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and now we’re gonna party like it’s 1995

yes, teaneck high school people, kelley has updated her blog…again!!

so the new miss new jersey is my very deserving friend, georgine.  gorgeous, talented violinist, body to die for, smart as a whip…she’s a keeper for sure!  it was so great to be there for her win.  the whole weekend was fun, in fact.  i headed down thursday night for the preliminaries, and stayed with our friend dave at his house in avalon.  his adorable mom cooked me breakfast in the morning and chatted me up…it was awesome.  dave had a few beach cruisers laying around, so i took a lovely bike ride and explored avalon, then did some shopping in stone harbor.  saturday morning my mom headed down to ocean city and we stayed at a crappy beach motel that night.  the coral sands…ew. never again.  sunday, after my mom and all my friends had headed back up north, i walked the boardwalk, shopped, and satisfied some beach food cravings with mack-n-manco’s pizza and funnel cake.  i had already had vineger boardwalk fries and kohr bros. custard.

tuesday i shot a borgata commercial in a.c.  it was really fun and easy–just sat around and played fake texas hold ‘em, and ate lots of craft service and catering…they had fresh oysters at lunch…what???  it ruled.  and i met some cool peeps.  all in a day’s work…

saturday was my 10 year high school reunion.  it was so great to see everyone, although there were a few notable people missing.  i had an absolute blast and have now reconnected with some folks i never should have lost touch with in the first place.  mark came with me and was such a good sport about being left to fend for himself a bit while i talked to people and danced.  he seemed to enjoy himself quite a bit, actually.  and he looked hot.  i will get pictures up eventually.  V.W.O.T. lives!

yesterday i worked a ridiculously easy promotion job for an investment company.  i had to sign in a bunch of stodgy old millionaires to a financial seminar and then they fed me filet mignon and fish.  i also got a three hour break in the middle of the day.  such a tough life i lead lately.

so the summer continues…marisa AND my l’il ashley have their graduation parties on saturday the 8th and i will be attending both.  ashley is now 18–so scary to me.  and her music career is looking more promising every day.  check her out on myspace.  rob and jo-ann’s wedding on the 7th, where mark will be looking hot in a tux.  we’re moving to the new apartment upstairs that weekend, too, or should i say mark and his sisters and cousin will be moving while i’m at the graduation parties, haha.  and then denver for my birthday week.

rico recap and stuff

had a very nice weekend and past few days.  friday night, my friend heather came to philly to hang out.  heather was one of my closest high school friends, but we haven’t seen each other since 97 or 98.  we went to continental and imbibed many overpriced, girly drinks, ate some yummy food, and got caught up.  naturally we stayed up until four in the am because we had so much to talk about.  so we had a little slumber party and then brunch in the morning.  it was so awesome to see her!  we’ll have to do it more often.  and of course we have our 10 year reunion coming up…scary…but i can’t wait.

late saturday afternoon, i headed out to york for andi’s baby shower.  LONG drive, but totally worth it, of course.  andi is such a glowing, beautiful, and thin pregnant woman…we should all look like her when we’re expecting!  it was great to see her and damon, as always.

sunday, mark, walter, and i went and got coffee at out usual place, and then played in the park for a while.  monday, i got on my bicycle for the first time this year.  or should i say mark’s bike…my bike is bulky and has flat tires right now, so mark adjusted his seat and i have hijacked his ride.  don’t tell him, but he’s so not getting it back.  it’s so lightweight and such a smooth ride.  i took it out again last night, and although my ass really hurt from riding on monday, i rode through the pain and got some great exercise.  ride or die!!!

so i never talked about puerto rico:

when we arrived, it started pouring rain.  also, the ride from the airport to the resort was not a pretty one–the rio grande area is a bit depressed.  so the resort was kind of a sight for sore eyes.  it’s humongous and very beautiful…i can see how some folks never leave the property for their whole vacation.  we had a bite to eat in the main restaurant overlooking the garden, and then headed to the room.  they gave us a junior suite, which was very nice.  mark napped and i took a bath.  we took a late night walk around the property and listened to the tree frogs who seemed to be talking to us…"coqui!  coqui!"  ordered room service sandwiches, and slept.

next morning, breakfast on the balcony, and then straight to the beach.  we decided to splurge on a cabana for the day, partially because i’m under strict orders from my dermatologist not to get any sun on my face.  let me tell you…it was worth every penny.  we felt so spoiled!  there were fluffy white towels laid out and folded, a cooler full of water and soda, and a basket of snacks.  an attendant came over immediately to see if we wanted anything else, and checked back frequently.  oh, cabana boy!!

it was a PERFECT beach day.  i read a great book…totally silly, but an awesome summer beach book: social crimes by jane stanton hitchcock.  we listened to our ipods (kt tunstall on repeat!  love her!), bodysurfed in the ocean, and swam in the pool.  lunch at the tiki bar.  more loafing and swimming and frozen margaritas.  dinner on the resort, but only because the two cute little places in town we wanted to try were closed.  it’s a slower time of year for them now, so a lot of places were only open a few days during the week.

next day, more beach, but it was slightly overcast, so we hopped in the car and took a drive with the intention of getting some lunch.  we ended up getting slightly lost and majorly caught in traffic.  driving pretty much anymore in puerto rico is a nightmare.  there are far too many cars for the roads to handle.  case in point: based on mileage, the ride from the airport should have taken 15-20 minutes, but it always takes at least 45 minutes to an hour.  anyway, we came across a fun mexican place eventually and gorged on mole enchiladeas as it began to POUR outside.  later, we took a sunset stroll on the beach, and chilled in the suite that night.

thursday, we got up early and headed over to el yunque, the rainforest, conveniently right by our resort.  we hiked down to la mina falls, where i promptly jumped in the water to cool off.  let me tell you…there is absolutely nothing like a good hike followed by a refreshing dip in a gorgeous natural pool and waterfall.  that worked up a major appetite, so we went over to the kiosks at luquillo beach.  it’s basically a long outdoor strip mall with gift shops and little cafes.  every storefront is numbered, and some seemed pretty dirty.  mark had heard good things about #2, though, la parilla, and we were surprised to see that it was actually a really nice restaurant…very clean and inviting.  food and drinks and service were wonderful, but when we got the bill, we realized that the lobster tail & mofongo special we had ordered was..get this…$60!  ok, i’m willing to pay for good food, and no, we did not ask the price before we ordered, but if you’re gonna charge me $60 for just a TAIL and some mashed up plantains, the name of your restaurant better be le cirque and that better be some rare-ass south african lobster.  shiiiit.  anyway, we didn’t let it ruin our experience.  the meal was awesome, and there was this adorable little kitty hanging around us who totally became my bff after i fed her some seafood.  i named her l’il chupacabra.  she almost jumped into my lap!  i wanted to catnap her.

that’s the thing about puerto rico…stray cats everywhere!  we noticed a few on the resort when we were in the pool–they hang out in the bushes.  and in old san juan, they were all over the street and down on the rocks near the water.  los gatos de playa.

anyway, we spent some more time on the beach and in the pool and hot tub before dinner at the bamboo lounge.  it’s this great restaurant/bar up in the forest that provides a free shuttle from the westin.  more good fish and plantains and rice and wine and mojitos!  oh, and the best dessert ever.

next morning, we bid an early farewell to the westin, and headed to old san juan for some shopping and sightseeing.  it’s very cool, reminded me a bit of old nice.  there are forts and cathedrals and museums to explore.  we didn’t have nearly enough time to see everything, but we enjoyed ourselves.  had lunch at a cute tapas place, and then on our way back to the car, got absolutely soaked in the rain.  it was fun, though. 

our flight back to dc was fine, however we were dismayed to learn upon arrival that our connection to newark had been canceled.  after tracking down our luggage, we decided to just rent a car and drive to philly, and then up to jersey the next morning to pick up walter.  the drive from dc to philly should have taken 2 hours, 2.5 tops.  there must have been an accident on 95, because it took about 4 hours to get home.  oy vey.  at least i got to sleep a little.  poor mark had to drive.

but anywhoo…all in all, our trip to puerto rico was probably the most romantic and relaxing vacation we’ve ever taken.  next time we want to see vieques and swim in the bioluminescent bay.

check out the photo album.

music…makes the people…laugh at kelley

i’m downloading the new gnarls barkley album off of itunes right now, and from the stuff i’ve heard so far, it’s amazing.  i downloaded their song,"crazy", last week for my puerto rico mix, which also consisted of a bunch of stuff i will be ridiculed for.  but i don’t care.  here’s the mix.  i highly recommend it for you listening pleasure:

1. walk away–kelly clarkson
2. you’re beautiful–james blunt
3. moody’s mood for love–elliot yamin
4. jesus, take the wheel–carrie underwood
5. crazy–gnarls barkley
6. promiscuous–nelly furtado/timbaland
7. before your love–kelly clarkson
8. when i fall in love–kevin covais
9. what hurts the most–rascal flatts
10. don’t forget to remember me–carrie underwood
11. midnight train to georgia–paris bennett
12. what about love–melissa mcghee
13. takin it to the streets–taylor hicks
14. think–katharine mcphee
15. home–michael buble

ok, so what i did was get the american idol tracks i liked this year (no ace or lisa tucker for me, thanks), and then went to the top 100 songs and got me some pop and country music! yee haw!  "promiscuous" is kinda lame (i much prefer old nelly furtado), and i don’t love melissa’s studio version of "what about love, although it’d a great song (heart RULES).  but the rest, i love.  i like fucking carrie underpants and rascal flatts, ok?

i also got kt tunstall’s album recently–incredible, and i finally got the jackie brown soundtrack again!  i had the cd years ago, and lost it at some point.  it’s quite possibly the best movie soundtrack ever.  check it out:

1. across 110th street–bobby womack
2. beaumont’s lament (dialogue)–sam jackson & robert deniro
3. strawberry letter 23–brothers johnson
4. melanie, simone, and sheronda (dialogue)–sam jackson & robert deniro
5. who is he (and what is he to you?)–bill withers
6. tennessee stud (live)–johnny cash
7. natural high–bloodstone
8. longtime woman–pam grier
9. detroit 9000–council cargle
10. holy matrimony (letter to the firm)–foxy brown
11. street life–randy crawford
12. didn’t i blow your mind this time–the delfonics
13. midnight confessions–the grass roots
14. inside my love–minnie ripperton
15. just ask melanie (dialogue)–sam jackson, robert deniro, bridget fonda
16. the lions and the cucumber–the vampire sound incorporation
17. monte carlo nights–elliot easton’s tiki gods

i’ve got to go clean now.  the place is messy.  i don’t do messy. 

america, the confused

on september 12th or 13th, i believe, of 2001, ralph, dan, and i went to union square park and created an american flag on the pavement using red, white, and blue tealights (for some reason, ralph’s dad had boxes full of tealights in the house for no reason).  it was really cool…people had been gathering in the park, talking, praying, crying…there were even drum circles.  as we were lighting all the candles, people slowly and continuously gathered around us, helping us light and re-lighting every time one went out.  at one point, a circle formed around the flag.  people held hands and sang gospel songs and spirituals.  it was moving.

strangely, a picture of our flag popped up in the times a few days ago.  crazy, huh?

“and that’s when i realized…OPRAH BEATS GAIL!”

• as a former pageant hag, i would like to thank fourfour for making me aware of the following: Mrs World

  any video that contains alan thicke, a satanic cherub descending from
  the ceiling, and a bunch of crying bitches gets my vote.  my good lord.

  please comment and tell me what you think the most awesome part of the clip is. (also, make sure to check out the names of the choreographers in the ending credits)

• i am boycotting macy’s.
• the kathy griffin show was, in a word, amazing.  so, so funny.  she talked in detail about the american idol finale, seacrest, gayken, oprah–the usual suspects, and also told a precious story about a naked ambien blackout in baghdad.  she also delved into her hatred of this administration, but kept it pretty light…like, what’s the worst thing al gore ever did, huh?  grow a bushy beard we didn’t like?  dick cheney shot someone in the face!!  and check this…after the show, jen and i ran into christian finnegan on the street!  how weird is that…we’re fans of his, of course, but we’ve also worked with him on tv land commercials.  he was extremely sweet and gracious, despite the fact that we interrupted him awkwardly eating a chicken salad sandwich (his words) and checking the yankees’ score through the window of a pub.  it was cool to see him, and it was so awesome to finally see amy again after all these years and to meet her boyfriend, who is a doll.  i do believe a good time was had by all.
• i got my laser treatment done today.  it was a relatively painless process, except for the part where i had to drive there and be seen in public WEARING A THICK LAYER OF NUMBING CREAM ON MY FACE, COVERED WITH PIECES OF SARAN WRAP.  i’m sure i frightened at least one child.

sisquo would be proud

let me share my flip-flop triumph with you. 

you see, i’ve never been able to wear thongs…sandals, that is.  thong underwear is wonderful.  but the shoes…oh no.  it’s not usually the thing between my toes that bothers me so much, it’s the straps across the top of my feet.  they hurt and always give me blisters and cuts.  so several years ago i resigned myself to sandals with just a wide strap across the top, or ones that have the little toe ring at the top, and a wider strap across the foot below it.  through the years i have gone back to the thong occasionally, willing
them to be comfortable, only to be disappointed again in the end.   i have some really cute non-thong sandals that i get complimented on every time i wear them.  so you’d think i’d be satisfied.  who cares about thongs, right? 

well, i’m sorry, but when it seems like the rest of the free world can wear thongs, i get jealous.  i mean, everywhere i go, thong thong thong!  in every store!  for every price, high and low!  i can’t possibly be the only person with small, narrow, delicate feet who can’t wear thong flip-flops, can i?  even my sister, who i thought had the same problem as me, bought a pair of white platform thong sandals a few summers ago.  i felt so alone.

when shopping for my recent trip, i was once again overtaken by the urge to fit in: to be a thong flip-flop wearer.  i went to aldo, and saw a cute pair of platform flip-flops with wide straps, similar to my sister’s.  they looked so comfy!  and they were SO painful.  damn.  i went to pacific sunwear to try on those rainbow brand flip-flops everyone seems to love.  not as painful, but…not comfortable at all.  le sigh.

and then, j. crew.  my last stop.  another pair of white platforms caught my eye, but these had elastic straps.  hmm…worth a try…okay, not bad…the thing between my toes kinda sucks, but the straps, they’re not cutting into my feet.  they’ll just be my crappy, semi-comfortable pool shoes.  not a total triumph, but progress.  and then…i saw THEM.  navy blue thong flip-flops with with wide, cotton, madras-print straps and a thin strip of tan leather as the toe thingee.  i loved them.  i slipped them on…and they were good to me.  utterly comfortable.  i looked around the store suspiciously…could this be happening?  could it be real?

i bought them.  and i wore them all around puerto rico.  i left the white ones in my suitcase.  i think i’m in love with my flip-flops.  i’m wearing them right now, actually.  and i finally feel…that i’m a part of something…i, kelley, am a thong wearer. *tear*

sunday sunday

puerto rico was amazing.  i’ll do a full recap later.

yesterday was laura’s bridal shower up in chatham, which was lovely.  i left early because my stomach was upset, but it was nice to spend some time with my mother and sisters-in-law, as always, and to chat with laura and trish a bit.  for those of you that are lost, laura is mark’s first cousin, and trish is paul’s girlfriend (paul is laura’s brother, so also mark’s first cousin).  mark and i spent last night in…gave walter a bath (he NEEDED it after a week in the "country"), ordered some indian food, and chilled.

this morning we slept in, had brunch in liberties walk, and enjoyed the art fair that was going on.  i got jess an awesome birthday gift, which she will get tomorrow…at the kathy griffin show!  i can’t wait.  should be a blast…my friend amy, who i love to death but have not seen in, like, five years or so, is coming.  yay!

just took walter for a long walk with caroline and anouk, walter’s best gal, and they had a nice make-out session.  ah, young love.  and now, seven minutes till sopranos.  this better be good.