Getting back into the swing.

It's been quite some time since I've written words on this page...or written words at all for that matter. I've had a busy couple of years as you could imagine. I've missed expressing myself on this blog and am hoping to get back into it.

Let's see, where do I begin? I married Brian on Sept. 26, 2009 and it was the most amazing day of my life. We had about as perfect a day as you could hope for. Sunny, warm, comfortable. We had a little more than 100 guests at our home for the ceremony. It was short and sweet and all about us. We were fortunate enough to have one of our best friend's serve as our JP and Brian and I wrote our own vows. The ceremony was under 15 minutes long but in no way short on emotion. Plenty of laughter and tears. Our words to each other were from the heart we both still reference them often. As to be expected, the reception was a blast. We are fortunate that many of our friends and family already knew each other so it was a great party. And it was clearly evident how good a time they all had when they came strolling into our house for brunch the next day hiding under hoods and sunglasses!

I'm a full-fledged step-mom to three young boys. Stephen 12, Anthony 10, and Drew 8 are the lights of my life. Each uniquely different I couldn't love them more. We have a great relationship and I'm so happy they were brought into my life. Even though it's something I never really aspired to do, I've really enjoyed being a parent to these boys. Brian and I are a great parenting team and I generally believe the boys are very happy when they are in our home. Dare I say, I think they'd like to be here much more than they are. We're probably not too far away from the "why can't we live with you?" question.

But it hasn't all been sunshine and roses the last few years. In 2009, my father was diagnosed with colon cancer. After a long, two-year battle, we lost him in December of 2011. He was only 57. I miss him everyday. We do a good job of keeping his memory alive, though. I'm always telling stories about my childhood with him and we rehash some of the times he had with the boys too. It's important to me they realize that no one is ever really gone.

Almost a year after my father's passing, my mother informed me she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I was shocked and terrified to say the least. I just couldn't handle the thought of being without both of my parents. Mom's battle spanned almost a year and I am beyond happy to report that she is healthy and cancer-free!

It's been a challenging time career-wise for me as well. When we moved to Framingham in 2009, I made the decision to leave my Sports Editor job and bartend in the city full-time. It made sense at the time. It was an opportunity for me to make great money while looking for a new job in my field. But I got a little comfortable with the laid-back schedule and big wallet and didn't really look much for work. "Differing opinions" led to me and a host of other bartenders being let go. But if I'm being honest, it was clear they were cleaning house. So I had a nice summer off with my husband and children, taking up golf and enjoying our time together. I had a goal of having a job in my field by Sept. 1 and unfortunately that's come and gone. It's been a long, difficult process but I'm certain something will come along soon. I'm just grateful to have the love and support of my wonderful husband during this difficult time.

Well, that's about it. All caught up. I'm going to try to be better about posting as it was something I really did enjoy for many years. And it will certainly help me get back into the swing of writing!

Bliss.

I'm getting married.

That sentence has more meaning than you know. For years, I've thought, "Nah, that marriage stuff just isn't for me." Then, I met the most amazing man on the planet...and he changed my outlook. He made me understand why people want to do this whole commitment thing. I want to be his wife and he wants to be my husband. We have a love that is envied and adored. Equally. He is the love of my life and I wish all of my friends my kind of happiness. It can happen. You just have to NOT be looking for it. Love smacked me upside the face. When I least expected it, in the place I least expected it. Believe in love and it'll happen for you.

Brian, I love you and I can't wait to be your wife. In (almost) seven days, I will be Mrs. Pepi. You've already made me the most satisfied and happy woman on the planet. I love you so much. xoxo

Almost home.

So, the inspection went well. Nothing earth shattering and nothing we weren't already aware of. The biggest project for us will be the kitchen, which we have to completely redo. Brian and I spent the better half of Sunday at HomeDepot getting some insight and checking out new appliances. Last night, we had some homework to do in the workbooks they gave us. It's a lot of stuff to look at and I just hope we get it all right!

We are going to sign the P&S tomorrow or Wednesday and close at the end of the month. Literally, like the last day of the month. We're hoping the bank will let us in there over the next couple of weeks to put some paint on the walls and clean the place before we move in. It's so exciting!

Finally!

The bank finally got a plumber into the house yesterday. He replaced the water meter and fixed the one pipe line that burst. We went to the house last night to turn on all the faucets and everything was flowing and draining nicely!! Our home inspection is Wednesday afternoon and we sign Thursday!

Oh my gosh, this is really happening!

Waaaaah. We just want a house. Waaaaah.

Really?

Is it always this difficult to buy a home? It just can't be. Our offer was accepted nearly two weeks ago and we still have yet to sign a PNS!! Problem is it's a foreclosure, so we're dealing with a bank. And the bank SUCKS!

Long story short, we had to put oil in the tank to get the heat up and running. That went fine. Next step was the water, which has been off for as long as the property has been vacant (420-plus days). So the bank turns the water on last week and guess what? There are leaks! So they say they're going to get a plumber in there to do some work. That was last Wednesday. It's now nearly a week later and they've yet to get a plumber over there!

Why does the bank not see the urgency here? It's January...In Massachusetts!!! News flash, it's pretty freaking cold these days and that's not a good thing for pipes! I know it's all going to be on their dime so I really shouldn't complain but I just think the longer they wait, the more damage there could be! Just get on it already!!! We want this home!

Life reflections on my birthday.

Today, Lady J is 31 years young.

In looking back over the last 31 years of my life, I can recognize several peaks and valleys. Indeed I've had plenty of ups and downs in my life but I've always persevered thanks to the love of my wonderful family and endearing friends.

But over the last two years, I've come to rely on someone else to help keep me sane and happy. And someone is Brian Pepi. Meeting this wonderful man has improved my life in so many ways. Until I met him, I'd never known what it felt like to be truly loved by a man. He is so giving, caring, and loving that I am at times overwhelmed. How can someone love me so much?, I ask myself. But then I think of how much I love him and it all makes sense.

And not only have I been blessed to have him in my life over the last two years, but also his three boys. Stephen, Anthony, and Drew have impacted my life in a way I never thought possible. I've always been a somewhat selfish person when it comes to how I spend my time and for that reason, I never wanted children. But having these three boys in my life has made me see things differently. Though not technically mine, I consider them my kids. Excuse me, our kids. When I know we're going to have them over, I get so excited. And just thinking about seeing them open presents on Christmas Day brings an instant smile to my face. Sure our weekends with them can be long and exhausting, but I constantly forget how tired I am when one of them flashes me a smile, wakes me with a nudge, or gives me a squeeze or smooch.

I guess these two last years have been the most memorable to me, mostly because they've shaped the life I'm going to lead. I've found the personal life I've always wanted. I have the man of my dreams and the children I never thought would exist for me.

Thank you, Brian, for coming into my life and bringing your beautiful boys with you. Here's looking forward to another 31 happy years together. I love you!

Why I love Bill Belichick.

Wanna know why? Here's why.

Because with 2:33 remaining in the final quarter of the Patriots' game against Oakland Sunday afternoon Coach Belichick tossed a challenge flag on the ground to contest a Raiders first down.

Oh, it gets better. The Pats were up 49-20 and he looked like a wet dog because it had been raining heavily all day.

Just classic Belichick. Always keeps you guessing and coaches the first minute just as tough as the last.

But the call on the field stood.

Weekend bits

Hello all. I hope you had a great weekend. Mine was jam-packed.

Turkey Day was nice. Went to my aunt and uncle's house in Westwood. Saw my Mom, Grandparents, cousins, and brother. Good times. Great food.

We had the boys this weekend so that meant lots to do. Friday night we took them to see Bolt in 3D. Cute movie and I honestly laughed out loud at least five times. I got one word for you:Pigeons. Those guys and the hampster made this flick. Travolta was ho-hum as Bolt and just knowing that twit Miley Cyrus was the voice of the girl was enough for me not to like her either! But the Hampster was hilarious and the pigeons in NYC and LA were even funnier.

I had to work at the bar Saturday afternoon but I was home in time for some dinner with everyone before we put the kids to bed and watched a flick.

Ran some errands on Sunday before we went over to our friend Mare's to watch the Pats play horribly against the Steelers. What a horrible game! How do you turn the ball over FIVE times in one half??? That's nuts! Oh well.

Back at work and I'm super tired. I'm on overload with Thanksgiving football and the upcoming playoffs. I'll check back with ya'll at the end of the week.

Work and houses.

So all of my hard work over the last couple of weeks proved to be worth it when the soccer team I've been covering for the last month won a state title last Saturday. The pain of all those nights spent covering games in freezing cold weather, my toes feeling like ice cubes after two hours of standing still, was forgotten with 2:48 left OT, the time of the game-winning score.

As I've said before, we sports editors are supposed to remain impartial, but that's nearly impossible when you are the hometown newspaper. We are there for the entire trip. Regular season AND postseason. Everyone else (dailies) jump on the bang wagon in the tourney. Our sports sections are the one's the kids will show off and keep in scrapbooks and that means something to us. Well, at least it does to me.
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In other Lady J news, Brian and I put an offer in on a house last night. That's the good news. The bad news is that the bank is going to have 30 days to decide what they want to do with it. You see, the house we'd like to buy has been foreclosed on and is owned by the bank. Essentially, they can hold our offer, field others, and take their time making a decision on who's to accept.

This is our second foray into purchasing a home. Back in August we got a condo we wanted only to have to walk away after a poor home inspection. It broke my heart because I loved this place. We've been looking since but haven't found anything we liked as much...until we saw this house last week.

So, in the meantime we're going to keep looking as there is a chance we won't get this one. I ask that you keep your fingers crossed for us, though, as I really, really want this one!

Busy, busy bee!

Argh. I feel like I haven't been able to breathe the last two weeks. While it's certainly nice to be busy, the unexpectedness of it is driving me a little nuts. Long story short, I had three teams still alive in South soccer tourneys and that made for a very busy week last week. Last Tuesday, I went to three games in one day. Thursday, two more games. Both days, I didn't get home until after 10 p.m. and that's after putting in a full day at the office as well.

With one team still in the mix this past weekend, I spent nearly three hours on a soccer field smack dab in the middle of my Sunday. Guess what? They won again. And it's the most least-likely of my three teams to win a Div. 2 South title. Exciting for sure, but it just makes me more busy.

So now I get to drive up to Lowell tomorrow afternoon after designing two sports sections to watch the squad in the state semifinals. A victory there would put them in the Div. 2 state championship Saturday.

In between all this last week I had to design six pages in our Thanksgiving Day football special section. That meant chasing down captains for quotes for my story and phone calls from home at night.

Things aren't slowing down any time soon either with two football teams qualifying for postseason play as well. That goes down the week after Turkey Day.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to have successful teams. Makes filling the papers a lot easier that's for sure. But my job isn't my life anymore. I used to get so psyched up for these types of tourney/playoff runs. Now that I have Brian and the boys, I'd just assume be at home with them instead. That's how I know it's time to get out and again, it's been tough doing that.

Oh well, suppose I should stop complaining and just enjoy my team's successes. It has made the job fun again, which often happens around this time of year.

Just a few things that annoy me...

• That it gets dark now...at 4:30 p.m.!

• People who drive in the fast lane that aren't driving fast. Gas pedal's on the right. Step on it or get up outta my way!

• Drizzly rain. You know, the kind that doesn't quite warrant an umbrella, but then you get inside and realize you're still soaked? Yeah, not a big fan.

• People who don't know how to properly order a drink. (No, I'm not opening that can of worms again. Just stating a fact.)!

• When I have to be outside for long periods of time and it's so cold that after an hour I can no longer feel my toes. It takes oodles of time to thaw out.
  

• The rare times I sleep alone. Like on vacation. Sometimes you don't know how much you miss someone until he's not sleeping next to you.

• People who get all worked up over the smallest things. Really?

• Weeks when I work so much I don't even know what day it is. "Munday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday."

• People who are too dumb to realize what's really important in life. As far as I'm concerned, it's a no-brainer.
  

• The fact that Paris Hilton is famous. I mean, the girl has no talent, does nothing but party, and yet makes more money than I do. Have you seen that MTV show of hers? Ugh. I wanna vom!

• People who don't laugh enough. Seriously, we all get stressed out but I always appreciate something funny and you bet your ass I'm gonna laugh about it.

• How much I enjoy watching TV. I'm such a junkie it's not even funny. Consider my brain rotted.
  

• People who make excuses and lots of them. I don't want to hear it. Just come clean.

• Bad movies. I mean, like really bad. Like Gigli bad.

• Days when we have the boys and I can't be there. : (

Okay, that's it. I know I couldn't have touched on all of them, but this is a good start. In the meantime, you got any pet peeves?

To US Airways...FU!

You know, I read all the rules and stuff when it comes to traveling by air and what it costs to change your plans, but when you book your flight two days prior to needing the change, I think they could be a little more helpful.

For the last several months, I've been watching the airlines closely. Waiting for the prices to dip a little before I booked my flight to Vegas for Beth's Bachlorette in January. Finally, this week, they did. Got a great deal on a pair of non-stops and I was psyched!

That was Tuesday afternoon. Fast forward to Wednesday night when I'm having dinner with Beth and some other girls. We were discussing Vegas, of course, and I was talking about the great hotel deals we could get because we were going the day after New Year's. "Wait, what?," they exclaim. Apparently, we're going Jan. 9-11, not 2-4.

So I spend most of the morning on the phone with US Air begging, pleading for them to waive the $150 fee. I mean, we're talking about a matter of less than 48 hours from when I booked it! No luck. The lady would just not bend.

I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end, but until then, I still hold the right to be brat about it, stomp my foot, fold my arms, and pout!

Halloween hijinx!

Hello. Hope everyone had a great Halloween! I did. It was the first time in a long time that I didn't have to work behind a bar!! I was finally the person I always wanted be at Halloween: Dorothy! Brian was the scarecrow, but the poor guy was stuck Trick or Treating with the boys on crutches!! (Sprained his ankle playing basketball last week. Apparently he's not Paul Pierce on the court). Anyway, here's a pic of the boys as a Power Ranger, the Incredible Hulk, and Mr. Incredible. They were too cute!


Later that night, I headed to the Dirty Dot for a Halloween party. Good times. Here's me as Dorothy with Sarah Palin (otherwise known as Kelly). Unfortunately, Brian had to stay behind with the kids so I took my neighbor Ralph, who was a "Chick magnet."

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Enjoyed the rest of the weekend. Had to work at the bar Saturday during the day and got a visit from Brian and the boys and my favorite regulars, Josh and Kate. It was a long day but a fun one.
Sunday we just kicked back and relaxed with the boys on our last day with them. It was a nice weekend.

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Watched the Pats blow it last night. Jabar catches that touchdown and/or we don't get that 15-yard penalty on third down, things could have gone our way. No dice, unfortunately. On a side note: Is anyone else as annoyed with the Sunday Night Football song? It's Faith Hill singing it at the beginning of the game to the theme of "Hate Myself for Loving You." That's all fine and dandy but do I need to hear the instrumental throughout the entire game?? They play it in the background when introducing the offensive/defensive players, previewing next week's match-up, etc. I was losing my mind by the end of the game! Enough is enough.

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So how was your weekend?

The Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series.

HUH??

The statement above just seems too implausable. I mean, I know Tampa Bay is in the Red Sox's division (American League East) but I always root for the American League in the World Series and was rooting for the Rays in this one.

But what the heck happened to the team that essentially steamrolled over the Sox? Everything that worked for them against us didn't seem to do much against the Phils. Strange how match-ups change everything.

I will say, I was happy to see the Phils win last night only for my friend Marzy. A Philly native, Marzy was pretty much the only person I knew who was interested in this Series and I'm happy she got to see her team win it all.

As for me, I'm looking forward to Red Sox spring training in March.

The grind, ugh!

I've been feeling a lot like Peter Gibbons in the movie "Office Space" lately. I know you've all seen the flick. If not, I'll give you a brief recap: Peter works at Initech...in a cubicle. Can't stand his commute or the job itself, let alone the four or five bosses who tell him when he's doing something wrong. So, he decides to just not go to work anymore. And instead of getting in trouble, he gets a promotion! In the end, after a botched scandal to steal pennies a day from the company, Initech burns to the ground and Peter ends up working outdoors as a contractor.

Not exactly my scenario, but I definitely can draw some comparisons. I've been doing what I've been doing at the newspaper for nearly a decade. And for the most part, I've enjoyed the time I've spent here. But each year there are more drawbacks. First it was more work, small raise. Now it's more work, NO raise. Where can you be somewhere for 9 years, get a gleaming performance review, and NOT get a raise? In the newspaper business, that's where. And sure, I have the bar to bail me out, but it's pretty ridiculous that I make in a week what I can make in one shift at the bar.

In short, it's made me really not want to go to work. EVER. Sure we all feel this way some days but I've been feeling it everyday and badly. It used to be fun work that I didn't mind doing and actually looked forward to doing. Now, I could care less and would rather just stay in bed most days to avoid it! Brian feels the same way about his teaching gig and thinks at this point, it's not about enjoying your work, it's about the salary you get paid to do it. Given my choice in occupation, I've never felt this way, but I'm starting to change my tune.

I spent all summer looking for jobs, found a few I got excited about, only to come up empty. It's a frustrating situation to be in but I have to believe I will find something soon. At least I hope so, because I'll be honest, the commute, the time away from family and friends, and the grind itself are really getting to me!

Any advice??

I'm baaaaaaaack!

Ya'll are probably done with me by now considering it's been nearly a year since my last post but I'm making an attempt at a comeback. I slipped into the world of MySpace and Facebook and neglected my beloved blog.

No huge changes since my last post, but there have been some. I am still with my love, Brian, and last April we moved in together. It's been a great transition and I love going to bed with him every night and waking up with him every morning. He's been a dream come true for me and I'm so happy we're together.

I've since met his three children: Stephen (7), Anthony (5), and Drew (3) whom I absolutely adore. We have a great relationship and I'm so thrilled they are in my life. Call me biased but they're the cutest kids around.

I'm still reluctantly working at the newspaper and am desperately seeking a new job. Still enjoy the work, but the pay is just not good enough. Last March, I left the Bell in Hand to work at the World Famous Cask N Flagon, a baseball bar outside Fenway Park. It was a great first season and I made a lot of new friends.

Oh, and let's not forget that Lady J turned the Big 3-0 last December. Brian and some of my best friends threw me the most perfect birthday party I could have ever hoped for. I figured something was up but they totally surprised me with the location, people who attended, and karaoke!! My sister also threw together a DVD of past/present pictures that was absolutely amazing!

The newest news is that Brian and I have started house-hunting. We're looking to purchase a modest home together in the Framingham area. Wish us luck.

Well, that's all for now. I'm hope I've done a sufficient job of updating you on the last year of my life. I will do my best to keep up with my posts as I do enjoy writing them.

Take care and Much love~
Lady J

Argh.

Sorry, but I've turned into a horrible blogger. I've found that I do so much writing at work that I simply don't want to do any more when I'm out of the office. This blog used to be a nice release for me but now it feels like a chore I keep putting off doing.

I'll still write here and there but not regularly, unfortunately. Judging from my lack of comments, my readers (if I have any) won't mind too much.
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Just to update you, things are okay. My personal life is great as I am still madly in love with Brian. Professional life still needs a little help. I need a new full-time gig because I'm getting a little too old for the two jobs deal. I'm tired a lot and feel like I never really get a day off. It's frustrating because it makes seeing friends and family difficult. I'm also coming to the realization that after 4.5 years at the bar, I'm not really getting anywhere. I'm under appreciated and nothing there really changes. It's not fun anymore and that stinks.

Oh well. I'll get over it and move on. I hope all of you are doing well and I'll try to talk soon.

I'm off to Baltimore...

...to visit Katie-Belle with Jacks and of course, go to a Sox game!! I'll write about all the details when I get back.

Have a great weekend!!

Our trip to St. Petersburg and beyond.

The group at the Trop.
Originally uploaded by LadyJ117

Yes, that was me at Tropicana Field.
If you were watching the Red Sox/Devil Rays game last Monday night, you may have seen a certain local sports editor beaming with overwhelming happiness after being asked to display her sign to the NESN audience at home. Within seconds of appearing on TV, my phone was flooded with calls and texts from friends and family back in Mass. telling me they just saw me on the old tube.
I’ve made several signs over this Sox season, but had little success getting NESN’s attention. Well that got considerably easier when my boyfriend Brian and I purchased seats directly to the right of the Sox dugout in Tampa Bay. The camera guys were next to the dugout and caught my sign. After being told I had to add Don Orsilo’s name to my poster (I guess he gets a little touchy about one’s that just mention the Rem Dawg), the camera guy—Rich—put me on just before the start of the sixth inning.
Unfortunately, Brian picked the wrong time to visit the loo.
For me, this was game number six in a visiting park. It was Brian’s first. We had been planning a trip to Florida to visit his sister, Julie, who lives in the Bradenton area with her husband Christian. We were considering two different weeks to stay on St. Pete’s Beach, one of which had the added incentive of the Red Sox being in town just over the bridge in Tampa.
Needless to say, our decision was an easy one.

Red Sox 6, Tampa Bay 0 – Monday, Aug. 20
While I had been no stranger to visiting parks, it was my first time seeing a game in a dome stadium. I had mixed feelings entering the complex but once inside and away from the 97-degree heat, I immediately saw the need for the dome.
After pre-gaming at Ferg’s, a great local sports pub that’s been in the area since the 1970s, we made our way to our seats. Ticketmaster’s seat maps gave me a rough idea of where I expect us to end up but five rows from the field with aisle seats that look directly into the Sox dugout were nothing I anticipated.
Next to us was a pair of Devil Rays fans (yes there were some). Jeff and Greg are season ticket holders who purchased a 20-game pack that guarantees them at least four “premium” games (i.e. Red Sox and Yankees). Great guys who put up very well with the throngs of Sox fans in attendance.
Old reliable Tim Wakefield was on the mound for Boston and in him was a pitcher who was 18-2 against the Rays and 8-0 at the Trop. He made it 9-0 with a dominant performance, allowing just five hits and one walk over seven innings of work in a 6-0 shutout.
The game was over in a cool two hours, 26 minutes and we were left hungry for more. So Brian and I ventured out to the ticket office to buy seats for Tuesday night so we could take Julie and Christian. What’d we get? Four seats together, four rows from the Sox bullpen for $152. “Is that for four?” Brian said in disbelief. “Yes,” the ticket agent replied. “We’re trying to keep it a secret down here,” he joked.
We made our way back to Ferg’s and ran into Rich and the rest of the cameramen who were on hand to shoot the game that night. Again, we thanked them profusely for giving me my 15 seconds of fame and then picked up their tab. The guys were delighted to hear we would be back in the Trop the next night.
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Tomorrow: Details from our second game and some observations about the South.

I'm baaaaaccckk!

Pictures and stories to follow!!! Hope you all had a great week!!