Late night hijinks

Gone are the days I stayed up to 3am without so much as a yawn. Am I getting old?! Maybe I need to take more naps. Or drink more coffee :-D

Last night there was a screening for 'Paranormal Activity.' It was like a documentary style movie but with a cast of just 2 main characters and one supporting character. This is no Blair Witch Project though. You know it's not real going into it, the acting (on the wonan's part) leaves little to be desired and the scares are far and few in between. But not gonna lie, I did get scared a few times! My favorite was when Tiffany screamed LOL. If you haven't heard about Paranormal Activity, I suggest watching the trailer. I doubt this movie is going to get a nationwide release. Although if it does, I'm curious to see how well it does.

But what made the night so interesting was the 6 hour wait time! I don't have enough fingers and toes to count all the people who asked me what I was on line for. I was waiting with not only Tiff but Anthony (a friend of Jonathan's, not the usual Ant Ive mentioned before), his girlfriend Bryn (what a sweetheart!) and their friend Jared (who was also so nice). I'm glad they joined us; it made the wait time go by so much faster. We were joking we would tell the people who asked us what we were on line for that we were waiting to see a porno. Another was, auditioning for American Idol. Would love to have seen the looks on their faces after that!

Last Sunday, the Great Irish Fair came to Coney Island and my parents, Michael and myself went. It was SO hot that day. I don't think i've ever experienced heat like that in mid-September. Needless to say, we all got burnt. I started peeling yesterday. At least i've got a bit of color hehe.

September also seems to be a big party month. It started off with Jonathan's big party at Sutton Place and this weekend alone there are 4 places I have invites to. Tonight is my friend Max's listening party that is going on in 2 boroughs, neither one that I'll be in tonight! Also it's Jaime and her twin brother's birthday gathering at a bar in the Upper East Side. Definitely going to stop by hers, not too sure about Max's. What makes it so tough to go out this weenend is that I am doing the morning shift so, since I gotta be out the door by 7, staying up all night partying doesn't sound so fun anymore.

Good thing I have to stay overnight in the city!

Btw...new tattoo in the works. The design is actually the same as my father's from 1985. My birth year! It's off a cross with two hearts on it. I think it's amazing my dad still has the original sketch the artist drew! Not only that but my mom designed it; it just makes it that more special. I was thinking around the time of my birthday would be an ideal time. We'll see.

Must be the changing of the seasons...

My little brother turned 18 yesterday! 18?! I remember the day he was born! Actually Michael's birthday is a very interesting story. And this being a blog and all, I might as well tell it!

*I should note I am telling the story from what I remember. I'm sure my mom could tell it so much better!

When my mom became pregnant with her last child (Michael) there was a lot of complications. Mom spent most of the summer of '91 in the hospital. The doctors told my parents that they would have to abort the baby or else my mom would die. My dad was devastated but abortion was not an option for either of them. So my dad did what anything Catholic would do in times like this: turn to God. He prayed the Rosary every day that both would survive. The reason why the pregnancy was so high risk was because the sac burst and obviously a baby cannot survive without that protective layer in the womb.

Michael was born on September 16, 1991. His due date was December 3rd. That's the day he came home! It truly was a miracle that Michael wasn't born severely handicapped or mentally retarded. That is why he is named after St. Michael -- he is a saint who, without a doubt, listened to my parents prayers and had a hand in God's miracle. He is special needs though. I don't know quite how to explain what exactly makes him special needs, besides him learning at a much slower pace than other 18 year olds. Michael is also deaf. He can speak because we are a speaking family but he is fluent in ASL and goes to a school where they sign, even though it's mixed with a regular highschool. My family does sign at random though, picking up some phrases was inevitable. Mikey doesn't like to sign at home though; he gets embarassed. I LOVE it though! I can never get him to teach me, except for the time it took him a half hour to get him to teach me 'dancing with the stars'. (Can you tell I like the show?)

Michael started a job today! The school places the students in various jobs once they're old enough. He really wanted to work at the store in his school but they reserve that for the more severely handicapped kids. Instead they have him working at a senior center for 1 hour every day. He'll be making about $150 a week. I am so happy for him! Not gonna lie, I was so nervous at first. And so was he!! But he liked it and so that's a good sign.

I don't think Michael will ever live on his own. My dad has told me in the past they accepted that a long time ago. I think it takes special kind of people to accept and even embrace that. God forbid anything happens to my parents. I am pretty much (being the oldest) next in line to take care of him. Wow! What a thought. I made a deal with God a long time ago. Don't take my parents before Michael. If they gotta go, we all go together LOL.

On a more serious note, as crazy as our lives have been because of michael, we wouldn't have it ANY other way. My life is better because of my him, I have so much more patience because of him and I've learned to appreciate the small things in life because of him.

He is also one of the funniest people you will ever meet! I've had some people tell me that they've burst out laughing at the things he's said. He can be very shy socially (it definitely comes with his disability) but he is a part of Facebook so my friends can see the things he says there.

I am curious to see what the future brings for us and what God's plan is for Michael. All I know is, this is one adventure I am ready for!

disclaimer

I noticed I tend to be repetitive about what I blog. I didn't realize that my last post started off with the iPhone purchase as well! Forgive me, my memory can be spotty as the posting is sporadic and I normally don't go back to check.

While I'm here, let me just tell you, conjugating German verbs is NOT fun. Sigh. Quiz in the morning. Lovely.

Technology. Gotta love it

So as you may or may not know, I switched to an iPhone after being a loyal sidekick user. But temptation got the best of me and I switched over to AT&T. iPhone applications are the best -- I just discovered the blogger app, which I am currently using.

Jonathan sent me a link today, about a deal Disney is having until November 24th. For 5 nights you spend a little over $500 for a package plan. We keep saying we wish we could go back. Boy, do I! That would be a sweet birthday present (mine is November 8). I think the best time slot would be spring break. This summer my entire family, Oma & Opa included, are cruising on the new Norwegian Epic ship. At least that's the plan thus far. I really can't stand cruises but this ship looks, well....epic!

Fashion Week has been hitting New York full force as of late and I've been living vicariously through a dear friend of mine who is interning at a modeling agency. If all goes well, I may attend a fashion show with her before it all ends on Thursday! Never thought I'd ever attend one! I hope this turns into a paying gig for my friend. She deserves a break (and a paycheck!)

The San Gennaro feast is back. It has to be one of my favorites. For starters, I love Little Italy. Row after row of Italian restaurants crammed into narrow streets, made even more narrow by all the booths at the feast, the smell of all that Italian food is irresistable. I went last night on a full stomach and boy, did I regret that. Good thing I'm going again on Friday...and Saturday! This time I will do it right. Not too sure what Saturday's dinner plans entail but Friday we (JD, Karina, Billy and myself) are going to Vincent's. They are known for their outta-this-world tomato sauce.

Now that I've got an end date to my time at my current school (last semester will be next fall) I look forward to going to class because it's one day closer to finishing LOL. I don't know if I want to go back to Queens College though. I was curious about going to St. John's University. My father actually attended the school for 6 months in the 80s and told me recently it was a big party school. Apparently there is a bar on campus! Not near it but inside of it. Not sure if it's still there today but them Catholic schools sure know how to party. I should know. My highschool (a Catholic one as well) LOVED drama/scandal. That's not a knock on Catholic schools -- I am forever grateful my parents sacrificed so much to keep me in one -- but the students seem to be the most rebellious when under strict rules! Anyway, as far as where I'll continue on for my B.A, I'll play it by ear. I'm sure I'll have plenty to think about, being stuck on that cruise ship this summer... :-P

October seems really promising. I am 99% sure I am getting another tattoo, my aunt & uncle are coming in from North Carolina because my beautiful cousin Sierra is being baptized here, my grandma has a birthday, Mika is performing in the city on the 16th, Fright Fest, Alexis' wedding and...Halloween! Both, by the way, fall on the same day. What a way to end that month!

Ok, time to hit the hay. These dark circles under my eyes aren't doing me any justice!!

smell the coffee...

I am so happy it's Saturday. Once in a blue moon,  a Saturday will come along that requires no work from me (in the form that produces a paycheck that is -- this doesn't include housework and other responsibilities!) and today is one of those days. I slept in 'til 9:30 and now I am waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. Ahhh. Have I mentioned I got the place to myself? :-D

Yesterday, I was thinking of relationships with siblings and how fragile they can be. Think about it. You're born into the same family so at a young age, you're forced to bond. Of course, a 2 or 3 year old doesn't look at it as forcing. But really what choice do we have? We don't know any better! Then when we get older and a little wiser, we really see what kind of people our siblings are. I love each one of my siblings very much. Each relationship (I have 3 of them) is very different. And as glad as I am I know them, I wonder, if we weren't related, would we be friends? 

What a thought! I like knowing I have these three different people in my life for eternity (I'm counting the afterlife too). How can you ever be lonely?

By the way, Johnny turned 7 months three days ago. Wow! How time does fly. And it doesn't stop there! Michael turns 18 in 11 days, my dad's birthday is on the 30th, Natali's is on the 8th, I turn 24 in 2 months, my grandma has a birthday in the beginning of October....*grabs ahold of time and stops it* ;-)

glucklich freitag!

There has been a lot of debate over the iPhone versus the BlackBerry but in the past I was always content with my sidekick. Well not really. The track wheel was always a pain in the arse. Now though, after the battery wouldn't last more than 2 hours without dying on me (no exaggeration either) it was time for an upgrade. I wasn't happy about T-Mobile's service either. Not the customer service part -- they've always been helpful to me. But the actual reception. AT&T gives me service even when I'm underground! That is extremely useful, as I seemingly underground constantly LOL.

So I got the iPhone :-) I worked with a very helpful guy over at the AT&T store at the Rockefeller Center Plaza. Ask for Edgar Diaz. He really seems to care about his customers! I got a pretty good deal too, I like to think. So this is love at first sight for me and this phone. The touch screen can be a bitch for texting but it's easy to get over that.

In other non-technology news, my neighbor gave birth two weeks ago! Deirdre is 3 years older than me and we lived three houses down from each other our whole lives. (Well, I moved 2 years ago but my parents still live there. And sometimes, I feel like I still do too!) It's nostalgic almost when someone achieves such a milestone as becoming a parent because you remember what they were like way back when. Deirdre also attended the same high school as me and was in the same year as my good friends, Anthony and Kenn. Small world right? Anyway, I've yet to see the little guy but most of my family has. They say he looks just like her. Ah, gotta love how excited babies get everyone. I also give Deirdre credit for keeping the gender a surprise (from herself, too) for 9 months! Turned out to be a boy -- Braden. I give her a lot of credit. I don't think I could wait! Actually I know I wouldn't....haha.

School is back in swing here. I've taken to riding the LIRR to class and slumming it home because I always had a problem arriving early to school for morning classes since I work nights. And the LIRR really saves my ass. But even with my disability card, I noticed yesterday it's taking a toll on my wallet LOL. So, I'm gonna slum it today by train and bus since my history class isn't until 1pm. I also have to give Ben in the disability office credit for really helping me this semester with accommodations. He got me permission to not do the oral exams in my German class. Meaning when she asks us a question in German and we have to answer, she will have to write it and then I'll answer. Not sure if my professor is going to actually follow through -- I have a feeling she'll just keep repeating until I understand what she's saying because she's determined like that. That is not a knock on her; I actually think it's a great thing. She really seems to care that we learn German and actually be good at it!

By the way, the title is supposed to mean "happy friday!" but I have a feeling I may have done something wrong in translating it LOL.