"I'm Chuck Bass"

Yikes. As hot as Chuck is on-screen, this picture is not the most flattering. Facial hair is hot. This is not. Well, at least not on him. Why do I care? I haven't a clue! Also I swear I am not this vain...blame it on the fever I'm having today! Speaking of which, it all started a few days ago when I just felt like a fever was coming. It faded, came back and then faded again. Today was just overkill for some reason. I had to get off the bus halfway to school because I thought I was going to upchuck right then and there. Such a lovely picture I've painted, I know. After a 2 hour nap I feel slightly better. I also feel slightly guilty because I slept most of the evening away when I should have made time to call my Grandpa. He turned 69 today! Happy Birthday to one of the best men I know!!

I've got a "where are they now: Freaks & Geeks" post coming up. Most likely will have that up by Thursday.

mondays are gossip again.

I'm a big Gossip Girl fan. The first season got me hooked immediately when I watched it on DVD at the end of the season. It was one of those "what was I waiting for?" moments, haha. But this season is annoying in the sense that Nate Archibald can't make up his freakin' mind when it comes to women. He had a good thing with Vanessa but he blew it. Tonight Chuck & Vanessa are going to hook up and if you follow the gossip world at all, you'll know Ed Westwick and Jessica Szohr (the actors who portray them) are hooking up in real life.

I haven't been doing much for my Lenten promise. Originally I was going to say prayers every day from the St. Jude's website which you can find here. But I keep forgetting. So I've been making sure to go to Mass during the week at least once. And Confession every 3 weeks. But even then I haven't given up anything specific. I spoke to a priest today at St. Francis and he said one's spirit and intentions are just as important as the things they actually do so I took some comfort in that.

I'm really digging that song "Show Me What I'm Looking For" by Carolina Liar. Listen/watch here.

what women want.

The Mel Gibson movie was on TBS earlier (actually I think it's still on) and I forgot how much I enjoyed it. You can even see a young Lisa Edelstein a.k.a Dr. Cuddy in it. I don't know about all women but this woman wants a steaming hot cup of coffee in the morning and she's good to go. PS, see even Mel Gibson wants coffee =D

But guess what I did today. I went out...and got pictures developed! It felt weird, absolutely weird, in this advanced technology era, to go do that. I don't think I've done it since the early '00s, which feels like centuries ago. Normally I put my pictures on-line and delete it off the memory card, unless they're vacation photos or something along those lines. Even then I'd use the digital picture printer that we have at home. But it doesn't belong to me and I didn't want to bother my Oma (the rightful owner) so I went to Rite Aid. They messed it up at first (printer got jammed) so I had to wait an additional 45 minutes. The results were well worth the wait.

...I was just on AOL's home page and saw this story. My mind can't process this...why would you do this to your family? How little of a soul do you have to enable you to decapitate your 5-year-old sister?!

MILTON, Mass. (March 29) -- A man on a rampage fatally stabbed his 17-year-old sister, decapitated his 5-year-old sister in front of a police officer and then headed toward his 9-year-old sister before officers shot him amid what their chief described as "a killing field."

and...

"When I walked up to the first officer (on the scene), I could see the whole story right in his face. This just told me that this was something very bad," Wells said.

Unbelivable. My prayers are with that family.

source

oh baby.

If you're anything like me, babies turn your heart into a puddle of goo. I know I can't resist an adorable baby, like Little John over here.

He is Jonathan's nephew and was born on February 2. What a gorgeous kid! Maybe one day (many years from now, of course) he will read this blog when he's the next Justin Timberlake and thank me for giving him a head start in getting his name out there. LOL...I'm getting carried away here. But you never know!

I've been slacking on updating my Netflix queue. As it is, I have 23 movies waiting to be sent (I do one movie at a time, unlimited per month). My Sassy Girl should be arriving by Monday, or today maybe but I'm not home to check the mail. I'm pretty sure it's the American version of a Korean film. Tiffany told me about it -- she really enjoyed it so I figured I may as well check it out. I wonder what assumption someone would make about me if they looked at the movies waiting to be sent. Let's take a look at the first 10.

1. Along Came A Spider

2. Smart People

3. Atonement

4. Then She Found Me

5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

6. Lars and the Real Girl

7. Heathers

8. Over Her Dead Body

9. Look Who's Talking

10. An American Crime

Judge away! =P

Sometimes being hearing impaired comes with plenty of frusturations but more often than not, it provides a lot of laughs. Case in point: yesterday, my brother was telling me about a friend of his who passed away recently. He mentioned going to the wake on Tuesday so I asked what he died from and Chris said a heart attack. I was shocked, because his friend is his age (20). Here is the conversation, according to what I heard.

Chris: He went into cardiac arrest. He had a heart attack.
Me: But he was so young! What was it from?
Chris: From masturbating once a week.

There was silence as I tried to process this. I was wondering how he was able to keep a straight face from telling me this. And above all, I just didn't know how it was possible you could die from that. It never occured to me that I may have misheard him. So I repeated after him and my brother did a double take. Here's whats he actually said:

Chris: He went into cardiac arrest. He had a heart attack.
Me: But he was so young! What was it from?
Chris: From a heroin overdose.

This is meant with no disrespect for the friend who passed away but we were laughing so hard afterwards. We could not look at each other with a straight face. I feel like an idiot for hearing that, especially because they don't even sound similar. Oh well, at least if I'm going to make a fool out of myself, it's in front of a family member.

PS My aunt went back to Puerto Rico for two weeks. I went with her for one week back in December and let me tell you...I really wish I could be there with her right now!! She & Moe (her boyfriend) are there until the day after Easter. And my parents will be on the cruise with my other brother the day before Easter. So unless my grandparents are doing something, looks like my sister & I are spending the first Easter alone in...EVER! >=O

bang bang

I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the new photo of Rihanna & her new tattoo that's circulating the interwebz. Is it a secret message to Chris Brown that he better watch his back? Stay tuned...

...although on a more serious note, if you or someone you know is being abused by their partner, don't keep quiet. There's help. Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224.

After watching I Love You, Man, I think I've developed a thing for Paul Rudd. I may be joining that bandwagon late because I'm aware of the love for this man. But just look at him!

Whew. Enough about that.








Idol last night wasn't worth the lack of sleep, although I enjoyed Adam Lambert (who I think will win) and Danny Gokey's performances. I predict Megan Joy or Scott will be leaving us. They're the only two whose performances I can't sit and watch because it becomes awkward halfway through. I don't have a favorite this season, however, so I'm just watching it as a spectator. The only two contestants I've followed/voted/rooted for week after week was Diana DeGarmo (season 3) and Jordin Sparks (season 6). I was hoping Joanna Pacitti would stick around this season because I was already rooting for her before she even got on the show! But she had to go and get herself kicked off the show. Swell.







I need a nap.

The Good Son on a Good Day

I passed by a Blockbuster the other day and for some reason, The Good Son came to mind. Being that it came out in 1993 when I was 8 years old, I didn't remember much of the movie, just that I LOVED it. Instead of Netflixing it, I figured I'd go to the Movie Master, also known as Jonathan. Whaddya know, he had it! On VHS no less. So we watched it today and YOW! I forgot how evil Macauley Culkin was. And how cute was Elijah Wood? I'm sure my 8-year-old self swooned over him. I poked around IMDB and found some interesting facts:

- Michael Klesic was originally cast in the role of Henry Evans in 1988. The film was soon later put on hold due to lack of funding. A couple years later Jesse Bradford was cast as Henry Evans because the original child actors had grown to old for their parts. The project was once again put on hold and the same problem happened. Then, was once again re-cast and finally shot and released in 1993.

Jesse Bradford? "Swimfan" Jesse Bradford? Huh.

- Richard (in picture) and Connie are played by Macauley's real life brother and sister.

More

I want to start rewatching my old favorite movies. Remember The Hand That Rocks The Cradle? Another of my favorites! And who can forget Hocus Pocus? Yeah, that's right. I loved SJP way before the Sex and the City era!

While on Austin Street today, I popped into Banana Republic to get this shirt on sale. It's absolutely gorgeous and I figured I could wear it on Easter...and for John, Jr's Christening...and nights out...in short, I plan on putting it to good use! Not only that but I picked up a pair of trouser jeans that are nothing short of a great fit. Holy cow. Could it be? Am I saying goodbye to the American Eagle era? Subconciously, I don't want to dress like a teenager anymore. Although I'm sure I'll be 80 and still wearing jeans, a plain white tee and converse sneakers :-)

I should be getting as much sleep as I can since I've got a Sociology exam in the morning. But considering I just got home from work, it's time for some Idol courtesy of DVR. That beats sleep by a mile. Though something tells me I won't be saying that when I wake up in the morning...

What would Matthew do?

Not to knock my professor but this Art History class has got to be the worst way ever to spend 2 & a half hours. At least I had something to offer to the discussion, since we briefly touched early Christian art, including the one off to the left (Matthew the Evangelist). The professor wanted to know what the Gospel represented and I was kind of appaled when no one raised their hand to offer up the answer. "The word of God," I said. "The Holy Spirit guides Matthew as he writes." What I didn't notice until the professor pointed it out, was a little angel drawn in the upper right hand corner. It looks as if it's being drawn into Matthew's ink cup. Brilliant work of art if you ask me! I like most Christian paintings. It was a wake up call hearing the professor talking about the reasons behind the painting as if they were assumptions. To me, they are facts. The gospel isn't "the word of God"; it is THE word of God. Oh! Best news of the day: I passed the midterm with a 75%! I know that doesn't sound great compared to a 100% but this isn't my best subject so I am proud I did okay.

Moving on...

The first time I ever heard of Jodi Picoult was in 2005, when my sister was a senior in H.S and didn't have time to do her English homework. She asked if I could read a book for her. That book was Picoult's The Pact, a fascinating, almost modern day Romeo and Juliet with a twist. From then I was a lifelong fan. On the 3rd of this month, her new book Handle with Care was released. Immediately, I was hooked. This one gets a 2 thumbs up from me. I got through it so fast because it just sucks you in. The only book of hers that was hard for me to get through was Vanishing Acts but when I gave it a second try, it sucked me in too. Handle with Care is the story of six year old Willow, who was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or what you may know as the brittle bone disease. Or if you haven't heard of that, surely you've seen Sam L. Jackson in Unbreakable? Anyway, Charlotte and Sean O'Keefe, Willow's parents, are struggling to make ends meet. Charlotte decides to file a wrongful birth suit, to ensure financial security for Willow for the rest of her life. Of course, drama ensues when you find out who exactly she's suing and so on. I was not happy with Charlotte throughout most of the book but by the end, I understood why she did what she did. I'm not going to include a spoiler, just in case you accidentally lay eyes on the next few lines, but I was not happy with what happens at the end. Still, a beautiful story that I really recommend! What I love about Picoult's books is that you always learn something new from each one. You can tell she challenges herself as a writer and I love that. She's definitely one of my literary heroes.

West Side Story the Musical

I am ashamed to admit I have never seen the movie. Here's what I knew about West Side Story before seeing the musical on the 20th. It involved two people (Maria & Tony) falling in love. Some girl named Anita is a dancing dynamo. People fight. People die.

Here's what I know after seeing it: I'm an idiot for not seeing the movie earlier! I thought the story line was beautiful and Arthur Laurents did a fantastic job at bringing it to life again in this revival. The choreography left me riveted in my seat. The music was great too. (I mean of course it was, with Sondheim responsible for it.) Matt Cavenaugh, who plays Tony, did nothing for me although he is definitely eye candy. Straight from Argentina, newcomer Josefina Scaglione is a wonderful Maria. When she hits those notes, HOLY COW! And Karen Olivo as Anita, well if you are familiar with her at all, you'll know she never disappoints. She is a firecracker on stage! I've been hearing people say her dancing isn't as good as the role requires her to be but I beg to differ. She didn't win Best Female Dancer on Broadway last year for nothing (when she was in In the Heights). I was not surprised when she got the most applause at the end of the show.



Would I recommend buying a ticket to see it? Yes. I wouldn't pay full price for an orchestra seat again though. An enjoyable experience, for sure! I did not have time to stagedoor but such is life.

Here are some related links, including a performance of the song "America" on Letterman & opening night coverage:
http://dctheatrescene.com/2009/01/21/karen-olivo/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJdMqZKG7ic
http://broadwayworld.com/article/BWW_TV_Broadway_Beat_Special_Sneak_WEST_SIDE_STORY_Opens_on_Broadway_20090321
http://www.broadway.com/Broadway-com-VIDEO-ON-DEMAND-Opening-Night/broadway_information_html/5015926

First blog? Say it ain't so!

I like to think I'm an expert blogger. It all started with Xanga. Remember that site? Maybe just a little? From there I went to Blurty and from Blurty, I went to LiveJournal. But I wanted something everyone could read and LJ tends to be a bit more private and clique-ish. Here, everyone has the freedom to pick my mind. Kind of scary! But thrilling.



Here's a little About Me. I'm 23 years old but I feel 40 and look 16. Being the oldest of four, you kind of grow up fast. Especially when you have a disability, you realize quickly life isn't all sunshine, rainbows and unicorns. I began to lose my hearing when I was five years old. The official term for what I have is a neurosensorial hearing loss. Fortunately it's not severe

so I can still enjoy the beauty that is music. Which leads me to my next two great loves: music and Broadway musicals. I first caught the theatre bug when my dad took me to see Footloose. I saw it six more times afterwards because I could. not. get. enough. Footloose actually was not my first musical. That honor goes to Cats. Let's not mention the fact that I fell asleep halfway through....ahem. But anyway, I also owe my love of music to my dad. Instead of listening to Z100, which I had no idea existed when I was 11 anyway, I'd rummage through my dad's music collection. Rush stole my heart and to this day, Limelight is still my favorite song. If you feel the same, go see I Love You, Man. That's all I'm gonna say about that! (Don't want to spoil the movie for anyone).



When I was younger, I wanted to be the next Ann Martin. I still have mini novels I wrote that I'll never show a soul since I'm pretty sure I'd embarrass myself! My first best friend was my books so it was only natural when I got to college, I'd major in English, publish novel after novel and live happily ever after. Except I went to college, realized I had no motivation when it came to that major and decided to take the dreaded break. Unfortunately Queens College would not let me back in and wanted me to get my Associates Degree first. Weird, right? So I am currently enrolled at Queensborough Community College taking Liberal Art courses. It was there that I developed a love for Sociology and Psychology. To the point where, when I return to QC, I am thinking of pursuing a Psychology degree. I would prefer to work with children so I am particulary curious about Child Psychology. Bottom line is, I know that as long as I stay in school, I'll find my niche.



When I'm not at school or at work, I like to abuse my Netflix membership, take pictures, hang out with friends, write stories I'll never finish and yada yada. Oh and blog, apparently.



Since it's Monday, that means BFF time. Also known as Tiffany comes over and we watch our shows. And gossip. And just chill. So with that, I end my first blogspot blog. I'm sorry this wasn't a more entertaining post -- things are pretty hectic here at the moment. To come: my West Side Story review!