Mich's NYC Blog

My year for MUSIC!!!

2007-12-17T12:07:00.000-05:00

I, like many, am a huge fan of music. I love to listen as it takes me to a different place. It can make me feel young, old, reminiscent of a good time in life, or even just energized. I rarely get to go to concerts, but this year I was very fortunate to attend so many great music events.

July - Chris Cornell
Attended with Aaron, who was soon to become my NYC concert buddy! We had a great time as noted in my "Summer of Love" blog. Thanks again Aaron...you rock..literally!!!

August - Muse & Alice in Chains / Velvet Revolver
Muse is in my top 3 of all time favorite bands. Their Queenish sound mixed with some serious rock and classical sounds takes me to a different world. Love them so much. They put on the best concert I have ever seen. AMAZING show! I took Jewwy and he instantly became a fan. My first concert at Madison Square Garden. Aaron and I went to see Alice in Chains and Velvet Revolver later in August at Nikon in Jones Beach. Great concert...long ride out there. :)

October - Paul Van Dyke for Halloweenie
Mikey came with me for Halloween to see PVD. He is probably one of the best Trance DJ's out there and we dressed up (Pirate and Doctor) to dance all night. GOOD TIMES!

November - VAN HALEN BABY!!!
Aaron and I saw that VH was coming to MSG and we HAD to go! Knowing that these guys will probably never stay together...we took our opportunity while we had it and paid through the nose! Seeing Alex and Eddie's solos was worth every penny. These guys are truly the best there is. Diamond Dave is still one crazy Mo Fo! Studded out in sequenced outfits and doing his high kicks was about the funniest and most entertaining thing ever. He is really a great performer. Minus the long hair I felt like I was back in high school. Awesome!

COMING UP:

Dec - Ozzy & Rob Zomibe
Aging ourselves a bit...Aaron and I are heading to the headbangers ball of sorts next weekend. Again at MSG...we will rock out to the old dudes who helped invent rock as we know it! I am pretty pumped up. Best Xmas gift ever!!! Thanks AI!!!!

Feb - Linkin Park
Daria and I are heading to see Linkin Park in February. I would put them at #3 on my favorite list. Their music helped me through one of the most difficult times in my life. I hope I don't cry!

March - Foo Fighters
IF I am lucky enough to afford to come home a little early....I will be there in LA to see them with my sissy and Devin. Obviously my favorite band ever....I want to pee my pants thinking about it. Wish me luck on getting there!

Stay tuned......

Yellow and Green are looking GOOOOOOD!

2007-12-17T11:26:00.000-05:00

I have decided that when I come back to NY to visit...one of my visits every year WILL be in the fall during football season. Its the best time of the year for me. I have a great bar to watch with the best fans ever. We gather every week and watch the Packers (hopefully) kick some lesser team's ass. :) Last season was a slight disappointment, but not bad. We were 8-8 and improved upon the previous season. So this season being my last to enjoy at Kettle was especially exciting to me. Did I mention the brawts and free cheese and sausage flown in from Wisco before each game?? :)

Game one took place while I was in Lake Tahoe. Jewwy and I got up early on our last morning on the lake and went down to Harvey's and watched the game over some mamosas. (It was 10am!!) Turns out this guy sitting next to us was from Wisco and was a huge fan. He was apparently loaded because he threw down a few grand on games that day and I am pretty sure he won all of his bets. Damn...if only he was hot, younger and single!!! LOL We cheered as they won. We had no idea that was the start of Brett's record breaking season.

Game two as I wrote about previously in my "Summer of Love" blog was in NY and I was able to go and watch live. Still glowing from being that close to Brett! :)

The following weeks were spent at Kettle with my cheesy crew. That bar is so awesome...there are no words to describe the energy in this place. Every touchdown is met with a loud cheer, multiple high fives and even near tears. With every win (their record is 12-2) the bar became more crowded and they sold out at game time so it was packed (no pun intended). I doubt I will be able to ever find a Packer bar like this in LA, but I will try.

The pack are now going into their last two games, against the Bears and Lions. They have already secured their play off spot with a first round bye week. With any luck Dallas will lose a game and the Pack will secure home field advantage for when they meet them again in January.

Love it...by far my favorite time of year.

GO PACK!!!!

Fall in NYC: Hotel Michelle in FULL Swing

2007-12-17T10:44:00.000-05:00

My favorite part about living in New York is that I have tons of visitors. Most come from California and it is like a small piece of home coming to NY, but also it is fun to share NY with my friends and family (some for the first time in their lives). This Fall was full of people at the ol' bachelorette pad! :)

Chrissy came to visit for her birthday in September. As always we had a great time. I wanted this to be extra special for her so I planned a Mo's night like no other. I got her favorite cupcakes from her favorite NYC bakery, balloons, add tons of party peeps and we had a blast! She was touched and that made me happy. It's the least I could do...she was willing to celebrate her actual birthday at Kettle (my Packer bar) for the ViQueens/Pack game. It was a great day and of course, "we" won! woooooo hooooo! Overall her visit was fun.

Next to visit was Adam. Adam is a good friend of mine from California who went to CSUN. He is a super sweet guy who is always tons of fun. He had never been to NY and I told him he was welcome to come while Hotel Michelle was still open. :) His visit made ME feel more like a tourist than anything. We toured the World Trade Center site and followed the walking tour. It was an emotional experience to say the least, but was a must! We then went to Wall Street and Battery Park. It was cold, but nothing too freezing. We also toured Time Square, Rockefeller Center, and Central Park. It was so awesome. I think Adam's favorite part was the pizza though...haha

I had all of three days to rest after Adam left until my mum showed up. This was extremely exciting because not only had she never been to NY, but I hadnt seen her since last April. I missed her so much. We did about everything a tourist could do in Manhattan. We did the WTC site again, Wall Street, Battery Park, Time Square, Rockefeller Center, Macys, Bloomies, Central Park (colors were unbelievably gorgeous), and a Manhattan full cruise. I had to work a couple of the days she was here so she went to the Met, MOMA, and the Natural History Museum on the days I was working. She did about 3-4 visits of stuff in her one week trip. It was a great time.

Before mum left Tbone and Ashki flew in so we were able to all celebrate Thanksgiving together. This was especially good for me since I missed both Thanksgiving AND Christmas with the family last year. We went to a cute little place in the city and it felt like the holidays. :) The following day we did what only the bravest of the brave do...we went shopping at Harold Square. How do I say this.....DONT EVER DO THIS!!! I think that is the most direct way to put it. LOL I now understand why it's called Black Friday. LOL Herald Square was about the busiest most crowded spot on earth!!! AND I AM FROM THE VALLEY!!! Busy malls and shopping are what I do best. I was trained FROM BIRTH! But nothing could prepare me for this insanity. We were so disgusted that we quickly found a place to sit down and eat and then got the hell outa there. It was like be rescued from the jungles of Columbia! We got out just in time before the wild animals devoured us.

Mom departed that night (of course I got lost going to the airport and panicked as usual) and it was sad to say goodbye. I realized how much I really did miss her and my family. Having both mom and sis here was the best gift. I guess home isnt where your heart is...home is where your mum is!

Tbone had been to NY before....as with Ashki. So this was a bit of a reunion. We did our classic Mo's night and then visited the Fat Black Pussy Cat in the Village on Saturday. Was good times. Sis cut my hair and gave my bangs...I feel very 80's now. Thanks SIS!!!!!

After the last of the hotel guests left...I settled in for a week of doing absolutely nothing. I needed a rest. I think I slept more in the week and weekend following all my visitors more than the entire summer. It was a great time, but boy did they wear me out.

The rest of Fall was about my plan to move home. There are two steps...first step was to move out of my beloved bachelorette pad. *Sigh* I live that place. I realized I lived there longer than any of the 6 places I lived previously following my 2001 re-start ;) I was there for one year and 8 months. It saw some crazy times (huh C?) but was ready to be retired and passed on to the next schlub who wanted to "experience" NY! So I sold my furniture, packed up my life and moved to Astoria with James (my good friend in NY). He has his own place and offered to put me up until I moved home in Feb/Mar of next year. So that move was completed this last weekend and now I am settling into my little corner of his living room. :) I am earning my keep by cooking and cleaning....Im waiting for him to start calling me "Margarita" or "Juanita" and yell orders at me in Spanish (or is that just a Cali thing?? LOL).

Next step....save money and figure out how to stuff about 6 suitcases of clothing and personal affects into 3! LOL Tentative move home date is March 9th, but I just found out that there is a very special event that I might NOT be able to miss on March 4th...so I might come home a week early ;)

Stay tuned....

Summer of Love

2007-09-27T10:38:00.000-05:00

This summer in New York was probably one of my best. I did so many fun things and experienced so much that I can say I have no regrets and it will go down in my books as a great summer.

Music
The music of the summer was AWESOME! I started by going to see Chris Cornell with Aaron at the Beacon Theater on the UES. Audioslave has always been one of my favorites and Chris is for sure a great singer. His solo stuff is pretty good. The concert was great times. We drank, laughed, and rocked out.

I followed that up with Muse. All I can say is that these guys put on one hell of a show. The music was right on, the lighting and energy was outstanding. If you haven't checked out this band, DO SO NOW! I was so excited to be there.

After the Muse glow wore off I headed to Jones Beach's Nikon theater to see Velvet Revolver with Alice in Chains with Aaron. Tha was a great show as well. Alice in Chains was better overall (as an opening act!!) but it was pretty cool to see VR play some GnR stuff. It felt more like a STP and GnR concert to me! :) Good times.

Celebrations
Summer is my favorite time of year not just for the sun coming out, but for all the celebrations, visits from friends, and of course my birthday! :) I had Chrissy, Ashki, Gerson, Matt and Kevin all come visit. We had amazing times. Saw the Summer of Love exhibit at the Whitney Museum and that was good times. I felt like I was on a LCD trip the whole time. Haha. Matt and I went to get the famous hamburgers at the Park Meridian. They were good, not exactly the amazing piece of meat that the fuss claimed, but it was good none-the-less.

My birthday party was on August 11th at Stanton Public on the LES (Lower East Side). Jewwy (James), Larry, OJ (James II), Mikey, Dana, Meg, Daria, Patricia, Alisa, Sarah, Div, and Aaron all graced my party with lovely smiles, shots, and kisses! It was probably one of the best yet! I wish my sis, ashki, and chrissy could have been there, but I can't say I have any complaints of how it turned out. So much fun!!!!

TAHOE!!!!
I finally made it to Tahoe. The Bicoastal crew of mine had been planning it since Vegas's big birthday trip last year. I was so fired up to go as was everyone else. I took Jewwy and Mikey from the East and my sis, Ashki and her sis came up from LA. Matt made an appearance on Friday, which was so awesome. We had the best time. We arrived on a Tuesday afternoon, spent the afternoon shopping and went to Hard Rock for some dinner and beer. Wednesday I took Jewwy on a little tour of my favorite spots on the Lake. Took some fun pics and then headed down to Reno to pick up sis at the airport. Thursday we checked into our hotel on the Lake. Mikey showed up and we layed out by the Lake and got some sun. Followed by dinner and relaxing. Friday Matt, Ashki, and Karina showed up and we had a BBQ on our private beach on the lake. Can I tell you...this was awesome. We bbq'd TONS of food, ate, laid out and just chilled...I couldn't have asked for a better time. Saturday was the highlight of the trip. We rented a boat for a few hours at Zephyr cove. My sis drove as the rest of us just sat back while she speed off and enjoyed the wind in our hair (or bald head for jewwy). We went over to Emerald Bay and swam a bit. So fun!!! The water wasn't as cold as you might assume, I went in a few times and I'm a big baby with cold anything! lol Sunday we drove the crew down to Reno sent the Cali peeps home and Jewwy and I went into town and gambled a little. I hit a good machine and won some money...so took Jewwy to dinner and we relaxed...so nice! Came home Monday to the humidity that makes me want to move home RIGHT NOW! lol NY was sticky and gross. But overall it was a great get-a-way and I am planning on going back next August for my birthday again. YAY!

Football
February to July sucks for one big reason.... NO FOOTBALL! Not sure why the season is so short, but I miss it when its gone. August makes me giddy. I get so excited...pull out my jersey and dust it off a bit. Prepare to head down to Kettle and watch the Pack play.

This year has started off well. My Pack is doing VERY well. 3-0 for the first time since 2001. The first game I caught in Tahoe, the second was at Meadowlands in Jersey. When I heard they were playing the Giants this year, I knew that this might be my last shot to see Brett play live. So I sold my soul and weezled two tickets. I wanted to go with Aaron, as he is probably the only other Packer Fan I know who would cry if he couldnt see them, but he had to work. So I took Football Larry as my alternative. He is a Giants fan, I'm a packer fan....good times! We went and had a ball. The best part....well they won, but the second best part is that Larry ended up making my ticket my birthday gift!!!! All turned out perfect! Well...minus the freeway walking!

The third game was at Kettle...my first for the regular season. That was pretty cool. I have never seen the place so crowded and wild! Of course my boys pulled off a great win and the place was roaring so loud, I am pretty sure that everyone within a mile heard! Makes this coming weekend SO exciting!

Coming up
This weekend Chrissy comes to town with Eric (new bf) to visit for her birthday. Plans include, Dinner at Stanton Social, Mo's, Angelos, Blue Owl, and of course Kettle on Sunday. The thing I love about Chrissy is that she is willing to celebrate her actual birthday at my Packer bar watching along! HAHA...now THAT's a good friend. She is a bit of a fan herself and after I told her how fun the bar was last week, she got excited! They take off Monday and then I am in hybernation for about a month (minus Sundays at Kettle of course ;)

The Fall in NY is a great time....stay tuned!

Playing Catch Up

2007-08-05T09:01:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe I haven't updated this blog since March!!! Geez. Well allow me to update the world of blog on my comings and goings since then.

April
April was a mixed bag. Ashki came to visit with her sister and we all had a great time. It was Karina's first NY trip. We went out and showed her the city!

Once they departed, I had a hard month. I was in a relationship that ended and that was trying, but as usual I survived and became stronger. I decided to take some time off from the dating world and have been enjoying myself more than I thought. :)

Stated Tutoring a little 4th grader named Nicole. She is great, very smart. I was soooo happy to help her reach her goals. She did very well and I was very proud.

May
Spring seemed short as the sun set in and it was HOT quick! Not sure how the natives deal with this....there is literally 3-4 months of livable weather here.

May was a good month though...I spent most of it with friends. Hit Mo's more often and was enjoying my time. Chrissy came for fleet week and we had WAY too much fun. We spent most of that weekend in Times Square meeting marines and sailors. The best part was hearing their stories of Iraq. It was sad and amazing all at the same time. I have much more respect for our men and women out there now!

I also made a big decision in May. I am moving back home in February. I have known that I needed to teach for a while. I took some time off and I know its time to get on with my career. I am excited and have been making plans. Can't wait!!

June
I was happy because Gerson came to visit me the first week of June. His first time in NY and he seemed to enjoy it. He did complain of all the walking though! lol I guess I just got used to it a long time ago, I don't really notice anymore. I, of course, took him to Mo's and to the village. We ate, drank, he did karaoke and we explored Central Park.

The following weekend Kevn came to visit from Houston. We had a great time with a little drama....the usual, ya know! :)

July
Ashki came back for 4th of July weekend....had such an amazing time. We were invited to a rooftop party and it was so fun. It did rain, but we were determined to see fireworks...so we got soaked and watched. I met some cool peeps from Miami too.

I started tutoring a second child, Kevin at the end of the month. He is a challenge, but a good kid. I look forward to helping him do well.

Ended July with a concert to see Chis Cornell with Aaron. We had an amazing time. I am officialy in love with Chris now! He sang a lot of Audioslave and his solo stuff. He is great live...amazing voice! Aaron was the perfect company. I hadn't seen him since February...so it was a fun reunion!!!

August....just starting! I have TONS planned.

Aug 3rd - Matthew comes to NY! Lunch plans at the Parker Meridian and Whitney Museum.

Aug 6th - Muse @ MSG with James! oooooo cait wait!!!!

Aug 11th - My birthday party!

and Sept....

Sept 4-10 - TAHOE!!!!!

Sept 16th - Packer game at Meadowlands.....WOOOOOHOOOOO!!!

stay tuned for updates!

Good Times Ahead

2007-03-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

One of the things I love best about living in a new city is there is always something to look forward to. I don't think I am a girl who requires much to entertain myself. Maybe a little beer, some good friends, yummy food, learning something new, and laughter. Yes, that would about do it. The coming month or two is full of some great plans for me. I am excited.

This weekend Ashki comes to visit me. I love this woman. She is the embodiment of a great time and we really see eye to eye on what consists of a good time. :) She arrives Saturday and we will probably do some typical touristy things. We are actually going to see the Empire State Building for the first time. The skies are clear so that should make for some great pictures. Stay tuned for those.

I am starting to tutor a 4th grader hopefully this weekend. This is a great opportunity to get my feet wet and make some extra cash. That should keep me busy for a couple weeks. I am working on developing my website for Miss K Tutoring as well. My goal is to have it up and running in the next month. YAY! I have been applying for tutoring jobs through companies in New York as well. I am hoping to take on 4 students a week.

I am also taking a much needed long weekend trip home to Cali in two weeks. I was supposed to go (See blog below) for St. Patrick's day and my sisters birthday, but the trip was delayed. The beach and some girl time with Chrissy and my sis are on top of the menu!!

Now that Spring decided to show up in the city, I am going to get back to Central Park on the weekends to take pics and draw. I am looking forward to this especially since my creative side has been on vacation for quite some time. I might even sign up to take a class at the park. Not sure what kind, but whether its art, tai chi, or photography...I want to start something new.

I made a pact with myself a few days ago during a little meltdown. I need to start really concentrating on me. I want to get back into my creativity and start doing things that I came to NY to do other than drinking and wasting money, that is! I look forward to more blogs about how this works out. :)

Cheers!
~mich

Mich the Poet

2007-03-23T09:54:00.000-05:00

Check out my poetry @

http://mich-rants.blogspot.com/

warning: It ain't about sunshine and roses!!! lol

St. Patty's Day NY Style

2007-03-22T23:59:00.000-05:00

Having planned to fly home for St Patty's Day to be with my sister for her birthday (day after St Patty's) I was really excited. I was going to leave the coooooooooold weather of NY and enjoy the 80 dg weather of So Cal with James in tow. We planned it and prepared for it for three months.

The morning we were leaving, I get to work and low and behold a snow storm hit NY. It caused all the flights to and from the NY area as well as neighboring states to cancel every flight out that day. I sat on hold with the airline for two hours to be told there was no hope for me to get home for my sisters birthday.

Obviously depressed and extremely disappointed, I was determined to make the best of my weekend. I started by attending a concert by my favorite DJ, Armin van Buuren at Pacha. He was awesome. It was snowing and cold that night and the city was literally covered in snow. James was sweet and drove us (going about a whopping 3 miles per hour) to the concert and we enjoyed it. Other than some gross guy who wouldn't leave me alone, I was happy to have attended.

The following day I got my hair cut (I have bangs!!! lol) and then went down to the village to meet Gracie and Meg for some beer. I was, of course, excited. We arrived at Down The Hatch, which is a sister bar of Mo's and when I arrived I had misplaced my ID. I panicked and basically to make a long story short....James almost got jumped by the bouncer because we were standing on the sidewalk. Good times. lol

I found my ID and we went over to another bar and met Meg and proceeded to party for about 7 hours. We had fun and drank lots of beeeer and laughed all night. At about midnight we went home and I showed up to my apartment with NO power and NO heat!!! I was still slightly innebriated and quite upset. The power and heat was returned the following day at noon. I was freezing all night, but at least I had power the next day.

I rescheduled my trip for mid april and am going for an extra day. I leave April 12th and come home late on the 16th. James won't be joining me, but I will be sure to down at least three In N Out burgers on his behalf! :)

Pics from St Patty's day can be viewed at:
http://www.mich.smugmug.com/gallery/2597250#136915793

~mich

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack

2007-03-22T23:25:00.000-05:00

Wow! I am a horrible blogger. I have neglected my massive fan base (all of two, which I am probably related to) who depend on me to enlighten them with my weekly entries of how great I am. Sorry folks. lol

Life in 2oo7 has been good. I have started the year with some hope and direction. I am just hoping I actually follow that direction and make it fruitful.

Let us see....lets bring everything up to date. My Packers sucked, but did end their year with a 500 season, which was better than last year so I can only think that Brett still has some fight in him. He decided to return, which means that I am a happy girl. Come August prepare to see many more Kettle entries.

Although 2006 was a great year for me moving on with my life, it was also a trying year for me personally. I went through some horribe shifts in friendships and relationships, but came out wiser and stronger. Thanks to my sister and some great friends, I survived and learned (well God I hope so anyway). My main stats haven't changed and I am still working in the city and living it up in Queens...lol Spending tons of time with friends and making new ones all the time. I swear I have Mo's to thank for quite a few new friendships. Amazing what 007's and some good music will do for your ability to befriend strangers. lol

So...lets see. What trouble did I find myself in. Well, I started the year with my sis, ashki, chrissy, james, div, susie, and gracie for new years eve. We went to a club in Midtown and had so much fun. It was the perfect way to enjoy the new year. Chrissy was in the midst of figuring out what she wanted to do and where she wanted to do it. She decided early on that she was going to move back to Cali and pursue her college education. She departed NY at the end of January, but not before we caused many debaucherous nights at Mo's.

We all frequent Mo's every Friday night, but her going away pretty much topped all of them. We had 13 or so people show up and we all got...dr....oh I mean we all had a nice prayer meeting. :) It was great. Other than a big hiccup at the end, it was a great night. We went Chrissy back to LA in grand drunken style. lol

Although it was hard to see Chrissy go home, I was pleased to have my apartment to myself for the first time since I moved in. I realized how much I like my place. It is peaceful and all mine. Nothing like coming home and knowing you dont have to smile, have to think, or even get dressed in matching clothes. I kinda dig it.

I am spending some time developing my website (www.missktutoring.com) for the business I am going to start soon. I would like to work with children again, so I have decided the only way to do so and still survive is to tutor. I am excited and just need to work on getting it going and then jump in. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Ok...I would post some pics, but its easier just to link to my smugmug site....so check out the event's from the last 3 months at the following links...

My Trip Home - Dec 06
http://www.mich.smugmug.com/gallery/2277324#118971211

NYE in NYC - Dec 6/Jan 07
http://www.mich.smugmug.com/gallery/2300341#120231630

Rockefeller Center with Trish/Chrissy - Jan 07
http://www.mich.smugmug.com/gallery/2311362#120827500

Chrissy's Going Away Party - Jan 07
http://www.mich.smugmug.com/gallery/2402280#125882469

Just Another Firday Night at Mo's - Mar 07
http://www.mich.smugmug.com/gallery/2564249#134935094

Armin van Buuren @ Pacha - Mar 07
http://www.mich.smugmug.com/gallery/2597058#136908158

Enjoy!!!!

~mich

Heading Home...

2006-12-11T12:05:00.000-05:00

I guess I am feeling very reflective this time of year. This has been quite the year. I finally finished school in January, moved to NYC by myself, found a new job, made new friends, as well as added many new stories to add to my long winded list of entertainment for friends while drunk! I am exhausted to say the least. It has been good though. I have learned a lot about myself and what real true friends are. Some bad times were added to the mix, but overall I feel this was a huge year of growth for me personally. At the risk of sounding like my own mother, I am proud of myself.

I am heading home to visit my family and friends on Wednesday and can I tell you, I am very excited. My plate is pretty full as I have scheduled out almost every night with the people who I miss and love very much. I am also looking forward to those things we take for grantid when living in Cali; Albacore sushi (ya...none in NY..can u believe that???), In N out, Jack in the Box, the beach, 70 degree weather, and of course moms hugs! I will be getting plenty of this stuff for about a full week...I am sure I will return home about 10 lbs heavier, but very loved.

I return for Christmas alone...but I have some great NY friends who will also be away from their family and we are going to celebrate together...for this I am happy! :)

I want to wish everyone in Cali and NY a very merry Christmas, Chuannukah, Kwanza, or whatever special holiday you celebrate this time of year. They might have different religious or cultural implications, but they are all basically celebrating the same thing, family and friends and how lucky we all are to have it.

A Little Bit of LA In The Big Apple

2006-12-04T10:49:00.000-05:00

Grew up in a Bruin family. We all bleed blue and gold and love it. I don't remember a time where UCLA wasn't THE school to attend and/or root for. I would have attended myself (and almost did) if it wasnt for the strong teaching program at CSUN. It's a state school that is strong and proud. I like their standards and I LOVE their football team.

With that said....being in NY for the much anticipated 'University of Spoiled Children' vs 'University of Caucasians Lost Amoungst Asians' football game was interesting. I wasn't about to miss out on the fun and not see watch and root for my Bruins even from 3000 miles out. Sure, its nice knowing the Rose Bowl is 15 miles away and you are not fun from the insanity of both Pasadena AND Westwood, but I did my best to enjoy.

Chrissy, being a true blue bruin along with James and my buddy Meg all went down to Brooklyn to watch at Aaron's bar. It was good times. We watched, acted like retards (oh wait, that might have been just me), and watched as my baby bears did something miraculous.

This rivalry has been decades in the making. It's something like two Universities that are within 10 miles of each other who HATE each other more than most middle eastern countries. One is a private school of spoiled children who think that they somehow deserve a better spot in this world. Now sure there are SOME USC students who are ok. But most are brats and I really love to put them in their place. Nothing about the fact that you had to pay 120K for your degree makes it better than mine. Sorry! The other is a state school that costs much less and offers a great program both academically and athletically. Some of the smartest and more innovative people I know went to UCLA. Like I said earlier, I was on my way there to obtain my art degree when life took a turn and I had to make a hard choice. Not to mention parking in Westwood is a bitch!!! lol So these two schools might share the same metropolitan area, but they are like worlds apart.

As for football...these two teams have shared the limelight over the years. UCLA had a very strong program a few years back and dominated USC for eight years. Then USC took the lead and not only dominated UCLA for seven years, but basically the entire college football program. With Leinert and Bush at the front of the lines my baby bears could only sit back and take a beating every year. Sad times.

This year...that all ended. Funny part is USC is still a very dominant team. They were number 2 going into this game. They should have taken down my bruins with no problem. That was what was SUPPOSED to happen. Then fate took it another route. I sat in the bar and watched in amazement. I am still in a state of shock, but its beautiful. The bruins defense took on a great game. They stopped the trojans at almost every attempt to gain ground. It was a think of beauty people! I don't care how far I was away, all I could feel was what the atmosphere in Westwood and the Rose Bowl was like. I can only imagine the party that was taking place back home. :)

I called my sister like 18 times till we finally got a hold of eachother long enough to scream into the phone till we just couldnt make out intelligable sentences anymore. We were both happy sisters on Saturday night. We both weren't planning big nights out on our prospective coasts, but since I was at the Cherry Tree anyway and she was not about to sit home and do nothing with the excitement of that win in us...we both went out and got loaded. :) I just wish we were together IN WESTWOOD! :)

So next year...its me and T at the Rose Bowl.....can't friggin wait!

My First Holidays in NYC

2006-11-27T10:38:00.000-05:00

I would consider myself very fortunate. I have an awesome family and the greatest friends around. I try and appreciate their generosity, humor, positive attitudes, and sensitivity all year round, but I do find that during the holidays it is especially wonderful to share this time of year with them. This year as a result of my move across country, I will not be spending my holidays with them. I have my adopted NY family (James, Rhonda, Cyn, Aaron, Grace, etc etc) here and that helps more than I can say, but it is still very difficult not to be with mom and Trish. Something about laying around at mom's house eating grandma's pumpkin pie, drinking too much wine, and falling asleep on the sofa after the consumption of WAY too much food that can't be replaced.

This year I found myself orphaned in NYC for Thanksgiving, the official start to the holiday season. I was not alone and very blessed to have friends around me. Chrissy, Grace, Aaron and a ton of his friends all went out to dinner in the city. It was quite the NY style holiday. We dined at a very nice restaurant, laughed, and enjoyed great company. It wasn't family, but it was great none-the-less. I felt loved and thankful. What else really matters right?

Now comes a month of craziness. First there is my trip home mid month. I am very excited. It is always hard to go back and then leave again. I look forward to this trip more than I have in the past...its been 5 months since I have been home and it seems like eternity. Beware...I will be coming back a little different....hehe. Then following my trip is the countdown to Christmas. I will, of course, be alone in NY for Christmas and that will be strange. James is my only friend here and I am sure I will spend it with him...maybe have a nice dinner in the city and freeze my ass off. OH JOY! lol Of course the following week will be Chrissy and Tbone's arrival for the New Years Eve celebrations. I am pretty sure I will have to be sober TILL then just to make sure I survive the ordeal. Between C and T I don't think NYC can handle it. The bars in NY should start stocking up on Vodka, Jack, Jaegar, and GOOD beer now!

Regardless, I am looking forward to a chilly fun month though. Stay tuned for pics and hopefully happy faces....

Unbelievable

2006-11-20T13:32:00.000-05:00

I know this somewhat off topic...but MY lord...I had to blog about it.

I play fantasy football...most of you know I am a football freak! I am more into it then most guys I know...lol But I love the game, the competition, and the loyalty that follows...

I had a weird week in the fantasy world. I haven't done well so far as my players keep getting injured during the game, but it's still fun....here was what happened...maybe some of you can relate to how crazy this is...

1. Note that three of my players play tonight in MNF...so I will gain more points.
2. Kevin Jones is my receiver and plays for Detroit. He isn't my superstar by far, but I can count on him for 5-10 pts each week. He was injured during the game and carted off just like Brett and McNabb were...Sad day in football.
3. My opponent's players went OFF! And I mean OFF! He scored 135 pts total yesterday. I scored 35! :( His receiver, L. Tomlinson scored 41 pts ALONE. Yes folks...that is more than what I have scored so far. I'm like wow!
4. I have three players on the field tonight (E.Manning, M.Jones-Drew, and J.Feely). There is no way on God's green turf that I can score 100 pts with these guys.

So...as much as I want to hate the sucker who I was matched up with this weekend, I can't. I have to give him the much deserved kudos that he deserves. I'm in shock. I have only seen something like this once before...and I was on the happier end of it. My first season playing fantasy I had McNabb, Westbrook, and a bunch of hot players. McNabb was on FIRE that year and even though then lost the big ring he scored me 55 pts one game ALONE. I scored 130 pts that week and was dancing like a little girl with her first barbie! HA! Yes, I just said babie folks....lol I remember winning that first fantasy season and having a smile plastered on my face for doing so well. Of course, it was my first year and I had the help of my football guru, Vini on the southside. He was a serious player and would bet thousands of dollars on fantasy leagues each season. I am, of course, tackling fantasy without him this season, so its no wonder I suck!

Its all in good competitive fun.....Way to go Mr. Roussell who calls his team the 'New England Patriots'. Kind of ironic considering the Pats beat the shit out of my Packers yesterday too.

On that note...Say a prayer for my Brett. He hurt himself yesterday and *might* be out for Monday's game against the Seahawks. :( No bueno!!!!

Bicoastal?

2006-11-17T11:52:00.000-05:00

It's funny how I HAD to move to NYC, but it seems that I spend all my time planning, saving, etc to go home every couple months. I guess I want the best of both worlds. Afterall, Cali and NYC do offer me just about everything I could ever want. Both are cities and I am by far a city girl. Both have people I love in them, lost of entertainment, and of course oppotunity. I love NY for its night life and new adventures, but at the end of each day my heart is always in Cali. I miss my family, my friends, and the beach.

I just booked my third trip home in the short 9 months I have been in NYC and that doesnt count Las Vegas in September. I am going home Dec 13-19 and can't friggin wait. Something about the Valley air and driving to PCH or the Mall that just makes me feel at home. ALthough I have to say that from time to time I sit on my stoop, smoke, and look over at the city and shake my head in disbelief that I actually am on the other side of the country from everything I know and love. So hard, but so exciting.

This trip home will consist of some Howlin at the Moon, eating the BEST sushi, going to Malibu, sitting in traffic *sigh*, giving and getting TONS of hugs, and most of all just feeling at home.

Stay tuned for pics....hehe

Ouch, MY LIVER!!!

2006-11-13T10:10:00.000-05:00

Ok...pissed...JUST posted this entire blog and lost it somehow! ggrr Here we go again...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I knew when Chrissy said she was coming to NY that my liver was in for a beating. She doesn't know how to just party..she is the queen of partying to its very limit. She takes it to new levels. And I thought my sister was a party goddess. So she arrives the day before Halloween and I knew that I should get lots of sleep for who knew when I would rest again! lol

Night one....Times Square @ Tonic and Milford Bar
The night she flies in we decide to go out. I was excited since both her and Ashki were staying with me...so we could all party it up together. We headed out that night to Tonic and made friends, had drinks, and were merry. Typical NYC night. I swore there were pictures of this night...not sure where they are...hmmmm. We went home a bit early as I knew I had to work the next day. SOMEONE has to earn a living around here! lol j/k

Night two....Halloween
See previous blog "Halloween and the City".

Friday night....Mo's anyone???
I had been to Mo's a few times before. Its a fun place...the bartender is a super nice guy who likes to keep us full of liquor from about the minute we walk in till we are kicked out at 4 and he isnt too hard on the eyes either. lol We walked in and not a moment later had two shots waiting for us. :) Chrissy was pleased and we had a great time. We met some new friends (Meg) and basically did what we do best...got drunk, wild, and caused problems. :P I am guessing we had somewhere between 10-12 drinks each not including the beer bong Chrissy did. That was a sight! I, for some reason have no desire to take alcohol from a tube...call me crazy! Almost as insane and taking alcohol from BUCKETS (oooo stayed tuned for my blog following my trip home in December..hehe). I worry about my tolerance levels increasing as I know I had more than Chrissy, yet I was carrying her drunk ass home SOBER at closing. Hmmmmm.... ;)

Yay for new friends.....

Um.....yes, we were drinking and dancing to Bon Jovi...WHAT?

Saturday night.....we will just leave Saturday night sensored and plead the 5th! lol

Sunday...Packers vs. Bills @ Kettle

Once again, I drug my friends (Chrissy, James, and briefly Billy a friend of Chrissys) to the Packer bar for beer and football. Oh, and lets not forget the cheese and sausage they hand out to everyone. :) Although my boys lost, it was still tons of fun and we made new friends. I am starting to know the regulars and them me. Like a big happy yellow cheese family...awe.

Seems I have this effect on all my friends...LOL

Friday night....The Cherry Tree

Um ya...this night brings new definition to debauchary in NYC. We headed down to the bar to view a cake jumping by Aaron. I wasn't about to miss him jumping out of a cake (was crossing my fingers for a thong...haha). We got there a bit late and missed it. Ggggrrrr! We drank, danced, and had a great time. After I left, the party Chrissy apparently turned up the debauchary with some dancing on the bar and such....the rest I will leave sensored :) But lets just say the event ended with me getting a call from some dude from her phone that WASNT her....it all worked out in the end, but scared me to death. Lesson...dont leave Chrissy alone drunk to get home... :( Bad michelle!!!

Chrissy and I at the Cherry Tree

Chrissy acting like a goofball...

Love Three ways! HAHAHHA. NO, I'm not a lesbian dammit!

:) So cute!!!!!

Sunday....Packers vs Vikings @ Kettle

This was a big game between rival teams. I wasn't going to miss it for the world. I took Chrissy, James (thanks sweetie!!!), and Larry to Kettle to enjoy it with the rest of NYC who loves the Packers to watch. Chrissy being on a new 'no alcohol for a week' kick meant that this was to be an easy adventure. We watched, cheered, danced, and enjoyed every moment. There were some great plays. We watched then went home and took a much needed Sunday nap...oh yes, we are party girls....hahahaha.

Cheesehead for LIFE! GO PACK!!!

What is next? Well the poverty stricken duo will be laying low.....till Friday. We have classified Fridays as Drunk-off-our-ass Fridays since we always seem to find trouble and get black listed at bars. We are headed to Taj with Grace. The goal...to be welcomed back to Taj, not loose anybody's keys, and keep our purses close and secure! lol hehe.

Halloween and the City

2006-11-01T14:53:00.000-05:00

Halloween? Such a strange holiday. Reminds me of any other holiday. You celebrate for no apparent reason by doing traditional things and in the end you have no idea why other than to say you got drunk and had fun. LOL

I do enjoy this one though. What other day during the year do you get to dress like a complete slut and its not only acceptable, but expected! This year I went as Goldielox. I wanted to try and top last year's Jessica Rabbit, which was by far the best costume for me EVER. I was born to be that sexy cartoon character. :) I had purchased the goldie costume last year as a second lesser costume since I was supposed to go to 3 parties that weekend. Two ended up canceling, so I had the goldie hanging in my Cali closet waiting to be used. It was cute. I sexed it up with some thigh highs and cute undies...but still I wasn't thrilled. *sigh* I searched for some other ideas that were original and cute, but alas the poverty that is my life reared its ugly head and goldie was my destiny for this year.

Chrissy flew in a couple days early to be with me for halloween. She dressed as a lightening strike victim. Holes torn all over her top...of course the girls made their appearance. ;) We were planning on attending the Cake party at Room Service, but Chrissy wasn't looking to into it, so I suggested we skip it and try the village. I knew there would be hot guys down there for Chrissy to frolick with and have fun...so there we went.

It was good times. The Village was packed with crazy drunk people EVERYWHERE. We got stopped for pictures with random people. I didn't think Goldie would be a big hit...but alas I didn't see any other girls sporting the costume...so I was pleased.

OK...here are some pics. YAY PICS!!! You can check out the rest on my smugmug account.

www.mich.smugmug.com

This and That

2006-10-26T11:27:00.000-05:00

Peeps, places, and things I have done over the past few months........

In no particular order....

Ashki's return! 10/06
Ashki returned from Turkey and we went out to a Haunted House. It was pretty funny watching all of us huddle together into a human ball as we ran through the house, eyes closed, and screaming at any sound. These houses are funny...all the same. People who are covered in blood trying to be scary. But it was a sight to see. Came out on the otherside all sweaty from laughing, screaming, and huddling so close to ashki. I think i became a third limb for her.as i was attached to her from behind...oooooo sounds naughty! lol

Ooook...gimme my beer back!

div and helen sitting in a tree.....so cute!
Dont let that fool you....two of the best drunks I know!!!

What? You know I look Hawt! lol

Town Tavern 10/06
In an attempt to be social one night, me and my BFF went out to the village. Town Tavern and then some dive to follow. Nothing spactacular, but it was better than sitting home and watching re-runs of LB! lol

big smiles when drunk!

James and I at the dive bar. We hang out so much now
we are starting to look alike...um...ok maybe not! lol

Pics from Tbone's visit in August.

At Columbus circle in our 'AREYOUIN' tanks!
We almost look like sisters here...funny!

At Foluka Hooka Lounge in the Village for my
Birthday. Larry, Ed, Tbone, C, Me, Ash, and Div.
Love my peeps!

Trish dug the Alice in Wonderland Statue.
Central Park

A bunch of Cali girls in NYC!
Lea, Midtown.

Backin it up!

Had to introduce Trish to the Diner experience
In NYC after clubbing. Kinda like Jerry's or
Sittons, but there are TONS more in NY.

Football Pics

Monday Night Football, 9/10/06

Me, James, Kevin, Michelle, and Mandy all met at Mr. Biggs on the west side to watch the Manning Superbowl. This was a fun night. Football, good beer, great company, and cheap wings! Mmmm Mmmmm

Kevin autographing my rack! He's gunna be
famous one day, I tell ya!

A Michelle bonding moment....aaahhh so cute!

The Drunken Football Crowd. Funny part is I'm the
crazy football fan...they all just come for the beer!

Greenbay vs. Philly MNF

The gang plus my football buddy Larry came out to Kettle of Fish (one of the few GB bars in the city) and watched with me. This place was a blast!! The owner is from Winconsin and they play songs (yes, the bears still suck!) and hand out cheese and crackers. It was awesome. Thanks to Jason for hooking me up with this place, you rock sugar!

Zoolander! lol

Everyone but yours truely! James, Michelle,
Kevn, and Larry. My football friends fucking rock!
They even pretend to like GB juuuust for me!
;)

Afterwards at the gay bar next door.....Michelle
singing Like A Virgin!

Random Drunken Night in the Village

James and I went into the city to find a cool place to get innebriated. First we stopped at KGB. Loved that place. They had redstripe, which is not as common in the city as I would like. But it was all commies everywhere....loved it. Made me think of Ashki. :) We sat down and pretendcd to be brother and sister so I wouldn't salt James' game! ha! Anyway....so I am sitting there chugging the Redstripes when i start to be a bit anal. Meaning, I started placing my beer bottles in rows. Who does this? A drunk who loves to organize shit, I guess. ME!

Me walking down the street! :)

OCD Michelle arranging her drunk
asses bottles......HA!

There's a Chill in The Air

2006-10-26T11:04:00.000-05:00

Aaahhhh, just when I was getting used to the heat and being reminded of home, NY comes through and sends a quick and chilly reminder that I am indeed FAR away from my beloved So Cal. The tempuratures dropped and NY got cold! It is pretty windy here too. The best part....it gest WORSE soon. Oh my! I am not looking forward to the wind chill while its 30 dgs outside.

It was nice though, I pulled out my winter stuff and tucked away the tank and tube tops. I am having to deal with the fact that flip flops will probably NOT work anymore. I am still in a bit of denial over this since I really am so used to those damn flip flops. Its like not wearing shoes...love it! But alas, the boots and close-toed shoes are making an unwelcomed reappearance in my room. I am excited to wear my scarves and caps again..yay!

Unlike the summer, I can send a big thank you to my apt owners who actually make sure my apt is HEATED. There is a god. I still miss central heating adn air in So Cal though. My place is nice and toasty though.....almost can't tell its cold outside.

My Ash-kosh=bigosh returned from the west yesterday and is nice and cozy in my livingroom. Her and the Divilicious man of hers and I all stayed up late laughing and admiring my new drapes. I am pretty sure she was happy the heat was working....she shed like at least 15 lbs over the past month. Bitch! lol you know i love you, but eat a bagel will ya!

So.....The cold has arrived, only to get colder and I am just hoping that i can last from now until May when it warms up again. I only had like three months of cold weather when I came earlier this year....Now i have to endure now till April???? OH shite! No worries though....the girls will still be making regular appearances upon request. HAHA!

Well...if you all stop hearing from me, check around 57th and 6th for a frozen blonde. Just keep chipping away till you see that I look about 20 lbs lighter...ya...that'll do! LOL

Oh, it must be noted...its like 85 dgs in LA right now. I love it...We don't even think about the cold until Jan at home when it hits the super low tempurature of 55! hahahahha.

NYC love fest

2006-10-12T16:53:00.001-05:00

I moved to New York on the tail end of a very interesting time of dating in So Cal. Every area has its special dating 'air' one might say. Well So Cal has a stinky air to it. There are a plethera of skinny, hot, blonde, single, YOUNG women running around everywhere in bikinis. Most men have no interest is dating someone who is not seemingly perfect. Its very frustrating. Let me back peddle a bit.

As most of you know, I was married very young, but it lasted most of my 20's until 28. I loved my ex and we had a mutually retarded existance together. I didn't do much or experience life. I really thought i was happy because I had my man locked by LAW. Wow...was I wrong and WOW thank god I got to find out what the flip side is like. We divorced and I found myself in more ways than one.

With this came the eventual dating game. The thing I was SOOOOO happy to never deal with again at one time in my life, was rearing its ugly head. I refused at first to even consider such a horrid thing as jumping into the dating world, but alas I have needs like the rest of the world...so there i jumped! SPLASH!!! OUCH!

After a string of retarded men who obviously didnt appreciate me for my charm and intillect whom I met at work or through friends, I decided to try the...sshhh..internet. That was a charming experience. I found that men online are just, if not more, as retarded as those in the "real" world. I did it for a while until I met someone I liked who fit the image. Then, of course found myspace. Never joined to date. Myspace was good for one thing to me, keep in touch with my friends and maybe make some new ones. I have dated men from there, but it is very similar to finding men in a bar. They are all horny and will use ridiculous pickup lines. I was still looking for the perfect guy and mylord Myspace was definetly not the place.

One thing I learned is that us girls fall prey to looking for mr perfect as much as we find men are looking for that blonde running around in the bikini. The perfect man is just as real as the perfect woman. What I think I know now is that perfect is not so great. I would rather date or even be friends with the imperfect guy or girl who can just laugh and be real. Someone who is slow to anger, but quick to giggle at retarded things. Someone smart, but not educated beyond their intelligence. Maybe imperfect is the new perfect? lol

In the end, I found that what I needed to do was find me before I could find someone to love. Learning to loves ones self is the best way to learn to love another, right? God, i hope so....

In my quest to find myself I found myself IN New York. It was quite the change. Since no respectable woman moves across the country for a man, I of course came alone. My goal....to have tons of fun and experience NY for everything it had to offer (oh ya and find a job!). My intentions and goals in life have changed so much. The time is now...as Muse so eloquently put it. My chance to live and experience and feel. I showed up with a clean slate and the highest of hopes. As for dating and men, go dear lord, i had no idea. I was just going for it.

New York has so many peeps in such a small area. I was sure to be bombarded with tons of men...wooo hoooo GO ME! Lets see...what have I learned about NY men. They LOVE their accents, but dont want their women to have them. They were born here and don't understand why anyone would live anywhere else. They ALL believe that people from California are flakes and retards. They assume that because I am blonde, I am easy. I guess I have porn MADE in CA to thank for that one. Some positive notes so far on NY men are they are not as flakey as CA dudes, they dont try and come over to "cuddle" on the first date, they never try and split the bill on the first date (what is UP with that CA dudes??!!!), and they are more willing to date a woman who isnt seemingly 'perfect'. I like it.

The interesting part of my gig here so far is I have found so many transplants from CA as well as other states while I am here. I have made some awesome freinds....all who have done the same thing as me....move to NY on a whim to try and do something, anything different! Its awesome. So i also find myself dating guys who are not NYers but transplants from somewhere else, even Cali. Kinda makes me giggle.

What lessons have i learned...hmmmmm. Men are people too. You have to be comfortable in your own skin and the idea of being alone has to be something you can handle. I am so proud to say that I don't need a boyfriend to be happy with my life. Sex....now that is an entirely different story! lol

Stay tuned for a new blog on football.....and PICS! GO PACKERS.

im out!

Post Vegas Syndrome

2006-09-28T12:54:00.000-05:00

You'all know what I am talkin'bout!!! You gear up.....where to stay, where to go, what to wear, who to see, who to flirt with, what to drink, what to eat, where to gamble, how late to party, what pool to lounge at. All the planning stages of a fabu trip to Las Vegas. All followed by chants "Vegas Baby Vegas!!" Its exciting and you can't wait.

The above followed up with the actual staying, going, wearing, seeing, flirting, drinking, DRINKING, eating, gambling, partying, and lounging. Add to that the groggy mornings with hangovers that MUST disappear by noon so you can start again with the same cycle. :) Its fun and you feel like a rock star! All, of course, followed with chanting "We're in Vegas Baby!!"

Then the, inevitable and always too quickly coming, ending to the trip and going home arrives to wreck it all! You pack up with a slight frown and have to say goodbye to sin city and all your friends. You have your last hangover of the trip which is usually the worst as it represents the mother of all Vegas hangovers. You walk out of the room praying you didn't leave anything behind and then you fall into a good week or two of post Vegas depression!

Vegas depression involves lots of memories of people dancing, drinking, flirting, KISSING, stumbling around casinos, winning on the WHEEL.........OF..........FOOOOORTUNE slots, staying up till sunrise, eating food while looking at an awesome view of the strip from the 62 floor of THE hotel, wild and pretty pictures, strong drinks, stupid bouncers, great friends, and girls bathing in rose petals.

Each trip has a mind of its own. Some involve wheelchairs and holding hair...while others are tame and enjoyable just the same. I personally don't like tossing my cookies in Vegas or crawling around on the floor of your hotel crying and begging to know where the bed is! NO BUENO! lol
Some trips are about the "hooking up" (lame term btw) while others are about just enjoying the company of your friends.

Hooking up!!! WTF is this? I love the way this has become such a easy pastime like as if sex was just this thing to do like playing cards!!!! I have never had sex with a stranger and for sure NOT in Vegas. I can't imagine a more disease infested spot to mate in! yuck! I prefer people who stalk me on the internet to this anyday. HA! But it IS part of the Vegas deal. Some love this...its exciting and easy going. Kind of like a summer relationship at camp. LOL You go, fall in lust, bump uglies, and be on your way. I find it amusing, but hey...I am not one to judge anyone else...I just don't see ME doing it.

Overall....My trip was amazing for the following reasons (yes i like lists damn you!!): MY SISTER, my best friends Steve, Mona, Chrissy, Char, and Yong that I NEVER get to see, James for flying with me out there to meet my peeps and to explore Vegas for his first time (Vegas Virgin....gotta love it), dancing on the balcony overlooking the strip at Mix, YUMMY lobster at Mix, the pool at Mandalay, cute boys flirting with us all weekend, and all the stuff I am not allowed to divulge without penalty of death! LOL

Love my friends and love my SIN city!!!

My sis, me, and Chrissy @ Tao

The WHOLE gang at dinner @ Mix (64 stories high overlooking the strip...amazing)

Tbone "borrowed" a tie for her Sat outfit and this guy obviously thought it was a chew toy!

Heading West

2006-09-19T08:56:00.000-05:00

When I moved to NY I knew one thing was certain and that was I would return west OFTEN! I have managed to fly home twice since my move 7 months ago. I love my friends and family way too much to be apart from them for too long. Plus, if I buy a ticket enough in advance the ride home and back is less than $300 bucks!!!

My first trip home was at the beginning of April and was a quick trip. A bit awkward, but it was much needed So Cal fun. My second trip was in July (See blog below about July) and that was a wild ride.

I am due to return again...this time slightly different. I am heading to sinfully awesome Las Vegas. There is nothing quite like it. I am meeting up with most of my So Cal crew and even a couple Vegas peeps I have sucked into my world a bit! :) AND....I am taking two of my New Yorkers with me. So this should be OFF the hook. On top of the normal Las Vegas debauchery that we create...this trip is a three way birthday celebration....Me, Mo, and Chrissy are all celebrating another year closer to death by alcohol..... :)

I was worried that when I moved to New York that it might ruin Las Vegas for me forever. New York is the city that never sleeps. This is THE party town to blow away the rest. Nothing can compare to the party that is NY, but in the end I have to admit that not much can replace the unique party that is Las Vegas though. Where else can you drink, gamble, dance, flirt (maybe get lucky), and dress like a hooker and call it a normal day??

I have my Vegas Hoochie Mama outfits all lined up and can't wait to get my serious party on. I would say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...but you'all know me too well....there will be 852 pictures for sure to chronicle the entire trip. I can't imagine anything to top this one.

Lets see who is going...

NY - Me, James, Ed
Vegas - Amy, John
Reno - Tina
Cali - Chrissy, Trish, Mo, Steve, Yong, Char, Melissa

Um...all but the happy couple will be sqeeeeeeeeeeeezing into the FABULOUS Parlor Suite at Mandalay Bay. Love it!!!!

Oh and not to be forgotten is the day adventures.....this will consist of at the very least me and my sissys lounging at the gorgeous Mandalay pool getting our tan on sipping on Mai Thai's.

YUM !!!!

Hotel Michelle

2006-09-19T08:20:00.000-05:00

When I was younger I used to wonder what it might be like to own and operate a Bed and Breakfast in Santa Barbara or even Malibu. I would have the cutest two story place and a great kitchen with an island. I would make pancakes and eggs every morning and the sun would shine bright.

Years later I opened Hotel Michelle in Queens, New York! lol

Ha ha...actually I have allowed a couple friends to stay with me to help with bills and give them a much needed place to crash. I knew getting my own decent sized pad would be a blessing in some way.

First, of course, I gave Jason (ex-roomie) a place to live for 3 months. That made me never want to do that again. Then Ashki found herself in need of a bed...so I took her in for a couple days until she went to Europe....her rent = couple beers! lol

Following Ashki's European departure, a friend from Cali found himself in need of a two week rental. I gladly offered my futon/livingroom to him. He is a sweet guy from Santa Barbara and moved to NY for much of the same reasons as I did. He is looking for work and trying to figure out the living sitch here in the big city.

Once Eric leaves to his new spot near Times Square, Ashki will return from her gallivanting around Europe and make my livingroom her home again. lol I don't mind Ashki at all (or Eric for that matter) as she is so much fun...and we laugh constantly together...plus with her I can walk around half naked and she doesn't care! lol

I feel bad that Hotel Michelle isn't as much like my dream Bed and Breakfast on the west coast. It is a cheap and easy East Coast version. There are no pancakes and eggs, its a one story, and there is not tons of sunlight, but I think I make up for it with my friendly smile and walking around in a bra! lol

Takin the N to Nowhere..and the W to Wherever

2006-09-18T09:36:00.000-05:00

Cruising down the highway at about 75/80 miles per hour, the sunroof open, Foo Fighters blasting, and the airconditioning is just right. What does that describe? Me in California at least twice a day. I loved it. I had a great car, an Acura RSX with leather seats and a great sound system.

I sold that luxury when I moved to NY in Feb.

My life now can be described more like this. Walking, and more walking. Then waiting and more waiting (weekends suck). My surroundings are hot and sticky and I watch rats play in muddy disgusting water as I wait with complete strangers who speak languages I didn't even know existed. Then she arrives. I call it a she because its fast, wont wait, and doesn't care. Stops, you step on and HOLD on for dear life. Much like the 101 or 405 freeways during rush hour, you squeeze in and try to merge to find a spot and hope that you are not stuck next to an old guy or the smelly dude. Its hot, crowded, and smells like pee.

Not exactly what I would call an even exchange!!

The New York City subway system is considered one of the best systems in the world. You can literally live in this massive metropolitan city with no car! Not many places in the world that can provide that for you. It costs $76 per month to ride unlimited throughout the 5 Burroughs and it runs 24 hours. Not bad. Unfortunately that is where the positive aspect of this ends. I take the N and the W most of the time as it takes me into the city for work and play. We joke that the N is Nowhere to be seen and the W will come Wherever it wants...lol

Contrary to our favorite Russian Princess ;) , I don't mind the subways much. It's a constant reminder that I live in NY and there is a bit of ambiance it adds to my new life. The people watching is quite entertaining and sometimes you even meet new people. I try not to socialize too much, but sometimes a little kid will come up and boldly ask to sit in your seat and I smile and move aside. Most people look extremely depressed on the subway and it would seem they just lost their favorite puppy. As a friend once told me, just imagine what you would think if they were all super happy and smiled all the time. I guess he is right, I would think they were insane! lol

Then there is the live entertainment that you rarely want to experience. Sometimes the musicians in the subway stations are very good. I have seen maybe 3 or 4 that I was impressed with. Most of the time you step onto the train and someone comes from the next car and starts singing or playing their banjo. These types remind me to bring my mp3 player with me at all times. lol

And finally there are the beggars. I have never heard sadder stories in my life. "My house just burned down and I lost everything." "My children are hungry and I have cancer." "I am a vet and have no where to go." At first you just want to cry, but then you become hardened to it and stop caring so much. I am probably poorer than some of these beggars. I see people dishing out their change and I can only imagine how much money they make in a day.

Overall, the subway isn't a bad thing, it's part of NY culture and I can't really imagine that I would see NY the same without it.

My first September 11th in NYC

2006-09-11T09:35:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning with a sense of humility and sadness. Today marks the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The very thought of that event, that day makes me tear up. The very idea that NY'ers woke up one morning just like me today, got ready for work and proceeded on with a typical Monday then found themselves in the midst of one of the most horrible days in history breaks my heart.

Five years ago today I was going through my own heartbreak. Nothing in comparison to those who suffered from the 9/11 attacks, but horrible none-the-less. My ex-husband and I had just separated from an 8 year marriage two weeks earlier. I was living with my mother and was going through the hardest time of my life. So this day, this memory takes me to a sad part of my own past as well as our country's past.

As I got ready, I couldn't find my smile this morning. I got a text message from Chrissy asking me how NYC was doing this morning. I was still home getting ready. The text reminded me that things will be somber today in the city. I proceeded to the train station on 39th ave as always and noticed the trains were stopped. My first gut reaction was there was a problem. Both the train that had just left and the one right behind it at 36th were sitting still. I looked down at my phone at it was 8:46am. My heart fell to my stomach. It was the moment the first airplane hit the first tower. What a moment. The trains started up again about 9am and was very slow. It was a depressing sight on the train, but usually is. People rarely smile, but especially not today. A gentlemen next to me read a newspaper with the cover reading: 8:46am, 9:03am as its headline. At that moment 9:03 hit. Again my stomach was in knots.

I arrived at work a bit late at 9:17 and sat down. What a strange feeling. I am on the 14th floor on 57th street near the park. I love my new friendships, my location, my job, my new life. I am reminded that at any moment it could end for any reason.

I am also reminded that today and the memory of those who lost their lives 5 years ago and every day in Iran, Iraq, and Afganastan should not be taken lightly. We should live, love, and press on stronger each day. We should honor their memories with strength and honor and goodness to each other.

I know as I leave tonight to take my ride home, I will remember that today is not about sorrow, but really about unity and hope. As my life was in ruins 5 years ago today, God has afforded me freedom, love, hope, and a future that I am very thankful for today.

God Bless!

Are you ready for some FOOTBAAAAAAALL?

2006-09-08T10:48:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite times of the year......aahhh FOOTball. I love watching and playing fantasy. As most of you who know me well are aware, I am a pretty big Packer fan. So I decided this year I would try and find a regular spot for Sunday or Monday nights and plant myself there for the games. Just call me Norm! :)

Our first gathering was last Monday night's football pre-season game at Scruffy Duffy's and that was fun....the Pack lost badly, but I still had a good time. Beer, football, and friends always makes for good fun and pics! LOL Rhonda, Chris, Michelle, Ian, Ashki, Larry, and yours truly. We followed that up with the Fri game in Times Square at a bar that for the life of me I can't remember the name of...had a few drinks!

New York has a LOT of one thing....BARS! I have never seen anything like it in my life. So we plan on exploring the city and finding lots of great spots. Scruffy's was ok...a different crowd then I am used to. I love down to earth, sawdust on the floor, great music bars. Larry, is my football buddy.....he and I plan on discovering how football and the city mix! :) I see beer and lots of pictures in my near future...LOL

Pics to follow.
Check out my other blog re: my Fantasy team info: www.michlovesthepackers.blogspot.com

Aug 06 - My Sweet 33

2006-09-08T10:12:00.000-05:00

August is usually my favorite month as it is summer and my birthday. This year it proved to be awesome. I turned, cough, 33! Damn, I don't feel that old. But alas, it has come to this....LOL

Lets see, the month started out with meeting some new friends. There is Rhonda, Michelle, Kevin, Ed, Jennifer, and James. These guys/gals are great! I annoy James the most with my daily text messages (thank god he gets those unlimited) and boy/dating stories. I cherrish our friendship as he puts up with my crazy stories and girlish behavior. lol

My sister decided she was flying up to NYC for my bday and I was super excited. She came in late on Friday the 11th and left first thing Monday morning the 14th. We went dancing, drinking, boy hunting Saturday night to Pacha to start. That was boring. They must have had a deaf/mute convention close by because there were about 50 ppl signing all over the club...it was very bizzare. We stayed till about midnight and jetted out to a private party for the fashion industry that Ashki had the connections to get us into. It was held at Lea, which is normally an after work bar for happy hour. They set up the DJ, Ahski's man's cousin...lol and we danced all night long. It was a fun way to start my birthday. We took Trish to a NYC diner to get some food afterwards and then finally stumbled home at 5am. I thought it was a good introduction to NYC nights for her.

Sunday was good times...Trish and I stayed in, relaxed and geared up for my bday bash. We celebrated at Faluka in the west village. This was a cool joint with a hookah bar and pretty cool set-up. Lets see who was all there.....Me, trish, Ashki, Div, Dave, Larry, James, Ed, Jason, Alicia, her friend from ?Holland? lol, Clarence, and his friend. It was a blessing to see how many great friends I had already in NY. Cynthia and Jennifer didn't make it, but where there in spirit. :) We smoked the hookah, drank, and laughed until we all had to go home and prepare for work the next morning. :) It was indeed a very good birthday.

Pre-season football started at the end of August.....stay tuned for more on my football/bar adventures.... :)

Pics of the birthday weekend to follow shortly.....

July 06 let the SUMMER begin!!!

2006-09-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

I love the summer time. It’s sunny and bright and I can run around in tank tops, shorts, and assuming I have the right forum, a bikini. Well this year being in NYC made summer a biiiiiit different. I was prepared for the winter bbrrr…but not for the summer sweat-fest! The temperatures were no where near what I am used to. Summer in Cali gets up to 110-115 degrees and I can deal. We have these crazy things called central air conditioners and cars with ac. NY, um not so much! My new apartment did NOT come equipped with an ac and of course the subways were so miserably hot it didn’t matter if they did have ac. Here in NY it might not reach 100 dgs….but trust me the humidity is MUCH worse. May and June were interviewing months for me. One after another….black suit and all! I showed up to a few drenched in sweat….not sexy nor professional, can I tell ya! I was warned of July and August, which scared the hell out of me since June was soooo unbearable. I managed to finally get an air conditioner at the end of June and that helped create some kind of comfort, well at least in the living room where it resided. J

July was an exciting month for two reasons. First, I found a job FINALLY! This was just in the nick of time. That pesky roommate was about to leave (whether he knew it or not) and I was running out of time, money, patience, and sanity. I found a great job with an Architectural firm near Columbus Circle making pretty decent money. I started right after the 4th holiday.

Timing for my new job couldn’t have been sweeter! My sister and I are best friends basically and we miss each other sooooooo much now that I am here. I talk to her multiple times a day now and it helps keep me grounded and sane. She decided to fly me out to Cali for the 4th holiday. I was super excited. I flew out for the long weekend and it was a blast. We had such a huge weekend planned with party after party planned. We hit Howl at the Moon on Friday night first. This is a staple in our drunken adventures in L.A. It’s a great piano bar where everyone drinks from buckets of alcohol, sings along with dueling piano players to old school as well as new music that has been changed up in the most whorish of ways, and basically has a great time being silly and ridiculously loud! I love it!!!

The second night in L.A. was reserved for Spundae. Spundae you ask??? No, it’s not a giant sundae dish where everyone bathes in ice cream and hot fudge!!!! Although that does sound like yummy fun. It is a dance club in Hollywood on Santa Monica Blvd at a place called Circus. Spundae is tons of fun and they usually have great trance and electronica music. This particular Saturday was THE summer event for Spundae…they were featuring AVB (Armin Van Buuren – OCT 7th here in NY for my lucky NY’ers!!! JOIN me). It was also an added bonus that I got to see both Jen and Darius that night. They are some close friends that I miss so much back home. LOVE YOU GUYS!!! We danced and had a great time. Even found time to make some new friends…shocker!! Lol

The Monday was the big party at my sister’s house. She and Mo were throwing their annual 4th of July celebration. With all our great friends and our added friends from Howl and Spundae it proved to be an amazing party. We swam, eat, smoked, and of course drank! GOOD TIMES!

Came back to my second home, NY and started my new job and prepared to take my great new apartment back to be my own again.

Here are some pics from my trip back to Cali for the 4th!

Drinking from buckets! No other way to howl!

Love my girls....Miss you two so much!

Jen and I at Spundae!

Sister's BBQ....look its people froom Spundae! :) New friends ROCK!

June 06 - Ash-Kosh-Bigosh in NYC!!!!!

2006-09-08T00:51:00.001-05:00

No, this blog is not about the new fashion trend in NYC. lol I awoke one Saturday morning (bright and early at 1pm) to an email (of course on myspace) from Tbone (my loving sister) informing me that Helen (lovingly called Ashki) was now living in NYC too! You can only imagine how happy I was. What?? Another Cali party girl in NYC with me??? YAY!!!!!! I made plans to meet up with her the following weekend. This girl and I are cut from the same cloth. We both like to have tons of fun and we laugh our arses off together. We always go out intending to find hot men and instead we end up laughing like dorks and making fun of each other...I love it!

We met up at Nest in NYC on 28^th/7^th ave in Chelsea (Below Midtown and above The Village) where she had met the club owner and quickly arranged the hook-ups (yay for open bars and cute bartenders!!!) We had a great time and she filled me in her NY life and haps. We both were looking for work and had much in common. I love this girl!!! She was staying on the Upper West Side with a hot French guy and already landed a man! But who could blame her….she is HOT!!!

I was also able to take a day trip to Philadelphia to see my mother for Fathers’ Day. She flew in for business and I took a bus to spend the day with her. In my family Fathers Day is usually spent with my mom since she was essentially both mom and dad to me. I was super happy to see her since it was been more than two months since I saw her last. We had a great time. Saw the Liberty Bell, original Capital Building, and local museums. We had a great time!

Ashki and I at Nest, just a bit tipsy.

me at Nest sipping champaine....yummy.

Philadephia's architecture was awesome!

They had this place with giant sized game pieces...so I played around like a kid....shocker!

Trying to make the earth move. lol

Mom posing with the Liberty Bell. Seemed fake to me!

posing with mom on Fathers Day...lol

May 06 Fleet Week….NYC raining men!

2006-09-08T00:12:00.000-05:00

I’m good and settled in my new place. As soon as I moved in I lost my temp job and found myself out of work. This was a new experience. LOL I had been out of work since the previous July in order to finish school and figure out how I was going to put that hard earned schooling to work. This should have been a piece of cake. Well, it wasn’t, but you know what they say….and yes, it is true (most of the time). What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. In order to survive I took in a roommate and that proved to be, well….interesting! I won’t go into gory details, but to keep this a positive story I will tell you what I learned. Trust your higher power, self, and family. Sometimes you have to take risks instead of living in fear. I also learned that no matter how desperate you might feel that things always work themselves out in the end if you trust your gut.

Chrissy came to visit for Fleet Week/Memorial Day. I was soooooo happy to see her. We went and saw Marines (I thought it was FLEET week not Marine week!) and had some drunken fun. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Fleet week (as I was), it is the weekend that falls on Memorial day where many ships dock and let the sailors, marines, etc….out to play in the city. They were roaming everywhere…it was like a smorgasbord of men.

That same weekend I also saw my first NYC comedy show at Dangerfield’s. This was awesome and I felt the location was a good fit for my first comedy experience in NYC. We met the host and two of the main comics. They were pretty funny guys. We then partied with them at a local lounge and yadda yadda yadda! New York nights, awe!

Here are some of the shots from the fun weekend

Me and my marines! hehe

Chrissy and I playing sexy. She just flew 6 hours and came straight to party afterwards.

Chrissy and I feeling GOOD @ Dangerfields....aka innebriated.

Apr 2006 Moving on UP!

2006-09-07T15:03:00.000-05:00

Finding a new apartment in New York proved to be a challenge. I found a beautiful place in Long Island City, Queens. Now now...before you go judging Queens....put the image of 'Coming to America' outa your head!! It's no Manhattan, but certainly is a reasonable alternative. It is 10 minutes from the city and 20 max to/fro work. I live ALONE and have a cute decent sized place.

I moved in April 22nd. The move was quite the story. It was, of course, raining and both my roomie and I were moving the same day. She was moving to the Upper East Side (lucky girl!) and I was of course going to Queens. We were not able to rustle up any help, so we were faced with moving all our stuff and furniture alone. It wouldn't have been so bad, but my futon and tv were rather heavy. We panicked the night before and by the grace of God an angel in the form of a friend of a friend came to help us (Larry - Love you dude!) as well as some kind strangers. I finally landed in Long Island City (LIC) late afternoon...ordered us up some pizza and was ready to get start my NY experience properly. :)

Here are some pics of my new bachelorette pad before I moved in.

my china cabnet in the kitchen.

The rest of the kitchen.

My livingroom.

My bedroom with a built in mahogony closet.

NYC Feb 06 - April 06 Jersey City

2006-09-07T12:27:00.000-05:00

In the beginning there was JERSEY city!

That's right girls and boys....I moved to Jersey first. This was an attempt to save some cash while I found a more suitable NY pad. I arrived on an early Thursday morning toting two suitcases and my laptop (amazing how an entire apartment can be minimized so quickly) three days after the biggest storm of the winter. It was COOOOOOLD! I have never lived in that type of weather before so this was going to be interesting.

I moved in with a friend from Cali so we could save even more $$. I am not used to roommates, but it was necessary for cash flow purposes so I grinned and beared it. The day after I arrived I decided to go for a jog to check out Jersey City. I think I jogged about 5 blocks further into Jersey and came to a screeching stop and realized I was in the WRONG part of town. I jogged (more like ran) back home and immediatly told my soon to be roommate (arriving two weeks later) what I found. This put some pressure on us to find our own places as quickly as possible. PRESSURE! As if living in a completely different climate and environment wasn't enough. haha! :)

Jersey City proved to be a smaller and slightly more ghetto extension of New York. I did spend most of my time in NY (playing, drinking/partying, interviewing, working, shopping, etc), but from time to time I found myself lounging in JC. Mostly because $$ or options were non-existant. There was a diner close by that we (ex roomie and I) used to frequent that had yummy/cheap food. We would meet there for coffee, soup or dessert. It was always a place to relax and wind down. NY has many diners similar to this. Much different from back home where late night diners were limited unless you were willing to go to Denny's with the rest of the 3am scum! LOL

Things settled just enough so I could sleep, work and play, but I was very anxious to get into NY and settle more comfortably. I really do not enjoy sharing quarters with others so I just figured if I hung in long enough I would have a great apartment and start really exploring NY as a single fabulous Cali girl! That's right....I have no intentions of ever changing into a east coaster. I love my So Cal roots.

March came and went and soon it was time to move in April.

Picture below is from Chrissy's visit to NY in March. We partied our little booties off! It was loads of fun. The second picture was a sculpture we found in SoHo....we were entertained by it for a while! lol