YaSabe - Now YOU know.

I recently took a "drive" around YaSabe.com, a new website providing bilingual directory services for Hispanics. YaSabe is well designed and very easy to navigate. When I initially pulled up the website, it was entirely in Spanish. I took three years of Spanish in high school, and the years have not been kind to my memory. I appreciated the fact that you were able select your preferred language, and that the language selector is right at the top of the site.

Once I'd switched over to English, I performed a simple search for "burrito" in my neighborhood. You're able to narrow your search results by distance, in alphabetical order, or by best match. The restaurants that YaSabe found in my neighborhood were accurate. Once you've found the restaurant you want, YaSabe provides you links to the restaurant's website (when available), phone numbers, the ability to send the address via SMS, or share it on any number of social networks. If you find you need additonal help, YaSabe offers assisted search. You can chat with an expert, or leave them a message. YaSabe's experts will help you find the right local business for you (and they'll communicate with you via text or email in either English or Spanish!)

Here's the search results I received.

The Pips: Jack Black, Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr.

Funniest Thing Seen Lately Above

Love this. Am I the only woman on the planet who thinks JB is a cutie-patootie? Can I get an amen from the choir? Ah, screw you. I just think funny guys are sexy as hell. In case you were in a cave this week, the rocker guy won on "Idol" - NICE. If the baby-faced guy had won, I would have sworn off "Idol" forever.

In other news, I've lost another six pounds. That makes for 19 pounds total. My pants are falling down if I don't wear a belt. DH told me the other day that my shoulders are smaller - gee, thanks. Why not tell me that my boobs are shrinking too? I love a compliment as much as any gal, but jeez.

The girls' birthday was this week - I think they had a great day. I brought cupcakes, juice boxes and goody bags to school (I bought the cupcakes...shhh - don't tell anyone I didn't bake 'em - I couldn't take the shame). Miss Princess came home wearing a Dora birthday hat, and didn't take it off. She wanted to wear it in the bath, she wanted to wear it to bed...I finally had to hide the damn thing. My babies are FOUR - jeez.

Had a weird scare this week: I was going out to run errands when a locksmith's van pulls up. The guy jumps out and tells me that he has orders to change the locks on my house. First I think, "could DH be divorcing me??...nah..." I tell the guy he's made a mistake and he leaves. But I'm totally paranoid now. I'm in the party store, picking out stuff for the goody bags when I get a call from DH. He tells me that he just got a call from our alarm company, that there's an alarm condition in the house -- in short, someone is attempting to break into our house. I drop everything and run out of the store like my hair is on fire; my adrenaline is pumping and I'm shaking so bad that I can barely dial my cell phone. The alarm company tells us that they're sending the police, and I call my dad (a retired NYPD detective). When I pull up to the house, my father is up against the side of my house, with his .22 in his hands, like he's right out the Mod Squad. I get into the house, cancel the alarm, and my dad and I search the house - nothing. Its a false alarm, so I begin trying to figure out what caused it.

You won't believe this.

My mom got the girls huge life-size Minnie Mouse balloons for their birthday party. The cat got tangled up in the balloons, and set off the motion detector. Nothing like a false alarm to give you some more grey hairs. I'll be visiting my stylist in the near future for a touch up on my dye job.

I AM BACK, BABY.

And better than ever.
Well, not completely sure about that part.
But I'm most certainly lighter.

I've lost 14 pounds since I started going to the gym. Looks like getting my ass kicked in Zumba class is paying off. I can almost see my jawline coming back. Almost.

Mother's Day was cool - but as far as I'm concerned, every day is fricken Mother's Day. Here's a little something for all the moms out there:



OK. What else do you need to know?
* I had a sinus infection (my seasonal allergies have been crazy) - the doc prescribed Avelox, and I broke out in hives. I've never had a problem with any antibiotic - and all of a sudden, I'm blotchy, bloated, and ransacking the house for Benadryl.

* I'm secretly waiting for the "Sex and the City" movie to come out. Shh - don't tell anyone. I think I'll be sneaking off to a matinee' when the girls are in school.

* My girls are turning four this week - FOUR YEARS OLD! I've been shamed into doing cupcakes, juiceboxes and goody bags for the girls' classes. I'll be buying my cupcakes - Shhh, don't tell anyone.

* Potty training is VERY hard. Miss Princess was refusing to use the potty at home, running around the house chanting, "no more underwears! I wear diapers!" I've managed to get her back on track (with a significant amount of bribery). I just keep washing clothes and washing teeny tiny undies with Minnie Mouse on them. Its gotta get better right? Like I always say - being a mom doesn't get any easier - it just changes and presents new and different challenges.

OK - I'm off like a dirty shirt - glad to be back!

Here's What I'm Up To

I'm crazy busy, juggling THREE on line classes - one on Photoshop, one on Photography, and one on organization. I must have been crazy. Here's some of the layouts I've done solely with Photoshop.

Doing My Civic Doody.

Sorry I've been away a while. I've been crazy busy. Here's some stuff you missed:

* I got called for jury duty-sons of bitches. I've never served, believe it or not. In 2000, I got excused because I was recovering from surgery, in 2004, I got excused because I was recovering from my C-section, and this time...I sort of felt like I should just get it over with - like pulling a tooth. I arrived at the jury room with some 300 of my brethren. Then they called for anyone who was a full-time student, a convicted felon, or someone who is unemployed and caring for small children. I got excused on that basis. I practically skipped home.

* Looks like Dr. D has gotten the potty thing under control. They began working with her at school, and after a few days (and lots of dirty laundry being sent home) - she stayed dry all day. She couldn't wait to get home to tell me "I did it, mommy!" She was so proud of herself she told EVERYONE.

* Still managing to hit the gym three times a week. I started going to Zumba classes, which are kicking my ASS, but I'm glad for it. My ass could use a little kicking.

* Easter was good. The girls got lots of cool stuff. I tried folks to go light on the candy, but we still ended up with a big old bowlfull of goodies. Here are the girls in their "party clothes", ready to go visiting:

Hope you're having a great weekend!

No witty titles available this week.

I'm fresh out of sass. sorry.

This week, Miss Princess threw up on the school bus for reasons not quite known. She doesn't get car sick or anything. Her teacher told me that she was wet when she arrived at school as well. My only conclusion is that she's having "accidents" on the bus, and gets so worked up/embarassed/anxious about it, that she's making herself sick.

JEEZ. Does the mommy guilt ever freaking stop??!

She's also added a new member to her ever-growing entourage. I'd had a couple of baby blankets that I'd just washed and I was putting away (I didn't want to throw them away and figured I'd save them for the girls for their baby dolls)..and all of a sudden she said, "I want blankie!" Now she's carrying around a blanket, like Linus. Sometimes I want to grab a tote bag at bedtime to get all of her "friends" upstairs to the bedroom - I just don't have enough hands.

Dr. D. is still a sweet little angel. She's so funny. She came home the other day with a sticker on her hand and told me that she'd done "tee-tee on the totty!" (yeah, her p's are not so good) A note from her teacher said, "she's really excited about the potty, but hasn't done anything yet." She sits on the potty at home for a second, and jumps off shouting, "I did it!" These two will compete over just about anything.

I got all deep with my dad this week. For all of you who don't know my dad: if you took Robert DeNiro and threw him in a blender with a bit of Steve McQueen, a dash of Clint Eastwood, a smidge of Paul Newman, and just a pinch of John Wayne. Oh, and on some days, add a little Bacardi, coke and a splash of soda. My dad is a bad-ass. He was a NYC cop for most of my life - he did it all - walked a beat, did undercover work, he retired as a detective. He's seen it all, and done it all. But he's in his 60's now, still smoking two packs a day and drinking more than he should. Now, let me say that I know that my dad is going to leave this world with his boots on - he's not going to change, he's not interested in cutting down on his smoking. That's his decision, and I don't agree with it - but its his journey, you know? It makes me particularly sad because of my kids. My relationship with my dad has come full circle (and a lot of that is probably because I'm a parent now myself): when I was little, my dad was my hero. Then I got older and he was a pain in the ass who told me to clean my room. Then I was in my teens/early 20's and I felt like maybe I was adopted and no one told me. Now I'm nearly 40 and my dad is my hero again. I just don't want to tell my kids the cool stories about their grandpa - I want them to make their own stories.

Finally, unless you've been in a cave this week, you've heard that our governor here in NY resigned because of his encounters with a call girl. I am sad for his family, and I really do feel like this was a private matter that had nothing to do with how he ran the state. I mean really - it wasn't too long ago that the President of the United States got his knob polished right in the oval office - and he never got impeached. What it came down to was that Spitzer was an unpopular guy - while he was effective, he wasn't well-liked. All folks needed was a reason to take him down. But here's the thing that chaps my ass. I don't understand the fascination with the call girl. There's been more press about this girl than there has been about the governor. I guarantee that this girl is going to get a record deal and/or a spread in Playboy before this thing dies down...and that disgusts me. People say that the governor should have resigned because he's no longer a satisfactory role model - but what message are we sending our kids giving all of this attention to some skanky whore from South Jersey? Gee girls, the way to get ahead is to whore yourself out to rich men!! What is wrong with people??!

Stepping down off my soapbox now. Have a great weekend!