Paris Hilton for President

This is brilliant! I wish I had so much money that I could pull together a professional film crew to respond in video to attacks. Not that I'm every attacked. But if I was, it would be nice. Click Paris to see the video.

3 weeks down, ?????? weeks to go

Yes, it could be worse. Nothing broken, just a torn tendon, a loose ligament...it's really unknown. Hence, my long absence from blogging. It's a *itch to type. And my perfectionism makes me fix my many, many typos b/4 I can move on. So my typing is exhausting to me.
so, the Dr. took xrays when I first went in 3 weeks ago and b/c the issue is a soft tissue thing it really can't be known unless I have a MRI. Either way, splinting the hand is the best way to heal and b/c soft tissue heals slowly it will usually take between 3-12 weeks.
Which brings me to my rant for the day. I went to the dr. for a 3 week checkup yesterday and didn't even see the dr. and was told that I need to keep the splint on longer. I knew all this....and I paid $50 to hear it. I think it's ridiculous that for a followup visit, that I wait an hour to get in to see the dr., don't actually see the doctor, and am simply told, "Yup, I know it's not what you want to hear but you have to keep wearing it." And see you in another 3 weeks. Just so I pay another $50 copay. Don't think so. I think I'll just wait the full 9 additional weeks and then go back. I'll save $100 that way!

Tagging Myself

6 unspectacular quirks about me

1. I take large, deep breaths of air before I start talking. I don't know why I do this and was not aware of it until a coworker pointed the behavior out to me. And the thought that I was left with...what other quirks do I have that I am I not aware of?
2. My answer for anything that I do not have an answer for...."Just Google It."
3. I do not like having long conversations on the phone. I think it's because I don't like uncomfortable silences on the phone....did the call get dropped? did I stun the person I'm talking to? Who's turn is it to talk? I've come to realize that I depend on body language. I am an intuitive person and I use body language to understand "the whole picture." I feel like when I'm on the phone I'm missing out on something. And I don't like it one bit!
4. I take, at most, a few sips of a drink while I eat. I drink before a meal. I drink after a meal. Rarely ever do I drink during a meal.
5. I do not like shopping for clothes even though I love clothes. I find the process exhausting and a chore. I also don't like others buying clothes for me. I've been this way since I was a kid.
6. I don't like Ann Curry. I'm sure she's a great person but I think she's slightly off balanced and she makes me feel uncomfortable inside when she talks. I think Al Roker makes all things better.

Play Us Out, Bill

Warning: bad words used here

What I find most amusing is the calmness of the producer. He has obviously dealt with this behavior before. All I can say is this, we all have days like these but didn't O'Reilly realize there was a camera in front of him? Why, yes. He was talking to it.

Remembering Al Copeland

I worked for Al Copeland for almost 5 years. At times, he was a difficult boss to have and hard to please. Despite these facts, I truly feel that working for him played a big part in making me the person I am today.
I have many memories of the time I spent with Al and it's funny how time changes feelings. Many people have different ideas of who Al Copeland was. In the end, I choose to remember him as a man with a big heart, with a sensitive side that many people did not see. I see him now like the last time I saw him...when he looked at me, offered a big smile and an even bigger hug and asked, "Howya doin baby?"

Today I received a copy of the homily spoken at Al's funeral mass. I believe it shows the spirit of Al.

Funeral for Alvin Copeland
31 March 2008
Feast of the Annunciation
Holy Name of Jesus Church
Wisdom 4:7-14, Romans 6:3-9, John 14:1-5
Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty

The readings today tell us a lot about earthly life and death. But they tell us more about what God intends for us. Jesus tells us that “his Father’s house has many rooms.” And those rooms are prepared for us. But the choice is ours. The freedom that God gives us means that we can choose. We can choose to be with Jesus, or we can choose to turn away from him. But this choice is a struggle. We struggle choosing between the things of the world, and the things of heaven. And sometimes we focus too much attention on the things of the world. But the things of heaven are much greater. St. Paul wrote: “It is written: that eye has not seen, nor ear heard: neither has it entered into the heart of man, what things God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9). You know that. And I know that. And Al Copeland knew that. He knew that despite all of the worldly riches he had, that despite the successes he had had, that despite the luxuries he had, there was something much more important. And that was God. And that was Heaven. And Al knew that because Al was Catholic. As it says in the second reading, Al was buried with Christ in his Baptism so he could share in his resurrection from the dead.

About six weeks ago, in February, Al realized that he was at the end of a losing fight with cancer. And he decided to travel to Germany for some experimental treatment. But on the way – because he’s a smart man and because he’s a Catholic man – Al decided that there was something more important that he needed to do. To put it in his words, Al decided he needed to “get right with the Lord.” But he didn’t just get down on his knees. He didn’t look up in the sky. He didn’t pull out a book. He knew what the Bible says. He knew what Jesus said: “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Mt. 16:19)

And Al knew that the Pope is the Successor of Peter, and that he can be the one to get Al “right with Jesus.” Leave it to Al to go right to the top: Al traveled to Rome to meet the Pope. But, unfortunately, the Pope was on retreat. So Al got stuck with me. But that’s okay because I don’t think Al spoke much Italian or German. And da Pope don’t speak no “yat.” But I do. My name is Monsignor Christopher Nalty, and I work for the Pope at the Vatican. And I’m from Metry.

And so on February 16, I met Al Copeland for the first time. Sure I knew who Al was. But all I knew about were the externals: the restaurants, the boats, the Christmas decorations. And that’s like saying you know the King of Carnival because you saw the Rex parade. In Rome, I didn’t just meet the “external” Al. I had the privilege of meeting the Al Copeland known to those with whom he was close. I got to meet Al Copeland, the Catholic man: the father, the brother, the man who needed God’s mercy. I met the man who wanted to “get right with Jesus.” And Al and I began a journey together.

On Sunday, February 17, I met Al at the Basilica of St. Peter’s in Rome. I brought him in through the back entrance to the basilica, because he was in his wheelchair, and I put him in the front row for the Sunday Latin Mass. The Mass was presided over by a Cardinal, and he was joined by a number of bishops and nearly 100 priests. And at the end of the Mass (I had said Mass earlier, and so I sat in the pew), I went back to Al and found a woman kneeling next to him kissing his hand and praying with him. Before any of us saw her face, she gave Al her rosary, turned around, and left. When I looked up at Al, tears were rolling down his face. And I knew that Al was “getting right with Jesus.” After Mass we exited the basilica and attended the Angelus prayed by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. And Al was adamant that everyone was respectful in the presence of the Holy Father. Even though we were there with 20,000 of our closest friends, Al’s attention was fixed entirely on the Successor of St. Peter.

After the audience, I had lunch with Al and his family at a local restaurant. And at the restaurant I told Al that coming to Rome was a wonderful thing help for growing in his faith. However, after seeing his weakened condition, I knew that Al really needed healing. And one very special place that Catholics go for healing is Lourdes, France. I explained to Al this very week was the 150th anniversary of the first apparition of the Blessed Mother to St. Bernadette. Al knew much of the story because he’d grown up in Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. I explained that the Blessed Mother had revealed herself to St. Bernadette as the Immaculate Conception, and that she had to hold St. Bernadette that she wanted a church built in Lourdes. And I also told them about the miraculous spring of water which flowed from the Lourdes grotto, and to which had been attributed many miracles. I also mentioned that the Holy Father had granted a Plenary Indulgence for pilgrims to Lourdes during this 150th anniversary year.

For clarification, an indulgence is the extra–sacramental remission of the temporal punishment due, in God’s justice, to sins that has been forgiven, which remission is granted by the Church in the exercise of the power of the keys, through the application of the superabundant merits of Christ and of the Saints, and for some just and reasonable motive. The mere fact that the Holy Father proclaims an indulgence does not imply that it can be gained without effort on the part of the faithful; it is clear that the recipient must be free from the guilt of mortal sin. Furthermore for plenary indulgences, Confession, Holy Communion, and a prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father are required.

And so Al decided that he wanted to go to Lourdes. Because Al knew that this was the way for him to “get right with Jesus.” And Al asked me to join him.

On the next day, Monday, February 18, I went to my office in the Vatican and spoke with one of the French-speaking officials who happened to know the Rector of the shrine at Lourdes. He called ahead to his friend, and told them that our group would be arriving that afternoon. Ten minutes later, this same French-speaking official returned to my office with a huge smile on his face. Although we both knew that February 11 was the Feast of our Lady of Lourdes, and April 16 was the feast day of St. Bernadette, neither of us realized that France was celebrating the Feast of St. Bernadette on that very day – February 18. We were going to Lourdes on the Feast of St. Bernadette. To me, this was another indication of God’s grace, another indication that Al was “getting right with Jesus” - with the help of His friends, the Saints.

So we boarded Al’s plane right after noon, and watched the movie “Song of Bernadette” during the 90 minute flight. And we arrived Lourdes in the early afternoon. Upon our arrival Al noticed that all around the airport were large pictures of a young woman. In fact the pictures were all over town. He asked me who it was. I told them that they were pictures of St. Bernadette because this was 150th year anniversary of the apparitions. Al looked up at me and asked, “it’s her isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s St. Bernadette, Al.”

“No. That’s the woman who was at St. Peter’s, isn’t it?”

None of us except Al had seen the face of the woman in St. Peter’s, but Al was convinced that her face was the face of St. Bernadette, someone he’d never seen before. And Al shed some more tears. And I knew that Al was “getting right with Jesus.”

The first thing we did when we got to Lourdes was to go straight to the church. There I heard Confessions after which we celebrated the Holy Mass together. And then we all went down to the miraculous springs and bathed in the waters of Lourdes.

And then I looked at the documents explaining the requirements for obtaining a Plenary Indulgence at Lourdes. Some of you may know that there are many ways to obtain a Plenary Indulgence. In fact, the day before we had done two works that merit a Plenary Indulgence: we had visited a Patriarchal Basilica and we had attended a Papal Audience. But the Lourdes indulgence was something much more complicated. In fact, to obtain the Plenary Indulgence, one had to visit the Cachot (the former prison where St. Bernadette had lived), the Parish of St. Peter (where St. Bernadette had been Baptized), the Grotto of the Apparitions, and the Hospital where St. Bernadette had received her First Holy Communion. A long series of prayers had to be made at each of the places – which were across town from each other! When I realized all of the work that we had in front of us, I understood that Al had chosen – in typical Copeland style – the biggest, hardest, most complicated Plenary Indulgence of which I had ever heard! Once Al Jr. realized how long this would take, he mentioned to his father that he did not think we would be able to do everything and get him to his appointment in Germany on time. But Al said, “Call the pilots. We’re going to be late. We’re going to do this.” Al wanted to “get right with Jesus.”

And so we traveled – by foot and wheelchair and cab – from the Grotto to the Cachot to St. Peter’s to the hospital. And we prayed while we were traveling. And we prayed at each place. And we finally prayed the final prayer for the Holy Father. And we didn’t finish all of the requirements for the Plenary Indulgence until it was nearly dark. And then we flew back to Rome because it would have been impossible for the plane to get to Germany before the airport closed. All of us, especially Al, were exhausted. But we were in awe of a very grace-filled day.

I spoke to Al on the telephone several times during his treatment in Germany. And I told him that I was praying for him, because I know how hard it is to pray when one is very sick. I did want Al to heal physically, but I knew that he had received a spiritual healing from his visit to Lourdes. And I really felt that he’d done everything that the Church had asked for him to be “right with Jesus.”

As all of you know, Al died on Easter Sunday holding Al Jr.’s hand. And then yesterday, many of the members of his family came to St. Francis Xavier Church for Mass. It was Divine Mercy Sunday. And today, the day of the funeral, is the Feast of the Annunciation, the day the Blessed Virgin Mary was told by the angel, Gabriel, that she would bear a son, and she was to name him Jesus. When I told my sister about all of these Divine coincidences, she said, jokingly, “Al had to have planned it that way.” But I know that these are Divine signs that Al is “right with Jesus.”

In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mt. 10:23-24). The truth is that it is impossible for a rich person to get to heaven. Because the things we consider riches in this world stay here. All of the boats and cars and motorcycles that are now displayed throughout Lakelawn Cemetery will stay here, because one goes to heaven poor. But Jesus also said, “store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” (Mt. 6:20)

Most people knew the “extrovert” Al: the man who was bigger than life; the fried chicken king; the powerboat racer; the high liver. But I got to see the real deal. I got to witness a man who sought God’s mercy. I got to see and help a Catholic man “get right with Jesus.” And over the last few days, since Al’s death, I’ve got to know even more about Al from his wonderful friends, his brother, and especially his children. And I began to understand how Al had built up treasures in heaven. While most people know about the difficulties Al had in his marriages, they don’t know about the depth of love he had for his children. And while most people know about the luxuries he enjoyed in his life, they don’t know about the charities to which he donated without drawing attention to himself. And while most people know that Al lived his life in the fast lane, they don’t realize that at the end of his life he knew that the Catholic Church was the road to heaven. And that’s the last road that Al took.

I’m not going to stand here to tell you that Al went directly to heaven. That’s not my job. That’s up to God. But I am here to tell you what Pope Benedict XVI said in his homily yesterday for Divine Mercy Sunday: that the greatest attribute of God is his mercy. And that God’s mercy is free. We just need to ask for it, and he provides it to us – especially through the Sacrament of Confession. Al desired God’s mercy. Al asked for God’s mercy. And I believe Al received God’s mercy. Because Al loved God, and God loves Al. And what is that love? St. John said, “Love consists in this: not that we have loved God but that he has loved us and has sent his Son as an offering for our sins.” (1 Jn. 4:10). That’s our sins: my sins, your sins, and Al’s sins.

And I’ll tell you one thing of which I am supremely confident. My Catholic faith is clear on this: because of the Lord’s death, resurrection, and ascension – commemorated here today in this Holy Mass in the Eucharist – I have the sure and certain hope that I will see Al Copeland again. And I know where it will be. It will be right with Jesus.

A Fairy Tale

One day, long, long ago.......

there lived a woman who did not whine, nag or bitch....?

But this was a long time ago....

and it was just that one day.

The End

Hanging Tough!

I'm feeling sorta funny inside...can't quite pin it...head is spinning...a little nausea. I just saw that the New Kids on the Block are having a reunion. News to me, but apparently I've been in the dark. They're website is in full swing and they're going to be on my beloved Today show this Friday. So it's unavoidable that I will see it...

Love me some Al!

....Back to NKOTB.
{Sidebar: everything is an acronym now. Last night, Flossy and I were watching Locked Up Abroad on the National Geographic channel. Do you know what they call themselves now? Yup, "Nat Geo." Holy moly. Even the smarties are dumming it down for us.}
What I'm curious to see is the following they are going to have at this point. I was a teen when they first came out and yes their music was catchy and I thought they were cute. But I wonder who is to come out of the closet and admit their love for the NKOTB?

Update: Gross! Today show's Natalie just did the "New Kids Dance"

Pop Culture Names

I don't know how I feel about today's announcement for the Social Security most popular names of 2007. First of all, after much playing around, Flossy Sr. and I agreed on a girl's name. Nope, not prego and not trying. It's just one of those fun things we do. We had decided on a name. A unique name. Or so we thought.
And then today's list came out. And here's the lineup... care to guess which name was ours?

Boys:	Girls:
1) Jacob 2) Michael 3) Ethan 4) Joshua 5) Daniel 6) Christopher 7) Anthony 8) William 9) Matthew 10) Andrew	1) Emily 2) Isabella 3) Emma 4) Ava 5) Madison 6) Sophia 7) Olivia 8) Abigail 9) Hannah 10) Elizabeth

My first blog

Hello everyone! So I suppose I should start by saying why I am starting a blog. Afterall, shouldn't there be a purpose for this? Besides the curiousity...here are the reasons I have come up with, in no particular order:

1. I was married 39 days ago and I now need something to replace all the web wedding surfing I no longer have. Quite frankly, I became some what obsessed planning my wedding. I had never thought about how I would have a wedding, except that I wanted a sunset ceremony. Yes, it's true. I am a girl and for 35 years I had never dreamt of my wedding. So since I'm the type "if I'm going to do it, then do it right" ...all my free time went to wedding planning. A day ago I realized I still have an attachment to the knot and I really need to let it go...so it's blogging or becoming a nestie.
2. A way to keep my friends and family updated
3. Journaling this new phase of my life...I would say my life has drastically changed. I'm a wife. I'm a mother. What happens next?
4. I love to cook and plan to share recipes.
5. I'm suppose to be packing to move in two days and I'm procrastinating.