tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41424069150749085492024-03-13T23:38:07.065-04:00The Chronicles of ManderIt's like Narnia, only better.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-743298059430336092010-06-27T15:40:00.002-04:002010-06-27T16:02:02.370-04:00Book Review: Hollywood Hellraisers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.contentreserve.com/ImageType-100/0211-1/%7BCC20CCE1-9885-4692-87E5-0DCC966D0D2A%7DImg100.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 510px; height: 680px;" src="http://images.contentreserve.com/ImageType-100/0211-1/%7BCC20CCE1-9885-4692-87E5-0DCC966D0D2A%7DImg100.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />We live in an age where celebrity dirt is a hot commodity. We want to know who has a drug problem, who's dating who, who's going broke. In <span style="font-style: italic;">Hollywood Hellraisers</span>, Robert Sellers dishes the dirt on "old Hollywood" -- actors Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson. And readers better get out their shovels -- there's a lot of dirt to dish out on these four.<br /><br />The book, written before Hopper's recent death from prostate cancer, covers both the professional and personal lives of these iconic actors; there are numerous stories from the sets of such American classics as <span style="font-style: italic;">Easy Rider</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Godfather</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Apocalypse <span style="font-style: italic;">Now</span></span>.<br /><br />But even before they became stars, Sellers digs into their early years and reveals all of these men had parent figures who were heavy drinkers; Hopper even believed his dad to be dead for years before finding out that he really had a job in top-secret intelligence work. For decades, Nicholson believed the woman who was actually his grandmother was his mother; in reality, his older sister was his birth mother. He didn't find out until a reporter uncovered this information when Nicholson was almost 40 and both women were dead. Brando had an abusive father and a mother who was such a drunk, he'd end up wandering the streets looking for her many nights.<br /><br />Needless to say, their upbringings helped them become talented artists, but it also created many personal problems for them. Hopper became a major alcoholic and drug addict -- before getting sober later in life, he reportedly was consuming a half gallon of rum, 28 beers and three grams of cocaine <span style="font-style: italic;">daily</span>. Brando fathered many children with different mothers, and later experience tragedy when one of his daughters committed suicide and a son was jailed for manslaughter. Beatty is known for being one of the biggest womanizers of all time; a new biography estimates he's slept with almost 13,000 women (although Beatty denies it). Nicholson was also a womanizer in his own right. The women between all four men sometimes overlapped; Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas had been Hopper's wife (very briefly) and a girlfriend of Nicholson and Beatty.<br /><br />But underneath all the scandals, there are also interesting tidbits in here that really give you the picture of how these men felt about their fame and Hollywood careers. For example, Brando claimed to have never really enjoyed acting; when he got older, he had an assistant feed him his lines through a device in his ear.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hollywood Hellraisers</span> is a fun, scandalous and insightful read about four of Hollywood's all-time best actors.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hollywood Hellraisers</span> is available from Skyhorse Publishing.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Disclaimer: I received a complimentary advanced review copy of this book from the publisher.</span>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-68549087650899151362010-06-15T21:54:00.003-04:002010-06-15T22:13:55.907-04:00Book Review: The One-Week Job Project<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.amazon.ca/images/I/41ksHqp-o4L._SL500_AA300_.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://img.amazon.ca/images/I/41ksHqp-o4L._SL500_AA300_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />It's probably safe to say that most every college graduate gets his or her diploma and then says, "Now what? What am I supposed to do with the rest of my life?"<br /><br />This happened to Sean Aiken, who graduated from Capilano College in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with a business administration degree in 2005. After some post-graduation traveling, Aiken found himself facing the all-mighty question: "what next?"<br /><br />His father gave him some valuable advice: find a job you're passionate about. The problem was, Aiken wasn't sure what he was passionate about. To find out, he decided he wanted to work a new job every week for an entire year. He started a Web site, www.oneweekjob.com, that let people offer him jobs across the globe (and eventually decided to share his tale via this book).<br /><br />With no looking back, Aiken traveled all over Canada and America trying out 52 different jobs -- from a florist to a cattail picker, from a Hollywood producer to an NHL mascot, from a stock trader to an aquarium host. From week to week, he isn't always sure just where he'll be next, or what he'll be doing.<br /><br />Aiken writes extensively about his 52 bosses... they all seem to love their jobs, and they all seem to give Aiken good advice about the working world, and finding a career you love.<br /><br />Aiken openly embraced the challenges of all his jobs, including a not-so-great boss during his stint as film festival reporter, and having to deal with cow poop while working as a dairy farmer. "It's like walking in the rain," he wrote. Ew. He also experienced some major job perks, like attending a Sylvester Stallone movie premiere in Las Vegas, being featured on <span style="font-style: italic;">The Rachael Ray Show</span> and rubbing elbows with Wyclef Jean (who told him one of his jobs should be at a strip club).<br /><br />A great thing about <span style="font-style: italic;">The One-Week Project</span> is that it's not just about the destination; it's the journey. Aiken doesn't just discuss the pros and cons of all the jobs he's tried out, but he describes the people and places he's seen, how he would get (on a very limited budget) from one place to another, whose couch or floor he was sleeping on.<br /><br />While on the road, Aiken also falls in love, finds out his mother has breast cancer and learns how to deal with his rising fame as "The One-Week Job Guy"... all while learning a new career on a weekly basis.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The One-Week Job Project</span> should be handed out to all college graduates when they get their diploma. Aiken's important message of finding passion in your job is something all people strive for, and his questions about "what he wants to be when he grows up" and how he wants to live his life will ring true with many twentysomethings -- and even those beyond that age.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The One Week-Job Project</span> is available from Villard Books, Random House Publishing Group.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Disclaimer: I received a complimentary advanced review copy of this book from the publisher.</span>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-4456856807716346602010-06-13T19:35:00.003-04:002010-06-13T19:57:12.572-04:00Book Review: Insatiable<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.trashionista.com/insatiable.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 405px; height: 648px;" src="http://www.trashionista.com/insatiable.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Meena Harper is pretty sick of hearing about America's obsession with vampires. Needless to say, this almost 30-year-old Manhattanite is peeved when she finds out the soap opera she writes for, called <span style="font-style: italic;">Insatiable</span>, is taking on a vampire plotline. She's even more angry when she finds out her rival, the woman who has proposed the storyline, has gotten the new head writer position.<br /><br />Besides dealing with a sucky (pun intended!) work environment, Meena has her unemployed brother living with her, and she's tired of her neighbor trying to set her up each time she gets on her elevator. Oh, yeah, and one more thing: she's extremely frustrated with her longtime gift of being able to see how people die.<br /><br />But Meena's life starts to look up when a handsome stranger saves her from a bizarre bat attack late one night while she's walking her dog, Jack Bauer. Her rescuer, Lucien, sweeps her off her feet, and Meena's world starts to look brighter. He even happens to be a prince, and related to her nosy neighbor, Mary Lou.<br /><br />Unfortunately, after a handsome man named Alaric Wulf storms into her apartment, she finds out some interesting information: her Prince Charming is actually the Prince of Darkness, prince of all the vampires, and Dracula's son. Ironic, no?<br /><br />Meena's conflicted feelings about Lucien drive the second half of the novel, and gets her, her brother Jon, her friends and vampire hunter Alaric into some major trouble as they realize Lucien, a vamp who does not believe in killing humans, is in the middle of a vampire war with his dastardly bother Dimitri, who may be behind the recent murders of a bunch of NYC women.<br /><br />Cabot obviously put out <span style="font-style: italic;">Insatiable</span> at just the right time, when the country is in a vampire frenzy. Readers who are also Twihards will see some similarities between Cabot's novel and the <span style="font-style: italic;">Twilight </span>series, especially the suggested love trial between Meena, Lucien and Alaric.<br /><br />Maybe it's the spell of being with a vampire, but the fact that sensible, down-to-earth Meena pretty much starts planning her life with Lucien after one night with him (and before learning some valuable info about him) bothered me a little -- it seemed to go against her character. I could just see her doodling his name in a heart on a notebook, and that bothered me.<br /><br />Then again, Meena herself more than makes up for it as a fun, witty character. Actually, all of the characters are pretty enjoyable, especially Meena's brother Jon and the gruff Alaric.<br /><br />It's rare these days to finish a book surprised by the ending -- especially a chick lit novel. But I was very taken aback by <span style="font-style: italic;">Insatiable</span>'s ending. It seems Cabot set her audience up for a sequel about Meena and her pals.<br /><br />This light, funny fare is a great beach read for vampire fans who are thirsty for more vamp lit. And here's to Cabot satiating her fans' desire for an <span style="font-style: italic;">Insatiable</span> sequel!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Insatiable </span>is available from HarperCollins Publishers.<br /><span style="font-size: 78%;"><br />Disclaimer: I received a complimentary advanced review copy of this book from the publisher.</span>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-49422469035605666082010-06-05T13:37:00.004-04:002010-06-05T13:58:43.377-04:00Book Review: Facebook Fairytales<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.hamptons.com/gallery/article/10186.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 443px;" src="http://www.hamptons.com/gallery/article/10186.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />In this technology-driven world we're living in, Facebook has become not just a phenomenon, but a way of life. It is home to over 350 million users, and 8 billion minutes are spent on it daily. If Facebook were a country, it would be the fourth largest in the world.<br /><br />Facebook can be a time waster, a way to stay in touch with old friends or even a good business tool. But even more, the social networking juggernaut connects people in almost fascinating ways... it's not just a way for you to check out a friend of friend's wedding pictures (you creeper, you!). Many people practice goodwill on Facebook. Recently, my friend's fiance lost his wallet in a parking lot. He pretty much thought it was gone for good, when someone contacted him -- via Facebook! -- and said he had his wallet.<br /><br />This story is a small-time example of the ones you'll find in Emily Liebert's <span style="font-style: italic;">Facebook Fairytales: Modern-Day Miracles to Inspire the Human Spirit</span>. Liebert tells 25 different stories about people and Facebook, and some of them are just miraculous. Sisters reunite after 40 years<br />together; a couple finds a child to adopt; a sick mother finds a kidney donor; a family finds their cat after moving to a different city. There's even a story of an American girl saving a British boy from suicide after he sent her a random Facebook message. Another inspiring story is of a girl who dies of meningitis and how her parents use Facebook to prevent other children from dying of the disease.<br /><br />There's also some names you'll recognize in this book. Comedian Johnny Dam talks about how Facebook help him land a TV show. Peter Shankman, founder of a handy tool I use all the time, the Web site Help a Reporter Out, describes how his brain child started on Facebook. Philadelphians may recognize the name of local journalist Brian Hickey. Hickey suffered major injuries after being involved in a hit-and-run accident. He's currently using Facebook to try to track down the person who hit him.<br /><br />Oh, and there's another name I'm sure you'll recognize: Barack Obama. No, it's not about the President's personal Facebook use, but how Chris Hughes, who helped conceive Facebook with CEO Mark Zuckerberg, used Facebook to bring Obama's presidental campaign to new heights.<br /><br />For all Facebook fans, this book is a fun and inspirational read, teaching us just how much Facebook can help bring people together and create miracles.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Facebook Fairytales</span> is available from Skyhorse Publishing.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 78%;">Disclaimer: I received a complimentary advanced review copy of this book from the publisher.</span>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-15496224527830334552010-05-31T09:51:00.004-04:002010-05-31T10:16:46.050-04:00Book Review: The Outside Boy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/images/photos/photo_lg_ireland.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 564px; height: 450px;" src="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/images/photos/photo_lg_ireland.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />When I told some of my Irish friends I was reading a book about the Irish tinkers (or travellers or Pavees, as they preferred to be called), they all pretty much scoffed and complained about them. I had never heard of the nomadic group before reading <span style="font-style: italic;">The Outside Boy</span> by Jeanine Cummins. But I didn't get any of the negative connotations of these individuals from the novel.<br /><br />Cummins beautifully tells the story of Christy, an 11-year-old "tinker" who travels across Ireland with his dad, grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins. Christy's mother died 7 minutes after giving birth to him, and it's always been something that haunted him.<br /><br />Within the first 50 pages, Christy's beloved Grandda also dies, and after Christy's cousin Martin sets fire to Grandda's wagon in an attempt to "free" their dead patriarch, Granny decides it's time to stay in one place for a little while so Christy and Martin can go to school and receive Communion; Granny is sure Martin has the devil in him.<br /><br />After the two young boys are finally accepted into a school and the family temporarily leaves their wagons in one place for a while, Christy gets to live the life he's always wanted to. He's so excited to start school, where he starts crushing on a girl he calls Finnuala Whippet.<br /><br />While also in town, Christy starts to have more and more questions about his mother, and why his dad never talks about her. After his grandfather's wagon burns, Christy finds a strange picture of his mother. He starts on a quest to find out more about this woman he's been grieving for all his life.<br /><br />For someone who's never been an 11-year-old boy, Cummins voices Christy beautifully. He is a wonderful character; a good boy with a good heart who just wants to find out who he is and tackle these amazing issues no one his age should have to while also dealing with school bullies and his first kiss. Cummins tugs on the reader's heartstrings during Christy's search to find out more about his mother; I teared up more than once.<br /><br />Whether reading inside or outside, you'll find yourself not being able to put down <span style="font-style: italic;">The Outside Boy</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 78%;">Disclaimer: I received a complimentary advanced review copy of this book from the publisher.</span>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-59022032455198049732010-05-30T16:29:00.004-04:002010-05-30T16:55:52.591-04:00Trouble at "The Office"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tvmedia.ign.com/tv/image/article/107/1074648/the-office-thedelivery_1267755197.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 480px; height: 320px;" src="http://tvmedia.ign.com/tv/image/article/107/1074648/the-office-thedelivery_1267755197.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />If you know me well, you know I've been obsessed with <span style="font-style: italic;">The Office</span> for over 3 years now. On Thursday nights, you'll find me in front of the TV, tuned into NBC to watch my favorite characters. I secretly (or not so secretly) wish Jim Halpert was real so he could find me and marry me. I've even had <span style="font-style: italic;">The Office</span> desk calendar at my cube for the past two years, and I delight in reading a fun new <span style="font-style: italic;">Office</span> quote every day.<br /><br />But this current 2009-2010 <span style="font-style: italic;">Office</span> season has, frankly, sucked. And I'm not quite sure why. Except for the wedding episode, every episode has either been so-so or downright bad. What happened to my friends? Are they just not funny anymore? Or are the writers putting them in weird scenarios?<br /><br />Multiple storylines this year did not go over well. What was the point of having Jim and Michael be co-managers? That went no where -- as did Dwight and Ryan's plot to take down Jim, something that could have been potentially really funny. I didn't like Sabre coming in and buying Dunder Mifflin, a company we've had loyalty to over the past six seasons. I get the writers were trying to reflect how the business world is now with our bad economy. But it just made me sad and brought the show down, not make me connect with the realness of the situation.<br /><br />Another thing the writers did this season was make likable characters unlikeable. Stanley having an affair bothered me. But even worse, Jim and Pam, the two most lovable, normal characters in the show, are starting to seem unlikeable and even a little annoying. I can't put my finger on what it is exactly. I don't think the show "jumped the shark" by having the pair get married, but something about them changed. Even the birth episode was not that special or exciting in my book -- an episode that should have been just as funny and touching as the wedding episode.<br /><br />Another problem this year was Michael. We all know Michael says and does stupid things, and puts himself into awful positions. At times this can make for cringe-worthy but interesting TV, like when Michael promises local kids ("Scott's Tots") that he will pay for their college tuition or when he dates a married woman.<br /><br />But when Michael does things that seem downright mean, like spreading rumors about people in the office, dumping Pam's mom because she's 58 or refusing to let Phyllis play Santa, it just makes him look like a horrible person, not someone who tries but just doesn't get it.<br /><br />This season didn't have to many continuos plotlines or problems, which was reflected in the season finale. The only thing that keeps us wondering is if Jo will bring Holly back to the Scranton branch like Michael asked.<br /><br />We can only hope that, if Steve Carell leaves the show next year, NBC decides to end it as well. Even though the supporting characters on <span style="font-style: italic;">The Office</span> are superb, I can't imagine a show without Carell. But, bottom line... and I never thought I'd say this... but <span style="font-style: italic;">The Office</span> just ain't what it used to be. Maybe it's time to end the show before it totally loses all of the magic it used to have.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-83621048879672910502010-04-13T19:33:00.002-04:002010-04-13T20:00:54.309-04:00Book Review: The Jane Austen Book Club<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://heyrickie.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/jabc-cover.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 500px;" src="http://heyrickie.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/jabc-cover.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Jane Austen Book Club</span>,<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>written by Karen Joy Fowler, brings together 5 ladies -- and one guy -- who all get together to read and discuss Austen's six novels. The book is half an analysis of these novels, and half a character study of the book club members.<br /><br />Jocelyn and Sylvia have been buddies since high school, and even dated the same guy, Daniel, who Sylvia ended up marrying. Now the women are in their fifties, and Sylvia and Daniel are divorcing. Sylvia's 30-year-old daughter Allegra is also in the book club; she went through a recent breakup with her girlfriend. Prudie, a 28-year-old French teacher, doesn't understand why her wonderful husband Dean loves her so much, and she has to come to grips with her relationship with her mother after she dies. Bernadette is in her sixties, has been married three times and is quite eccentric -- she's been known to go to the grocery store in slippers with her hair sticking up. And Grigg is a 40-something "mystery man" to the woman. All they know is that he's a science fiction geek who decides to join the club after meeting Jocelyn at a convention.<br /><br />The book is broken up into months, and in each month, the club explores a different Austen novel. Along with that, each month gives an in-depth look at one of this book's characters. Sometimes what happens in the month parallels a theme or part of an Austen book. For example, when the club is studying <span style="font-style: italic;">Pride and Prejudice</span>, there is a scene somewhat similar to the ball the Bennett sisters attend in <span style="font-style: italic;">P&P</span>. I found this very clever on Fowler's part.<br /><br />However, the characters seemed really two-dimensional to me. For example, I didn't see the point in Fowler letting us know that Jocelyn dated Daniel first; it never comes into play in the novel. Prudie's mother dying also doesn't seem to make much of a difference on her character developement. And even more bizarre is why Grigg suddenly starts to have a crush on the older, never married, dog-raising Jocelyn. There is no real chemistry between the two earlier in the book that leads you to believe they might pair up.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Jane Austen Book Club</span> (which was made into a movie in 2007 starring Emily Blunt) is a quick, easy read fun for any Austen fan. But I'm not sure what the great writer herself would think of this book.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-13473539530053340792010-04-13T19:09:00.003-04:002010-04-13T19:31:17.616-04:00Book Review: I Don't Care About Your Band<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.indiebound.com/619/405/9781592405619.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="http://images.indiebound.com/619/405/9781592405619.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />In the vein of Chelsea Handler, comedy writer and performer Julie Klausner's <span style="font-style: italic;">I Don't Care About Your Band</span> is a hilarious guide to all the weirdos and losers Klausner has dated -- and what she's learned from it.<br /><br />There was her obsession with an actor who played Sweeney Todd on Broadway. Her time in her teenage years spent calling a "special hotline." Noah, the younger guy whose bed had a surprise treat in store for Klausner -- bedbugs! And Rob, the guy who was a <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Wars </span>fanatic and gave her herpes. All fun times.<br /><br />Besides laughing at her past mistakes in the dating pool, Klausner riffs on how Kermit was <span style="font-style: italic;">so not</span> into Miss Piggy (right on!) and how a meet-up with a male pen pal 20 years later was like a scene in <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Fargo</span></span> (the one where Marge meets up with her high school friend at a Radisson hotel in Minnesota -- Klausner and her pen pal even met up at the same hotel). She also subtly gives dating advice and pretty much says it's OK to make dumb choices and go out with the wrong types of guys -- as long as you learn from your mistakes and figure out what's acceptable to you and what's not.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-87085699538218256992010-04-13T18:49:00.002-04:002010-04-13T19:08:40.206-04:00Book Review: Running with Scissors<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://jeanxbookreviews.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/scissors.jpeg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 312px; height: 475px;" src="http://jeanxbookreviews.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/scissors.jpeg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Augusten Burroughs' memoir <span style="font-style: italic;">Running with Scissors</span> can on one page make you laugh out loud, and on the next completely horrify you.<br /><br />The book, originally published in 2002 (and later adapted into a movie), goes back to the time when Burroughs was a 12-year-old kid with a crazy mom and a withdrawn father. After his parents separate, Burroughs' mother decides to leave him with her eccentric psychiatrist, Dr. Finch, and his houseful of wacky relatives.<br /><br />Dr. Finch is a character all by himself. He claims to has a "masturbatorium" in his office and, in one hilarious chapter, sees his poops as a sign from God (nope, I'm not making this up). Along with Dr. Finch is his long-suffering wife Agnes, 28-year-old live-in daughter Hope (who does a "Bible dip" to tell her fortune) and 13-year-old wild girl Natalie, a person Burroughs becomes very close to. Other children, both real and adopted, filter in and out of the house, along with other live-in patients. For years, Burroughs goes back and forth between living with the Finches and living with his mother and her girlfriend.<br /><br />Some parts of Burroughs' book, such as the feces indecent and Burroughs and Natalie's attempt to create a skylight in the kitchen, are amusing. Others, like Hope trying to mercy kill her cat and Burroughs' mother letting a mental patient live with them, are a little crazy. And even beyond that, the stories of Burroughs being encouraged by his mother and Dr. Finch to "fake suicide" so he can spend some time in a psychiatric ward <span style="font-style: italic;">just so he doesn't have to go to school</span>, and his sexual relationship with Dr. Finch's 33-year-old adopted son, are downright horrifying. It's clear that, no matter where he was living, Burroughs had virtually no adult supervision and was allowed to live however he wanted.<br /><br />Growing up completely different than the vast majority of other teenagers, Burroughs has quite the gripping story to tell. Although he changed the names of those involved, he was later sued by the doctor's family, who claimed his story was exaggerated and embellished. Burroughs stands by what he wrote. His book is one that seems too crazy to have been fabricated -- how do you make stuff like this up?Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-92157360343935824962010-04-13T17:28:00.003-04:002010-04-13T17:58:16.314-04:00Movie Review: Date Night<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/date-night-with-steve-carell-and-tina-fey.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 490px; height: 314px;" src="http://screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/date-night-with-steve-carell-and-tina-fey.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />If you're looking for a hilarious movie from two of sitcom's brightest stars... you might want to skip <span style="font-style: italic;">Date Night</span>. It's not that Tina Fey and Steve Carell don't shine in Shawn Levy's film -- they do -- it's just that this movie doesn't have the right comedic material for them.<br /><br />Carell and Fey star as Phil and Claire Foster, a mediocre couple from New Jersey who have the regular middle class life -- go to work, come home, deal with the kids, go to bed. Get up the next morning and do the whole thing over again.<br /><br />After hearing about their friend's impending divorce, Phil decides to shake things up. Instead of their regular date night at a local tavern eating potato skins, he wants to take Claire to an upscale restaurant in Manhattan. When they can't get a seat at the uber trendy restaurant, Phil decides they should take the table of the Tripplehorn party, who aren't there to get their table.<br /><br />When the Fosters are mistaken for the Tripplehorns, they find out that this other couple is in some big trouble with a local crime boss -- and now they are in that trouble, too.<br /><br />Full of hijinks and some slapstick comedy, not many scenes are as funny as they could have been. Levy had Fey and Carell in his hands, and it seems he didn't give them enough to work with. Besides an amusing scene where the couple has to strip in a club, and another where their car gets connected to a taxi, there aren't too many laugh out loud moments.<br /><br />The beginning of the movie shows Fey and Carell at their local date spot, making up stories (and voices) for the couples eating around them. This is when I saw these two actors really in their element--or, at least, how I'm used to seeing them--goofing off and having fun. However, their characters aren't Liz Lemon and Michael Scott; they are a suburban couple trying to rev up their marriage. Even though they weren't as funny as I would have hoped, Fey and Carell effortlessly portray this loving albeit bored couple.<br /><br />There are tons of cameos in this movie, including Leighton Meester as the babysitter; Ray Liotta as the crime boss; Mark Wahlberg as Claire's hot, shirtless former client; and Kristen Wiig and Mark Ruffalo as the divorcing couple. But by far my favorites were James Franco and Mila Kunis as the real Tripplehorns.<br /><br />Overall, <span style="font-style: italic;">Date Night</span> is a cute movie, but it won't leave you laughing and wanting more.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-52527430910708540612010-04-12T17:50:00.003-04:002010-04-12T18:29:36.756-04:00Book Review: Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdj_iVEVhULXnsRDB-IiYPCG2RsmkJ_H_IGYv2vbhjOE1Sfb8Guwf0f5QSaZ4JwrM4AYYVcLCREKWsZFEAe9nAvcEFqeLR-1ZkZ4Rx2VCMlHMfpNp5tIU4RKgssn-CBEZGoQLwyh9OxFU/s1600/thefinalyears.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdj_iVEVhULXnsRDB-IiYPCG2RsmkJ_H_IGYv2vbhjOE1Sfb8Guwf0f5QSaZ4JwrM4AYYVcLCREKWsZFEAe9nAvcEFqeLR-1ZkZ4Rx2VCMlHMfpNp5tIU4RKgssn-CBEZGoQLwyh9OxFU/s320/thefinalyears.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459381098188335010" border="0" /></a><br />I, like many people, have had somewhat of a fascination with Michael Jackson, probably considered the greatest pop artist of all time. He was a person who was so talented yet so, well, eccentric (to put it lightly) and made many people wonder what was going through his head. And with his sudden and mysterious death in June 2009, the fascination continues to grow for many people--including me.<br /><br />When I noticed this book<span style="font-style: italic;">, Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson</span>, I was intrigued but also in a way put off. The book's author, investigative journalist and blogger Ian Halperin, recently released a book about Brangelina. He also wrote another book called <span style="font-style: italic;">Who Killed Kurt Cobain</span>?, questioning if Cobain actually committed suicide. Other books include <span style="font-style: italic;">Celine Dion: Behind the Fairytale </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Story </span>(what dirt is there to dig up about that guy?). I was a little concerned I would be reading a 270-page issue of the <span style="font-style: italic;">National Enquirer</span>.<br /><br />But I found the book to be both balanced and well researched. Halperin spoke with close Jackson friends Macaulay Culkin and Liza Minnelli (although the later was while he was "undercover"). He even briefly spoke with Jackson, again undercover, and he believes Jackson was flirting with him during their conversation.<br /><br />Halperin starts off his book saying when he decided to write it, he believed Jackson was a child molester and that he was guilty of all the accusations. However, when he did his research, he found many people, including top entertainment journalists, who agreed, but no one could present any concrete evidence to back up their claims.<br /><br />Halperin's coverage of Jackson starts in 1993, when he was first accused of child molestation. Halperin gives great detail about the legal implications, the media coverage (including the harsh coverage of the TV show <span style="font-style: italic;">Hard Copy</span>, that frequently paid its sources), etc. Halperin even mentions that the young accuser was under sodium amytal, a barbiturate that puts people into a hypnotic state, at the time of his confession. Halperin asserts it was given to his boy by his dentist father. Halperin also details how the prosecution had to examine and photograph Jackson's body to see if it matched up with how the boy described it; it turns out it mostly didn't. There's even a full transcript of the interview with the boy at the end of the book.<br /><br />The book also covers his marriages to Lisa Marie Presley (who Halperin believes married Jackson to help convert him to Scientology and "cure" his alleged homosexuality) and Debbie Rowe. It also focuses on journalist Martin Bashir's documentary on the King of Pop, right before the 2005 accusations and trial. Halperin shares details of the trial that helped me see why the jury found him innocent; apparently the family of the boy in question had tried to get money from numerous celebrities and had been involved in previous lawsuits.<br /><br />Additionally, Halperin describes Jackson's body image (questioning how many plastic surgeries he had and if he bleaches his skin white) and declining health. From the information Halperin got from his sources, he predicted on his blog in December 2008 that Jackson only had 6 months to live. There was a huge backlash, but it turned out, Halperin was right. Sources told him how frightened Jackson was of his 2009 concerts in London and how he told his daughter Paris not to be mad at him if he didn't make it to Father's Day. Halperin also asserted how people in Jackson's camp enabled the pop singer's drug habit by giving him what he wanted instead of stopping it.<br /><br />I think Halperin did an excellent job of being unbiased throughout the book: he presents the facts, not leaning toward the picture of a completely innocent pop star or one of a monstrous child molester. He does believe, like I do, that Michael had a strange connection with children. Maybe the King of Pop was stuck in the childhood stage because he never got to have one; Jackson also told Bashir he was abused by his father.<br /><br />We may never know the truth behind many Michael Jackson mysteries, but Halperin tries to help readers make up their minds about how they feel about him.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-54741779234924325012010-01-17T12:21:00.003-05:002010-01-17T12:43:57.105-05:00Book Review: How to Get Divorced by 30<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.booksoup.com/images/9780452295995.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="http://www.booksoup.com/images/9780452295995.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />When I first received this book, I thought, "Huh. What is this? Is this an advice book on how to get divorced?"<br /><br />But once I started flipping through the pages, I realized <span style="font-style: italic;">How to Get Divorced By 30: My Misguided Attempt at a Starter Marriage</span>, written by Sascha Rothchild, was a memoir.<br /><br />The book starts with Rothchild approaching her 30th birthday and realizing she didn't want Jeff, her husband of 2 and a half years, at her party. Then Rothchild takes us back to her relationships before Jeff, what went wrong with those, when she met Jeff, how their relationship started out, when they decided to get married, and how Rothchild eventually decided to get divorced.<br /><br />Rothchild, a TV producer and freelance writer for many newspapers and blogs, is so insightful about both her self and her significant others in all her relationships. Her unfortunately too late hindsight on her relationships may help the people reading her book. She walks the reader through her relationship and shows them the warning signs she missed. For example, she went to a lingerie party at the Playboy Mansion with another guy while she was dating Jeff, and he didn't seem to care. She also had to buy her own engagement ring, and could never get Jeff off of his La-Z-Boy recliner and away from his pot.<br /><br />Rothchild's style of writing reminds me a lot of Chelsea Handler's, so if you like Handler's books, you'll love <span style="font-style: italic;">How to Get Divorced by 30</span>. Besides rehashing her relationships, Rothchild lets us in on her wild child past (she started doing cocaine at age 13 and was dating a 19-year-old drug dealer at the time), and her kooky mother Susan (who doesn't allow her child to call her any form of "mom") who advised Rothchild, "Snort it if you must, but never inject heroin."<br /><br />I'd be interested to see what a happily married twentysomething thinks of this book. As a single gal, I appreciated Rothchild's analysis of her relationships and marriage, and I think it showed me even more to be aware of the signs of a relationship that just won't work. I think it'd also be a helpful read of guys and girls who are thinking about taking the plunge.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Disclaimer: I received a complimentary advanced review copy of this book from the publisher.</span>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-10636659813246860432009-11-14T13:47:00.004-05:002009-11-14T14:21:31.864-05:00Book Review: Remember the Time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHJgJKXZncSS_sj9j2fUIv71JUgpVbtQgzRTMue1kmW77qXEbSpPStZ96pQZGxU94O41XK_f2CK8QptOviePUMEl7MjtZanP1PiZMKoP6Fx8nHn5Li3j72tbrtyr2A_VlZ4ncN3MSTMk/s400/Img8.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHJgJKXZncSS_sj9j2fUIv71JUgpVbtQgzRTMue1kmW77qXEbSpPStZ96pQZGxU94O41XK_f2CK8QptOviePUMEl7MjtZanP1PiZMKoP6Fx8nHn5Li3j72tbrtyr2A_VlZ4ncN3MSTMk/s400/Img8.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />My mom always used to say she knew exactly where she was when she found out JFK died. I feel our generation already has two of those "moments": knowing where we were when we found out about 9/11 and where we were when we found out Michael Jackson died.<br /><br />I had been driving home from work when I got text messages from two friends. I was really in disbelief and told them both that until I heard it from a reputable news source I wouldn't believe it. But when I got home and turned on the TV, there was the news on CNN, NBC, Fox News: Michael Jackson had died.<br /><br />Most of my MJ memories consist of dancing to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Dangerous</span> album with my little sister. My family had just gotten a CD player, and that was one of the only CDs my dad had. Emily and I would bop around to "Jam," "In the Closet" and "Who Is It" before dinner.<br /><br />Others have many, many more memories of Michael, some of them personal. This includes Theresa J. Gonsalves, a writerwho shares her memories of Michael in her new book "Remember the Time."<br /><br />Gonsalves is the muse for one of MJ's most well-known songs "Billie Jean," but she starts her story before the King of Pop penned that tune after her. Gonsalves was a schoolgirl in love with the Jackson 5, specifically Michael. She wrote hundreds of letters to the pop star, and made a decision she was going to fly out and see the singer perform with his brothers in Las Vegas for her 16th birthday.<br /><br />It's amazing how easily the young Gonsalves got in contact with Michael. She called the hotel she knew they were staying at and asked to speak to the road manager, Randy Wiggins. She asked Wiggins if she could meet Michael when she flew out to Vegas, and Wiggins arranged for her to spend an entire week with the family.<br /><br />Gonsalves and Michael bonded during her trip, and they started to talk on the phone -- all the while, Gonsalves continued to write Michael letters, something he really looked forward to receiving. They continued their friendship through Michael's solo success, with Gonsalves visiting him while he lived in New York with his sister La Toya to film <span style="font-style: italic;">The Wiz</span>. During this time, Michael and Gonsalves started a more intimate relationship.<br /><br />Gonsalves eventually moved out to California to be closer to Michael. Over the years, Gonsalves stopped writing as many letters, and just as Michael was slowly pulling away from his family, the same happened with his relationship with Gonsalves.<br /><br />Through it all, Gonsalves told Michael she would always be there for him, and she kept running into him over the years, the final time being in 2003 in Las Vegas.<br /><br />Through her recollections of her memories with the pop star and excerpts from her letters to them, Gonsalves sews together the special bond she shared with someone she saw as the man she loved, Michael, and not mega pop star Michael Jackson. Gonsalves showed she was more than just a groupie to the King of Pop; their relationship went much deeper than that.<br /><br />Gonsalves also gives an interesting glimpse at the other Jackson family members, especially Katherine Jackson, who was kind to Gonsalves and showed her around California; a very bubbly and talkative Janet; and the religious La Toya. Gonsalves' one interaction with father Joe Jackson is memorable as well.<br /><br />Included is a letter from La Toya to Gonsalves and a bunch of pictures of Gonsalves with Michael. Through reading "Remember the Time," people can get a feel for the Michael Gonsalves got to know: a kind man who loved his music and giving back to others.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-50596113559956588352009-10-08T14:54:00.002-04:002009-10-08T15:17:54.744-04:00Book Review: Moon River and Me<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.audioeditions.com/audio-book-images/Moon-River-and-Me--E9F500L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 250px;" src="http://www.audioeditions.com/audio-book-images/Moon-River-and-Me--E9F500L.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I can't say I knew much about entertainer Andy Williams before I started reading his memoir -- other than the fact that he was famous for singing the theme song from one of my favorite movies, <span style="font-style: italic;">Breakfast at Tiffany's</span>.<br /><br />After reading <span style="font-style: italic;">Moon River and Me</span>, I now know a lot about this 82-year-old singer... and I'll say that the time I took learning about him was vastly enjoyable.<br /><br />Williams' memoir starts back when he was a young boy in Iowa, singing at home with his family. His father soon recognized Andy and his brothers had talent and got them together to sing in a group -- the Williams Brothers. Jay Williams pushed his sons to practice, practice, practice, and then went from singing at a funeral parlor to singing on the radio. Then eventually had a successful traveling act with entertainer Kay Thompson.<br /><br />Later on, Williams built a very successful solo career as a singer and even had a long-running <span style="font-style: italic;">The Andy Williams</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Show</span>, known especially for its fabulous Christmas specials. Never slowing down, he currently sings at his Moon River Theater in Branson, Missouri.<br /><br />Williams' honest account of his life as a celebrity is heartfelt and intriguing. Williams lets the reader into his life, including discussing his despair early on as a solo performer (he finally hit rock bottom when he realized he was eating dog food at dinner to save money) to his divorce from his first wife, the beautiful Claudine Longet.<br /><br />Williams' book is filled with all the celebrities who touched his life, including the Osmonds (who got their first big break on <span style="font-style: italic;">The Andy Williams Show</span>), Judy Garland (Williams saw her struggles with prescription drug addiction firsthand when she was a guest on his show) and Bobby Kennedy (a good friend; Williams was actually with him when Kennedy was shot).<br /><br />Not afraid to touch upon scandal, Williams also touches on his "brush" with the mob (the Williams Brothers performed at a casino owned by the mob); his romantic relationship with Thompson, 20 years his senior; and the murder trial of his ex-wife.<br /><br />In "Moon River," Williams sings: "Two drifters/Off to see the world/There's such a lot of world to see." Williams certainly saw a lot of the world from his career as a performer, and his memoir is a gift to readers -- a delightful and entertaining glimpse into that world.<br /><br />From the Penguin Group, <span style="font-style: italic;">Moon River and Me</span> is on sale on Oct. 13.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-39820605569038079292009-09-03T17:48:00.001-04:002009-09-03T17:50:25.459-04:00Music Review: Heather Marie Marsden<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.kellyskindergarten.com/Games/GamestoMake/images/Cinderella.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 352px; height: 523px;" src="http://www.kellyskindergarten.com/Games/GamestoMake/images/Cinderella.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I've always been a Disney girl, and I probably always will be. My first movie was <i>Cinderella</i>, and I used to act out <i>The Little Mermaid</i> with my friends when I was 4. I've been to Disney World multiple times, including this year, and even at the age of 24, I still get that "magical" feeling while I'm at the park.</div> <div> </div> <div><br />One great thing about Disney movies is the music. Heather Marie Marsden must have realized this when she came out with her album, <i>So, This is Love</i>. Marsden, a singer/songwriter/actress who has appeared in <i>Austin Powers</i> and <i>That Thing You Do!</i>, has had her music featured on TV shows such as <i>Las Vegas</i> and <i>Law & Order: CI</i>.</div> <div> </div> <div><br />For her newest projuct, Marsden lends her bluesy vocals to three Disney songs: "So, This is Love" (from <i>Cinderella</i>), "Everybody Wants to Be a Cat" (from <i>Aristocats</i>) and "Baby Mine" (from <i>Dumbo</i>). Marsden's smooth, jazzy voice blends in perfectly with the piano and other instruments on these tracks. She gives a grown-up vibe to these classic Disney songs.</div> <div> </div><br />For more information on <i>So, This is Love</i> and Marsden, visit <a href="http://www.heathermariemarsden.com/">www.heathermariemarsden.com</a>.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-66181598859069559982009-08-17T20:27:00.003-04:002009-08-17T20:33:36.812-04:00Jon and Kate + 8: The Great Debate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://image.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/u1_GosselinJonKate%281%29.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 401px;" src="http://image.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/u1_GosselinJonKate%281%29.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I got sucked into this show this year while I was sick. I watched a couple of episodes during a marathon, and I quickly became attached to the cute Gosselin kiddos. I found Kate to be controlling and bossy, but I figured she needed to be to keep eight kids (and her husband, apparently) in check. Jon seemed like a cool guy to me, and one who loved his kids. <div> </div> <div><br />Very soon after I started watching the show, the incident with Jon and the school teacher in Reading came out, and then the proverbial poop hit the fan. You couldn't get away from the Gosselins. They were on the news, in the magazine rack at the grocery store...</div> <div> </div> <div><br />After announcing they were separating, I was hoping they would stop their TLC show. Instead, the couple chose to continue it and show their separate lives with their children. I'm not sure if they had to fulfill their contract with TLC or if they like/need the money, but in my mind, this is not the right decision.</div> <div> </div> <div><br />I feel so horrible for their children. One day they will grow up and get to watch the show and read all of these stories about their parents and their bad behavior. I find it ironic that Jon Gosselin claims he wants a private life, yet he chills in France with a 22-year-old party girl and goes to the Hamptons with a former tabloid reporter -- probably wearing Ed Hardy shirts both times (seriously, Christian Audigier should ban Jon from wearing his clothing).<br /><br />He's obviously not thinking about his children during this tough time. I feel like he is probably having some early midlife crisis or a breakdown. He was married at 22, and had 8 kids by the time he was 27. Granted, that is a lot for anyone at that age, or any age, to handle. But does it excuse him to now gallivant around and relive his early adult years?</div> <div> </div> <div><br />I'll admit I was sucked into all the drama, but what happened last week was the "last straw" for me. Apparently, Kate came back to their Pennsylvania home when it was Jon's turn with the kids (after a day of chatting it up with Regis and Kelly about her divorce). She called <a href="http://www.nj.com/entertainment/celebrities/index.ssf/2009/08/kate_gosselin_calls_cops_after.html.">the cops</a> when Jon wouldn't let her onto the property. Jon told the media that Kate tried to "cry it up" with the cops but they still made her leave the property.</div> <div> </div> <div><br />I don't see why Jon felt he had to comment on this situation. I don't know if they both have this messed-up logic now where they think just because they are on this popular (well, used to be -- ratings are majorly down) TV show, that they need to tell America every little thing about their lives. If asked about this incident, why not just say, "No comment?" And why did Kate have to spill her guts on <i>Regis and Kelly</i> about her feelings about the divorce and Jon?</div> <div> </div> <div><br />It literally hurt me to hear about this ... I know we are all shaped and form in some ways by our parents and what they do (or don't do). I also know you can overcome your parents' mistakes and still be a good, moral person and not feel your character or personality got messed up by how your parents have treated you or each other. But I also know it really affects some kids growing up and can play a part in the development of them as people. </div> <div> </div> <div><br />I hope the Gosselin kids come out of this as unscathed as possible. Although I will miss not seeing them grow up, I really hope this last season is the final one, and they will get to grow up without cameras around (I don't think the sextuplets even know what it's like to live without cameras) and deal with their parents splitting up like any other kids have to. </div> <div><br /></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-35212291741070108352009-07-17T16:39:00.002-04:002009-07-17T16:46:39.229-04:00Broadway FolliesI've been cleaning out my documents in Word and I found this assignment from my senior seminar for magazine writing. Thought I would share -- it's a pretty funny story and I good memory of a time with Mom!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">***<br /></div><br />The sweet, salty smell of popcorn permeated the air.<span style=""> </span>Bright yellow cabs honked loudly as they whizzed down the streets. The sights, sounds and smells of the Big Apple overwhelmed me as I walked into the Ambassador Theater on <st1:street><st1:address>49th Street</st1:address></st1:Street> in <st1:city><st1:place>New York City</st1:place></st1:City>.<span style=""> </span>I could hardly contain my excitement. I was going to see <st1:city><st1:place><i style="">Chicago</i></st1:place></st1:City> on Broadway!<span style=""> </span>I had seen the film version of the musical four times in the movie theater.<span style=""> </span>I bought the DVD the day of its release, and watched it so much that, if it would have been a VHS, I would have worn out the tape.<span style=""><br /><br /></span>My <st1:place>La Salle</st1:place> friends had chipped in to buy me a ticket for my 19th birthday.<span style=""> </span>They also bought an extra ticket so that my mother could go with me. My friend, Tina, had gotten the tickets from her brother who lives in the city.<br /><br /><span style=""></span>Standing in a long line to enter the theater, I could hear the music coming from inside. I was clutching the white envelope that held our tickets in one hand, and grabbing my mom’s arm with the other.<span style=""> </span>I felt more like a kid entering Disney World than a college student about to have a sophisticated theater experience.<span style=""><br /><br /></span>We finally got to the front of the line, and a large man dressed in a security uniform looked at our tickets, ripped them and gave them back.<span style=""> </span>We went into the clean, expensive-looking building and elbowed our way through the crowded lobby and gift shop areas.<span style=""> </span>Before we entered the theater, an usher looked at our tickets again and directed us to our seats.<span style=""> </span>We went up a flight of red-carpeted stairs to the upper level.<span style=""><br /><br /></span>My mom found our seats easily.<span style=""> </span>They were in the first row of the balcony section.<span style=""> </span>Even more excited than I was before, I reveled in the fact that we had an outstanding view, and then became engrossed in my Playbill.<span style=""><br /><br /></span>A few moments later, an elderly couple approached us.<span style=""> </span>The woman, who was barely over five feet, had huge glasses and a big pearl necklace, was clinging to her thin, sickly-looking husband.<span style=""><br /><br /></span>“You’re sitting in our seats!” the older man said, waving his tickets in our faces.<span style=""> </span>The veins in his forehead looked like they were going to explode as he yelled at us.<span style=""><br /><br /></span>My usually calm and polite mother jumped up, her silver bracelets clanging together loudly, and told the man that these were definitely our seats.<span style=""> </span>The usher had even showed us where our seats were, my mom said.<span style=""> </span>The elderly man just shook his head and said again that these seats belonged to him and his wife.<span style=""> </span>His wife looked upset, and she clutched her necklace.<br /><br /><span style=""></span>In the meantime, a different usher came up and asked what the problem was.<span style=""> </span>We told him that we both had tickets for these seats.<br /><br /><span style=""></span>“Let me see both sets of tickets,” he said in an authoritative voice, crossing his arms over his chest.<span style=""><br /><br /></span>My mother and I gave him our tickets, as did the elderly couple.<span style=""> </span>After examining them for a few moments, the usher laughed and shook his head.<span style=""><br /><br /></span>“Yeah, you all have tickets for these seats, but yours are for tomorrow,” he said, turning to me and my mother.<span style=""><br /><br /></span>I slapped my hand to my forehead, horrified.<span style=""> </span>It was then that I realized that I had never really looked at the tickets, and neither had my mother.<span style=""> I had somehow confused the dates and was sure Tina had told me the show was on Saturday</span>. But sure enough, after we left our seats and got our tickets back, we noticed that it said “SUNDAY” on them.<span style=""><br /><br /></span>My mother and I looked at each other, both of us mortified.<span style=""> </span>Her cheeks were rosy with embarrassment, and I’m sure mine were as well.<span style=""> </span>She then explained to the usher that we were from <st1:state><st1:place>Pennsylvania</st1:place></st1:State>, had taken a bus to get here and would not be able to come back tomorrow for the show.<span style=""> </span>The usher told us to speak with the house manager, a younger woman with curly brown hair.<span style=""><br /><br /></span>After explaining the situation to her, she told us we could stand at the back of the rows on the ground level.<span style=""> </span>So I stood in my uncomfortable heels for the first ninety minutes, not even able to tap my feet to “All That Jazz” because I was so embarrassed.<span style=""> </span>Not only was I sure that blisters were forming on my feet, but I couldn’t see a thing from where we were standing.<span style=""> </span>Roxie Hart looked like a little blonde blurb to me.<span style=""> </span>I longed from the view we would have had from our seats in the balcony.<br /><br /><span style=""></span>But our embarrassing mishap had its benefits, surprisingly.<span style=""> </span>During intermission, the house manager came up to us and said, “Two people in the second row never showed up.<span style=""> </span>Feel like sitting down?” she said, smiling.<span style=""><br /><br /></span>We couldn’t believe it as an usher brought us to the second row on the ground level.<span style=""> </span>We sat in the comfortable red seats, turned to each other and laughed at our bizarre luck.<span style=""> </span>A heavy man sitting next to me turned and said in an excited voice, “Guys, you missed the first act! It was amazing!”<span style=""> </span>I had to stifle my giggle and resisted the urge to tell him about my mistake.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-62452446721806167032009-05-09T08:40:00.003-04:002009-05-09T08:56:20.283-04:00Book Review: Comfort Food<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img4.realsimple.com/images/daily-finds/culture/0409/df-comfort-food_300.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 357px;" src="http://img4.realsimple.com/images/daily-finds/culture/0409/df-comfort-food_300.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Gus Simpson is the queen of food TV. She has her own cooking show, cook books, appliance line. She has a beautiful home and tons of fame. But at 50, her life gets turned upside down when an up-and-coming host, former Spanish beauty queen Carmen Vega, becomes her cohost because of poor ratings. The two are at each other's throats from day one, both believing they deserve their own show.<br /><br />Along with Carmen, Gus' new show includes her twentysomething daughters, practical Aimee and impulsive Sabrina; Sabrina's ex-boyfriend Troy; Gus' neighbor and hermit friend Hannah; and hunky new chef Oliver. During this milestone in her life and upheavel of her career, Gus learns how to not be such a "helicopter parent" and works with her daughters to form better relationships and work out bad feelings that have been lingering since the death of Gus' husband years ago.<br /><br />Author Kate Jacobs does a great job of developing dynamic characters who grow throughout the novel, although at times it is difficult to keep up with all of them. She shows each person's faults and good qualities. The reader can sympathize with each character and understand where they are coming from -- even Carmen, who is set up to be the antagonist.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Comfort Food</span> sends the message that there can be an immense amount of love between family and friends, no matter what the differences and obstacles are. The novel leaves the reader feeling satiated and with that warm feeling only good comfort food can provide!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-67043657004212207062009-05-08T07:28:00.003-04:002009-05-08T07:40:59.882-04:00Book Review: Something Drastic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514HAZRE1YL._SL500_AA240_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514HAZRE1YL._SL500_AA240_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />In the hilarious and fast-paced <span style="font-style: italic;">Something Drastic</span>, Colleen Curran introduces us to the lovely Lenore, whose boyfriend of 8 years leaves her unexpectedly on Boxing Day. Lenore has no clue why her Fergie has left her -- other than the fact that he is going to work in the tourist industry in Florida.<br /><br />Over the next 12 months, Lenore tries to figure out why Fergie has left and if he's coming back. She tries to keep in contact with him through letters, even though he never writes back. As the weeks go on, Lenore learns things about her ex she had no idea were going on. She slowly embraces a new life, including making friends with her tenant Heidi, a professor, and getting an acting gig in a musical.<br /><br />Readers can see how Lenore changes during her fun year-long journey of getting over Fergie. Many women can sympathize with the process Lenore goes through, but there are some zany situations she gets herself into that are pure Lenore. The quirky woman sends Fergie newspaper clippings with headlines such as, "Bear Tries to Eat Man's Head" and "Salmonella Kills Construction Worker at 5,000 Feet."<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-36963449335917692752009-04-03T15:56:00.003-04:002009-04-03T16:09:31.694-04:00Book Review: BittersweetIn his memoir <span style="font-style: italic;">Bittersweet: Confessions of a Twice Married Man</span>, Canadian journalist Philip Lee chronicles how he fell in love with a coworker while married to his wife, how he decided to move into an old house with his also divorced brother, how he took care of his kids and started a new family.<br /><br />Throughout the book, the reader can feel for Lee. He has spent a lot of time contemplating while his marriage failed and why he fell in love with someone else. He consults experts and historical literature to help him get through, and he constantly reminds the reader of his motto with his second wife Deb: love is a verb.<br /><br />You can also tell Lee is a great father and that he deeply loves his children. Some of the most touching scenes include Lee sobbing after his children leave to go live with their mother.<br /><br />My favorite part of the book is "Making for Home," where Lee describes his and Deb's journey to adopt a daughter from China named Lucy Xiao Ru. Lee expertly details the adoption process and his plight to become a father to a baby again after raising three teenagers.<br /><br />Being a journalist, Lee is an ace at describing his surroundings. I don't think I've ever felt so much like I was right there with an author than I have while reading <span style="font-style: italic;">Bittersweet</span>. Whether he is describing the squirrel infested old house he lived in with his brother near the Bay of Fund;, the sights and sounds of busy Nanchang, China; or a fun-filled wedding on a Grecian island, you feel like you're there where Lee is.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-81605412298773121422009-02-21T08:02:00.003-05:002009-02-21T08:22:10.814-05:00Book Review: Rock to the Top<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.brownbooks.com/9781934812068-.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="http://www.brownbooks.com/9781934812068-.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Not many women can say they've been a top rock radio personality, created an e-commerce venture and started an online community to encourage girls to go into fields such as science and math. However, Dayna Steele can say she's done all these these things.<br /><br />How did she do it? When she was one of the top female rock-and-roll air personalities in the country at KLOL in Houston, Steele got to hobnob with many major rock stars, including but not in any means limited to, Gene Simmons, Joan Jett and Bon Jovi. Through her experience with these rockers and her hard work at the radio station, Steele learned some key pointers on what it takes to be successful, whether you're a rock star or you're starting up your own company. She shares these insights in <span style="font-style: italic;">Rock to the Top</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">What I Learned About Success From the World's Greatest Rock Stars</span>.<br /><br />Steele teaches future rockers and business owners how to market themselves, stay organized, network, and most importantly, how to say thank you to those who have helped you along the way (Steele is known for her personalized, handwritten thank you notes).<br /><br />Steele's advice is helpful and easy to comprehend, and her stories of her rock-and-roll life are fun and interesting. Some of my favorites include how she helped Steven Tyler stretch before a gig, a rude note she got from Shaun Cassidy, an eerie experience with Michael Jackson and his entourage, and her elevator ride with Carlos Santana.<br /><br />An added bonus are a collection of photos in the back of the book with Steele and many of the rockers. Also, check out the foreword by the great Simmons himself.<br /><br />For the novice entrepreneur or just the average rock and roll fanatic, Steele's book is a great read!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-47400925919674353232009-01-18T07:40:00.003-05:002009-01-18T09:06:51.157-05:00Looking BackTo put it lightly, it was a long journey with my mom's cancer....<br /><br />In April 2007, we noticed she was sleeping a lot. On Easter, she fell asleep at the kitchen table. On April 12, she fell asleep in her office at work. The next day, Friday the 13th, she woke up and wasn't making sense... she didn't know what year it was or who the president was. She was taken to the neuroscience intensive care unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest.<br /><br />That night, I was out at McFadden's with my roommates. My dad kept calling me, and I kept ignorning his call. I wasn't going to answer while we were in a bar... there was no way he could hear me. Finally, I realized something may be wrong... I went outside, and he told me what happened.<br /><br />We made a very emotional subway ride back to La Salle, where I remember running from the subway station back to my townhouse.<br /><br />The next day she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. They operated on her on Thursday, and they removed 80-90% of the tumor.<br /><br />During my finals week, I got the call that the tumor was cancerous. I had made a conscious decision that I wouldn't look up anything about glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)... I know that sounds stupid, but I was scared to find out what we were up against. Despite only having brain surgery 3 weeks before, she attended my college graduation ceremony.<br /><br />After the surgery, Mom was doing pretty well. She certainly wasn't the Mom I grew up with personality-wise... those of you who knew my mom knew she was very bubbly and friendly. She wasn't mean or anything... I think she was just a diluted version of herself. Still, she was eating well, walking, sleeping, even driving to her own radiation appointments!<br /><br />In July 2007 while reading health news releases at work, I accidentally stumbled upon information on my mom's cancer and read people with GBM have less than a 1% chance of survival. I think I went into the bathroom at work and hyperventilated.<br /><br />I didn't tell anyone about what I read. I felt like saying it would make it come true. Instead, I kept what I knew to myself and cried on my long commute to and from work for weeks.<br /><br />In August 2007, my family went on a vacation to Ocean City, MD. I couldn't go because I didn't have any vacation days yet. One day at work, my dad called and said my mom's brain was bleeding and they were flying her from OCMD to LVH-Cedar Crest. I had to leave right away because I would get there before they would.<br /><br />I remember crying in the ER's waiting room alone, until a priest came up to talk to me. It was all very surreal.<br /><br />After the brain hemorrage, we noticed some changes in Mom. She wasn't talking nearly as much... she stopped asking questions and bringing up conversations. She was also starting to lose the ability to go to the bathroom on her own. She was slow-moving, and usually my sister, dad and I all had to help her take a shower. We had a chair lift installed on the steps so she could get up to take a shower.<br /><br />That fall was rough for me. On top of keeping my secret about Mom (which of course, other people knew... it was only a secret to me), I was commuting over an hour to work using a car that had broke down on the turnpike 3 times for me. I was searching for an apartment with Ter and Gilmore while going through what every college kid who moves home goes through. Because of this and Mom's situation, my dad and I fought a lot. I had to "mommysit" a lot, and also help drive Brandon places. Also during this time, I got into a relationship with someone who I was not compatible with whatsoever. I don't know why I didn't realize this at the time... maybe I did, but I just needed a distraction to get my mind off of Mom.<br /><br />In December 2007, Mom had blood clots in her leg. She got out of the hospital two days before Christmas Eve, but she still insisted on going to Christmas Eve service. I remember her mouthing along with the songs.<br /><br />After that, things started going downhill. She really had hard times walking, and I think soon after the new year, she never went upstairs again. She was very quiet and always kept her head bowed. Still, she would always give her kids a "hi, honey" when we got home. And she still had a sense of humor... if someone said something funny, she's laugh her precious, distinctive laugh.<br /><br />Things were getting bad for me personally, but thankfully, right after my ex and I broke up, I moved to Philadelphia in March 2008. Things got dramatically better for me. I loved living with friends again, and it was nice not having to drive forever to get to work. I still went home on the weekends to see Mom. Part of me felt really guilty for moving out... but I know it was what my mom would have wanted. Plus, I was going insane living at home.<br /><br />By the summer, Mom was pretty much solely in a wheelchair and didn't spend too much time outside her bed. She was saying very few words. In August 2008, she went into the hospital three times, once because she had an infection in her stent and twice because she had a vasovagal attack. Also over the summer, we found out that the tumor had grown for the first time since the surgery.<br /><br />On September 17, 2008, the doctors said that the oral chemo she had been taking for a year wasn't going to do any good anymore. They gave my mom 2 weeks to 2 months left to live. Soon after this diagnosis, I heard my mom say my name for the last time.<br /><br />The next couple of months was like living on pins and needles. I never knew when I was going to get the call or when things were going to happen. I was so torn... despite the fact that she had pretty much no quality of life left, I didn't want to lose my mom. I'd never been so afraid. But I kept thinking about how I knew she wouldn't have wanted to live how she was living.<br /><br />On top of this, there was other family drama going on at the same time. This issue upset me very much (it still does) and at times occupied my thoughts when I should have been thinking about Mom and preparing myself for her passing. She should have always been most important in my mind and should have always been the focus, and for that I am truly sorry.<br /><br />It was sad to celebrate her birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas, knowing it would be her last. Despite the fact that she said maybe one or two words a day, couldn't get out of bed and slept all the time, she was still eating normally, which was one of the qualifying issues for hospice. Besides are almost round-the-clock nursing assistants who were there to take care of her, a hospice nurse starting coming in and allowed the nursing assistants to give her morphine for her pain.<br /><br />On Jan. 5 while on my way to work, my sister texted me and said Mom was going to hospice. I rerouted and went home. Emily and I got to the hospice before lunch. Mom was restless and was having tremors. Emily and I sat and held her hand... she was given medicine and calmed down a bit, although her breathing was labored.<br /><br />We were told if she stabilized in the next 6-8 hours, she could possibly make it a few days. So by 8 p.m., my siblings and I decided to go home to go to sleep... especially because my brother had a bad stomachache. Barely 15 minutes after we got home, we got the call that her system was starting to shut down... and if we wanted to be there when she passed, we better get back.<br /><br />Emily and I decided to go back, but Brandon still didn't feel well, so he wanted to stay at home (though he did get to speak to Mom on the phone before she passed). I ran upstairs to change and was shaking when I picked out a green Aero sweatshirt of Em's and some of her jeans.<br /><br />Right before we left, my brother puked... all over the place. We couldn't go before we (and when I say we, I mean my sister and my Uncle Whitey, haha) cleaned it all up.<br /><br />We finally left and got back to the hospice. Walking through the small parking lot, I saw my Uncle Roy (Mom's brother) and my Aunt Lori in the lobby. I had a bad feeling in my stomach.<br /><br />I'm pretty sure I will always be able to picture this moment vividly: a nurse came to get Emily and I, and, holding a small candle with a quote from Mark Twain on it, led us into my mom's room.<br /><br />She had already passed. We were too late.<br /><br />I had always wanted to be with my mom when she died... she was with her mom, my MomMom, when she passed. I was so upset that we went home and I missed it. But now I think maybe it wasn't meant to be. If Brandon hadn't gotten sick and delayed us from going, we would have been there in time. And maybe we just weren't supposed to be.... she was stable for so many hours and as soon as we left, she started to decline. My Aunt Lori thought Mom was waiting until we left to pass.<br /><br />The week after she passed was crazy emotional, for many reasons. I was exhausted from everything and I just wanted to get back to Philly... back to my escape, I guess. The services were beautiful, and thank you so much to everyone who attended. I loved hearing stories about my mom and people telling me how wonderful she was and how they'll always remember her great smile.<br /><br />I feel very strange now... like I don't know how to feel. I am so glad she isn't suffering anymore, and I know MomMom, Nanny, Nicole and Jen all welcomed her into Heaven. But sometimes I still can't believe this all happened... like it's some horrible nightmare and some day I am going to wake up and things will go back to the way she used to be. In almost all of my dreams about her, Mom is healthy... and that freaks me out.<br /><br />Part of me feels normal, because I am back to my normal routine in a place where I feel loved and comfortable. I also feel like I've been grieving for her for a year and half now. But then I'll see or hear something that reminds me of Mom, and it will all hit me.<br /><br />I know I may feel differently in the upcoming months. I may have a breakdown or I may be fine... I don't know what's going to happen, and that really scares me. But I'm trying to just take everything one day at a time.<br /><br />One thing I know though... I will always, always love her and miss her. I do feel cheated out of a mom... why do some people get to have their parents until they themselves are in their old age, while others lose them when they're 13, like my brother? It's just not fair, but I guess life isn't fair. I'll never understand why this happened, but it has happened, and I have accepted that.<br /><br />I want to try and move on and live my life... because she gave me this life to live, and to live it to the fullest. And I know she is always with me.... I was a part of her and she is a part of me.... and death can't separate us that way. I won't be afraid to die because I know she will be the first person to greet me into Heaven... and that gives me some peace thinking about that.<br /><br />---<br />Whoa... OK, this was a lot, I know. Sorry for rambling. But I had to get this out now, to record how I'm feeling right now. I hope to one day write a book about my experience, or compile essays from people who have lost their parents to cancer.<br /><br />One more thing... THANK YOU SO MUCH for being such wonderful friends. I seriously wouldn't be able to function if I didn't have you all supporting me. I love you all.... and I'm here for you in a heartbeat if you ever need me, just like you were there for me!!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-9427056759826297852009-01-10T09:10:00.002-05:002009-01-10T09:15:16.185-05:00An Extraordinary MomI am planning on blogging about my whole experience with my mom's illness and death sometime within the next few weeks, but I don't have the energy to do it now. I did want to share what I wrote for her memorial service, and what my sister so beautifully read, so here it is.<br /><br />I'm trying to get back to you all personally, but I just wanted to say thank you so much for the beautiful support -- everyone who wrote on my wall or sent me a message, wrote on my mom's guestbook, came to the services or sent me cards. One thing that is keeping me going right now is knowing I have so many wonderful friends and family members who are there for me. Thank you so much.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AN EXTRAORDINARY MOM</span><br /><br /><div style="margin: 1ex;"> <div> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">How do I pay tribute to the person I loved the most? How do I describe someone whose life was so woven wth mine? How can I talk about such a wonderful mother who was also my best friend?</span><br /></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">I can tell you her favorite color was purple, she loved the movie <i>Remember the Titans</i> and she was a lifelong <i>General Hospital </i> watcher. She was one of the only people I know who hated the beach—she wasn’t a big fan of sand. She had a sweet tooth and she loved listening to oldies music and current pop music, including boy bands. And who can forget her infamous holiday sweaters and earrings?</span><br /></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">But I believe what I’ll always remember about my mom is the kind of person she was. She was a joyful woman who loved others wholeheartedly. My mother was definetly a people person and she loved chatting for hours to her closest friends. She preferred a night in talking around our kitchen table with her girlfriends to a night out.</span><br /></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">She was vibrant and lively, and had the spirit of a younger woman but the maturity and wisdom for someone her age. When I was in high school, I used to tease her that she was a 16-year-old trapped in a 40something’s body, because she enjoyed working at a high school just as much as I liked being a student there. She loved working in schools and being with students, and who had more Northampton spirit than my mom did? She owned more black and orange than any other person I know, besides maybe my sister. </span><br /></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">I’ll always remember the sound of my mom’s laugh. It was a distinctive, cute little giggle that earned her, along with Robin Schultz, the nicknames of Betty and Wilma. And I’ll always remember the warmth and strength of her hugs. No matter what I was going through, a hug from Mom always made things better.</span><br /></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">I’ve never heard anyone say an unkind word about my mom, but what negative thing is there to say about her? She was nothing but sweet to everyone around her. She would bend over backwards for anyone, but there are three specific people she would go to the ends of the earth for: her kids.</span><br /></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">So many people have told me, “Roma’s kids were her life.” And being one of her kids, of course I already knew that. Any time any of us were sick or had an injury, she wouldn’t leave our side and helped us to feel better. She was the first to suit up and go to battle for us if we needed a defender. And I can’t imagine how many miles she’s put on all her vehicles driving us to and from friends’ houses, shopping malls and sports fields.</span><br /></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">She supported us in all our endeavors. She wouldn’t miss even one of Emily’s games. She was most definetly Em’s biggest fan, which is a hard title to hold, considering Emily played sports year-round. She got so into what Emily was doing that she held office as the president of the field hockey and basketball booster clubs.</span><br /></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">No matter how stupid Emily and I thought it was, she bought Brandon every Pokemon nicknack imaginable. I know she would be supportive of his recent love of video making and would watch all of his videos with pride.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">When I became a Backstreet Boys fanatic in 8<sup>th</sup> grade, Mom bought me everything BSB – hats, T-shirts, etc. She fell in love with their music as well, and every Friday on the way to school would be “Backstreet Friday” and we’d pop a BSB CD in and sing along. </span><br /></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">When I was in elementary school and decided I wanted to be a writer, Mom steered me in the right direction. She read all my stories and became my editor as well. No one was more proud of me than she was. Without my mom’s encouragement and support, I’m not sure if I’d be a journalist today.</span><br /></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">I’m lucky to be able to say my mom was more than just a mother to me – she was my best friend, too. No one knew more about me than she did, and I would confide in her about everything – school, crushes, my fears. Even throughout college, she would be my sounding board when I had to make big decisions… and she would even answer the phone when I’d call for the fifth time with a laundry question. She could always calm me down and consol me over a break-up, a bad grade or a fight with a friend.</span><br /></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">We were so in tune with each other that, even though I haven’t been able to go to her for advice in almost two years, I feel that in most situations, I’d already know what she would have told me to do. There have even been times when I’d be driving in the car and hear a song and think, “Mom really likes this song.” Then I would realize it came out after she got sick and she never even heard it – I just knew so well what she liked.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">The biggest compliment I’ve ever received is when people tell me they see a lot of qualities of my mother in me. Mom once said she thought all three of her kids were very loving and caring people – and that’s because you raised us to be that way, Mom. We learned how to be good people by looking at you and your interactions with others. You set an amazing example.</span><br /></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">I know time will help us all heal from the pain of losing such a wonderful woman, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to listen to certain songs without crying and thinking of her, or if I’ll be able to see a Ford Escape while driving and not feel a flicker of hope and excitement that it’s my mom I’m passing on the road. </span><br /></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">I may never understand why she had to be taken away from us at such a young age, but I do know I’d much rather have 23 years of an extraordinary mother than a lifetime of a mediocre mom.</span><br /></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;">Mom, thank you so much for all you’ve done for me and for loving me so much. I promise I’ll remember what you’ve taught me and I’ll live my life in a way that would make you proud. I love you forever, and thanks for being extraordinary. Rest in peace.</span></p> </div> </div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-28337905526714608032008-12-10T21:52:00.002-05:002008-12-10T22:03:34.970-05:00Wow, Cancer Really SucksWhile perusing the Internet the other day, I found this <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081209/ap_on_he_me/med_global_cancer;_ylt=AsGckFSTBeaFl5BLbyczKFTVJRIF">article</a>, citing that within the next year, cancer will beat heart disease and become the number one killer.<br /><br />I'm not at all surprised. I feel like every time you turn around, you hear about someone else getting cancer. I'm sure everyone can think of quite a few people they know who have cancer, survived it or passed away from it.<br /><br />What boggles my mind is that so much money is being put into cancer research... why haven't we seen any big changes yet? I feel like I shouldn't be saying this, especially working for a healthcare magazine. Every day, I read about clinical trials for a new type of drug or scientists are trying something new to combat a certain kind of cancer. I guess little by little, we are making steps toward beating this monster.<br /><br />But for a lot of people, it's a little too late... including my mother. For a disease that can be dated back to the time of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer">Hippocrates</a>, why don't we have a cure for this yet? I know this is probably just a bitter rant... but I still pose the question. How many more millions of people are going to have to die before they can get some help??? How many more mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, children, friends, etc. will be taken away?Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142406915074908549.post-57147789589310360782008-10-19T10:05:00.003-04:002008-10-19T10:21:01.972-04:00Book Review: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Working Less, Earning MoreThis newest edition to <em>the Complete Idiot's Guide </em>family is perfect for those who want to start their own business, people who work from home or anyone who wants to get the most out of their work. Filled with helpful tips, author Jeff Cohen lays out what you need to do to keep your life from being consumed by work.<br /><div></div><br /><div>Cohen's advice starts with creating a weekly to-do list including everything you do in a week, such as sleeping, working, going to the gym, etc., and recording how many hours you use to complete each task. Looking at what you do per week and how many hours it takes can help you realign and maximize your schedule. </div><br /><div></div><div>Something helpful, especially from people who own their own bosses or work from home, is Cohen's section on self-motivation. He explains how certain distractions, such as the Internet and the phone, can interrupt your productivity. If you write out a daily to do list and allot a little bit of time for these things, and then completely shut down your Internet so it isn't a distraction, you'll get a lot more work done!</div><br /><div></div><div>He also acknowledges why some people stay with their jobs even if they are unhappy in them. Cohen shows the reader how they can concur fears standing in the way, such as worrying about not being able to support your family and not making any more than their current salary.</div><br /><div></div><div>Cohen covers everything, from how to become indispensable in your current work situation before looking for a new one to how to freelance and network. The book is filled with quizzes and exercises that help the readers see how they feel about their work-life balance. The links in the appendix are also especially helpful, especially to freelance writers! This book is paramount for anyone seeking happiness in their overall work life, and more time for their personal life.</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073521246896815184noreply@blogger.com0