Over in Monte Carlo

Here's a picture of where all the action has been taking place over the past five days....the very beautiful casino in Monte Carlo. As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and, with that, Michael's dream of winning the Grand Final in Monte Carlo did not come to fruition. We can't even be sad about it because he had an amazing run coming in 5th place and winning $666,060. But for someone who's as competitive as he is, the money really means nothing to him. It's all in the challenge and all in the "win". He got to experience the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat off and on all day. But in the end, it was not to be. So he'll stay in Monte Carlo for a few more days (apparently there's some big tennis tournament there this weekend) and then head off to Amsterdam for a week or two. He definitely needs a vacation after this grueling week.

It really was an amazing experience to be able to watch this entire final table online. In Liz' office, they had the IT people come in and remove the blocks from the computers so she and her friends could watch. And while it was stressful for Michael, there was no lack of stress back here in the states as there was a flurry of emails and text messages and phone calls going back and forth all day. There are so many great pictures and video interviews online already and it's been fun seeing all of it. I'd like to thank pokernews.com and cardplayer.com for these photos. But when I sent Liz this last picture of Michael's final hand, she just cried. They say a picture says a thousand words.....well this picture said three million words. lol I love it though because it shows the true emotion of the culmination of a fantastic event in Michael's life -- one he won't soon forget.

If you're thinking that Michael wore the same thing today as he did yesterday, you're right. Aside from the fact that he's superstitious, he just loved being in France and wearing something that said United States on it. A prouder American you will not find and he wore this proudly representing his country in this event.

When he decided to become a professional tournament player, I told him if he made a final table, I would be there. Well, this is his third final table in three months and I haven't made it yet. By the time I find out that he's has made it there, if he's playing in Europe, it's too late to get on a plane. After this event, however, I have promised him that no matter what, I will be there. Perhaps I have to be in the stands rooting him on to make it happen. Bob says it just wasn't his time to win yet but we do believe it will happen. And guess what, you'll be the first to read it here!!!

So from the final table in Monte Carlo, I bid you Au Revoir.....until next year.

Big News from Monte Carlo

As I reported in a previous blog entry, Michael is currently playing in the Grand Final of the European Poker Tour in Monte Carlo. This is the largest European event and culminates another season of European Poker. It would be the equivalent of our World Series of Poker here in America. This is a five day event which began over the weekend and ends tomorrow. The unbelievably great news is that he's still in the hunt. They started out with a field of 842 and there are 10 left. These ten will compete tomorrow until we have a winner. Right now, Michael is in third place with 1.6 million chips. First prize for this event is 3.2 million dollars. There were so many photos taken of him today but this one is my favorite. I'd like to give credit to Cardplayer.com for this picture.

As much as we love following him in these tournaments, Liz and I are all about what he's wearing. I had bought him this Polo sweatshirt for Christmas (it says United States on the back) and he told me if he went deep in Monte Carlo, he would wear it. He just loves wearing something in France that says USA on it. I wish I was there to pick out his outfit for tomorrow's final table...only kidding Michael but he's tempted to wear this again. He definitely wants our country represented.

So if anyone's wondering what I'll be doing tomorrow, you won't have to think twice. I'll be glued to my computer watching all the action live. If any of you are interested in following it, just go to http://www.ept.com/ and click on the sentence that has the words ept live in it. You can also follow the action at http://www.pokernews.com/ or http://www.cardplayer.com/.

So as they say in Monte Carlo, Bonne chance Michael. And as we say in America, One Time -- he'll know what that means.

All Work and No Play

It makes it hard to blog when there's no fun stuff to report because work is interfering with life. Just as the trees come into bloom, the people looking to buy houses begin to come out of the woodwork. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that I'm selling a lot of houses; it just means that there are a lot of people out looking at them with me driving them around. The good news is that eventually they will all buy something....it's just a matter of "when". This weekend I sold a house to a couple who relocated here from Wisconsin. They've been in temporary housing while they've been looking. The amount of time I've been working with them is.....two years. Yes, you read that right. That's how long it took them to make a decision on a home. They both travel a lot in business and they, themselves, got bogged down with work and didn't have enough time to look. I thought you'd all enjoy seeing a picture of my office above.

This is a customer Pat and I shared so we will also be sharing the commission. I told Pat that since this is basically money we weren't counting on, we should take a trip to Vegas to play in the ladies' WSOP tournament. I think I now have her convinced to do this which should make for some great blog entries. The last time we were in Vegas together was for Michael's 21st birthday which would make that almost three years ago. The fun we had was above and beyond any of my blog entries thus far. As I was typing this blog, my manager called to ask me a question and I told her about Pat and I going to Vegas. She has two words for me....."I'm In". Looks like she'll be going as well. This could be trouble because she's even more fun than Pat is. Michael will also be there when we go as he usually rents a house there for seven weeks during the WSOP event.

Speaking of Michael, he's playing in a tournament right now in Monte Carlo. This is day two of the event where 842 players began and, as I type this, there are 155 left. If he continues to get further, that will be a great blog entry for me to type. He just texted me and, at the break, he is currently sitting on 93,000 chips which is well above the chip average at this point. Updates to follow as he progresses. ....Update: Play just ended for the day and Michael now has 136,800 chips with 129 players left. On to Day 3 for him!!

I watched a great DVD from Netflix last week called The Best of Youth which was a miniseries shown on Italian TV. It was replete with subtitles but really was a moving story spanning three decades in the lives of two brothers -- one becomes a psychologist and the other a police officer or, as they say in Italia, policia. At first I found it slow moving but then really got into it and was sorry when it ended. This was recommended to me by my BCFF JoAnn, who is known to most of you as one of the few people who leave comments on my blog.

As far as this past weeks TV, I'm disgusted with American Idol. My pick to win, Michael Johns, was eliminated. Why was he eliminated? Because enough people didn't call in to vote for him. Should I be angry with myself? Yes I should because I'm one of those people who watch the show and wait for everyone else to call in and pick the winner.

I'm also disgusted with Big Brother because, as usual, the houseguests are turning on each other and the alliances that were formed at the beginning are crumbling. When are these people going to learn that in order to win, you have to be loyal to those to whom you've promised your undying support?

Last week was also my mother's 87th birthday which we spent shopping at her favorite store Boscov's. Shopping with my mother is a trip unto itself but she gets such pleasure out of it that I'm happy to oblige. She also had some pictures of me sent to her by her sister, my Aunt Margie, which showed how truly ugly I was when I was younger. My mother had complete control of my hair and my clothes and it's amazing she even let me leave the house looking like I did. Thank goodness I had a job when I turned thirteen which gave me some money which in turn gave me some power to make myself look more presentable. Otherwise I'd probably be an old maid!!!

Well, that's it for now. All work and no play makes my life unbloggable. Hopefully I'll be able to post something great about the happenings in Monte Carlo. Until then....it's back to work.

Movie Day Returns

After a 6 1/2 week respite, by popular demand, movie day has returned. Our intial push to see all of the movies nominated for an Academy Award was so successful that we actually needed a rest before we continued our weekly foray to the theater. I've actually been available to go to the movies each week but Pat has been so busy with work and Linda told me she "had to study" and, therefore, was unable to go. You all don't know how funny these words were when she said them to me. "Study", I said. What the heck are you studying? Well, since she's going to Italy in September, she decided to take Italian 101 so she would know the difference between fusilli and farfalle when ordering pasta in the restaurants there. I can now report, however, that she is an Italian dropout and has since opted to learn Italian from tapes. So now that the "studying" fiasco has ended, she was available, once again, to participate in our weekly ritual.

Having both read The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory when it first came out, we were very anxious to see the movie. If someone was to ask me if the movie was true to the book, I really couldn't answer that question since I read it so long ago and don't remember all of the specifics. Having said that, I thought the movie was excellent. There's not much you can change in the story of Ann Boleyn and Henry VIII. Let's face it, we all know that heads will roll in the end. I've always loved the story that there was another Boleyn girl involved in this love triangle and I thought Scarlett Johansson played the part of Ann's sister Mary beautifully. Natalie Portman was an excellent Ann Boleyn and Eric Bana looked better than Henry VIII ever did. Let me put it this way -- if Henry VIII looked like Eric Bana, he probably would have had twenty wives. After reading this book, it began my obsession for learning all things Tudor related. It was a fascinating regime and Philippa Gregory is a master at telling a great Tudor story.

Lunch today wasn't in a very exciting place but it was good nontheless. We went to one of my favorite diners. Favorite because of the food but mostly favorite because of the name. Just in case this picture is too small to read the print, it's called Michael's Diner. It's been there for years and we used to eat there quite often when Michael played ice hockey as it was on the way to his hockey rink. As usual, it was good, quick and the menu was twenty pages long. And, once again, we were shuffled to a booth right next to the kitchen so that when they brought out the food carts, they would practically hit your arm while passing you. Needless to say, we were immediately moved. Some things never change. I know, there's a sign on me that says, "Please seat me at the worst table you have".

I really want to see 21 but Linda cheated on me and saw this with her husband Jim so I might have to wait for it to come out on Netflix as I don't think Bob would be interested in seeing a movie about Blackjack. Hopefully there will be another good movie for us to see this week. In the meantime, it's "Thumbs Up" for The Other Boleyn Girl.

The "Birthday" Weekend

Since our birthday girl now lives in New York, it's hard for us to see her on her birthday. As a result, we planned to celebrate on Saturday with dinner out, preceded by the opening of presents, of course. My having to work all day Saturday kind of put a kink into our plans but we still managed to work it out. The plan was for Bryan and Liz to arrive before noon and I would get home prior to 5PM.

In addition to celebrating her birthday, we also got to celebrate something else as the happy couple were going to find out the sex of their baby on Saturday morning. "Don't call me on the phone and give me the news that way", I told them...I want to hear it in person. I was in my office at 11:30AM and they stopped in on the way to our house to give me the news. And here it is .......................................

That's right -- as Bob and Michael have said, another lefty first baseman is being born. As Bryan says, we will now have our first shortstop in the family. Since my brother Michael doesn't read this blog, he can't refute this as he would surely say that he was the first shortstop in the family. You might ask why he doesn't read it. His response to me was that he doesn't have time for "mundane minutia".

Well, getting back to the weekend. It's so exciting for us to know the sex of the baby as it enables Liz and I to begin the nursery decorating plans. She has so many great ideas and I can't wait to see them come into fruition.....or to pay for them to come into fruition while Bryan does most of the hard work.

Speaking of paying, it easily segues back to the birthday presents. As predicted, she was screaming as she opened each one. The bad news for her was that she wasn't able to open any presents until I got home from work. I had ten gift bags perched on the fireplace just to tease her. She only called me once while I was working to ask me when I'd be home. I couldn't have been in the door 5 minutes before the presentation began. What were her favorite gifts? I know my friends will be asking this question. Hmmmmm......I think I'd have to say the Gucci shoes followed a close second by the David Yurman necklace. The other eight bags were filled with many different maternity outfits that don't even look like maternity outfits any longer. As the saying goes, "these are not your mother's maternity clothes." I don't even know if there is such a saying as I think I just made it up.

We had dinner at an Italian restaurant called Amici Milano in the Chambersburg section of Trenton. I know this probably sounds scary as Trenton is considered the 4th most dangerous city in the United States but there is this little Italian section right in the middle and there must be over twenty-five different restaurants there. This is one of our favorites....small, quaint, great food, nice ambiance and the perfect place for a birthday dinner.

So all in all, it was the perfect birthday celebration. Our girl turned 32 and she's about to become a mother. It doesn't get much better than that.

Tomorrow FF Linda and I are finally going to the movies again. She knows I found out the sex of the baby and she wants me to surprise her when I see her. I plan on wearing a powder blue turtleneck and a light blue plaid Burberry scarf. Let's see if she realizes the significance as soon as she sees me. I just hope she doesn't read this blog before she leaves her house as it will spoil the surprise. But, since I know she loves my "mundane minutia", my plan might be foiled.

A Tree Grows In.......Pennsylvania

Every year, I wait for this tree to bloom as it is the true sign of Spring for me. It is also the first tree in our yard to bloom. You have to capture a picture of it right away as the blossoms shed very quickly.

This tree is also my very favorite. It's a cherry tree and it was planted so that whenever I looked out my kitchen window I would see it. I know the exact age of this tree as I received it as a gift from my friends in 1992...the year my father died. This was something they had planted in my yard so each year it bloomed, I would be reminded of another favorite of mine and probably my most favorite person ever. I certainly don't need a tree to remind me of my father but each year this gift brings such a smile to my face when the pink flowers appear.

We certainly didn't have many trees in Brooklyn where I grew up and my father used to love to come here and sit on the deck and appreciate all the trees surrounding him. I could write stories upon stories about this great man who I called Dad but there isn't enough room in any blog entry to tell them all. I often wonder how I cound ever move from this house and leave this tree behind. I've even thought about burying Sarah's ashes (our beloved border collie) under this tree but, if we moved, I know I couldn't leave both.

So while the trees didn't grow much in Brooklyn, they're certainly alive and well here in Pennsylvania.

A Momentous Day in our Family

April 2nd has always been one of the most important days in the Martin family. We're reminded of it months in advance so we have plenty of time to prepare for this occasion. When I think back to all the other April 2nd's I've celebrated, they can only bring a smile to my face as I was celebrating the birthday of one of the most special people in my life and that would be my daughter Liz. Even though I didn't give birth to her, she's every bit a daughter to me as if I had. She was four years old when I married my husband so I've gotten to celebrate 28 birthdays with her so far.

I often wonder what life would be like without being able to celebrate these birthdays. For one, I'd probably be wealthy. But, on the other hand, I would have missed out on some of the most fun moments in my life for to make Liz happy is to make everyone happy. I can't even begin to describe the joy she gets when she receives a gift. Since she loves anything that's a name brand, she starts screaming and crying as soon as she sees the box so that by the time she opens the present, it's almost anti-climatic. This kind of response makes me want to outdo myself in the present department each year. This is the first year I'll be buying presents for a "pregnant" Liz so most of the gifts will be maternity related.

In years past, with Bob working in New York City, we usually had dinner at a great restaurant there. Since he's now working in Philadelphia, sadly, this is no longer possible so our birthday celebration this year will have to be relegated to the weekend. And, as this weekend approaches, I say, "Let the Screaming Begin."

To Cash or not To Cash

"WHEN" is the question! This weekend was our annual trip to Foxwoods in Connecticut for the WPT Ladies' Poker Tournament. Last year it was held on a Sunday, but this year, they changed the venue and it started on Saturday morning which meant we left here on Friday. It's about a 3 1/2 hour ride from Pennsylvania but Pat thought it wouldn't be too much out of the way to drop off her daughter's dog , who she had been watching all week while said daughter was away on a business trip. Her daughter only lives an hour and a half away from us. Yikes!!!!

So we had decided to begin our sojourn at 12:30PM but didn't get on the road until 2PM because my car had to be inspected and they decided I needed two new back tires which meant it wouldn't be ready in time. So we started off the trip a little bit stressed and it got worse from that point on. There was an accident on the turnpike and there were so many trucks going by so slowly and blocking my view that I didn't see our exit and ended up getting off at Exit 16W instead of Exit 16E. After backtracking a bit and frantically calling my husband Bob, we finally found our way, walked the dog, carried the 40 lb. bag of dog food up the stairs (actually Pat did this), loaded up her refrigerator with all the food Pat had bought her, said good-bye to Bear (the very cute and darling dog) and headed for the George Washington Bridge. At this point, it was 4:30PM on Friday and needless to say, the traffic was incredibly heavy. The good news is that by the time we hit the New Haven area, it was so late that the rush hour traffic in that area had passed. We finally arrived at Foxwoods at 7:30PM....not too bad...only 5 1/2 hours.

We dropped everything off in our adjoining rooms and headed out for dinner. We opted for the same place we had eaten last year, Al Dente, and were glad we did. The food there is incredibly good as is the service and the ambiance. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Foxwoods as it is definitely not one of my favorite places. I can't exactly put my finger on it but I guess if I had to describe it in one word it would be "tacky". They are in the process of building a new MGM Grand Hotel on the premises and that's where we intend to stay the next time we go there.

Up early the next morning, we headed out to breakfast and then on to the tournament which began at 10AM. Once again, it's probably our favorite thing to do...we just love it!!! The women are all so nice and so much fun. It's why we choose only to play in the ladies' events. I don't think I'd enjoy it as much if there were men at the table. I started off slowly until I came upon a hand I'll never forget. I know many of you readers aren't poker players but, for those of you who are...Michael, Josh, Nick, Daut, Nat...you'll definitely appreciate this hand. I am sitting with JJ and the blinds are 50/100. There is a preflop raise of 300 and I call. The flop is J8A. The other player bets 1K and I raise it to 3K and she calls. The turn is another 8 and she bets 2K and I move all in and she calls. She flips over AA so she has a full house, aces over eights to my full house of jacks over eights. Wow, that really stinks for me until the river brings me another Jack and I now have quads. This one hand put me at over 10K in chips at the first break and looking pretty darn good (we started with 5K in chips by the way).

I accumulated some additional chips during the next two levels and then my run of cards ended...just like that, I got nothing. I guess I really need to learn how to play when you get no cards since this is something definitely lacking in my game. By this time, they had posted the payoffs and thirty players would get paid. I made it to right before the dinner break when I was finally dealt my first pair in about three hours...55...so I pushed only to be up against KK. Oh well, close but no cigar. I ended up finishing in 48th place...18 away from cashing.

The good news is that I'm getting closer; the bad news is that I still haven't cashed. But I will continue to try. Since we were both knocked out before dinner, we asked the front desk if we could check out and not be charged for the room and they agreed so within a matter of 15 minutes, we were packed, checked out and on the road again. All we talked about on the way home was how much fun we had. We also talked about finding a Friendly's where we could have our favorite tuna melts and a Happy Ending Sundae which was really so appropriate as every trip always ends "happy" for us.

Until the next event, I remain, Cashless in Washington Crossing.

It's All In The......

MARJORAM!!!! How could a lovely sprig of leaves be so unappealing to me. And the word unappealing is putting it mildly. I absolutely can't stand this stuff.

It all started about a year ago when I was in my local gourmet market and purchased some of their formerly delicious three cheese meatloaf. When I got home, I took one bite and spit it out. It tasted like there was cleaning fluid in it. I thought perhaps when they cleaned the showcase in the store, some windex or something got on the meatloaf and ruined it. I never bought the meatloaf again. Then, while eating in a neighborhood pub, I ordered a Shepherd's Pie dish. Once again, I couldn't eat it because of the taste but, at that time, didn't put two and two together. They told me it was made with lamb so I figured it was the lamb I didn't like. Then, last summer, while at the shore, we ate at a quirky little restaurant and I ordered some innocuous dish (can't even remember what it was) and there it was again...that taste I can't stand.

Now I was convinced that there was an herb or spice out there that I just didn't like. But how do I find out what it was. I searched the Internet, I spoke with friends, I asked cooks that I knew but no one could help me. Then this week, at my same local gourmet market, I purchased some eggplant parmesan and there it was again, that taste. Now I was on a mission. Somehow I would find out what it is that causes me to throw out this food.

The next day I headed for that same gourmet market and found the owner of the store. Since this is a local market, I know him quite well. Nicholas, I said, "Can you tell me what spices you put in the eggplant parmesan?" Since he's also one of the cooks, it was easy enough for him to rattle off the ingredients.....oregano, basil, parsley, thyme. "No", I said, "it's none of those. There's something that was in the eggplant and was also in the meatloaf at one time." He said, "Let me check it out" and back to the kitchen he went. When he came back, he had the answer I've been searching for.....it was the dreaded Marjoram. Apparently, instead of putting individual spices into the eggplant parm, they used an Italian Seasoning blend which included Marjoram. Just to be sure, he opened up a new bottle of Marjoram and had me taste it. Yuk!!! That was it. Mystery solved. Now at least when I order something in a restaurant, I can make sure that it doesn't include Marjoram.

And the good news is that my local market, Colonial Farms, will no longer include Marjoram in any of its food. It's nice to have such pull. This is one of the things I just love about living in a small town. I'm so glad that when George Washington crossed the Delaware River in 1776 for the Battle of Trenton, they decided to name a town after him and that's where I ended up. Go Washington Crossing!!!!

The Chill Factor

I've decided that this is what it comes down to for me -- which singer actually gives me the chills when they perform. There was a great article in this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine which said that some TV is "Ear TV" and some TV is "Eye TV". Of course, at the moment, I can't remember who wrote the article and thus cannot give credit where credit is due. But suffice it to say that the explanation is rather simple. Some TV is so mediocre that you hardly watch it and might be listening to it while doing something else and that gives us "Ear TV". On the other hand, if you are mesmerized by something and follow every minute, then that is classified as "Eye TV". Lost, for example, can only be classified as Eye TV because if you take your eyes off the set, you'll definitely miss something important.

Such is the case when watching American Idol. You can listen to most of it while doing something else but, every once in awhile, something catches your ear and forces you to watch and listen or, in the case of the One Republic song, Stop and Stare at the TV. That's exactly what happened to me during last night's broadcast of American Idol. I halfheartedly listened to most of the contestants until Michael Johns came on singing Queen's We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions. I have already stated that I am a huge fan of his and think he has a great chance of winning and his performance last night is one of the reasons I feel this way. In one word, it was "amazing" and Simon Cowell felt the same way telling him that he had actual star quality when singing that song.

Then we come to David Cook, this season's male rocker. He sang Michael Jackson's song Billy Jean but sang the Chris Cornell version of it. Lest you think I'm way up on my rock music, I have no idea who Chris Cornell even is but I feel obliged to give him credit for his rendition of this song. To say it was amazing would be an understatement. It was unbelievable. I even rewound it so I could listen to it again. Itunes sells these songs as soon as the show is over and I will definitely be purchasing this one as well as Michael Johns' performance.

Disappointments last night were Jason Castro and David Archuletta. Hasn't anyone told Archuletta never to sing a song no one has ever heard of? Simon even made a comment to this effect insinuating that it might have been David's "stage Dad" father who picked the song.

This is what makes American Idol so exciting. There are so many different types this season. Brooke White, another favorite of mine, is reminiscent of Carly Simon. David Cook reminds me of Daughtry. Michael Johns reminds me of so many different performers as he really can take on so many different personas on stage.

But it all boils down to one thing for me and that's the "chill factor" and only two performers did it for me last night....Cook and Johns. I guess I'm a rocker at heart. (Did I really just type that)?

Happy Easter

I know, I know, I know. Remember, I went to 12 years of Catholic schools. So what do I know? I know that Easter is the most important religious day for all Christians because it is the day that celebrates the resurrection of Christ. And if you didn't know this because I'm telling you, you surely remember it from Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of Christ. Since that movie grossed almost one billion dollars, I'm assuming most people saw it.

Easter was always a fun time for me when the kids were growing up as I was big on coloring eggs and making up great Easter baskets. I remember one year filling up Liz' basket with everything that said New Kids on the Block on it. Michael's baskets, of course, were usually filled with video games. Unfortunately for me, when I was growing up, my mother was big on Easter bonnets. I have more pictures of me with ugly hats on than I care to remember. But before you think that she didn't get us baskets filled with candy, think again. She was great at this stuff and that's where I learned my craft.

So I digress. We all know the real importance of Easter this year. It means I can eat chocolate again, the thing I gave up for Lent. So where did this sacrifice get me. Initially I lost at least 5 pounds because of it. But then I started to make up for the loss of chocolate by eating muffins and cake. Not really a good thing and actually worse than the chocolate because it takes more cake and muffins to satisfy a sweet tooth than a piece of chocolate does. So I quickly had to get this in check before I gained back those 5 pounds. So what did I learn? I learned that a chocolate a day keeps the cravings away and I'm probably better off eating a piece of chocolate candy than I am eating a box of donuts.

And lest anyone thinks I'm being irreverent with this blog, think again. I'm only joking as surely I know that the real meaning of Easter is about everything good and holy. I can't even joke about it because it's something that's ingrained in my being from all those years of being taught by the nuns of St. Cecilia's and Bishop McDonnell's. So on this holiest of holy days in the Christian calendar, I say to you "Happy Easter" and may the Easter bunny bring you all that you crave.

Pre-Easter Dinner

This weekend, we opted for the pre-Easter celebration at one of my favorite restaurants, P.F.Changs. This is actually a new restaurant to this area having only opened within the past year. Prior to ever eating here, I had heard so many great things about it and was actually happy that I wasn't let down as I usually am after something is built up so much by others.

In attendance was my daughter and favorite son-in-law, Liz and Bryan, my son Michael, husband Bob and moi. Usually the wait is in excess of one hour but today we decided to go at 5PM which really worked to our advantage as the wait was only 20 minutes. I guess we picked the right night to go because, even when we were leaving, there wasn't a wait. Needless to say, a lot of people obviously don't go out to dinner the night before Easter. Guess they were all home waiting for the Easter Bunny to arrive.

I don't think I've ever eaten anything at this restaurant that wasn't terrific. Tonight, for the first time, I tried lettuce wraps courtesy of favorite son and it's definitely something I would order again. Unfortunately for me, I was so full by the time the dessert menu was presented that I couldn't partake although my daughter had ordered some fabulous banana concoction that I wished I had room for.

Tomorrow is Easter and thus the end of my chocolate Lenten abstinence. It's been a long forty days and I'm not sure I'll do this again next year. I'm thinking that next year I might just give up soda....it might just be easier than the chocolate.

Dancing with the NON Stars

This week, ABC came out with its sixth season of Dancing With The Stars or, as I like to refer to it, Dancing With The NON Stars. Most of the time, I don't know who half these people are. But, all of the time, I am entertained just the same. This is one reality show where the participants actually have to work like crazy to secure their spot for next week. And, if you're slightly overweight, you're sure to be in great shape by the time the show concludes.

With a cast of 6 men and 6 females, it's easy to see who will be eliminated first. I said these very same words when Jerry Springer was part of the cast yet his fan base kept him on the show quite awhile. So my elimination process is loosely based on their performance although we all know that if they're popular, they will stay longer than they should.

Who should go?

Penn Jillette -- over 6'5 and big and clumsy
Adam Carolla -- should stick to comedy
Steve Guttenberg -- should stick to acting even though I can't remember the last time he was in a movie
Marissa Jaret Winokur -- very cute but it's going to be hard for her to compete because she's not as agile as the other contestants
Monica Seles -- I wanted her to do well but she was far too stiff
Marlee Matlin -- getting the sympathy vote from the judges just like Heather Mills did

So that leaves us with six who actually have a chance --

Kristi Yamaguchi -- definitely the one to beat
Priscilla Presley -- 62 years old and looking great
Shannon Elizabeth -- the longest legs on the show...how can I not root for a poker player
Jason Taylor -- should give up football and become a model because he's so good looking
Christian de la Fuente -- very Latin and very hot
Mario -- the youngest on the show and clearly the one of the men to beat

So there you have it. I think it's between Kristi Yamaguchi and Mario to take this one down this season. But even if you don't win, as much as the title of this show is Dancing With The Stars, it could also be known as How To Revive Your Career. Let's face it. Donnie Osmond is riding high once again simply because his sister danced on the show. Marie Osmond is getting her own talk show. Drew Lachey is almost as popular as his brother Nick Lachey. Lisa Rinna is now doing red carpet interviews. Paulina Porizkova is now a judge on America's Next Top Model. Joey Fatone now hosts a game show. And why do athletes like Evander Holyfield, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith and Clyde Drexler go on a show like this when they're already so famous.? Clearly it's to broaden their fan base and gain new admirers. I certainly like them better than when they played their respective sports.

In any event, all of these "D" List stars will be dancing their way to better careers and possible moving up the list to "C" or "B". Let's just hope that Kathy Griffin doesn't decide to do this show because where would we all be if she no longer is able to tape her own reality show, My Life On The D List.

What Is Blogworthy?

So my son-in-law emails me today advising me that I haven't updated my blog in three days. This, by the way, is the same son-in-law who I stated in a previous blog was my favorite son-in-law. At that time, he advised me that he would be my one and only son-in-law since I only have one daughter and that is why he's my favorite. In our family, we like to refer to him as "Karaoke Bry" as he is seen here at one of his favorite spots singing away. And lest my daughter complain that she doesn't like the picture of Bryan singing karaoke, I've added yet another better one for her. In all actuality, it's very hard to find a picture of Bryan without a) Liz in it or b) a beer in his hand. Here is the actual email I received.

What is going on? I believe this is the 3rd day in a row without a blog update????? For those of us that have to work on Good Friday it would be a perfect time to read a little Terra Firma. You're leaving your biggest fans out in the cold. Real nice.

I reply that I really didn't have much to say and that's why I haven't written anything in three days. Another email comes and it says, "When is Michael coming home?" I reply, "At 7:40PM". Another email from FSIL, "Well, isn't that blogworthy?"

Which brings me right back to the question....What Is Blogworthy? If said son-in-law thinks that the time of the arrival of my son is worthy of a blog, so be it. Here it is Bryan.

My son Michael is arriving in Philadelphia on Southwest Flight #607 which leaves Chicago's Midway Airport at 4:25PM and gets into Philadelphia International Airport at 7:40PM. His father, your father-in-law, better known to you as Mr. Martin, will be picking him up. His mother, better known to you as Mrs. Martin, will be home making his favorite dinner (chicken cutlets and chicken rice) so that the king has something to eat as soon as he gets here. His favorite dog, Belle, will be awaiting his arrival because he's the only one who takes her on nice long walks.

Later on this evening, I will make him one of his favorite banana shakes. He will probably take this up to his bedroom where he will either be playing poker, playing FIFA, playing guitar hero or just relaxing. Everything in the world will be fine because Michael has finally gotten home for Easter.

How's that Bryan? Do you really think it was blogworthy?

THIS JUST IN...NEW EMAIL RECEIVED.

"Laughing like crazy and trying to post a comment but I forgot my login information. Loved it."

So I guess it was blogworthy if it made his day!!!!!

The Bachelor -- Again!!!!!

Here we go again. The 12th season of The Bachelor and I'm still watching. This time, they had to go to England to find the latest bachelor, Matt Grant, 6'5", charming and very good looking.

As usual, the casting is very similar to past seasons. They have the resident drunken tramp, who this season stuffed her thong into his pocket on the first night. This is usually enough to get him to give her a rose but our English bachelor might just have some class. Bye bye to the slutty girl.

When the twenty-five girls first emerge from their respective limos, I enjoy making a list of the fifteen girls I think will be given a rose on the first night while ten are sent packing. This season, I went 12 for 15, only getting three wrong. That's not too bad. But, you must realize that I am the mother of a bachelor and usually have a good eye for the kind of girls a single guy might like, or should I say the kind of girls a mother of a single guy might want him to like.

I think I'll need one or two more episodes before I pick the winner. But are they ever really winners? After a month or so, they usually break up and the so-called "winner" is left crying. According to all of the online reality sites, however, this bachelor did, in fact, find true love in America. Haven't we heard that before?

So I'll hang around until that final rose ceremony even though I realize now that it's probably all a sham. But at least this time it's an English sham!

HAPPY ST. PATRICIA'S DAY

While the rest of the world is celebrating St. Patrick's Day, I'm celebrating the birthday of the other saint born on this very same day and that would be St. Patricia, aka my BFF Pat. Born Patricia Bambino, her parents decided to honor that great saint by naming their daughter after him. It just makes it so easy each year to remember her birthday as it falls on such a momentous occasion.

Last year, we celebrated by playing in a ladies' poker tournament at Foxwoods. This year, we played in the Caesars WSOP ladies' event instead. She's so lucky that all of these poker tournaments seem to fall on or around her birthday.

Speaking of luck, it was not by chance that she was born on St. Patrick's Day. It definitely was meant to be as she is clearly the luckiest person I have ever met. Since we also work together, we attend many business functions where drawings are held and prizes are won. Sometimes I tell them not even to bother picking out a name and to just give the prize to Pat as we all know she's going to win anyway....and she usually does.

But, the truth of the matter is that I'm really the lucky one because I get to be her BFF as well. The space in this blog is not large enough for me to relate all the fun we have whenever we're together. We have been friends for over twenty years and, like good wine, it just gets better and better.

So in a fictional world of lepruchauns, shamrocks and good luck, I found my pot of gold at the end of my friendship rainbow when I came upon my very own saint, someone who is loved by all, especially moi.

And to my other BFF's out there, your time will come in my blog. It's not your birthday, is it???

Hail Caesar!!!!

On Saturday, we (Pat and I) made another trip to Caesars to play in the 2008 WSOP Ladies' Poker tournament. This is the second year in a row that we have gone to this event. I don't know why we love these tournaments so much but, truth be told, we do. We love everything about them -- the comraderie of the other women, the competition, the feeling you get when you rake in those chips and, most importantly, finding the best place in Atlantic City to have dinner. We're almost ready to put out our own Zagat's Atlantic City edition.

We usually leave the night before so we're well rested and fresh by the time we sit down at the poker table. This time, however, we weren't able to get a room at Caesars so we decided instead to leave home at 8AM, which would get us there in plenty of time for the "Shuffle Up And Deal" call at noon. Our initial plan was to leave early enough to get there in time to register and have breakfast before playing. Once Pat's husband Bill heard of our plan, he offered to make us breakfast before we departed, which meant getting to Pat's house a half hour earlier. Might I add here that it was well worth it. He made us a breakfast that rivals any IHOP or Denny's or any other restaurant known for their breakfasts. He had gone out early in the morning and bought special raisin bread from which he made the most delicious French Toast I've ever eaten. This scenario worked out so well that we might have him make us breakfast before we leave for any of our future tournaments. Thank you Chef Bill.

Now on to the tournament, the reason for our trip. Once again, I didn't cash but I'm definitely getting closer. Out of the 365 players who entered, I came in 65th place but, unfortunately, only 36 people cashed and I wasn't one of them. I make no excuses for not getting there. I'm doing everything I've been taught by the best of them (Michael and friends) but the powers that be have not aligned for me to win as of yet. I will keep trying and will definitely have fun doing so.

A funny thing happened before the tournament started and I feel obliged to report it. Since we had an hour or so to kill, we decided to window shop all of Caesar's famous Pier shops. When we got to the end of the stores, we walked up to the third level where most of the restaurants are so we could pick out where we would eat later on that night. We couldn't make up our minds and looked for somewhere to sit to discuss the options. Lo and behold, we found these great Adirondack chairs that were set in sand in front of a huge picture window that looked out on to the ocean. It was heaven!!! We stayed there for at least an hour talking and laughing and people watching. Now here's the funny thing -- Pat says to me "Isn't this great? Don't tell anyone about this spot." "You don't think anyone else knows about this?", I whispered. "Okay, I promise not to tell anyone." So later on I'm still playing in the tournament and Pat has just been knocked out and she comes over to my table and tells me she's going to go back to "our secret spot" and relax. Fifteen minutes later, she comes back with a sad face and tells me that she couldn't even get a seat, they were all taken. Guess her secret's out. lol If any of you know Pat, you'll know how funny this story really is. She always says things like this. I'm chalking it up to yet another Patism and that's why we all love her.

So, getting back to dinner. While Pat was waiting for me to finish, she was able to scope out the restaurant scene and came up with a great place for us to eat -- Phillips Seafood. And guess where it was??? Close to our "secret" chairs. Rather than order a full blown meal, we opted for the soup, New England clam chowder, a salad, a wedge of Iceberg lettuce with blue cheese and bacon and dessert, coconut cream pie. Can you say DELICIOUS!!!! Dinner was beyond great and we would definitely go back there again.

We left Caesars shortly after dinner because we both had to work on Sunday. As we were leaving the casino, I realized I didn't have my wallet. What is it with Caesars? The last time we were there, we couldn't remember where we had parked the car. Now I can't find my wallet which was obviously much worse than losing the car. I decided to retrace my steps and headed straight for the poker room. Fortunately for me, it had fallen out of my bag and one of the ladies had picked it up and turned it in to security. At this point, we're wondering what we'll lose the next time we visit Caesars. Hopefully not our shirts!!!!

Until next year's event, Et tu Brute.

Disgusted and Disgusting

How many more of these stories do we have to hear? I'm so sick of these politicians and their stupidity. They're so full of power and think they're above the law. And if you look at them, and Eliot Spitzer in particular, please tell me what woman would even want this guy. No wonder he had to pay a prostitute. And his fall from grace is even more notable since he preached on a platform of high morality yet I guess he felt he didn't have to follow the rules himself. He was someone who enjoyed bringing down other powerful men or should I say helping in the ruination of their careers. Well, I guess the words "What Goes Around, Comes Around" are true in his case. Enjoy the ride Mr. Spitzer.

But here's my real complaint. When will the time come when one of these wives has the backbone to tell her guy to do the press conference himself? Why do these wives have to stand before the world and be humiliated because of their husbands' trangressions. Is it "Stand By Your Man" no matter what. This guy is the married father of three daughters and a man in public office who owes something both to his family and to the people he represents yet he has no problem laying out in excess of $80,000 to prostitutes. And this is what Silda Spitzer chooses to stand by. Tell him to get the heck out of your life. It's something Hillary Clinton should have done years ago. I think she'd be more respected today if she had had more respect for herself and kicked him out .....of the white house. Well, I guess she couldn't have done that. Too bad as he's another arrogant one who is above the law.

And then we have Dr Laura Schlessinger on The Today Show blaming it on his wife because she didn't spend enough time thinking how to give her man what he needs. According to reported documents, he was paying a higher price than usual because what they were doing was considered dangerous. Excuse me Dr. Schlessinger that his wife didn't realize this was what he needed to feel just a little bit more arrogant than he already was.

The name of the prostitution ring was called The Emperor's Club and clearly, in this case, the Hans Christian Andersen tale rings true as This Emperor Had No Clothes.

No Comment

I hear so many complaints from my friends that they wanted to leave a comment on my blog but either didn't know how to do it or, for some reason, they tried, and it didn't work. This seems to be a universal complaint with Google blogger.

But, I'm here to tell you that it's relatively easy. When you read a post you want to comment on, simply click on the word "comment" at the end of the blog. It will bring you to a new page with a box that says "Leave A Comment". Simply type in your comment and make sure you sign your name so I know who you are. Then, click in the circle that says Anonymous and then click on "Publish Your Comment". It's that easy. Of course, if you're already registered with Google Blogger, then you can just sign in under your name but you know that already.

If it wasn't for my good friend JoAnn, I'd almost get no comments at all. Don't make me call you all out on this! I get emails from many of you saying you liked my blog so if you can type an email, you can post a comment. Do you hear that Bryan? There's a shout out to my favorite son-in-law. And, if all else fails, I found a site where I can buy blog comments. I will resort to anything.

So, I'll be expecting numerous comments from all of you. And, if it must be in another language, no problemo. I can translate.

Two Things In Life You Can Be Sure Of.....Death and Taxes

But, if you live in our area of Pennsylvania, there are three things.....Death, Taxes and Your Electricity Going Out whenever there's any kind of a storm. The Post Office has a slogan that says, Neither snow nor rain nor heat, yada, yada, yada. Well, our electric company has a similar slogan that says, Whenever there's snow, or rain, or sleet, or wind, or heat, or hail, we can assure you that you will lose your power. We moved here twenty-two years ago and, after losing our power a half a dozen times, I wrote a letter to the newspaper editor saying exactly what I said above. It was published and I looked at it today and here I am two decades later saying the same thing. It's just unbelievable.

I don't get it. Sometimes I feel like I'm living in the dark ages since they can't seem to keep the power going in inclement weather. Our scenario is even worse because we have private well and private septic so when the power goes out, not only do we not have electricity, but we also don't have water and thus the use of toilets. I surely don't know what the answer is but I just love venting about it.

And when you don't have electricity, you don't have cable and if you don't have cable, you don't have the use of the computer and on and on and on. When I see those shows on TV showing people roughing it, I know that's not for me. Yet our electric company forces me to live this way at least a dozen times a year. Well, at least I have a computer tonight to tell you all about it. Tomorrow I might not as they're predicting a little wind in the area!!!!

My Guilty Pleasures

During the recent writers' strike, everyone was concerned that there would be nothing to watch on TV and we might all be relegated to watch those dreaded "Reality" TV shows. Well, I said, "Bring It On" because I just love my reality TV. I never really got that involved in the original MTV pioneer of reality TV, The Real World or the follow up to that, Road Rules, although I was very up on some of the houseguests just from listening to my son and daughter talk about them like they knew them.

My first real introduction came in the form of a show where 16 contestants were stranded on an island off the coast of Borneo for 39 days and the last one standing was the winner. I remember seeing the promos for this show and thinking that I would watch the first episode but there was no way I could imagine a show like this making it. I couldn't have been more wrong as this show has become the landmark of all reality TV. Thus is the power of Survivor. With the latest episode, Fans vs. Favorites, it marks the 16th season of this highly rated show. It's a show I always look forward to and a show I never miss. One wonders how they can maintain an audience, while the premise stays the same, yet they seem successful at it. Recently, they have upped the ante on the challenges and some of them have been downright physical to the point of being dangerous. And yet, I continue to watch as "Thursday" is "Survivor Night".

There's another favorite of mine that always begins on fourth of July weekend or thereabouts. This is probably my most guilty pleasure and one in which I invest way too much of my time. The problem with Big Brother is that not only is it on three times a week, but you can watch live feeds 24/7 and, for the past two seasons, Showtime airs it live for three straight hours each evening from midnight to 3AM. Last season was the first time I watched the live feed and it will be the last time because I found myself addicted to it and basically wasted so much time where I could have been doing something much better. As a result of the writers' strike, CBS decided that they would take advantage of this opening in their lineup and air, for the very first time, a winter edition of Big Brother known as Big Brother -- Till Death Do Us Part. For the first time, the houseguests will participate as couples -- couples who have never met before entering the house. This is the one thing I like about Big Brother. They say to "expect the unexpected" and they never disappoint this viewer.

And then there's the "Trumpster" with his highly self-touted show "The Apprentice". This season it's been upgraded to "Celebrity Apprentice" and I use that world "upgraded" very loosely. I actually never thought I would like a celebrity edition and yet I find I might like it even more than the original. It's fun to see these stars being fired by "The Donald". Maybe they can get a glimpse of what it's like to be in the real world. This is another show to which I've been tuned into since its inception. I love the challenges and only wish this had been around when I was in the business world. If this had been the case, as they say in poker, "Ship It", because, hands down, I would have won and, by now, I'd be firing Donald Trump.

Perhaps the cadillac of all reality shows, and the one that involves a tremendous amount of talent on the part of its contestants, is Project Runway. Again, it's another show I've been attached to since the very beginning. The huge draw towards believability is Heidi Klum, as the moderator, who is probably one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen. It's funny to think that years ago, it was all of these supermodels whose faces were seen on the covers of Vogue and Cosmopolitan. Now it's TV and movie stars who have replaced these models, since they obviously sell more magazine copies than the unknown model would have. The season finale culminates with the final three showing their "lines" at Bryant Park during Fashion Week. For a designer, this is the "ultimate" and something that would have been impossible before this show came to be.

So, while I felt bad that people were out of work and the "show couldn't go on", as far as I'm concerned, it didn't even put a dent in my TV watching. As a matter of fact, I considered it a nice reprieve from all those incessant sitcoms and crime dramas. It gave me the ability to indulge myself in my reality TV and all of my Netflix offerings. Too bad the strike is over.

Why Am I Always "Late to the Party"?

All I can say is "thank goodness for Netflix." Because of this great concept, I'm able to catch up on those TV shows that I missed during their premier seasons. I've been a member, almost since its inception, having been incensed by the way Blockbuster was raping their customers with late fees on a daily basis. I got great satisfaction when Blockbuster tried to copy the Netflix strategy and really couldn't compete.

My first catch up took place with a show that Entertainment Weekly referred to as "The Best Show On TV That You Haven't Seen" and that was Friday Night Lights. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this show. It is so much better than the original movie and the casting is far superior -- even though a few of the cast members in the movie do appear on the TV show. I even bought the DVD for my son for Christmas, in the hopes that I could win over another viewer but, as yet, he's one of those "who isn't watching it". The writers' strike has stopped production on this show and there's rumors that it might be cancelled. I would be devastated if this happens as it's the one show I look forward to watching every week.

The next show that I didn't watch at its inception was Heroes. The premise just didn't appeal to me....super powers given to people who can save the world. It's just not my cup of tea. But, my son insisted that it was one of the best things he's ever seen so, needless to say, I had to check it out. Once again, I became an immediate fan and caught up with every past episode before this new season had even started. This is one show that I know there's no chance of it being canceled because it's just that good and it has tons of followers.

Similar to most people of my generation, I tend to gravitate towards the main TV channels, CBS, ABC and NBC, but, as of late, I'm finding that some of the best shows are on FX, HBO, SHOWTIME and other similar channels. It's no surprise, based on this, that I missed out on one of the best shows ever to be shown on a television set and that would be Damages. This is one that was found by my BFF Pat. Since we basically like all of the same things, I figured I would have to check this one out. Unfortunately, it wasn't being offered by Netflix yet but I was able to find a site where I could download all of the previous episodes. As soon as I started, I was transfixed. First of all, Glenn Close has the lead in this show playing a high powered attorney who runs her own firm. The fact alone that Glenn Close would associate herself with a television show should have been impetus enough for me to watch it from the beginning. The first episode starts off which someone being questioned by the police. So begins the mystery that will keep you guessing until the last episode. Apparently, they will have a different case/mystery that will wrap up in the season finale.

And lastly, this brings me to my newest find, Nip Tuck. This was a show I had heard a lot about but had shied away from because of all the cutting and blood. But, once again, Pat kept talking and talking about it so I made it my business to watch one or two episodes this season. That was enough to get me hooked. I immediately went to my other BFF, Netflix, and ordered the first season. Since I was already fully enmeshed in this current season, it was fun to go back and watch how it all started. This show already has a few seasons of production under its belt so it will be awhile before I get fully caught up.

I have a few more shows that I've heard raves about but haven't watched and I'm looking foward to The Wire, Rome and The Tudors. The first two I already have in the house so I just have to get my hands on The Tudors. Sometimes I wonder how I'm going to find the time to watch all of these shows. Yesterday, my husband commented that with all the channels on TV, he can never find anything good to watch. I looked at him like he was crazy and said that unfortunately I find too much I want to watch.

I think from now on I should just watch all of these new shows when they first hit the airwaves so I'm not always finding myself behind the eight ball. So forgive me now while I leave you to watch Disc 3 of Season 1 of Nip tuck........

20 Days In and Counting......

Well, I'm halfway there and all of the chocolate in the house, when I started this, is still in exactly the same condition as it was.....untouched and uneaten. And wow, this is hard. It's not just giving up chocolate candy; it's giving up anything that has chocolate in it which includes any kind of cookies and cake and ice cream as well.

On a positive note, I guess I really do eat a lot of chocolate because I've lost at least five pounds since the beginning of Lent. I also found out that I drink more soda when I eat more candy because I don't think I've had more than one can of Diet Coke a day in the past three weeks. So obviously the candy make me thirsty or else Coke and Candy just go together. So now I've killed two birds with one stone and, by doing so, got healthier at the same time. Go Lent!!!!!

It's amazing to me how a Catholic upbringing can stay with you your entire life. Even if I'm tempted to have a piece of chocolate, I just won't. There's no two ways about it -- I just can't do it. It's funny how easily some addictions can be controlled. Yet, as soon as Easter comes, I'm sure I'll be delighted to be back on Coke and Candy once again. What a vicious cycle.

So with three weeks left to go I've found out that it's obviously mind over matter when it comes to giving up something or else it's the fear of the wrath of God if you're a Catholic. Whatever the case, I'm almost there.