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---Daniella’s Favorite Things---

About This Blogger

73 Things About Me

In Real Life

John – my man
John's Website
Jenny

My Bloggaggle

The Coffee Achiever
Incoherent Babbling
Sugarmama
Aussie Daniella
Welcome to the Dollhouse
Robin's Ramblings

My Daily Reads

Cap'n Ken's Homespun Wisdom
Digital Catharsis
Geese Aplenty
Gawker
Gothamist
Greek Tragedy
The Incompetent Attorney - RIP
Leading Brand
Le Petit Hiboux
Manhattan Transfer
Tequila Mockingbird
This Fish

Occasional Reads

Ali Davis
All About Latvia Blog
American Girls are Easy
Baghdad Burning
Because I Say So
Bluejake
Broken Windows: Tales from New Orleans
Capn Design
Dooce
Illuminated Donkey
Mike Wolf
Mirth, Musings and More
Mute Complications
NYC Bartenders
Paul Frankenstein
Paul Gutman
Paul Katcher
Saddam's Blog
Skillzy
Tales from the City
The People's Republic of Seabrook
The Sneeze
The Stiletto Philosophy

Everything Else

Chowhound
Salon.com
Krewe of St. Ann
Ben Franklin HS Aumni Page
Check My Referrals

Our Wedding

Our New and Improved Wedding Website - now with our registry!

contact...
How about an email? I like to communicate.

« Obscure Logs »

Moving eve...

will blog more after the movers are gone tomorrow...
posted by Daniella 5:47 PM

OK, this one is a really good quiz... try it. C'mon...


Threat rating: extremely low. You may think you can
subvert the government, but if you should try
you will be smited mightily because God likes
us best.


What threat to the Bush administration are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

posted by Daniella 8:05 PM

The blogging has been and will continue to be sporadic for the next several weeks because my internet access is already off at work (a week early) and soon will be off at home. On a positive note, John and I are getting a cable modem once we get settled in Joisey and I promise I will return to blogging as soon as possible. In the meantime, if you need your Daily Daniella fix, read my archives. I'm sure there was something you missed along the way (ain't I narcissistic? hee hee).

Wish me luck as John and I take off across the country to settle in our new home in Montclair.

By the way... hit the comments and help us decide... 2004 Jetta VR6 with 220 horsepower and full premium package or 2004 Subaru Forrester Turbo with 210 horsepower, all wheel drive and premium package...? Advice will be appreciated.
posted by Daniella 7:40 PM

Yoda in Ireland!

This is hilarious....
posted by Daniella 5:37 PM

Please, say it isn't so!!!

Blowhard, sexist pig joins ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown. I have already e-mailed ESPN to let them know that I will not be turning on any ESPN programming in my household as long as that misogynist is on ESPN! Won't you join me?
posted by Daniella 4:15 PM

Here's a sobering thought about the chilling effect that corporate America has had on artistic self expression. Additionally, I had been wondering whatever happend to Public Enemy which had been one of my favorite groups in the early 90's. When artists cannot express themselves for fear of frivolous lawsuits from much better financed corporations, we're in some real trouble!
posted by Daniella 4:08 PM

It's amazing how much crap you accumulate!

In nearly six years of working here, I have managed to accumulate approximately 200 lbs of crap. Most of it is going in the trash. I mean, will my replacement really need sales and activity reports from 1998 of agents who are no longer with the company? Will he really need the agency directory from 1999 since most of the offices have closed or moved? Why the hell have I kept these things (in ever growing stacks shoved underneath my desk no less!)? It's wonderful to finally be able to stretch my legs under my desk. This something that I haven't done in about three years. On the minus side, I can't remember the least time I breathed in this much dust. Ah-choo!
posted by Daniella 4:30 PM

It's faaabuLOUS!!!

I have a new favorite show! How many of you watched the premiere of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy on Bravo last night? The premise of this new reality TV show is that five gay guys "make over" a straight guy to make him better groomed, better dressed and generally just more fabulous. It is an absolute riot and my new favorite show... well, second favorite after Law & Order... well, third favorite after Law & Order and The Sopranos... well, fourth favorite after Law & Order, The Sopranos and Sex and the City... well... I like the damn show, OK?
posted by Daniella 10:50 AM

A pox on all your houses!

Oh, I nearly forgot... the Jetta goes back in the shop on Friday for some recall work. If you remember from the infamous Jetta blog , they major league screwed with my car last time they had it (and, according to my blog reader, Justin, who sent me an e-mail on this subject, most likely went joy riding in my car). I declare a pox on them should they screw with my car again. I expect it clean, fixed, free (the recall letter said it would be free and due to my imminent unemployment, it BETTER BE FREE!!!) and on time. Now, is that so hard?
posted by Daniella 5:56 PM

My new phone is here! My new phone is here! I'm in a tizzy... those of you that know me understand my obsession with cute phones. I have this great plan through cingular which they no longer offer (1100 anytime minutes and 5000 night and weekend minutes with free long distance and no roaming for $49.99 a month -- see, it's too good to be true which is why they no longer offer it!). Additionally, I get to upgrade to a new, hip phone every two years. My two years were up last week. So, I call the 800 number to upgrade to a new phone and end up talking to the dude for about 45 minutes about which phone would best fit my needs and my cuteness quotient. After we finally settled on the correct phone, he said it would be shipped to me in three to five business days. So, it's here! I can't wait to go home and play with my uber-cute new phone!!!
posted by Daniella 5:29 PM

"I'm in a Noo Yawk state o'mind..." not a damn Connecticut state of mind!

So, I had the interview for the "dream job" that I blogged about a few days back. It went surprisingly, exceedingly well. The manager and I had a good rapport. I would be the first person on a six member integration team to actually come from a Field environment. He was excited that my insights on how the product is actually viewed and how the marketing message is delivered to the field sales force "definitely the perspective that we need to add to our team."

Sounds great, huh? The job is in Connecticut. Waaay in Connecticut. About a two and half hour drive from where we will be living in New Jersey. The recruiter who initially contacted me last week told me that half the team is based in Newark, so I thought that is where I would be based. You know what they say about people who assume... I threw out the idea of me working in Newark three days a week and commuting to Connecticut twice a week. He said he would discuss with his boss and get back to me. He said it was "an interesting idea."

We'll see... athough, for what the starting salary is for this position (nearly double my current salary), I could almost afford a car and driver!
posted by Daniella 4:26 PM

I have added a comments feature to my posts. This means if you click on the word "comments" after each post, you can tell me how you feel about that post. We'll see if I can handle this much feedback. So... any comments?
posted by Daniella 4:24 PM

Weepy weekend...

I am in full crisis mode what with moving across the country, away from my friends and family and leaving my job that I have had a loved for six years. This was also the first weekend since John started his new job up in New-Fucking-Jersey that we have spent apart. Finally, this was my last real weekend in New Orleans as next weekend I will be up in New Joisey and the weekend after that, we will be packing, organzing and moving. Like I said... full crisis mode.

So what, you ask, did I spend my weekend doing? Did I have a blast with my friends and enjoy my last few days of living in New Orleans?

No, I spent the weekend consoling a friend who finally kicked her shitty boyfriend to the curb and then consoling another friend who found out the guy she's infatuated with is seeing someone. So much for anyone meeting MY emotional needs.

end rant.
posted by Daniella 2:34 PM

Oops, that was dog meat, not chopped liver... I do still like chopped liver, though. I don't like dog meat, but I do like Jenny... and I read her blog often and everyone else should too!
posted by Daniella 3:50 PM

By the way... my co-workers ROCK!

They just threw me a huge going away party. Everyone cooked (my boss made his amazing jambalaya, Maggie made yummy gumbo, there was chocolate cake, cheesecake, carrot cake)... you get the drift. People drove in from our offices in Baton Rouge, Biloxi, and even Lake Charles... I didn't realize I was this beloved! The best part is that they made me a scrapbook with everyone's comments in it.

I can't believe I'm really leaving this job and these people, who for all their follies and foibles (sp?), have been my work family for almost six years.
posted by Daniella 3:44 PM

I have firewalls at work which means I can see that I have e-mail in my personal e-mail account, but if I try to read it, I get a pop up window that says "Access Denied." A few minutes later, men in ninja garb arrive to haul me off to Prudential jail.

Anyway, the reason I say this is because I see that Melissa's sister Jenny has sent me an e-mail asking me if I think that she is chopped liver in the subject line.

Well, frankly, Jenny, I DO think you are chopped liver. However, you should know, I happen to like chopped liver very, VERY much!

Actually, I will have to get online at home tonight and find out what the actual body of the e-mail says... but don't send me e-mail at work, because they don't just send out guys in ninja garb to get me for that infraction... they send german attack dogs.
posted by Daniella 3:40 PM

World Domination!!!!

I now have four (count 'em FOUR) regular readers and eight occasional readers (thanks, Melissa Brown)! I am on my way to ruling the blogosphere!!!!
posted by Daniella 3:55 PM

Watch out Al and Jane...

I'm going to make you wear these dresses!!!
Mwah ha ha ha!!!
posted by Daniella 1:47 PM

Are they insane or just really, really bored???
posted by Daniella 1:39 PM

Got this from Skip:

This poem is composed entirely of actual quotes from George W. Bush. The quotes have been arranged for aesthetic presentation by Washington Post writer Richard Thompson. Too good not to share, especially during National Poetry Month...
-----------------
MAKE THE PIE HIGHER
by George W. Bush

I think we all agree, the past is over.
This is still a dangerous world.
It's a world of madmen and uncertainty
and potential mental losses.

Rarely is the question asked
Is our children learning?
Will the highways of the Internet become more few?
How many hands have I shaked?

They misunderestimate me.
I am a pitbull on the pantleg of opportunity.
I know that the human being and the fish can coexist.
Families is where our nation finds hope, where
Our wings take dream.

Put food on your family!
Knock down the tollbooth!
Vulcanize society!
Make the pie higher! Make the pie higher!

posted by Daniella 1:09 PM

Remember my Delta rant from last week? Well, let me introduce you to Dillta -- da Ghetto Airline (may not be work appropriate and has sound).
posted by Daniella 12:24 PM

For lazy people who do not want to think, here is the automated Candidate Selector tool. You answer a few questions and it tells you which candidate matches your views most closely. I have copied my results below. My top choice appears to be Congressman Dennis Kucinich or the Green Party candidate. On a happy note, our delightful idiot prez scored a -6% on my views. I am not surprised. Here is how the candidates scored relative to my views:

Your Results:

1. Green Party Candidate (100%)
2. Kucinich, Cong. Dennis, OH - Democrat (96%)
3. Edwards, Senator John, NC - Democrat (94%)
4. Dean, Gov. Howard, VT - Democrat (88%)
5. Kerry, Senator John, MA - Democrat (87%)
6. Moseley-Braun, Former Senator Carol IL - Democrat (86%)
7. Feingold, Senator Russ, WI - Democrat (84%)
8. Leahy, Patrick Senator, Vermont - Democrat (84%)
9. Gephardt, Cong. Dick, MO - Democrat (82%)
10. Biden, Senator Joe, DE - Democrat (79%)
11. Graham, Senator Bob, FL - Democrat (78%)
12. Socialist Candidate (76%)
13. Jackson, Cong. Jesse Jr., IL - Democrat (75%)
14. Sharpton, Reverend Al - Democrat (75%)
15. Lieberman Senator Joe CT - Democrat (74%)
16. Kaptur, Cong. Marcy, OH - Democrat (65%)
17. Feinstein, Senator Dianne, CA - Democrat (64%)
18. Clark, Retired Army General Wesley K "Wes" Arkansas - Democrat (62%)
19. Bradley, Former Senator Bill NJ - Democrat (44%)
20. Libertarian Candidate (42%)
21. McCain, Senator John, AZ- Republican (15%)
22. Hagelin, John - Natural Law (11%)
23. Buchanan, Patrick J. – Reform/Republican (0%)
24. Vilsack, Governor. Tom IA - Democrat (0%)
25. Bush, George W. - US President (-6%)
26. LaRouche, Lyndon H. Jr. - Democrat (-7%)
27. Phillips, Howard - Constitution (-7%)

posted by Daniella 5:48 PM

Things are looking up!!!

First, our new landlord called to let me know that we passed the credit check (what, you had doubts?) and could take possession of the keys on the 15th. He said he will put our names on the mailbox tonight. We have a home!!! It's a really cute Victorian house with high ceilings and hard wood floors, but with a brand new kitchen and bath -- basically everything we wanted. He is even going to paint the walls for us in the colors we pick out. I am going to Helm Paint after work today to pick out colors! You must all send me an e-mail with the dates you want to visit. Quick, quick as the weekends are filling up fast!

Second, I may have a job which allows me to stay with my current company. I am not going to say more because I do not want to jinx it, but I have an interview next week. Send good karma!
posted by Daniella 4:23 PM

Book Worm Meter for Daniella

Shut In 71% . . 29% Out Of The House Intellectual 59% . . 41% Moron High Attention Span 59% . . 41% Low Attention Span Bookitude 96% . . 4% Book Burner Book Worm 71.25% . . 28.75% Bug Stomper

Take your bookworm readings.

posted by Daniella 4:12 PM

ha ha ha ha ha ha... click here.
posted by Daniella 4:08 PM

About the wedding dress debacle...

I meant to blog about this over the weekend, but I ended up too busy to do it (what with the cook out for the Fourth and with a dinner party at our house on the 6th -- we're trying to eat everything in the fridge since it can't go with us).

Mom and I went to David's Bridal on Thursday night. I tried on at least 20 (yep, that's two-oh) wedding gowns. They all looked awful. They made me feel decidedly un-bridal.

I started to cry. My skin got all red and blotchy. My body was rejecting the gowns. The poor sales person (who was very nice) did not know what to do. She said, "usually the brides are happy when they come in here." She was very puzzled.

When I left the store (more like ran out of the store!), I called John on his cell. He was in Pittsburg on layover on his way home to New Orleans. I asked him if it was too late to elope. Being the sweet angel that he is, he said that whatever I wanted to do was fine. I was basically hysterical for about six hours. Then it passed.

What does it all mean? If I can't be happy and look "bridal" and pretty in a wedding gown, does it mean I am not meant for marriage? I know it seems silly, but YOU try being rational with 30 pounds of ugly white, itchy polyester weighing you down. I'd like to see how rational YOU are!

posted by Daniella 12:54 PM

We can move!

Yippee! Yippee! We can afford to move! The movers estimate came in within our relocation budget! We do NOT have to haul all of our own amassed crap (my shoe collection alone could fill a small U-Haul). Yeah! Woo-hoo! Now, I must go have some celebratory sushi.
posted by Daniella 12:31 PM

Da Single Life

John hates cereal, so since he does all the cooking, I never get to eat cereal. Well, last night I was all excited to sit down to big bowl of warm Grapenuts with raisins when I saw some of the raisins moving... yep, I had a infested box of Grapenuts. I had to throw it out and forage for other food in my bare refrigerator instead.

Oh, and in keeping with my new bachelor life style, I had a beer while sitting in my underwear on the couch watching Law & Order (you DO know about my addiction to Law and Order reruns, right?). Too bad I don't have any balls to scratch while belching....
posted by Daniella 11:59 AM

Practice with the new name....

I have gone around and around on the whole "should I change my name" debate. There are strong arguments on both sides of the issue. I am an only child and my father's sister only has one child who is also a girl. So, if we both change our names, our family name will die out. However, it is confusing and inconvenient to have two separate names especially when we are having joint financial everything. It will be confusing to the child (or children). Anyway, after several months of torturing myself on this issue (John is OK with whatever I decide), I have decided to change my name.

So, now the issue arises... I have my totally second nature, perfectly paced way of spelling my last name to strangers or over the telephone. It flows out of my mouth very easily because I have had this last name for thirty years and no one has ever been able to spell it unless I help them...

"M as in Mary, O-I, S as in Sam, E-Y-E, V as in Victor."

Now, I'm going to have to learn how to make this flow:

"C-U, N as in Nancy, N as in Nancy, I, F as in Frank, F as in Frank, E"

See? It doesn't sound as natural.

Why can't I be marrying someone with an easy last name? It's a cosmic joke... I go from hard last name to another hard last name. And, no, I decided that I would save society from having to spell my hyphenated last name. Can you imagine the horror of Daniella Moiseyev-Cunniffe? Egads!
posted by Daniella 12:53 PM

I can't remember the last time I laughed this hard. Click here to see the Great Homes of Mississippi!
posted by Daniella 4:46 PM

If I can have this... I will never have to pretend to work again. This would be perfect for my husband-to-be!
posted by Daniella 3:57 PM

I guess I was right about New-Fucking-Jersey afterall. I posted a nice introductory note on the Joisey/Lawn Guyland Board of Chowhounds and in two days, no one has responded... If it had been posted on the N'Awlins Board, I would have had a dozen responses and probably an invitation to dinner at someone's house by now!

Oh, and Peter Brown, since you are the only person in the world who actually reads my blog -- I'm not dissin' your home state... It's just that you yankees are not that friendly!
posted by Daniella 3:34 PM

Depressed, Dejected and Bewildered am I...

In the words of the great Cole Porter. Shopping for wedding dresses was every bit as horrible as I expected. You will be happy to know that my mother's name is now "Hon" and my name is now "Babe". As in,

"Hon, you aren't going to find a silk gown in THAT budget." and,

"Babe, ALL the dresses have full skirts like that!"

Ugh. Kill me now!
posted by Daniella 12:04 PM

We are counting down to the inevitable humiliation and pocketbook gyration.... one hour and thriteen minutes from now, I will be trying on wedding gowns. And, no, you will NOT see me in a marshmallow monstrosity for $5200.
posted by Daniella 4:53 PM

OOOOOOOh! Now, this is just pure evil {said with a grin}... this guy found his ex-wife's journals after their divorce and is slowly putting them on-line. Hee hee hee. It's going to take me a few days to explore this site. Won't you join me?
posted by Daniella 4:27 PM

From this guy's blog a coherent thought (more coherent than mine, anyway) on what democracy means, or rather, should mean:



Everyday heroes

My friend C. is my hero.

White House drug czar John Walters paid a visit to C.'s town recently for a news conference and luncheon, and C. was there.

And the purpose of C.'s attendance wasn't to lend his support to the "war on drugs."

No, C. was there to ask tough questions of the drug czar, and to show his support for the legalization of marijuana. And when no questions were allowed during the news conference, C. waited for him outside and confronted Walters as he was leaving.

He wasn't arrested. He wasn't even detained. Admirably, Walters stopped and chatted with C. for a while, and gave C. his business card, saying "I'd like to talk to you about this some more another time."

C. has always been one of the coolest people I know- his former life in the military as a sniper, and his ability to make any computer do anything you ever need it to do secured his spot years ago - but this recent move escalated him to the top of the list.

Why?

Not because I support the legalization of marijuana (though I do).

Not because I think the war on drugs is a waste of time, energy, and tax dollars (though I do).

It's because C. is one of those rare human beings who, when he feels his rights are being violated, will get up and go to the source. Because, when he disagrees with a governmental policy, he says so calmly and rationally, but will not allow himself to be ignored. Because C. is doing what more of us should be - actively participating in protecting our freedom, and fighting to reclaim some that we've already lost.

So this 4th of July, I'll say 'thank you' to C., and try to find my own way to follow his example.

What will you do?
posted by Daniella 4:09 PM

... Just a few more hours...

In exactly two hours and 57 minutes, I am stepping into the void from which I may never emerge:

Mom and I are going to try on wedding gowns. {gasp}
posted by Daniella 3:09 PM

I hate when I am upset with my man and he isn't around for us to discuss it. This whole long distance thing is just way too hard. I can't wait for it to be over. Job or no job, nothing is worth being apart.
posted by Daniella 10:22 AM

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, cry if I want to....

My boss is having the entire management team over to his house for a dinner in my honor. This is the second in a series of many going away parties. It still doesn't really feel like this is happening.
posted by Daniella 5:54 PM

I just realized this may be a bit hard to follow... You need to read these three posts bottom to top (aka in chronological order) in order for my entire air travel rant to make sense. So, read "Air Travel has turned us into sheep," then "More about Delta," then "On the way back..." If it still doesn't make sense, then you're the one with the problem!
posted by Daniella 1:34 PM

On the way back....

On the way back, I had a flight from Laguardia to Atlanta to New Orleans. We were set to leave Laguardia at 7:00 PM to arrive in New Orleans at 10:45 PM. I got on the plane and we taxied to the runway.

Where we sat for 45 minutes until we were able to take off. We arrived in Atlanta about 25 minutes late where we sat for 25 more minutes while they found a gate up to which we could connect.

Needless to say, I was panicking as my connection was in jeopardy and I knew it was the last flight of the night to New Orleans. Once again, I had to sprint across the terminal, dragging my luggage just to make my connection.

Oh, and they didn't feed us anything for the nearly five hours en route!

What did I pay for the privilege of being treated like this? Over $450!
posted by Daniella 1:29 PM

More about Delta

I forgot the best part... they didn't feed us anything. We had been on the plane since 2:30 PM and by the time we arrived in Atlanta it was 8:45 PM (9:45 PM Atlanta time).

I got to Atlanta with exactly 5 minutes to make my connection. When I got off the plane, the ticket officer meeting us said that the Newark flight was departing and we could catch the next one in an hour. I said "bullshit" and made a run for it.

Well, I made it (although I nearly gave myself a heart attack in the process). You should have seen me sprinting across two terminals in high heeled Via Spiga sandals dragging my weeled carry on bag, hair flying and screaming "get outta my way" the whole time. It was highly comical for everyone except me.
posted by Daniella 12:29 PM

Air travel has turned us all into sheep

I have flown three of the last four weekends. This is what I have learned: modern day air travel has turned us all into sheep. We pay really good money to be abused, herded, starved and generally mistreated.

Here is my saga of this weekend on Delta:

I had a direct flight from New Orleans to Laguardia which was supposed to stop in Atlanta for 45 minutes, but we would not have to deplane. It was supposed to leave at 2:55 PM and arrive in New York at 9:00 PM.

I boarded at about 2:30 PM after a pretty long line to get through security at Louis Armstrong International Airport (New Orleans). I had a window seat. I was happy. I opened my book (Class by Paul Fussel) and started to read. The pilot came over the PA and announced that we would be taking off soon.

Then I realized that I had read a looong way into the book and we had still not taken off. I made the mistake of looking out the window. I saw a bunch of people standing around, scratching their heads and looking up at the aircraft. The time was 3:25 PM. Finally at about 3:45 PM, the pilot came over the PA and told us that the baggage loading tram had hit the plane and they were trying to determine if the cargo door had been damaged.

We sat. And sat. They had turned off the air conditioning. They would not serve us anything to drink. The time was 4:20 PM.

Then we were told that the plane was going nowhere. We were all herded off of the plane, outside the security zone and told to form a line at the ticket counter. There were roughly 300+ of us as it was a 767 and the flight had been full.

I waited for about 45 minutes in this line while on the phone with John trying to get him to call Delta from his phone (my cell battery was dying) to arrange some other flight. No one apologized or offered any type of consolation. When I was about three people back from the front of the line, there was an announcement that the plane had been ruled safe and we could all get back on.

I went back through security and tried to get on the plane... no way. Apparently the plane was no longer going to Laguardia, it was stopping for good in Atlanta. They rescheduled me for a flight to Newark that would be arriving at 12:15 AM. Oh, plus they moved me to a center seat from my original window seat.

Well, those that know me will understand that I did not accept my new seat assignment. I made them move me to a window seat near the front of the aircraft. Once again, no apologies or any thing resembling some consideration was offered. It was now 6:00 PM.

Wait, there's more, but I'll post about it later.
posted by Daniella 12:21 PM

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