Hershey, PA: October 26, 2008

The family came in from Florida on Saturday morning and my "aunt" has been waiting 10 years to go to Hershey, being the chocoholic that she is. We got up and left around 10:30:

• Arrived in Hershey and waited for an hour for the rest of the fam.
• Went through the chocolate factory to see how the candy is made - they've done a lot with the area and its really cute.
• Left there and went into the park. Lots of cute rides, lots of walking, rollercoasters, and QT with the family.
• Nicholas is so adorable because he is starting to talk and wants to get into everything. He's such a doll and so much fun to be around!
• We left the park after riding on the Kissing Tower around 7ish.
• Stopped at Houlihans for dinner. Dinner was very tasty (Grilled Shrimp with greens, tomatos and beans), however the service sucked.
• Left there and listened to the Phillies on the ride home. Soooo freakin awesome that they won!

Berlin, Germany: September 18-21st

Wednesday, September 17:

• Flight to Frankfurt on the red-eye. Next morning we had a flight into Berlin.

Thursday, September 18:

• Arrived in Berlin around 1:00 PM.
• Checked into the hotel - http://www.berlin.radissonsas.com/, went to the room and took a nap for about an hour.
• Met up with the team at 3:30 to review our slides. Worked on that until 7 when we got changed and went to dinner.
• Dinner with our internal team and one of our vendors. It was a really nice time.
• After dinner, another meeting to review slides.
• Didn't get to bed until 12 and was exhausted.

Friday, September 19

• Wakeup call at 6:15 AM. Very very tough to get out of bed.
• Breakfast at 7:30 AM in the hotel.
• Meeting all day. It was very tense and very very difficult to communicate. This was also the first time my CEO was at one of these meetings and saw how things went down.
• At the end of the meeting, we had the whole team from our client and our team meet to try to establish the best way to handle getting things accomplished. This lasted until 6:45 when we needed to stop so we could go to dinner with the other team.
• Got ready and went to dinner. I was so exhausted at this point, both mentally and physically. Dinner was ok, didn't really eat much because I wasn't in the mood.
• Finished up dinner and my CEO wanted to call my boss. Bossman, CEO and I talked for about an hour (got lots of good compliments) and

Saturday, September 20

• Another early morning. 7AM meeting meant me getting up at 5:45 with lack of sleep.
• Meeting was tense again, until time for my presentation. It went well and my CEO helped with presenting. Meeting took a change for better at that point.
• We met with the upper mgmt at the client, with our upper management and we made a plan that we need to deliver on. Means I'll be working straight through until October 1st. I think there will be a reward at the end of this...at least I hope there is.

Sunday, September 21

• Flight home. Long and I didn't sleep. And now I'm exhausted and time for bed...have an early morning meeting to attend.

Cheers!

Bronx, NY: Sept 6-7th

Saturday, September 7th:

• Got up early and drove to NY. Best part about the drive was the gas for $3.22
• Arrived around 11:30, picked up Silka.
• Went to her mom's and read/watched TV for a while. Oh yea and played the pass out game :)
• Got up and picked up Isis and Danielle. Headed to Riverdale Diner for lunch. Lots of girl talk.
• Went to the Galleria in White Plains to shop. I think the only thing we bought was Dani got Cinnabon.
• Oh Hanna. Headed back to Dani's and watched the Family Stone - such a cute movie!

Sunday, September 8th

• Woke up and went for a 3 mile walk.
• Came home, showered and got pretty!
• Went to brunch at this awesome place! All you can drink Mimosa's, lots of delicious food! Soooooooo much fun. And of course we looked cute so its even better! Pictures to follow.
• Came back to Momma Ruthie's, laid down for 20 minutes, then headed home.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: July 11-19th

Well ladies (and gents?), this was my first true vacation in 3 years. Yes you've read that right. I won't bore you with the daily details, but it was by far one of the best vacations I've ever had and we're making it a yearly tradition.

Background: My mom's familia rented a HUGE house on the beach. We all drove down on Friday/Saturday and had a wonderful time.

Highlights:

• Family
• Central Air
• 7 bathrooms
• Waking up at 10 AM, putting on my bathing suit and planting my ass on the beach all day
• Staying up til 3, playing games and drinking with my family
• Home cooked meals. Each night a different "team" cooked dinner. We ate like kings and enjoyed it every night
• Girls only happy hour. Walking to the beach bar, coming back a little tipsy and entertaining the men folk
• Having the cops called on us for playing beer pong too loud
• Left Right Center - Best game ever.
• Lots of pictures - photo session on the beach
• Getting a tan
• Going to WW while I was still on vacation
• Turning off my work email on my phone the whole time I was away. Only checking said email twice a day, but only to read, not to respond.
• Seeing the whole family sitting around and just observing everyone. It was truly awesome to sit and catch up and chat and rock on the deck. Just an amazing time all around.

It was by far one of the best weeks of my life and I can't wait til next year!!!! Pictures are on myspace.

Bronx, NY: June 11-15th

Friday June 13th:

• Steph and I left work early and headed to pick up my cousin Katie. We got on the road and got into NY around 6:45.
• We picked up Silka and headed to her mom's house, but no one was home, so it was off to Isis's to get ready. We decided that we were just going to stay there that night because it would have been easier, especially with us drinking.
• We headed to the train and were on our way to Moe's Cantina. Get there and find out the name changed. Met up with the girls (Isis's friends) and hung out for a while, ate, drank and played beer pong. Sucky music so we headed to another place.
• A fun cab ride, passing through the gayborhood, we wound up at a place that wouldn't let us in, so we split up and left.
• We tried to go to Splash (the gay club) for my sister, but it was a sausagefest so we wandered arond Manhattan and got on the train.
• We got home around 3 and chatted until 4.

Saturday, June 14th:

• We got up at 7:30 because we needed to hit up Leo's for haircuts.
• Steph, Silka and I headed out and got there before anyone else. Leo is amazing. I mean amazing. She's got Jedi mind tricks...she convinced me to chop my hair off again and I did and I love it! She did a great cut on Steph too - left her length but put more body and layers into it.
• After Leo's we headed back and had Perista's for breakfast...we all took naps after that and woke up and watched dirty dancing. Great movie!
• Then we ordered pizza from Emilios..mmmmmmm.
• From there we kinda hung around and then went to get ready to go out. We kept it casual and went to the Thirsty Turtle in White Plains.
• OMG .50 you call its and a DJ! We had suchhhhhh a great time and danced a lot!
• We left early because Steph wanted chicken (random) so we headed back to Isis's. Got in and hung out and talked for a while, then we went to bed.

Sunday, June 16th:

• We had to get up early because we were going to a Christening that day...it was tough getting up.
• Drove back to Philly and talked about how much fun we had that weekend and how we can't wait to do it again!

Ocean City, NJ: June 6-8th

Friday June 6th:

• We left work around 5:30 and headed down the shore to OC, NJ. This is a weekend that Steph and I do with Megan and her family and friends for the last 3 years.
• We get to the hotel and check in and then headed over to the little reception thing with Arthur's parents.
• While sitting there Jim called us to see where we were because he was on his way down. We told him we were heading to Atlantic City with Arthur's parents to pick him up and we'd be back in a half hour.
• On the ride back, Jim calls us about 2938 times to see what he should do about the extra parking pass. It was $20 for the whole weekend or scramble around and find parking for free. He was being a twat because Megan spoke with Steph earlier in the day and it was supposed to be like $3 for the pass or $10 and we should split it.
• So we got to the hotel and I paid the parking and we got the pass, parked and what not.
• The stellar parents that they are never packed JJ a diaper bag. This poor kid just sat in a car ride and what not without having his diaper changed. Greeeeeeeeeeat. So Jim being the P.O.S. that he is doesn't make a move to run to the store, so Steph, Joann(Arthurs mom), Arthur and I all pile into the van and go get diapers.
• Come back and Steph gave JJ a bath and put him to bed.
• I cracked open my bottle and started enjoying my night. I need to keep reminding myself that I have no tolerance any more. I feel one drink - it goes right to my head. So we were all sitting around drinking and talking. Fun times.
• After that Megan arrives and she's pissed. She's pissed because people are drinking and she's not a big drinker. Last time I checked my ID told me I was of legal age, and her name wasn't on my birth certificate.
• Sooooooo she gets pissy and Steph, Jim, Arthur and I leave to head for our hotel room. I was so bombed at this point that we were all laughing. Before we get into the room, Arthur grabs me and kisses me. I was so shocked I pulled away and started laughing
• We get back to the room and Steph is already in bed. Jim lays on the other bed then gets up and hops into bed with Steph. I wasn't tired (thank you alcohol sugar bugs) so Arthur and I were gonna go for a walk. I told Jim he better be back in his own bed by the time I got back. Oh yeah, and this is because Megan was so pissed she stayed in her mom's hotel room.
• Soooooo Arthur and I go for a walk where he's holding my hand the whole time. We were talking a lot. He's made it very clear that he wants a shot to date me and how he thinks that I am everything he's ever looked for in a girl and that he thinks us together would be perfect. I am very hesitant to get involved for a whole bunch of reasons, and I've explained this to him numerous times. I told him that I didn't want to kiss him because I didn't want to lead him on in thinking that I was kissing him because I wanted to, but because the alcohol took the best of my horomones and he was there. He said it didn't matter and kissed me. My mind was telling me to stop, but my lips wouldn't listen. I told him he should have been a bad kisser and it would have been easier. So we sat outside by the beach, making out like teenagers, talking about all kinds of stuff.
• We get back to the room and Jim is passed out. Dead weight won't move, which forces Arthur and us to have to share a bed. I was so tired that I didn't care, but before I fell asleep, my mind told me "He's gonna think more of this and in the morning it won't be a good thing".

Saturday, June 7th:

• We wake up and I feel arms wrapped around me. Immediately my defenses go up. I rolled over and Arthur was staring at me.
• We all get outta bed and I had a little chat with Arthur that I know that he thinks last night was great, but it was drunken and I don't see it happening again. He looked like someone let the air out of his balloon, but I told him that why yes he was a great kisser, it was a drunken mistake and I let my guard down and I don't want him to think of it as an advance or me agreeing to date him.
• At this time everyone was starting to get up back at his hotel, so he left. Steph and I went for a run, and Jim and Megan proceeded to start their battle.
• We got back from our run and got showered and went up to the rides. While there, Megan was a complete asshole and told us to leave her alone so we did and hung out with Arthur and his friends and family.
• We left the rides, grabbed a slice of pizza and headed back to the pool for some sun. It was nice. Arthur and I had another conversation about how he thinks it would be great being together, and how I don't agree. Another 1.5 hours later and we were still hanging out getting a tan and still talking.
• We had my aunt Weez's 50th suprise party that night, so Steph and I got ready and headed to her party. We were there until 10:30 and Arthur texted me that Megan and Jim were making rude comments about me being his "girlfriend" and kept asking what was going on between me and him, even though we've all told them that we are just friends.
• We get back to the hotel and go over to their rooms. There was a lot of tension and whatnot. I decided not to drink - mainly because I was so stuffed from dinner I don't think I could have fit another thing in my mouth, so we hung out for a while and headed back to our hotel. Arthur walked us and kept telling us how pissed he was at Megan and Jim which got me really fired up and pissed off too. Ugh I really wanted to explode on her.

Sunday, June 8th:

• We got up early, showered and packed up.
• We decided to follow Arthur and his parents back to AC to drop him off to take the bus back to DC and hit the outlets down there.
• It was a good time, until we ran into Megan and Jim. Jim and Steph had words that morning because Jim and Megan are getting along everyone should be happy.
• We got some cool stuff at the outlets and had a great day. Went to my aunts for dinner and relaxing by her pool. Cooked a ton of great food and had a great time just relaxing.

After that trip Arthur and I decided to keep it cool and keep talking/hanging out when we can, and if I ever decided I wanted to date or date him I'd let him know. Steph and I also decided to take a few steps back from being with Megan and Jim. Our lives are wayyyyyy to intertwined and while that is sometimes a great thing, it seems to hurt us because we're too much involved.

Bronx, NY: May 24th-25th

Saturday, May 24th:

• Got up at 7 (not enough sleep!) and hit the road by 8 to get to Silka's.
• Got to Silka's and we headed to her mom's house. Hung out there for all of 30 minutes then left to head to the game.
• Took the train to the game and got to our seats :) I really truly love being a Yankee fan. Walking into the stadium feels like you're coming home, minus the feel up you get at the door ;)
• Game was good - they won!!! Yeahhhhhh kiiiddddddddddddd. We stayed for the whole game to hear Frank Sinatra sing "New York, New York". I love it!
• Took the train home then went to Kohl's. Disappointing. Silka and I tried on a whole bunch of stuff and i didn't like any of it...in between sizing suckssssssssssssss.
• So we left there and went to Burlington Coat Factory - tried on a whole bunch of other dresses and Silka found me the perfect one! OMG I love it and can't wait to wear it. Seriously its so cute (I'll post a pic once I find my camera....).
• But getting it wasn't that easy. There was no price tag on it, so we had to get someone to do a price check. For 30 minutes. Ridiculous. Oh and they tried to put back my jewlery 6 times. Assholes. But I got the dress finally and I'm a happy girl.
• Oh and we also got cute shoes from payless and flip flops. I heart BOGO.
• We left there and went to pick Isis up and then headed back to her house. We ordered in Caridad and watched movies then passed out :)

Sunday, May 25th:

• Got up and got moving. Her couch is so comfy but I miss my bed!
• Jacob came home and we were talking with him and hanging out.
• Ate leftovers (mmm rice and beans at 10:30 AM :) and then headed to Silka's to drop her off and I was on the road again.
• Got home, napped and got up and got my ass moving :)

That's all for now :)