Ringling Brothers Elephants Brunch

Growing up, I used to love to go to the circus. I was amazed by the performers, the clowns never scared me, and I fell in love with the animals. I loved all of the music, had every single circus-related toy (including that flashlight that you could wear around your neck), and at times wished that I could run away with them and become a performer. And yes, I did have a huge crush on Gunther Gaebel-Williams, that gorgeous lion tamer that performed with them.

As an adult, I now see things differently. Some of the animals are mishandled. Some of the performers are paid less than minimum wage, and are not allowed enough time off. Some of the performers are also in the country illegally, and risk being deported.

One of the most awesome things I ever saw was watching the Elephants come out of New York City's Holland Tunnel after they performed at the Meadowlands Arena. It was done in the middle of the night, so that there would not be traffic jams all over the place (there were), as well as keeping crowds to a minimum (there were a TON of folks there to watch this awe-inspiring event).

Today, watching the Ringling Brothers Elephants have brunch (consisting of a ton of fruits and vegetables, courtesy of Cheney Brothers Inc. in Orlando) and bread puddin' ice cream (courtesy of Blue Bell Ice Cream) is right up there with the Elephant Walk in NYC. I got within three feet of the elephants, and could not believe how gentle they looked. They scarfed down all the food in no time flat, and no, the elephants did *not* get brain freeze!

Here's the pictures of the Elephants Brunch, as well as the St. Pete Times Forum, where they'll be for the next couple of days.

Enjoy!

Moving right along.....

My friend, Erica, started a Facebook page for my contributions to her food groups, so I am moving all food related stuff there. The URL to that blog is http://foodsoftampa.blogspot.com/.

Enjoy!

Living at Home the Second Time Around - FAIL!

Growing up, I had this "fantasy" that after college, I would be living in NYC, working at one of the Advertising Agencies on Madison Avenue, and living on the Upper West Side in a 1 bedroom apartment overlooking the Hudson River. Instead, I left college after 2 1/2 years and went from job to job, not being able to afford my "dream" apartment.

The article linked above will be appearing in Sunday's Page Six Magazine. I approve the choice of a college graduate living at home with their parents. What I don't approve of is said college graduate living at home with their parents when/if they can afford to start to carve out their own life.

Granted, there are most likely circumstances that may have caused the graduate to move back - student loans, credit card bills, medical issues - but still, if you have the means to move out, DO IT! Don't be like me and wait until you are in your late 20s before experiencing what it's like to dance around your place at 2am in your jammies and grooving to some Lionel Richie! or better yet, eating popcorn or cereal for dinner because it was YOUR choice to do so!

First New Novel Read in 2009

While waiting for my plane to take off in RDU, I picked up a novel that caught my eye. For the longest time, I have been into novels that are a hybrid of medicine and drama. "The First Patient" by Michael Palmer definitely fits this genre.

Without going into details, the novel centers around The President, and what would happen if someone was to try and sabotage his term in office via new medical technology - nanotechnology. I could not put the book down, and when I finally finished it, I thought I had run a marathon.

It included everything that I could ever hope for - espionage, searching for truth, not knowing whom to trust, secrets at every corner, and of course a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure.

It's the type of book that I could see being made into a mini-series or two-hour made-for-TV movie. Whom to cast as which character, though, would be hard to call - too many good choices out there!!!

And if you wish to read a review of the book, check out Barnes & Noble.com's - I think it's one of the best reviews out there!!!

First Post of 2009

Last night, my husband and I spent NYE in Raleigh, NC. He had a very long layover (17 hours), and when they are that long, it's worth the while for me to go and join him.

The flight up was uneventful - very light load (about half the plane was filled), and we got up to RDU in no time. My husband was going to be getting in via Phoenix about three hours after I landed, so I spent my time chatting on Yahoo mobile with friends of mine. It made the time go faster, and I was able to catch up with them.

Hubby's plane finally landed around 6:10, and we were at the hotel by 7:00pm (had a bit of a wait for the car service to the hotel, and then the drive to the hotel took around 30 minutes). This particular hotel was going to be hosting a New Year's Eve party, and since we were guests, we were comp'd into the party (included a Champagne toast at midnight, party hats/blowers, appetizer buffet), and there was going to be a cash bar.

We checked in, got up to our room, changed clothes, and met the rest of his flight crew at the sports bar in the hotel. We knew that we were hungry, and that the party's food probably would not be out for a while. They shared stories of their day flying around the country, I shared my boring day at the airport (made for some good people-watching, a trait that I learned from my mother), and then discussed stuff like movies, music, the stuff that was on ESPN, etc.

The food at the sports bar was great - the chicken wings were delicious (and hot!), the nachos were cheesey and gooey (the way I like them), the potato skins were hot and good, the egg rolls were pleasant, and everyone's main courses (everything from salads to paninis) were good as well.

The drinks flowed just like the conversation, and at one point, we were all being amused by the football game being shown (I think it was the bowl game that LSU was in). The pilot said that he knew a bunch of folks that were going to be at the game, as they were hard core LSU fans.

We then ventured into the big NYE party, and it was a lot of fun! For me, it brought back memories of being single and believing in the magic that is New Year's Eve. The outfits that some of the girls had on were questionable (not sure how some of them could dance around wearing skirts that barely covered their butts, as well as wearing sky-high stilettos), but then again, that's what life is about when you're young - looking good and partying.

After a while, we decided go back to our room and relax. Hubby was still a bit tired from his long day of working, and I was a bit hot from wearing a long sleeved sparkley shirt. We had a nightcap of Bailey's on the rocks, watched both the NYC Ball and the NC Acorn drop (pic above), and crashed.

All in all, it was a great NYE, and the best thing was that we did not have to drive home!

Today was all about getting home. Hubby flew thru Philly to his final destination of Orlando, and I flew into Tampa. At this point, he walked in a little while ago, and we're watching a wonderful sunset as the Rose Bowl game is on. Dinner is going to be pizza and a salad from Mellow Mushroom on Causeway Blvd - we're not cooking!

New Year's Eve...

When I was single, New Year's Eve meant the world to me - time to ring out the old and ring in the new with friends, catch the eye of another person that could bring a spring to your step and cause your heart to skip a beat... have fun while reflecting on the old.

Ever since I got married, though, New Year's Eve has been very mellow. They have either been spent at a friend's house, dinner and a movie, or, every once in a while, apart. Yes you read right - apart. My husband travels for a living, and there are times when he is away on New Year's Eve. I prefer it when his trips end with him coming in on New Year's Eve, but for those times where he is on the road, I would try and meet him, only if I can get back to our home without too many headaches.

Well, tomorrow night is one of those circumstances where I will be able to join him on New Year's Eve. He has a layover in Raleigh, NC that is on the long side, and I will have no problems flying back here on January 1. What makes this special is that we will be celebrating with a bunch of his co-workers who also will be staying at the hotel. I like the people that he works with - they're fun-loving, positive folks who like to get silly every once in a while. This trip will also allow my husband to use his digital camera, which I got him for the holidays. It'll be the first time that I am not photographing something - I will actually be IN the pictures *lol*

My overnight bag is packed, I have my tickets in hand, and I have my camera just in case something goes wrong with his. I am not taking my laptop, as I don't want to schlep it for 24 hours. If I really feel the need to go online, I can always use his.

Oh well... time to sign off and get some sleep!

First Post is the Hardest *lol*

One of the New Year's resolutions that I have made for myself is that I am going to try and blog every day. Sometimes the posts will be thoughtful, sometimes they will be silly, sometimes they will be connected to something on either my Facebook or Twitter accounts, sometimes they will be me bashing something that I read/saw/heard...

Well... here goes nothing!

This Jersey Girl likes: all sorts of music, movies galore, traveling, photography, cooking (I have a Personal Chef business on the side), reading, blogging, NCIS, CSI Vegas; watching "classic" reality shows like "Survivor", "Amazing Race", and "American Idol"; some of the newer reality shows like "Shear Genius", "Project Runway", "Tabitha's Salon Takeover", "Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency".

This Jersey Girl cannot stand: people who talk on their cell phones while driving WITHOUT the use of a hands-free device like a Bluetooth (c'mon Charlie Crist - where's the legislation on this one?), people who drive slow in the "fast lane" and then get all pissy when you pass them via the middle lane (move over buddy, that's why they call it the FAST lane!), Dubya (how many days until he's out of office?), "Neighborhood Nazi's" (we live in a townhouse community, and lord knows there's a number of them running around!).

This Jersey Girl supports: the war in Iraq (bring those boys home NOW - they never should have been there in the first place!), equal rights for ALL (I want to see people who live alternative lifestyles be able to get married just like everyone else), peace in the Middle East (Israel deserves to be a nation, just like Egypt, Jordan, and Syria), Obama's Presidency (I am so glad to see that there will be change in Washington - that and I'm glad that his girls are attending the school that one of my cousins is an alumni of!), Unions (hubby's job is supported by a Union, and I love what they have been able to accomplish).

This Jersey Girl misses: real NY bagels from H&H Bagels, Russ & Daughters, GussPickles, Knish Nosh, Bischoff's Ice Cream, Johnny & Hanges Hot Dogs, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, Lincoln Center, Broadway Shows, NYC during the Holidays, Museum of Natural History, her grandmother's Rugelah and Mondelbrodt, her mother's Standing Rib Roast, her grandmother's Jello Moulds, and Anna's Potato Latkes.

In a nutshell, that's me ~ who I am, what I am, what I support, and what I miss.