Trip to and from Jacksonville

I know its a long post but trust me only crap like this happens to me, and most of you will agree!


Thursday if you read I headed to Jax to see Erika and Addison and have a baby shower to welcome my next niece. I tell you the rate ya'll are popping them out I'll never need to have kids of my own, but I must admit my frequent flyer miles are really adding up.

Friday we spent the day shopping and getting ready for the shower. Addison was so good despite her not feeling 100%.
While making pasta salad I had what must of been the most disgusting beers I've ever had. Michael (Erika's husband) bought blueberry beer. Don't ask it was just 8% alcohol so he used his male judgement. Who the hell mixes berry with beer I don't know but needless to say the Icehouse I chased it down with tasted like the best beer ever. Especially considering its been a while since I partook in an alcoholic beverage.

Saturday was the shower. Lots of cleaning and preparation. It turned out nice and everyone says they had a really good time. You know me the hostess with the mostest. Erika got lots of diapers and wipes like she needed and I got to see my mom who drove up for the party. After a long day we went and got mani's and pedi's like all women do and just relaxed. I swear there were at least 6 men in there getting pedicures with us. Only at the beach! I'm not thinking I'll see too much of that in NYC but I wish more men followed in their footsteps.

Sunday we hit up Olive Garden for lunch and just relaxed before I had to leave. Thank goodness I relaxed because boy I would of never guessed what would happen next.

Erika dropped me off at the airport and I got to the gate in record time. My flight out of Jax connected in Atlanta and I was suppose to land in NYC at 9:00. Here is the break down of my night after I landed in Atlanta.

As I got off the flight I was told my connection was delayed until 10:00. So I'm pissed of coarse. I take my time getting to the gate and am told that the flight is now delayed until 10:59. WTF they should of just rounded that bad boy to 11:00 that minute ain't foolin nobody. Anyway they were offering 2 round trips to give up your seat but you had to stay until 11:00 to see if they needed it. After numerous phone calls to my Atlanta people I decided to give up my seat and take the round trip tickets. About 30 min later they told me they didn't need the ticket. So now it is about 9:00 I'm stuck here til 11:00 and don't get shit out of the deal so I went and had a burger and beer at the bar! After the nastiest burger I've had in while and 2 blue moon's I went back to the gate.
We finally loaded on the plane at 11:00. I had already accepted the fact I wasn't getting to my bed until at least 2am so I sucked it up and just made the best of it. Then confusion came about. Evidently they had booked 5 people in the same seats. Luckily the flight wasn't full so after 15 minutes they finally got all that situated. Then came the Indian BITCHS! Yeah I said it, and all my Indian friends would say the same damn thing about these chics! Two wives and their husbands evedentally didn't hear last call for the flight. As a courtesy and because we still had 4 empty seats they let them on the plane. These chics start complaining because the seats aren't together and someone told them they would be able to sit with their husbands. The Airtran people tried to explain to them that they needed to take any seat available. They weren't trying to hear that. After 45 min they were told if they didn't sit down they would be escorted off the plain. Well that was BS because no one was coming to get their curry smellin asses! Once again my Indian friends would allow me to say that. So two other people volunteered their seats so we could get the hell out of town. You would of thought that would of satisfied them but no as we are taxiing to the runway one of the husbands is walking up to complain. They finally got him to sit down and we took off. Don't you know both those damn husbands slept the entire time and didn't even talk to their wives. You know I was looking! Glad to know they had to sit together so bad so their husbands could fall asleep and not even talk to them.
So finally after leaving at midnight we landed in NYC around 2am. What I had hoped to be my bed time. I got off the plane and called my shuttle to pic me up. They said 30 min. So I'm waiting and 30 min goes by so I call again. "Oh sorry ma'am it will be 90 min." Oh hell no you know I was pissed. I could of caught a cab and been half way home. Just then I see a shuttle guy walking around. He was there picking up a private party that reserved a private van. He asked the family if I could ride in the van and they said yes. So 2:45 I get in the van with a family from the upper east side (that means they are loaded$$$) and head to Manhattan.

I finally get dropped off in Midtown a little after 3am after listening to the Doctors family plan their entire day including Hebrew school. I walk down to catch the train and the entrance is blocked. No prob I know another 3 entrances to get to the train I'll try one of them. They are ALL blocked off. WTF how in the hell am I suppose to get home. I ask 3 yes 3 different policemen and none of them can tell me how to catch the PATH train to NJ. None of them usually work that area of town. Well, call me crazy but shouldn't all cops need to know the major transit systems in and out of NYC. So here I am at 3 in the morning walking around with my suitcase trying to find and entrance to the train. So beyond my better judgement I ask this lady on the street. I should of known no one out at that time was the best resource. So Tammy, the lady I asked, said follow me you need to go to Penn Station. She seemed nice until the wind blew and Tammy smelled like a liquor cabinet. I didn't care ,if she could get me to the train she smelled like roses to me. I told her that I didn't think the PATH train left from Penn Station but she insisted. So we walked a few blocks to Penn Station and I found out Tammy moved here a couple years ago from Boca. Only me would find out the life story of a drunk at 3 in the morning while trying to get directions. She also informed me I could live in the city for $1000, I knew she was wasted once she said that. So we get to Penn Station and it is full of crazy homeless people and folks I wouldn't feel safe with during the day let alone at 3 in the morning. Needless to say the PATH train does NOT go into Penn Station. So another 15 min wasted. A sketchy Israeli man wanting to drive me home did tell me the entrance I needed was on 32nd and 6th so I guess the trip wasn't a total loss. So after walking a few more blocks I finally found the only entrance I had never seen and the only entrance that was not blocked off.

3:35 I am sitting waiting on the train. Finally it comes and I am off to home sweet home. I hit the sheets at 4:20 only to wake up at 7:00 for work. I was in rare form that day and spent $13.42 through out the day at Starbucks to keep me going.

My flight home was definitely not the best but I had a great time in Jax and miss Erika and Addison already.

Sunshine here I come

I am all packed and ready to head to FL this weekend. I am going to see Erika and throw the best baby shower ever. I need a vacation. Work has been insanely busy but I am happy to be able to say that. Of coarse it is suppose to rain this weekend but I am hoping for the best. Even if the weather isn't great I am sure Addison will brighten my day. I never thought I would be longing for the FL heat and humidity as much as I am.

Allah - lu - jah - Happy Birthday Mohammed!

My normal Sunday routine is :

Wake up
Get my Jesus on either via Internet or TV (I know its not the same but I still haven't found a church here)
Then head to the grocery store to beat all the people

I woke up around 9 this morning, late for me, and just couldn't get myself up and around early. I watched church on TV and just decided to head to the grocery store later. Little did I know that my decision today would allow me to witness such a special treat!

I headed out about 2:00 with my grocery cart. It was such a nice day, I was just exited I only had to wear a light jacket and I was going late enough to buy alcohol. Yeah no liquor before noon here in Jersey City. Hey we got one up on GA that is all that matters. So I had my IPOD in and was in my own little world and I hear this loud music. I think to myself who the hell is jamming all loud on Sunday, then as I got closer to the square I saw what was going on.

It was the prophet Mohammed's birthday! Some of you know but there is a big Middle Eastern community around where I live. So the entire square and steps of City Hall were full of Islamic worshipers and the worst singers you could imagine. Now I am not one to knock people on their religious beliefs but damn it if you gonna give a man a microphone make sure he can sing. Out of all those people in the square and on the lawn of City Hall they had to give it to the worse American Idol want to be. Praise Allah I guess. Anyway, everyone was all decked out in their white and head wraps so I thought this was going to be a serious party. Shoot by the time I was walking back from the grocery store, they had packed up the sound system, all the book stands and the food truck. Guess Mohammed only got a few hours of celebration. Shoot I was hoping to get a falafel on the way back or something. Oh well maybe next year, I'll be prepared.

What sucks the mosts is I was in such a hurry to get back and see the festivities I forgot to buy beer for St. Patty's day!!!

Angela's Visit

My friend Angela came to visit last weekend. After she convinced her husband it was safe to fly, she arrived Friday afternoon.

We went to see "In the Heights" on Broadway Friday night. It is a hip hop Latin play based on the Washington Heights area of Brooklyn. It was so good! Of coarse there was an old lady sitting next to us who had no clue what to think of it but we enjoyed it and that is all that matters. Plus there was plenty of eye candy to look at :)

Saturday we started the day out eating at the fantastic Pancake house by my apartment. Then we headed into the city to start our 2 day double decker bus tour. Yes you heard me right we totally did the double decker bus. It was a good way to see all of NYC in two days. I am a nerd so I would of liked to learn a bit more about all the things we saw but it was perfect for Angela. All she cared about was not walking and taking a picture of every damn thing she would never remember.

Our first stop off the bus was at Central Park.

We took a rickshaw around with a guide and got the whole tour. We were going to rent bikes but thought this would be better in case we got lost. We warned the guide about hauling our fat asses all through central park but he was a good sport about it. It was such a nice day in NY that day. 63 and sunny. Would of never guessed we had 6 inches of snow earlier that week. Everyone was out running and riding bikes in the park. Needless to say we felt like lazy asses while this poor guy biked us around and all these fit people are out running.

I took this picture for Michelle so she could finally see the John Lennon memorial. And a reason I love Angela...she didn't know who he was. Gotta love her.

After the uptown tour we headed to Harlem and then to the World Trade Center. It was hard to see ground zero because of all the construction but we did visit the tribute museum. They had original police artifacts and items on loan from families. It really made it all so real to both of us.

Next was off to Chinatown. The only place you can find what use to be a Jewish Synagogue turned into a Buddhist Temple with a 99 cent store on the first floor.

Then we took the night tour circling around to see the Brooklyn Bridge and Time Square all lit up.

The next day we took our tour of Brooklyn. Starting off viewing the Brooklyn Bridge again and getting upset our ice cream place was closed. OMG they had the best butter pecan ice cream I have ever tasted. We stopped to take a few pics and then were off to Brooklyn to see the sights. Nothing too exciting in Brooklyn but at least I can see what I am not missing by living in Jersey.

When we visited the bridge on the night tour there was a Chinese lady getting her picture taken next to a coke machine. You have the Brooklyn Bridge and all of NYC as your back drop and you take your pic next to a coke machine? WTF, damn tourists. Angela and I took pictures to pay tribute.

After our tour of Brooklyn we just went shopping ate more pizza and went to Junior's for the best cheesecake!!!!

Needless to say I was struggling at work on Monday because of the long weekend and the time change, but I was so glad Angela came up to visit.

Fire

"The fire alarm has been activated, please exit the building" This is what I woke up to at 3:30 am this morning. And of coarse the intense flashing of the emergency light above my bed. I put on my coat and trucked down 6 flights of stairs to stand out in 10 degree weather while the fire fighters figured out what was going on. As I looked at the building I noticed all the tenants standing in the lobby. Shoot if they want to stand in the lobby of a possibly burning building let them, my ass went across the street and stood in their lobby. My momma didn't raise no dummy.

So after about 20 minutes and no cute firemen :( we had the all clear to go back in. Turns out some idiot was smoking in the common areas and set off the damn alarm. Bad enough I have to smell that shit everytime I go out and about, but damn is it so much to ask to go outside to smoke in an apartment building. If you don't like smoking out in the cold, chew some gum or get a patch damn it!

So after I finally get back into my apartment I notice the emergency lights are still flashing. Needless to say I had to sleep with my head under the covers to avoid the strobe light above my bed. Not exactly an ideal way to sleep, I felt like I was suffocating. Every time I would almost fall asleep I must of removed the covers only to wake up again because of that damn light. Long story longer, when I left at 7:20 in the morning the lights were still flashing. I hope that damn idiot smoker couldn't sleep either!

DDR

Dance Dance Revolution my new favorite thing. I invested in a Wii a few weeks ago and just purchased DDR. I love it! I consider myself pretty coordinated for a white chic but I must admit even I only made it to the difficult level this weekend. It is a good work out though. I feel sorry for my neighbors below me, but considering he almost caught the building on fire trying to fry something, I think he owes me.

Weekend in Jersey, not JAX. Damn Wind!

I WAS headed to Jacksonville this weekend but due to the insane wind we have been having here, my flight was delayed and I would of missed my connection in Chicago. Needless to say, supposedly every airport (there are 3 in the NY area) and every airline was totally booked and I couldn't get to Jacksonville until really late on Saturday. At least that is what the idiot at the United desk told me. I opted to cancel the trip and suck it up as a loss. I was upset because I didn't get to see Erika and Addison. Addison was even saying my name, well sort of...she was saying Shann-a but hey I'll take it. I am almost over it but still sad I couldn't go.

So what does a single girl in Jersey do for Valentines weekend you ask.....

She cleans house, grocery shops, plays her Wii and sees a movie. I at least got out the house a few times, so hopefully the weekend is not as pathetic as it sounds :) Ugh...maybe not.