Things I Love Thursday -- 4/28 Edition

This past week has been BRUTAL with a capital B. I got my blood test results back and some of it I understand, some of it I do not until I see my endocrinlogist on May 10th. All in all, I am mighty scared and also disappointed at myself. So I could do one of two things...I can dwell on the negative and be Ms. Mopeypants or deal with the cards I was dealt and spin it positively. Can you guess what road I took? This is what I am in love with this week:

~~My new Skechers Shape Ups Toners sneakers. Whoever said these do not work HAVE NO IDEA what they are talking about. They felt weird the first day I put them on but now I MUST put them on when I get home from work and take Hudson and Sweetums out for a long walk!

~~My new found love of pink grapefruit. I used to hate grapefruit as a kid/teenager...now I can not get enough!

~~Nice spring weather to take long walks in.

~~Finding almond butter in my local grocery store.

~~Counting down the days to the end of the school year.

~~Genuine Health Multi+ Vitamins....as long as I take one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

~~Ripe clementines.

~~Figuring out new outfits while on vacation.

~~The Savannah, Georgia coloring book my brother got for me.

~~Surviving on 5 hours of sleep a night.

~~Watching The Hardy Show to get out of my funk.

~~Not having to wear a blanket when I go to bed.

~~Wearing bunny ears even when it is not Easter.

~~Hugs and kisses from Hudson and Sweetums, the two best dogs EVER.

~~Celebrating my birthday a month later.

~~This bag...WANT WANT WANT Metallic Purple Leather Satchel

~~The dark gray clouds that rolled in during lunch...it was exciting and eerie all at the same time!

~~Not having Royal Wedding fever. Sorry. Since the tragedy of Princess Diana plus the way how Charles treated her when she was alive, that fairy tale is long gone.

~~Blowing bubbles with my students during lunch.

~~Trying Zumba for the first time tonight.

What are you in love with this week?

Thought Tuesday #13

Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible. -Francis of Assisi

What words or thoughts are fueling your inspiration this week?

Things I Love Thursday -- Spring Break Edition!

So this week I am on Spring Break from work. Spent a couple of days in Cincinnati and now I am back home, relaxing and sleeping in. Here is what I have been in love with this week:

~~Our cab drivers Mike and Rob in Cincinnati. So personable, warm, great conversations, and overall tremendously nice. Will definitely recommend them to my friends who might be visiting Cincinnati.

~~David's hustling ways to get me to meet Bronson Arroyo. Will write about that in my Day 2 of Cincinnati blog later today.

~~Having a salad taste so crisp.

~~New bedsheets when I got home from Cincy!

~~Fresh laundry smell.

~~NyQuil. I have had a brutal cough while I was away and no access to NyQuil. As soon as I got home, took some, and now I am better.

~~Having TNA Wrestlers promote the photos I took at TNA Lockdown.

~~Finally meeting Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan!

~~Always trying to think positive every day.

~~The book Strip City by Lily Burana. It is a memoir of a stripper who is leaving the industry to get married. It is interesting and definitely an eye opener.

~~The way my legs and butt look in my blue skinny jeans.

~~Dancing like a fool to Peanut Butter Jelly in the Great American Ball Park with David. Non stop laughter.

~~Watching Extreme Couponing with my mom and realizing that I am normal...

~~Honey Caramel Vanilla frozen yogurt. So nummy and light!

~~Hot steaming showers with Neutrogena products in a swanky hotel.

~~The wonderful sounds of thunderstorms. Also running through the rain to get to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Museum.

~~The furniture at the William Taft house. I mean...who can turn this down for a nice cozy nap:

~All of the puppy kisses I received when I got home.

~Having tea with my mom as I talked about my trip to Cincinnati.

What are you so much in love with this week?

Joisey Girl Travels: Cincinnati, Ohio (Day 1)

Today has been an interesting day...first we come into Cincinnati and it starts raining in which our shuttle driver to our hotel gets lost in the airport. Now we usually stay at the Best Western but this time we are staying at the Wingate by Wyndham. Oh my goodness..we have a large plasma television, a little reading nook, Neutrogena bath products, king size bed...the works. I can not believe it. After a nice hot shower we were on our way to Northern Kentucky Convention Center for TNA Wrestling Fan Interaction!

Our cab driver Mike, in which I affectionately dubbed him Heavy Metal Mike as his car always had heavy metal music blasting is a big time wrestling fan with lots of stories and he knew his wrestling history. We were dropped off around 1030am, got our tickets, and most of the day was known as the ride of lines. Lines everywhere! They were ridiculous. I was very glad I got the majority of TNA Wrestling talent down in Daytona Beach, Florida in October.

I had a great conversation with Kurt Angle about the retirement of Edge, how Edge should have had the same surgery Kurt did that involved no metal, finding his engraving of his gold medal win in Atlanta, his dietary supplement company, his Twitter drama, and overall writing of wrestling. We were spoken to by security for taking up most of his time but Kurt apologized for us because we got him so engaged in a conversation. So now that is twice that a wrestler has spoken up in my behalf!


At 4pm we were all ushered out so the main event session could be set up. This was the highlight of the day. Where else could you meet Hulk Hogan, Sting, Ric Flair, and Mick Foley all at the same time? Granted I have met Sting, Flair, and Foley before but never ever met Hogan. We were allowed back in and all of the sudden I spot Eric Bischoff. I knew he would be there due to his Facebook but had to get him somehow. I notice that a lot of the male fans were getting off the line to meet him so I figured why not do the same. Mind you, I was the ONLY FEMALE in attendance there who was a wrestling fan. Other females were there but were there with their husbands or families. Anyway, I step over the chain and immediately was met with a security guard who told me I could not do that. Yeah, like I am going to let that happen..I told him that others were doing it so I did it as well and how it was not fair that I was stopped but others were not. He apologized for that and then...Eric starts to walk toward me. He puts his hand on my shoulder, asked me politely to go back to the line, and will sign anything I want as well as take a photo with me. Of course I listened to Easy E, got his book Controversy Creates Cash signed, and took a photo with him. After that, he proceeded to move down the line to sign autographs and take pictures with people. Now imagine if I did not start some trouble...he probably would have stayed seated and twiddling his thumbs.


After waiting about 2 and 1/2 hours I finally meet Hulk Hogan. I thanked him for everything he has done for the business and that I hope to see him in a ring again soon. He said I was awesome, took the photo, signed my book and a 8x10 photo, and I was on my way. It was a quick meeting but a good one. Afterward, met Sting and Ric Flair and Mick Foley but it went by so fast that I do not remember what I said to them.


We had about an half hour to kill before we were off to the TNA Fan Interaction Dinner Cruise which was included with the VIP Package. Unfornuately due to the weather, the boat was docked for the night so it became a Cruise to Nowhere and dinner on a riverboat. Even though we did not sail, this cruise made up for the lame luau in Daytona Beach. Lots of laughter, Christopher Daniels and So Cal Val dancing, Captain Magnus, trying to get Karen and Jeff Jarrett to swing dance, great conversation and great food. The night ended at around 1030pm and we were back at our hotel by 1130pm. Stay tuned for Day 2! More picture from TNA Fan Interaction and Cruise can be found on my Facebook which the link is to the left on this page.

Thought Tuesday #12

"Kisses are like tears. The only ones that are real are the ones you can't hold back." -Shel Silverstein

Living Out Of My Suitcase

About two weeks ago, I packed my trusty red suitcase and off I went to Atlanta, Georgia for WWE Wrestlemania 27 weekend. Now I packed my trusty red suitcase and at 6am tomorrow morning I will be on a flight for TNA Lockdown weekend. What is it about wrestling that adds to my excitement for travel? Personally I hate flying. I decided on the flight coming back from Atlanta to sit in the window seat. Um NO. Never again. I had the worse pressure headache to the point that I could not even enjoy my heavy metal pumping into my ears. This time no I will sit in the aisle and hope that the middle seat is open so I can place my bright hot pink Roxy oversized tote (thank you Michael!) on the seat and listen to my heavy metal in peace. Maybe use my Delta coupon for a free cocktail...but then again flying at 6am...what cocktail goes best for a really early morning flight? I am thinking Bloody Mary....anyway....I wanted to leave a quick note that I will be away for the next four days so if you are on my Twitter I doubt I will be updating/tweeting as my phone does not have the greatest Twitter application in the world BUT Facebook works MARVELOUSLY on my phone. Then again, you could always just text me....thats if you have the number as well as email!

What I Plan on Visiting in Cincinnati:
--The Great American Ball Park to see the Cincinnati Reds play. Spring has not officially started for me yet until I see a baseball game.
--Skyline Chili
--Of course TNA Lockdown
--Carew Tower
--William Howard Taft National Historic Site
--Rookwood Pottery Bistro
--Terry's Turf Club
--Blue Ash Chili Restaurant

Talk to you all soon.

Thought Tuesday #11

"The only truly painful goodbyes are the ones that are never said and never explained." -Katerina Klemer

What thoughts or words are fueling your inspiration this week?

Pure Sheenius -- My Take on Charlie Sheens' Show at Radio City Music Hall

Something was going on tonight that I have waited six weeks for...no not the next coming of Sting...I am talking about...

CHARLIE SHEEN: VIOLENT TORPEDO OF TRUTH tour at Radio City Music Hall in NYC!

When he announced via his Twitter page that he was developing a stage show and then the first two shows were booked (Detroit and Chicago) I immediately posted on my Facebook advertising it and proclaiming the words "HE BETTER TAKE HIS SHOW TO NYC!"

Well I guess I was not the only one to proclaim those words because taking his show to NYC happened.



I arrived at Radio City about 630pm and was inside the building about 705pm. There was hardly anyone in the seats then all of the sudden BAM the building filled up. According to the ticket, he was supposed to hit the stage at 8pm...instead he hit the stage at 830pm. Okay 30 minutes late...but then again name a concert or event in NYC that starts on time.

He had this sidekick/interviewer with him and the stage show simply was an extended question and answer session. Charlie tried to tell stories about his various hotel escapades, Denise Richards, where the term Goddess came from, and so on. There was only one problem with this entire thing....THE AUDIENCE.

The audience would not shut up. Who was heckling...who was booing. Who was shouting WINNING or TOPLESS over and over. Who was constantly bitching and complaining next to me and no I am not talking about David.

Charlie stayed on the stage until 930pm. The house lights came up and that was that.



Now this is where my review comes in -- I am a Charlie Sheen fan. I have enjoyed all of his work from Ferris Buellers Day Off to Major League to Two and A Half Men. The man is a talented ACTOR. That is it. What are these audiences expecting? Do they expect Two and Half Men on stage? Do they expect the next coming of George Carlin (RIP)? I honestly have no idea. I think that if the audience would shut up and stop trying to get themselves over, then maybe they would enjoy the show. You spent the money to see CHARLIE SHEEN not CHARLIE HARPER or any of the other roles that he has portrayed. As Eric Bischoff has rightfully stated over and over CONTROVERSY CREATES CASH.Charlie has learned the fine art of social networking and marketing and because of the debacle that happened in Detroit, apparently it is the "cool" thing to bash Charlie Sheen and boo him out of the building. Well guess what folks? THAT DOES NOT WORK. Publicity is Publicity whether it is good or bad. Yes Charlie Sheen is an arrogant prick with a train wreck lifestyle but again what are you expecting? The man is a sheer genius. He marketed his show well. He advertised. He got social networking sites involved. Yes the ticket was pricey, do not get me wrong but guess what -- PEOPLE PAID. Then you have his merchandise at the show which people bought as well as on his website. If you want him to go away, DO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO HIM. Do not go outside of Radio City or any of the venues and try to get yourself over as a Charlie Sheen hater. Another line from a fellow wrestler April Hunter -- Don't Hate, Appreciate. You spent your hard earned money on him. If you truly do not like the show, there is the door. But again in this day and age you should have an open mind.



When I went to the show tonight I went to see Charlie Sheen. If I want to see any of his amazing work as an actor, I just have to turn on Channel 11 or FX or pop in a DVD. Was the stories he shared kind of dull? Not going to lie yes but he added some controversial quips here and there that did liven them up.

If you do decide to attend one of his shows, please remember this -- you are seeing CHARLIE SHEEN not one of his works on stage.

Things I Love Thursday -- Atlanta Edition!

Well hello my lovelies! As you can tell by my previous blog, I went to Atlanta from April 2nd to April 5th. It was a quick weekend trip that was well needed. So this week's TILT has a theme...Things I Love Thursday -- ATLANTA Edition. So without further ado..here is what I am in love with this week.

~~Fully embracing my love for Ring of Honor wrestling again.
~~Smelling fried chicken as soon as I got off the plane in the airport at 9am. Yes I am addicted to fried chicken.
~~Realizing that fried chicken will never be the same for me again in NYC.
~~Meeting one of my favorite wrestlers EVER who is William Regal and having him stand up to a security guard for me. It made me blush and love him even more!
~~Making new friends via Facebook simply because of the pictures I posted. I guess my photography skill is still there.
~~Being asked if I am from the 'hood of Atlanta!
~~Learning that if you are visiting the South and you say you are from NYC, you will get the utmost respect and the best Southern hospitality EVER.
~~The fact that I flashed a smile and was polite to a Delta airline agent got me a coupon for a beer, a cocktail, a headset, or a wine split. See...why always be negative...Give out positivity YOU GET IT BACK!
~~Conquering the Baker Street hill to Peachtree Street. Yes I had to stop a couple of times but it was worth it!
~~Gladys Knights Chicken and Waffles. Oh my goodness...the best fried chicken and peach cobbler EVER!
~~Flying Biscuit Cafe. Breakfast will never be the same for me AGAIN! I wish I could take those biscuits home with me!
~~Getting a window seat on the plane home only to realize that the pressure made me really sick. I will stick to the aisle seats thank you.
~~This picture:
~~The prettiness of Centennial National Park. It is Atlanta's version of Central Park. It is glorious and perfect for a picnic lunch.
~~Embracing my inner child and going onto a swing.
~~Being able to survive on 4 hours of sleep for my fandom.
~~The game Collapse! on my phone. Kept me occupied while waiting for things to happen.
~~The jacuzzi tub in my hotel room. Granted I only used it once but it was nice to have!
~~Being mentioned in a status update by the Original WWE Diva Tamara "Sunny" Sytch. Also to have an understanding of miscommunication with her is awesome!
~~The wicked thunderstorm that happened. Oh my goodness...the rain was coming down in sheets and I have never heard thunder so loud in my life!
~~The great conversation with David before and after Wrestlemania 27.
~~Not letting Mercury Retrograde affect me!

Well I guess I will go back to work now....What are you so in love with this week?

My Return to the ATL

First of all, let me apologize for not being around. On Saturday April 2nd, I boarded a plane at 520am to travel down to one of the greatest cities in the United States -- ATLANTA, GEORGIA! Why was I there? To be part of the grand daddy of them all events WWE WRESTLEMANIA 27! I missed it last year due to my broken foot so this trip was to make up for it. So here it goes...a travel blog!

Day 1 (Saturday 4/2/11): Ahh Atlanta...I do not know what is about this city but it always brings a smile to my face. The weather today is GORGEOUS! Beautiful blue sky, lots of sunshine, and 70 degrees. Definite change from NYC weather. This is what I call Spring! By the way, what is up with the fried chicken smell in the airport? Granted it was a delectable aroma but not at 9am trying to get to baggage claim. After checking into our hotel which had a kitchen as well as jacuzzi tub, we got ready and made our way to Ring of Honor wrestling. Unfornuately, due to their stupid no digital camera rule I have no pictures to show you BUT I urge you to get the DVD when it is released. Wrestling throughout the whole show; not an ounce of bullshit. Had a great time and am looking forward to the June 19th show in New York City! Afterward we were off to Abdullah the Butchers restaurant (pictured below). Now Abby was not there but we both got the rib tip dinner with macaroni and cheese and baked beans. OH MY GOODNESS. So good. The rib had a vinegar based barbeque sauce which is standard in the South. The funny thing was seeing Davey Richards there after the show! After we finished eating and relaxed, we were off to the WWE Hall of Fame! I was looking forward to the induction of the Road Warriors/Sunny and of course SHAWN MICHAELS. Getting into the place...well that was an adventure. The line wrapped all the way around the building! As soon as we got in, we both found out that our seats were in a club area. SCORE! Thats if I wanted to get an alcoholic drink but alas I did not as I am trying to stay to my straight edge ways. The Hall of Fame was well done as always. I took part in the booing of Drew Carey and cried during Sunny's and Shawn Michaels speeches. Triple H made it the Roast of Shawn Michaels. Afterward we headed to the hotel where the WWE wrestlers were staying. Now usually I am not the celeb stalking type but since the hotel was basically free reign, I tried it. I did meet some wrestlers but most of them who do not deserve to be were jerks to their fans, including children which I do not agree with. Since at this point I was pratically passing out, we made our way back to the hotel where I fell face first into the bed. Here are some pictures from both Abby's restaurant and Hall of Fame.



Day 2 (Sunday 4/3/11): WRESTLEMANIA 27 DAY! Well before we get to that...must talk about what happened before that. We were off to Wrestlemania Axxess on 4 hours of sleep. I must thank David's friend Mike for giving us a ride to ROH and Abby's and HOF and now Axxess. It was very nice of him. Anyway we were off to Axxess and the first person I see is WILLIAM REGAL! I get onto his line and waited for close to an hour to meet him. As soon as I get up to him we had a pretty decent conversation about wrestling until the stupid security card comes over to tell me to look behind me but this takes the cake...William steps in and says "Don't you see we are talking about wrestling?" That sent my heart a flutter. After saying my goodbyes, we walked down Axxess a little and got on line for Sin Cara...but then right as soon as we were in the front of the line there was a talent change and out comes...WADE BARRETT! We both screamed in excitement! That was a nice and welcome surprise. Wade even stood up in his picture with David which is not common. We walked around some more and found the line for Drew McIntyre. One of the nicest guys we have both met. Unfornuately I had to cause a scene as one of the managers mentioned that no more pictures with Drew would be happening. I said that was not fair and if that was the case they should have said that from the beginning. Because of my ruckus, that was changed back to the original way. That is what you get from messing with a girl from Jersey! Afterward we met Mae Young and Wendi Richter who both looked phenomenal. We bought tickets for the 12:30 session of Axxess as we did not get to see the different attractions due to waiting for wrestlers. We went through Undertakers Graveyard which hurt my eyes after a while due to the strobe lights and smoke and then the WWE memorabilia. We hung out in the convention center for a little while and then made our way to the Georgia Dome which was RIGHT NEXT DOOR! I could not believe it. Walked outside...BAMM! Right there. Also getting into the Georgia Dome was a breeze compared to the Philips Arena. Found our seats and got excited for Wrestlemania 27! Now I know a lot of reports are focusing on the negative but in all honesty I enjoyed show. Yes I was annoyed that Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus was moved to the pre-show and then changed into a battle royal for no reason but you know what? IT IS WHAT IT IS. Also, Edge's match being the curtain jerker made no sense but in the grand scheme of things with the timing it was perfect. I wanted Christian to turn on Edge but so did a lot of other people so that was not happening. The breakout star of the night -- CODY RHODES. I seriously hope he gets a push now. I also see shades of Mankind in his latest gimmick so that will be fun to see. Of course I wanted Triple H to win but we all know that Undertaker will retire with his streak in tact. All in all the show was well done so I honestly do not know what people are talking about. After Wrestlemania 27 we thought about going back to the WWE hotel but then we found out that the lobby was closed off due to a private party so we went back to our hotel after hanging with Rich and Michelle for a little bit and went to sleep so I would be refreshed for my flight home. Pictures from Wrestlemania 27 can be found here: WWE Wrestlemania 27 pictures and Pictures from WWE Wrestlemania Axxess & Hotel pictures can be found here: WWE Wrestlemania Axxess & Hotel pictures

Other Things That Happened on Trip: Apparently when you are down in the South, everyone is mystified with the fact that I was from New York/New Jersey. That got me great directions to places, advice on where to eat, to get further in a line, and overall treated with the utmost respect. Maybe us Northerners should take a clue. Also to get the entire crowd of people to shout "REALLY?" at some protesters outside the Phillips Arena made me smile. The protesters eventually shut up. The only bad thing that happened on this entire trip was a homeless woman hitting me in the arm and telling me to give her 50 cents. I said to her to not touch me and that I only have enough to get home. It freaked me out but I did not let it get me down. The food...oh my goodness the food. We ate at Gladys Knights Chicken and Waffles and it was the best fried chicken ever followed by the most yummy peach cobbler. It is out of this world. Also the best food ever found at the Flying Biscuit Cafe. If you ever visit Atlanta, you NEED to go to those two places. Overall the trip was PERFECT and definitely made up for missing out on last year's Wrestlemania. Now I need to make the decision of going to Miami or not...but first next week I will be in CINCINNATI, OHIO! This living out of a suitcase thing...kind of exciting. :)

Thought Tuesday #10

"Good morning. Go where you're adored not where you're ignored."--Rev Run

What words or thoughts are fueling your inspiration this week?