happy halloween.

So it's officially Halloween. This is me dressed up as a Care Bear circa 198_?? lol I can't believe it's that time of year already. After this it seems people forget all about Thanksgiving and the Christmas rush begins. My mom already told me she's gotten my gifts already! lol She gave me her wish list about a month ago and I haven't gotten a damn thing yet. She wants a coffee maker, DVDs, a thermos, and a few other items. She's really hard to shop for if you don't know specifically what she wants so I'm happy to have the list. There are a lot of parties going on tonight and over the weekend but one was enough for me. I'm feeling a little sickish today so I opted to stay home from work. Friday's are usually really light days at the office so I'm confident that I'm not missing much. Plus I have a 'work from home' option so whatever needs to be done I can usually take care of it from my PC which is great for times like these.

Also, I'm excited about the Janet Jackson concert tomorrow night! I need to see at least one Jackson hit the stage before I die lol. And I like I mentioned before, if it can't be Micheal, Janet will do just fine ;) Since the show was rescheduled from October 16th to November 1st, all ticket holders were given the option for a refund if you couldn't make it to the show for the new date. I found out from a friend that really good seats to the show were being released and that the seats were in sections close to the stage. These new released seats were much better than the ones I already had for the SAME price I'd already paid. NO FAIR! So thank God I had the refund option due to the show cancellation! I refunded my old tickets for me and my friend and purchased brand new ones in a much better spot for the same price. If the show hadn't been rescheduled, I would've been stuck with the bad seats because there is a no refund/exchange policy. Just to get an idea of the new seats compared to the old ones, take a look at the seating chart. My old tix were in section 129 and my new seats for tomorrow are in section 58 (click to see the pic larger). Now, isn't that MUCH better?!?!

primetime.

Still didn't make it to work on time this morning and I didn't get my review yet. I did go to the doctor though and got 4 shots!! ugh. my arms are sore :( I have another appointment next week for pulmonary tests to see how I can better treat my asthma and I might start on a new medication...we shall see what happens....anyway

TONIGHT I think Obama did an excellent job tonight in the 30-minute primetime ad. He stayed focused on the issues and let us into the lives of common families and individuals who would benefit from his policies. Not once did he bash McCain or put forth any negative energy directed towards his opponent. I believe that he's running a clean campaign and can't wait until he becomes the new president of the USA ;) Any opinions on the ad from tonight? I welcome all opinions.

always late.

It was a boring, mediocre day today. The weather was cold with strong winds and there was even some snow in some places like New Jersey. I actually left work a little early because I was so bored which makes the career change all the more tempting. A few other friends of mine have extended Halloween invites for this coming Friday but I'm really not up to it. One costume party is enough. I think my office manager is giving reviews starting tomorrow. I feel his only complaint will be my lateness lol. I'm late for work like every morning. It's really bad. He's told me once before to try to be in between 8:30am and 9am. I was good for a few weeks or so but then started coming in at 9:45..and it's been a vicious cycle ever since. I don't want to waltz in late the day he might be giving a review so I'll try to be on time tomorrow :/ I also have a doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon. I'm overdue for my physical exam and I need a new prescription on my asthma inhalers..plus my allergies have been bad lately and I've been really stuffy..hopefully I can get better.

LOL...

stuck in a rut.

So for about a year now I've been contemplating a career change. My co-worker and I were having a chat today about our future career goals and other aspirations. She is a receptionist and I'm an admin and we don't want to be in this position for too much longer. We're paid a decent salary and have excellent benefits but at the end of the day this work leaves us very unfulfilled and unsatisfied. I have expressed an interest in the medical field for some time but I haven't been active in working towards that goal except for taking a General Biology class this summer to meet one of the prerequisites but that's all I've done so far. I earned an A in the class which really made me feel confident about pushing further but I've still been procrastinating. Today after work we met with an admissions counselor at a med training school in the city. I'm interested in Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound and she's leaning towards a career in Radiology. The Medical Assistant program sounds great too, but I still want to explore other options/schools before making a final decision. I've been to the damn school 3 times now and still haven't decided on what to do. Decision-making has never been one of my strong points and admittedly, this has held me back from a lot of things. I'm sure these 'things' will come up in my writing at some time..just not right now. There's so many things I've set out to do and accomplish but without a good paying job and proper finances it seems really difficult to achieve life goals. And with the economy as unstable as it is, it's more important than ever to try to be financially secure. As I'm getting older, I'm truly realising how fast life can pass you by. It makes me scared and nervous about the future that lies ahead.

And dammit, I'm missing Lady Gaga tonight! She's performing in like a half-hour and I'm here wallowing in my my self pity!!! Grrrrrr. lol.

early halloween.

I had a great time at the Halloween Party last night despite the weather everything turned out fine. It was raining really hard outside and the winds were strong, it was like a mini hurricane out there...at least that's how it seemed to me, maybe I'm being a bit dramatic tho. My co-worker and her husband joined me for the night and gave me a ride into the city with them which was a huge relief! And I'm so glad I traveled with them because my other friends came so late. I got there in time to take advantage of the free vodka mixed drinks up until 11:30pm. I felt a little cheated because the party flyer/invitation said that there would also be free Hors d'œuvres and four different rooms to dance in filled with Halloween decorations. Well, when we asked about the food, no one knew anything about it. And there were only 2 rooms to dance in, one of which had some decor but the other room didn't. I really hate false advertising especially when money is involved and you think you're paying for a service that you didn't receive. I had fun regardless and was excited that I didn't see anyone else in my mouse costume!

On a different note..any Lady Gaga fans out there? I love that song "Just Dance". I have it on my myspace lol. Well, she's doing a performance and autograph signing tomorrow at the Virgin Megastore in Union Square (NYC). I would go but the event starts at 11:30pm. With work in the morning and dealing with transportation to get home so late at night...unfortunately, I think I'm gonna pass on this one.

prayers for Jennifer Hudson.

I was just watching the news and learned that the brother and mother of actress/singer Jennifer Hudson was found shot dead in their home. Details are still pending in the investigation. You can find the story here. Please keep Jennifer's family in your prayers. The pic is Jennifer and her mother.

i'm addicted to you.

I can't seem to break my Coca-Cola addiction. It's my drink of choice at home, at work, and especially when I dine out. I know it's not healthy and I definately need more water in my diet. My skin and my hair get dry very easily and the cooler weather only adds to this. I've tried to quit but then at the grocery store I'll see them on sale or my mom will pick some up for me thinking she's being thoughtful and surprising me with an unexpected treat (bless her heart lol) but I really do need to stop..as the saying goes, it's easier said than done. My last two servings are keeping cool for me in the fridge =)

the show was excellent!

I'm going to make this quick since it's really late and I must get some sleep. I went to Duffy's performance tonight at Webster Hall and it was wonderful! She was so adorable in her red dress and she sang all the songs on the Rockferry album plus a couple of new tracks which I must seek out cuz they were great songs. I could have done without her opening act (Eli "Paperboy" Reed) but he was cool once I got a feel for the music and I could do my two step and dance along lol. I wanted a drink at the bar but didn't want to lose my spot. Anywayz, I took loads of pics and video recording from my camera but the audio quality didn't come out very good on most of em..but here I'll leave you with a few pictures of the night. I'm going to sleep!

Eli "Paperboy" Reed

i got one.

I broke down and got a pricy costume anyway. Total $54. Honestly, I think I could've done better but there were so many choices and I had absolutely no idea what to choose! For the price I paid, the costume doesn't really come with a lot of accessories or anything which sucks but the shipping was FREE but I chose to have it sent 2nd day which was about $9 extra so I'll have it on Friday if there aren't any issues. Hopefully I'll be the only 'Pin Up Mouse' at the party on Saturday :)Which reminds me I need to buy my ticket for the party ($20)...ugh..this too expensive for one night..best believe I won't be doing this again for a while..

**btw I finally got that Teyana video up and running...check the post about the fashion show here to take a look.

i need a costume.

So me and some of the girls are planning to go to a Halloween party in the city this Saturday. And of course I have NO costume to wear. I'm at work during the day and that leaves little time to shop around for something good. I went to a Party City yesterday just to browse and see what they had to offer but they're prices were outragerous and the costumes weren't even all that good. My best bet was to find something online but in order for it to come in time without paying high shipping fees, I should've placed and order for something TODAY! What a mess..I have no clue as to what to do. My friend and I discussed just making up a costume ourselves and dress up with wigs, fun makeup and eyelashes..but we can't decide on what kind of look we're going for..we wanna look cute but not too over the top. The costumes I'm finding online are cute but too expensive to just party in for one night. Here are a couple that I was considering but with these prices I think I need to keep looking:

Jewel of the Nile
$58



Goddess of Love
$61

I was a sexy Indian last year (see costume below), but I wanna go for something a little more feminine and girly this time around!


This Saturday I was also supposed to be going to Fright Fest at Six Flags but the other girls haven't even metioned a word about it since we discussed it last month so for now I assume it's canceled. I texted them just a little while ago but they actin shady and not responding back..so Halloween party it is. But I was really looking forward to Fright Fest too :(

**i'm still having issues uploading that Teyana video..tried to youtube it and the site is under maintenance at the moment..I'll try again tomorrow.

fashion show pics and video.

As promised, here are some pics from the fashion show I went to on Saturday.




Unique gave a good performance with fans strategically placed along the stage so when he stopped his hair could blow in the wind lol (a little too feminine for my taste..but a lot of the teenage girls there loved it)



Teyana Taylor also performed and here's a clip of her performance that I took with my digital camera. I thought she mostly did hip hop and rap but she performed a cute love song and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that she has a very pretty singing voice.

Teyana Taylor performing her song "Google Me"



The show was benefiting an excellent cause so I was surprised at the small audience for this event. There had to have been less than 100 people there. But nonetheless, my cousin and I had a great time and I really enjoyed catching up with her. She's growing up to be such a beautiful young woman and I'm looking forward to spending more time with her to strengthen our relationship.

home alone!

My mom is away for the weekend and it feels so good to have the place to myself. Not that my mom is burden or anything but sometimes (well lots of the time actually) I really just like to be to myself..I can play loud music and leave my dishes in the sink without the bickering. lol. I can't quite afford a place of my own just yet, so I just revel in the moments that I have time alone. Today at work my computer's hard drive crashed but thankfully the tech guys were able to recover some important information that I had upon my desktop. It should be up and running well again in the morning. I'm also looking forward to the weekend because I'll be spending some time with my little cousin..well not so little anymore because she just turned 19. Since she's grown up we haven't spent as much time together like we used to when we were younger. I suggested that we go to this breast cancer awareness fashion show together on Saturday and she's looking forward to it as well. Join us if you're in the area. Teyana Taylor and Unique will be making an appearance. I'll be sure to post some photos. Check out these flyers for info.

single ladies.

hot or not?! i really like this beyonce video. it's catchy and sexy yet subtle..

i <3 crepes. hate uggs.

My luncheon with my college buddy went well. There was a festival of some kind going on and vendors were out selling all sorts of items and food. We got gyros and Brazilian cola and sat in the park. The weather was beautiful. The gyros were really messy to eat and we both got drippings on our clothes. I was embarrassed at first but we laughed it off..shit happens, right? After we ate, we couldn't resist dessert and shared a crepe made with strawberries and Nutella. It was sooo good. I wish there was a crepe vendor outside everyday but there won't be so I had to savor the moment. As we were sitting in the park I did some people watching. Since the weather is getting cooler it seems more and more people have decided to break out the Ugg boots!! WHY people, why??? I heard these boots are comfy and keep your feet nice and warm but they are sooo unattractive to me and I really don't see the hype. Someone told me to try and see for myself..ummm...i think not.

i partied again.

So I never did hear back from Jason this weekend and I'm not surprised. Moving on..I did go out to party last night at club Element for my friend's 30th bday party in the city. The music was great and it was a good mix of people but it was so packed inside that there was no room to dance until it got really late when folks started to leave. I still danced and had a nice time but I don't think I'll be going back. It so wasn't worth the $20 I paid to get in. But my friend enjoyed himself and that's all that mattered. Today I ran errands with my mom and we enjoyed a nice lunch together at the Cheesecake Factory before we headed off to do some grocery shopping. My best friend is staying the night at my place and we just got finished watching a flick called P.S. I Love You. [I can't believe we're moving on up in our twenties and are still having sleepovers. It's all love I guess, we're like sisters and being together just comes so naturally for us..awww lol!] It was so sweet and I recommend it for anyone who appreciates a clever love story.Also got a text from my old college buddy tonight (who I mentioned in my previous post) to meet up for lunch tomorrow. Tomorrow is Columbus Day but I don't have off from work unfortunately. I'd promised that it would be my treat so I need to remember to make that stop to the ATM. Sadly, I had to return those black boots that I bought. I ran into the store looking for the size 9 that I hoped would still be there, but it wasn't =(. So I decided to get a full refund. I'll find something else I'm sure cuz I plan on doing some online shopping throughout the week. I've been hearing about lots of discounts and sales..so hopefully I'll have some luck with that.

off to bed now, no vacation day for me tomorrow.

peace.

duude! where's my drink?!

Well I would've had a date to write about tonight but it didn't work out. There's this guy Jason. He's my friend's boyfriend's cousin and I had a crush on him a little over a year ago. I thought he was cute, funny and nice. We went to a movie once and grabbed a bite to eat and shared an awkward peck on the lips but that's as far as it ever went. He moved out of state but I still saw him occasionally when he came up to visit his parents or to hang with his cousin. Since then I think my crush on him has faded but a little flirty-ness and a couple a drinks wouldn't hurt anything so I was looking forward to catching up with him tonight. Recently he'd been sending me myspace notes asking how I was doing and it just so happens that he's in town this weekend and he mentioned he would be coming to see me. Our text convo as follows (excuse grammar cuz i wrote exactly as it was):

J: Hey wats up
N: nothin chillin in a park wit my dog..what you up to?
J: chillen uptown, what you geting into tonight
N: nothin tonight...jus gonna relax i guess
J: Well I gotta go se my pops real quick and if you around after maybe we can get some drinks?
N: I'm leavin the park now and gonna run a few errands..i'll hit u back when i finish
J: K
N: I just got home...so u tired or what? =)
J: What am I tired I'm jus geting started lol
N: so what time did u wanna chill? i wansnt planning on being out really really late tho..so lemme know
J: I'm in queens now wit my pops Im about head uptown soon

And that's how it ended. All I wanted was a definite answer to know if we were going out or not. He could've told me he was running late with is dad instead of leaving me hangin like that. But I know better, I got into my pjs right away and snuggled up on the couch to watch some TV..those are the kind of Friday nights I like anyway..

I saw a premiere of the new Britney Spears song called "Womanizer". I think I like the song but the video hmm not so much.



peace peeps. xx.

illness?? ugh.

I get this email today:

Dear Valued Patron:
Please be advised that due to illness, the Janet Jackson concert performance scheduled for October 16, 2008 at Madison Square Garden has been rescheduled.

The new date for this concert is Saturday, November 1, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.

All tickets marked Thursday, October 16, 2008 will be honored on Saturday, November 1, 2008.

If you are unable to attend this show on November 1, 2008, please return to your point of purchase for a full refund.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you and look forward to your continued patronage of Madison Square Garden.

Sincerely,

Madison Square Garden

She's canceled and postponed quite a few shows already so hopefully this one doesn't get canceled. I'm nervous cuz I'm really looking forward to the show but Janet is not a young lady anymore so she should know better than to book more shows than she/her body can handle. Touring is strenuous and exhausting work..but I hope she gets better soon.

And look at this cuuuute puppy. His name is Snickers. This is my friend's puppy and she's sooo ready to give him away. He's a 5 month old yorkie-poo (yorkie poodle mix) and is having some toilet training issues. He keeps having accidents around the house and on her carpet and she can't take it anymore. She says she loves him a lot but can't deal with the messes anymore. Well I warned her it would hard work. She has a young daughter, she's in school and she works so a pet added to the mix wouldn't make things easier. If anyone in the area can give this puppy a good home let me know.

my day

I saw Miracle at St. Anna with my friend tonight instead of over the weekend. She had been a litte stressed over some guy issues earlier this week so we needed some girly bonding time together. The movie was 2 hours and 40 minutes looong but it was good and I wasn't bored or dissapointed. I'm usually not a fan of films about war or anything violent but this was very well put together so kudos to director Spike Lee for a job well done.
And my Duffy ticket came today! I can't believe how quick the transaction and delivery was. At work, I left my desk to use the bathroom and when I got back the envelope with the ticket was sitting on my desk! I was skeptical about the website (stubhub.com) because I've never used it before but I'm happy with the service and won't hesitate to use them again if I need to. I examined the ticket front to back to make sure it was legit and I think it's a keeper.
Ahhhhhh! And I may as well share something dumb i did just a little while ago. When I came home I put on a pot of water to boil for a cup of tea. I thought I put enought water in for it to boil for a while and I went in my room to have a chat on the phone...wrong move. When I got back to the kitchen, the pot was smokin and it smelled like fire..how irresponsible! AND our smoke detector is NOT working at the moment and we have NO fire extinguisher. My mom caught whiff of the smell like 10 minutes later and asked if I had the stove on. I told her no cuz I'd already taken it off by that time but I can't imagine the hell she wouldv'e raised if she caught my mistake for herself... pray for me..

ugh. going to bed now..it's way after midnight.
peace.

aimee anne duffy

Ok..so what? I'm a fan of Duffy! I think the Rockferry album is great. I wouldn't call it soulful as many others have but her voice is soft n sweet and quite refreshing in my opinion. If there's one thing you must know about me it's that I do not discriminate when it comes to music..some people are all like 'i listen to anything but country music'..but not me. I'm pretty much open to anything..ok so with that said, I was on Duffy's myspace last night and saw she was performing in NYC on the 22nd. I went to the venue's website and they were all sold out of advance tickets for about $23. Tickets sold at the door on the day of the show would be $33. Something about getting tickets at the door didn't sit well with me..I don't wanna wait until the last minute, get to the venue just to find out they'll be no more tickets so in order to be safe rather than sorry, I decided to buy one from stubhub.com for a steeper price..$53.65 to be exact. I had tried to contact someone on craigslist but they sold their Duffy tickets yesterday. I actually had the pleasure of meeting Duffy earlier this year when she performed at the Virgin Megastore in Union Square on May 13th. She performed 3 songs and did an autograph signing afterwards. When it was my turn to get my album signed, told her I that I'd hoped she'd visit NY again soon she said "..oh i'll definitely be back so much you'll be sick of me" lol she was so friendly and sweet which I guess is another reason that I'm a big fan. I look horrid in our pic together but I will post up the photo of my autographed CD [when i get home cuz i'm blogging at work..shame.] But here are two video clips (Duffy singing Mercy and Warwick Avenue) taken by ME at the performance that day. I can't wait for the upcoming show! And if the youtube videos link you to my account feel free to watch Suki run around central park or check out my Rihanna videos from when she did a performance in April.

weekend fun

In an effort to get my dog more socialized I planned a doggie day yesterday with my good friend George and his girlfriend's dog. Her dog and mine are both a little over a year old so I thought it would be perfect to get them together for some playtime in the park. It was our first time doing this and it was a success and I'm happy that they got along great. I'm looking forward to more playdates for them. I forgot my digital cam but here's what I was able to capture with my phone.





After getting home from the park, my mom wanted to go shoe shopping. She was successful in getting 5 pairs! I found a pair of boots I thought were cute. What do you think? My mom says she hates the rounded toe. And I just realized when I took these pics that I purchased the wrong size!!!! I wear a 9 and these are an 8.5 arghhhhhhh....They fit fine but if I wanted to wear a thick pair of tights or something I don't think I'd be comfortable.



And later that night..partyin up in NYC! That's me on the left with my girls last night.




I didn't get to see Miracle at St. Anna today because my friend had to work..so maybe next weekend?

what if?

I had lunch today with and old friend of mine from college. We dated briefly during my junior year but we never went official because I wasn't looking for anything serious at the moment. I had this free spirit mentality at the time and didn't wanna be tied down. He was so nice to me and it broke my heart to say no but I just couldn't do it. I had never even given him a kiss on the lips. This is our second lunch meeting since we linked up again with each other through facebook.com. His relationship status says he's in a relationship now and we've just been catching up and chatting about work, friends, family and hobbies and keeping the convos light and friendly. I haven't asked him about his relationship and he hasn't inquired about mine (or lack thereof lol). We ate at a buffet place and he paid for our food and drinks. I let him know that lunch would definately be on me for the next time we met. He'd invited me out to a beach party he was hosting during the first time we met up but I didn't go. And this time he invited me to a group outing with him and his friends for this Saturday. I can't make it this Saturday either because my mom and I are going to the mall. I often wonder 'what if?' I'd stayed with him and made it official? He's intelligent, a gentleman, has a great career and he's kind. Not quite physically my type but he's not a bad looking guy. What the hell was I thinking for turning such a good guy down?

On another note, I saw this commercial for the first time this evening. It features Christina Aguilera singing America the Beautiful to her baby son Max encouring Americans to vote in the upcoming presidental election in November. I love Christina's voice and she never ceases to amaze me. Check it out.



If you're a legal US citizen of legal age to vote this year..please make your voices heard in this year's election!!!

recent purchases

Today during my lunch break I found these cute skinny pants that look like jeans but they're not. They're kinda casual and you can dress them up or down. I got them for only $11.25!!!




And I can't forget the shoes! Found these last weekend at Target for about $23 or $24. The ruffles and the bow really caught my attention. They're a neutral/beige color so they're versatile and can match up with lots of different types of clothes.



And my other purchase today - dinner from from Sophie's..a Cuban spot I go to sometimes on the way home. Today's special was ox-tail stew. I topped it off with a side of white rice and red beans. They skimped on the oxtails tho..it looks like a lot but it really wasn't or maybe I'm just greedy? lol




peace.