MEMORIAL DAY

Is May really over already?

This time of year symbolizes many things for me…the warmer weather, the longer days, the excitement of breaking out the skorts and jelly shoes!

No wait, that was 1987…I meant tunics and sandals.

I’m sooooooo looking forward to some BBQs this weekend and a fine forecast for the beach on Monday.

To many people, including myself, Memorial Day is about taking a day off to chill out with friends and family.

This year, I’m making it my business to really think about the reason the holiday exists- to honor all the people who have sacrificed their lives so we get to live the way we do- and to appreciate every moment of Monday in that context.

Strange to say but thankfully, no one I know personally is serving in the military, so I can’t even imagine what that’s like.

Nor can I imagine a life where BBQs and bathing suits, among other things, are forbidden.

As we go on with our everyday lives, other people are out there putting theirs on hold and on the proverbial line.

I think if it’s not in our faces we tend forget the profound reality of that. Sometimes the thought is too much.

I’m incredibly thankful for the freedom I have in my life and I intend to acknowledge that more often.

The ability to make simple life choices is a luxury some people just don’t have and we should never take that for granted.

So as you sip your beer, grill your burger and soak up the sun this weekend, instead of bitching about gas prices, take a moment to really appreciate it all.

Aside from joining the military, the best we can do to honor the men and women who died for our way of life is to live ours with love, gratitude and integrity. 

AND TO ALL THE MILITARY FAMILIES OUT THERE...THANK YOU!!!

Have a very merry, very safe and especially free Memorial Day Weekend!

xoxo 

The BIG "O"

Today is bittersweet. It's both the celebration and the end of an era...that being the era of Miss Oprah Winfrey.

There's no one on the planet that has influenced me, and countless others, like Oprah.

I will sit down at 4PM today and watch the very last episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show. There will likely be tears involved.

I am a complete cheeseball, I know, but I have no shame when it comes to Oprah. I confess my love loud and proud!

Even if you don't love her TV show, you have to respect her as a human being.

She's a woman I admire endlessly and ultimately aspire to emulate.

If there's one thing that's come out of my hours of TV watching, it's the inspiration and encouragement I've gotten from her show.

She's been the most positively powerful influence of our time and it goes well beyond her monetary and charitable contributions.

I'm so grateful for her example...on how to live well, love well and be the very best human being I can.

I'm not sure if anything will ever quite fill the void in my DVR lineup...or in my life.

Thank you, Oprah, for all you've done and for all you are. You have undoubtedly made this world better.

You have made me better. Much love & respect.

WTF?!!!

The world didn't come to an end this weekend...yay!

You might remember a week or two ago when I posted about the great things that were happening, seemingly all at once...three dates in a week, work progress, etc.

There was a happy, colorful cloud pic involved. The title of the post - When it rains it pours.

Sure does. Only the cloud looked a bit bleaker this week.

 

I spent most of my weekend agonizing over how to cook the endless amount of meat that thawed when our freezer broke down.

It was a mess. Meat juice everywhere. The entire place smelled like meat!

My mother is away for the week, which sadly left me in charge of dealing with it all.

I'm a decent cook, but I was really out of my league on this one. I felt so guilty throwing it out so I figured I'd have to try.

I was determined to make it work without burning the house down.

She gave me a few recipes to work with but it was literally overwhelming to try and cook so much at once. She had enough meat in there to feed a small country!

The freezer guy came Saturday, 5 min before my sister walked in with her new man. 

It was chaotic, but awesome. We bbq'd some of the meat and after a bottle of vino I was over the whole situation. 

Then I woke up from my nap and realized I still had a kitchen full of meat to cook asap and a party to get ready for in the city.  

Let me paint you a picture...there was rib roast, turkey roast, chicken cutlets, chicken wings and thighs, chicken nuggets, steak, a price-club sized bag of stadium-sized hotdogs, mini hotdogs (which I took to my softball game yesterday), kebab meat, meatballs, several bags of ground beef, burger patties, turkey patties, veal cutlets, canadian bacon, etc., etc., etc. 

I'm not kidding. I had 5 shopping bags full of meat. My sister took some, my neighbors took some, the garbage took some and I'm actually STILL cooking some. 

Some cooking was successful, some not so much. Might be a good time to consider the Atkins diet. Memorial Day weekend is rapidly approaching. 

I even called a friend to see if her fireman husband wanted to take some to his firehouse. I tried to throw together a super last minute bbq but that didn't happen. 

I'm not sure why it stressed me out so much but it did. My whole weekend became about the meat...not letting it go to waste, that is. Something to ponder in therapy perhaps. 

Sunday rolled around and I woke up early to cook some more before my softball double-header in Central Park. 

I hoped that playing would take some of the edge off but something interesting happened along the way. 

After spending half an hour looking for parking, my teammates called me to say that they would chip in for parking. So I turned the next block to head towards a lot.

And as I rounded the corner, if you can believe it, I encountered a pothole and got a f-ing flat tire. 

Yes, ANOTHER one. That's twice in one week. WTF?!

I've been pretty optimistic about things lately, but ARE YOU F-ING KIDDING ME?!!! 

I can't lie, I wanted to ram my fist through the steering wheel. Instead I sobbed like a little girl.

I started feeling like that guy Eddie Mush from A Bronx Tale. 

Could this be some twisted karmic payback for my post about Tire Guy, my date from last week? Hmm. 

Didn't think I was that harsh. But now I'm debating on sharing my other recent dating stories. Maybe I'll just wait for Ladies Night.

Or maybe sometimes shit just happens. Either way, hopefully I'm good for a while.

I reminded myself today of another post, Treasure Your Trash, from a few weeks back. I thought about the quote that inspired it... 

“If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.”

  Written by Regina Brett, 90 yrs old, Cleveland, Ohio

Once again, something to think about. 

I do have enough kick ass chilli for the whole week. Too bad I think I'm officially a vegetarian. Anyone hungry? 

Bachelor #1: Tire Guy

My date with bachelor #1 started out with more drama than I anticipated. He approached me online and after a few chats back and forth I decided to give it a shot.

I was looking forward to the date when, mere minutes before arriving, I hit a damn crater in the middle of 18th street and got a flat...in my mother's car. 

I'm fully serious. Can't make this shit up. These are typically signs of either utter catastrophe or ironic luck. 

I remained optimistic in the hopes that this would make a great story for my date and I to one day tell our grandkids.

I called my date and he very graciously offered to come wait with me for roadside assistance. I felt awful but agreed it would be better than having him wait for me alone at the restaurant.

I was immediately impressed by his actions, yet admittedly judgmental about his voice.

I hate to say it, but he sounded a bit on the effeminate side, especially when he confessed he didn't know what to do about the flat because he didn't drive in the city.

We hadn't spoken on the phone before our date, something that should've been a pre-requisite...and will be from here on in. 

When he arrived I was a bit disappointed. I could tell right away that he was not my kind of guy...something I obviously didn't get from our online interaction. 

There's only so much you can gauge from a photograph. Let's just say that although I'm not looking to meet Paul Bunyon, I do realize I'm attracted to somewhat manly men. 

I'm not the world's girliest girl so I want a guy who makes me feel like a lady. In this case, it was clear that I'd be getting down and dirty changing the tire before him. 

But, he was cool and I was in it, so I was determined to enjoy it for what it was...a nice dinner date. You never know what unexpected things can happen in meeting new people.

He was incredibly nice, engaging and above all, very chivalrous. He even offered to run out to my car to feed the meter...so sweet! 

We had great discussions and I genuinely enjoyed his company. He did everything right, but despite all that I felt nothing in the way of attraction. Sucks.  

For the record, bachelor #1 was not nearly as nerdy as this guy, though he did mention playing the trumpet in his high school band. He was a self-proclaimed "dork" back then.

While he likely came a long way from those days, sadly it was not far enough for my taste. It was simply a case of incompatibility.

Turns out the tire was the highlight. While I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation,  I was secretly relieved the tire debacle had spared me some time on a date I knew would never lead to anything romantic.

With regards to the pun in the last sentence, I plead guilty...I never said I wasn't a dork. With that in mind, I'll say that by the end of the night I was right on par with the tire...deflated. But the search continues!

I wouldn't mind dating someone more like the Old Spice Guy...who would? A cross between that and a dork would be ideal. I'm just throwing it out there in case God is listening.

Have an amazing weekend!

And then there were none...

Where to begin...well, I'll begin by saying thank God for this blog. Because of this blog, dating experiences that would otherwise be downright depressing are instead comical.

It's giving me incentive to not only stay out there, but to embrace the hilarity of situations as they arise because, at the very least, they'll be fun to share with you.

I've been mulling over the dilemma of whether or not to share the fact that I'm blogging with guys I meet. There are a few challenges this poses.

Firstly, how do I stay authentic with someone I'm dating without telling them I'm doing this? It's a big part of my life and I don't like lying or hiding things.

With that said, obviously it's not necessary to share my entire life story until I get to know someone a little bit.

The second issue is in the writing itself. Is it fair to share details about dates without the other party knowing? Or better yet, what if they find out after the fact that I've been writing about them all along.

Even if I don't write about them, once they know I've been writing, they can check out my entire dating history with one click.

The biggest question of all...how come Carrie Bradshaw never ran into this problem?

At this point I have committed to being as honest and open as possible on both ends. I will share as much as I can without sacrificing anyone's privacy or my own integrity in dating.

I guess the exposure of a blog is a risk by nature...one that apparently I am willing to take.

To sum up, the three men I was in contact with this week are no longer in the picture. Sigh. You'll understand the sigh after you hear the dirty details about each guy. Stay tuned for the breakdown on bachelor #1 this Friday.

Back to square one.

Old School!

Once upon a time in a little land called Staten Island, some high school friends decided to reunite for old time's sake. 

It was all thrown together last minute on Facebook. We decided a few weeks ago to meet at a local bar. 

Only several people had responded to the invite so I had no idea what to expect. 

I was also pretty hungover from a late Friday night in the city, so admittedly, I wasn't in the most enthusiastic mindset. 

But I walked in, saw the faces of old friends I grew up with and was immediately transported to another time and space. 

It was so surreal seeing everyone. It felt like so much time had passed, yet no time had passed. 

It was amazing to kick back some beers, reminisce and compare stories...some of which I barely remembered. 

Every generation has it's own soundtrack of songs that define the time. It was pretty great when Biggie's "Juicy" came on and the whole crew started dancing like it was 1994.

A few of us finished off the night at the local diner with cheese fries and gravy, an old school favorite.  

Aside from the new name and facelift at the diner, it was like nothing had changed. 

Next year is the 15th anniversary of our graduation, so we all agreed to do it up even bigger and better for that. 

It was a great preliminary celebration and I couldn't be more thankful I was in a great space to enjoy it. 

xoxo

Cock-a-doodle-doo?

I awoke this morning to a rooster cackling...or is it crowing?...sounded  a lot like cackling. It was not some funky alarm clock, it was an actual f-ing rooster!

Since when did Staten Island become Kentucky? I thought I was hallucinating at first, but that damn rooster went on and on for ten whole minutes. By then it was painfully real.

Uh, yeah, someone in our hood has been feeding and/or breeding roosters and it's no longer cute.

It was very cute when I saw the mother hen escorting her little ones along the sidewalk a few weeks back.

It was also kinda cute when traffic stopped in the middle of a busy street to let them cross to the other side.

Cock-a-doodle-dooing before 6am...NOT CUTE!

Have a lovely, relaxing, rooster-free weekend!

Stay tuned for:
My OFFICIAL LAUNCH!...coming to a computer screen near you sometime very soon. I will set a date to shout it from the rooftops...asap. I'm not talking shit, I swear.

FOLLOWERS...My sincere apologies to those of you who have been following me and receiving my posts at all hours. There's a glitch in the system and apparently Google has no actual customer service. Hmm. Mildly infuriating.

I'll also be launching LADIES NIGHT, an after hours look into the world of littlemissMOJO! and her girls. Not for the faint of heart!

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS!

The law of attraction is in full effect in my world and I love it! My date last Friday was surprisingly great and I’m looking forward to round 2 this week. 

He was nice, normal, chivalrous and better looking than I remembered...not a bad start!

I’m also making plans for a first-time online date for next week AND being set up on my first blind date in years. Yikes! 

I think this is what my 20's were supposed to be like. I'm a late bloomer, what can I say? 

The same thing is going on in the work world. I'm being asked for help with various freelance projects and I’m really considering the possibility of working as a creative consultant on a regular basis. 

I'd been saying I was ready for these things in my life but I know now I really wasn't. It's not enough to want the change...I worked really hard to create the change. 

I can feel the difference in myself, my energy and my attitude, and apparently so can everyone else. 

We all have our shit, but it's important to clean it up and make peace with it so we can really be open to new possibilities. 

When you really do that, the Universe begins to conspire in your favor...it's seriously crazy...crazy good! 

Who knows what time will tell, but for the moment I'm just gonna roll with it and have myself some long overdue fun! 

MOJO MAMMA: A special post-mother's day post...

My mamma MOJO! She's a very special lady. 

She's a great hugger. She makes strangers want to hug her. A little bias, no bullshit.

She just has this warm, enveloping spirit that makes people smile and feel at ease. She's so friggin cute!

Of all the things I've endlessly questioned in my life, her love has never been one of them. 

I have no doubt I would've been a completely different person were it not for her example of continued strength and support.

My biggest challenge has been convincing her to take care of herself the way she takes care of everyone else. 

She's finally taking steps in that direction and I can't wait to see her new journey unfold.

I'm so thankful for the time I've had these last few months with my mom...for every hug, every word of love and encouragement. 

She's been so incredibly supportive and our relationship has grown in ways I could have never imagined. 

I hope to one day be half the woman she is, and if I'm really lucky, half the mother she is.

I was pretty floored to learn that although I literally tell her all the time how special she is and how grateful I am for all she does, my mom somehow still questions her performance. 

Really? Yes, really. 

So tell all the MOJO mammas in your life...and then tell them again...and again. 

It's a lifelong job. And as Oprah often says, it's the hardest one on the planet. They deserve to know all the time just how amazing they truly are. 

Happy mamma's day!!!!

Girls Night Update

Girls night wound up being all about the girls, shocker! We had so much fun, and although the crowd of men was less than stellar, there are worse things in life than being hit on by guys 5+ years younger.

We finished off the night at a diner around 530AM, where I ate the most memorable plate of french toast and bacon. I'm still not over it.

We dressed, we danced, we pranced...and I appreciate all that now more than ever. These days wont last forever so might as well enjoy 'em while I can!

With that said, still recovering from a random cinquo de mayo outing last night and have to pull it together for a date later. MODERATION is the key to a happy life. That, and instant spray tan in a bottle!

Have a fabulous weekend!!!
xo

BLASTS FROM THE PAST!

Today I reunited with an old girlfriend from college. The story goes something like this: 

We met freshman year, became fast friends and by the end of the year she decided to transfer to another school. Some mild drama ensued, we parted ways and never spoke again.

When I saw her "friend request" on Facebook I was surprised and a little reluctant. My first reaction was to remember the bitter taste left in my mouth from the way things ended. I had this idea about who she was and what she did to me.

But then I considered that I was being ridiculous. It was over 10 years ago and  it must've taken something for her to reach out after all this time. She was a good person who behaved immaturely...something we're all guilty of, especially at that age.

So, I confirmed her request and took it one step further by saying hello. After some initial catching up, she apologized for the way things went down. While it was good to hear her acknowledge that, the truth is I could barely remember what had happened. She sounded relieved and after some good ol' girl talk, we agreed to meet in person.

We just had the most amazing 3 hours catching up and connecting in a way I could've never anticipated. We realized some incredibly poignant similarities in our journeys and the timing of our reunion could not have been more perfect.

I'm so excited to have her in my life now. We are both so far from where we were and yet we have this great foundation to build on. I can already see what I would've missed out on had I casually dismissed her request. I have no doubt she's a lifer in my friend department.

What's really interesting is that I similarly reached out to my ex several weeks ago after 6 years of no contact.

We were always supportive of one another but our last interaction was a bit messy. I found out he was engaged and wanted to send my congratulations, but I held back for a while for fear of how he might react.

After drafting one very succinct email and mulling it over for several weeks, I finally got clear that my intention was simply to congratulate him. If that was my intention, it didn't really matter how he reacted. So with that, I finally pressed SEND.

He happened to be extremely gracious and mentioned that he had actually tried a few times to reach out over the years at an old email address. I was pretty floored. It hit home that so much of what we experience as reality is really our perception.

We've caught up some over the last few weeks and I recently confirmed his request to be Facebook friends. After all these years it's amazingly surreal to consider that we could be in each other's lives again as friends.

So the moral of these stories is...JUST PRESS SEND! Set your intention and take that leap of faith. Whatever the reaction, speaking the truth will give you closure and move you forward.

No matter what you have going on in your head about someone in your past, it's never too late to recreate the future.

PICTURE PERFECT: MIRACLE MONDAY!

GOD BLESS AMERICA

South Street Seaport 2010
The perfect 1st PICTURE PERFECT post.