365 Days of Smiles - Day 88 & 89

Sorry, yesterday was an icky day and I didn't feel like blogging. Well, the whole day wasn't icky. But I was in a foul mood when I got home from work. Let's just way I wasn't smiling!

I am so grateful for wonderful friends! Friends that make me smile! :o)

What the teacher is, is more important that what he teaches. --Karl Menninger

365 Days of Smiles - Day 87

I love doggy clothes! The little doggies down by my office are so cute in the morning! :o)

I got some really good news today. I can't say what it is right now. But I am so happy for my friend! Really, I think I'm more happy when my friends get good news than I am when I get good news! :o)

We should not permit tolerance to degenerate into indifference. --Margaret Chase Smith

365 Days of Smiles - Day 85 & 86

Night of A Thousand Gowns is the event of the year! Seriously folks, you should consider attending next year. It'll be the 25th Annual Night of A Thousand Gowns and you KNOW it'll be a big fat blast! :o)

Last night Bree Williamson (OLTL) and BethAnn Bonner (ex-OLTL) sang the Canadian National Anthem. They ROCKED! Earlier when they had first arrived, Bree told me I looked beautiful. How sweet is that!?

I haven't seen Robin Strasser in 7 months, so it was really good to see her last night! Doesn't she look gorgeous? She is wearing Dorian's inaugural gown! :o)

It was just a beautiful night of fund raising and fun! The guys and gals of the Imperial Court of NY are such wonderful people! It gives me so much joy to be able to volunteer at this annual event. And I must thank Robin Strasser... you see it's because of her that I got involved with the ICNY. But it is because of the generosity and love of the ICNY that I remain involved!

"Helping others is perhaps the greatest joy! You cannot have a perfect day without helping others with no thought of getting something in return." -- John Wooden

365 Days of Smiles - Day 84

Only in New York could I walk a few blocks at lunch time and meet Lucie Arnaz! I love NYC! I chose this photo, with her son Joe, because the one with me is questionable! LOL Well, Lucie looks radiant but I am trying to look tall and stretch across that blue table! It's not pretty!
Lucie's new CD is awesome! They were playing it in the store while we waited in line. I just loaded it into iTunes!

Tomorrow is Night of A Thousand Gowns... YAY! I'm going down to the Marriott Marquis in the morning to help with set up. Then back home to primp, and head back down to escort some celebs! Yes, of COURSE, I'm taking my camera! :o)

Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them. --A. A. Milne

365 Days of Smiles - Day 83

OK, so let me begin by saying "but the elevator still works!". Sigh, no hot water this morning. NONE... just cold, not ice cold... but cold is cold in the morning! Also, no heat... that is not such a big deal. Still not heat, but there was a little bit of hot water when I got home from work. I took a shower with the hot water turned ALL the way on and NO cold water turned on at all. This is just in case the hot water has disappeared by morning! My hair was SO gross today! Ew!

But the elevator still works! LOL

And I'm still smiling about White's Lies! Really, this is the best news! Two of my most favorite people in a play together and I'm living in New York! Yay!

Oh, and I got home early on the A train AND no crazies on board tonight! Double Yay!

Saturday is almost here! I am so excited about The Night of A Thousand Gowns! This is such a fun ball and it's for two great organizations. This year the ball benefits Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids and God's Love We Deliver! I'm working both shifts because it's THAT fun! :o)

I'm trying out these ads on my blog. So if you see something you like, click on it... buy it through this site. Any $$ that is made will definitely be donated to a charity, because that's the way I roll! :o)

Experiment with this mental model: It is my duty and privilege to be of service. I will do whatever I can to make life easier for all people who cross my path. --Srikumar Rao

365 Days of Smiles - Day 82

I'M STILL SMILING! :o)

Betty Lynn Buckley... you lucky girl!

I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy. --Rabindranath Tagore

365 Days of Smiles - Day 81

Can u see my smile from where u are? I am BEYOND THRILLED that it has been announced that Tuc Watkins is starring with Betty Buckley in White's Lies! Really, the only thing that could make this cast better is if Ilene Kristen was in it!

Anyone want to place a bet on how many times I'll see this show??? LOL

I literally can NOT stop smiling!!!! :o)

Doing things for free encourages people to share. It encourages people to be community, to be family. It provides people the chance to be generous with each other. --Tree

365 Days of Smiles - Day 80

Last night was SO much fun! I went to ABC Salutes Broadway Cares for the first time. What amazing talent! The night was even more special because I got to spend it with a great friend!

Tonight Dancing With The Stars begins again. Not too sure about this season, but we'll see!

I took the day off today because we went to the after party last night and the night before we went to see a band perform after the fundraiser. I can't party hop all weekend and then work on Monday! LOL

Next weekend is another fundraiser for Broadway Cares. Yay, I can't wait! :o)

As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far place. --Russian Proverb

365 Days of Smiles - Day 78 & 79

So, I missed yesterday but I had a great day! I met Jacklyn Zeman from General Hospital. She is so sweet. And I found that she treated everyone like she had known them for years!

After The Gabriel Project we went to hear Michael Lowry' band, Done Dirt Cheap, play. They are VERY good! I'd definitely go see them perform again. I love crowd watching too. The guy with the bright red/orange Mohawk was awesome! LOL

Tonight is the ABC Salutes Broadway Cares fundraiser. It's my first year attending, I can't wait! I love NY! :o)

"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can." -- George Bernard Shaw

365 Days of Smiles - Day 77

Still LOVE my new shoes!

Just to let you know, I may not blog tomorrow... which means a double blog on Sunday. I have a fundraiser tomorrow night... Daytime at Night Time to benefit The Gabriel Project. I love this fundraiser and have attended for the past 4 years.

Then on Sunday I'm going to ABC Daytime Salutes Broadway Cares... for the first time! A dear friend called me this afternoon with news of a spare ticket. So... YAY!

Today was another beautiful day in NYC. I walked down by the Sea Port during my lunch break. And I also spotted Mister Softee... that's a sure sign of Spring! Yay for Mister Softee!

As much as we need a prosperous economy, we also need a prosperity of kindness and decency. --Caroline Kennedy

365 Days of Smiles - Day 76

Today I heard the weather forecast for the weekend. It made me smile! Supposed to be in the 70's and sunny. Central Park here I come!

My new shoes from Macy's came. I LOVE them! They are Paris Hilton, and they kick ass! Now that I compare them to the original ones I liked at JCPenney, these are WAY better! :o)

Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites. --William Ruckelshaus

365 Days of Smiles - Day 75

OK... Geico commercial just made me smile. Whew, I was getting worried cause this has been a sucky day!
A-Ringiddy-Ding-Ding-Dingy-Dong... that is MY ring tone now too. It makes me laugh! It's so stupid, it's funny!

Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one. --Stella Adler

365 Days of Smiles - Day 74

No rain today. It was absolutely gorgeous, and supposed to be even more beautiful tomorrow! I love it when the weather warms up, and the windows are open... all of the sounds of the neighborhood!

Tomorrow is St Patrick's Day. Good thing my backpack is GREEN!!

The greatness of a society and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals. --Mahatma Gandhi

365 Days of Smiles - Day 73

Happy Monday! It's still raining here in New York City, but I think today is the last day of rain until next week!

The boss is out of the office all week! This will be a nice week! :o)

The elevator is still working. And Manny LOVES getting to go outside with his big brother again! This morning I saw this guy with a little dog that looked like HP a little bit. He was going into his building and it had a revolving door. The dog sat down right outside the door. There was NO WAY it was going into that revolving door! LOL

If you help and serve others, you will ultimately gain. ~ Dalai Lama

365 Days of Smiles - Day 72

So, today was a good day because it only rained. Yesterday, the wind mixed with the rain was nearly impossible to navigate!

I went down to Macy's this morning to hunt for shoes. There were some cute Paris Hilton pumps that I saw online. Of course, they didn't have them in the store. But I ordered them online when I got home. I need to go down Macy's way more often, and when it's not raining. LOL It's nice down there. I also got to see my friend Felicia. We used to work together at Build-A-Bear Workshop. She works at Macy's now, and I stopped by to see her before I left the store.

The elevator is still working. It's even moving quicker. But, it still sounds like parts are falling off as it runs! LOL

Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

365 Days of Smiles - Day 71

Let's talk about monsoons! Today apparently began the monsoon season here in NYC! The wind and rain were ridiculous! I really hope that tomorrow there is less wind. It's still supposed to rain, but it'll be much more pleasant without the wind! LOL

Lots of "dead" umbrellas today. But it was too windy to stop and take pictures. Maybe I can get some pics tomorrow. I def. have some running to do, so I'll be out in the rain again!

Everybody is sleeping... furry kids, that is. I'd better get to bed too, we lose an hour tonight. BUT that means that we get more daylight hours... and that's always a good thing! :o)

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. --Leo Buscaglia

365 Days of Smiles - Day 70

Sorry I missed a day again. I came home from work yesterday, took the dogs out and went straight to the Marriott Marquis for orientation for Night of A Thousand Gowns. It is going to be FAB-U-LOUS!!! By the way, I didn't even turn the computer on yesterday. I know... hard to believe!

So, anyway... Night of A Thousand Gowns. So fun! This is THE event of the year! I've got to find a fantastic black formal skirt. SHOPPING tomorrow! yay! These guys and gals are the fundraising kings and queens... literally! I love these people so much and I am honored that I get to volunteer again this year. This is an event that I wouldn't miss!!! There are so many folks that are volunteering for the first time this year. I am so excited for them to experience the ball!

The elevator is NOT fixed. It still sounds like parts are falling off. It does, however, move much more quickly! I can't believe that they made major repairs on that thing and it still sounds like that! Clunk, clink, clunky clunk!

It's supposed to rain all weekend, but I say bring it on! I have nothing planned, and I love it!

If we all do one random act of kindness daily, we just might set the world in the right direction. --Martin Kornfeld

365 Days of Smiles - Day 69

Weird day in soapland folks! One Life to Live is really cleaning house. Just one day after we learned that Scott Clifton was let go, now Kish seems to be out too! This seems to be a bad move, but I'll just have to wait and see what happens with this one!

So, this made me smile today. Actually, it made me laugh out loud! I was heading back into my building after getting some lunch and this girl ahead of me walked into the revolving door and stopped. She just stopped there, like she expected it to turn on it's own. Push genius! So I give her the benefit of the doubt... maybe she's there visiting someone and doesn't know that it's not an automatic revolving door! NOPE, once she finally got inside she whipped out her badge to go up to her floor! Ya just can't fix stupid!

I'm thinking about writing a subway etiquette book to partner with my laundromat etiquette book! Really, do some people just not have any kind of perception of space. When you have a big ass and you eye a spot to sit down, how can you realistically think that you can squeeze into that teeny little space!? And then you proceed to SQUEEZE into it, pushing everyone around you out of their comfy space! Oy!

Oh, and I've shared a funny sign that was posted all over my building tonight. Duh! Really? The elevator needs MAJOR repairs? I would have never guessed! Double Oy!
note: well for some reason I can't upload a photo tonight... some kind of internal error with blogspot... I'll try to post it tomorrow. Or if you are on my Facebook, I've posted it there! LOL

"The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off." ~ Gloria Steinem

365 Days of Smiles - Day 68

Yay, I reached the Gold Level at Starbucks! I get my own personalized card and free stuff! woohooo!

The guy who sits in the next cubicle at work has a 2 yr old son. I love when he talks to him on the phone. It's so cute!

The elevator is still working! :o) And it still sounds like parts are falling off! LOL


" If a man smiles all the time, he's probably selling something that doesn't work" ~ George Carlin

365 Days of Smiles - Day 67

So the elevator is still running. 4 days in a row... a new record! However, it now sounds like it's losing parts as it passes the 2nd and 4th floor! I will only get in the thing with Harry Potter. Otherwise I take the stairs. Tonight, I almost carried him back up the stairs, it was that freaky sounding!

The weather was so beautiful today. Spring arrives in two weeks. I can't wait! The Gabriel Project fundraiser is also in two weeks! March is a great month for fundraisers... the week after TGP is Night of 1000 Gowns. Orientation is on Thursday night! I'm so excited for this!

I love NY!

Oneness is very simple: everything is included and allowed to live according to its true nature. --Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

365 Days of Smiles - Day 66

Sometimes I feel like this has been a wild year-long vacation... and then I realize nope, I really live here! :o) Sometimes I'm walking down the street and I just stop, look around and smile! I am living my dream, not a lot of people get to do that! And.. I've met Tuc Watkins! LOL ;o)

Will I make it til the end of the Oscars? Probably not. But Ilene's friend Rebecca is up for best documentary. She's out in L.A. cheerleading! I haven't seen the film, but it sounds amazing and I hope to see it at some point.

It was another beautiful day here in the city. We broke 60 degrees! I can't wait for Spring. Spring and Autumn are my favorite seasons. Change... beautiful!

Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available. ~Jim Beggs

365 Days of Smiles - Day 65

Today was a beautiful day in New York City. I spent nearly the entire day outside. Manny got his hair done today and he is SO cute I could eat him up!!

Of course I spent sometime in Central Park! I love Central Park. And I got a book about Tallulah Bankhead. THAT is how good Valerie Harper is in Looped... she made me want to learn more about Tallulah!

You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf. --Jon Kabat-Zinn

365 Days of Smiles - Day 64

I am so grateful for all of the pet owners downtown. I love seeing all the doggies getting their walks when I go out for lunch. There was this little tiny black dog today with a pink coat that had a white furry collar. She was so proud, just prancing down the street!!

Manny is sitting in front of me eating poop! Isn't that great? He's made himself a nice little snack! GROSS!!! Why do dogs eat poop? Cats don't eat their poop. But dogs eat cat poop too! It's like a delicacy... again I say, GROSS!!!

I went to Build-A-Bear Workshop tonight to get the new Blossom Bunny. I named mine Fleur! She is SO cute and she makes me smile! :o)

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. --Dalai Lama

365 Days of Smiles - Day 63

Today is my 1 year anniversary as a New Yorker. It feels good.

I want to thank all my friends who believed in me. And even those who didn't... because those are the people who made me even more determined to succeed! ;o)

The best part of living in NYC, besides the theatre scene, is all the fundraisers I'm able to attend. :o)

I resolved to stop accumulating and begin the infinitely more serious and difficult task of wise distribution. --Andrew Carnegie

365 Days of Smiles - Day 62

Well now... a year ago today I was resting up in OH after driving a U Haul filled with my stuff and my boys for 9 hours! Half way to my dream of living in NYC!

I love New York! :o)

If a woman can only succeed by emulating men, I think it is a great loss and not a success. The aim is not only for a woman to succeed, but to keep her womanhood and let her womanhood influence society. --Suzanne Brogger

365 Days of Smiles - Day 61

Exactly one year ago tonight I was having pizza at Monical's with dear friends and spending my last night in IL. I still can't believe I've been in NYC for almost a full year! It's been an adventure, that's for sure! I love it here... broken elevators, crappy jobs and all! :o)

The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is. --C. S. Lewis

365 Days of Smiles - Day 60

This week is going to be a reminiscing kind of week! Thursday will be my one year anniversary in NYC! I think I'm staying! LOL

A year ago today some dear friends were loading up the U Haul that was parked out in front of my house in IL. Big dreams. My friends told me I was very brave, but all I knew was that I was heading to New York City to fulfill a dream! Sometimes I still can't believe I live here. And it certainly doesn't feel like it's been a whole year. Sometimes I just stop, when I'm walking down the street, and just look around. ahhhhh...

I miss a lot of my friends back in Peoria. I've made so many new friends here in New York. :o)

I have a personal philosophy in life: kindness begets kindness. --Drew Johnson