So I’m sure many of you have seen the last episode of Game of Thrones. We MUST talk about Daario Naharis!! WOW, that guy is hotness on a stick! Although the Titan’s Bastard was gorgeous in his own right (R.I.P. Mero), Daario is a different kind of gorgeous. And he is going to make Dany MELT, along with the rest of us.
So what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment or think I’m mad?
I have a bone to pick with book clubs. No, change that. Book club members! They can be just plain dumb!
I’m in a book club and I love it. We meet at a very cool place, have drinks and talk about the book of the month. I’m usually surrounded by intelligent, vibrant, successful women who love to read as much as I do. But then you get the ones who ask the dumbest question on the planet. And that question is this: ”Should I read the book before coming to the next meeting?” WHAT?
What the hell kind of question is THAT? Should you read the book? Of course you should!! It’s a book club!! The whole idea of the club is to discuss a book that we’ve READ!! Hence the name BOOK CLUB!!! Really?
So what about you? Have you come across people like this? What’s your peeve about being in a book club? What do you like or love about it?
If you live in New York City, like I do, you know how expensive it can be to stay in shape. A gym membership in Manhattan is almost as much as rent!! Yes, I’m aware that the more you spend, the more you get when it comes to gyms. I have been a member of several and that rationale does ring true. Lucille Roberts was super cheap, but it was small, there are no towels or toiletries in the showers and it closes early. On the other side of the spectrum, Equinox is super expensive, but my God!! You get so much!! Fresh towels!! Kiehl’s lotion (if you’ve never used Kiehl’s then you won’t understand)!! Electronic lockers!! Roomy showers!! I could go on and on. But having that large chunk of money coming out of bank account every month was brutal, so I had to give it up. So what’s a New Yorker to do to stay in shape? Hell, plenty!
New York has always been known for its variety. You can walk down one block and see 10 restaurants, each with its own cuisine. Starbucks is everywhere, as well as smaller coffee shops (some are much better than Stars). The same goes for exercise. New York has so many different offerings for people who want to stay in shape, but not go broke doing it. There are yoga classes, dance classes, cycling classes, trapeze and aerialist classes (next on my list), outside workshops, Brazilian jujitsu classes (another on my list), samurai sword, fencing and swordfighting classes (DEFINITELY on my list), the list goes on and on. And of course there’s the Y. Classes range from being free or almost free to somewhat pricey, but you can save a lot of money and have fun, as well.
Me, I decided to do my favorite thing and walk. I go to Central Park after work, which is gorgeous this time of year and full of people, and walk 4 miles, then come home and do some strength training with Jillian Michaels (if you can’t lose weight with her, you just can’t lose weight. She’s nuts.). The amount of weight I’ve lost already is amazing and I don’t spend a dime. With the money I saved, I can take Brazilian Samba classes at the Alvin Ailey Studio, which is another great way to stay in shape and have fun all at the same time. And it doesn’t kill my wallet. Just my thighs.
For those of you who haven’t seen the latest ep of Game of Thrones, get the hell off of this blog! Because I HAVE to talk about Ms. Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, the true Dragon of House Targaryen. My girl laid waste to Astapor and turned it to ash, with the help of her baby Drogon. I’ve read the books, so I have been waiting to see that scene. I’ve watched it three times already and it makes me laugh every time. Why? Because the look of shock on that idiot’s face when he realized Dany spoke Valyrian was frickin’ PRICELESS!! He knew his ass was done after that.
The moral of the story children: don’t eff with the Mother of Dragons. Cuz she’ll fire-roast your ass with a smile on her face.
Yes, you read that right. Luke Evans, the man I would sit through mediocre movies for, has been cast as the original player, Dracula. I just have one question: Edward who??
I know, I know, Edward is cute and a vampire and he sparkles (or does he glitter?). But vampires don’t glitter!! Or sparkle!! They bite necks!! They seduce pretty virgins (or non-virgins), take them to bed, put the vamp sex on them and then CHOMP!! Lights out, but damn what a way to go. Luke Evans playing a bloodthirsty immortal (what is it with him playing immortals?) took my obsession with him to a whole different level.
Sorry Twilight fans. A REAL vampire is coming to town and he doesn’t glitter. Or sparkle.
Yes I said it. Luke Evans is so so pretty. Just look at him! That hair. Those eyes. His sense of style. Not to forget, he is super talented. Yes, Mr. Evans has a lot going on, especially this year. He’ll be in the next two Hobbit movies playing Bard the Bowman and the next installment of the Fast & Furious series. The only reason I plan on seeing either movies is because of the hotness that is Luke Evans. Although I am a fan of The Hobbit, I wasn’t that impressed by the movie and had no plans to see the next one. Until I saw a photo of Luke standing next to Orlando Bloom a.k.a. Legolas. That changed my mind instantly. The same goes for F&F (because really, how many of those movies can Hollywood make?)
Luke Evans, I will suffer through mediocre movies just to watch you for two hours. Now that’s love.
I love Italy. I love the food, the men, the history and even the cobblestones. I love Rome, Florence, Pisa and Venice. I long to bike through Tuscany, taste pizza in Naples and swim the beaches of Capri. Yes, I love Italy. But what’s the deal with train validation?
My first trip to Italy was in 2011. I decided I wasn’t going to keep talking about seeing Italy and made the trip with a friend. We were both so excited, all we did was research things to see and places to eat. During one of my many late nights of Google research, I came across an article warning travelers about validating tickets when riding Italy’s trains. Luckily, I read the article because if I hadn’t, I too would have been duped by Italy’s well-hidden secret.
Okay, so I’m being dramatic. But so many travelers don’t know about train validation and they end up paying hundreds of euros in fines. What is train validation? It’s actually very simple. If you purchase a train ticket that has no seat assignment, you MUST go to one of the validation machines and stamp your ticket. That’s it. But NO ONE TELLS YOU ABOUT THIS. Not even the ticket agents (most of them anyway). And if you get on the train without validating your ticket, forget it. You’re paying a fine unless by some miracle, an agent lets you off the hook. And that’s rare.
When I visited Italy in 2011, the validation machines were these clunky yellow things that never, ever worked. Now, Trenitalia, which is the main train company in Italy, has its own validation machines all over the stations, so you can’t miss them. If you have a seat assignment (i.e., Seat 12A), then no need to validate. But if not, make your way to a validation machine pronto. You’ll save yourself a lot of hassle and 100 euros (that’s the cost of the fine).
And it isn’t just the train. You have to validate bus and waterbus tickets, as well. While in Rome, my friend and I decided to take the bus back to our hotel. We bought tickets at the local Tabacchi and when we got on the bus, the first thing we saw was a validation machine. We knew exactly what to do. It’s the same in Venice when you take the waterbus. There is no assigned seating so you have no choice but to validate. We almost got on the waterbus without validating until I thought about it at the last minute. Again, there are machines at each “bus stop” so you can’t say you didn’t see it (although I didn’t, but I digress). In Venice, the fine for not validating your ticket is 52 euros.
Some people take a chance and decide not to validate, and you can get away with it depending on the mode of transportation. No one checked our tickets while we were on the bus in Rome or the waterbus in Venice. But it’s too risky and the cost is just too great.
So the next time you’re in Italy, remember these three simple words: validate, validate, validate. Buon Viaggio!!
Hi ladies. Yes, this post is just for us. Today is Sunday, which means sports. Football, basketball and anything else that involves leather balls, stats and boring commentator banter. This is the day that men forget they have wives or girlfriends and give all of their attention to the flat screen. I don’t blame them because I love sports myself (take notice single men). It would drive me bananas when my boyfriend (when I had one) bothered me while watching a football game. And God help him if the Giants were playing the Patriots!! Interrupting me during THAT matchup was enough to get him cut!
Ladies, I know how your men feel when you decide you want to be affectionate during the big game. It basically blows when you do that. Why? Because game time is historically man time. It’s when guys get together (or not) and yell, scream, eat, belch and talk sports. They drink beer, eat burgers, cuss and do what men are supposed to do during a game. Game time is when men can just be men, and asking them for a kiss when Eli Manning is throwing a long pass to Victor Cruz for a possible game-winning touchdown is just plain wrong.
I know, I know, what about us?? Why can’t he pay attention to me AND the game?? Because it is mathematically impossible, that’s why!! Well, really it isn’t, but come on! It’s a game!! Unless you have a sandwich or a beer in your hand, he’s not paying attention to you. So how about this: do something YOU like while he’s watching sports. Go to a movie, read a book, have brunch with your girls, buy those shoes you’ve been eyeing. Your man isn’t going anywhere! He’ll be in front of that television when you get back.
Don’t want to do any of those things? Then go that extra mile and learn about the sport your man loves. That’s what I did. I used to date a man who lived and breathed football. I liked it, but there was so much I didn’t know. Luckily, ESPN Magazine put out a special publication just for women that had everything we needed to know about football. I read that magazine cover to cover until I knew the difference between a first down, a touchdown, a false start and a kickoff return. So instead of being clueless and bored while watching the game, I was able to watch with my man. And HE appreciated my taking the time to learn about his favorite sport so much, he started showing interest in things I liked. Win-Win!!
So ladies, the next time you decide you want to cuddle with your man during the Super Bowl (and that’s just selfish if you do), remember this: give him his space during the game, get him to take you to the ballet later. It’s called leverage. And it is good.
It’s Friday and I’ve been watching political news for most of the night. During a commercial break, an ad for a website that advocates couples cheating aired. Most of the “cheaters” were good looking, fairly young, and of course, on their cell phones making plans. At one point, the commercial showed a couple sitting outside, presumably at lunch, and the woman asked, “Who are you talking to?” Her husband stutters, answering, “Alex.” A dialogue pop-up appears over his head that says, “It’s not Alex.” Seriously? What the Hell??
The Internet has made it ever easier for people to cheat on their significant others. Facebook, Match, email, texting, sexting and God knows what else (and even He may not know) are readily available. But I have never seen a company openly target people who are married or in long-term relationships and ENCOURAGE them to cheat. Is it me, or has our society lost all respect for the sanctity of marriage?
I know what you’re thinking: what’s the point of marriage when so many people cheat? Because NOT ALL PEOPLE CHEAT! There are still those out there who think marriage is something to be honored and appreciated, that being with someone “til death do us part” is the highest form of love. Unfortunately, there are also those who marry for the wrong reasons (money, loneliness), marry without really knowing their spouses, marry because their parents said so, the list goes on and on. The divorce rate is at its highest level ever and more and more people see marriage as more of a business contract than a love connection. So why get married?
Because marriage, when done right, is wonderful. Seeing two people who love each other so much that they can’t imagine being with anyone else is magical (yes I know that sounds corny, but it is. Magical. Not corny. Sorry, I digress). But being married is more than that. It is the creation of a new home, new memories, new adventures, new heartaches and triumphs, babies, no babies, travel, jobs and anniversaries.
Right now, I am happily single. That doesn’t mean if the right man comes along, I won’t put a ring on it (sorry, I had to say it). And I don’t think anyone should be forced to marry because others think they should (or because they’re tired of being a bridesmaid instead of a bride). I do, however, think it is appalling that anyone be encouraged to betray a loved one in order to make a buck. What does it say about our society when we capitalize on the pain and suffering of a spouse? What does it say about us as human beings when the all-mighty dollar comes before a child’s happiness at seeing his or her parents together and in love? I hope the person who created the cheating website is confronted by a spouse who’s marriage has been irrevocably broken. I hope that person has to look in the eyes of a child and explain why Mommy and Daddy aren’t together anymore. The creator of that website better pray it’s not his or her family that suffers the consequences.
