Saturday, September 25, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* Mom & Dad coming to Avalon to celebrate birthdays!
* Bagels 'N Cream bagels
* Beach time with Mom & Dad
* going to Stone Harbor, getting an ice cream cone at Kohr Brothers and walking around the shop.
* getting Dad to come up on the rooftop to check out the view.
* drinks before dinner at The Princeton. Chris, Andy, Mrs. Roth, Mom, Dad & me went to The Princeton and had a great birthday dinner. Terry came out and said hello. Everyone had a really nice time.
* giving birthday presents and hanging out in the living room talking before Mom & Dad went back to the pink house.
* Andy. I'm lucky to have such a great guy!

Friday, September 24, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* working the home show with Jane and having some good laughs.
* getting some good leads as I walked around to all of the exhibitors.
* finishing birthday shopping for Dad & Mrs. Roth.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* lunch at JB Dawson's - love the chicken bruschetta pasta!
* prospecting in Bryn Mawr
* watching The Office, Grey's & Private Practice

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* Phillies sweep the Braves!
* Popejoy being nominated as one of CBS's Best Original Artists. I was really happy for him!
* being able to make a donation to the Ronald McDonald House. My Aunt Kathy has put countless hours into fundraising for them.

* coming up with a way to do a competitive analysis for all of our competitors.
* seeing my buddy Pat @ Bridgeport Pizza. He's such a nice guy and it makes me feel good to support a small business like his.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* a great day at the office.
* pizza lunch with everyone and the girl giving me my change when I almost walked away without taking it.
* roasted chicken dinner with stuffing.
* the homemade sauce I made tonight!
* Phillies being 5 games up!
* Sarah Brown sending all of the Chicago pictures. So many good ones!
* Brian offering his free hotel stay in NYC to Andy & me.

Monday, September 20, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* getting up on time for my early flight out of Chicago.
* Auntie Anne's for breakfast.
* John hooking us up with free parking and giving me a ride to my car since it was parked in Essington.
* the Oprah episode about Waiting for Superman. Our school system is so screwed up!
* going to the Phillies game with Jess & John.
* getting to sleep in our comfy bed tonight!
* realizing how lucky we are to be alive today. Apparently some psychopath was planning on planting a bomb directly outside of the bar we went to after the show on Sat. night. Thank God he confided in an undercover FBI agent instead of another freak that would have went along with this. Too close of a call if you ask me. (article from The Chicago Tribune that Becker sent us is below.)

The corner of Clark and Eddy Streets in Chicago across from Sluggers Sports Bar. This area is where Samir Hassoun thought he was putting an explosive device into a trash can across from Wrigley Field that would detonate over the weekend. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune)

A Northwest Side man has been charged with plotting to bomb a strip of crowded Wrigleyville night spots around the time people were leaving a Dave Matthews concert at the ballpark over the weekend.

Sami Samir Hassoun, 22, of the 4700 block of North Kedzie Avenue, was arrested as he placed a backpack containing what he thought were high-explosives in a trash can in front of Sluggers on Clark Street, about a block south of Wrigley Field, according to the FBI. (Read the federal complaint HERE.)

The bomb was a fake provided by an undercover federal agent. "At no time was the public in danger during this investigation," the FBI said. Houssoun had also discussed other violent plots in Chicago, including a biological attack on the city, poisoning Lake Michigan, attacking police officers, bombing the Willis Tower and assassinating Mayor Richard Daley, the FBI said.
But he is so far charged only with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted use of an explosive device in connection with attempted bombing near Wrigley Field. The FBI said there was no indication any foreign or domestic terror group was connected to the plot.

"He was acting alone," said Robert Grant, head of the FBI's office in
Chicago. "He was not, I would say, highly skilled but definitely desirous of finding the material he needed to carry out his attack.

"His intent was to kill as many people as he could in an area of town that was highly populated, in an effort to cause as much destruction as possible," Grant said.

Hassoun, who is a Lebanese citizen and a permanent U.S. resident, told an "associate" in June that he wanted to commit acts of violence to make money and cause "political transformation in
Chicago," the FBI said.Unknown to Hassoun, his associate was secretly cooperating with the FBI, the agency said.
Throughout the summer, he allegedly discussed with the associate the violent plots, but eventually selected the Wrigleyville area as his target, "utilizing an explosive device which he would detonate on a weekend night to inflict maximum damage," the FBI stated.
In July, the associate introduced Hassoun to an undercover federal agent who claimed he was from California and had access to explosives. While meeting with the agent, Hassoun discussed several plots and scenarios that would make a dramatic impact on Chicago and force Daley to resign, the FBI stated.

Hassoun eventually settled on a bombing outside a strip of Wrigleyville bars and nightclubs, the FBI said. On Saturday night, Hassoun met with the agent, who provided him with a backpack that Hassoun thought contained high-powered explosives, according to the FBI. The agent showed Hassoun how it worked, though it reality it was made of inert materials and unable to explode, the agency said. Early Sunday morning, Hassoun and the agent went in a rented vehicle toward Wrigleyville as crowds were leaving Wrigley Field after a concert by the Dave Matthews Band, the FBI said.
As agents watched, Hassoun placed the fake explosive into a trash container near Eddy and Clark, the FBI said. He was arrested and the fake device was recovered.
The slim, unshaven Hassoun smiled at relatives as he appeared before U.S. Judge Susan Cox this afternoon. Hassoun said he would hire his own attorney for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
Hassoun faces 5 years to life in prison.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* playing the setlist game again when we got up. I did worse than I did yesterday!
* breakfast out at "High Tops" with Andy, Katie, Becker & Popejoy.
* "Sunday Funday" out at the bar. Joe the bartender (from Philly) was awesome. Noah met us out and we all tried to recuperate from one long weekend! Phils win, Eagles win!
* naptime at Becker's after the game before we had to leave for the airport.
* Chipotle for dinner.
* getting bumped off our flight home. Yay for Chicago airports! I got a $400 credit voucher and hotel.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* BLT's again for breakfast.
* lounging around watching funny YouTube videos and playing the setlist game. It was a challenge because we couldn't remember what we heard at the show vs. the aftershow.
* pizza at Red Ivy with Andy.
* walking around Wrigleyville.
* party @ Scott Morgan's before the show.
* Jello shots!
* Noah coming in for tonight's show.
* Seeing Mraz with Katie & Noah and Andy.
* another fantastic show and great time in GA with our even bigger group tonight!
* good times at Wild Hare, McD's and Trace after the show.
* laughing with Katie when all the boys were mad at us because we didn't want to go to sleep. Who cares that it was 3am?

Friday, September 17, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* Popejoy arriving to Chicago safely.
* BLT's for breakfast thanks to Chef Becker.
* party at Jonny & Lori's before the show and finding out she's pregnant!
* Good times playing cornhole. BBQing, doing shots and hanging out with people like Katie, Becker, Jonny & Lori, Scott & Robyn, Jon & Rach, Sarah, Daniella & Ian.
* Katie being able to score a ticket outside the venue for free-how does she do it?
* Brian Halligan hooking us up with VIP passes during the show. It was a challenge finding the lounge (we basically toured all of Wrigley Field) but once we found it the search was worth it! We even met up with Rach & Jon Ice.
* an awesome show tonight and a great time on the floor with our huge group!
* going to the "aftershow" at Trace after the DMB show. All DMB covers, it was like one big sing along concert.
* El Ranchito for a midnight snack.
* Getting into Becker's apartment since he and Katie passed out and the doors were locked. It was a pretty funny scene throwing things at the window until he finally opened the door.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* making my first real sale at Suburban Life!
* lunch with Colleen Witmer
* getting my eyebrows done at Cirillo this afternoon.
* seeing some more of my old advertisers.
* Becker picking me, Andy & Katie up from the airport with margaritas ready to go!
* a fun night out at the bars in Chicago. We went to a few different places and definitely took over. Katie & I were dancing and having a great time when we found a bar with live music!
* Katie's shenanigans- leaving her purse/phone/license in the cab, breaking her flip flop ---> cutting her foot open-->making the sidewalk outside of Becker's place look like a crime scene-->pizza oven incident.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* getting lots done at the office today.
* the dentist appointmen @ Simply Beautiful Smiles to discuss invisalign and having my baby tooth taken out.
* finsihing up some proposals.
* Julie stopping by.
* Brad Lidge's save tonight---Phillies up by 3 games!!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* waking up with just a sore neck and butt instead of my head bothering me. Andy had me all freaked out about concussions.
* getting the Hilton in NYC booked for DMB weekend. Woohoo!
* starting feeling a little better, just in time for our Chicago trip!

* the really nice email I got from Kerry today.
* packing for Chicago---getting excited!

Monday, September 13, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* being in King of Prussia already for the Monday morning meeting.
* finding the perfect gift for Kerry's bachelorette party.
* Kerry being here when I fainted out in the back yard. It was really scary. She was talking to me and all of the sudden I felt dizzy and fell to the ground--just missing my head on the hot tub. I think it was because I hadn't eaten much since I haven't been feeling well.
* Erica coming over to do a hair trial for Kerry.
* Oprah's Final Season starting. I'm so sad she'll only be on for one more season.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* sleeping until 10am--feeling crappy from cold/allergies.
* wings and football with my favorite guy!
* playing Scrabble (I won!)
* a good game and the Eagles almost winning.
* talking with Debbie.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* all of the men and women all over the world that have kept our country safe since 9/11/01. Waking up to such a beautiful day just minutes before the planes crashed 9 years ago made me remember every detail as if it were yesterday. How we all wish it was just another day, that those events never happened...
* spending time outside on the deck reading my book. I am determined to finish this one!
* the message from my mom telling me a certified letter came from DEB Shops (yes, I worked there in high school.) Apparently I have an outstanding check for $75 that has never bee cashed and they are sending me a replacement. 
* the beautiful boat ride with Andy this afternoon.
* a fun time at The Carousal with Andy. We went to see Kyle & Ed from Second Majesty play an acoustic set at the beach bar. There was a chill in the air, summer really is coming to an end.
* the Phillies making their game interesting even though they lost in the end.
* a fresh Mack's pizza for dinner.
* good times tonight  with Matt and his friends at Leslie's house.

Friday, September 10, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* being able to get Kerry's dogs back home safely after they got out of the house and ran away from me through the entire neighborhood. It was a 45 minute ordeal...
* seeing some of my old customers while I dropped of this month's magazines.
* the yum chicken marsala Mrs. Roth made for dinner tonight.
* watching Couple's Retreat. We all got several good laughs from it and it was fun to watch something light-hearted.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* getting a lot of work done at the office today and my conversation with John about the potential for me there.
* going with Kerry to see her wedding venue, it's beautiful!
* an excellent dinner at Erini Restaurant. I got the french onion soup (best I've ever had!) and chicken marsala. Their menu has an excellent selection and I can't wait to go back.
* staying up talking with Kerry until 2am, as we do whenever we are together.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* discovering PoP Chips at BJ's today. They're my new favorite snack (similar to munchos) and only have 4g of fat per serving.
* yum pasta and meatballs for dinner.
* realizing I need to see an allergist and Kathy recommending someone that is local to me.
* watching the Phillies and The Office with Andy.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* Ryan Lynn's message on Facebook about Carlos Ruiz doing a signing at Shop-Rite. I had my Phillies shirt in my car since we were going to the game tonight so I went and had him sign my shirt. He's adorable!
* lunch w/Andy.
* Beckman driving to the game.
* nice breeze in FDR park while we had some beers before the game.
* the nice people tailgating next to us that jumped Lora's car when the battery died.
* Bill, Erin & Mr. Fry meeting up with us to say hi.
* an exciting game, the win, and the Phils are in 1st place!

Monday, September 6, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* short cleaning job this morning.
* talking to Mom.
* relaxing and watching the Phillies game this afternoon.
* Andy going fishing with the guys; I took a walk, visited some of the shops, got myself a soft serve ice cream cone and picked up a huge bag of beach toys that had a "free" sign on them for the boys.
* yum ribs for dinner.
* PJ, Maryanne & Alyssa coming over. Talking and playing poker and appreciating another great summer!
* Alyssa's comment about my hands.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* seeing James attempt to eat his french toast this morning. What a mess!
* reading outside determined to finish my book.
* lunch @ Leslie's and beach time with the Miners.
* spending time with Andy on the roof enjoying the view and taking pictures.
* going to Jack's with Alyssa, Brian and Funzi. I kind of freaked out when I thought I lost my ring that Andy gave to me for our 1st Anniversary but crisis was averted when we found it back at the house.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* a beautiful morning in Avalon with a slight chill in the air.
* spending time with everyone on the back deck next door at the McSparran's.
* Tastefully Simple lemon slush drinks
* discovering the awesome view from the roof by climbing up through the stairs to the attic in our room!
* drinks & apps outside on the deck.
* Henney's "dinner in" with the Roth's.

Friday, September 3, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* the Labor Day gang arriving next door!
* Lemon-Lime juice & Kettle One drinks.
* hanging on the front porch watching the "drunken people walking to/from bars" comedy scene.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* lunch with Brian @ Totaro's.
* helping put away stuff for the hurricane that is coming. In a weird way it was kind of exciting even though we of course pray there isn't bad destruction.
* dinner at the Yacht Club.
* a great Phillies comeback win.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

I have gratitude today for...
* taking the time to get my Tastefully Simple supplies and samples organized. I'd really like to dedicate more time to making things happen with this. 
* being able to work from home so I could watch the Phillies game this afternoon. 
* walking through the city after my train ride into Philly. I always enjoy walking instead of taking the subway. 
* dinner at Spasso with Andy. 
* hanging out at Kelly & Alex's for a while after dinner.
* the North Vietnam documentary we started watching at Kelly & Alex's. It reminded me how lucky we are to live in this country no matter how screwed up things seem at times. 
* going to Lickity Split to see Matt's band The Great Socio. I was happy we were able to go there and support him.