2013 is over, 100 things that made it great

Well, I have not posted since August - but that does not mean I will miss my annual Top 100 list. This year, my NYE message is much different than it has been. The past few years I have been eager to see the year end, but this year, I feel different. This year was not less challenging than the others. Jan. 2013 started with myAunt Fran gaining wings and Steev getting cut - but I honestly and truly had a great year. I am going to miss it - and instead of expecting more of 2014, I am just excited to see what is next - so before I get too sappy here is the list of a bunch of personal things that may not make sense to many people (but I am seven years in and can't stop now) of the 100 things that made this year great. 

100. While Steev's surgery didn't provide great results, hearing his voice after hours of waiting during his surgery was one of the best moments - ever. 

99. Music this year was awesome. I got into so many different bands, and listened to music more frequently. 

98. My nails. 

97. I cut all of my hair off and while I am not always feeling it, it also felt good to get rid of it. 

96. I worked on doing away with masks, the ones that I wear, the ones that I am afraid of, and it has been so brutally freeing. 

95. Origami Owl - love my new jewelry 

94. My new Third Man Records headphones 

93. Dafont.com and the many hours I spent downloading and designing. I love words. I love font. Deal with it. 

92. How many hours did I spend on Buzzfeed? I regret nothing. 

91. Ipsy - discovering ways to feed my product addiction - again - I regret nothing 

90. My new Bare Essentials regimen and pretending I am a little more low maintenance 

89. My Christmas Decorations this year made me happy 

88. Texas Roadhouse 

87. Discovering new food and new restaurants 

86. Instagram. Yup I finally got an iPhone, downloaded Instagram in 9 months I have added almost 500 photos. You ain't about this life. 

86. You ain't about this life coming into my constantly used phrases 

85. My photo wall being new and improved with art and constantly updated photos.

84. My lipsticks. 

83. Caring less about money and more about living life 

82. Getting to Theater Three to see The Spelling Bee - Jackie Hughes you are one amazing person and I am looking forward to becoming a regular audience member. 

81. Taking myself on dates, and spending more time with myself. It was peaceful keeping myself company and bringing myself to the city, to the theater and to just places. It was fun getting to know myself better. 

80. Learning more about astrology and teaching myself something new. 

79. Steev & I both filled each other's stockings with toys and childlike things which was so fun on Christmas Day 

78. The blizzard, bitch all you want but the snow was gorgeous, fun, and brought me nothing but joy. 

77. Ceil brought me a note I wrote her when I was about 6 when she used to poke me, I wrote a note saying I was poking her. Mark Z stole from me too. 

76. My cousin Meghan got married, and the wedding was gorgeous. 

75. Photos like this:

74. And this:

73. And this:

72. And this: 

71. And this: 

70. And this: 

 69. And this:

68. And this: 

67. Still not knowing my camera too well but capturing moments nonetheless. 

66. Not apologizing for sentimentality - there is nothing wrong with being touched by things. 

65. Also, not apologizing for being a paparazzi - those photos are only a few highlights of moments captured. 

64. Photo booths - those are so much fun, always, what is with that? 

63. Having people over more often

62. Cooking more 

61. Going out more 

60. No longer fearing my ambitions 

59. Those really cute gift boxes from Walmart for Christmas 

58. All of the adorable, loving pets in our lives 

57. My cousin Haylie's funny, precious one-liners

56. Snapchat and how it hilariously keeps us all connected 

55. Bacon Bash - yes - I attended something called Bacon Bash this year 

54. Jessie's graduation party & Jessie letting me do her make-up for Prom which was so fun for me and she looked so pretty! 

53. BREAKING BAD - Uncle Matt & Aunt Vicki fed our addiction and now without it I don't know if we can be revived of this crash 

52. More time with family and the people I love overall. 

51. My Christmas Cards - my arm may still be numb but I care about sending them. 

50. Hey, my nose ring is back!

49. My tattoos. I went from two to seven this year adding 5 pieces that make me so happy. I love what each one means to me and how beautiful they all are. Looking forward to more ;) 

48. Liberty Tattoo in general - love supporting honest, hard working business people and love this shop. 

47. My time at Little Lotus may have ended this year but I loved the time I spent there with Susan and the kids 

46. Fashion shows with my cousins and being able to give a lot of what I don't use to people who can use it and appreciate it. 

45. Being able to identify with travel stories and share some travel advice. 

44. Going Down Port more than twice 

43. Us getting my Mother-in-Law her first Tiffany for her 50th birthday and celebrating with her 

42. My Mom's gorgeous Christmas table 

41. Syracuse, and cousin trips becoming a real, regular thing. 

40. Zoo and aquarium trips in general. 

39. Citi field is pretty nice, so are free Met Games - but I still dislike baseball  

38. Baby Kirsten, she is so beautiful. 

37. Seeing friends more, even if it was just for a little bit (Coffee with Jen, free concerts with Anthony) it is nice to keep connections there 

36. Speaking of concerts…

35. The Sound City Players for Valentine's Day (um, Stevie Nicks - STEVIE NICKS)

34. Pokey Lafarge (and Luke Winslow King)

33. The Devil Makes Three 

32. Trampled by Turtles (free concert in Brooklyn, the whole group may have bailed but I waited all day to be first so Steev and Anthony could enjoy with me) 

31. BNL & BF5 

30. The Counting Crows 

29. P!nk 

28. Seriously, great year for concerts for me 

27. Amanda's Halloween Party

26. Our third Halloween in Salem - our costumes were creepy and cool and the vacation was so fun. 

25. We bought a car. I am pretty proud that we bought a car, and it is ours, and I absolutely love it. 

24. My 24th Birthday was one of the best days ever. Steev planned such a beautifully sweet and simple day that made me relax and feel special. It will always be a perfect memory. 

23. Seeing my Addictions Girls grow and flourish. Alexa is a flight attendant, Tori is traveling all over, Sam & Patti keep in touch and Riley you continue to make me smile - you ladies are amazing and I look forward to seeing what else you do! 

22. The anticipation for Tracey's NYE party tonight. 

21. The Rise with Liz, Seb, Katie, Steve and Steev - the pumpkin walk may have been an overhyped fraud but spending more time together this year was really, really nice. 

20. Finally getting some of Tracey's famous Irish Soda Bread!! 

19. Showing some people my writing and pushing myself to keep going. Also making more time to write this year really paid off (and which is why I may have blogged less) 

18. Amanda the Florist's wedding to Pete - seriously - best wedding. Cocktail hour (wow), flowers (expected wow - but impressive wow - and totally HOLY WOW), and the most beautiful dress, bride, and couple. So happy to have new friends and be a part of their journey! 

17. Spending a lot of time at Hallockville and being a part of their wedding showcase this year. What incredible opportunities it has brought. 

16. My Uncle Matty O turned 90, had a day declared for him, and just proved that Nice Guys only finish last at living a long happy life. 

15. Annie's 4th Birthday and her continuing to be the best damn dog on earth. 

14. Even though DC sucked, we celebrated 2 happy years of marriage. 

13. Nashville. We went to Nashville and it was awesome. Going to Third Man, hanging out down town, and seeing the most gorgeous fireworks I have EVER seen in my life on the Fourth of July - it was a great vacation. 

12. My parent's lent us their car for the first few months of this year and it saved our asses and allowed us time to research and buy our car. My in-laws continue to be there for us whenever we need an egg, or someone to watch Annie. I cannot thank them enough for being there for us this year - it means so much having people who we know will support us through anything. 

11. The annual cousin city trip - the group keeps growing, but the fun stays the same. 

10. Going back to Middlebury Vermont for Steev's Birthday. 

9. My Brother Tom's paintings. They are beautiful and interesting and I am so happy he has been doing them, and so proud to have one hanging in my home. 

8. Alicia coming into our little friendship family and becoming the most wonderful girlfriend for Big Steve who has been a true and important friend and part of our lives. 

7. Lake George in April with Manda, Alyssa, & Katie. This girl's trip was incredibly awesome and I love you ladies more than I could tell you and cannot wait to make this a tradition! 

6. Krystal got engaged. Calvin proposed. My older cousin, the beautiful, smart, funny, driven woman that I have looked to my whole life for advice and comfort is getting married to a man who loves her and values her for everything she is. What is better than that? Nothing. 

5. My cousins - sure the stuff we have done is all over this countdown but they deserve their own space. This year has been fuller because we have spent more time together and talked more overall. They are more than just blood relatives, they are true friends and the reason why the years are worth living. 

4. Steev's graduation. My heart grew seven sizes watching the man I love shake hands with his mentors as he accepted his certificate as a Car Repairman. Sure, to most people this looks like a promotion - but he worked so hard for nine months to achieve this position and I could not be prouder to have him as my husband.

3. 2013 meant that it has been ten years since 4-15-03, and while we are working on forever, Steev and I paused to reflect on 10 years together. We started our relationship as kids, group dates and disposable cameras were a regular thing. We were on the phone for hours at a time and relied on nightly AIM conversations. We knew we were more than just a silly childhood love story, and here we are together and stronger than ever. My husband, my love, my best friend chose me when I was fourteen years old and we have never looked back. 

2. Paisley becoming an LLC. I got a text on Good Friday that we were official and from that moment I have become a business owner. My best friend, Nicole Mastromonica is hands down the best business partner there is. I am sure we drive each other nuts and disagree about dumb things but it has never, ever, effected our friendship or the business. I am eager, and excited to see what 2014 brings for us. It can only go up from here - we're sure to make Events by Paisley a known and respected name in the industry, just you wait. 

1. Project Hope. This job that I dared to last longer than 2 months is now facing it's end. I started as an unsure Crisis Counselor and am concluding this journey as a Team Leader. Last year I had just started Project Hope, and ending a chapter of my life that left me a little lost. The people I have met, the friends that I have made have reassured my outlook of people and of life. I was sure I would never meet friends and make deep connections that would be returned. For the first time people brought me out for my birthday - and meant it. For the first time I could tell someone something personal and revealing and not feel judged or afraid. For the first time I met people who could make me laugh louder, cry harder, and never prove me wrong. Through the work in the community my spark came back, and through these people, I came back. I love, love, love my team - and even though it is all ending this part of my life will hold such value. So Maureen, Melissa, Josh, Donna, Theresa, Pete, Nicole, Kristin, Maria, Maria, Donna, Mike, Erick, Patti, Danielle, Hector, Frank, Janet, Elissa, Franci, Jonathan, Joe, Jon, Lou, Bob, Theresa, Ruth, Ronni, Khadija, Whichimine, Linda, Beth and anyone I may be forgetting you have been a part of my personal journey this year. Your friendship and dedication to what you do has shown me so, so much - you will all never know how much you truly mean to me. 

Always <3 

Bring it on 2014 - 2013 made me know that I am ready for ya ;) 

Have a wonderful New Year everyone, hope to see you all soon! 

Kimpton Hotel Review: Hotel Helix Does not Value Your Safety or Their Word

This is not a review, it is a letter to the public chronicling our experience with a Kimpton Hotel. 

Unfortunately, this is a negative experience that I do feel is valuable to share. As a small business owner, I do not believe in putting out bad press and it truly disheartens me that our experience has to conclude with this letter being put out into the public. The reasoning behind my motive is not to discredit the hotel, but make aware that people’s safety is NOT top priority at Kimpton and they will take back their promises once they know you are keeping quiet. I do not know about you, but integrity means a lot to me when doing business with a hotel. 

Upon entering The Helix at Washington DC we were excited. The hotel is modern, cool, and the staff seemed friendly and welcoming. Our room was larger than most standard rooms with the funky design motif true throughout. We arrived at 6:30pm on a Saturday in August. We had to unwind after our five hour drive from Long Island so we ventured out to find Good Stuff Eatery at about 7:20pm. We asked the front desk for directions, and we did not return until 9:30pm. We got ready for bed, and went to sleep. The next morning after getting ready we realized money was missing from our room. After going through our stuff several times we asked for a door check because we were not getting any verbal answers as to if anyone was in our room (like housekeeping). After door check it was discovered that at 8:30pm somebody left our room. Meaning somebody entered without a key, or was already inside. 

Naturally our skin crawled. This was appalling, scary, and everything in between. Panicked, the assistant manager (who gave us directions the night before and knew we were gone) stated ‘Sometimes our doors do not latch. We have been having trouble with the new system. Did you check your door?’ After that statement registering we said ‘Yes, the door closed behind us. We even pushed on it.’ His response came quickly ‘Well, you are safe, but, well, sometimes people drink too much at the wine bar and drunks could just come into your room if the door was unlatched. So it really could be anybody.’ 

I am going to let that sink in for you...

DRUNKScouldwanderthehotel&COMEINTOYOURROOMbecauseOURDOORSDONOTLATCH 

This obviously played in our heads like a scrolling marquee. 

So our money was gone. The money that we saved up for our anniversary trip was gone. Our room was broken into. Someone was within our personal belongings and took our money. The hotel’s doors don’t latch right. Washington DC is a crime ridden area. We were stolen from. Our doors do not lock right. We could be attacked. We were robbed. A stranger was in our room. Crime ridden. Safety. Unsafe. Robbed. Happy Anniversary. 

After a long day of a lot of mind clutter we decided we wanted to leave. Not only did we feel unsafe, but we felt unsatisfied with the explanations given to us by Hotel Helix. After expressing such discontent we were offered a suite. To that I pettily scoffed that staying in a suite would attract more crime - so forget it. We understood the hotel’s position and I tearfully packed up knowing my husband put a lot into the trip, and it was just time to go. The manager on duty was quite lovely. She did want to make it right but really could not. We left, ate dinner, and drove five hours home to New York. 

Kimpton did the right thing in refunding us for the trip. We were told that the insurance company would call us and most likely we would get our money back. While we did not expect it, we were happy that the effort was going to be made. 

The next day my Husband was contacted by the manager that was not on duty the day before. After a dozen apologies we were assured that we were going to be refunded in full. On top of that, he said that he did not want to bother with insurance and he would give us our stolen money back on our credit card. “We are happy to do it” he stated “Going through insurance is a pain, and we just want to make it right, so your money will be awarded back on your card.” We were thrilled. He added something else about if we ever stay at a Kimpton again it would be on them. Reassured and content we discussed our feelings of gratitude for the chain. I was contacted personally by another woman, who I sang praises to because we were being awarded our money back and the slate is wiped clean. 

Little did I know, I was putting my foot in my mouth. After a week of not seeing the refund my Husband e-mailed Kimpton. Apparently that ‘Stolen Money Refund’ was a manipulation. The reasoning we got was that ‘We got back the money for the trip, which equaled the stolen money, so we are even.’ This was not what we were told. Annoyed, I called for some further explaining. I got the run around. Please do not get me wrong, when our money was stolen I did not feel like I was owed anything. Whether the hotel was covering an inside job or a drunk wandered into our room I accepted the loss. But then, Hotel Helix told us they were giving us our money back. We were ‘so corporative and kind.’ ‘It was the least they could do.’ ‘Thank you for not calling the cops or making a scene.’ We were idiots to not call the cops and make a scene. 

What Kimpton was playing off as a miscommunication was a bold faced lie that they told us to keep us happy and quiet. When confronting them about the lie they shrugged it off. This dishonesty and lack of integrity now added to the fact that in a drug filled, high alert area their unsafe policies of low security (no cameras in the hallways upstairs) and non-latching doors. The tension heightened when they started to flip the script. ‘The money could have been lost’ she said ‘Someone may have been in your room, but how did they get in?’ she said. The rage rose within me. Everything they said previously swelled inside of me. Now I knew they would lie to save themselves. 

Kimpton believes in blaming the victim. So does their insurance carrier, Liberty Mutual. 

Shortly after I hung up with Kimpton my husband got a phone call from insurance. Their demeanor was extremely irritable. Laura*, at Liberty Mutual pretty much said we were out of luck. Listen, we did not expect insurance to come through. Especially when we heard it was Liberty Mutual on the line. Annoyed with the attitude on the other line, my husband asked Laura what would have happened if the door did not latch and a drunk wandered in and attacked me. She scoffed and said “We would lie about the doors latching and assure the public that it was the fault of the guests, and not the hotel. We accept no responsibility.” Quickly my Husband reminded her that we were TOLD the doors were faulty and ours PROVED to be, she responded “Someone was in your room, but how did they get in? I don’t care what you were told, our statement would read that our doors are fine and you were just looking for attention” “So you would lie?” “Yes, we would lie, because this case is not really worth our time.” 

Now, many of you probably have in your heads a few things. Some of you are upset about staying at hotel that does not value safety. Some of you are thinking it could have been worse and for us to get over it. Our attitude leaving the hotel was that it could have been worse, but we were uncomfortable but appreciated the efforts made by Helix to make it better. We left anyway because it was unsettling, our trip had a cloud over it, and really - our money was gone - what could we do? We were even more relieved when Kimpton told us that we would receive the full refund. We were so grateful for that. When they added the money that was stolen plus telling us they would comp Kimpton rooms for our next trip we were stunned. That was above and beyond. Unfortunately, it was a manipulation, a lie, and the tease of getting our money back hurt just as bad as it being stolen from us. The comped rooms I feel like is a total farce too. At this point would I even want to stay at a Kimpton? I am not sure I would. 

This whole incident got me thinking, is there anyone else out there that this has happened to? People who did not call the police (our BIGGEST mistake) to keep everybody else’s stay quiet and put their trust into the hotel? I hope not. Kimpton did say we could still file a police report, yet they started to tell us that our money was ‘lost’ and it was ‘unlikely’ to prove people we in our room even though there was electronic evidence. Pretty much, Kimpton was prepared to lie on the report to make us look bad. At first they seemed accommodating, but they were just another company hiding behind their suits. To me, they were covering up a potential inside job. 

All in all, Hotel Helix in Washington DC is unsafe. They will likely tell you their doors are on a ‘new system‘ - yes a new system that allows doors to not latch correctly. In an area with a poor reputation for safety, the cool decor matters less than the fact that you can get robbed, lied to, and it is approved by Hotel Helix. They will stand by their faulty locks and roaming drunks, and their insurance will lie for them to make it all go away. Your business is not valued - for the price I would stay elsewhere. Especially since they rob you for parking as well ($100 for two nights, yes everyone, Kimpton does not care about your well being at all).   

We love to praise the cool boutique hotels we stay at for our anniversaries, but Kimpton’s hotels will never be on our lists again. As nice, and as fun as they seem they are a bunch of two faced managers. While I know none of this was personally and it was only business and they need to protect themselves. Well, I need to protect myself too, and warn other young twenty something couples that you are in danger at a Kimpton, especially Helix in Washington DC. They may ignore these reviews, or they may release a statement to discredit us, but they know what really happened and our well being was not their main concern.

I truly wanted this entry to be cluttered with the cool pictures I took of Helix and DC in general. But, why would I advertise a place that I would warn people against. Hotel Helix and Kimpton should not be at the top of your booking lists. 

*Laura said that we could quote her on behalf of Kimpton and Liberty Mutual. She thought my threat was hallow when I said I would be writing something. If you have noticed I have not mentioned the names of the Kimpton employees (sans Jay) because they were nothing but lovely, even if they revoked promises, they always took our calls. I am not interested in putting their jobs in danger, I only want people to know that Kimpton as a company does not value honesty or safety. 

The Adventures of Stephanie Continue

My long lost blog. Hi, Hello. Wow. 

2012 was a lost year for this girl. Since my last post my life is completely different. I started this blog in sort of a bad place. I was not myself last year, and still I am slowly coming out of this funk I was in for far too long. You can see it in some of my last posts, a lot of circumstantial blame, a lot of walls I was putting up. 

After leaving my job at the Salon, I stayed in bed for two weeks straight. I barely moved. I changed my clothes maybe twice. It was the lowest point of my lifelong battle with depression. My grey sheets held me close while my mind unraveled my sense of self. For the first time Stephanie had no plan. 

I was terrified. 

After my two weeks of wallowing self doubt came about a month of self loathing. I am the meanest person to myself. I have never met somebody meaner than when I am talking to myself, especially then. My scared, self-hating attitude shut the world out in a really big way. There were many people in my life kind enough to give me little pieces of worth - and while I accepted, the kindness was on the outside of the wall I was leaning against. 

The story gets drawn out. And eventually I stand against the wall - while a new job opportunity presents itself to me. 

I am working with a group of people that without knowing it, brought me to a place where I have started to tear down this wall. 

I have been working so hard in coming back to myself - and within that, I want to start blogging again. 

On my 24th birthday I made many promises to myself, one of those promises was that I would work on being kinder to my reflection, and many more that I will keep inside for now. 

I have gotten 4 tattoos this year (YAY) and made new friends that finally let me lay some old friendships to rest. I am going at a good pace - join me again? 

I have no idea what I will write about - but I am going to get back to writing. 

Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Stephanie, it is very nice to meet you. 

Checking In

Working on getting this blog better (how many times am I going to make that promise?) but for now, look at this adorable photo of my Husband with Buster my Ceil & Poppop's tiny Yorkie who loves him: 

Update

Well it has been an interesting few weeks I can tell you that much. Steev and I started our date & recipe jars and pulled 'stay in and cook a new recipe' and a spicy chicken curry weight watchers dish. The dish was bland, we decided that if it were s stir fry with some better spices and without the sauce it would be pretty great. So we are going to rework it soon.

We pulled for the next week a trip to the bamboo forest and a braised pork shoulder. We were all set to make it happen when Steev's doctor scheduled him for back surgery. We had pre-op appointments and the surgery was to happen in 4 days from the doctor's appointment. Needless to say - our date jars have been put on hold.

The good thing about that is we will be doubling up once he is healed - 2 adventures a week? Ok, I will take it!

What also has had me sidetracked, is the fact that my Aunt Fran sadly passed away earlier this month.

How awesome is that photo? Seriously, my Dad's sweater is ridiculous but that is my Aunt with her Husband my Uncle Matt (on the left) and my Father (on the right). Aunt Fran unfortunately faced many obstacles in this lifetime. When I was about 9 or 10, she was diagnosed with MS. As her body gave up on her, she did not give up on life. In fact, she was on the dace floor at my wedding! Something she hadn't done in years...

I turned around and when she was there I was overjoyed. Aunt Fran loved to dance, and sing and laugh - her body kept her from a lot, but in that moment it was not holding her back. 

About a year ago, Aunt Fran was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. Don't get me started. If any woman on this planet should be spared of such a thing, it should have been her. Because of the weakness developed by MS, the fight was not won. We lost her. 

It is so strange that funerals also create these wonderful memories. If you have a family like mine, we spend so much concentrated time together after a loss it is impossible not to feel ok for a little while. I think the only thing that gets you through something like this is each other. The funeral was hard. So hard. One of the most heartbreaking days I will ever experience. My Uncle said these beautiful words about his lost love - and he also made us laugh, just like she would have. 

The family I have is one of pure dysfunction filled with skeletons in every closet. A lot has happened to me inside of this family and it has hardened and angered me. I am working on letting go - and hopefully this year brings me and other family members peace because I do love them a lot. My cousins and I will forever remain close, because we promised, and because we keep our promises. 

It has been a doozy so far 2013. Steev is recovering pretty well, today I was supposed to pick up an extra shift at work but due to some kids being sick, and me being sick, I was told to stay home and rest. I love working for real people. 

I am hoping for my last W2 to come in the mail ASAP - Steev and I will file and then hopefully go buy our Prius C (SO EXCITED). 

Also, I think I am going to save up for the BOCES graphic design course, and web design courses - with us relaunching our Event Coordination business, these are skills I think I am in need of. 

Anyway this was a rambling non-cohesive post because I cannot wrap my head around a lot right now. Today will be filled with laundry and cleaning and then a meeting tonight. It is a much needed day for sure. 

The Lockout is Ending, But my Frustration is Not

When my husband texts me at 6 o'clock in the morning anxiety shoots through my body like lightening. I assume something terrible is happening since well if I text him any earlier than 10am ever it is an issue. But today, the text message read:

"Tentative Agreement Has Been Reached. Hockey is Coming Back" 

"Merry Little Christmas, Jesus was given the best gift this year"

Immediately I am overjoyed. The lockout induced depression that has been in this household has become unbearable. Normally, the NHL Season starts and the New York Rangers schedule sits proudly on our refrigerator. All plans made are around this schedule, and when I moved in with my Husband I kept a promise that I will never keep him from a Ranger game. Hockey is something we truly enjoy, and since 2008 I share in the love of the sport that my Husband so deeply has. Hockey is thrilling to me, the players in the NHL are true athletes. Who else can balance while skating backwards dodging hits while focusing on the puck? Nobody. And while my smile seems permanently strewn across my face an unsettling feeling creeps up into my system. 

While Hockey is Returning, You Will Not See Me at a Game 

My frustration started during the Playoffs last year. The Rangers were amazing. They were playing like we haven't seen in a long time and it was so exciting. Every game my Husband sat in the same spot watching our team as they did us proud, or not so proud. I will never forget the devastation that was caused by their loss to The Devils in the final rounds before The Cup. I was working, wearing my jersey in the middle of the mall talking to fans who stopped by to check to see if I was streaming the game at my post. I got home just in time to watch the game close out our fighting season and my Husband hung his head, went into the bathroom and shaved off his mighty playoff beard. The problem I had during this time was the fact that Playoff tickets could only be afforded by businessmen and tourists - true fans couldn't even sit in the 'blue seats' for the prices asked. We splurged on many trips into the Garden, in fact I did some rough math. Last year for the 2011-2012 Hockey Season, between my Husband and myself,  around $2,000 was spent on Hockey Tickets & Merchandise. This number is so high because of our splurging on The Winter Classic which obviously meant so much to us since it did top my Top 100 of 2012 list. We went to the NYR & NYK Double Header at MSG, a few games including one that lifted our spirits as we mourned the loss of Nanny (The Rangers killed the Panthers 6-1 on December 11th 2011. Nanny, a fan, never got to see the Blueshirts play at the Garden, this meant the world to us). And even with sentimental value we spent more than we could afford on a sport we loved just for the pure enjoyment we got out of it. 

And what did this estimated two grand get us? A f@*%!ing lockout. 

It almost seems silly when you detach yourself and realize how much you emotionally invest in sporting events and music. Even when I defended Jack White for his September RCMH Shows I had to smirk at how much we really take pride in things that we do not even participate in. I hit my head on walls when I stand too close to them, do you really think I can skate? No. My Husband can shoot a puck and strum a guitar but he isn't getting paid what these guys get paid. I have a serious issue when the fans, who make not nearly what the athletes or musicians make are the ones shelling out the dough and getting a cat fight in return. While in this Lockout, my best friend and fellow NYR fan reminded me of a prominent scene in one of the best movies ever made: 

It is true, is the NHL going to pay my credit card bills for the tickets I charged? Is the NHL going to apologize for showing that while I thought they were the only professional sports league left not fueled by green but by heart that I was wrong? Are they? No. They're not. The Rangers got robbed of a promising season, and fans got robbed of the escape they crave. 

Will I continue to buy knock off jerseys? Yes. Will I continue to tune in especially when this lockout is a distant memory (until Bettman pulls this shit again in 10 years)? Yes. Am I so over the moon excited to hear Mr. Sam Rosen's voice again - IT'S A POWER PLAY YES! Am I saddened and disappointed by millionaires fighting will billionaires? You bet your ass yes. 

But, I am leaving this entry opened ended as I will probably blog about The Rangers as the season progresses. I follow too many Hockey Blogs and get too invested in the games to not lend my two cents from time to time - when Twenty Something Stephanie gets a makeover as a blog in the upcoming months there will be a specific section for my Rangers loving. This entry is not filled with the facts and statistics I have been obsessing over because you will be able to find all of that elsewhere. When I have a Hockey specific section be prepared for me to throw those numbers at ya, this is meant for pure opinion - I will not be buying a ticket to MSG to watch the boys fly - I just can't. Because while King Hank is amazing - he isn't going to pay my bills is he? While I look forward to going back to see The Rangers in the famous arena, I am locking this season out and will be enjoying from home. 

With that said, LET'S GO RANGERS!

(is it too early for this shit? haha)

Nice to Meet You 2013

I woke up this morning actually feeling different - 2013 will be a year that I prove a lot to myself. I am really hoping I am up to the challenges I have put in place for myself, but I believe that I can. 

A lot of people ask me about my resolutions, this year I am keeping them to myself, but I will share the resolutions that Steev & I have put in place for ourselves. 

2013 marks 10 years that Steev & I are together. In April, we will celebrate 10 years of becoming a couple. Living together for the past 4 years & being married for 1 has brought us to face many new obstacles but together we have been able to overcome it all. 

So, to make light of all of the mess life has thrown at us, we have chosen to have some fun. Instead of being bored, we have decided to be excited. Instead of beating ourselves up for being unhealthy, we have decided to explore food!

We took 2 of our many Mason Jars and each wrote out 26 dates & recipes to pick out every week and experience together. I don't know his dates or recipes, he does not know mine, so every week we will be looking at something new! The dates range from old favorites to places we have never been before and only a few could involve food (we decided). The recipes was really fun, we took down our many cookbooks and picked out 26 ones we wanted to try. I picked a lot of Weight Watchers and Vegan Recipes (to mix it up) with a few Top Chef indulgences. I am really curious to see what he chooses. 

At the beginning of each week we will choose one paper from each and then pick a day of the week to follow through. This is something I am really looking forward to in 2013.

This blog will be going through a makeover also - I am purchasing Photoshop within the month and when I teach myself some tricks this blog will become a big kid blog! 2013 will be a fun year to document, project 365 will continue on my Facebook, and our weekly dates and recipes will be documented on here. 

Happy 2013 Everyone - What are your resolutions?