Batman Midnight Showing.....

Ok, so I have been a die hard (or so I thought) fan of Batman. Back when I was younger, the original Batman movies never sat well with me. I am talking about the ones with Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and Gerorge Clooney.

They made Batman seem like a joke, comical. I would leave the theater dismayed after watching one of their movies. But then came along Chris Nolan and Christian Bale [Sidebar: Oh, how much I love Christian Bale!! I will watch him in anything!! He is such a great actor!!! Next is the Terminator SALVATION movie]. Oh, how they have restored my faith in Batman and movies again!

So last night(or really this morning), Dave and I went to see The Dark Night movie. It was so awesome! Words can not describe......except to say it has to be seen! It was actually my first midnight showing ever! I was a little aprehensive about it. I was wondering if we were gonna be the only people in the theater. Then I started wondering what people would be in the theater with us......so much was going through my mind. I had no idea what to expect.

So, Dave and I got to the movie theater about 9:15pm to get our tickets. We saw that there was a couple of people in line already. Dave and I started to make fun of them, but then the ticket guy told us that they had broken some sort of record with the number of tickets they sold. They were expecting almost 2000 people for the first showing. They had 11 theaters set aside for the movie, and had already sold out of 6 by the time we picked up our tickets.

We live in a small town (again, or so I thought), so we figured if we got there around 11pm for the show, we would be fine. This guy was telling us basically we should come in early, so we did. We were able to sit in our seats @ 9:30pm. Dave was so happy that we were able to get the two seaters, but I was grumpy because we had to sit there for 2.5hrs to wait for the movie.

Thankfully it went by fast. Reason being are because of the fans that came in after us. There was this group of about 20 college age kids that came in around 10pm. The first thought that came to my mind was "Great! These knuckleheads are gonna make such a rukus, and ruin this movie for us." About 5 or 6 of them were dressed up as the Joker....and I mean all out dressed up....make up and everything! Then there was this kid with them, oh such a geek, so cute. He was dressed up as Batman. Old School Batman (think Adam West)! It was so cute...yet not really. He had the tights and everything! His special-ness was all out there for everyone to see. They were the true die hard fans.....one could argue.

But I do have to say that they were good movie goers. They were respectful to the movie (and others)! Yes, I am shocked....college kids usually ruin movies for me. But is was great! Maybe one or two cheers....but I have to say I was joining in with them [Sidebar: If you don't cheer at that same part....then you are not a true Batman fan]

All in all a very good time. Again, it was my first ever midnight showing, and I loved it. Will definitely hafta do it again!

GO SEE BATMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Life........

So, this is life in a recession. Where, no one can buy anything, and prices are going through the roof! I know my profile picture has a black and white picture......but that is actually a picture of my Grandmother. This is an updated picture of me and my honey.

During the last recession, I was only 2 or 3. This sucks! I lost my job last month due to "business being slow"...yeah that's code for "Your work is better than mine, so I am going to let you go". Which, quite honestly is the truth in this case. I was doing more work than my manager, and suggesting to her ways to better the business. Yeah, stupid me. But hey I learned, and shortly thereafter, I got a job with Talent Zoo. THANK GOD!!! So, now allegedly me and my honey are supposed to be saving money by me working at home? Right?

WRONG!!! With gas prices going up.........the prices of everything else is going up too! Maybe I should have paid more attention in Economics at school. This sucks greatly!! We (like most Americans today) are in debt to our credit card company. So my parents have suggested moving in with them until we can get rid of that debt. Its such a tempting offer, but dang! I don't want to move back home!

God knows what "fun" I had at home, and I ain't looking to get back in that again. But, I do hafta admit that my parents stated we would take over the basement as our "apartment", but I don't know! I know its a situation that is too good to be true. It's definitely a train wreck waiting to happen. Dave is on the fence about it too.

WHAT TO DO??!! I mean do we move in with them or do we move into a smaller apartment that is cheaper? We live in a three bedroom apartment. Should we just moved into a 2 bedroom? How much less can we go? All I want to do is be able to live on my own.......but should I just swallow up my pride?

Redeeming Post....

Okay, so because of my last post, I feel like I need to have a redeeming post. Need people to see that I am not only about the job.

Speaking of not being only about the job; I wonder how people (who are all about the job) do it. How can they have a fulfilling life? How can they have any life? I am a Blog Manager for Talent Zoo, and I get emails from all hours of the night from people. It makes me sad. I used to be all about my job. I used to be a Reports Analyst for a company called Carey International. Loved the job, I mean I was all about the job! Would get to work at 7:30am and wouldn't leave until about 5:30 or 6pm. My boss loved me, I was always there for her, got her lunch, ran her errands. I was basically a personal assistant and definitely not being paid for it. But I never complained, I did it because I felt bad for her (no one liked her); and I wanted to learn from her as well (of course).

But, then, my husband started to work overnight, and I never saw him. My boss used to tell me that I had the best type of marriage, one where I hardly ever saw my husband. Needless to say, I started leaving on time from work (so I had more time to see my husband), I started taking my lunches (to have lunch with my husband) and I was penalized for it. My boss used to let me do whatever I wanted, but when I started being a normal employee and not being all about the job.....she watched me like a hawk as if I was....I don't know, a thief or something.

My boss was all about the job. She would come to work at 8am, and sometimes wouldn't leave until 7 or 8pm. When she would talk to her kids on the phone, it was as if they were a bother to her. How can people talk like that to their kids? [Sidebar: I know kids are annoying, but it's another thing to constantly telling them that they are annoying or that they are really bothering you]

You know that movie: "The Devil Wears Prada"? Awesome movie right? Well, my boss was just like Meryl Streep. I just felt so bad for her. She was a very shrewd business woman, but she had a horrible, very sad personal life.

I finally left that place, to work at Talent Zoo. I now work from home, and see my husband more. Which is quite honestly totally awesome!

Yea, there are times when he annoys me (what husband doesn't annoy his wife); but I have to say that honestly we have never had a better relationship. We actually have fun together. And when he goes to work now, it doesn't bother me as much. Next step getting knocked up!!

But to get back on topic, how can people have lives working around the clock? They would never see their families. Never see their kids grow up. There is this song, I don't remember the name of the song, but the gist of it was: this man who was so busy with work and his life; that he never had time for his son. But then he retires (or something like that) and he now wants to spend all his time with his son and his son has no time for him. It's so sad, but so true. I can't help but feel bad for those people, I mean yea some of them are filthy rich.....but money doesn't guarantee happiness (no matter what people think).

But now, even as I write this, I realize that without some of those people working around the clock...we wouldn't have some of the wonderful things what we have now!

So you know what??

KUDOS TO YOU PEOPLE WHO WORK AROUND THE CLOCK TO BETTER OUR ECONOMY!!!!!

Say the Words: I Love You

I have lived in New York City my entire life (well the majority of my life). I thought that I had it all! I never would have imagined living anywhere else. Now I live in Maryland. What events brought me here? 9/11.

I lived in New York (well Staten Island) up until 2006. But, 9/11 really changed it all. Before then Manhattan was a busy place that had this essence, that just made you want to be there. I have to admit that once I turned 18, all I wanted to do was get a job in Manhattan for the simple fact that it was New York City! The smell, the feel, the idea that New York brought was.......well, there are no words. I mean there is nothing in this world that beats New York City in the fall. It just has this wonderful crisp smell to it.....well at least outside of the subways :o). There was also this feeling about living in Manhattan during the fall, it was crisp; upbeat; fast paced....just plain THRILLING. [Sidebar: I hate Spring and Summer so we just wont talk about those seasons and smells that came along with them...if ya know what I mean] New York City in the winter......almost inexplicable! Same crisp feeling as fall, but better because New York City knows how to do Christmas! Christmas in New York is something that everyone, and I mean everyone, needs to experience. It's absolutely beautiful. And to this day, I will always visit because that is apart of me. New York City never leaves you.......whatever your experience is. It truly is a memorable place. Boy do I love New York.

But then, that day happened. And as everyone knows it effected everyone. I lost two friends that day, could have lost my parents (if they weren't early to work.....). That changed everything for me. I was Pre-Med at a local Staten Island college. I was going places. Then when that day happened, I couldn't bare to say goodbye to my parents as they went to work everyday. I had to say I love you to those I loved, as they were leaving the house (even if they were going to the corner deli) - I still do that to this day. But all Americans went about their lives. Almost seeming to forget about it. But those of us who lived in the 5 suburbs of New York City never really forgot. It was everywhere......signs on cars stating who they lost that day, people you met everyday, American flags everywhere (literally on anything in some cases).

But, it was livable. Then....oh, then started the harassing of anyone who even remotely seemed Arab. I went to pump gas at a station that was run by an Indian man. He was so nice and sweet (well to me at least), but on this day he had this look on his face. It was a heart wrenching look, it seemed as though someone just ripped his heart out and stomped on it over and over. And during that time (the 2 years following the attacks), it was not abnormal to see that look on people's faces. But not this time, no at this time there were these two idiots who had parked their car in the station's parking lot and were hurling insults and threats at him. Telling him, that "we don't want your kind here; go back home Ahmed!" Stupid things like that. I just wanted to run over and give those knuckleheads a slap in the face. All I wanted to yell was HELLO!!! HE'S A HUMAN BEING!!! Now, who knows he may have been.......I don't know, but what I do know is that no one, NO ONE should be humiliated like that. Unless, they are horrible..........no, that's topic for another blog. That was the only viewing of hate that I saw, but I knew it was there. Everyone did.

You could "go on", but not really.....you see in every public transportation area, in Manhattan, was always filled with some sort of army presence. On the Staten Island ferry, there was National Guards with machine guns taking the boat ride with you. There would be times when there would be a National Guard boat travelling along side the ferry. They would be looking at every olive skinned person with suspicion, with distaste even (just being observational not saying that its true). I remember one time going home on the Staten Island ferry during the dead of summer, and there was this man on the ferry with this huge, thick parka. The fear that shot through me, oh I will never forget it. Turns out that the man was just an insane homeless person, but still it's not a place I would live in anymore. I want to be able to live without the thought: I wonder if my husband was coming home today alive or not. Wondering if my kids would be able to play outside. I didn't want to wake up one morning to have the threat level raised (again) and travel to work with National Guards and their machine guns.

I moved to Maryland and I don't have as many fears. In fact, I don't have any....okay maybe a couple but that's only my husband has a tendency to drive a little crazy. People here are so laid back, I don't think I will ever get used to that. [Sidebar: I am not delusional, I know I have to be cautious everywhere, but I don't have the same intense in-your-face-worries as New Yorkers, and if you hadn't guess yet...I am a huge worrier - it's getting better but...]

But the only problem I have living outside of New York City is that people just seemed to say: "9/11...what's that? That happened long ago, you really should get over that." And you know what? They are right, we do have to move on. But we should never forget.


Never Forget 9/11.