Hello, My name is Chris Hansen and I'm from Dateline NBC

Is it me, or is everyone watching this show?

I wouldn't say that I am a faithful watcher of the program, but if I happen to be surfing the channels and it's on, I will watch it.

There is something to be said about the men that are caught on this show. How ridiculously dumb can they be to go online with a silly screen name (SexyGuyLuvsU, for instance) and look for young teenagers to meet up with. Even more ridiculous is how they show up at people's homes and think they are going to get lucky with teenagers.

My favorite part of the show is when they actually get arrested and come up with all kinds of excuses as to why they were in the house (my favorite was when a man said he was there to help a young girl do her homework - they later found lubricant and condoms in his car. Homework?)

While we wait for the next installment of the show, Mike and I have new screen names for when we are online: SexualKittyCat75 and YoungGatorLuvr007.

*I'm not trying to make light of these sexual predators, but this show portrays them as such idiots, I have to laugh.*

Heather's Wedding

Back from South Florida and already missing the sunshine and warm weather. We returned late this morning to more snow, slush, and ice. Somehow the humidity we experienced this weekend wasn't *that* bad.

More on the weekend in a future post. For now, I leave you with pictures from Heather's wedding...

Leaving... on a jet plane

My long-awaited trip to Miami is finally here! And while I really don't like Miami, I am looking forward to getting out of the freezing temperatures and gusty winds.

As far as I'm concerned, the stress of traveling began last night. It was nearly midnight when we finished packing, something I blame on myself due to a long week at work. But anyhow, as I was saying, the stress began last night.

Me: Have you taken out all the things you need for the weekend?

Mike: Like what? I have jeans and t-shirts out already.

Me: How about your suit, a shirt, and a tie that doesn't make you look like the biggest Republican in the place? And your square-toed shoes and dress socks?

Mike: Oh yeah, a suit.

Me: I can't wait to see Little Owen. I'm so excited.

Mike: We're going to see Owen and family? I didn't know that.

Me: Duh? Didn't I mention that we were going to a wedding? The wedding of a former college roommate? A roommate that I had when I was a student at the University of Florida and was a bleeding orange and blue gator? A roommate that was also roommates with my bff?

Mike: Oh, I must have not been listening.

Ugh.

The stress continued when I mentioned that we would be bringing my parents presents. Two carry on suitcases! That I got for free! Because if I actually went to Miami and bought my parents two suitcases, they wouldn't like them. But, since I told them I got them for nothing (FREE! GRATIS!), they are excited to receive them. Actually, I told them I had one, but with my excellent packing and organizational skills I was able to pack one into our regular suitcase and use the other one as a carry on for us.

Let me explain this: the thrill of getting a good quality anything is a success to Cubans, namely my parents. It helps even more if the good quality anything was free (FREE! GRATIS! NO TAX!). The other thing is that both my mother and I feel that the gifts we bring eachother are the greatest, most ingenius gifts ever known to man. We never stop to think that the pajamas my mom brought me could easily have been bought in my neighborhood mall or that the shampoo gift basket that I brought her could have been bought in Miami. We've been doing this for years, including the time I regifted my father a Waterford crystal eagle that I received at some charity dinner (I carried that baby on the plane with me, folks!).

But I digress... what was I talking about? Yes, stress. I am sure it will continue through the weekend. I have already heard word of my father cooking for us and packing his home cooking up in containers for us to bring back to Jersey (we can't get food up here, apparently). And there's no arguing with him, so we'll be eating his specialty dish for a few days after we get back.

I suppose I should just enjoy the attention from the family. Afterall, I'm their baby. And Mike, well, he's the greatest gringo they've ever met. I can't wait for my aunt to hug him and kiss him all over.

More on our adventures next week. And photos of us sweating in the hot south Florida sun and doing the white man's overbite to the Electric Slide!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tagged Again

I've been tagged by the lovely Freckle Face Girl. I was hoping I wouldn't get tagged with this particular one, but I can't deny FFG. Here goes:

Six Weird Things About Me

1. I normally wake up in a good mood. By this, I mean that I am able to wake up and strike up a conversation. I rarely require coffee/caffeine to get me going. Anyone I have ever lived or vacationed with find this trait extremely annoying. I think my co-workers hate it too, since I am able to walk in to the office and immediately start chatting about anything and everything.
2. I am a first class organizer. Just look at my post from yesterday. If the bed isn't made every morning, I cannot function at work. I just keep thinking about how awful the room looks with multiple sheets all tangled up. If Mike leaves after me, I practically have to bed him to make the bed. If it doesn't get made, I will come home and regardless of the time, make the bed. I arrange all my shirts on hangers and they all must face the same direction. I like to clean the fridge out every few days and rearrange the items.
3. When watching television or listening to the radio, the slightest melodramatic music or voice will scare me. For as long as I can remember, I have not been able to watch Unsolved Mysteries. The host's voice really freaks me out. And I don't like the element of surprise in mysteries. Ironically, I love shows like Lost, Law and Order - SVU and CI, and Criminal Minds.
4. I tape the Rachael Ray show every single day even though I am completely irritated by her. There is something about watching the show (sometimes on fast forward) and making fun of her butt and her terrible interviewing skills that brings joy to my day.
5. I love shopping on online. I used to be skeptical about eBay, but now, I am a huge fan. I buy all kinds of things online: books, music, movies, soap, shampoo and conditioner, cotton balls. With the exception of clothes and shoes, I have probably bought it online.
6. I am a coupon clipper. I love the thrill of using coupons every week at the grocery store and saving over $10. My obsession with coupons is so extreme, I have joined a coupon train group.

How's that for weird? There are many more weird things about me, but I thought these things revealed a lot about me and everyday personality.

I am tagging my bff on this one. She's even weirder than I am.

More Changes

Subtle, yes, but changes none-the-less. I've taken your comments (all four of them!) very seriously, as you can see. Like I said previously, I don't know the codes or html, so changes things dramatically is difficult. But I am trying.

Again, all comments are appreciated.

For now, I leave you with the result of an afternoon of organzing my linen closet:

I am not well, folks. Look at my hallway linen closet. Doesn't it make you want to vomit? Come on, I know you just threw up in your mouth a little. :)

More closet cleaniness. This time, the lower portion of the closet. Notice all the cleaning supplies at the bottom? They are located right next to Mike's numerous Ace bandages.

New Look

So I was looking for a change and I changed the layout of my page. Well, not so much the layout, just the colors and the template. Since I'm not a developer and I don't know how to create anything original, I have to rely on the templates Blogger offers.

What does everyone think?

I'm not convinced I like it.

This Friday, I Got a Fever... and the only prescription is more cowbell

This week has been busy and full of stress. And that's only because of the weather. I shouldn't complain, as I know that other areas had far worse weather than we had in Jersey, but still, this was my reality for a week, and it seems like it will continue into the weekend.

Currently, my car is parked over a sheet of ice. It's not that we were lazy and didn't shovel it, it's that it was shoveled, then it rained ice over it and it's so compacted and frozen that it won't budge. Luckily, the car is a 4x4, so there is no sliding when I park it. The roads are relatively clean, but the rements of this snow/ice storm have started to look drappy. Very dirty and grey. And even though NJ isn't the most beautiful state, it now looks dreary and deathly.

Valentine's Day was good. I'm not really a Valentine's Day kind of gal - I prefer something simple to a huge bouquet of red roses delivered to my office. I think it stems from years of terrible Valentine's Day that were full of expectations and letdowns (I could go into the many stories, but I'm trying to be upbeat here - although... one year I made shrimp parmesan for a 'friend' - I slaved over it, cooked it perfectly, and then the 'friend' asked if we could go to the all you can eat buffet. ALL. YOU. CAN. EAT. BUFFET. I've never made shrimp parmesan since...).

Anyway, back to the upbeatness... VDay was good. No complaints. Just love. Cheesey love. That's me - a cheese whiz.

The weekend doesn't hold any exciting plans for me. Maybe a visit to the in-laws, some housecleaning, some shopping. Nothing strenuous or taxing.

Maybe I'll sleep in tomorrow. And Sunday too. *That* would be the life for me (See? The little things make me happy. The little things, people!).

And next week, I'll be looking forward to going to sunny Miami for a long weekend. Ahhh, sunshine....

For now, I leave you with this piece of funniness that never fails to crack me up...

V Day

As I sit at home this morning, watching the snow and rain and ICE come down from the sky, I wonder why is my office open today? You would think that in my profession, I am saving lives or finding a cure for a deadly disease or something, where life cannot stop for a single minute...

But, no, we are open. And so I'll be heading out shortly, probably increasing my commute time significantly.

Oh yeah, and the by the way, Happy Valentine's Day! I hope it's all lovey dovey for you...

Update: it's now 9 am, and I made it to work. The ice storm - ICE STORM - is awful. It took me over an hour to drive 17 miles to work. Along the way, I witnessed the hydroplaining (is that the right word?) of a tiny Honda right into a concrete median. The ice on the ground is about half an inch thick and it shows no signs of letting up. Oh yeah, and it's freezing too.

Lost? I Surely Am

This goes out to the folks over at ABC and JJ Abrams: what the hell was tonight's episode of Lost about?


I waited three months for this episode. I thought we were supposed to get answers! Instead, we get some sort of sensory overload room, the governor from Oz getting hit by a bus, and no Daniel Dae Kim. WTH?

I hope we get some answers soon. I'm not getting back the last two and half years of watching this show. Answers, JJ. Pronto!

I'm Not the Only One With a Love-Hate Relationship with Food

Even beautiful women have problems with food. Check it out:



My favorite part is when Naomi says she's tried the alphabet diet. On the day she eats "a" foods she'll have an apple, an avocado, a quart of ice cream...

Yes, I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I am a dork. It's the very little things that make me laugh.

New Modem - Woo hoo!

It's been a few months since I have actively updated my flickr (see sidebar) or even spent too much time posting from home. The home computer was acting up, and I was assured by the cable company that it wasn't the modem.

Guess what, Comcast? Your modem was the problem. I picked up a new modem and now, flickr is updated and I present a new picture of me and the hubby:

Oh yeah, and I have some sort of cold or something, so I'm home. It must be the 9 degree weather that is giving me the sickees.

Bad Use for Kitty Litter

The annoyances (is that a word?) of winter are quickly grating my nerves.

It snowed earlier this week. Not much, just a few inches accumulated. But it's been cold, so the snow isn't really melting. Worse, in the areas where it did melt, sheets of slippery ice have developed, making it dangerous to walk near.

Since I am somewhat of a klutz (even wearing boots with grips on the soles), I am even more paranoid at the sheet of ice that has developed right at my door, as well as in the area where I park my car.

I mentioned this to Mike, and he ran out to buy kitty litter. We had read somewhere (I wish I could find that article now.) that kitty litter was wonderful because it was safe for the environment and created a nice barrier over the ice, avoiding slips for the oh-so-graceful like myself. Mike came home with the kitty litter, sprinkled it all over the concrete outside our door, along the patch of grass that runs from our house to our driveway, and on the driveway itself.

Fast forward a few days later (and pardon my French): kitty litter sucks.

It is all over the house. All over our shoes. All over the interior of our cars. And. it. won't. come. off.

Last night, we trekked out to Wal-Mart to buy salt. Now, we have salt sprinkled over kitty litter, sprinkled over ice. It's a royal mess. And I am going nuts.

As if I wasn't crazy enough already.

Oh yeah, and it's one of my best bud's bday today - my fellow white girl Cubanita. Happy Birthday, Lisa!