Visiting Nurses Association Brings Us A Taste of the Hills

Enjoy a unique and entertaining dining experience at A Taste of the Hills on Sunday, November 7th, 2010 from 6:00-9:00pm at Fair Winds at Basking Ridge Country Club. Hosted by the Friends of the Adult Day Center of the Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills, this year’s benefit honors the Rotary Club of Bernardsville for their years of support and commitment to the organization.

Over 35 restaurants, caterers and bakeries will offer a delicious array of soup, hors d’oeuvre, salad, entree, dessert, coffee and wine tastings from a variety of local and global cuisines. For reservations, please RSVP the event chair at 908-236-6632. Tickets are $75 per person in advance and $85 at the door. Reservations are on a first come, first serve basis.

“Now our 13th ‘Taste,’ this event is a much anticipated and major annual fundraiser for the VNA Adult Day Center. Many vendors, such as The Growth Catering Family, The Bernards and Old Mill Inns and Gary’s Wine and Marketplace have supported us for years. Others like Aoyama in Mendham and Martinsville, Wegmans in Bridgewater and Sublime in Gladstone join for the first time,” said Susan Lichtenberger of Mendham, event co-chair and VNA of Somerset Hills Board of Trustees member.

Restaurant owners, including Francois Rousseau of Due Terre Enoteca in Bernardsville, also find the evening rewarding. “We love to be able to give back to local nonprofit organizations. It’s nice to see people relaxing, enjoying themselves and having a good time at this lovely event. “

Recent exhibitors include Alba Vineyard, A la Carte, Bamboo Grill, Black Horse Tavern & Pub, Cafe India, China Palace, CocoLuxe, Country Picnic, Due Terre Enoteca, Edible Arrangements, Equus Tavern, Fair Winds Catering, Gary’s Wine & Marketplace, Gourmet Touch Bakery, Green Mountain Coffee, Illy Caffe, KC’s, Le Petit Chateau, Maggiano’s Little Italy, Meadow Wood Manor, Nagano, New Gladstone Market, Oayama, Olde Mill Inn/Grain House, Ome Catering, Ross & Owren, Sublime, Taste of Crete, The Bernards Inn, The Famished Frog, The Pluckemin Inn, The Store, Tsuru, Vine and Willie’s Tavern.

The Adult Day Center of the VNA of Somerset Hills in Basking Ridge provides a caring and welcoming environment of customized supervision and socialization for the frail elderly or chronically disabled adult who would otherwise have to stay unsafely home alone or be prematurely placed in a long term care facility.

The Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills and its subsidiaries provide individuals and families with comprehensive, high quality, cost-effective home and community healthcare services, regardless of ability to pay, using partnerships where appropriate. It is a charitable, tax-exempt home health agency and hospice certified by Medicare, accredited by the Community Health Accreditation Program and licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. For more information, visit our website at www.visitingnurse.org

Oh, Baby!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

Strange population shifts going on in Mendham Township, New Jersey...people seem to have stopped making babies about five years ago.  In September of every new school year, Mendham Township Elementary School has welcomed about 80 new kindergartners and sends about 80 fifth graders and their huge backpacks off to the Middle School.  This year, only 45 kindergartners showed up!  It has really wreaked havoc on the systems in place...there are now only three sections of kindergarten instead of the usual four, and with five sections of fourth grade, London's class was forced to choose their Book Buddies from a first grade class.  So this morning, London headed off to school to read Strega Nona's Harvest (with expression!) to a little first grader named Libby.

So I ask you, where have all the babies gone?  Will they return next year, or is it a trend in Mendham that started before the depression recession and will continue to deplete our supply of kindergartners?

Maybe one way to get back to the business of baby-making despite the economy is to save money, starting with infant formula.  All infant formulas sold in the United States are subject to the same regulations of the Infant Formula Act which governs manufacturing and ingredients.  So store brand formula, while value priced, must meet the same exacting FDA nutritional requirements as all the major advertised brands.  That's nutritional equivalence for babies and substantial savings for moms....private label formula typically costs up to 50 percent less compared with brand names.  That could save a family $600/year per baby.

So what are you waiting for, Mendham?  Let's get back to babies!

Roxy's Reflections: Eat Less. Pray More. Love Lots.

We closed on the sale of my mom's house yesterday, an incredible relief that brings our family that much closer to settling her estate. My big sister has been amazing in her efforts as executrix, and in cleaning out the house I grew up in, sorting and donating anything valuable, and tossing out trash can after trash can of almost 40 years worth of accumulated paperwork and possessions.

Over the past few weeks since my 44th birthday, I have been reading Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat Pray Love," and just finished yesterday. While I have no plans to take a year off to travel to Italy, India, and Indonesia, I found her story interesting.

Tonight, our family is off to Art and Poetry Night at Mendham Township Elementary School...I will be back to write more later...unless I fall asleep early, or find another good book to read all night long.

(quick update the next morning)
Ah, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Maddie, London, Rex and I had such a good time at MTES Art and Poetry Night that I didn't get a chance to write about it...or about anything else last night. The girls made several art projects that are drying at the school, but by this afternoon I may have ink blot cinquains to share with all of you. Roxy even got into the mix and created a little art and poetry. Our favorite projects are, of course, the ones that involve getting messy, so it was bath night as soon as we came home.

Shopping for Fall Fashions

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Liz Claiborne New York Outlets. All opinions are 100% mine.

This weekend, London, Maddie, Rex and Roxy will don our Halloween costumes and head down to our beach house for the annual Bay Head Halloween Parade. The big event is always the Sunday before Halloween, and, since our family takes Halloween very seriously, we look forward to the parade all year, and start to prepare at the end of every summer....last year, we even had our own float! I'll keep you in suspense to make sure you come back to Roxiticus Desperate Housewives and Roxy's Bay Head Blog to find out about our family costumes. Today's post is really about the other change that comes right after the Halloween parade...we close up our beach house, pack up our Chevy Suburban, and head back to the Roxiticus Valley for the next five or six months.

Fall is the time of year when designers unveil their new collections and the fashion world follows. While we're away at the beach this weekend, every fashionista, young and old, will dress to the nines and head for the Far Hills Race Meeting to strut their stuff among the horses and tailgate parties. While back to school may signal Fall fashion shopping for the rest of the Roxiticus Desperate Housewives, Roxy doesn't head out to the outlet stores in Flemington, NJ, until November 1st. And let me tell you, I'm glad I've waited because Liz Claiborne New York Outlets are selling their entire inventory at a discount! Everything must go, with prices 50-80% off, and even the newest Fall fashions are available for a steal!

While I've been known to shed a tear or two on Labor Day, once we get to my birthday in October, I'm happy to change over my closets and shop for the latest fall fashions....the boots, the sweaters. the leather jackets...it's all good. So Rex will be a good sport and take London, Maddie and me to the Liz Claiborne New York Outlet store in Flemington, New Jersey, and we'll come home with a car load of goodies for all three of his girls.

If you're not lucky enough to live in the Roxiticus Valley, click on one of the links in this post and find your nearest Liz Claiborne New York Outlet store. Happy shopping!

Hexagon Players of Mendham Presents Annie: November 12, 13, 14, 19, and 20

My loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives readers may remember that, back in September, London auditioned for the Hexagon Players of Mendham production of "Annie." She practiced for weeks, singing out wherever we drove in the car. London bravely sang "Rain On My Parade" at the auditions, but the piano accompanist couldn't keep up with her. Rex, Maddie and I cheered London on and had a great time checking out all the amazing local talent as they sang and danced all night. Given the intense competition, London didn't get a part in the show, but we'll be in the audience when Hexagon Players presents Annie in mid-November.

Hexagon Players of Mendham presents "Annie" coming to Bernards High Auditorium in Bernardsville, New Jersey. Performance dates include Friday, November 12th at 7:30 pm; Saturday, November 13th and Sunday, November 14th at 2:00 pm; Friday, November 19th at 7:30 pm; and Saturday, November 20th at 2:00 and 7:30 pm. Cast members include children and adults from several New Jersey towns. Tickets now on sale online or call 973-543-8770.

That's Entertainment!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dual Electronics. All opinions are 100% mine.

Gone are Roxy's days of being cool, at least according to my daughters, London and Maddie, who think their mom is soooo 1985 (and that's way older than yesterday's news). Therefore, I jumped at the opportunity to increase my "cool factor" by purchasing the new Dual Electronics XPE Series for the ultimate car audio experience. Dual’s new mobile receiver features iPod and iPhone accessibility... although until the moisture indicator on my Save A Phone Bag turns from blue to pink and back to blue again (if ever), I'm afraid no one will be accessing my old iPhone that London and Maddie dropped into Scow Ditch in Bay Head NJ on my birthday.

Dual Electronics has announced that its new line of mobile amplifiers, the XPE series, is now shipping to retailers nationwide. Three new amps -- the XPE1700, the XPE2700 and the XPE4700 -- all feature MOSFET power supplies, variable crossovers, and 2 ohm stability. With their low-profile chassis, installation will be a breeze, even in small spaces....like Roxy's little red Celica convertible (which is soooo 1996).

All three models include performance-matched output transistors for maximum power transfer and feature black anodized extruded aluminum heatsinks for dissipating the heat. Whew! Is it getting hot in here or what? Dual XPE's direct-wire inputs eliminate the need for extra terminals and ensure a more positive connection via increased wire contact. What's more, thermal overload and low-impedance circuits provide protection for even the most demanding applications...and in my car, London and Maddie singing "Don 't Rain on My Parade" or "Sweet Caroline" along with their Glee CD's at the top of their lungs tend to be our family's most demanding applications. Now that's entertainment!

Music Monday for Roxy's Birthday: Tramps Like Us, Baby We Were Born to Run

I've been away from the blogosphere for about a month, busy closing transactions at my real job, helping my big sister to sell the house I grew up in and settle my mother's estate, and getting London and Maddie back to school. It's been a tough year, and I still miss my mom every day, but it finally feels like things are turning around for me.

I have missed all of you, and as my birthday approaches, I'm hoping to get back to writing both publicly (here at Roxiticus Desperate Housewives and on Roxy's Best Of...) and privately in my sky dragon journal.

In celebration of my 44th birthday, I've chosen one of my all-time faves from Jersey boy Bruce Springsteen for this week's Music Monday post...tramps like us, baby we were born to run!!



In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on highway 9,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected and steppin out over the line
Baby this town rips the bones from your back
Its a death trap, it's a suicide rap
We gotta get out while were young
`cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run

Wendy let me in I wanna be your friend
I want to guard your dreams and visions
Just wrap your legs round these velvet rims
And strap your hands across my engines
Together we could break this trap
Well run till we drop, baby well never go back
Will you walk with me out on the wire
`cause baby Im just a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta find out how it feels
I want to know if love is wild, girl I want to know if love is real

Beyond the palace hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard
The girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors
And the boys try to look so hard
The amusement park rises bold and stark
Kids are huddled on the beach in a mist
I wanna die with you wendy on the streets tonight
In an everlasting kiss

The highways jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive
Everybodys out on the run tonight but there's no place left to hide
Together wendy well live with the sadness
Ill love you with all the madness in my soul
Someday girl I don't know when were gonna get to that place
Where we really want to go and well walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us baby we were born to run

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

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Bust A Move!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PlayStation MOVE. All opinions are 100% mine.

Roxy's birthday is coming up, and you know I never miss an opportunity to start (over) on a new life improvement plan, including healthier eating habits and a physical fitness plan. So, since hips don't lie, it's time for Roxy to figure out new and exciting ways to Bust a Move. Of course, I don't mean to hit on some hot guy at a party like a Young MC lyric... thankfully haven't needed to bust that kind of move since I met Rex.

Nope. It's just time for Roxy to find a fun alternative to the exercise bike, elliptical trainer, and the Wii Fit (the one that calls me Fatty Fatty Bo Batty before offering up its own perception of my Age). London and Maddie, my sweet young gaming experts, tell me that PlayStation®Move redefines motion gaming with the most realistic and immersive gaming experience. Actually, I think they said "it's a really cool new way to play, Mom, and it's only possible on the PlayStation®3 system." The simple, easy-to-use and ergonomically designed controller captures a full range of motion that gives the gamer ultimate control over how you play each game. There's already an impressive selection of family games and new ones launching all the time....including sports, action, and party games.

PlayStation®Move has something for everyone in our family and yours, whether you’re experienced like London and Maddie, or casual like Roxy.

If only a little genie would appear on my birthday next week and give Roxy the PlayStation® Move. We'd make October the Month of Family Game Nights, with competitive exercise for the whole Roxy clan. I'm ready to Get Fit with Mel B the minute the girls get on the school bus, and after they come home I will be Mommy...the Sports Champion.

And Rex, just in case that genie doesn't show up next week? We can bring motion gaming exclusively to our existing PlayStation®3 for only $99 with the MOVE bundle package!

Celebrate Roxy's Birthday and Columbus Day with an Open Gym at Randolph Gymnastics

October is shaping up to be a terrific month for our family...business is going well for Rex and me, and London and Maddie are settled into their school routine as well as a full slate of after school activities. One of London's favorites is gymnastics class... she's just started her sixth year at Randolph Gymnastics, and has stepped it up from Novice 3 to Intermediate lessons. We're in the midst of "Bring a Friend Week" which runs October 4th through 9th, when London loves to show off and share the fun with her Mendham Elementary School buddies.

Her sister Maddie dropped gymnastics in favor of more musical activities (including Girls Rock! at Mendham Township Elementary School and a Musical Theatre Masters Class at Annie's Playhouse in Far Hills), but she is hoping to get back to Randolph Gymnastics to visit her favorite instructors, bounce on the trampoline, and do a little rock climbing at one of the following Open Gym events:

• Monday, October 11th for Columbus Day: 1:00-3:00pm


• Thursday, November 4th and Friday, November 5th for the NJEA Teacher's Convention: 1:00-3:00pm


• Every other Friday night (October 8th and 22nd, November 5th and 19th, and December 3rd and 17th) from 7:30pm-10:00pm

For $12 per per child, you'll get access to all gymnastics equipment, all inflatables (air track, castle and slide), rock wall climbing, and unlimited fun. Open workout at Randolph Gymnastics is a great way to check out the gymnastics and rock climbing facilities before you sign up for classes or schedule a birthday party.

**All children must be at least 5 years of age and 36" tall to participate**

Open to all Randolph and Rockaway Gymnastics members and the public. Bring your brother, sister, mom, dad, cousin or friend. Call or stop by to reserve your spot, as space is limited and you wouldn't want to miss out. As always, be sure to let Shannon know that Roxy sent you!

If you find out at an Open Gymn that your kids love Randolph Gymanstics the way mine do, you can choose a class that's right for your child's age and skills, sign up on the spot and have your tuition pro-rated through November 13th. Or wait for the new Fall 2 session which runs November 15th through February 5th, with in-house registration from October 18th through 30th and open registration from November 1st-11th.

Randolph Gymnastics
3 Middlebury Boulevard
Randolph, NJ 07869
(973) 584-4111

Not a serious gymnast like her sister, Maddie's other favorite activity at Randolph Gymnastics is Halloween Week from October 25th through 30th, when kids can wear their Halloween costumes to class and they hand out candy. You can bet my little Devil in Da Hood is going to show up for her sister's class that week...Trick or Treat!

Glee Premiere on Tuesday Night!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of TiVo. All opinions are 100% mine.

My loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives readers know that London, Maddie and I became huge fans of Glee over the summer. We hadn't watched a single episode all year, but when we learned that Glee was going to be the theme for the girls' Annie's Playhouse Summer Stars camp this year, we caught up on the entire season very quickly.

Now that London and Maddie are back to school, we were glad to see that the season premiere is on at eight o'clock EST tomorrow night (Tuesday, September 21st). After the girls come home from their ballet and modern dance lessons at Garden State Ballet in Randolph, New Jersey, we'll eat a quick dinner (sorry, Rex, for rushing through one of your delicious meals) so we can watch Glee before bedtime...

Wait just one hot moment... we don't have to rush through Rex's pistachio crusted rack of lamb... we've got TiVo! The TiVo Premiere, along with the new TiVo Slide remote, makes discovering this Fall TV season’s best entertainment (including network and cable TV, YouTube and other web videos, and movies) easier than ever. We won't miss a single quote from our favorite gym teacher, Sue Sylvester.

If you were left behind on last year's hot shows, the exclusive TiVo Search and TiVo Collections features can catch you up in a matter of clicks. Find your favorite upcoming shows or entire previous seasons on Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand or Blockbuster On Demand. This time, we won't be the ones who miss this season's break-out hit... our family is going to subscribe to TiVo's Fall TV Guru Guide to discover all of the new shows premiering over the next few weeks. Then we'll know which shows we need to TiVo while we're out for Back to School Night at Mendham Township Elementary School.

If you want in on the Fall premiere action, become a fan of TiVo on Facebook Fan Page and be sure to Enter to Win a new TiVo Slide in the "30 Slides in 30 Days" Sweepstakes. Sweepstakes ends this Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010.

Green Eyeshade's Wedding

My niece, Green Eyeshade, got married yesterday, the day before her 30th birthday, at the Lyndhurst castle in Tarrytown, New York. Rex, London, Maddie and I left Peanut Butter with the girls' nanny as a puppy sitter and drove up from the Roxiticus Valley in the early afternoon. We stayed at Tarrytown House and took a shuttle bus to the nearby ceremony and reception. It was great to be together with my sisters and nieces for a happy occasion instead of a sad one, though we all wished my mom could have lived a few more months to attend her granddaughter's wedding.

Everything about the day was perfect... the weather, their vows, the adorable flower girl and ring bearer, the celebration, and the way the two of them look at each other. I am so happy for Green Eyeshade and her new husband. They're off to Bora Bora on Monday morning for their honeymoon. Congratulations!

September 11th: Never Forget

One day maybe I
Won't have tears behind my shades
Walking home from work

My souvenir t-shirt from today's Brookside Engine Company Clam Bake in Mendham Township, NJ, says "Never Forget," but September 11th has not truly been top of mind for me today. In a way, 9/11 will always be a part of me, but my thoughts these days are more of gratitude than of grief. Grateful that Rex and I survived, grateful to have our family safe here in Mendham, grateful to live in the United States, grateful to be able to eat clams and drink beer in a field while our kids play nearby... safely.

September 11th continues to render me speechless, but last year I read an essay by Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal entitled "The Children of 9/11 Grow Up" that really hit home. Noonan begins:

It is eight years since 9/11, and here is an unexpected stage of
grief: fear that the ache will go away. I don’t suppose it ever will, but grieving has gradations, and “horror” becomes “absorbed sadness.” Life moves on, and wants to move on, which is painful for those who will not forget and cannot be comforted. Part of the spookiness of life, part of its power to disorient us, is not only that people die, that they slip below the waves, but that the waves close above them so quickly, the sea so quickly looks the same.

Not for me. Now nine years later, though we've moved out of Manhattan, my babies are growing up and our lives have changed so much, it feels like it was yesterday I took the photo at right from our old neighborhood in the West Village on Bleecker and 12th Street. Noonan continues:

"9/11 was for America’s kids exactly what Nov. 22, 1963, was for their parents and uncles and aunts. They were at school. Suddenly there were rumors in the hall and teachers speaking in hushed tones. You passed an open classroom and saw a teacher sobbing. Then the principal came on the public-address system and said something very bad had happened. Shocked parents began to pick kids up. Everyone went home and watched TV all day, and the next."


That's Rex holding seven-month-old London along the Hudson River after both towers had fallen; I was pregnant with her sister, Maddie. I wonder how much, if anything, they remember or understand about that day.

See You at the Clam Bake in Mendham Township, NJ, this Saturday, September 11, 2010

Every June, since we moved to the Roxiticus Valley at the end of 2003, our family hosts an annual Roxiticus Sunset Party that parents and kids look forward to all year. So much so, that when we ran into friends at the Labor Day Parade and Carnival, several of our friends asked why we didn't have a back to school party. So (adopting Pathological Liar voice)... we decided to have a big party this Saturday....and you're all invited! Bring your friends! Bring the kids! Our backyard isn't big enough, so we've changed the venue to the Brookside Community Club Grounds. And instead of that hostess gift, why not slip the fireman at the door a few (well, quite a few) bucks?

Continue reading...

Back to School Anthem for Music Monday: I Don't Wanna Go Home by Southside Johnny

Labor Day Weekend... the end of summer. It's always been a bittersweet time for me... a new school year and a fresh start, but time to pack up and head home from the beach. Who better than Southside Johnny and his Jersey Shore bar band the Jukes to capture that feeling with his anthem, "I Don't Want To Go Home"??



Sing along with Roxy, Southside and special guest Bruce Springsteen:

Oh, I know that it’s getting late
But I don’t want to go home
I’m in no hurry baby time can wait
‘Cause I don’t want to go home

Listen to the man sing his song
I don’t want to go home
I don’t mind if it takes all night long
‘Cause I don’t want to go home

Listen, baby, I know we had to try
To reach up and touch the sky, baby
Whatever happened to you and I
That I don’t want to go home?

Lord, look at how all the people stare
Said I don’t want to go home
In their minds I know they’ve all been there
I don’t want to go home

I know the words to this song are real
But, oh, I don’t want to go home
I know he’s talking ‘bout the way I feel
And I don’t want to go home

Listen, baby, I know we had to try
To reach up and touch the sky, baby
Whatever happened to you and I
That I don’t want to go home?

I want to hear people laughing and having a good time
I want to know why she told me she had to go
Why did she leave me lonely?

I know that it’s time to go
But I don’t want to go home
You can play play your blues, play ‘em soft and low
‘Cause I don’t want to go home

I know the words to this song are real
But, oh, I don’t want to go home
I know he’s talking ‘bout the way I feel
And I don’t want to go home

I don’t want to go, believe me, darling
I don’t want to go home
Don’t wanna be all alone
I don’t want to go home, baby

Ain’t nobody waitin’ at home
Baby, won’t you please come home
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, won’t you please come home?

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Music Monday: Faith by George Michael

If everything went wrong in the beginning of August, the last week of August was when things started to turn around for me. I've been re-reading Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich
on the beach, reminding myself to think positive thoughts and let go of any negativity...to have faith in myself, faith in the Infinite.

As a result, we turned around the situation with Tio of last week's "Hate on Me" post and I feel like we have positive momentum going into September for a fresh start in the new school year.

Napoleon Hill shares a story of Edwin C. Barnes, who "succeeded because he chose a definite goal, placed all his energy, all his will power, all his effort, everything, back of that goal." I want each one of our clients to believe that we are that committed to their transaction.

Now, I'm not sure George Michael had the same kind of faith in mind, but he sure is fun to watch...




Well I guess it would be nice
If I could touch your body
I know not everybody
Has got a body like you

But I've got to think twice
Before I give my heart away
And I know all the games you play
Because I play them too

Oh but I
Need some time off from that emotion
Time to pick my heart up off the floor
And when that love comes down
Without devotion
Well it takes a strong man baby
But I'm showing you the door

'Cause I gotta have faith...

Baby
I know you're asking me to stay
Say please, please, please, don't go away
You say I'm giving you the blues
Maybe
You mean every word you say
Can't help but think of yesterday
And another who tied me down to loverboy rules

Before this river
Becomes an ocean
Before you throw my heart back on the floor
Oh baby I reconsider
My foolish notion
Well I need someone to hold me
But I'll wait for something more
Yes I've gotta have faith...

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.




PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Music Monday: Hate On Me by Jill Scott

It's an exciting milestone this week for Lady Java: the 100th round of her Music Monday meme, so I'll be submitting my best selections here and over on Roxy's Bay Head Blog.

This week's Music Monday post at Roxiticus Desperate Housewives was prompted by a couple of things... seeing and hearing the Glee cast version of "Hate on Me" as London and Maddie and I watched the entire first season together, and an unpleasant incident last week with a client of Rex's (we'll call him Tio) who can't get past his hatred to happiness. No matter how the episode with Tio turns out, it is a lesson to me in the importance of letting go of my anger, hatred, all negative emotions. Here is Tio, on the verge of a $70 million score for the sale of his company, and he can't let go of his negativity long enough to accept and enjoy it. And although I've never hated anyone the way Tio does, I do have a tendency not to accept people (even children) for who they are, letting my negative emotions (annoyance, fear, grudges) get in the way of happiness.

Just last weekend, we invited all of the neighbors to a huge 40th birthday party for Rex's son Trader at our beach house in Bay Head, NJ, featuring the awesome Springsteen cover band Tramps Like Us. The very next night, I found myself holding a grudge against the family across the street, who attended our party but the very next night (for the second year in a row) invited all of the other kids in the neighborhood EXCEPT London and Maddie to their twins' 11th birthday party. I should just put it behind me and be the better person, ask myself, "What would Jesus do?" But I'm more likely ask, "What would Glee's Sue Sylvester do?" (and that's how Sue sees it!)




If I could give you the world
On a silver platter
Would it even matter?
You’d still be mad at me

If I could find in all this
A dozen roses
Which I would give to you
You’d still be miserable

In reality, I’m gonna be who I be
And I don’t feel no faults
For all the lies that you bought
You can try as you may
Break me down but I say
That it ain’t up to you
Gone and do what you do

CHORUS
Hate on me, hater
Now or later
‘Coz I’m gonna do me
You’ll be mad, baby
Go ‘head and hate
Go ‘head and hate on me, hate on
‘Coz I’m not afraid of it
What I got I paid for
You can hate on me

Ooh, if I gave you peaches
Out of my own garden
And I made you a peach pie
Would you slap me high

What if I gave you diamonds
Out of my own womb
Would you feel the love in that,
Or ask “why not the moon”?

If I gave you sanity
For the whole of humanity,
Had all the solutions
For the pain and pollution

No matter where I live,
Despite the things I give,
You’ll always be this way
So go ‘head and….

You cannot hate on me
‘Cuz my mind is free
Feel my destiny
So shall it be

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Career Change for Roxy?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Woodrow Wilson. All opinions are 100% mine.

All kidding and stress of the past week or two aside, I'm really hoping not to have to make a career change at this point in my life. However, for those of you who are career changers or recent college graduates in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, or math), you could qualify for a $30,000 stipend from the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship to complete an intensive master’s degree program at one of fourteen participating universities. Competitive candidates for this unique opportunity will:

• Have completed your undergraduate degree in a STEM field by June 2011
• Have graduated with a 3.0 GPA or higher; and
• Demonstrate a commitment to the program and its goals.

The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowships seek to recruit, prepare and retain effective teachers for the schools and students who need them the most. Woodrow Wilson Fellows will complete a field-based master’s degree in teacher education, commit to teach for at least three years in a high-need school, and receive intensive support and mentoring in the classroom.

For more information or to fill out an application, please check out the video below or visit: http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/post?slot_id=429212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wwteachingfellowship.org%2F%3Futm_source%3Dizea%26utm_medium%3Dizea%26utm_campaign%3Dizeablogs.



If you're a new college graduate or considering a career change in the STEM fields, why not become a Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellow? Who knows? You could change the world by changing theirs. Apply now for the September 1 deadline.

Music Monday: Rex and Roxy's Wedding Song, Prove It All Night by Bruce Springsteen

On Saturday night we had a great party in our back yard in Bay Head, NJ, in honor of Rex's son Trader's 40th birthday. The Springsteen cover band Tramps Like Us rocked the neighborhood for four hours with all of our favorites, including our wedding song, Prove It All Night. For those of you who couldn't make it to the party, I tracked down a YouTube video of the Boss live in 1978 at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, NJ as this week's Music Monday post. Enjoy!



I've been working real hard, trying to get my hands clean,
Tonight we'll drive that dusty road from Monroe to Angeline,
To buy you a gold ring and pretty dress of blue,
Baby just one kiss will get these things for you,
A kiss to seal our fate tonight,
A kiss to prove it all night.

Prove it all night,
Girl there's nothing else that we can do,
So prove it all night, prove it all night,
And girl I'll prove it all night for you.

Everybody's got a hunger, a hunger they can't resist,
There's so much that you want, you deserve much more than this,
But if dreams came true, oh, wouldn't that be nice,
But this ain't no dream we're living through tonight,
Girl, you want it, you take it, you pay the price.

Prove it all night,
Girl there's nothing else that we can do,
So prove it all night, prove it all night,
And girl I'll prove it all night for you.
Prove it all night, prove it all night girl and call the bluff,
Prove it all night, prove it all night and girl,
I prove it all night for your love.

Baby, tie your hair back in a long white bow,
Meet me in the fields out behind the dynamo,
You hear the voices telling you not to go,
They made their choices and they'll never know,
What it means to steal, to cheat, to lie,
What it's like to live and die.

Prove it all night,
Girl there's nothing else that we can do,
So prove it all night, prove it all night,
And girl I'll prove it all night for you.
To prove it all night...

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.


PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Roxiticus Memoir: Weekend at the Beach

Sunday, August 8, 2010
Around 11:30am

At the beach early, and feeling good. Maybe it's because I got my beach office set up this morning, or the way the ocean air smells so sweet, but I'm much less tense than I was yesterday.

I was more than a bit sick to my stomach yesterday afternoon at the beach, typical of how my gut seizes up during tax time.

Today I'm feeling as if I could spend the rest of the summer right here in my beach chair. As much as our girls enjoy their early summer weeks at Annie's Playhouse camp in Far Hills, NJ, I love the unscheduled play time we have at the beach and can feel our whole family settling in to that relaxed routine.

Plenty of time to get aggressively back to school and back to work in September.

Maybe 1pm

Yellow flag today (tropical storm Colin stirring things up), but it hasn't stopped the girls from enjoying the aftermath of the waves. For me, this may be the nicest beach day of the summer so far.

Coming up on two months since my mom died, I'm still struggling with not having a mother to talk to anymore. I dream about her, nothing bad or particularly deep, but I wake up forgetting that she's gone and then missing her all over again.

From Solitude: A Return to the Self by Anthony Storr:

"The burden of value with which we are at present loading interpersonal relationships is too heavy for those fragile craft to carry. Our expectation that satisfying intimate relationships should, ideally, provide happiness and that, if they do not, there must be something wrong with those relationships, seems to be exaggerated."

There's a world of difference between reading those words today, when I have a satisfying relationship with Rex, as well as the "extended" relationships created through that bond by having our children, London and Maddie vs. 1988 when it came out and I was in college and in an unsatisfying relationship with MoneyPenny vs. returning to it in 1991 when I was alone, actually experiencing solitude for four years (though not knowing when, or if, my solitude would end).

1:30ish

London just had her life saved by the lifeguard. While I was sitting in my beach chair with Maddie, London was in the ocean with Rex. She had started out only in up to her knees, but a big wave knocked her down, she got caught in a riptide and had to be pulled. So we're all a bit shaken, and thankful, but otherwise OK.

I saw the lifeguard jump down from his chair and start running, and I just had a feeling. When I stood up I saw Rex swimming out and I knew.

Thank you, God, and thank you, Bay Head lifeguard, for saving my daughter's life.

My Blackberry Could Use A Boost

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm not one of those people who can't live without my Blackberry...I won't take it out of my purse at dinner, I leave it back at the house when we go to the beach, and I continue to believe that whoever I'm with in person deserves my attention rather than some random evening emailer. However, when I'm working in the home office and need it the most, I find that my Blackberry reception here in the Roxiticus Valley could use a few more bars... so I'm considering switching to a brand with a little Re-Boost. With the flexible payment options offered by Boost Mobile, not only can I pay online, in person, or using my phone, a family member, friend, or blogosphere buddy can make a payment for me...as a little pick-me-up anytime gift!

In addition to Blackberry, Boost Mobile offers a wide range of fun phones like the Motorola i1, Sanyo Juno and Samsung Rant. These phones are social in nature, and make it easy to do things like updating Twitter and Facebook on the go. I've noticed that some of my favorite bloggers have upgraded their phones just to make mobile social networking easier.

With easy activation and replenishment options, you can get started with Boost Mobile in no time...look for the $20 credit at the bottom of the Reboost screen when you sign up for auto reboost and make your monthly payment.

Gotta run... I'll keep you posted on my whereabouts when I get my new phone!

Maddie's Major: Veterinarian, Minor: Singing

Dreams are important... when we're kids, and when we grow up. When I was 8 years old, I wanted to be a disc jockey and own radio stations. Today, as an investment banker who once put together a small-market radio group for a private equity fund, I've never regretted pursuing my childhood radio dreams.

My youngest daughter, Maddie, aspires to be a singing veterinarian. Because our twin babysitters are going off to college in a couple of weeks, eight-year-old Maddie is already talking about what she's going to study when it's her turn to go away to college (making her mom and dad officially empty nesters in ten years). Maddie would like to find a college where she can major in veterinary science (is there such a thing as pre-vet?) and minor in singing.

In the mean time, we're trying to decide whether to make the commitment to a Master's class at Annie's Playhouse in Far Hills, NJ, in the Fall. For the past four years, London and Maddie have spent their summers at Annie's Playhouse Summer Stars, but this year, for the first time, both of my girls have expressed an interest in "going pro" in the Fall, focusing on a career in musical theatre through the amazingly serious classes in acting, singing and dancing at Annie's Playhouse. It's clearly impressive to see what Annie's Playhouse has accomplished for its most serious students... a couple of 10-year-olds from the Summer Stars camp already have their own agents and could turn out to be the next Jonas Brothers.

But talk about over-programmed. There is such a wealth of opportunities for children to choose from here in the Roxiticus Valley, including the local Hexagon Players performances. As much as London and Maddie LOVED softball in the Spring, we've rejected the Mendham Little League Fall softball program, and decided to wait until next year to join a 4-H dog club. London is a very talented dancer and already takes three hours of ballet on Monday and Tuesdays, as well as an hour of modern dance for both girls at Garden State Ballet in Randolph, NJ, but we've put off the third day of dance and participation in the Nutcracker until she's old enough to be en pointe next year. London also wants to continue with intermediate gymnastics at Randolph Gymnastics.

So we'll take the next few weeks of relaxation at our beach house in Bay Head, NJ, sleeping as late as we want with no commitments, to decide whether the girls want to get serious about a career in musical theatre, or stick to the lazy fun of song and dance of summer camp.

Green Eyeshade's Bridal Shower

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of LinensNThings. All opinions are 100% mine.

When you make stuff up, it's hard to keep track, and I'm embarrassed to say that I thought I had given my niece (Candy's younger sister) a better code name than Green Eyeshade, but darned if I can find any reference to it. So until further notice, Green Eyeshade it is. In any event, Green Eyeshade is getting married in September, the day before her 30th birthday, and her mom is throwing her a bridal shower this weekend in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I won't be able to attend, since Rex and I are hosting his son, Trader's 40th birthday party at our beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey.

My Big Sister (does she have a code name? Executrix? Esquire?) and I have grown much closer since my mom passed away, and she called me for advice this morning: "Where do you get those bamboo plateholders that go under paper plates??!! I need them for Green Eyeshade's bridal shower... on Saturday!!" I immediately answered, "Linens 'N Things!" They've always been my go to source for kitchen and home décor, organization, gifts, not to mention bedding, window treatments, bath, and even outdoor items for summer entertaining.

Unfortunately, there's no Linens 'N Things retail store near my sister's house in Harrisburg, but I impressed my Big Sister with an exclusive coupon code Linens 'N Things is providing to SocialSpark bloggers: LNTFREE, which is good for FREE SHIPPING when shopping online at LNT.com, and valid through September 15th, 2010, for last minute purchases right up to Green Eyeshade's wedding. So share the code with everyone you know!

Music Monday: Stealing Cinderella by Chuck Wicks

It's been a while since Roxy posted a (sappy) country song for Music Monday, but having spent the weekend watching my little girls at the beach, "Stealing Cinderella" by Chuck Wicks was just tugging at my heart strings. As I tweeted from the beach in Bay Head, NJ, on Sunday, London was playing in the waves and got caught in a riptide. If it weren't for the Bay Head lifeguard who swam out to rescue her, the ocean would have stolen my Cinderella.



I came to see her daddy
For a sit down man to man
It wasn't any secret
I'd be asking for her hand

I guess that's why he left me waiting
In the living room by myself
With at least a dozen pictures of her
Sitting on a shelf

Playing cinderella
She was riding her first bike
Bouncing on the bed
And looking for a pillow fight

Running through the sprinkler
With a big popsicle grin
Dancing with her dad
Looking up at him

In her eyes i'm prince charming
But to him i'm just some fella
Riding in and stealing cinderella

I leaned in towards those pictures
To get a better look at one
When i heard a voice behind me say
"now ain't she something son?"

I said "yes she quite a woman"
And he just stared at me
Then i realized that in his eyes
She would always be

Playing cinderella
Riding her first bike
Bouncing on the bed
And looking for a pillow fight

Running through the sprinkler
With a big popsicle grin
Dancing with her dad
Looking up at him

In her eyes i'm prince charming
But to him i'm just some fella
Riding in and stealing cinderella

Oh he slapped me on the shoulder
Then he called her in the room
When she threw her arms around him
That's when i could see it too

She was playing cinderella
Riding her first bike
Bouncing on the bed
And looking for a pillow fight

Running through the sprinklers
With a big popsicle grin
Dancing with her dad
Looking up at him

If he gives me a hard time
I can't blame the fella
I'm the one who's stealing cinderella

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
Cheerio…

Music Monday Celebrates Solos for London and Maddie at Annie's Playhouse: You Keep Me Hangin' On

Time flies in the summer, and I can't believe London and Maddie's big show at Annie's Playhouse Summer Stars is coming up this Friday, August 6th. This year's theme is glee, and the kids, ranging in age from about 3 to 16, will be performing lots of your favorite songs from the first season of Glee. London and Maddie were lucky enough to score solos in "You Keep Me Hangin' On." Last week I posted the Glee version on Roxy's Bay Head Blog, and this week I'd like to share the original by Diana Ross and the Supremes.



Set me free, why don't cha babe
Get out my life, why don't cha babe
'Cause you don't really love me
You just keep me hangin' on
You don't really need me
But you keep me hangin' on

Why do you keep a coming around
Playing with my heart?
Why don't you get out of my life
And let me make a new start?
Let me get over you
The way you've gotten over me

Set me free, why don't cha babe
Let me be, why don't cha babe
'Cause you don't really love me
You just keep me hangin' on
Now you don't really want me
You just keep me hangin' on

You say although we broke up
You still wanna be just friends
But how can we still be friends
When seeing you only breaks my heart again
And there ain't nothing I can do about it

Woo, set me free, why don't cha babe
Woo, get out my life, why don't cha babe
Set me free, why don't cha babe
Get out my life, why don't cha babe

You claim you still care for me
But your heart and soul needs to be free
Now that you've got your freedom
You wanna still hold on to me
You don't want me for yourself
So let me find somebody else Hey!

Why don't you be a man about it
And set me free
Now you don't care a thing about me
You're just using me
Go on, get out, get out of my life
And let me sleep at night
'Cause you don't really love me
You just keep me hangin' on...

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Kiss Me in Kissimmee

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Kissimmee Tourism. All opinions are 100% mine.

As my loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives readers know, I think New Jersey is a terrific place to live...except maybe in February. Rex, London, Maddie and I like to get away to someplace warm and sunny during the worst of the snow and cold; in the past, we've taken 10 days and travelled to the West Coast. However, as the girls begin third and fourth grade, taking a week off from school is not as sensible as it used to be, so we're thinking about sticking to the East Coast and taking off only the MTES-authorized Presidents' Day long weekend this year.

As much as London and Maddie love Disneyland in Anaheim, California, our family has never been to DisneyWorld in Florida (I went with my parents when I was a kid), and from what our friends tell us, Kissimmee is theme park heaven. On top of the DisneyWorld Magic Kingdom, there's Epcot (pictured above), as well as Disney's Animal Kingdom, and Disney's Hollywood Studios.

If we didn't use up our entire long weekend there, check out the image on the right of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Islands of Adventure. London and Maddie would just love it!

Later in the day, we've heard that Old Town, a shopping, dining, and entertainment complex, is the place to be. After all the day's excitement, we can relax over dinner before heading back to our room at Disney's All Star Music Resort.

Click one of the Kissimmee links in this post to plan yoru dream vacation... maybe we'll see you there in February 2011!