UNBELIEVABLE!

I am so incredibly fired up right now. My cousin Jackie turned 21 a few minutes ago. She actually shares her birthday with her best friend, and they decided to go out on the town in Pittsburgh. They reserved VIP service at a club called "Privilege Ultralounge" in the Strip District. I was there last year for Marina's bachelorette party and thought that it was a pretty nice place. Jackie was so excited that John and I were going to meet up with them to celebrate this milestone.

Earlier, John was inquiring about the dress code there. I assured him that as long as he looked put together (which he always does) that we should be fine. I distinctly remember that I wore jeans, a nice tank top, and flip flops last year, so I knew that it couldn't be that strict. So, I decided to wear a nice pair of white capris and a pretty tank top with (my staple) flip flops. I'm sorry, I wear them everywhere...I can't wear strappy things...I prefer to be comfortable rather than suffer and be fashionable.

So, we roll up to the entrance of this club and the bouncers inform me that I can not enter because of my flip flops! I couldn't believe it. They said that there is a liability if glass breaks and my toes get cut. Okay, that kinda makes sense. However, as we were standing there discussing this, a group of girls line up to go in. The one girl had on strappy sandals. More of her foot was exposed than mine. As they let her go in, I piped up and said "Hey - she has sandals on - why are you letting her in." They told me that those shoes were acceptable. Well, this made me totally livid! I couldn't understand the difference.

I told them that this is something that they need to advertise so that patrons know what to expect when they come here. They then referred to a sign that was at the bottom of the ramp. When I looked at this sign, there was no indication that sandals were prohibited. They don't allow athletic gear, baggy clothes, head gear, and work boots. Again, I got even angrier. The one girl working there said - "You can go to Walmart and buy a pair of shoes and come right back." PLEASE! She went on to say that it is against the law for any bar or club to allow people to wear flip flops. I knew that this was not true, and I am on a mission now.

I have been calling multiple clubs throughout the city, asking about dress codes, and specifically about flip flops and sandals. Not one said that they don't allow them. One indicated that they don't recommend them, but they wouldn't turn anyone away it they had them on. So, not only am I sending that club a nice little letter, I am writing a letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette!

My cousin is taking a picture of that sign for me. Also, I searched their entire website, and there is nothing about a dress code. Furthermore, if this is such big deal, they should inform people when they book parties there to tell their guests about such specifics.

What really kills me is that Jackie didn't officially turn 21 until midnight, and she has been there since before 10, drinking. So they wouldn't let me in, yet they knowingly allowed her to drink there illegally for 2 hours!

Oh, just wait...this bar messed with the wrong person!

We have 3 little ones!

Well, they're not ours, but they are living in our grill! As you can see, 3 of our little eggs hatched. I had just checked Tuesday night and there was nothing, and when John lifted the lid last night, this is what he discovered! So these little guys must have tapped their way out of their eggs sometime in the last 24-36 hours. I must admit baby birds are kinda gross-looking, but it's cool to see such a wonder of life occur right in your grill!

They must have some Moré genes in them because look at them begging for food! No one eats more than the members of my family. They have to be at least Italian.

We are so close to being able to use our grill again! FYI - we are not the only ones with this problem. Our neighbors informed us that they have had nest issues with their grill...despite an intact and in-place grill cover!

Loving Gabriel Brothers

Last night, my neighbors and I ventured to Monroeville for dinner, shopping, and coffee. Our shopping excursion was supposed to include Gabriel Brothers, Sam's Club, and Marshalls. However, it only included Gabriel Brothers. We got so caught up in that store, that we were the last customers to leave...on a Tuesday night.

So, just guess which racks kept us so intent - yep, Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft. There were at least 8 racks of clothing from these stores and all the items were $5! Now, you had to look carefully for success because most of the clothing sizes were 00-petite...yeah, like that person exists! But there were a few items that I found that made me happy. I also purchased some nice Ashworth shirts for John...ones that will be great for the vacation. My other exciting purchases were a 9-West bag for $20 (originally $62) and 2 Speedo work-out bathing suits for $12.99 each (originally $72 and $84).

I used to go to Gabriel's all the time with my mom - wait, correction - my mom used to drag me to Gabe's when I was younger, which probably explains why I hadn't been there in quite some time. Well, after last night, it is going to be a frequent stop when I am in Monroeville!

Boys are as bad as girls!

After the hiatus from the Memorial Day weekend, of course I have to start back with a post about "The Bachelorette."

Usually, on seasons of "The Bachelor," the girls in the house single out one particular girl and gang up on her. Usually this is the girl who the Bachelor seems most interested in and therefore is viewed as a threat. Sometimes the "gang-up" is deserved, sometimes it's not. But, hey, they're girls, and they're catty. I can say this without hesitation because I attended an all-girl high school, and no matter what you say - girls are catty - PERIOD!

Surprisingly during last night's episode of "The Bachelorette," the guys proved NO DIFFERENT! I couldn't believe how crazy the boys can get...just as bad, if not worse, as the girls. The drama created by them was amusing to watch.

If you read the comments of my last post about "The Bachelorette," I mentioned that I thought that Jeremy was "creepy." He revealed some things about himself on last night's episode that made me think less about his creepiness. We'll see if he is actually creepy or not.

In terms of my predictions - Chris got booted, so I am down to 3 of my top 4 from last week. I will keep a tally of how long my predictions last.

One last comment - Twilly is a twit - and I have NO idea why she kept him!

Any other thoughts?

Oh, to be a kid again!

Growing up, this weekend was always the best...the kind that you look forward to all year long. And here are the reasons why broken down daily:

• Thursday - sometimes Ascension Thursday fell on this week, and as a Catholic school girl, we would have the day off due to it being a Holy Day of Obligation. In addition, this was the day of Penn Hills School District prom, and all of our neighbors would be going. So, we would watch all of the couples take pictures and load into their limos
• Friday - Penn Hills School District Kennywood Day! Looking back, we were such losers when it came to Kennywood Day because we would purchase an outfit specifically for that day, and then anytime we would wear it afterward, it would be referred to as "my Kennywood outfit" and our friends knew exactly what we meant. At least my friends and I didn't buy matching outfits to wear (which a lot of people did). Nevertheless, it was the best day because we would get to the park early and leave really late, and we would run into everyone we knew throughout the day!
• Saturday - Pools opened! I was a total pool rat when I was younger. I really felt badly for the lifeguards, because I am sure that they hated us...we would never miss a day and we would never leave - rain or shine
• Sunday - Usually, by this time graduation parties started, and since I was one of the younger kids in my extended family, there was always a few parties to attend and most fell on this day.
• Monday - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL! Enough said.

What I wouldn't give to go back to those days, when my biggest concern was bad weather because it would put such a damper on all of the festivities of the weekend.

Speaking of, it has been so depressing in Pittsburgh lately, because the weather just hasn't been up to par. I was driving into work this morning and it was 39 degrees! C'mon...it's Memorial Day weekend, it has always been at least in the high 70's, even if it rained. "They" say that it is supposed to warm up, I hope that their predictions are right!

She's 3!

Happy Birthday Gabriella!


















Can you tell that she LOVES Cinderella?

And the Winner is:

Kristie Yamaguchi! Yippeeee!

Predictions

So, last night was the final night of competition for "Dancing with the Stars." Like I have been saying all along, Kristie Yamaguchi definitely deserves to win...she has been most consistent and has been awarded the highest scores. However, as a NFL football player, Jason Taylor may win with the popularity vote. Here is my prediction (hope) for the rankings of the final 3

1. Kristie
2. Jason
3. Cristián

A female star has not been the winner since the 1st season (and this is the 6th), so it's about time for a change!
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Onto "The Bachelorette":

While I watch the first episode of any "The Bachelor" or The Bachelorette" seasons, I like to make predictions about who will be in the final 2-4. I know that I am a pathetic loser, but I am pretty accurate most of the time...usually at least 1 girl/boy who I think is "quality" ends up in the final 2...but this person does not always end up with the rose in the finale. So, after viewing last night's episode, here are my predictions of DeAnna's best matches (READ: my favorites):

• Graham
• Jason
• Richard
• Chris

We'll see how accurate my predictions are over the next couple of weeks!

If any of you watched it - who do you think are the best guys?

Recycled Nests?

So, this is what results from procrastination. I don't know how we never got around to cleaning our grill last week, but John went to do it yesterday, and what is pictured above is what he found.

It seems that birds have caught on to the whole "Go Green" movement and are reusing each others' nests. These are pretty smart birds...not only is the grill itself cozy and covered, it resides on our covered deck. So now the little birdies can learn to fly and not get soaked during this wet-spell that we are currently suffering through.

Needless to say, as soon as these little eggs hatch, we are cleaning the grill and making it nest-proof.

I Love Thursdays

Thursdays have always been family day for us. My parents own a restaurant in Oakland, and my dad is the chef. So, growing up, we didn't see him too often because he was gone by the time we woke up, and we were in bed by the time he got home. Thursdays were different as my dad would leave earlier in the morning so that he could be home for dinner. I distinctly remember insisting on moving my "regular" seat at the dinner table on Thursdays so that I could sit next to my Papa (as we always called him when we were little).

Now that we are grown, this tradition has continued. We still make sure that we all get together for dinner on Thursdays. My dad still goes into the restaurant earlier and we all venture to my parents' house for dinner around 6:30. It's great because we all squeeze into the kitchen and enjoy a great meal together. It can get a little chaotic with the twins and Gabi running around, but it's so much fun.

I look forward to Thursdays each week for this reason. It's pretty impressive that we have been able to carry on this tradition for so long...which should be a good indication that this will be something that we will always hold on to, for as long as we can!

And then there were 3

Last night, Marissa Jaret Winokur was voted off of "Dancing with the Stars." I was kinda bummed. She is a Tony Award winning Broadway star (for her performance in "Hairspray"), she definitely wasn't the best dancer, but she had a great attitude and was fun to watch. As a "full-figured" woman, she totally proved that you don't have to be a stick figure to be happy, confident, and beautiful. I really liked her, but it was her time to go bye-bye.

Here's who is left to dance in the final:

Cristián de la Fuente, an international film star. He actually tore his bicep during a dance (LIVE) a few weeks ago. It was crazy because he totally mucked up his dance as he tried to continue after the injury. He decided to postpone the surgery to finish the competition, and as a result he has developed a lot of fan support. He's okay, but not worthy of the final 2, in my opinion.

Jason Taylor, NFL Man of the Year. I already talked about him in a previous post. One word: HOT! As a co-worker quoted "He is just oozing sex." I may have to become a Miami Dolphins fan after this (well, not really). His dance partner is John's favorite, Edyta...yeah, she's pretty hot too (I have not problems admitting when another woman is good looking). He is definitely going to fight until the bitter end.

Kristi Yamaguchi, the Olympic champion figure skater, is my favorite. She has done great throughout the season. There was some controversy concerning her because other contestants claimed that she had a definite advantage over them. Her partner comes up with the most incredible choreography and she does a fantastic job executing it.

I think that it is going to be a close one between Jason and Kristie.
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I apologize for all of the TV posts, but I am a loser and have nothing better going on. If you are not enjoying these posts, then I would advise you to cease your visits to this blog because once "The Bachelorette" starts, I may have weekly posts about it (especially now that I know that I am not the only one with this guilty pleasure...I know that there are more of you out there...it's okay, we are here for you!).

The Bachelor = STUPID BOY!!!!!

The finale of "The Bachelor" was on last night. I was not as enthused as I usually am for "The Final Rose" (as they call it) mainly because I think that the final 2 girls were trashy. I was totally rooting for the other 2 girls who were in the bachelor's final 4, but of course they were too nice and sweet. Here were the final two:
First, we have Shayne, who I disliked from day 1. She was 22 and an actress. She's the daughter of Lorenzo Lamas, who used to be on that 80's drama called "Falcon Crest." Anyway, she was fake and annoying. I was not a fan.

Next we have Chelsea, who tried to impress the Bachelor in the first episode with her arm wrestling skill. I joke you not! She was okay, but still not my first choice. However, between these two, Chelsea would probably be the better match.

So guess, just guess which one he chose:
Of course the fake blonde bombshell who is going to dump him after she realizes that her movie career won't take off in London (which is where he is from and is expecting her to relocate to be with him). The best part of the entire episode was when he rejected Chelsea and she totally exploded on how Shayne was the "falsest" (word?) girl there...you go!

Maybe "The Bachelorette" will make a more suitable choice for herself...girls usually think with their heads, and not with their...well, you know!

Why a Grill Cover is Necessary

Yes, that is a picture of our grill. And yes, that is a bird's nest inside. CRAZY! We did have a grill cover, but it blew away this winter during a strong wind storm. We actually had this happen last spring, but we caught it in the early stages, and got rid of the nest. I know that sounds cruel...but I love to grill - less mess and less time for preparing meals - what wife doesn't prefer to grill? Anyway, the trick was to figure out how the bird got inside of the grill...and we did. There is about a 2 inch overlap of the lid in the back of the grill. So, last year, we just placed a piece of cardboard back there when we were not using it, and never had anymore problems.

So, you would think that we would have been smart enough to get a new grill cover for the beginning of spring...of course we weren't! The good news is that we can get rid of the nest now. When we discovered the nest 2 weeks ago, and there were 2 little eggs in it. Last week, there were 5 eggs. As of yesterday...no more eggs.

Now we have to assess the damage and hopefully clean it up enough so that we can feel safe to use it again. We got the grill for free from a teacher friend of John's who retired and moved to North Carolina, so at least it's not like we would lose any money if we decide that it's just too gross to use again.

What are your thoughts on using the grill again?

Making Amends

I love my husband SO MUCH!


This is to make up for the Can anyone relate? post.

I am LOST!

As I mentioned in my TV Junkie post, I am addicted to LOST. It's one of those shows that you have to watch every week and pay attention to every little detail or else you have a million questions. Not to toot my own horn, but I am usually pretty up-to-speed with the show and all of the flashback story-lines, and now the flashfoward story-lines, and I am even sometimes right about predictions that I make.

Last night was a different story though. I don't know if was because I was so tired (it's on at 10pm now instead of 9pm, which means it's a struggle to stay up...but I'm addicted, so...), but I was left with more questions than usual. Thank goodness that ABC.com has all of the episodes online so that I can re-watch an episode I want.

To my fellow LOST-aholics: were you confused by anything last night?

Welcome to the World!

Maximilian Julius Gavasto

Born 5:02am

at West Penn Hospital

Weight: 7 lbs, 7 oz

Height: 19 3/4 inches

Proud Parents:

Misty and Phil Gavasto

(John's sister and brother-in-law)

Congratulations!

TV Junkie!

I am a total TV junkie...not too proud of it, but at least I will admit it. My current obsession is "Dancing with the Stars." LOVE IT! If you haven't tuned in, you have to give it a try...even John is into it, and he won't deny it either. The costumes, the moves, the comments...the whole show rocks. I wish that I was a star so that I could be a contestant on it.

Currently, Jason Taylor, a Miami Dolphin football player, is on the show...and he's from Pittsburgh! He went to Woodland Hills High School, which is where I swam for about 10 years. That almost makes him my favorite, but right now my favorite is Kristie Yamaguchi, the Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater. They are down to the final 5 couples, and 1 will eliminated tonight...so, guess where I'll be tonight - that's right, on my couch hypnotized by the TV.

My other TV obsessions are as follows:

• The Bachelor (pathetic, I know...but the drama is so addicting! PLUS The Bachelorette starts in 2 weeks with the girl who was totally dissed on the last season of The Bachelor)
• Grey's Anatomy
• LOST
• Desperate Housewives
• Brothers and Sisters
• What Not to Wear
• Top Chef

Hey it could be worse...you have to be surprised to see that shows like "American Idol," "Survivor," and "Big Brother" are not on my list, which are the shows that you probably would expect to see.

Does anyone have any TV-favorites that they would like to share (or admit to enjoying)?

Getting back into the swing of things...

For those of you who don't know...I had back surgery about 5 years ago. Nothing major like fusion or anything like that. It was a microdiscectomy and I really don't have too many issues anymore.

That is until I forget that I should be more careful with strenuous activity and I develop a major back spasm. Unfortunately, I suffered from one all last week. I was cutting the grass last Friday afternoon, and the grass has been so thick and lush that the mower kept stalling on me. So, I had to repeatedly start it (constantly jerking my body to pull the damn cord). Stupid, I know ( I already have been lectured about it from my mom, John, etc). The thing is, when I get these spasms, they are very crippling...I can't even stand perfectly erect. I look like a decrepit elderly woman walking. Thank goodness that this only happens about once or twice a year, but when it does, my activities of daily life are minimized.

Therefore, last week consisted of barely making it through work (all day on my feet), "no swimming" (as commanded by John and my mom), and laying on the couch until bedtime. It was painful to be such a sloth, but it was totally worth it because now I feel 100% better!

Finally, I can get back to my usual routine - work (pain-free), swimming, cooking, chores, picking up my nieces, etc. I guess you have to go through these humbling experiences to remind yourself to take it easy sometimes. I promised to not mow the lawn so frequently, and to be more mindful that I do have a slight disability....because I know that I want to be in the best shape possible for when I have a little bun in the oven!

Saturday for the Girls

I mentioned in my OFT post that John's cousin Meghan recently got engaged. Although Meghan is 6 years younger than I am, we get along great. Her fiance, Billy, is a really great guy as well. John knows him from high school, and when the 4 of us get together, we have tons of fun.

Since I have a lot of experience in wedding planning and since I enjoyed the whole process of planning our wedding, I offered to help her if she wanted. To my delight, Meghan asked if we could have an afternoon together to go check out wedding dresses. Now, I know that I already admitted that I don't care to shop, but wedding dress shopping is an exception (other than Ann Taylor Loft). Sometimes I wonder if I should change careers from Physician Assistant to Wedding Planner...with the "Wedding Nazi" (aka my mom) at my side, we would have a pretty successful business!

So, here's the plan: wedding dress shopping in the early afternoon, late afternoon matinee of "Made of Honor," then meeting up with the boys for drinks and dinner...can't wait!

I hope that everyone has an enjoyable weekend!