The Hotel Chronicles

Is it just me or does anyone else miss the Hotel Chronicles? *sigh* All of this flitting around from location to location makes me miss the day in craziness that we had on property.

Today, I decided to work at one of my hotels to get out and engage with folks. I toast up my multigrain bagel, grab my coffee and sit down to work. Not five minutes later, the GM comes over and asks me if I want a free chair.

What kind of chair you may ask? Well, he just got brand new super ergonomic chairs for all of the desks in the guest rooms so he now has to get rid of over 200 chairs. The office chairs are leather, they swivel and are in great condition. Uh yeah….I will take a free chair. I loaded it up in the car in about five minutes. Nice and cosy for the ride home.

Then I start thinking…..hmmm…..who else could use a chair? I call Mr. 1969. The Omegas have their own frat house and they have a nice conference table. Ten minutes later, the Ques have inherited 10 nice desk chairs and will be over to pick them up later today.

Then I start thinking about the nursing home where we did  our Bingo fundraiser. They had old chairs in their conference room. Another ten minutes and they were the proud recipients of another 20 chairs.

The GM is thrilled that he can get rid of them and give them to people that really need them. I am happy to be able to help folks I know.

It’s good to be in the right place at the right time. Today, that place was a hotel.

Tooth Fairy

It’s cold JACK! I just returned from dropping the kids off at school, hit the gym and am back in the house sipping some coffee and eating some breakfast. I am exausted after a very busy weekend. I was in Brooklyn on Saturday night to celebrate my line’s 20th anniversary. 20 years as an AKA. WOW. Six out of my twelve linesisters made it and we had a lovely dinner at Peaches restaurant on Lewis Avenue. (Delicious).

Mr. 1969 had to attend an alumni function for his alma mater in Harrisburg so he took the boys to hang out with their cousins. Imagine my shock when Tali 1 returned home yesterday with half of his PERMANENT front tooth missing. It seems he was with Mr. 1969′s cousin and his boys at Lowes doing some home improvement shopping and he was racing down the aisle with a shopping cart, which he crashed into the wall and hit his tooth on the handlebars. *insert blank stare*

I didn’t beat Tali’s behind but it took everything I had not to. Why would I beat him you may ask?

After I sent him to his room for 30 minutes so I could calm down, he came downstairs and I had a firm chat with him. Whenever the Tali’s and I go to the store, the first words out of my mouth are “Remember, it’s a store NOT a playground.”

I asked him what would have happened if he crashed the cart into a pregnant woman, an elderly person, a baby in a carriage or stroller, a little kid? I also discussed that when you have rules from mommy and daddy, THE RULES DO NOT GO AWAY when your parents aren’t around. Since, you went out with your cousins and failed to follow OUR RULES guess what? You will not be going over to friends houses for a LOOOOOONNNNGGG time.

I am still mad and now I am off to call the dentist to talk about tooth bonding. Somebody pray for your boy Tali 1 whose teeth currently look like a jigsaw puzzle piece and pray for me that I don’t go to jail today.

The Randomness

I ran out at lunchtime to do a little shopping. My trip is coming up and I had to find a few dresses to wear.  I found two dresses but what I am totally excited about is that I picked up this pair of shoes and they are indeed the HOTNESS. Did I mention I picked them up on sale for $25 bucks???

Ben Rothlisberger better get suspended. If Plaxico Burress got jail time for carrying a loaded weapon and then shooting himself in the leg. I’m gonna need Big Ben to at least ride the bench for his 2nd complaint regarding being drunk and allegedly assaulting a young woman. Let’s see what the NFL commissioner decides.

I love Michelle Obama. I really do. Her outfits this week in Mexico City have been fabulous.

My Grandmother fell coming out of the shower and had to get 9 stitches in her head. *sigh*

I watched the first episode of Basketball Wives. I need that 30 minutes of my life back. Not one of those chicks is an actual wife. We have ex-wives, ex-fiancees, ex-baby mamas and one currently engaged chick. All these women did was sit around and talk about how hard their lives are and how they can’t associate with one of them because she is too hoochie-ish. *smh* Uh hello, you are all young ladies plucked out of obscurity from the hood…now driving Range Rovers, buying $3,000 outfits and crying on tv about how much you have to put up with being in the limelight. GET REAL….Hell, GET A JOB!

“I’m on a boat!”

You want workout motivation? Go Bathing suit shopping days before a trip where you will be seen by co-workers.

Pollen sucks.

Fresh, whatever happened to OSAG? *cough*

You ever have to work on a committee with someone who is “EXTRA”? Praying for the event to be over.

Why is this lady on Martha Stewart trying to explain what a Jolly Rancher is to Martha? Who doesn’t know what a Jolly Rancher is? Martha knows all 187 varieties of tomatoes but never had a green apple? C’mon son.

Where is Amadeo? *crickets*

Did I mention that my newly turned 8 year old son has three hairs under his armpit. I AM NOT READY FOR THIS.

Birth Control

On Tali 1′s birthday last week, Mr. 1969 decided to take him to the Sixers game. While at the game, I kept getting texts saying that Tali 1 was super hyped, excited and basically off the chain. I ignored Mr. 1969 cause I figured Tali 1 was just being your typical 8 year old boy getting to stay out late at a basketball game with his Daddy. Hell, you’d be hyped too. Until I saw the evidence.

I will preface this post by letting you know that Tali 1 was begging his Daddy for a Water Ice at the game. Mr. 1969 looked at the small cup and the $5 price tag and said “Hell No”. Tali 1 then asked for those clappy things you get at the game. The rest is Tali history.

Things I love right now

1. On days when I can’t make it to the gym, I workout at home with exercise tv/on demand. If you have cable, check it out. Great workouts! Typically I will choose to get abused by Jillian Michaels and do the 30 day shred video. The other day I decided to try a workout by a nice innocent looking woman named Chris Freytag. Uh…yeah….she may have Jillian beat. She wore me out and the next day? My legs were on FIYAH! And damn it, I run. Nothing should be on fire. Hmpmh. If you are looking for a workout at home….give her a try by clicking on that link above. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

2. If you are like me, you cruise the aisles of TJ Maxx frequently. (Shout out to all of my Maxxinistas!) Well, during one of my excursions, I found this product in the shampoo aisle:

First off, the bottle of shampoo (and the conditioner) is HUGE. The name? Almond Latte Shampoo and Conditioner…they had me at latte. And the price at TJ Maxx was $7 for each when they retail for almost $30 a bottle online. Uh yeah….score! I snatched it up and have been smelling like creamy almond heaven ever since.

3. Speaking of places where I cruise the aisles…I was in Target the other day and noticed that they now sell Miss Jessie’s hair products. While I am sure her stuff is great, I can’t get down with any hair creme that costs $50. Sorry. However, I also noticed that Target is selling the Curlz line too. I purchased their Creme Brule leave in conditioner for the Tali boys and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!

The Tali curls have been moist, soft and shiny for the last week. Not to mention the fantastic smell. The biggest test with them is how they look when they stroll back into the house at the end of a school day and so far, they have returned looking just as good as when I kicked them out dropped them off in the morning. If you are looking for a great leave in conditioner for the summer (and have a similar hair texture to the Tali boys), I recommend this one.

4. How can I even explain the joy I derive from a cup of Greek Yogurt? If you’ve never had it, Greek yogurt is thicker and has a smooth consistency. There are lots of brands and they are all good. I love Fage Honey. I love Oikos. However, the other day I noticed a brand that was a full dollar cheaper at my store. I picked it up and noticed that it had twice the protein as the other brands. Hmmm….I brought it home and I will not be going back. Chobani yogurt…..Vanilla…..I love you!

5.  So I told you guys about my upcoming trip right? So I have won a ton of other prizes that keep popping up at my door. I won a set of cookware. You already know I was in heaven at the thought of stainless steel pots right? Isn’t everyone? LOL

So when these arrived, I was thrilled. Now you know that All-Clad cookware is hands down the best. Calphalon is also highly rated and great. Let me also (now that I have been using it for two weeks) give a shout out to my new pots.

My 10 piece set of stainless steel cookware from of all people, Rachael Ray. Her cookware is phenomenal. The handles are silicone so they never heat up. The lids are clear and super tight. The pots are shaped like bells (chubby on the bottom) and they go from stovetop to oven. Clean up is a snap. Who knew? I am so glad I received these and can highly recommend them as a lower cost alternative to the pricier brands of cookware. Making shrimp scampi in my pots today and I will definitely take some pictures.

Walking in the Sunshine

I woke up around 7am and got dressed to go to the gym. Remember I told you guys that I had slacked off and that I was jumping back into my routine? Well, I have been going hard for the last few months. I love this weather and it truly inspires me to get up, get out and do something (remember that song?).

I have been hitting the gym about four times a week. On my off days, I have been running outdoors. I am doing my best to switch things up. I keep reading about muscle confusion and varying up your routine so I have been doing everything from lifting weights, to running, to swimming. I love the Spring and it truly motivates me. Well, that and the fact that I bought a bikini and I am headed to the beach in about 14 days. *sigh* I am determined to be a 40 year old mother of two wearing my bikini on the beach with full confidence.

This morning, I left the gym and was sitting in my car checking emails before I drove off. I watched a woman leave the gym, get in her car (which was next to mine), open a 2 liter bottle of Pepsi and start guzzling. Uh yeah….it was about 9am. Could it at least have been diet soda? *sigh* And she was drinking it like someone  would drink water after a 10K race on an 80 Degree day. Why do we sabotage ourselves? I mean she clearly got up early and worked out. It could have been a great start to a great day. Whatever calories she just burned off? Total waste.

For me, I like working out and when I get serious about it…I go hard. Just like everyone else, I have my moments when I totally slack off and embrace my donut loving side (mmmmm……donuts) but eventually, I get disgusted with myself, start to feel sluggish, notice my jeans getting tighter and I kick it back into gear.

I truly do it, not to DIET….I look at it as being healthy. I like feeling healthy. I like how I feel when I work out. I enjoy knowing I am taking care of myself. If all you do is sit on the couch, your heart doesn’t challenge itself. That’s what I think about when I start feeling lazy and it’s enough to get me off the couch and at the very least, go for a walk or play outside with my kids.

The sun is shining today and I am so glad I got up and got my gym time in. Now for the rest of my Saturday………

Dumbazz of the day

This video right here? The lyrics?  Go on….take a moment to familiarize yourself before we discuss.

*Taps foot, whistles*

Okay? Good…everybody caught up?

This young woman, Kiely Williams was a Cheetah Girl. You know….with Raven Symone? Young girls everywhere watching and idolizing them. Now I get that you are trying to launch your career and you no longer wish to have that girl next door, Disney image but DAMN.

From Disney to getting roofied, drunk and done sans condom is indeed quite a turnaround. As a mother, the entire tone of this song from the lyrics to the low-budget video is offensive beyond belief. As a woman, I want to shake the shyt out of this girl, her mother and all of her “people”.

Singing about being sexy vs. singing about being an unconscious one-night stand is another thing. Where do we draw the line?

What is happening with our young people and our society when this shyt gets a record deal and makes it to radio? I’m far from being a prude and will drop it like it’s hot to a Luke song in a minute but I do believe this one has gone too far.

Please weigh in on this one….cause as my Tali 2 says….”I need a DWINK!”

Happy Birthday Tali 1

Eight years ago today, on April 6th, God blessed me with my first son. It’s hard not to reflect on your child’s birthday. Especially when in the process of raising them, they have helped you to grow up as well.

We had been married for a year and a half when I found out I was expecting. We were so excited and yet, I had no clue what being a mother was truly about. When Tali 1 was born, he was the cutest baby ever. He had a head full of hair and big eyes. As soon as they handed him to me, I was in love. I just knew I was going to be the best mom ever.

Two nights later, around 2am I had my first epiphany and realized that being a mother was not going to be as easy as I thought it would be. Tali 1 was one of those babies that stayed up all night and slept during the day. I remember the exact schedule, we would put him down to sleep at 8pm and he would be back up at 11pm and 3am. No matter what we did, he stayed on this schedule for two years. Two years of no sleep! One day shortly after he turned two, he went to bed and slept till the morning. Just like that.

I remember those early mornings when he and I were awake. He was always happy and smiling and goo-gooing to himself while I was in a sleep deprived, zombie like state, rocking in my chair with him praying to God that if he would just make this baby sleep, I would do whatever He asked me to do. I remember walking with him, watching late night infomercials, singing….anything I could do to get him to sleep. Nothing worked.

In those two years, I learned more about motherhood than any book or advice could have taught me. The main lesson was that you cannot force your will on your child. You can love them, raise them and teach them but ultimately, they are their own person and they are going to do what they do and it’s NOT your fault. I learned that some kids need more attention than others just like grownups. I learned that marrying a good man who will take half of your late night shifts and be an active parent is key to a good marriage. I learned that all of those child raising books are someone else’s theory on how to raise THEIR kids and what worked for THEM. I learned that no matter how much I had on my plate, I needed to slow down when it came to my family and make them a priority. I learned that it was okay to make mistakes, my son never knew the difference and he still loved me.

I am still learning from my son. He teaches me patience and kindness everyday. He has the biggest heart of anyone I know. He truly cares about people. He has a passion for helping others. He loves to play. Loves to laugh and you already know, he does this while excelling in school and playing multiple sports.

In short, I am blessed to have this child and to be his mom. These last eight years I have watched him grow into a great kid and I hope he has watched me grow into being a better mom.

Happy birthday to my oldest Tali. I love you son and thank you for making me who I am.

The Return of the Wu

It’s Easter Sunday. The celebration of the Resurrection of the Savior. We wake up. Eat a special breakfast and head off to service. We come home, pack a lite snack and take the kids to the playground.

We come home, fire up the grill and start cooking. After a lovely, incident free Sunday…we see the cars pulling up to the Wu Mansion around 6pm. *sigh*

It’s 6:41pm. When everyone else’s Sunday evening is winding down, the Wu celebration is just getting crunk started. There are about ten cars out front. They have folding chairs, one dining room chair, etc…out on the front steps. Not in the back in their yard. Not on their deck. Not in their house. Nope, out front. So at this very moment, there are about 25 adults and kids outside looking like the after-party let out in front of their house.

Mr. 1969 and I are staring out our window like two old, angry neighbors. We felt bad until our other neighbor came out of his house a few minutes ago and told them to keep all of their kids off his lawn. Hooray, we are not the only ones that have to deal with the craziness.

**UPDATE**

Mr. 1969 went outside a few minutes ago to tell two adults that they can’t sit on our steps and eat their plate of food. *sigh*

“Oh, we’ll move right now sorry!”

Common sense didn’t tell you that you are sitting on someone else’s steps? iCan’t

**2nd UPDATE**

Mr. 1969 says they have until 8pm and then he is going out there and hose people down. LMAO! He’s waiting until 8pm because it’s Easter and he’s a good christian. LMAO!!! 

**3rd UPDATE**

Wait….Mr. 1969 just said that one lady is wearing a belt that looks like a damn “restraining device”. Let me go get my husband out of the window before his pressure goes through the roof. Like John Witherspoon in house party. LMAO!!!

Happy Ressurection Sunday!

Reason #357 why you should never let a four year old dress himself