Out of the Closet

I know many of you sports lovers might cringe when you hear this, but I am the world's biggest Duke Basketball fanatic...And have been actually since the early 90's when I developed my first crush on Grant Hill.

~Ahhh, just thinking about him now brings back that giddy feeling I used to get as an 8 year old seeing him sweat in those short shorts~

Well, anyways, last night Coach K and my boys made their annual trip to College Park for their game against UMD...and you know this superfan definitely had tickets.

Wearing all blue, my sister and I stuck out like a sore thumb in the massive sea of red...but we were okay with it. I nearly got in a fist fight with an obnoxious Terp fan sitting in front of me...but I was okay with that too :)

The truth is, although I've been to several Duke - Maryland games over the years this was actually the very first time that I could proudly sport my Duke attire.

Why you ask?..well...I must admit it, I'm a Maryland Alum. Yep, you read right. A Terrapin that loves her Blue Devil Basketball (Shhhh! Don't tell anyone.) At a school that hates Duke more than Kim Kardashian loves herself, openly admitting my affection for Duke Basketball by wearing my blue in the student section would have been a BIG no-no. And by big no-no, I mean they would have killed me...literally. Terp fans are nothing to mess with.

But now that I have graduated, this Duke fan can finally come out of the closet.

And come out of the closet I did...with a huge smile on my face.

Maryland 67
Duke 78

Quote of the day: "As part of what they called "Operation Scheyerface," the majority of the Maryland student section brandished a teasing picture of the Blue Devils guard...But it was Scheyer who got the last laugh." ~ The Diamondback

My Survival Guide

Over the past several months I've run across quite a few of you, who just like me...have a slightly broken heart. Although I fully enjoy reading about the others on the opposite end of the spectrum who have awesome boyfriends or fabulous husbands, I am naturally drawn to those who are in the same boat as me.

When I read your posts I can feel the pain in every word. I know exactly how you are feeling, I recognize the struggles that every new day brings, and I hope for you, just like I hope for myself, that the horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach will soon subside and your happiness will return once again.

So in an effort to help, I decided I would share a few of the things that I have been doing that have helped me survive some of my darkest days. I'm aware that none of these will ever erase the pain completely and that despite our greatest efforts we will still have those days every now and then when nothing short of laying in bed for hours on end, with the sheets pulled up over our head will help.

But despite a few regretful steps backwards, these are the things that now have me headed in the right direction:

Getting Rid of It - I can still remember the painful morning I packed up all of his stuff (and I mean alllll of it, every article of clothing, every picture I had, every CD he made me, every note he wrote me,...) and I left it on the hood of his car. As hard it was knowing I will never see those things again, ultimately it was the best thing I could've done for myself. There is no reason to torture yourself everyday by leaving traces of him all over the place. So my advice...get rid of it all. You will always have your memories.

Going No Contact For A While- 68 days ago I started my no-contact-what-so-ever "He-Tox" program, as I like to call it. Just like drugs and alcohol, love is an addiction. And although we don't really need them, we think we do. So after two months of contacting him every few days, and realizing I was only hurting myself each time I did it, I decided I had to put an end to it if I really wanted to heal. Of course there are still so many days that I just want to pick up the phone and call him or send him an email to say hello, but ultimately I know it is not in my best interest. "If he is stupid enough to walk away, be smart enough to let him."

Letting It All Out - When I feel like talking, I talk about it to anyone who will listen. When I feel like crying, I cry til I don't have anymore tears left. Basically whatever it is I feel like doing, I do it (other than contacting him, of course). I know that without first dealing with my anger, fear, sadness and sorrow I will never be able to reach forgiveness, and ultimately...happiness.

Spoiling Myself - When it comes to boyfriends, I am an extremely selfless person. Every time I went shopping over the past 4 years I would always come back with something for him. Whether it was a new hat, or a simple "I'm thinking of you" card, I was always sacrificing for myself just to make him happy. Now that I have all that extra money in my pocket from not buying for him anymore, I've realized it's about time I spoil MYSELF for a change. So if there is a $300 pair of jeans that I want or a new Coach bag I've been dying to have...I'm gonna get it. I deserve to smile too!

Hitting up the Gym - Working out is beneficial in so many ways, I can not stress this enough. I definitely think I would have gone crazy by now if I didn't devote 2 hours everyday to myself. It's like my daily dose of personal therapy. Besides the fact that working out releases similar endorphins as those released when you laugh, there is no greater revenge than looking smoking hot the next time he sees you.

Keeping Busy - If you are anything like me then there are so many things that you always wished you could do, or planned on doing but never had enough time for when you were in your relationship. Well...now, if you are anything like me, I'm pretty sure you have a lot of free time on your hands. So get on it. Join a church, finish your masters courses, sign up for that striptease class, reconnect with old friends. Whatever it is, just stay busy. If you don't have free time to sit around and think about him, then you won't!

Reading About It - Sometimes when we are going through pain in our lives we think no one else in this world understands how we feel. But the truth is, at one point or another pretty much everyone has been where we are right now. And as shocking as it may sound, they all made it out on the other side. What helps me most when I am feeling all alone in this huge world is reading self help books. You might think this is lame but trust me, it really helps. Right now I'm reading "Mars & Venus: Starting Over" and I highly recommend it, or something like it.

Taking My Time - Although at first I was rushing to fill the cold spot in my bed, I quickly realized that by doing that I was just putting a bandaid on my wound, when what I really needed to do was let it heal. As much as other people out there want us to get over it and quickly get ourselves into a new relationship, its okay to go at your own pace. Just like a broken bone needs time to heal so it can come out of the cast stronger than before, so too does a broken heart. Just remember there is nothing wrong with baby steps.

Well...I think that's about it. Although I really could go on and on, I think this post is way more than long enough. So for all my broken hearted bloggie buddies...hang in there, there's light at the end of the tunnel. I can see it!

And if you've got any other heart mending secrets, please do share. I've still got a long way to go.


Quote of the day: "I wish I was a kid again, because skinned knees sure are easier to fix than broken hearts."

I Love Snail Mail

As I'm walking back from the gym, sweaty and exhausted from yet another workout that just totally kicked my butt, I decide to stop by the mail room and pick up our daily deliveries courtesy of Mr. Postman. Expecting the usual--- fun postcards and love notes for my roommate, and bills and bank statements for me, I am pleasantly surprised to see a handwritten card WITH MY NAME ON IT!

As a huge smile creeps across my face I can't help but think "Ha Ha, I got something fun in the mail this time and you didn't. Take that!" (Yeah... I know... you can just call me Ms. Maturity thankyouverymuch)

But upon farther inspection of the envelope I notice the return address is so sneakily missing. Who could it be from? I'm a huge fan of mysteries!

So, using my best agent Scully skills I then decide to take a look at the handwriting of my address and realize...this is no mystery. It's so from sister. I would know that handwriting anywhere.

Putting the card back on the pile with the rest of our mail, I decide I'll just wait until I get into my apartment and drop the others off before I open it. But who am I kidding? I have no patience and of course proceed to rip the darn thing open 10 seconds later while still on the elevator.

It was a card, that was indeed from my sister (yeah, my detective skills are just that good) and this is what it said:

"My Sister, My Friend

A sister is someone you love for all time-
She's your friend, your adviser, your "partner in crime"-
She laughs at your jokes, and she listens so well
To the wonderful story you just have to tell...
She'll cheer for your team, and she'll lead the applause
For your winning performance or favorite cause
With love in her heart and a smile on her face,
A sister is someone no one can replace.

I can't imagine what I'd do without a great sister and friend like you."

Awww...right then and there my heart just melted. I love cards, especially meaningful ones, and more than anything I love getting them in the mail.

There is just something about the fact that someone actually took the time to pick out a card especially for me, wrote a personal message in it, addressed it, put a stamp on it, and sent it that makes my heart smile :)

Good old fashioned snail mail... So great. Good old fashioned snail mail from my amazing sister...nothing better.



Quote of the day: " To write a good letter, you ought to begin without knowing what to say, and to finish without knowing what you have written." ~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Raw, Real and Uncut

As most of you know, I'm kind of a newbie at this whole blogging thing. And although I fully enjoy it and, as sad as it is, actually find my day incomplete now if I haven't checked my blogger dashboard at least once or twice...I must admit this whole web log world is rather hard on my self esteem from time to time.

As I check in with all my bloggie friends each day and then proceed to meander from one random person's random post to the next (wasting way too many valuable hours of my life, might I add), I often find myself feeling rather insignificant and inadequate.

The way everyone else writes and what they write about seems so amazing and exciting, their page design and layout is so far superior to mine, they have their perfect little families with their perfect little homes, or their fabulous boyfriends who do all the right fabulous things.

Auuughhh! Just thinking about it makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit in fact.

But you know what, its gotten me thinking...I'm not perfect, I don't claim to be (or even really want to be), and quite frankly I doubt that they are either.

The truth is, its the bad things in my life that make the good things that much sweeter. Sometimes I have to fall down or get burned so I can learn how to dust myself off and come out of it stronger than before. And when all is said and done, its the times I've spill red wine on my new white dress or talked to my crush with lipstick all over my teeth that still put a smile on my face.

So for all you perfect people out there, I'm still going to read your blog and probably envy you from time to time, but for now I prefer my own life (and my own measly little blog) and all the imperfectness of it :)

Quote of the day: "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it is better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." ~ Marilyn Monroe

Board Game Madness!

Last night my friends and I got together for our very first "Weekly (or more than likely, what will turn out to be our Bi-Weekly) Game Night". We have been talking about starting this up for some time now, but with all the hustle and bustle of life our idea never came into fruition...until last night that is.

I know you wild twenty-somethings might be thinking how lame we are for putting board game playing on our social calendars, but we all actually had a discussion about this last night and we think its just a sign that we are growing up, and as crazy as it might sound...maturing. The fact that we now find more enjoyment in sitting around at home, talking, relaxing, laughing and playing together rather than going out in our skankalicious outfits, getting pissy drunk and not remembering any of it the next morning...is indeed a big clue that our lives have changed. And in my opinion, changed for the way better.

So, our first attempt at this whole "game night" thing, I would have to say, turned out rather well. There were only four (and a half) of us there...three gals, a mini gal and one lucky dude. We ate dinner together first, played Scattergories and then Loaded Questions-Adult Version ;)

Scattergories is an old classic and I haven't yet found anyone that doesn't like it...at least a little bit. I will admit it is rather intense with the anxiety inducing timer and high potential for controversial answers, but despite the bickering I think we all enjoyed it.

Loaded Questions, on the other hand, was a new game for all of us. Fresh out of the packaging, we didn't quite know what to expect, but were actually pleasantly surprised. Although the lone male in the group was a little less than thrilled about this one at first, he quickly warmed up to it and might possibly admit he found pleasure in hearing all about such things as which male and female celebrity we would all like to have a threesome with. So, the overall verdict on this one is... if you haven't played it yet you definitely should. The questions are hilarious and sure to bring about a night of laughs.

On the agenda for our next game night...Pop-5 and Bananagrams. Anyone have some other fabulous game night suggestions for us?


Quote of the day: "I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win." ~ Michael Jordan

Lost Without It

After arriving at work, dropping my unnecessarily heavy bags in agony, shedding my coat, and booting up my laptop, I routinely reach into my purse...when suddenly my anxiety kicks in...as my hand is frantically raping the interior of my bag, I realize its not in there. No, I didn't forget some magic pill that if not taken will most certainly result in my instantaneous death.

Nope, my anxiety is the result of the following: I forgot my cell phone!!

Augghh! The angst is almost crippling. Panic mode has set in. How could I have forgotten my cell phone this morning? Did I just leave it at home or did I lose it? What am I going to do? What if something terrible happens and no one can get a hold of me? How am I going to survive the next eight hours with no contact from the outside world? How can I possibly go on living without it?

Okay, so maybe that's just a little bit over dramatic, but I'm assuming you guys actually know the exact feeling I'm describing? If not, then good for you...you haven't yet been sucked into this crazy world of technological addictions like the rest of mankind has. Run away while you still can, I beg you.

But for real though, since when did a tiny little cellular phone become the center of my existence? Since when did not having my phone result in a full-out panic attack based on my complete insecurity without it? I mean, wasn't it just like 10 years ago when cell phones were pretty much non existent? Only the super rich, holier-than-thou had one. And quite frankly, those Zack Morris type ones were so huge that I think you needed help from NASA to get them to work. But now, just a measly 10 years later and look how much has changed...so insane to think about it!

I often wonder how we ever functioned in this world without one.

Just the other night, for example, after church my friends and I decided to go to the mall and catch a movie. We took two separate cars, and since we both knew where we were going we didn't see the need in following each other (in hindsight, big mistake there). Yet on the short ride over to the theater I realized my cell phone was dead. I mean completely out of juice...Couldn't even power it on to get my girls number out. Which, although I talk to her every single day of my life, I of course do not actually know!

So anyways, after standing around for about 15 minutes, sure we would never find them, sure our movie night had been ruined by my technological misfortune, there we see them walking around in anger at the other end of the food court. Upon recognition we ran at each other like a soldier and his wife who haven't seen each other in years...us so elated we found them, and them so angry that they hadn't been able to get ahold of us.

Wow, what a pathetic story. Really, not having our cell phones or not having enough battery and suddenly our whole worlds are turned upside down? How did it get to this point? And how can we make it go away?

Quote of the day: "I'm picturing myself sitting at Starbucks - where I'd normally be on my cell phone - and I'll have to talk to strangers. Who knows where that will lead?" ~Comedian Amy Borkowsky, on preparing to ditch her cell phone for 2 months

Girl's Night

A few days ago one of my amazingly fabulous girlfriends turned the big 2-4. Yeah I'm aware that 24 is not all that big, but who really cares? Any reason for us to get dressed up and go out, my girls and I are always down. So to celebrate her birthday we had a private booth reserved at McCormick and Schmick's on K Street in DC. And although my wallet protested, not attending would have went against everything I stand for, so I of course replied to the facebook e-vite to let everyone know "I wouldn't miss it!"

I took the Metro down by myself (boo!) and met everyone there around 7. Jenn came straight from work and Lex from seeing her man in NYC. So needless to say they had their luggage, backpacks, laptop bags, all in tow. Basically we looked like nomads....that or we were planning on moving in. Luckily the private, curtain concealed area they reserved for us to sit, hid it all rather well. So it really wasn't quite as embarrassing as it could have been.

Our waiter was absolutely hilarious. He was an actor in training (or at least he thought he was) and he kept us laughing the entire night. My girls ordered fried calamari, oysters on the half shell, Maryland lump crab cakes, shrimp alfredo ...and then of course there's me, being my normal picky self, I ordered a chicken ceasar salad. Yeah I know I'm so lame, but what can I say, a chicken ceasar salad is always a safe bet. Wouldn't wanna get too risky, you know :)

We talked about old friends, a dying fox, trips to Atlantic City, teaching English abroad, Disneyland, having sex in inappropriate places, and other random topics that are slipping my mind at the moment, for good reason.

After sharing every dessert known to man...including creme brulee, berry medley with grand marnier sauce, cheesecake, and a chocolate truffle marquise (listed out just to make your mouth water a little...yes, your welcome) talk then turned to going out afterwards. Being that it was already pushing 10 o'clock (eww not 10 o'clock! I know, just call me grandma) and I had to wake up early for work the next day I thought better of it and decided to just go home instead.

I got back, changed into my comfy clothes, washed my face, and hopped into bed. As low key as it was I had a great time and as I was laying quietly in my bed I couldn't help but think how thankful I am to have my friends....without them this whole being single thing...would totally suck sooo much more.


Quote of the day: "Lean on me, when you're not strong, and I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on. For it won't be long, 'til I'm going to need somebody to lean on."

I'm Addicted

Okay so I have a confession to make...I'm addicted to Coke Zero. Seriously, I am. This is not a joke.

Webster defines addiction as a compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance, characterized by well-defined symptoms upon withdrawal.

...Yep that sounds about right.

I really think I might need help. I literally go through a two litter every couple of days. When I run out, I must go to the store immediately to restock. When I'm at work I walk from office to office to try to scrounge up enough change to get one from the vending machine. Yeah, I'm crazy its true. I'm really starting to believe they lace this stuff with LSD or something like it.

No calories, no carbs, yet it tastes exactly like real coke...why are they doing this to me?

So if you happen to see me shaking or notice I haven't been blogging for a few days please be kind enough to bring me a Coke Zero immediately...my drug of choice :)


Quote of the day: "Actually, I think all addiction starts with soda. Every junkie did soda first. But no on counts that. Maybe they should. The soda connection is clear. Why isn't a presidential commission looking into this? Or at least some guys from the National Carbonation Council."
~ Chris Rock

Enough Already!

Okay okay okay, enough negativity already! My last two posts have been real downers, and I really need to put a stop to that. My life is way too uber fabulous to be dwelling on the very few things that might not be absolutely perfect right now. So from now on (oh who am I kidding) until I have another bad day, this negative Nancy is going into hiding.

On a more positive note...you'll be happy to know that despite my pathetically depressing blog yesterday, my Valentine's Day really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be :) Yeah it was my first JJ-less Valentine's Day in 4 years. Yeah I couldn't get the thought out of my head of how JJ and his new girlfriend were spending it. And yeah I got stood up by my Valentine's Day date...but all and all it wasn't too bad.

No need to re-read, you read right...I got stood up on Valentine's Day...beat that! Despite telling me he had a "surprise" planned for me, asking me several times over the last couple of days if we were going to go out to dinner together, texting me at night and again on Valentine's Day morning to confirm...when I was actually finally ready and texted him to let him know I was on my way over to his place, this is the response I got, "I have to work tonight. Maybe tomorrow?"

Oh yeah great, sounds good.

Maybe tomorrow? WTF!!!!! Are you joking dude? You have to work?...riiiiiiigggghhht! Or more like, something better came up? OMG. Where do I find these dudes. I swear.

Luckily though (this is were the positive part comes in, in case you were wondering) I don't even really like the dude, so I was actually super happy that I didn't have to hang out with him on Valentine's Day. I know you are going to think I'm a horrible person for admitting this but I would never in a million years want a relationship with him, he is just one of those people that I keep around to stroke my deflated ego and keep me company when I'm feeling lonely. A girl that's just had her heart broken into a million pieces really needs that sometimes, you know?... don't judge ;)

Anyways, with all the free time I had because my Valentine's Day date "had to work", my bestie and I had an absolutely fabulous time together. Took a road trip down to Southern Maryland, ate lunch at Panera, meandered around Target, enjoyed our God-sent Caramel Spiced Apple Cider's from Starbucks, played board games, reminisced over old pictures and old boyfriends, walked around downtown, ate dinner at Chipotle, and laughed and laughed and laughed!

So as it turns out, my Valentine's Day was AWESOME! Beat that!

Quote of the day: "Life is great. But without bad times we wouldn't know the difference."

Cupid is Stupid!

So today officially sucks :( It’s Valentines Day, the first Valentine’s Day I’ve been alone in 4 years...and I hate it. As much as I know its just a stupid corporate money-making holiday, it is still an ever-present reminder that I am single, and the rest of the world, as it seems, is not.

If the 14th would have fallen on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or heck I’d even take a Sunday, it really wouldn’t have been a big deal to me. I would’ve just went about my business as normal, and conveniently let the date slip my mind. But NO, it had to be a Saturday didn’t it. Just my luck! My first Valentine’s Day alone doesn’t just get an evening devoted to it, nope, it gets an entire freakin’ day. So awesome.

Sense any anger or bitterness? Nope, not at all.

And to make matters even worse I can’t help but keep thinking about the sweet little card and cute little teddy bear that I’m sure my ex probably bought for his fabulous new girlfriend today.

Like she really deserves it.

- I was the one who went to every single one of his football games
- I was the one who was always there to encourage him when he was feeling low
- I was the one who helped him turn his life around
- I was the one who believed in him when nobody else did
- I was the one who wiped his tears when he got cut from the Giants
- I was the one who helped him out when he needed a new computer, xbox, tv…
- I was the one who put together his resume so he could get a good job
- I was the one who taped all of his games and scrapbooked all of his pictures
- I was the one who fired his agent when he wasn’t happy with him
- I was the one who spent hours upon hours helping him get rid of a virus on his computer, because I knew he didn't have the money for a technician
- I was the one who gave up my free time to help him with his homework every night so he could graduate from college
- I was the one who would surprise him with random gifts just to make him smile
- I was the one...

…and yet I’m the one sitting here by myself :(

Have I told you how much I hate Valentine's Day this year?




Quote of the day: "I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon."

Turn That Frown Upside Down

Aughh! I am having such a crappy week.

Please somebody just make it go away!

Wanna know the weirdest part...I have no clue why I'm feeling this way. Pretty much everything about this week has been perfectly fine. Sunday I had a great time at church, a blast at dinner afterwards. Monday I had a relaxing day working from home. Tuesday I went out on a date to the movies to see "Taken", yesterday I went to the mall after work with my girl, and tonight I'm heading into DC to have a birthday dinner with my besties.

Sounds like a good week, doesn't it? Sure does to me. Yet despite all that, I just feel blah. It's not that I'm sick or anything, it's just like this uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach that something just isn't quite right. Weird :(

Might as well not dwell on it though. Tomorrow is another day. Hopefully a better day.

Quote of the day: "Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And you best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace."

Happy Birthday Friend

Today is Jennifer Aniston's 40th birthday! Crazy right? That girl looks darn good I must say. I can only hope to look that good when I'm 40.

Although I'm sure a little plastic surgery and airbrushing here and there had a tad bit to do with it, I still like to believe otherwise. It gives me hope...False hope, but hope none the less.

I've actually always been a huge fan of Jen's. She's got that wholesome girl next door thing going on and I really like that. Doesn't need make up, can be wearing jeans and a ball cap (or absolutely nothing, as is apparent in this picture)...and yet she's still absolutely gorgeous. I'm so jealous.

So I guess from all that you can pretty much safely assume that if I had to pick sides in the Jen vs Angelina showdown, I'd have Jen's back for sure.

Although I've been disrespected and treated rather bad by the men boys I've loved in my life, I can't even begin to imagine what it must have felt like to have your husband go off to work one day and leave you the next for his whorebag coworker. And as if that's not bad enough, then you have to see the two of them, every single day, every which way you look, flaunting how amazingly happy they are. Ugggh...so painful...that's like getting stabbed in the heart over and over and over again.

And yet she's handled it all with such class and dignity. I totally respect that.

So if anyone deserves to have a "happy" birthday, its you Jen. Go on girl, do you! :)


Quote of the day: "There are no regrets in life, just lessons" ~ Jen Aniston

I've Been Bag Tagged

Yep apparently I've been "Bag Tagged". Don't know what that means? Yeah me neither, but in the message I got from my bloggie friend The Polka Dotted Owl of The Magic Risotto Diaries it said I "better recognize"...so here I am...recognizing :)

The rules are pretty simple, and the truth is I don't have anything else exciting going on in my life worthy of a post today, so I figured why not. This is how it works:

1) Post a picture of whatever bag you are carrying as of late. No, you cannot go up to your closet and pull out the cutest one you've got. We want to know what you carried today or the last time you left the house. No cheating!
2) Tell us how much it cost:) And this is not to judge. This is for entertainment purposes only. So spill it. And if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, we'd love to hear it.
3) Finally, tag a few chicks. And link back to this post so people know why the heck you’re showing everyone your bag.

So here it is, my latest bag of choice... A red Dooney & Bourke East-West Slouch Bag (rope edition)

I've been carrying this bag for about a month now. Retails for $195 and I think I got it for around $99 from Marshall's :) Wasn't super in love with it when I first bought it, like I normally hope to be when I drop a decent amount of cash on something, but I really needed a new purse, Dooney's are my favorite, and who can pass up a deal like that!

Luckily though over the past month that I've been carrying it, it has really grown on me, and now I guess I kinda love it. Being that it is bright red it usually doesn't go unnoticed, so I've received tons of compliments on it (which always makes me smile).

I like my bags huge, so I can pretty much carry my entire life in them at all times, and this one is just the perfect size. Big enough that I can fit everything I need, but small enough that I don't feel like a crazy bag lady.

So that's my story, exciting I know...now for my favorite girls, show me yours!

- MrsFlawedExpectations
- Classy in Philadelphia
- All Things in Moddy
- The Adventures of Little Miss Pissy
- AJ: Naked as the Day



Quote of the day: “I'm thinking balls are to men what purses are to women. It's just a little bag, but we feel naked in public without it." ~Sex & The City

Growing Up Way 2 Fast

Yep, its official, my favorite little princess has turned 2 years old!

No, I didn't go off and have a child without telling you, don't get worried, but one of my best friends did and that is pretty much wayyyyy better. I love enjoying babies when they are happy and fun and smell good, and then being able to give them back when they're not...it's so great that way.

And if any of you have ever been to a 2 year olds birthday party, then you know exactly how wild and crazy my Saturday night was, I probably don't even need to explain. One simple word can sum it all up...CHAOS!

Kids everywhere, yelling...crying, parents everywhere, yelling...wanting to cry. And then of course there's me, acting like I'm the one that's turning 2.

Oh yeah, gotta love it...but other than making a fool out of myself I actually had a really great time. Always find it pretty hilarious how overboard parents go for their little children's birthday parties. Not only will they never remember it, they actually have no clue what is even going on at the time. But who am I kidding, when I'm a mom I'm going to do the exact same thing ;) For sure!

Luckily for me and the other four single, childless guests there, not only was this party a great time, but also a great form of birth control. I think we would all agree that at the end of the night we have never been so excited to go home to our quiet, lonely houses. As much as I am looking forward to the day when I have children of my own, that party sure made me realize how glad I am that day is not here just yet.

Great time, great company, great food, great reminder that I'm not ready to have kids...none of that explains how successful the party was better that this picture...

Yep, that's the party's guest of honor after it was all over... down for the count! So precious.

Quote of the day: "While we try to teach children all about life, children teach us what life is all about."

He's Just Not That Into You...

Last night my girlfriend and I, along with every other female on the face of this planet, went to see the movie "He's Just Not That Into You". Being that pretty much every single famous actor and actress I know and love was in it (and it was based right here in b-more!), I figured it had to be good....and I certainly wasn't disappointed.

I would definitely have to say I enjoyed every minute of it. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and most importantly it made me think. As absolutely hilarious as it all was, it was also right on point. I caught myself over and over again throughout the movie thinking, "oh my gosh that is me", or "I so do that", or "he said those exact same things to me", or "I know just how she feels". It was really reassuring to know that no matter how alone I feel right now in this chaotic world we call love and relationships, everyone else is going through it too.

Why things happen, how things happen, how a certain person makes us feel, why we like who we do...the truth is, none of it makes sense. There are those guys that are pretty much perfect and so into us, but for some reason we just don't like them. There are those guys that we are so into, that couldn't care less about us. There are those guys that we know we don't want a relationship with, but just continue to string along and keep running back to when we are feeling lonely and need our ego stroked. And there are those guys we went out on a limb with and decided to trust with our heart, who so selfishly broke it into a million tiny pieces.

Nope, none of it makes sense and unfortunately there are no real answers when it comes to love. No matter how much advice we are given, its one of those things where you just have to live and learn and grow. Because the truth is that sometimes we have to get shot down or have our hearts trampled on just so that we can figure out who we are and what it is that we truly want (or don't want) from a man/relationship.

Quote of the day: "A man who wants to make a relationship work will move mountains to keep the woman he loves. If he’s not calling you to tell you he loves you and wants you back, it should only be because he’s showing up at your new residence to do it in person … if he’s not doing any of that, he may love you, he may miss you, but ultimately he’s just not that into you."

Off to See the Wizards

A couple of nights ago me and my girls went down to the Verizon Center to watch the Wizards play the Nets. Being the high rollers we are in this city, we of course had the luxury of enjoying the game from one of the lower level suites...Yeah, you know we've got it like that ;)

But unfortunately, no matter how great our seats were, nothing short of blinders could've made that team look good. Oh its true. For those of you who don't know, the Wizards are the worst team in the NBA and after watching that game I can confirm that there is a good reason why...They are awful! I honestly don't even know how they've won a single game this season. It's really bad. While watching, I couldn't help but debate in my head whether my sister's high school girls team would have stood a chance against them.

Luckily though I don't really care in the least for either team (or the NBA at all, for that matter...I'm a college b-ball type of girl), so I was just as happy as could be people-watching the whole time and checking out the eye candy. The cheerleaders, the fans, the players, I was enjoying examining them all.

Although I've officially sworn off athletes for life, after my last three failed relationships were all with one, my girls and I still had a great time debating who the hottest player was. Vince Carter definitely has some appeal, but his headbands and leg wraps were a major turnoff. Antawn Jamison's decent, but I couldn't get past his tiny chicken legs, Devon Harrison has way too many tattoos...and the list went on and on.

But by the end of the night I finally came to my conclusion....JaVale McGee, if you are reading this, you would stand a chance with me. Yeah he's not perfect, there is something weird about his face and he is a little too tall, but I think I could make do.

Check out the rest of our pics from the night.

Quote of the day: "It's the times we're so crazy, that people think we're high. It's the times we laugh so hard, we can't help but cry. It's all the inside jokes and "remember whens"...Those are all the reasons that we're best friends! "

Moans and Groans

One of the greatest things about working from home - other than getting to sleep in, watch The Price is Right, and wear my pajamas all day - is the fact that during my lunch hour I can go down to the gym and get a workout in.

In my opinion, the middle of the day is the perfect time to go to gym. Unlike after work when everybody and their brother is there, during the day there's no waiting around for machines, no alternating sets with strangers, and no creepy old men oogling over you the whole time. (Okay, so maybe that's not so true...the creepy old men seem to always be there).

But anyways, my trip to the gym today still has me laughing in absolute amazement, so I figured I should share.

After signing in and what not, I walked into the gym to notice that only one lone guy was there. Perfect I thought. Just how I like it. I hopped on the treadmill and was just getting up to speed when I realized my theme music wasn't playing in my headphones for some reason (and by theme music I mean any and every man-hating song currently out there). So I looked down at my Ipod to see what was the matter..."Low Battery: Connect to Power"...Awesome, just what I wanted to see. Looks like I'll be working out to the voices in my head today instead :(

So after finally accepting the fact that I would be running in silence for the next 45 minutes, I heard it for the first time...the loudest, most obnoxious moan I've ever heard. As most of you already know I am kind of a gym rat, so this certainly isn't the first time I've heard a guy grunt and moan at the gym, but let me tell you...I've never heard anything like this before.

At first I thought maybe I was just hearing things, but after that, he didn't stop. Not just expressing himself verbally on the last, most difficult rep like most guys...Nope, every rep of every set; coming up with a new, different pitched, even-worse-than-the-last moan each time. And without my beloved Ipod, I had no choice but to listen to each and every agonizing one of them; half laughing out loud, half looking around in shock wondering if this was all really happening.

Bench press, pull ups, even sit ups (yeah imagine that)...he had a noise for them all. I swear, if I would've closed my eyes for even one second I would've thought I was back in college laying in the bottom bunk while my roommate banged out yet another random dude right above me.

Seriously man, is that really necessary? Do you really feel the need to draw attention to your super human strength? Honestly, my arms are bigger than yours dude. Maybe you are just trying to show off, but come on, you just look rather really ridiculous. Please don't ever do that again!

So guys, if you are reading this, please please please take note. Moaning at the gym...not sexy, and quite frankly, extremely inappropriate. I'm not sure if anyone has told you, but you are not an animal in the wild. From now on it would be really appreciated if you would save those noises for the bedroom where they belong.




Quote of the day: "We understand that ugliness and fatness are genetic disorders, much like baldness or necrophilia, and it's only your fault if you don't hate yourself enough to do something about it. Here at Globo Gym we can turn that Frankenstein you see in the mirror every morning into a Franken-fine! " ~ White Goodman; Dodgeball

Randomness

I've always been one to love quizzes and surveys and such. So when one (or more like a million) of my friends tagged me with this 25 Things list thing I thought hey, why not, this could be fun.

So here it goes...Enjoy! I won't be offended if you don't read them all.

25 Random Things You May Not Know About Me

1. I am super competitive. No matter what it is, I want to win.

2. I just started drinking coffee when I graduated college and began an office job. I don't think I even really like it, but everybody's doing it, and with all the sugar and cream I use, it really isn't half bad.

3. I am the worlds best bargain shopper. I have a pretty amazing wardrobe, and barely anything in it is over 10 bucks.

4. When I graduated from high school I got a scholarship for having the best attendance. Think I only missed 1 day in all four years. Admit it, that's pretty impressive.

5. When it comes to guys and food I am waaaaay too picky. Wish I wasn't, but really don't know how not to be.

6. I'm not afraid to die. I know exactly where I'm going, and it's waaay better than here.

7. I still use the touch point system when I add. Does anyone else even know what that is, or is it just me?

8. When I open a bag of Salt & Vinegar chips...I eat the entire thing.

9. I can touch my tongue to my nose. Awesome, I know.

10. I use ... a lot when I write. Not sure why...It just feels right.

11. My favorite restaurant, hands down...The Olive Garden. Cheap date, I know.

12. The only bone I've ever broken is my nose. It happened during a high school basketball game. After that game, I never played basketball ever again.

13. I know nothing about history or geography. Seriously, ask me anything...I won't know it.

14. I am one of the best RockBand singers ever (but absolutely horrible at singing in real life)

15. I used to play the drums in my elementary and middle school bands. Then when I got to high school I was way too cool for that.

16. I love the smell of Elmer's Rubber Cement.

17. When I was a kid, even though I had a million baby dolls, my doll of choice was a 2 Litter bottle filled with water. Yeah, makes no sense, I know.

18. Other than to the gym and the pool, you will rarely find me not wearing high heels.

19. If I could, I think I would put A-1 Steak Sauce on everything. Man that stuff is amazing. Too bad I don't even like steak.

20. I'm a hopeless romantic. I like to think someday I will have my happily ever after.

21. Even though I'm fairly tall. 5'5" (5'6" on a good day), I have the worlds smallest feet and hands.

22. I don't know what I did to deserve it, but I have the greatest family. My mom and dad are my heroes...I thank God everyday for them. My brother and sister are my best friends. No matter what, I know they will always be there for me.

23. I am in love with sports. Never miss Sportscenter. Absolutely obsessed with Duke Basketball. Know more about football and basketball than most guys.

24. I love my job. Most days I work from home in my pajamas, eating lucky charms, while watching Oprah. You would be very jealous if I told you any more. So I won't :)

25. If you can't find me, I'm probably at the gym. I spend an unnecessary amount of time there each day.



Quote of the day: "The most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous.” ~ Sex & The City

The More the Merrier?

Ok, so I'm pretty sure by now most of you have probably heard about the set of Octuplets that were born in California last week. Yeah, count'em, eight children in your stomach at one time...OMG...and even worse, eight children outside of your stomach at one time.

Wow, I love children and all but I reeeeally wouldn't wish that on anyone.

And as totally insane as that sounds, the story just keeps getting better. Listen to this...Not only did she just have eight babies, she also has six other children at home, all under the age of seven. So lets do the math 8 + 6 = 14. Yep, 14 kids under the age of seven. How lovely it must be to live in that household.

AND, here's the clincher. Prepare yourself... she is a divorced, single parent. I'm not even lying. All 14 kids were conceived by in-vitro fertilization using a sperm donor.

What a nightmare!?! I guess if there is anything positive about this story, it would have to be that all 14 kids are actually from the SAME sperm donor. Yippeee! And when interviewed about the recent births, all the mother had to say is that she is "ecstatic".

And by "ecstatic" I'm gonna take it upon myself and assume she meant "ready-to-dig-my-own-grave-and-bury-myself-in-it".


Quote of the day: "After pampers stops delivering the free diapers, then what?"
~ Psychologist Judith Horowitz

The Best of The Best

So, for all of you who aren't aware, today is Groundhog Day...exciting I know. But just try to contain yourself for a second, because the reality of it is, that gosh darn little rodent saw his shadow this morning. Yep, that's right, you know what that means...SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER.

Wow, how awesome. Just what you wanted to hear, right? :( Yeah, me too.

Anyways, in better news...The Steelers won the Super Bowl last night!!! Heck Yeah!

That picture right there pretty much sums it all up perfectly. That's exactly how every Steelers fan in the world must have felt last night the moment Santonio Holmes made that amazing game winning catch in the right corner of the end zone. I know I was definitely going nuts and I'm not even going to pretend to be a true fan. My brother, on the other hand, is as die hard as they come, and I guarantee he was absolutely going out of his mind. I really wish I could have been there to watch him when that happened. If I know him as well as I think I do he was definitely yelling at the TV, probably jumping and dancing around the living room a little bit, making quite a spectical.

I love it!

But rather than bore you by talking more about the game (which I'm sure you'll small-talk about til you're blue in the face with every co-worker, friend and family member you know over the next few days), I thought I would give out my "Best Super Bowl Commercials of 2009" awards. So here they are. Let me know which other ones you liked.

The Best


The Funniest


The Cutest


And...While I was searching for that one, I also found this funny outake one with the e-trade babies. Absolutely hilarious. I can't get enough.

Quote of the Day: "I said its now or never; I told the guys all the film study you put in doesn't matter unless you do it now...I'm really proud of the way they responded." ~ Ben Roethlisberger

Making a Difference

It's Sunday. Waahooo! Super Bowl Sunday actually. Who wouldn't be excited about that? I know I sure am. If the commercials and food aren't enough of a draw for me, the fact that the Steelers made it in this year definitely is. Let's Go Pittsburgh!

Anyways, not sure what everyone else normally does with their Sundays, but for me, straight out of the womb, mine have always been about church. Since I'm pretty new at this whole blog thing, and don't really have any patterns or traditions going yet, I decided I would start one. From now on I'm going to make my Sunday blogs a little bit different than all the rest. No, don't get worried, I'm not going to preach, but I am going to talk about things with a little bit more substance. I know what you're thinking...more substance than Jergen's lotion and itchy sweaters? Yeah, hard to imagine, but here it goes...

Today, for my first attempt at this, I got to thinking a little bit about relationships. Not necessarily just love relationships, like girlfriend and boyfriend/husband and wife (although they certainly do fall in that category), but also about the relationships we have with our friends, with our parents, or even with random people we meet on the street.

Unfortunately today we live in a very selfish society. If you look around, you will see this world is all about me, me, me. People are worried about themselves, and only themselves and really don't care who they have to step on along the way, as long as they are getting where they want to go. And since that's what this world around us is teaching us, it's very easy to get sucked into that way of thinking.

But the truth is, that mentality will never bring a person true happiness. From what I've seen, selfishness and misery go hand in hand. I believe that if you want your life to increase and if you want your life to get better, then you need to help improve somebody elses life. The people that come into our lives, don't come into it by chance. God puts them there on purpose. It is our job to encourage them, build them up, and challenge them to reach for new heights.

As most of you know, for the past few months I have been dealing with a break up from a significant relationship. I keep telling myself I'm not going talk about it anymore on here, but it's clearly not working out so well....Oh well... anyways, for the longest time I just kept asking why? why? why? Why did I have to waste 3 1/2 years of my life on something that didn't work out? Why? Why? Why?

But the more I've got to thinking about it, the more it all makes sense. It wasn't time wasted at all. It was a lesson learned...another piece in the puzzle. In this case it wasn't so much about me (although I did learn a lot too), but more about how I was to be used to have an impact on him. I encouraged him. I challenged him. I helped turn his life around. By Christian example I showed him how to treat people with love and respect and selflessness...things he'd never been shown or taught before. And hopefully I inspired him to want become a better person.

That is why.

So whether it's our friends, our boyfriends, or the cashier at the grocery store, its important for us to remember that the way we treat people can have a big impact on their lives, whether we know it or not. Not only will it help them, but in a weird way it will help you as well...Trust me...There is no greater investment in life than being a people builder.



Quote of the day: "The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit." ~ Nelson Henderson

Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. ~ Matthew 7:12