Tuesday, February 28, 2006

The Isle Of Capri

Most people have heard the line, "No man is an island...", from the John Donne poem. I recently decided that there are some men that should be on an island.

Eddie has been gone for a few weeks while I have been in New York wrapping things up, but he recently got back and I went to go pick him up at the location where he parked the truck.

I pull up, excited to see him, and watch as he gets out of the truck and walks over to me. He looks SO cute and has a big grin on his face. I know he missed me while he was gone because he told me oh, like a thousand times.

But as I walked toward him, I noticed the strange outfit he was wearing. He had on his American Tile West (my brother's company) jacket with a brown t-shirt hanging out of the bottom, black sweatpants that had a white stripe on the side, white socks and black slip on shoes.

I was thinking it was kind of weird that I could see his white socks and as he came closer, I was able to see that his pants were really short.

"WHAT are you wearing??" I said.

"I don't know. Pants. Why?"

"Ed. Those are my capri pants. Why are you wearing my pants??"

"I don't know" he says laughing, "What's wrong with them?"

"Well, for one, they are entirely too short. Did you NOT notice that??"

He chuckles.

"And two, the are entirely too big on you. Didn't you notice that they were kind of baggy and just too big??"

"Well yeah, but I thought you bought the wrong size."

"OK, but didn't you realize how SHORT they are? I mean, they're capri's!"

Now he's really laughing and said, "I don't even know what that means, capri, but I did think the material was a little thin. When I was unloading this morning, my ass was frozen after standing in the wind for so long."

"That's because not only are they capri's, they are summer capri's! Serves you right. I hope your ass was a block of ice." He just laughed.

I said, "You are such a dork. I cannot believe that you actually went to see a customer and unloaded your truck wearing those things!"

At this point, he was clearly entertained by my reaction and could not stop grinning. We were going out to dinner, so I promptly made him change into his own clothes and thought to myself that I should probably Garanimalize his clothing the next time he goes on the road without me.

After all, I really don't want to have to ship him off to his own island solely based on peculiar clothing choices.

Monday, February 27, 2006

Warning: May Contain Traces Of Nuts

While sorting my receipts this week, Eddie sees one and says "What did we buy at Home Depot in Nanaimo??"

Looking at the receipt, I say, "I dunno. Screw, Washer, Nuts"

We both look at each other and laugh.

"I think they got that in the wrong order. It's better to wash your nuts, then screw. No one wants to screw a guy with dirty nuts."


He looked at me and just shook his head.

What?? I only speak the truth.

Right, girls??

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Being A Girl Again

I'm probably the girliest trucker chick out here. Hair, makeup, red Italian cashmere wrap, trendy homemade poncho....

But now...now I am the "girl" I used to be. I got nails today. Yes, fake nails. Beautiful, flawless, shiny, french manicured, fake nails.

I used to do my nails all the time, even going so far as having my nail girl in New York teach me how to do them and eventually going to school to become a nail tech, but I've gotten away from that.

Now, since I've inherited my fathers hunkin' gold initial pinkie ring, I wanted to make sure my nails looked nice enough to show it off.

Ed didn't really get the whole nail thing and why I wanted them, but he does like the way they feel on his back when he's squirming and trying to reach an itch that he can't get to.

He's lucky I am a girlie girl with nails that not only look nice, but benefit him; he could be with someone who has grease under her nails and the only way you can get them to scratch your back is if they take off the neoprene gloves they were wearing since they probably just got done pumping 400 gallons of fuel.

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Making A List And Checking It Twice

Why do I always have to get the person in front of me, in a food establishment, with a fucking list????

Just this week, I was in a hurry to meet someone regarding my father's estate and this friggin' woman is ordering for her whole damn office. Let the lazy ass people in your office get their own Dunkin' Donuts! There are people who are quickly stopping in to get a coffee and a donut and race to the office or elsewhere and you are taking your sweet ass time ticking the items off your list.

It's basically a time of day thing; when people have limited time, like on their way to work or trying to have lunch in thirty minutes, that is not the time to break out your list.

I don't want to spend fifteen of my thirty minute lunch break in Chipotle listening to you order "one burrito with no beans, sour cream, cheese and salsa on the side; two pork burritos, one with lettuce and onion, one with lettuce and no onion, but extra diced tomato and one vegetarian burrito but oh, are those beans cooked in lard cause Jerry can't have lard and do you have fat free cheese cause I need one with fat free cheese since Lisa is on a diet, ha ha, but when you make mine, be sure to use the shredded beef and not the cubed beef, shredded is so much better, don't you think?"

This is the kind of person that makes me want to shove a stick in my eye and possibly, if provoked, can make me quickly change that plan to stabbing them in the back of the head with a sharp pencil.

Although this would most likely really increase my time waiting in line.

Friday, February 24, 2006

Calming The Flatulent Tiger

The package insert says:

"The fame of TIGER BALM belies its humble origins. TIGER BALM is made from a secret herbal formulation that dates back to the times of the Chinese emperors. The Aw brothers, Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par inherited the formulation from their herbalist father who left China. They called it TIGER BALM, after Boon Haw, (whose name in Chinese meant "Tiger") who was instrumental in devising the remarkable selling strategies that made TIGER BALM a household name all over Asia then. Today, TIGER BALM is trusted and used by millions of people over 75 countries.

TIGER BALM is a remarkable ointment that truly works. It is a fast acting remedy that soothes many bodily discomforts, aches and pains. TIGER BALM is manufactured in Singapore from the finest ingredients under strictest quality control."

Then, on the actual jar of Tiger Balm, it says:

"Fast and effective relief for headaches, stuffy nose, insect bites, itchiness, muscular aches and pains, sprains and flatulence. Apply Tiger Balm gently on the affected area."

Where exactly is the "affected area" for flatulence??

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Let Go Let Flow

If you go see a movie this week, it must be Something New. Not just for the romance, the fun, the laughs and the HOT guy, but also for the message.

Love comes in many forms and many colors. It's important to grasp it and hold on to it while you can.

Let Go and Let Flow.

You'll understand once you see the movie.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Groundhog Surprise

While walking home last night with my cousin and her friend, we passed an office window and saw this. Can you believe he snapped a picture of us with his camera phone?? I gotta tell you; this whole cell phone usage nonsense is getting way out of hand.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Tired And Mute

I have talked so much these past three weeks, that I am at the point where sound barely comes out of my mouth without causing extreme pain in my right....something. It's sort of like a sore throat, but not.

It is almost 2 am. Must. Rest. Tired. Can't. Talk.

Eyelids closing.

Monday, February 20, 2006

My Constant Gardner

Eddie and I often communicate via text messaging; especially when in a situation like the one I'm in tonight. It's two in the morning and I'm the only one up in the house. Eddie is not with me tonight, he's off working, so in an effort to not be noisy and talk on the phone, we text message before going to bed.

Tonight we were texting about how much we missed each other when he promised me something via text (which I will leave to your imagination) to which I responded, Good deal

The rest of the text conversation went like this (WARNING: extremely sappy text message conversation ahead):

Eddie: Good deal? You sound like you are talking to a roommate. You are my Petunia Flower. My only Petunia Flower. I do love you.

Me: Baby, you are so sweet. I love being your Petunia Flower!

Eddie: I will water and fertilize your soil. I will put you in the sun so you can get the light you need. I will love you so that you can grow beautiful petals.

Me: You will be my constant gardner.

Eddie: You are my constant Petunia.

Now isn't flourishing in all that sap way better than having horse shit piled up over you for fertilizer? Yeah, I thought you'd agree.

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Keeping Me Quiet With A Chocolate Snap

Does anyone remember these?

I grew up in New York, so maybe it was an East Coast product, but these were my favorite cookies when I was growing up. My Grandparents always had them in the house. The closest thing to them today, believe it or not, are the Oreo Thin Crisps. The first time I bit into the Oreo Thin Crisp, I immediately turned into a five year old.

Of course, Eddie often says I act like a five year old when I don't get my way; if only he knew the surefire way to shut me up - Chocolate Snaps, dude!

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Zip It Up!

Today as I was searching through the Arts and Architecture section in Border's, I happened to glance towards a movement I saw out of the corner of my eye; that movement was a man coming out of the men's room zipping up his fly.

I'm just curious, WHY can't you zip up your pants BEFORE you leave the restroom?

And in addition to to zipping up before exiting the men's room, you might also want to take care of any "adjustments" before you walk out also.

I'm just saying.

Friday, February 17, 2006

Fiori Di Como

This is the ceiling in the lobby of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. It is breathtaking. Created by glass blowing God, Dale Chihuly, it has over two thousand hand blown pieces. Amazing. I knew when I took this picture that it would in no way do the piece justice, but I had to try to capture the beauty.

Click
here to visit his website - it's a truly incredible adventure. This man is a genius.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Begin At Once

"Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin it at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action." ~ Napoleon Hill, author of Think And Grow Rich.
I took this picture in the French Quarter last year during Mardi Gras, but today the word just hit me. It was obviously what I really needed to see, because it led me to the quote, which I really needed to hear.
My future is beginning at once.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

It's Even Better Than Arbor Day

Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday. I don't really know why, but I've loved it since I was a little girl. My first Valentine came from my father; cards, candy and flowers, every year. It has always been, other than my birthday, my favorite special event. Some of you may be interested in the history of Valentine's Day; not many people know how it really began.
Even when I didn't have a boyfriend, I would celebrate the day with my friends. We would often commiserate over not having a guy, yet we still enjoyed a great dinner and each other's company. The love of friends is as important to me as that of a partner.
One woman, whose writing always seems to blow me away, is Ella Wheeler Wilcox. Even in the 1800's she was way ahead of her time, with her writing being so timeless, much of it could have been written today. For Valentine's Day, I'd like to share one of her poems with you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
LOVE

In all earth's music, grand, or sweet, or strong,
To hear one name, as if 'twere set in song.

In all my poems, written 'neath the sun,
To find the praises, o'er and o'er, in one.

To feel thyself a lesser part of what
Hadst thou not found, the earth would be as naught.

To think all beauty, perfectness and grace,
As but the shadow of one worshiped face.

With that face's coming, to bask in warmth and light
And with its going to grope, as in the night.

To rather feel a dear hand's stinging blow
Than any caress another might bestow.

To rather sit in gloom, and hear one voice
Than, missing that, on mountain tops rejoice.

To lose all individual hope and aim,
And have no wish, but for another's fame.

To count grief naught, though great, if one is glad.
To feel no joy if that dear one is sad.

Do thy heart strings, responsive, answer this?
Then thou hast known true love in all its bliss.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Happy Valentine's Day to my family, my friends and of course my sweet, sweet Eddie.

Monday, February 13, 2006

The Angels Of The New York D.O.T.

While traveling over the Tappan Zee Bridge this morning, I got a flat tire. ON THE BRIDGE. A three mile bridge. IN TRAFFIC. Thank God Eddie was with me because all I could hear in my head was my grandfather, my father, my brother and every man in the family I grew up in saying, "Don't drive on a flat tire - you'll ruin the rim." So I'm telling Ed, "But I'm not supposed to drive on the rim!" and he's saying "You have to get off the bridge. Keep driving." and I'm saying, "But it's making a lot of noise, what if I ruin the rim??" and he's saying, "Well, you can't STOP on the bridge! Keep driving."

So I kept driving. I was doing about 20 miles an hour, with my flashers on and my eyes glued to the rearview mirror watching the traffic; cars AND trucks come flying up behind me at fifty miles an hour. We finally got to the other end of the bridge and pulled off to the side. I emptied the back of the car (I had 30 gallons of diesel oil in there, along with some boxes of stuff I picked up from my Dad's) so Ed could get to the spare tire. Just as he was about to jack up the car, a man who belonged in THIS truck came to our rescue.

He asked if we needed help, to which Ed said "No". I was thinking Uh, YEAH we need help! because I didn't want to get dirty, when Ed piped up again and told the guy that if he wanted to help with the jack, he could. The guy responded with "Well, I'll just change the tire for you. Let me take care of the whole thing." Who could refuse that? So Ed helped him with the handing of the tools, but this New York State DOT Angel came to our rescue and took care of everything. He had us on our way in less than 30 minutes.
So even when they are busy, in post blizzard conditions, a fellow New Yorker came through once again!

Sunday, February 12, 2006

The Blizzard Of 2006

Last night, the snow came in. Non-stop, steady and thick. The flakes fell through the air silently and began to cover New York. We drove home from dinner around midnight and found ourselves to be the only ones on the road. The streetlights illuminated the flakes as they floated through the air. It was just beautiful. I made a mental note to get up early and capture a picture of the snow before it was touched by humans. I woke up this morning to find my cousin's boyfriend shoveling the front walk. When he came back in the house, he had an inch of soft feathery flakes built up on the top of his hair.

The street they live on was a blanket of white. Not a soul had moved all morning. My cousin had to go to work this morning, so she was the only one out. This is what the rest of the block was doing at that hour.
Here is my car at 7:30 this morning, when I first took the pictures. The National Weather Service said 26.9 inches of snow had fallen in Central Park. This is the most since record keeping began in 1869!
This is what my car looked like at 10:00 am - almost completely covered. It is now after 4:00 pm we just got done digging it out. We couldn't even see it when we went down to rescue it from the depths of the storm.
This guy was spotted in the backyard; a splash of color against the sheet of white. It seems that he and I are the only ones enjoying the snow. I don't mind the snow. In fact, I love it, and I could not have wished for a more romantic setting for Valentine's Day. Being "snowed in" is a perfect reason to cuddle up with my handsome Valentine.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

It's Not Unusual

Am I the only one who is having a Tom Jones flashback?

Friday, February 10, 2006

T.T.D.L.I.T.H.A.T.I.F

Thank The Dear Lord In The Heavens Above That It's Friday.

Oh. My. God.

I couldn't have wished for a week to end more than this one. If only youse (I'm hangin' in New York, gotta use the lingo) could see me. I'm a wreck. My eyes are puffy WITH circles under them, my skin is drying up in the crisp New York air and I haven't gone to bed before 2:00 in the morning since last Tuesday. I think I have aged a year in a week.

Eddie told me that he'd like to do something this weekend for Valentine's Day - my favorite holiday. I can't think of a better place to do it than New York. PLUS....we're supposed to be getting a HUGE snowstorm. HUGE. N'oreaster, they're saying. That would be the best Valentine's Day present I could ask for. Oh, don't think he's getting off that easy...there will be presents, jewelry and chocolate to be had!

I'm also going to get my nails done - a real treat since I've been in truck for over a year without them. I recently got two new gorgeous rings and I can't wait to see them on hands that have manicured nails. Ahhhhh....the fun of being a girl.

Eddie is rubbing my feet right now and I'm about to collapse just from the sheer pleasure of it, so I guess I should wrap this up and get to bed.

I usually hate the expression, "TGIF", but I can't thank God enough that it's Friday.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

The Idiot And The Box

How many people, other than sports fanatics, talk back to the TV?

I don't understand people who talk to the characters in a TV show, sports figures or even the talking head on the news; telling them to watch out for who's around the corner, berating them for their bad relationship decisions, outright calling them names, disagreeing with their position, spewing racial slurs.

I can understand if you're discussing the TV show with someone who you are watching it with, but if you're not trying to unravel the plot or have a debate with the person sitting next to you, do you really think the television is going to give you better feedback?

And if you're not talking to the person sitting next to you, you have to realize that not only is it odd behavoir, but it's extremely annoying to those of us who are not having a conversation with an inanimate object.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Pool Shark

My cousin Roger, the pool shark. We all gathered for dinner the other night, had drinks, pored over pictures, had a fantastic dinner, played pool and then gathered around for dessert and coffee. It was so good to hear stories from the old days and laugh while embracing so many memories. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family. And I have to say - the Italians really know how to have a good time!

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

High School Hottie

Here is a picture of my Dad from high school. Whoa!! He's cute, huh?

Monday, February 06, 2006

The Many Faces Of Ed

Today is my Eddie's birthday. He is a spring chicken at 8 years younger than I am. Smart as a whip and solid as brick. He has, over this entire week and weekend, been both by my side and silently supporting me from afar when he wasn't.

I have not been able to give him the attention he deserves today since I've been busy dealing with all this paperwork and phonecalls. But I did want to acknowledge his importance in my life. He has so many qualities that I admire. Yes, he's still a pain in the ass, but the rest of what I love about him is why I don't tell him to go pound salt as much as I'd like.

So I took a little break from what I was doing today and took him to lunch. I then took him to President Clinton's house on Old House Lane in Chappaqua, New York. OK, not to his house, by his house. Then I swung into Starbuck's and got him a White Chocolate Mocha. I told him I will make the rest up to him later. He seems to be happy about that. (wink wink)

Although, I must say, he seemed to be quite enthralled with Bill and Hill's house and the fact that they live only 4 miles from my cousin. We thought of asking 'ol Bill to go for a birthday drink with us but I didn't want to have to buy drinks for all the Secret Service guys too, so we just scrapped that idea. I would much rather take my Eddie somewhere alone, since I don't really want to see Ed and I on the front of the NY Post!

We spent the rest of the day hanging out at my cousin Ro's house and then Ro's boyfriend made a delicious dinner for us; blackened Tilapia, Baby Red mashed potatoes and fresh spinach sauteed in garlic and butter. OMG. Yum!

So here are the many looks of Eddie. Which is your favorite??





Happy Birthday Baby!!!

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Built With The Organization Gene

I believe there is a reason women have typically always held the jobs of secretary, admin assistants, office clerks and the like; most of us have an organization gene.

In regards to paperwork, I don't think my father had that gene when it came to office maintenance. The picture above is representative of his filing system.

As I spent the better part of today going through his things, I realized that his system of filing consists of wrapping one to three rubberbands around the stack of statements, business cards or any other paper items that he needed to "keep for a later date." In the event he decided to label something, you could only see the label on the file if you move the rubberband out of the way.

And some people say I have no patience. Wait till they see the rubberband ball I construct.

Saturday, February 04, 2006

Classic Sal

This picture is legendary. Since it was taken back in the late seventies, it has resurfaced every few years. Someone will inevitably say, "Where is that picture of Sal checking out Joya's cleavage??"

My mother even tried to locate the picture to display in the collage at my father's wake but wasn't successful. She knew she had it somewhere, since almost everyone in the family has a copy, but she couldn't find it.

Lo and behold, my Aunt Joya came through. When she handed me her stack of pictures, this one was on top and the first one I saw. It was just what I needed to make me laugh.

This is SO my Dad. SO Classic. SO Sal.

Friday, February 03, 2006

Living On

"Our death is not an end if we can live on in our children and the younger generation. For they are us, our bodies are only wilted leaves on the tree of life." - Albert Einstein

This quote is so perfect. It really embodies how I feel about the passing of my father. I guess people say "passing" because they believe the person is just passing through life.

My father is going to live on. Forever. I embody so much of his personality and am often reminded of how much I am like him. I look like him, I act like him, I entertain and cook and make people feel comfortable like him.

My brother has his humor, his generosity and his work ethic. He has his gentle heart and his lessons in his head on how we were always taught to do the right thing.

My brother's sons will carry on the family name; and if we, along with the rest of the family do our job by keeping the memory alive, they won't soon forget their Grandpa Sal.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Thank You Is Not Enough

I just wanted to say Thank You to everyone who left comments regarding the death of my father. Those who know me, I am blessed to have you in my life. And those of you who don't know me, I am blessed that you took time out of your day to offer your words to me and my family.

I thank anyone who sent me a personal email also. I will be back sharing stories with you soon.

Once again, thank you. Sincerely. From the bottom of my heart.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

My Daddy Is Gone

Today my father died. He was 64 years old.

The person is this picture - the personality and warmth and happiness and fun loving man that shines through is how I will always remember him.

I love you Daddy. No matter what. Forever and Always.

Love,

Your Princess