Ready, Set, GO!

It's D-Day today.



I've been ready.



I am set.



I will GO!

On my way to celebrate less of me with each day that passes and the help of WW. Tonight I re-up my membership and begin my journey to a healthier lifestyle.



See Ming lose. Lose Ming, Lose!



Will update progress, wish me well.

It's Not Nice to Fool (with) Mother Nature

Wow, what a wallup she packs when she want to...

We went from sunny day to darkest of nights to wind, hail, rain and loud noise all in a matter of 10 minutes and the landscape is changed forever.

Who needs electricity for an alarm clock when you have the news helicopters flying overhead at 5:45am?

I am fortunate, no 'real' damage to my home but my neighbors were not so lucky with univited trees on top of their houses and cars.

It could have been worse but the damage we have is still going to be painful. Our siding was damaged with holes from the golf size hail that pummelled our house. All the screens were damaged with holes in them, some as big as four inches! No electricity. Funny how much we depend upon it without realizing it. Everytime I went for the light switch or to have a cup of coffee or to look at the clock I thought, oh right, no electric.

We were forced to go back to a simpler time. It was really nice. We played cards last night for the first time in I don't know how long. Candles burned and flashlights were pulled out of cabinets.

Neighbors were all outside assessing their damaged homes. People were out in droves walking the streets looking at downed trees and electric lines. And it's hot and humid and sticky and muggy outside. Some folks had beers in their hands as they walked the neighborhood. There was conversations among strangers asking if everyone was okay. It truly felt like a community as I walked the streets that are usually desolate.

From bad things, good things come. I thanked God that I am one of the fortunate with minor damage compared to that of my neighbors.

Hot town, summer in the city...

'the back of my neck's getting dirty and gritty.'

Ah the joys of spending a hot, humid night at the ballpark watching the boys of summer play.

It was one of those nights where I cracked my first beer of the year! It has to be very hot outside (and it was) and a very cold beer (and it was)..perfect setting for an iced cold beer!

Had the chance to see not one but TWO Home Runs...hit it outta here!

Great news...home team won! (and I jumped right into the shower upon arriving home!)

Now where's that back washer I've been waiting for?

Purple is a color, right?

Nuf said!

Shades of Blue

What's Your Favorite Color & Why?

My favorite color is blue, just about any shade of blue. Even blue-green shades.

Why you ask? To me, blue is calming, still, peaceful, serene.

With the stressed out world we are surrounded by, it's nice to have blue.

So, gentle reader(s) I ask you, what's your favorite color and why?

Damn, I had a great post written about how things have changed yet have remained the same, the Class of 2010

Then I hit the back button by mistake and it went away...crap, it was mighty good too!

Guess you'll just have to take my word for it!

Here's the pictures I had lined up to go along with it...since I got them ready you may as well see them. Hey, suffer in silence will ya?

My faithful readers will know how/where to view the real images! (wink, wink!)

Rather inticing, don't you think?

Home Again Hooligan!

It was nice while it lasted but the fantasy (or should I say Glory) is over and the real world awaits. Well there is a small respite for me, I took an additional day off from work but I am home nonetheless!

Trip to & into Manhatten was remarkably E-A-S-Y, best travel trip up there ever! Traffic was relatively light on Jersey Turnpike, absolutely no wait at all to get through the Lincoln Tunnel and just a few short blocks to the dock once on the island!





Itinerary itself was short and sweet as well. Day One - at sea; Day Two - St. John, NB; Day Three - at sea; Day Four - Home Again Hooligan!





Good times... Massage & Exfoliating Scrub, Piano Bar singing, One Arm Bandits robbing, NYPD detective (but really they were degenerates), Steakhouse dinners (YUM!), Comedy Bar laughs!

It's good to be home.

Looking forward

I am looking forward to a few days of relaxation, fun and doing anything I a damn well please!

Here's to looking forward...onward and upward! I hope it's smooth sailing and I cruise right along.

2sday's Word

Today's word is UGG!

Not as in the Australian footwear manufacturer.

As in UGG, (onomatopoeia) I feel exactly as it sounds...UGG!

M-O-N-D-A-Y-S can get you down :(

Mondays are tough enough.

You have a great weekend and then realize, it's back to the old bump and grind of the work week.

This can be depressing.

Sometimes this feeling can be compounded.

• It can be a rainy Monday morning that only makes you want to roll over and cover your head
• It can be that such a fantastic weekend was had that you want it to continue but it won't
• It can be you have something to do that's dutiful but if given your druthers, you'd choose something else

Lots of things can compound the depressed feeling one has on a Monday.

My week started off finding out I am out of consideration for another position within my company. I knew there was a gap that existed based on my conversation with the hiring manager. This gap was too much for me to overcome. I lacked the specific industry experience that he wanted. I knew this was going to be my downfall.

I can't help it. I feel deflated, depressed and defeated. Simply, I am bummed to the max. I really wanted this position. The challenge of it was exactly the injection of adrenaline I need.

What a way to start a work week that's tough enough already.

Oh well, the good news is that my week will certainly be ending on a higher note. At least I have that to look forward to. I leave on a long weekend cruise where I will have a drink (or ten) to shut the door on this chapter and open the door to a new chapter.

Can't say I am looking forward to the new chapter though because I know it will be hard work in this economy but I believe I need to begin my search for a new job outside of my current employer since I have not been able to find something within the company that I believe will challenge me and make me want to come to work on Mondays.

The saga continues....

R.I.P. Dear Friend

I am bummed.

I just found out from a friend that a mutual friend of ours has lost her long battle with breast cancer and died two weeks ago at the young age of 54.

Mary was my kind of lady. We met as business associates, actually, I was her customer and she was my vendor. We clicked. She was one of the best Account Managers I have dealt with at this company. She anticipated my questions and had answers ready when I asked. She thought like I did and I liked her, as a person, to boot.

Our business relationship grew into a personal relationship and we'd meet up for lunch or dinner as our schedules permitted. We'd email back and forth or just chat online with each other.

I had not heard from her for a while but came across her name as a suggested friend on fb about 6 weeks ago so I asked to be friends. I never did hear back from Mary. I guess her health had deteriorated and she could not respond.

I am saddened by my loss of a dear friend who made me laugh, understood what it was like to raise kids today and was one heck of an upstanding person.

Farewell my dear friend, you are missed. R.I.P. <3

Today's Word is...

EXCITE, as in...



You excite me.

The thought of a deep passionate kiss shared with you excites me.

He's an excitable boy.

She's exciting a riot amongst the sex starved men.

Please feel free to excite me with your own 'EXCITE' example ;)

How many times have you felt like saying this?

Once in your life?
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Once a month?
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Once a day?
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More often?