Welcome to the (Concrete) Jungle- I ♥ NY

"New York is a different country.

Maybe it ought to have a separate government.

Everybody thinks differently, acts differently

--they just don't know what the hell the rest of the United States is"

-Henry Ford 

Ok, Ok.... I will be the first to admit that I don't always love NYC.

We have a passionate Love/Hate Relationship going on. 
And it IS two-sided:  NYC can be very good to me, and it can be a reeeeeal pain in the @ss.

Growing up in Jersey, right across the GWB (George Washington Bridge for those not in the know), I've spent most of my life in and out of NY.

* Being a little kid, going to NYC was always fun and exciting. 
Dinners, Theatres, Shopping~ Going into NY was always an adventure
* When I was in High School, NY was the place to sneak off to and hang out on the weekends
Ahhh..... so many fond memories of going into the city and carelessly dancing the night away, sitting on stoops, and all the crazy adventures I've had over the years.
* Now that I'm older and have to go into the city for work and to see friends and family, it's not as pleasurable as it was back in the day
("JUST COME OUT TO THE CITY!?!" my friends will have to coax me) 

The traffic and crazy drivers, the hustle and bustle, the chaos that can be NYC can put me in a state that I like to call "New York Neurotic".

* HOWEVER, I have literally travelled all around the world and one thing I can say without hesitation is that there is nowhere else in the world that is like NY. 
Love it or Hate it~ NYC is one of the most amazing places in the world.

Spring is one of my favorite times to be in NY.

The warm weather and carefree breezes, the flowers and trees blooming everywhere, and a renewed feeling of energy and positivity that New Yorkers seem to carry after a long and cold Winter help to make NYC a wonderful place to visit in the Spring.

If you are a tourist or have never been to NYC, here is my advice to help you get the most out of your trip.

*~ Angels in The City of Angels ~*

Alone, all alone

Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

- Maya Angelou

Today is my last day in L.A.
Even before I left to come, I felt God watching out for me:  Bobby dropped me off at Viv's in the rain at 1 a.m., Viv dropped me off at JFK at 6 in the morning, and my cousin John picked me up from L.A.X.

Wherever I go, God has blessed me with wonderful people in my life.
Here are some of the people God brought into my life while I was in the City of Angels.

Meet Crystal ~*

So I hate that eulogies are only given when the person is already dead and can't hear all the nice things people have to say to them.

I want to celebrate the people I'm lucky to have in my life while they're still alive! 

Let's start with my 2nd Cousin Crystal. She's my voice of reason.  The sister I never had.  The one who's been there through it all.

For the Boys- Cars, Drifting, Initial D

Meet Frankie~ He's one of the hardest working people I know, my former employer, and someone I've known since I was 8 years old.

I still remember when he walked into Mr. McCloskey's 3rd grade class and was seated next to me.  "I don't like this kid..." I immediately thought.  Our mom's became good friends and we were forced to spend time with each other.
We grew up together~ Getting into trouble with Rob and Viv when we had tutor sessions, "working" with each other at Infusium Tea, Frankie coming to my parties where he'd show up so late that I'd  be passed out!

Growing up, I just thought Frankie was the dumb boy next door (who would run into my glass sliding door and blame it on my mom for keeping her house too clean!).  However, one thing that I always admired about Frankie was his work ethic.
Frankie was working when he came out of the womb.  While I was busying shopping and hanging out with friends in high school, Frankie was busy fixing cars, DJing, and doing a million other business ventures.

Now that we're "adults", Frankie has been running his own business.  A few years ago when I was figuring out what to do with my life, Frankie hired me to be his secretary.
From the first day when I literally almost poked my eye out ("OMG, IRENE! You haven't even started working yet!!! ) to the time when I said, "Frankie... I don't think this is working out" (and he said, "THANK GOD.  I didn't want to fire you!"), Frankie was always patient with me.
He was even crazy enough to hire me again before I went to Beauty School ("Irene, All you have to do is answer phones, keep the place clean, and entertain everyone. It's kind of perfect for you~")

Frankie is one of the hardest working, patient, good guys I know.  And his hard work is finally starting to pay off!  Click here to watch  videos about his company Slidewayz Motor Sports and cars:
Trailer- This is my favorite one. It's short.
Cruise Through NJ - Reminds me of The Fast and The Furious
MTV- Awww my boys are getting big! Kevin- The nice one, Junar- The joker (at least to me!)

So, if you are interested in Drifting, Need your car fixed, or Want to play the video game Initial D, you can get all your needs at Slidewayz Motorsports.  Or just head on over if you're bored~ It's always a party there ;)