Pre-Birthday Night Out

So, I had a "pre-birthday" Birthday celebration Friday night. After hearing a friend had a great time @ Vudu Lounge, in the city, I decided I'd have my party there, as well. It isn't too far down, so I knew location would be great for anyone who chose to come along. I have to say that this year's night out is up there in the 'best' book.
During the day, I wasn't so excited about going out. I suppose the celebrations of the past few years were consuming my thoughts, and while they were great, I just wasn't sure I was up for the usual dancing night out. Well, lots of convincing & many 'where and what time' text messages later, I got out of my head and went for it! Goodness, so many people came to hang out! It was wonderful to see those who were able to make it! I definitely missed my sister, and the other few friends who couldn't be there, but I understood why. xoxo. For those of us that were there, oh my goodness....we danced ALL NIGHT. All night! All night. The music was jumpin, the crowd was good, polite~no drama~and everyone had a ball! Whether they were drinking or dancing, everyone was having a great time. I have to say, I think everyone did dance! Usually, our crowd spends a good amount of time at the bar..well, not me...I'm ALWAYS dancing! ha! I'm glad that everyone had such a good time & got home safely! I wished my hair hadn't gotten flat by the end of the night, but dancing, sweating~what did I really expect? ha! Thanks to everyone that made it out! It meant a lot! The pictures are displayed a little awkwardly...but, enjoy them!

Tree Trimming '08

This is the time of year that I do two important things...#1, I decorate my Christmas tree, and #2, I celebrate my birthday. Well, the birthday celebration isn't exactly important...it's just part of the weekend. Last year's tree trimming wasn't quite right since I didn't have a tree. Actually, I thought the tree was in my closet, but it just wasn't. Not there, not at my mom's house, nowhere. So, we had the party...just w/o the tree. Ah! This year, I made sure I got one, and a true tree trimming was had! At first, getting the artificial tree to look full and not like the Charlie Brown one I had last year was quite a task. However, with a little patience and love from my sister and my friend, Eddie, it turned out to be simply perfect. My nephew, Barbara's girls and Lisa's girls all trimmed the tree with my growing assortment of ornaments, bows and candy canes! I think they ate some of those candy canes as they hung them ; ) As each of my friends came & brought me a new ornament, I had them place it where they chose on the tree. Thank you all for the ornaments and for sharing in this special day! It was wonderful having everyone over. I hope you enjoyed yourselves! For those that were unable to make it, we truly missed you.

Decorated with love.













Marisel put the tree up, and Justyn helped to decorate it...










As did Zoe and Kelly!










Barbara, Lisa and Jordan were truly exhausted from all the trimming they did! ha!









And Caitlyn was ready for her candy!









Eddie did the lights...and brought us chairs! Thanks so much!

Thanksgiving 2008

This year, Thanksgiving was spent at my aunt, Mildred's house. Boy did we eat! Goodness! I am not sure what I enjoyed most...the dinner or the dessert. My lunch crew could say probably the dessert because I ALWAYS eat it before my lunch! ha! Unfortunately, Uncle Joe was dissatisfied with ANY of the dessert choices, but that's okay...he ate them all, regardless. ha! My personal favorite was the pastele! Yuuum! As usual, we laughed the entire time we were together. Thankfully, Mari did not get asthma from laughing, and the kid's allergies from the cat held up!

Unfortunately, I didn't get spend time w/ my mom and Nat. They were missed, though. We spoke a few times that day, but it wasn't the same as actually being together. Right now, I'm missing my mom a lot.

I suppose saying I'm thankful for all that I have in my life sounds like the obvious thing one would say. However, I truly mean it. With each day that passes, something always stands out that I'm thankful for. Of course, since I'm thoroughly exhausted from some UNRULY students, I can't give specific examples of what I'm trying to say. However, know this...without my family, I'd be nothing. Each one of them is a part of who I am. They are all amazing and I'm blessed to have these wonderful people in my life. My truest friends, my rocks, my confidants, help make my days & stresses a little easier, and for that I'm thankful. I'm blessed in many ways, and I try to make sure I thank God for the things & people I'm surrounded by.

Marisel, Dad, Me, Grandma










Crespo Girls, Marisel, Me, Titi Mildred










Mom (from last year's Thanksgiving!ha!)










NEM!!!! We missed you, too!










Justyn, Sierra, Brendan, and Seanie










Our newest cousin, Maya.

Weekend Update

My weekend was meant to be a very quiet one. After fighting a sinus infection for three weeks and partying for two of those weekends, I knew I simply needed to take it easy. For the most part, I did just that. However, the past two days ended later than I'd hoped and consisted of many more activities than I'd planned.

Friday night I kind of double booked myself...nope, not w/ two dates, haha. I had committed to attending my friend's open bar, as well as meeting my cousins & friends to see Twilight. In order to make sure both plans were kept, I arranged for the 'movie' crew to meet up where the 'open bar' crew was going to be. We met at Burke's in Yonkers for dinner, and from there we shot over to New Roc City for the movie.

It turned out that the coordinator of the open bar (Neverly, who is in my Autism Walk pics) got stuck at work and wound up getting to her own function late. Definitely a bummer, but she did make it in time for us to at least say a quick hi and bye! I know she had a ball after my friends and I left. We were lucky enough to get to spend a little time with Al and Anna! Their kids had a sleepover and they got a night out. It was definitely a nice treat to hang w/ them for a short while.

Twilight was AWESOME! I mean, true to Jessica form, I have YET to finish reading the book, but I'm STILL working on it! As I watched the movie, part of me wanted to leave as to not spoil the ending for myself, but I didn't... I watched every minute of it! I didn't even fall asleep! That's new for me! ha! Everyone enjoyed it~I think this mini girl's night out was needed. All I know is that I was more relaxed than I'd been in a while. It was a good feeling.

We ended our night at Applebees..it was FRIGID out and close by...enough said. While the girls drank their fancy beverages, I warmed up w/ a coffee. My 'lay low' evening ended at 1:30 a.m.... I wouldn't have traded one minute of that night for anything else... We had an amazing time doing something so simple...again I say, it's not what you do, it's who you do it with... no dirty thoughts there, please. ; )

Saturday I spent the ENTIRE day w/ my family. I always enjoy being w/ them...it's almost always a guaranteed good time w/ lots of laughs and too much food!

Today, I attended a Holiday Boutique at a temple in White Plains w/ Jody. We haven't seen each other since August at Mayah's 1st birthday, so it was wonderful to spend time together and chat in person! We spend a lot of time text chatting during the days. Thanks for hanging, Jodes!

Pre-TWILIGHT dinner @ Burke's.










Al and Anna.










Neverly's cousin, her husband, Al and Anna.










The TWILIGHT group. They ALL finished reading the book...










They spent a lot of time working on the tilt of my hat! ha!

Lindsay's Shower

It was just 3 months ago that Lindsay & Anthony were celebrating their 1 year wedding anniversary. Now, a year and change later, we are celebrating Lindsay's pregnancy! It's been an interesting beginning of the school year watching Lindsay's belly grow... True to "Linds form" she's been a very stylish pregger. The funniest thing I've observed has been watching her go through her 'heat flashes.' We'll all be at lunch, and next thing we know, Linds is sitting at another table, shoes are off, maybe a layer of her 89 shirts is off...ya never know...and she's like, "Hot flash." lolol. So, we're enjoying the pregnancy along with her...She hasn't given in to too many cravings (that I've seen) and seems to be coming along very nicely. Hopefully she'll make it @ work til the end, as she wants to, and have a healthy and safe delivery! Best of luck, Lindsay!

A year ago at the wedding.










Lindsay and her mom, Judy.









Part of the 83 gang: (standing) Me, Lisa, Linds, Christie; (sitting l-r)Gwen, Julia, Lisa, Cath

Invisalign Disaster!

For those of you who don't know, I've been wearing Invisalign since January. I have to say, they have worked very well. Sue would agree, as she once commented, "Jess, those invisalign are really working." haha...THANKS, Sue. I do think they've helped a bit.
Anyone who has shared a meal w/ me in the past 10 months can attest to the craziness I go through when I have to remove and 'store' them away...What should be an easy task of putting them in my CASE, isn't. I usually put them in a paper towel and just set them somewhere...by the end of the meal, someone has almost always thrown them out... My whole lunch crew could agree! ha! Last month, one of my students threw out the 'napkin' that was on the table while I was at a meeting. My orthodontist made me a new retainer since I am awaiting a new set of aligners... Today's adventure topped the last...
After eating lunch, I didn't put them on right away. Instead, I left them in my bag wrapped in a napkin. Fine. Not really, though...when I arrived at my mom's casa, I set the bag down and out popped EVERYTHING because our dog is WILD and jumped on me right away. Cute, but wild. As Natalie, Justyn and I sat doing work, all of a sudden, Pepper was running through the house w/ a piece of paper...we chased her down and got it...okay, no worries. Next thing I knew, Nat pointed out that one of my retainers had fallen out of my bag and onto the floor...again, not a prob...until I heard a snap...something that sounded like plastic...something that sounded like it was being chewed....next thing I knew, Pepper was CHEWING on my bottom retainer. Oh my goodness!!!! All I did was yell Noooooo, but yes....she killed it. My orthodontist is going to kill me! Marisel said, "Dude, the invisalign...just not meant to be." Could she be right?

Candice's Birthday Celebration

My family loves celebrating birthdays...well, we actually love celebrating ANYTHING. The most important part is that we are together.
Candice turned 31 this week...for one month we are the same age : ) Wednesday she celebrated w/ her family in NJ. Friday, she came to her mom's house, and we ate lasagna, cake, and had a ball laughing, talking, and just being ourselves.
Saturday, Danielle hosted a Girl's Night / Candice's Birthday Celebration. True to Candice form, she was late to her own party, haha, but we didn't expect anything different. I couldn't tell you what we all talked about, but it didn't matter. We were together enjoying each other's company, having wine, snacks, laughs, etc! We watched the Sex & the City movie, and I don't think anyone was happier to watch it than me! The second time around was just as emotional for me as the first, but still...just as enjoyable.
Sometimes, relaxed nights at home are just as good, if not better, than fancy nights out. Actually, it doesn't matter where you go...it's who you are sharing the time with. Maad~we missed you! xoxo

The Birthday Girl!










Danielle & Gracie










I made the cake!




















We ate a lot! Yuuum!

Jewelry Party

Many of you know I truly enjoy hosting parties. Since I've lived in this apartment (5 years, guys!) I've been lucky enough to host Christmas Eve. It's actually my favorite event to host! Sometimes I'll have brunch for my sister, cousins and their families, sometimes I'll celebrate a RANDOM holiday (remember Cinco de Mayo??), etc, oh, last year there was the infamous Tree Trimming sans tree....this year there will be a tree, guys! haha.
Well, my latest was a Lia Sophia Jewelry Party. It was such an awful day, weather wise, and I definitely stressed out about who would be able to make it under the conditions. Well, most of my friends who said they'd come did. Others were unable to make it, and that was okay. They were missed, though.
We had LOTS of food, so much WINE, and a wonderful time! I'm glad I have another 'party' memory in this apartment! Thanks so much to everyone who helped make it a fun night!

The Shoppers!!!

Erica, Nicole, and myself









Chrissy, Arjiana, me










Josephine & Shannon









Venetta & Marisel

Three Weeks!

Yes, it's been three weeks since my last blog and Lord knows I have had A LOT to write about. Just haven't been able to stop and sit at the computer when I've been home. Not to mention that my keyboard wigged out and I suppose got annoyed w/ me for dropping it so much....and died = (
Unfortunately, my time at work doesn't allow me to blog as I can at home, but thankfully, I got a new keyboard! Yay! Me being me~The spaz that I am ~ I couldn't get it to work. The instructions were simple enough~plug and go! So, I did but NADA. My cousin, Ally, got it to work w/o a problem. Don't ask bc I don't know. Just glad to be back on! Here are some pics from Halloween 2008! More blogs to come...as I said, there's a lot to write about. Enjoy!


This is my friend, Michelle & her daughter, Kaitlyn. They visited us @ work.










Here we have Roberta & little Pierce! How cute he looked as a lion!










This is my class! If you click on the picture, you can see the kids clearer.









Last but not least, my friends, Rose (as Fiona!) and Shannon (as Jane Jetson!).

Steamtown Marathon

I spent the day walking down stairs BACKWARDS, as this is the ONLY way to do such a task after running 26.2 miles. I feel surprisingly well, but my quads are super sore. Thank God, they are the only body parts that are giving me any discomfort. The marathon was, just that, a LONG 26.2 miles. I had forgotten exactly what that felt like from last year's run...maybe I blocked out the memory of the pain. haha.
Steamtown,PA is MUCH different than NY...as mostly anywhere out of NY is. I found that I missed the energy of NY, but enjoyed the scenery as I ran through the different parts of the town. There were the mom & pop shops, the American Legion (that had a CLEAN bathroom!), the beautiful foliage, certain areas that reminded me of the Georgia race course, the QUIET I needed at certain times and the kids cheering on the sidelines when I needed an extra push...
I ran at a much faster pace than I'm used to for such a long run...for long runs, one has to pace themselves so you don't hit the dreaded 'wall' along the way...well, I hit mine @ mile 20. Figures! I attribute that to not drinking for 10 miles of running at a sub 8 minute mile pace. After mile 21-22, I hit a sugar LOW and just needed to drink all the water and Gatorade I could get. The best part was that the volunteers had things I NEEDED~cookies, gummy bears, and swedish fish! Yep, I had them all along miles 21-24, and those things got me through the last few miles w/ MUCH more energy than I'd had. At one point, a man yelled, "4 hours is still attainable!" Well, that was just what I needed to hear to jump start my adrenaline. A sub 4 hour marathon is unheard of for me, but I figured, what the heck, let me push and see what happens, and that's JUST what I did. I found every bit of energy I had an RACED til the end...because, after all, it IS always a race. ; ) End time: 3 hours, 59 minutes, and 32 seconds. WOW! I'm definitely pleased & surprised with that time and with the fact that I REALLY completed this without injury.
I have to say~when I hit mile 24 and my quads felt as though they couldn't go any longer, and they were so tight and uncomfortable, I remembered last year's marathon & how I struggled at the exact same mileage... except this time, I was racing against time & had to fight through it..which I did! Yay!! I was THRILLED to see Marisel and Justyn near the Finish Line! I almost cried at seeing them, but HAD to finish, so I kept it together! haha~Thanks, Mari & Just for being there~it meant the world to me!
Binu also did well, but he got injured on the course! ah! Somehow, the arch of his foot began to hurt him very much and he had walk, get a heating pad for it, alternate between running and walking, etc. Although he didn't finish in the time time he planned & hoped for, he still did VERY well! Great job, B!

Walking for a Cause...

Our team at the Autism Awareness Walk @ Jones Beach!
Myself, Anna, her friend, Francesca, Joseph (behind Konotey), Konotey, Neverly (next to Anna), Steve, Jessa's mom, Jessa and Kieran.










Little Firemen!









Smiles all around!

My friends and I are always doing walks for different causes. Last weekend, although it poured rain in the morning, we gathered at Jones Beach for the Autism Awareness walk. It was PACKED with people and groups from all over Long Island and probably the tri-state area. We did a 5K walk and had quite a nice time, despite the gray skies. All we needed was our positive, cheery attitudes to get through the gloomy weather. I decided to make the walk my workout for the day by pushing the baby stroller, and at some points, both babies~excuse me, Toddlers~we in there! Can we say a workout? haha! I was glad to have been part of the group! Can't wait for our next walk!

A Busy Weekend!

What a weekend it's been! I am truly exhausted from partying and running! The latter should be no surprise, though. haha.

This was Binu's birthday weekend! Yay! Happy Birthday, B! Much to his surprise, Renny came into NY to celebrate! She and I teamed up & we celebrated @ Columbus 72 on Friday night. He was suspicious for a while as to whether she was trying to surprise him because he couldn't get through to her phone...he figured she was flying...she told him she was @ happy hour and couldn't get reception! Great job, Ren! I, of course, just told him he was being HOPEFUL, and that that was OKAY. haha. Little did he know that at that same time, I was picking her up @ LGA! We all partied the night away along w/ my friends Cathy, Al, Shannon & Mike! I don't know his friends well enough to have invited anyone, and it was great of my friends to come celebrate! Plus, I think we needed a night out just because we haven't had one in a while...so, Binu's birthday was a great reason to get us together=) We had a BALL! I never realized how stressful trying to surprise someone can be, and I almost slipped a few times, but it ALL worked out! I'm truly glad it all went well!!
Lastly, after not running as regularly as I had been only 3 weeks ago, I ran an 18 mile tune-up today. Needless to say, it took the first 6 miles to warm up, the next 6 I ran HARD following Binu's pace. Well, that made me ILL so I kept the last 6 @ my pace and finished at the time I wanted to. I definitely am EXHAUSTED, but have such a sense of accomplishment! Binu ran a great pace the last two loops! Great job, B!

Jen and Mike's Wedding

Jen and Mike cut their beautiful & wedding cake!









The gals of P.S. 83 past and present.









Again, but this time with the beautiful bride.

Today we celebrated Jen & Mike's wedding. We have watched Jen and Mike grow as a couple, and it was wonderful seeing them come together as husband and wife. They both looked amazing. After so much planning and stressing, it was comforting to watch Jen enjoy every minute of their wedding day! Good Job, Jen!
Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves~everything from the church to the dessert was flawless! Jen truly outdid herself, and while I know there was a lot of stress along the way, the end result was WELL WORTH IT.
Love you Jen & Mike! May you be blessed with a lifetime of happiness, love, laughs, health & all good things.

Pictures Here!

Above is my high school friend, Wanda.









James' bday in Long Island.










The familia! Dinner @ Mamma Francesca.










Friends from 83~Teddy, Cathy, Al, Barbara.









More friends from 83~Lisa and Shannon.

After writing so much about different people in my life, I thought I'd add some new pictures. Each person in my life adds something different, something positive & I believe I'm blessed to know every person I do.