Is it Friday yet??

I wish I could say the reason why I haven't blogged in a few days is because I've been busy with some exciting things. Alas, not so much. I've actually been sick with a throat and sinus infection. It started Saturday night and by Sunday evening my throat felt like it had hot razors in it. When I went to the doctor on Monday not only was my throat still a disaster but I was incredibly congested. Not to mention I hadn't slept in a few days since the pain would keep me up at night. Thank god for antibiotics, decongestants, and acetametaphin. I think i'm finally on the road to recovery though because today is the first time i've been able to taste things in a few days.

I have zero plans for Memorial Day weekend. It's Fleet Week in NYC though so I might have to venture in to check out the scene.

So much to do today so the post will remain small. I promise a big one soon.

Weekend Madness

The last 24 hours have been absolutely emotionally draining. Sometimes the reality of who you are smacks you dead in the face. When you work so hard to change unhealthy habits and they rear their ugly head again - it's a tough thing to swallow. There have been certain situations in my life where friends have needed my unconditional support and all I could offer them was frustration, an "I know what's best" attitude, and judgement. Stare down into the face of that and you tell me how you would feel about yourself. But then, breakthrough. I haven't seen God's hand in a lot of things lately (mostly because of my own unwillingness to see even though i'm sure he's there) but he showed up last night. Instead of being able to talk my way out of this particular situation he gave me the opportunity to SHOW how I could be different. Instant gratification. Fresh off of beating myself up I was given a chance to rise to the challenge and I love challenges. I want to be the better person, the better friend when these particular situations arise. Those awful qualities actual come from a place of me trying to be protective and loving. I just need to channel that in a different way.

Busy weekend. Tomorrow I have a wedding shower and Sunday I have to meet with my father's lawyers regarding his lawsuit for my stepmother. Craziness. What I really need to do is sleep for a few days straight and not get out of bed.

27 has finally arrived...

Lots to update you on. I intended to do it yesterday but I never got a chance so i'm a day late and a dollar short. Overall I would say I had a great birthday. There were moments where I was an emotional wreck but I think those feelings are allowed based on the year that I've had.

The birthday celebration started Thursday night. Our company gives us off on our birthday's but because mine fell on a Saturday I got Friday off this year. Thursday night was such a relaxing night and it was definitely needed. Warm spring air, some wine, my best friend, her dog, and an amazing heart to heart conversation. Moments like those are my absolute favorite. It's as if the outside world seems to stop for just a few short hours and life is as it should be. I need more those moments that's for sure. Can I just tell you how awesome Sarah's dog is for a second. She is the SWEETEST, MOST GENTLE dog ever. You can smoosh her face, throw her around, squeeze her like Elmyra and she just takes it. Not only that but she sleeps ALL the time and will even sleep later than you in the morning, is completely house trained, and hardly ever barks. So meet C.C. (short for Coco Chanel)...

I mean seriously, you just can't help but LOVE this dog!

Friday was a wet, cold, and dreary day. But, Nicole & I ventured into the City anyway and went to the Museum of Modern Art. We stood in the pouring rain, on a line that was half a block long (a NYC block) just to get in. Good thing it moved pretty fast. I was worried about Nic's umbrella actually starting to work at some point (lol). Moving on... I'm almost ashamed to say this but as an avid art fan the only NYC art museum I have ever been to is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. So Friday was my first time at the MoMA and I LOVED it! Standing in front of Van Gogh's Starry Night was such a surreal experience. Being in a room filled with Picasso's, Kandinsky's, Monet's, and Rothka's was amazing, humbling, and moving. Those artists never desired to be famous. They painted as a way to express their life, their emotions, their struggles. It was an outlet for everything that was built up inside them. That's what makes those pieces so real, so raw. That's why art trancends all generations. Enjoy some of my favorite pieces...

This piece is just... there are no words. Van Gogh's "Starry Night" is classic

And those are just some of the amazing art pieces there. There were definitely moments where i teared up. Mostly because I love art, I love the City, I love doing things with the ones I love and part of me has lost that over the last few years. I've lost part of who I am and being at the MoMA on Friday helped stir up those feelings that I thought were long gone. I'm slowly rediscovering myself and it's scary and exciting all at the same time.

We left the museum hoping to catch the 3:06pm train back to Westfield but we missed it by 10 minutes. We caught the next train at 4:13pm and then met Sarah and Liz for Happy Hour at the Jolly. Good times with those girls! Then it was date night with my husband. He had music things to do on my birthday so we went out Friday night instead. He had callilies waiting in the car for me. They were gorgeous. Then we went to Monster Sushi for dinner where I got my asaparagus rolled in teriyaki chicken (A-MAZING). When I was ordering though I thought the waiter had said, "ok, thank you Nicole" and Tommy and I both did a double take like, "did he just say my name? how the heck does he know my name? nah, he didn't say my name - he barely spoke english so he probably said something else." Well, he did say my name because later on they sang Happy Birthday to me. My sister had called the restaurant to make sure they embarassed me properly. Love her. Afterwards we went to the coolest place. It was this indoor, glow in the dark mini-golf arcade called Monster Golf. Decked out like Halloween. CRAZY FUN! Probably the hardest mini-gold i've ever played. But, of course, I won. Yes, i'm gloating. Here are some pictures...

Once I claimed the victory I met up with Sarah at 16 where the girls (the bartender's who are now our friends) got me a card and this beautiful bouquet of flowers. So super sweet. Love them!

Saturday morning (my actual birthday) I met up with Chrissy, Adie, Lane, Joanna, and Karina for breakfast. So yummy!!! Chrissy and I then went shopping for an outfit for that night. I was told by Sarah that I needed to dress like a biker chick so I purchased some ripped jeans (which by the way fit SO PERFECT), a black skull and cross bone tank top, and a short black hoodie. Then I picked up some makeup to complete the ensemble. I actually LOVED the outfit. It was so comfortable. That night I went over Sarah's and she started the night by cooking one of my favorite dishes - Penne Vodka.

That sauce looks gross but it was AWESOME! Prosciutto, mushrooms, and peas in a pink cream sauce.

After dinner we started the night at this club called The Den where they were having a drag queen runway show. Hilarious! So fun!

After about a half-hour the show got boring so we ended the night at this bar in New Brunswick called the Knighclub. Not much dancing but definitely a lot of fun. We followed it up with some late night disco fries at a local diner and then I stayed over Sarah's because we didn't get home until 4. Even though I live 2 minutes away Sarah has a driveway and I was not about to get up at 9am to move my car from behind my building.

I spent Sunday morning cleaning my apartment and then went to my parents where we had a mothers day/birthday dinner for me and my mom. For those that don't know my mom is a pack rat. They are in the process of remodeling the house and buying a new shed for the backyard. My mom has crates, crates, and more crates filled with useless crap. I now belong to a white trash family. Take a look at the backyard. That's not even a quarter of what my mom has collected.

Once dinner was over I went home and Sarah came over with the dog and we vegged on the couch.

Monday morning I got up early because my dentist appointment from last week was rescheduled for 8am. I couldn't make it up the parkway in time because of the rain and flooding yesterday so the extra hour I could have slept was wasted. I needed it to because I barely slept all weekend. When I was done with work I went home and passed out for 45 minutes. It was necessary. Liz and Sarah both came over when I woke up and we watched some tv. After Liz left Sarah and I watched "27 Dresses". We both had seen it already but we LOVE that movie so I purchased it last week when it came out. Please see it if you haven't. I laughed, I cried - it was perfect.

I still haven't slept though. My insomnia is back. Hate it. I'm going to get an Iced Mocha from Starbucks in a bit. Bringing back a classic. I'm really hoping to hit the gym tonight. It's been too long (just like this post).

Yes, they are from Mars

I went to a Cinco de Mayo celebration at a Chevy's on Staten Island last night. I was doing my good deed for the day. It was way too crowded, too much money, and the people - oh the people. If you aren't from the New Jersey/New York Tri-State area you really can't understand what people are like from here. They are their own breed. And yes, I did grow up here, but no I am not like them. The big hair, the fashion nightmares (clothes that are 10 sizes too small), the gold chains, the nails and makeup, and the list goes on. You can get an idea at www.njguido.com but really you have to see it with your own eyes. And my own eyes were hurtin' last night. I'm still amazed sometimes even though I've grown up with it. Anyway, we met one of Sarah's friends in the restaurant and hung out for a bit and then left early. We didn't want to pay $20 just to stand outside and drink. Not kidding.

So, we were back in Jersey by 10:15pm and went to a local dive bar to hang out and talk. For those of you who are wondering - I didn't drink. I'm noticing on my blogs that I talk a lot about bars and drinking but honestly it's not as much as it sounds. But, being that it was Cinco de Mayo I am now the proud owner of a Corona Visor which will come in handy during softball season.

I'm wondering if I still have any readers out there. If you are there and read my blog leave me some love. Enjoy the gorgeous day!

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Welcome back to the work week everyone. As we all know I hate Monday's. But today I got up especially early because I had a dentist appointment scheduled at 8am in Clifton (which is about 20 min. north from where I live). Why I scheduled it on a Monday morning I will never no. Anyway... i'm up, i'm dressed, i'm clean and I was just about to leave my apartment at 7:30 when my cell phone rings. "Hi Nikki, it's Dottie from Dr. Resnick's office. Dr. Resnick is ill today and won't be in so we have to reschedule all of our appointments. Sorry for the inconvenience." Now, as excited as I was to not have to go to the dentist this morning and that she caught me before I made my way up to the office I was so mad because I could have slept an extra 45 minutes. It's important to soak up every minute of sleep when Monday roll's around. So instead I decided to make good use of my time by putting on makeup before I got to the office and head to work early. Both of which I would never do today.

Let's back up to Thursday night because that's where my weekend fun begins. Sarah & I really needed to do some laundry so we thought it would be fun if we went to the laundromat and did it together. Now there's 3 in town but trying to find one open late in my area is a joke. I'm so used to laundromat's being open till 11pm/12am from where I used to live. But, we find one that's open till 9:30pm - ok great, we'll get it done. Now this particular laundromat is in a stripmall and right next door is a Liquor store. So, I glance in because I was going to scope out the wine collection and I see a bar inside the store. I mean, when I say ghetto I mean GHETTO bar. An old man, alocholic person type of hangout. But, we're thinking JACKPOT. Do laundry, have a drink, chill out - perfect place while you wait. Which was exactly what happened. We got to know the bartender (total cutie - older guy but definitely good looking), watched some sports, and had a drink while our laundry was in the machines. It couldn't have been more random or more perfect. I wish you all could see this place - words cannot describe it. It's too be seen with your own eyes to understand how awesome it is. Later that night we went to the Jolly because Thursday nights are karaoke night. Good times as always. We never sing we just like to people watch and listen to how bad everyone is. Although, I will sing if i've either had too much to drink or if someone sings with me. You'll never catch me doing a solo act otherwise.

Friday night I had a movie date with Chrissy. So much fun. We haven't had one of those in FOREVER! I left work and met her at 5:30 at Clifton Commons and we saw, "Made of Honor" with Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan. Patrick doesn't know it YET but he's going to marry me someday. He is soooo HOT - I seriously can't help myself. If I was 16 I would find every magazine picture of him and stick him all over my walls. Anyway, back to the movie. It was awesome. Of course it's your typical love story. I would say along the lines of "My Best Friend's Wedding" only better. You actually felt the characters emotions and struggles throughout the movie. You were with them all the way. You laughed, you cried, you cheered at the end. It was very fulfilling. I left a satisfied viewer and would see it again. Afterwards I helped Sarah move in this gorgeous entertainment center into her new apartment and then just chilled.

Saturday I got my hair done - color and cut. It's this dark cherry red... HOT! I stuck with one color this time mainly because I can't really afford to do crazy highlights right now. As far as the cut... my hair has gotten pretty long but I wanted to keep some of the length. So Alicia cut off about 2 1/2 inches and gave me some long layers. I didn't realize how long my hair had actually gotten because even with taking that amount of hair off it's still long. It needed it though. Afterwards I got the nails and toes done - hot pink! A full day of pampering myself. It was needed. I spent the rest of the night on the couch watching tv. I ended up falling alseep at 11pm which was actually good because I needed the sleep.

Sunday I was up bright and early at 7am. Mostly because I fell asleep at 11pm the night before but also because I was going on a bus trip to Atlantic City. It was my parents, my sister and her boyfriend, and me and Sarah along with the parents of my brothers boy scout unit. It was a fundraiser for their troop. We got to the Trump Plaza around 11am, played some slots, then me, my sister, and Sarah decided to walk the boardwalk. As we're walking my sister goes, "I want to go look at some tattoo's." We walk down to Kentucky Ave. on the boardwalk and found Lucky Lou's Tattoo's. Sarah & I had been talking for awhile about getting tattoo's. I wanted Robin's initials underneath the tattoo that I already have and I also want one on my ankle that extends down to my foot. Sarah wanted one on the back of her neck and so did my sister. Well, we all found something we liked and before we made any rash decisions we sat at the Irish Pub to mull it over. All of a sudden Sarah goes, "I'm getting it done" and we all followed suit. Honestly, you couldn't beat the price. It was a $40 shop minimum. Most shop minimums up here are $80. All of our tattoo's cost $40 a piece because they were small and not all that detailed. Sarah got the chinese symbol for change on her neck, my sister got her first initial (the letter A) with a star on her neck, and I got Robin's initial's underneath my tattoo on my arm. Here are two pictures of what it looks like

The first picture is from yesterday about 2 hours after it was done and the second picture is from today. I love it. I love all of our tattoo's.

Today is Cinco de Mayo. I would say 98% of Ameican's have no idea what it actually means - just that it's a day to drink at your local Chevy's. I actually heard one guy give an explanation yesterday that was completely wrong. So, for all of those interested in knowing what Cinco de Mayo really is here is an excerpt from wikipedia...

"Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "5th of May") is primarily a regional and not an obligatory federal holiday in Mexico. The holiday commemorates an initial victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. A common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day; Mexico's Independence Day is actually September 16, which is the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico."

Concerts, Courts, and the News?

Alright alright, it's time to talk about the Hanson concert. I came, I saw, I conquered. I refuse to give into Christin's insistence that they are better than sliced bread but I will say this... they are fun. I have been to worse concerts. But still, it was Hanson, and I would have much rather been somewhere else. Especially when Mmm Bop came on - acoustic version. I almost did a Van Gogh to my ears. I think the best part of the entire concert was the average age of the girls there. There weren't many younger than 21 I'll say that. These boys have a cult following that's for sure. I do have pictures that I'll post later. I can't seem to get them uploaded properly.

I had the afternoon off yesterday to finally settle my traffic ticket in Scotch Plains. 5 1/2 hours and 1 evacuation later I had to pay $433 so I wouldn't get points on my license. The municipal court system absolutely needs an overhaul. There was no need for me or anyone else to be there that long. Between the lines and the judge and the order of the cases it was a nightmare. No sort of structure. The line you checked in with the court clerk was the same line you waited in to pay your ticket. So when people arrived for the 4pm court if you were there trying to pay your fine from the 12pm court you had to wait on the same line as those checking in. And, the fire alarm and evacuation took a good hour from the day. I was exhausted and broke by the time it was all over. I couldn't wait to get out of Scotch Plains.

Since my friends have taken the liberty of creating a Spring playlist I thought I'd go ahead and make one myself. It's a little bit long but it needed to be varied. Here goes:

1. Cadence (Acoustic) - Anberlin
2. I want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles
3. Good - Better than Ezra
4. Caroline - Brian Fitzpatrick
5. I Ain't In Checotah Anymore - Carrie Underwood
6. Killa - Cherish
7. Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go) - Dierks Bentley
8. Big Me - Foo Fighters
9. I Won't Dance - Frank Sinatra
10. Waiting for the World to Fall - Jars of Clay
11. What If I Loved You - Joey Gian
12. Waiting On the World to Change - John Mayer
13. Have a Little Faith In Me - John Hiatt
14. When You Say You Love Me - Josh Groban
15. No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem - Kenny Chesney
16. Broken - Jump Little Children
17. Falling Down - Lynden
18. Two Ways to Say Goodbye - Pat Monahan
19. Wave on Wave - Pat Green
20. Grace - Phil Wickham
21. The Candy Man - Sammy Davis, Jr.
22. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
23. Our Song - Taylor Swift
24. World Spins Madly On - The Weepies
25. Saving Grace - Steve Jones
26. Leave the Pieces - The Wreckers
27. Beverly Hills - Weezer

So there ya go! Hope you enjoy the list!

I was coming out of Stop & Shop today during lunch and there was a camera crew there just hanging out. This woman comes over to me and asks if she can ask me a few questions. She says she's from Channel 7 and is interviewing people about the rising costs in supermarkets. I kindly tell her that I don't shop that often to notice but she insists on asking me a few questions. Mind you - this is NOT my best looking day. Of all the days I decided to not care what I look like today is the day. I made up some answers because I really have not noticed prices going up. Look for me, my sunglasses, and my fuzzy NorthFace jacket tonight on World News Tonight with Charles Gibson at 6:30pm (est). I really think they'll keep my segment!!! I'm GLOBAL people!!!