Happy Holiday!

Happy Holidays!

So much has happened since my last entry. We continue to enjoy some of our favorite things like going to DiNardo's and Joe's CrabShack for dinner, going to movies and saw- Cloud Atlas, Lincoln, Life of Pi, and Skyfall. Jordan started taking voice lessons, continues his guitar lessons, and goes to Karate twice a week. He has finished his first school semester with a bit of struggle, but is working to improve. He is interested in a cute gal that takes guitar lessons also. He is trying to build up the nerve to ask her out. It's so cute to see him learning how to relate to girls. He is a good and decent kid.

Highlights for the last two months include going to a Halloween local play, visiting MerryMead Farm for a hayride, going for dessert to Silk City in the evening outdoors, meeting Andrew McCarthy at a book signing, listening to M. Night Shyamalan talk about his movie Signs and his new project-New Earth, going to dinner with coworkers to Buddhakan, going to see former President Clinton at Univ of Penn before election, going to Laff House and seeing Tom Green at Helium Comedy Club, going to Thanksgivng Day Parade, trying out South Street Diner for the first time, enjoying The Christmas Village at Love Park, especially the crepes, funnel cakes, and bratwursts, going to see a former classmate's new play at the Walnut theater, finding a great lunch vegetarian place on Chestnut Street with yummy hummus and falafel, and trying out Monk's Cafe for the first time, which pretty good.

We held out well during storm Sandy. We were lucky, but others weren't. Work has been busy. I am working on phasing in new programs within our unit, lots of meetings and planning. I get home pretty tired, but satisfied that I am working and contributing in a meaningful way. We have a holiday luncheon, holiday dinner, and Pollyanna planned.

As 2012 comes to a close I reminisce about the past months. 2012 was quite a stressful year for me due to my lay off, unemployment, new job, and a troubled relationship. However, I have managed to enjoy every minute possible by doing some of my favorite things and having new adventures.

I vow to do more traveling, more socializing, and have more adventures with those I love in 2013. I also vow to take better care of my health in every way. I look forward to an exciting new year.

Fall is in full bloom....

So much has happened since I last wrote in my blog.

Jordan has been pretty busy. He finished a summer music workshop where he participated in performing a new soundtrack to the movie "Nosferatu" with the School of Rock kids. He seemed to enjoy that a lot. He started a new school year via PA Virtual Charter School. He is doing very well so far. He has Algebra, Earth Science, English, Technology, and PE. He gets PE credit for attending karate twice a week. He also gets credit for Music for taking guitar lessons.

We visited a couple of his favorite places this past month, Longhorne Steakhouse, and now DiNardo's, where he gets a nice big steak, and I feast on crabs! Yum! He recently broke up with his girlfriend, and was a bit sad about that, but he is focusing on all the other fun things in his life and is doing very well.

We visited the "Magic Gardens" glass art museum on South Street. What a great place to visit! We also went to see the " How to Train Your Dragon" show at the Wachovia center. He loved it! I like that he still enjoys live shows. We may go to see "Spiderman" on Broadway for Christmas. He's been wanting to see it for sometime. I went to a child support hearing with Jordan's dad, who has been very detached from his life. He, unfortunately, has not made much effort to keep in contact with Jordan. Thankfully, Jordan has a lot of love in his life and he is doing well.

I have been enjoying the city this past month. I have visited a couple of regular places I enjoy like the Clef Club for great live jazz music, and the Erotic Salon for some live erotic poetry readings. I have tried some new places to eat including Drinker's for tacos, El Rey for spicy corn on the cob, La Famiglia for good Italian food, and a new BBQ place on South Street for some awesome pecan pie. I also checked out the Memphis Tavern in Northwest Philly, which had a nice pork and watermelon salad, and Silk City for some great weekend brunch. We have gone to Joe's Crab Shack in King of Prussia a couple of times and have enjoyed their spicy crab bucket. One of the highlights this past month included going to see and hear Sheila E. at Penns Landing. She's still rocking! We also went to a screening of the movie "Midnight In Paris" which was being held at the Art Museum.

We have seen a lot of movies, one of our favorite things to do, this past month, including, Timothy Green, Posession, ParaNorman, Total Recall, Loopers, and Hotel Transylvania. A nice mix of kid-friendly and not so kid-friendly movies.

Work has been great! I am growing into the position, learning the politics, policies, and programs. The job requires constant networking, collaboration, strategic planning and development, which keeps me very busy. I am pretty exhausted in the evenings and on Fridays, when the work week wraps up. I am happy to be working with people who are dedicated and skilled in what they do. I am
also learning about people's personalities and quirks, and how to best work together. I was able to go to Harrisburg and attend a conference, and I have been working on implementing a new database system for our unit. We also recently hired an administrative assistant, who we needed desperately to help support our unit.

Near work I have been trying to find good spots for lunch. I found a great Asian Fusion place undergroung, by Suburban Station, where they serve yummy Ramen soup with a ginger salad. I also like to go to a little park around Chestnut and 17th Street on good weather days and take a packed lunch. The park has a water fountain and plenty of seats to enjoy lunch outdoors. I also got to meet mom and my aunt for lunch one afternoon while they were in town. That was a nice treat!

I need to start taking good care of myself, work on taking vitamins and calcium. I hurt my back twice this past month cleaning and twisting. I also got a bad cold that I am just getting over. Need to focus on keeping healthy and strong as the year wraps up.

Looking forward to the holiday season!



 

New start...

It's August already. Starting to think about the coming school year for Jordan and the winter wardrobe needs now that I am back working.

We have enjoyed our summer by spending lots of time outdoors, at Penns Landing music events, by the pool at North Beach Club, in the park, at the movies, and by the beach. We enjoyed a movie outdoors by the Museum steps, a great concert outdoors by Penns Landing, and July 4th weekend by the Parkway with great food, music, and fireworks. We celebrated Nicky's birthday at a beautiful creek in New Jersey with lots of good food and fun times. We visited our favorite fish (Kilimandjaro) and chicken (Federal Donuts) place a few times this past month! Delish! We went to see the new Batman movie, which was great! I tried Silk City Diner for dinner, a great place with yummy ecclectic food. I also tried Rose Tattoo Cafe, good food in a cozy atmosphere. I also went back to Joe's Crab Shack after about a year. Delish! They have a spicy version of seafood bucket, to die for! We visited Philly 50 Diner in New Jersey, which has good food with large portions! We took a nice drive to Ocean City, New Jersey for the day this past weekend. The weather was great, good food, good music, and nice walk on the boardwalk.

I have been busy fixing and prepping my home for a new family to live in it this week. It's nerve-wrecking to think someone you don't know is in your home, but they seem nice and I hope they take care of it, and love it as I do.

We have been spending lots of time with my dad. He comes and stays with us every couple of weeks and spends quality time with Jordan. Jordan has been busy with Karate, guitar lessons, and the Summer Music Workshop. No news from Freire School where he is on the waiting list after a mishap with paperwork. I checked and he is far below on the waiting list. I guess it's not meant to be at this time. We will continue to homeschool for now and look at other options as we start 9th grade school year. He has spent some quality time with his girlfriend at the park, at the beach, and at birthday parties. He seems to be enjoying the experience. I have to keep an eye on him though. He is growing up so fast.....

We have attempted to contact his dad, but he has been very hostile. He even wrote an email stating he can't wait till he doesn't have to pay child support anymore and be done with it. How can you feel that way about your child. You don't have to care to deal with me, your ex, but your kid is still your kid. He knows what he and his wife have done to alienate us, but we still attempt to have him spend time with Jordan. I know having a new family and keeping up with your other children is a lot of work, but people do it. I guess he finds it too difficult, especially since his wife is so against it. Someday he will realize what a mistake he has made not being part of his life, but it may be too late for him then.

I started my new job! It's been quite an adventure. I love the type of work I am doing in housing with the city of Philadelphia. I have always been passionate about helping people, and this job makes me feel like I am making a significant contribution. I like the people I work with. They are very committed and dedicated to the work they do. It's great to be around people like that. I spent most of my time in meetings and assisting in implementing and working towards expanding the housing program. It feels great being back to work. I try to take a couple of days a week to eat my lunch outside since I find I am so busy during the work day. Sometimes I go underground around Suburban Station and the Comcast Center, where there are a lot of places to eat lunch. They have some great healthy options too.

So much going on. Looking forward to enjoying the rest of the summer as we start getting ready for the new school year.

Thank you for sharing in my experiences, my joys and my sorrows...

More changes.......

Lots of fun and some changes in the last month.

We have been able to enjoy the nice weather outdoors. We visited D.C. There, we took an evening tour of the city, stopping at all the main tourist stops, including Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. We also got to visit the Air & Space Museum and the Natural History Museum. 


We have spent beautiful days walking to parks and squares in the area, having lunch there, and listening to the summer concert series.We celebrated my niece's birthday at the Camden National Aquarium. We had a great time with family. I visited the North Shore Beach Club and got to try out their pool. They have a very nice pool area and a good restaurant with Cuban cuisine. We celebrated Father's Day in Norristown by having dinner and spending time at Plymouth Meeting Mall. Jordan and I visited the Franklin Institute and saw the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. This past weekend Norristown had their bicentennial celebration with a Gospel and Jazz concert in the park and with yummy soul food. We joined them for the festivities for a bit before going to celebrate Steve's nephews birthdays in New Jersey. 


We are big on movies. This month we watched The Dictator, Chernobyl Diaries, Battleship, Prometheus, and That's My Boy. Some were better than others. I also tried some new foods. Always wanted to try Uni (sea urchin). I tried it at Doma Japanese Restaurant. It was pretty good, but not something I would crave. However, I discovered a great dessert at the Aqua Thai Restaurant, banana pancake, YUM!
Both Steve and I celebrated our birthdays this past month. We went on The Spirit of Philadelphia Dinner Cruise to celebrate. It was a beautiful day with good music, and good food. 


Two major changes in the works include my house going up for rent in Norristown and starting a new job in July. 


I have posted my home for rent and getting it ready. My ex Tony has been living in it for over a year now, but now he has to move. He has maintained it very well and made some improvements. He finished the hardwood floors and put some new lighting and crown molding. I have listed in on a few sites and have gotten lots of inquiries. I am in the process of taking applications and hoping to make a decision within the next week or so. 


Another change, I was offered a great job with the city of Philadelphia in the housing field. The job is similar to what I did with Montgomery County. I am excited about starting a new career in the city. I start July 9th and will be working downtown near my apartment. 


Jordan continues his karate and guitar lessons weekly. This summer he is participating in a Music Soundtrack Workshop. Students will be recording a new soundtrack for the movie Nosferatu. They will be performing part of it at the end of the program. I am very excited that he is participating in this program.

I will be starting my new job in a couple of weeks so will have less time to stroll the city. However, I am very excited about going back to work after 4 months off. We hope to make a couple of trips to the shore, and perhaps NY during the weekends this summer, and before the fall and cooler weather arrives.

A Month full of excitement!

The last month has been amazing! I have attended some business workshops, visited my favorite Jazz place-The Clef Club a few times where they play grassroots Jazz, took Jordan on a career field trip to a technical school and a cooking school demonstration, went to NY with Steve a my friend Trina to see a fashion show, attended a friend's Jazz Brunch Fundraiser with great music and people and where Steve won a Dave & Busters gift certificate, celebrated my sister in laws birthday with lots of laughs and dancing, met Terence Howard who was filming a movie in Philly, tried a new Chinese Buffet place-Ruby's-pretty good food, went to Dave & Busters with boys, saw the movie Avengers-Awesome movie, and just got back from Puerto Rico after a week there.

I have had two interviews with city officials for a great job opportunity in the housing department with the city before my vacation. They will be deciding and making an offer by the end of this month! I hope I am the one they offer the job to! Of course, I continue to apply and look for jobs in the housing and educational field. I would love to work with a university so am concentrating on applying there now that I am back from vacation. I have applied to a few jobs at a few universities but have not heard back yet. 

I just got back from a week in Puerto Rico. The purpose of the trip was to take my dad to visit his family. He has had some serious health issues in the last year and found the need to see his loved ones. It was amazing to see family from my dad side, see how alike and different we are, and how much love there is. Jordan had a tough time because he doesn't speak Spanish. I need to be more diligent in teaching him. We started lessons, but dropped them after he showed little interest, but this is his heritage and should at least understand the language. Steve had similar issues when we all spoke Spanish. I tried to translate most of the time, but it's hard to keep up with all the talking going on..lol. You know we Puerto Ricans can talk, and fast too.....lol. 

They both seem to have enjoyed the food, and the time by the beach, and by the mountain side. It was beautiful scenery almost everywhere we went on the island. I wish we have had more time, we would have visited Vieques Island-where the bio-luminescent lake is. I went there last year with Steve and wanted to take Jordan, but we had little time left and reservations were needed because we need to take a ferry to the island, then a 30 minute bus ride to the lake.  I also would have liked to have visited Rincon beach, which I hear is one of the most beaches in the Caribbean. Hopefully next time....

One of my uncles, lives by the mountainside in Toa Baja and he showed us a 15 pound Iguana that was eating his plants and veggies he grows on his land. The Iguana was huge! Apparently he swung his tale at my uncle a few times and hit him before my uncle got a hold of him...lol.We don't have those issues here in Philly...lol. My uncle's wife Amelia showed me some pictures of when I and my brothers were babies. I didn't recognize my mom at first, who was holding me in her arms....lol.

My dad's family met at my other uncle's house in Aguadilla where they proceeded to conduct an intervention for my dad who was just diagnosed with Diabetes. It wasn't meant to be an intervention, but they all noticed how he was not taking care of how he eats. They proceeded to take his blood glucose level then started the intervention process...lol. It was funny how it came about, serious, and I think necessary. I think it made a good impact on him and has helped in focus on eating better. Of course that was almost impossible in Puerto Rico with of all the yummy and fattening food..lol. 

We got to visit Luquillo beach and Posuelo beach while there. Both are beautiful beaches. In Posuelo we stopped by a beachfront restaurant with awesome octopus salad, alcapurrias (meat fritters), and arepas (sweet cornmeal cakes). We also made sure to stop by the street side during our trip where you find a lot of food kiosks, where we stopped for alcapurrias with land crab meat (fritters), pinchos (chicken kebobs), bacalaitos (cod fish fritters), and of course fresh coconut and mango. I even found tamarindos and tamarind juice, which is my favorite fruit on the island. We also found a kiosk that made fresh Pina Coladas! So good.!!! We got to visit the Caves in Camuy...what a site! We were all mesmerized, especially Jordan. Close to the caves we stopped by a restaurant called Tainos, which was the name of the native Indians on the island. I had the best fresh Grouper fish salad ever! I plan to go back there just for that one day. 

I also took Jordan to see his grandmother (his dad's mom), uncle, and aunts who live on the south side of the island. They had not seen him in at least a year, and he has grown so much since. His grandmother had a video of Jordan's Baptism, when he was 6 months old. He was such a beautiful baby! We also got to watch a video of his grandfather and great uncle playing the guitar. His grandfather was a musician. He died before Jordan was born. His grandmother is such a wonderful woman, kind, and loving. We hope to see her in July when she will be visiting her daughter, Jordan's aunt and godmother,  in Lancaster.

We also spent some time with my cousin Rosita in the San Juan area, who was the woman who came up with my formal name, Ivelisse. She is an awesome person! She took us to the Camuy Caves and cooked us a great meal one evening. We also spent time with my 82 year old aunt Maria. She is a wonderful woman full of energy and love. We had a wonderful time bonding with family, something my dad needed desperately. I saw how emotional he was there on his way back home. I think he realizes now more than ever how important family is. 

Now, we are all readjusting to our regular lives back home again, which is not easy after spending a week in paradise...lol. But home is where the heart is. I love my city and couldn't do without my mom and brothers who live nearby as well. But I may consider retiring in Puerto Rico when the time is right, in 13 years or so...... 

Today is my sweetie's birthday! Steve and I will be celebrating his birthday with the boys tonight and then out to dinner with a good friend at our favorite fish place tomorrow night. I am starting to apply for other good job opportunities, while I wait for news from the city job. I am also working with Jordan on finishing up his 8th grade curriculum strong by mid June. We are all getting back to our normal routine. Looking forward to the summer, some local road trips to the beach, maybe DC, Baltimore, and NY. 

Thanks for the love and support friends and family....and sharing these special moments with me. 

New beginning......

The last month has been quite an experience. I have been getting to know my city well. Since I was laid off in mid February I've been considering different employment avenues and opportunities. I struggle with the idea of working in the educational field or the human services or financial field again. I have made some good contacts and continue to seek employment in the city. I've been offered some sales jobs, but that is not my field or interest. I have an interview with the city of Philadelphia next week for a similar job to the one I had with Montgomery County. Hope all goes well.

I have enjoyed networking, attending workshops, events, and applying for all types of employment. I have also enjoyed sleeping in and visiting some of my old and new favorite spots in the city, like Reading Market, Love Park, Kilimandjaro Restaurant, Federal Donuts, Chinatown, Freddy & Tonys, and The Convention Center. I know I've gained some weight these last few weeks, with my later mornings and meals, but I refuse to weigh myself...lol. I do make it a point to walk in the city almost daily, but I need to step it up a notch. Now with the Spring weather and summer coming, it will be one of my priorities.

These last few weeks remind me of a trip I took to Cinque Terre, Italy a few years ago. A small group of us went to hike the hills of Cinque Terre. But the temptation of food and gelato was too great...lol. We would hike for a few hours then stop for food, hike a bit more, then stop for gelato, hike a bit more, then stop for more food...lol. You get the idea! That's what it's been like the last few weeks in the city.

I spent an evening with my brother and sister-in-law for St. Patty's Day. We had a great time. We went to dinner, movies, and some dancing. It was nice spending time with them. I celebrated my mother's birthday recently. We went to dinner and did some shopping. Steve and I went to New Hope for the day. It was a beautiful Spring Day ride. We also went to the Rum Bar, a great place for tasty Mojitos. We watched some good movies this past month, including The Hunger Games, The Cabin in The Woods, Bully, Wrath of the Titans, and The Lorax.

Jordan continues with his karate and guitar lessons. He really seems to enjoy them, and I love that he does. We had some paperwork issues with the Charter school he applied to, and originally got in. Now, we have to wait to see if a spot opens up for him again. I am a bit disappointed about how that turned out, but I know all will work out as it should. Jordan took his PSSAs this past month. He believes he did well, except for the writing test. He does not like writing and wrote very little for his exam.

I will be going to Puerto Rico in May. My dad really wants to see his family. He has had some health issues in the past year, and has the need to reconnect with this family. I hope to get some beach time in as well while I'm there.

It's been quite fun in the city these last few weeks. I look forward to finding new employment and having new adventures and experiences in the city.

Life changing.......

Life changing.......

Those were the words the HR rep used. This is a life changing event today. Yes indeed it was.........After almost 20 years with Montgomery County, PA, I was laid off this past Valentine's Day. There had been significant budget cuts in the County, and with the specific programs we managed in our department. I knew things were getting tight. So I guess I was one of those adjustments to balance the new budget. I would have preferred a 2-week notice instead of a 3-day notice. But, as my former director said, they have no legal reason to do so. Others with more seniority had been let go in other departments as well. So, unfortunately, I was in good company.

Needless to say, some of my focus changed from enjoying every bit of the city, to, now I have to find a job. I have focused on being positive about the change, making contacts and networking with people and organizations here in the city, where I wish to work. I am also focusing on working in the educational field, something I've been wanting to do in the last year and half. So, the good news is that I can start over. Do something I enjoy more or have been wanting to work in for some time.

There are other changes in the works. Jordan had applied to attend a charter school downtown. He got in per a lottery, since space was very limited. Then some paperwork needed to be submitted. We received the information on the day it was due, postmarked Feb. 17th, but received it on March 1st. Why? That concerns me? Why would that happen when we have been so excited to start a new school this fall. I asked for some consideration from the admissions officer. I called, left a message, dropped in to see her, and left all the information in person the next day, March 2nd. But we haven't heard from her. I haven't figured out what this experience is about or what's the lesson behind it, but I am very upset that he may have lost the opportunity to attend the school through no fault of our own.

It's been a tough few weeks. But I did manage to enjoy some of the city and events this past month. I had dinner with my friend Bina a couple of times. She is such a wonderful person, so kind and giving. I had lunch with gal pals at Benihanna, which was quite an experience. I went to Atlantic city with Steve. We had a nice evening full of dinner and dancing. We also had a great breakfast that included catfish at a homey diner there. I visited two of my favorite places to eat, Longhorn's and Freddy & Tony's. I watched some great movies; Safe House, Red Tails, and The Woman in Black. I visited the King of Prussia Mall, and got to dance to some Carnival music. I celebrated Valentine's Day at my favorite restaurant, Estia. I went to a friend's birthday bash and had lots of fun! I went to Baltimore with Jordan and visited the Science Center. I also got to go to a Sixer's game, which I had not done in a long time.

I have made it a point to enjoy these last few weeks, even though I am in transition and uncertain. I know that experience is a teacher, mistakes are lessons, and life is worth every minute, so I continue to move forward, no matter what the circumstances.

Thank you for the love and support.

2012 A New Year!

We had a Wonderful Christmas and New Year Celebration!

We had a lot of wonderful moments this past holiday season. I made a point to spend quality time with Jordan. We went to see "The King & I" at the Walnut Street Theater, saw the Rocketts Christmas Spectacular show in NY on Christmas Eve, and spent a fun New Year's Eve with Jordan, my honey, his boys, and some good friends.

The boys received a lot of fun presents for Christmas. Steve's boys love legos and they were building ships, robots, and all sorts of things with legos. At Jordan's age, we concentrated on gift cards for his favorite places. He enjoyed shopping for games and going to his favorite restaurants with them.

Jordan's 14th birthday was in January. We celebrated with a bowling party. Many friends and family members attended. We had a great time! He's becoming a wonderful young man. He is no longer my baby boy...:(. He continues to work on Karate. He participated and won his first tournament in January. He also continues to attend Philly School of Rock, taking guitar lessons there. He seems to be involved in both activities. I am very happy for him! I am hoping, if it's the right time for him, that he can attend the Freire Charter School in Center city for 9th grade, starting in September. We are awaiting news in the next few weeks. It will be challenging and an adventure for him since he has been homeschooled for a number of years. It's very exciting!

My dad has had some health issues recently, but he is much better now. We are making a point of spending quality time together as well. We went out to eat to celebrate his 67th birthday in January. He was very emotional but happy!

I continue to enjoy the city by visiting different restaurants, one of my favorite pasttimes...lol. I visited La Scala on Chestnut Street, Chop on Walnut Street, Ms. Tootsie's on South Street, Moshulu on Delaware Ave., and King of Tandoor on Callowhill. All were good experiences, but some more than others.

Now that things have settled after the holidays, we concentrate on school, work, and daily activities. I am itching for a vacation again though. The cold season makes me dream about exotic locations. Thankfully, we haven't been hit badly with the wintery weather. Right now it's 54 degrees in Philly, and it's February 1st. Crazy Right?!

I did manage to come down with a bad cold, and I'm just getting over the hump now. Looking forward to enjoying what's left of the winter season and the coming Spring season. Although I won't enjoy the allergies that often come along with the change.

Looking forward to more adventures in the city.....