I'm Sorry. No I'm Sorry. No I'm Done With It All. Then...Awkward Hug!

Tonight was Part 2 of the Real Housewives of New Jersey Reunion and I must say that through the yelling, the Kim G. appearance, and the sudden epiphany at the end, I'm glad that the season is over and they can put this nonsense behind them. For all of you that missed the reunion, here's a recap of all that you missed.

The gang left off from last week's discussion about Danielle's behavior at The Brownstone and when Danielle was confronted about the "faggot" comments made by her buddy Danny, she was adamant that she scolded Danny for his behavior afterward but then contradicted herself by saying that she doesn't take full responsibility for the actions of Danny. Then why scold him then if you don't take full responsibility for his actions? Get it together.

As the night progressed, there was just so much inconsistency with the answers from given that I couldn't wait for a commercial break. Once the reunion resumed, we were treated to a hair lesson in weaving from Danielle as she described just how Ashley pulled out her hair. By bringing in a beauty school practice dummy, Danielle proceeded to explain just how weaves/extensions are put in and to show everyone the force by which Ashley pulled out her extensions. This is why she pressed charges against Ashley. 2nd, the request made by Caroline was granted....Kim G appeared to answer questions about her shadiness on the show. That went nowhere because Kim G is more delusional than she puts on. Kim G was there to just to fill space.

Moving on from that, the reunion took a serious yet cynical turn as Danielle apologized to Jacqueline for her disgusting behavior all season. Jaqueline, in her amazement, could only muster up a choppy "I'm sorry. I'm done with all. This shouldn't have gone this far". Danielle cried and then got up to hug Jacqueline and Teresa. She only shook Caroline's hand. Caroline wasn't buying it however, and after words were exchanged, Andy Cohen decided to end the show on that peaceful note.

As noted on the Bravo Tv website, "According to our very own Andy Cohen, "The reunion was Danielle's last appearance on The Real Housewives of New Jersey. We thought the hugs were a great way to end two seasons of bitterness between the women."".

I've had fun blogging about the housewives this season and I wish nothing but the best for these ladies. Good luck and goodnight.

XOXO,
Whitney

Sixteen Things That It Took Me 50 Years To Learn--Dave Barry

While on Facebook, I noticed that my good friend Steven Shanab had posted a link on his wall and had noted that "I agree with all of these". Curious, I clicked on the link and came to this page on the Stumbled Upon and read the post. I was so taken aback by the truth in the post that I've decided to recopy the post. Remember, this is NOT MY WORK but that of Dave Barry. So here goes, according to Barry, The Sixteen Things That It Took Me 50 Years To Learn:

1.  You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe day-light-savings time.

2. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

3. The most powerful force in the universe is gossip.

4. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside we ALL believe that we are above-average drivers.

5. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 111.

6. There is a very fine line between “hobby” and “mental illness.”

7. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

8. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be “meetings.”

9. The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.

10. If there really is a God who created the entire universe with all of its glories, and He decides to deliver a message to humanity, He will NOT use, as His messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle.

11. You should not confuse your career with your life.

12. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.

13. No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.

14. When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.

15. Your friends love you, anyway.

16. Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and do it.

XOXO,
Whitney

Top 10 Anticipated Things In September

Today is September 1st and as we wave goodbye to what was either a boring or monumental summer, we anxiously await the fall and what it has to offer. I know I'm excited so let's begin with the Top 10 Anticipated Things In September:

10. Back To School- If you're like me and have had it with the children who occupy the streets all day then you're in luck! With the return of school means diligent students who are so exhausted from studying that the energy to cause havoc isn't there. Have a great school year guys and keep pulling in those A's.

9. NBC Thursday Night Lineup- With shows like The Office, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreation consistently making audiences laugh, the wait to have these shows back on the air is almost over. Also, with new shows such as Outsourced I'm sure the laughs will be louder.

8. Fall Weather- Tired of the heat waves? Tired of the humidity drying out your hair and leaving it brittle? If you answered "yes" then you're ready for a little dip in the weather...roughly 70 degree weather. It's bearable and it allows you to crack out those cute fall outfits.

7. NYC Fashion Week- For one week every fall and spring top designers showcase their exquisite outfits and being a shopping junkie, I break the bank and look fabulous. If you're lucky enough to ever attend a show, revel in the moment and soak up the glamour.

6. Wall Street-Money Never Sleeps- 23 years after the infamous film, Wall Street, Oliver Stone is back with one of my, dare I say, Economic icons Gordon Gekko. Shia LeBeouf  stars as Jacob Moore, an up and coming broker engaged to Gekko's estranged daughter. Gekko and Moore try to stop the 2008 financial crisis but face opposition. So is greed, for a lack of a better word, good?

5. Grey's Anatomy- The season finale left me with heart complications and if this season is anything like last then count me in for season 7. The gang is back and all I have to ask is "Is Richard the chief again since Derek needs to heal from his gunshot wound?"

4. College sports- I'm a Duke Blue Devil kind of girl and I'm still celebrating after Duke's victory to be called the 2010 NCAA Champions. I'm looking for a repeat this year as well as looking forward to college football, baseball, etc.

3. Fox Animation Domination Sundays- I don't know about you but I love animation and Fox definitely knows how to make me laugh. From The Simpsons to The Cleveland Show to Family Guy to American Dad, I am in stitches and wouldn't have it any other way.

2. NFL Season/Fox NFL Sunday- With the Jets/Giants welcoming a new stadium, Eli Manning getting knocked out during pre-season football, and holdouts, I'm excited to see the 2010-2011 season. Also, my boys, Michael Strahan, Howie Long, Terry Bradshaw, Curt Menefee, and Jimmy Johnson are back for their amazing color commentary every Sunday.

1. The MLB Pennant Race- 30 teams have battled through injuries and personal highs and lows to make it to September for contention into the playoffs. Being the die hard Yankee fan that I am,the pennant race for the AL East has got me all shook up. The Yankees and the Rays are tied and it seems as if no one wants to fall out of the top spot. All over the league, teams are breaking records to secure their place at the top. Good luck guys. I wish you all the best.

There you have it. The 10 things I anticipate for September. I hope you've enjoyed it and see you next time.

XOXO,
Whitney

Did You Even Visit Your Nephew? Yes I Did....Don't Break Up My Family!

Tonight was the long awaited first half of a 2 part reunion of the Real Housewives of New Jersey. If this post seems choppy or unclear, it's because the reunion left me numb, speechless, and wide-eyed. Let's dig in. As we all know, this season has been a whirlwind and as the 4 women sat down to talk about what has happened, the first 4 minutes of the sit down dictated how the rest of the night would go. Andy Cohen had bought up Jersey Shore to see how the women felt about another show representing Jersey but this time in a negative light. Teresa said she didn't approve of Sammi "The Sweetheart" sleeping with Ronnie a week after they met. Teresa then went on to compare this act to what Danielle had did with her ex-Steve at Teresa's shore house a year ago. The gloves were off and we all knew that there would be trouble for the rest of the night.

After things settled from the comment, Andy went on to talk about Teresa and Jacqueline becoming mothers again. Andy asked a question from a viewer about why Danielle didn't call Jacqueline after her son was born and Danielle noted that she wasn't allowed to say anything but offered her congratulations then and there on the reunion. Teresa interjected and commented on how disgusting of a friend Danielle was to Jacqueline and boy oh boy did Danielle ever say the mother of all comments to Teresa "Did you even visit your own nephew?" Teresa answered "Yes I did". Just when I thought it was over...no...Teresa got up off the couch and went balls to the wall insane. She wagged her finger in Danielle's face and screamed "Don't break up my family! You bitch!" Things went haywire shortly after with Andy being pushed, the cameras running backstage, hairdressers consoling the women, pure insanity. A commercial break was needed.

After the commercial break, the reunion proceeded with talking about what the Jersey kids had accomplished this season, the off handed comments made about each other's children and of course Teresa's finances. While she does admit that she is in debt, she still remains in denial that she has serious spending problems and that foreclosure of her home is a possibility. Moving from the awkwardness of money talk, the show focused on Caroline and her amazing mothering this season and how she opened up her life and her children's lives a little more this season. I was pleased and touched by her being so brave once again. Caroline you rock.

Coming towards the end, the subject moved from Danielle's involvement in porn to her rude behavior at The Brownstone. Caroline and Danielle exchanged words and after Caroline said "We're in the OK Corral so buckle up", we fans were left with a cliffhanger...

Until next Monday, RHONJ fans...keep watching and keep your heart rate down.

XOXO,
Whitney

Ivan Nova Is As Hot As The Sun. Hello Super Nova

When a stellar explosion decides to become extremely luminous, it causes a burst of radiation that can outshine an entire galaxy. During this occurrence, energy is released as bright as the sun. This is called Supernova. And just when we thought that there wasn't anyone or anything that could compete...along comes Ivan Nova.

Nova is the 23 year old phenom from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre who secured his first major league career win today against the Chicago White Sox. Nova went 5 2/3 innings in what was an amazing outing for the rookie.

Nova is someone who goes on the mound and plays with passion and intensity, and intensity we all saw against the Blue Jays a few games back when he and Jose Bautista exchanged words. It's the "ice" in Nova's veins that will help him continue to be an unstoppable force as the season rolls on.

In the words of Nova's mother and brother "Don't feel pressure, it's just baseball" and Nova looks as if there is no pressure and...with 32 games left in the season Nova has to remind himself that it is just baseball but, when you play for the New York Yankees, it's baseball and a World Series championship.

Congratulations Ivan Nova.

XOXO,
Whitney

You're The One With Red Hair Caroline...You're The Clown...

Tonight was the season finale for Season 2 of the Real Housewives of New Jersey and from the clip shown above, this was the ultimate showdown between Caroline Manzo and Danielle Staub and when I say that Caroline Manzo is loyal to her family, I mean she truly lives by the motto "blood is thicker than water".  Let's dig in.

Caroline agreed to meet with Danielle to talk about dropping charges made against Ashley. Caroline's family pleaded with her to avoid Danielle as well as Danielle's children pleading with their mother to avoid Caroline. Both women decided to meet and after a few agreements on incidents, Danielle put up her wall and proceeded to make Caroline look like the bad guy. It didn't work because Caroline is a woman of integrity and doesn't back down from a fight, even if she's cornered. Danielle on the other hand unravels when cornered....she lies.

After Caroline called Danielle garbage twice and because she knew she was losing to a woman who was ready for anything, Danielle mustered up something after Caroline called her a clown. She replied: "Caroline, you're the one with the red hair...you're the clown". Caroline came back with venom and Danielle was unprepared and walked out. Typical of someone losing a fight, they walk away. Nothing was resolved.

We'll see more of the ladies next week for Part 1 of the reunion show. I know I can't wait...

XOXO,
Whitney

Adieu Adieu Sweet Lou...

Where were you when Joe Torre decided he wasn't returning to the Yankees? I remember sitting on my couch watching ABC 7 and Scott Clark making his announcement. This was in 2007. Where were you yesterday, August 22, 2010, when Lou Piniella announced that this was his last day/time ever managing the Cubs? I was glued to my television like everyone else.

Lou Piniella's long, illustrious career in baseball which spans 48 years has come to an end. From the sharp-tongued, talented outfielder to the highly successful manager who threw tantrums and bases at umpires, Piniella has left and indelible mark on baseball that will never be forgotten.

Like so many of you, the early announcement came as a shock because we were all waiting for the end of the season to say our farewells...not in August. However, for a man who has put his family and team in a tie for first in his heart, his retirement yesterday only seemed fitting because he wants to spend more time with his ailing mother. "My mom needs me home and that's where I'm going", Piniella said before the start of the Cubs/Braves game yesterday.

It's an emotional time for Cubs fans as their beloved Lou moves on and for the rest of baseball as we say goodbye to the man who's lit up our highlight reels with his unique personality.  Wait...let me scratch that...it's not goodbye Lou...more like see you soon.



XOXO,
Whitney