Bookworm

I'm linking up today for Talk to Us Tuesday with Impulsive Addict and Seriously Shawn!




I'm going to start this post out by telling you that I never have been an avid reader.  I think that I spent so much time doing required reading for school, that I never wanted to do it in my spare time.  (I was 2 credits shy of an English degree in college.)  However, when I do read books, I get really into them and emotionally invested.

{both images via here}

So there has been significant hype about E L James's Fifty Shades trilogy among the blogiverse and the interwebs. I finally succumbed to the temptation and read all three within a week. In my opinion, it lived up to the hype. I know people are giving it (and it's readers) crap about the quality of the literature. Yes, it all started out as a Twilight fan fiction thing. But it evolved. I can see fair traces of Twilight while reading, but only because I was aware they existed. They are very subtle. It turned out to have a very dark thriller plot amidst all of the kinky sex. Let's cut to the chase. The relationship between Ana and Christian was magnetic, volatile, and intense.
For those of you who haven't read, the ending is quite surprising, yet happy. The third book ends with 2 brief chapters on Christian's childhood and then his meeting with Ana and the "chase" that ensues. It's quite a different point of view. The author alludes to more, ending by saying "That's all...for now." Will we get to hear Christian's side of things? I sure hope so!
The whole time I was reading, I had a very clear image of Christian in my head.  Maybe I've been watching too much True Blood lately, but I think Alexander Skarsgard is Christian Grey.  Am I right, or am I right??

{via here}

{via here}

{via here}

When the story ended, I immediately found myself at Barnes and Noble searching for a suitable replacement. I was drawn to "Bared to You" by Sylvia Day. It's a recent NY Times Bestseller and I figured it would be decent. It was GOOD. It also had a lot of similarities with my familiar Fifty Shades. Too bad the second book in the series doesn't come out until October.  Sticking with my True Blood obsession (and my desire to think about Alexander Skarsgard for as long as possible), I've started reading the Sookie Stackhouse books.

Have you read Fifty Shades?  What did you think?  What else have you been reading?  Spill!

Laters babies,
A

Bright lights, big city.

So I promised an update on my trip to NYC (for those loyal readers who have stuck around).
It was as hot as forty hells and there was crazy high humidity. I should be used to this because I'm from the south, but I tend to avoid exposure to the elements when it's that hot and humid outside. And it poured down rain daily. Like shoes full of water type rain.
Our first day, we got caught in a monsoon and decided to take refuge in Bloomingdales. We were casually looking around when I saw a sign for a celebrity signing that was happening at noon. It was 11:45 so we hopped in the short line. Mariska Hargitay (from Law and Order SVU) and Michael Cohen (of Michael Stars) were there to promote the Joyful Hearts Foundation that Mariska created for abuse victims. Mommy Dearest and I met Mariska and she was so genuine, warm, and friendly. And smokin' hot.

Isn't she stunning?

Later that night, we went and saw Mamma Mia at the WinterGarden Theater. It was good. I don't love ABBA, but it was very well done. I was just a little shocked about how the classy level of Broadway has declined. They were selling candy in the aisles and people were wearing jorts (aka jean shorts).

Here we go again...

How can I resist ya?

A stroll in the rain.

Outside the WinterGarden.

After the show, we managed to find a delicious Mexican restaurant, 10 minutes before the kitchen closed. We had magnificent margaritas, chips with spicy fig salsa, and pollo quesadilla with chihuahua cheese. Best meal ever. You must eat at Toulache. I can't even describe the yumminess. I'm drooling just thinking about it.
The next day, we did a cruise around the Statue of Liberty and went on to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. It was nice. I wish we knew which of our relatives came through Ellis Island, but we don't. That would have made it a lot more interesting. (Thus begins my time on ancestry.com for research.)

Foggy morning.

A beacon of hope.

I loved the memorabilia inside the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.

The fog cleared and Ellis Island was beautiful.

We walked around and ended up eating lunch at Gray's Papaya, as had been recommended. Epic win. Mommy Dearest had her's with sauerkraut and mustard, and I had mine with chili and cheese. We also had the papaya juice and the pineapple juice. Mouthwatering. We loved it so much that we went back for seconds. I'm dreaming about the pineapple juice right now.

We were on a mission.

It was too crowded (and hot) inside, so yes, we did eat on a mailbox.

We took a trip to the World Trade Center Memorial and it was beautiful. The line was long and the weather was scorching but it was definitely touching. The space was filled with so much love and reverence.
We escaped a humid rainy afternoon inside the Guggenheim. I love the building and some of the art. I wasn't into the modern art so much. There were a lot of video pieces that were very obscure and just not my taste. As an Art History major in college, my teaching focused a lot on Italian Renaissance artwork and also French artists. Those are more of my taste.

Lovely architecture.  Frank Lloyd Wright does good work.

We did a lot of walking down Fifth Avenue. We started one morning at the Brooklyn Bridge and then made our way 50 blocks (by foot!) back to the Waldorf where we were staying. Sore feet, but we say a lot of cool things. We shopped several street fairs and came back with some jewelry and artwork. I enjoyed soaking in the local flavor.

The Brooklyn Bridge always makes me think of Sex and the City, when Steve and Miranda move out of Manhattan.  Anyone else?

Unnecessary signage.

I need this lamp in my life.

BUBBLES!

Clever street meat vendor.

I loved shopping around with all of the local street fairs.

Ironic?

We did the NBC Studio Tour at 30 Rockefeller and it was a lot of fun.
We ate magical gelato at Eataly. Salted caramel and mocha...I die. Mommy Dearest had hazelnut with pistachio. Not bad!

Mmmmmmmm...

We had a yummy brunch at The Shop at Andaz (also recommended to us) and it was yummy. We went actions to the Public Library but it was closed for the holiday. Sad face.

Brunch of champions.

On a late night stroll, we got to see the Empire State Building lit up in the red, white, and blue. It was lovely and patriotic on Memorial Day weekend.

Let freedom ring.

Did I miss anything fabulous that was worth seeing? Any recommendations for next time? Did anything I did and love it too? Let me hear from you.

Love and cuddles,
A

The "trip" before my trip.

So, if you're my Facebook friend or you follow me on twitter, you've heard the story of how my face decided to beat up my stairs. My face lost.
Mommy Dearest and I are headed to NYC in the morning so I've been running around trying to pack and make sure I have everything taken care of around the apartment before I leave. Right before I went to bed last night, I decided that I'd better take out the trash so I wouldn't forget. I live in an apartment complex so I have to carry my trash down to the trash compactor. As I was walking back last night, it started to pour down raining. I was in my pajamas and didn't want to be soaked so I started running. I ran up my stairs (I live on the 3rd floor) and slipped. I reached out on both sides for the banisters but my hands couldn't get there fast enough. I fell face first onto the steps. My nose hit square on the edge of the concrete slab stair. My some miracle, I didn't lose consciousness, I didn't split my head open and need stitches, and I didn't knock all of my teeth out. I did, however, scrape the skin off of my forehead and and bang up (but not break) my nose, and absolutely bust my ass. I've already got giant bruises.

If you know me, you'll know that I'm clumsy. I blame my big feet (size 10, yo). Remember the time I broke my foot walking to the bathroom? I also ripped my big toenail off vacuuming once. I don't go off on daring adventures and get hurt. I just am a walking disaster sometimes. I only hope that if they make a movie of my life, they pick someone like Katherine Heigl or Cameron Diaz to play me. Ever notice how they always get cast as the quirky, clumsy love interest, who just happens to be super hot?

Anyway, I'm heading to NYC in a few hours and I already look like I've been mugged. Stellar.

See you on the flip side,
A

Fear of rejection.

Today I did something ballsy that may very well come back to bite me in the ass. I asked for something I truly want and I sit in fear of rejection and the unknowing. I feel it was the right thing to do at maybe not the exact right time but does such a time every really exist? Anyone else ever been in this boat? Any advice or encouragement? I NEED it. Send good vibes and prayers my way. PLEASE.

Love you bushels and pecks,
A

This post goes all the way back to 8th grade. You've been warned.

So my ex is getting married this weekend. Not The Ex, but the other major relationship I've had. We will call him JR. My friends reading this will know exactly who I'm talking about, but I'll fill the rest of you in.
JR and I met in middle school. We quickly became the best of friends. In 8th grade, I considered him my best friend, other than BFFAE. He was dating a friend of mine, and we will call her ELL. She hated the fact that we were friends, and I think he and I got to be so close because he didn't care what ELL thought and refused to let her jealously get in the way of our friendship. JR and I IMed all the time. (IMing...what a throwback!) I developed a big crush on him, naturally.
I have this very vivid memory of a class trip to NYC in 8th grade. ELL's mom chaperoned the trip, so she spent all of her time with her mom, and completely ignored JR, to the point of being mean. This led to him sitting with me on the bus. At one point, he told me he was going to break up with her. I convinced him not to. (That was a serious conversation to be having with your crush at age 13.) I guess I wanted to be the one he trusted. Plus I knew they'd never last. (Obviously...We were in 8th grade!) At one point in the trip, we stopped and went shopping. All the girls headed to Macy's to buy some scandalous halter tops or some such nonsense. I ended up being the last in line because I always have a hard time making up my mind when shopping. We were supposed to already be back on the bus, so everyone left me behind. (Sidenote: Middle school girls are mean!) I raced through the store, totally lost. I finally made my way back to the bus and breathlessly found my way back to the bus. In talking to a friend, I found out that JR was the only one to realize I wasn't on the bus (because I was supposed to be sitting next to him) and he made sure they didn't leave without me.
On another trip, to the Beta Club Convention at the beach, (nerdy, I know) a group of 8 of us went to compete. ELL and JR both went and were still dating at this point. The
4 girls were in our room one night and the phone rang. ELL answered and it was JR. He surprised her when he asked to speak to me. I took the phone and he told me to step out on the balcony because there was something I needed to see. I put the receiver on the table and stepped outside. The sun was going down over the ocean, but te beach was empty. I picked the phone back up and asked what I was supposed to be looking for. He told me the sunset reminded him of me and he just wanted me to see it. Swoon!
Fast forward to high school. We went to rival schools but continued to IM after school. We always flirted and said that we'd go on a date one day. He started dating a girl at my school who was a year older. I ran into them at our prom and I knew that that day was his birthday. I ran up and hugged him and wished him a happy birthday. I'll never forget what happened next. He gave me this funny look and said, "Oh it's just you," and turned back around without so much as a second glance. I vowed that minute that I was done with him for good. That was my junior year of high school (2003).
Fast forward to the fall of 2004, my freshman year of college. I was at my first ever fraternity party. I was mingling and taking everything in, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see JR, and he grinned and said, "It's you." I melted. We talked for hours and ended up kissing. I was on Cloud 9. I figured I'd never hear from him again, but I told myself I was fine with that.
Well, we ended up dating. We had our ups and downs but we genuinely loved each other. He had a temper and I was well aware of that. He never ever got physical with me, but he yelled. It was always out of general frustration with life so I got over it. (I'm not excusing that behavior, but I knew where his anger came from so I learned to understand it.) He had man periods every month. JR MANstrated.
He ended up breaking up with me during finals at the end of freshman year, but we didn't really break up until the fall when he started dating someone new. I kept him in my life and we always ended up back together (unofficially) between relationships. Now, I know my friends out there have negative feelings about him and I get it. But he put on a front with others that he dropped with me. But he did have a tendency to be an ass-hat.
Our junior year in college, he started dating a girl we will call KF. He and I still maintained a close friendship and I may have been "the other girl" one night when he kissed me when I was upset about something. His response was, "Kissing you is the only way I know to shut you up." Sweet in his own way, but I've always felt guilty about it. Bless KF for her patience sc her tolerance of my presence in his life.
Fast forward again to a year ago. KF Facebooked me and asked me to make JR custom copper cuff links for their anniversary. Awkward much? I obliged. He loved them.
JR was never the marrying type. In fact, he's been anti-marriage for as long as I can remember. He proposed to her a year ago. They get married this weekend. I'm struggling. In recent years/months, he and I have resolve all of our past issues. He apologized for his angry years and told me he should have treated me better. That was a big thing for him, someone who was never wrong (in his own mind). He called me about a month ago to tell me he was inspired by me and proud of me for all I'd done for The Preacher. That was a moment. I knew that he'd become the man I'd always known he would be.
There's a part of me that will always love him, and wish we'd worked out, but I know it obviously wasn't meant to be. But that doesn't mean I want to see him marry someone else.
Do I sound crazy to anyone else?

If you made it this far, thanks for listening to my crazy rant. I just needed to get it all out so its not in my head anymore. And here's a picture of us freshman year, just for kicks.

Leave me a sweet comment to make me feel less batshit crazy, k?

Kthanksbye,
A

Because it's Wednesday...

...and because I love y'all.
...and because I needed a reason to smile.




You're welcome, ladies.

Happy Hump Day,
A

Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

I know I've been gone awhile. Sorry. I've been all work and no play, so I haven't had anything occur worth sharing.

But I do have some...news?

Mommy Dearest and I are getting the hell outta Dodge at the end of the month. We're headed to NYC for vacation and staying at the Waldorf Astoria. Here's where your part comes in. What should we see? What should we do? Where should we eat?????????