cream!" He responds with a smile, "Well now you have some Taco Bell too!" That just made my afternoon.