Do You Like Wine?

It is 6am and I am really tired, but in my last blog I posted at the end what is yet to come. I worked every day since Thanksgiving and did a double (24 hour) shift. I have been so tired and sleepy every time I sat down to blog. I would just get sleepy. When you get into a rhythm it becomes work, sleep and little time for anything in between but get dressed and bathe.

One of the things that makes doing this business interesting is the people you meet and I get to hear about the interesting things they are doing. This week was such a week. The people I met were amazing.

So a R.A.K (Random acts of Kindness) it in with tips. I will have these bills paid off in no time ( I hope). Being kind is an effortless art for me and it pays off in the end in so many ways.

Ron Bartels, is such a person. Immediately when he and his friend got into my taxi we started talking. The all of a sudden Ron asks, "Do you like wine?"

I replied, "Do you have to ask? Of, course I do!"

He began to tell me about what he does and I thought that is fantastic. He is a Wine Specialist. He teaches lay people all about wine and how to find the best for your unique buck. ;-) The name of his company is Wine Events USA.

So if you are looking for something different to do for your holiday party...Ron will be happy to schedule with you a visit to your home or office to have a wine party with you and your friends. At at the end people can make wine purchases for gifts for the holiday season.

This is what Ron says he can do for your holiday wine party at home or your office.

Harlem Bombshell: Can you give me a synopsis of your wine parties?

Ron:

• 1. Wines of the world, that fit a value budget, (average $15), (Italy, France, U.S., Spain, Chile, etc) (approximately 8 or 9 wines combined with assorted cheeses I bring to pair with the wine, and possibly other food that client might have at the event. Other options would be to focus on a particular country or pairing, if client so wishes to (for example all Italian night or a wine & chocolate pairing).
  2. Insightful and informative presentation on how to properly, look, smell, taste, and store wine…
  3. Wine History, fun facts, and wine trivia contest complete with prizes……
  4. Professional sound system with music to fit the motif of wine tastings, (Jazz, swing, Sinatra style music, easy listening, fun pop, etc……
  5. A raffle done for the evening for an extra great prize (usually about $5 a raffle) for those interested in winning a set of 4 beautiful wine glasses or other great wine related gifts...
  6. 2hrs or more of the wine hosts time to conduct the event and be available for all questions, advice, and help with wine and wine pairing….

So, people if you are going to party a lot over the next few weeks you may want to contact Ron and see if you can make an appointment to "get wined to dine" (get it).


Ron info is: lookusa@comcast.net; T: 781-871-1715; and the website is www.wineeventsUSA.com

I am rushing to work to now. We'll see what adventures happen tonight.

Peace & blissings until next time!

The Holidaze Season is Here

Wednesday November 25, 2009

Happy Holidaze was the mood of last night as I picked up people coming from various grocery and specialty food stores with their Turkeys and other trimmings for the their holiday presentations.

Everyone was buzzing about the city. the barricades and bleachers were up reminding me of all the traffic, I am going to have to deal with during the Thanksgiving Day Parade. You know in all the years, I have lived here, I have yet to make it to the parade. Most of the time, I go to my mother's in Maryland for the holiday. I have stayed in a few years, but when you cook you are usually looking at the parade like everybody else on national TV.

OK. Now this is where I need your help. Can anyone tell me what else they broadcast this way besides the President and breaking news. I had an A-ha moment today while speaking to my girlfriend on the phone about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I was telling her how early I have to get up to go pick-up my Taxi for Thanksgiving Day morning. She responded in typical Girlfriend Fashion, "Whew! Girl!" This girlfriend, I will refer to her as K, is a banker with Chase Bank. She is very intelligent and she is one of my favorite people to spend time with exchanging thoughts, ideas and revelations.

That is one of the reasons why I had this revelation while speaking to her tonight. I was telling her, as much as I do not really want to drive a TAXI, I discovered what I do like about it is that I am no longer under sombody's thumb the way I was before. Now don't get me wrong, the TAXI business is a dirty business literally and figuratively.

It is how one of my passengers put it one day after I told him how I came to drive. I told him, I don't miss Corporate America thought. His response to me was, "Because you got your freedom." And I am here to tell you that freedom is a beautiful thing.

As K and I were speaking about the different types of managers you can be unfortunate to have in a 9 to 5 that run their corporate environment like an institution. I said that's it. I have been beating my brain as I look at what society is becoming. Wondering, "WFT people!?" As I drive around I see, people are becoming evil robots with no feelings or connection to one another.

The corporate agenda is the "9 to 5 Institution." We are programmed thru our liner education to go to work instead of create work. One of the definitions I found for an institution is: an organization founded and united for a specific purpose. What purpose would you think that is? Hmmm...to program the multitude?

Institutions are all around us people. Financial Institutions! Private Institutions! Public Institutions! Private Institutions! Correctional Institutions! Learning Institutions! Are you following me here?

The Thanksgiving Day Parade is an institution with the purpose to get people thinking about "Brands". Well, it is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Is not Macy's a brand? And just like when the Manchurian Candidate gets his call and is programmed to act, the parade is the public call to spend. It is officially the beginning of the "Holidaze Season" and the following day is reputed to be the biggest spending day of the year.

And people think that people with mental illness and prisoners are the only ones that are institutionalized. It looks like to me we all may be institutionalized. It's the Matrix people. Free your minds and your wallets may follow.

Well maybe I will see you all out there at the parade. For those of you watching from home, you may see me waving from my taxi and my blasting Lady Cab Driver from my stereo. LOL!

Enjoy your time with your families and if you have a moment, please remember the Native Americans. I am told that this holiday is a huge slap in the face for them. How many of you know the story? I would love your feedback.

Stay tuned to my coming blogs in which I will share with you:

• What one country boy's perspective is of New York Women
• Make your holiday party a Wine Party. That will get people in the Spirit.
• One suburban couples fear of the city and what I learned about myself and my fears.
• And What I would like to do to spread some love for the Holiday

Happy Holidaze!!!

Life as a Taxi Driver? Me?! Noooo! Not Me!

On August 14th I started driving a NYC Yellow Cab. Since then I have been encouraged by so many people to blog about my unique perspective of this experience. I came to drive a taxi after months of looking for employment and nothing!



One of my closest friends has been driving for about 4-5 years and he informed me that I could earn an income to support myself while looking for employment. The first month or so was really fun actually. Much to my surprise. It was meeting people and having great, interesting and often funny conversations that made it fun. Not to mention being self employeed.



If I were working my dream job right now it would be reping a product as a spokes model and doing voiceovers and maybe one day even hosting a show or acting on TV. Ultimately using my career to help others and spread a little sunshine with the love the world needs. My dream became very important to me when one day when I realized I was denying myself for no reason. All because my mother said, "No!" to me when I was a teenager when I asked if I could go to the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. I remained in the No! frequency for much of my life.



Where I grew up, to dream is a waste of time and it is foolish. I lived that "NO!" working office jobs, although for amazing companies such as the NFL, Tommy Hilfiger, Ogilvy & Mather, to name a few. Unfortunately I never felt like I fit in as a 9-5er. I can hear Dolly Parton's voice now.

Working 9 to 5

What a way to make a living

Barely gettin' by

It's all taken and no givin'

They just use your mind

And they never give you credit

It's enough to drive you

Crazy if you let it!

Dolly girl! You preachin' to the choir! I can't say it better than that! My last full time job I was so stressed and crazy I had to go on paid medical leave for stress and depression. Most 9 to 5 jobs are pretty thankless. I knew if I ever expect to know what true happiness is, I have to follow my heart.

Now how I was going to make my dreams a reality I really didn't know. All I know is that I have to try. At least when I die, people can say, "She did it her way!" That is all I want.

I hope to brighten up a few 9 to 5ers day with some funny, touching and interesting stories and take them on an adventure when they get bored at work and they are on their 5th cup of coffee to keep from falling asleep.

-Shelly Martin

Oooops Upside the Head! When Life Throws You Curve Balls!

My mother always warned me that life can throw you some curve balls. Well being in NYC the very home of Wall Street and all that has come with the market downturn. Really threw me for a loop. I am an actress and have been supporting my dream by freelancing for the past few years after getting sick and tired of my corporate gig and decided I was going after my dreams. After all they say that it is never too late.



Many people here began to feel the economic crunch around the end of 2007 early 2008 when the news of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc and Bear Stearns became public. I actually told a friend of mine that I could feel something coming. She thought I meant another 9/11 type thing. I told her no, but something big. The message my spirit was receiving was that America and its Americanisms had run its course and somehow we all were going to have to pay for American Corporate and Government Greed!



All of a sudden jobs became scarse. So, I applied for my unemployement and thought this would be a great time to start my business venture I had been sitting on for a while. I knew the Department of Labor (DOL) had a program to assist new entreprenuars. I called the DOL Unemployment Insurance (UEI) and instead of getting the assitance I was asking for I got slapped with a law suit from the DOL-UEI. And that set me on this path that lead me to a economic chaos when I could not find work. I lost pretty much all, lived out my savings and rapidly sank into debt as I started living on my available credit... I was doing all I could to stay determined and keep my head up when someone I was friends with at the time sent the following story to me. This is a true story that happened to one of her girlfriends. She sent it to me for encouragment and encourage me it did...



HEY GUYS! HOW AAAARRRREEEE YOOOOUUUU?????!!!! BLESSED I HOPE. I HAVE A STORY 4 YA. I WAS JUST GONNA MOVE ON & NOT TALK ABOUT IT BUT I DECIDED I NEEDED TO SHARE IT. I KNOW I'VE BEEN SCARCE FOR AWHILE NOW BUT I'VE JUST BEEN REEEEALLY LIVING LIFE...THAT MEANS MEETING ALOT OF THE DIFFERENT "SIDES" OF LIFE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. NOW I'M NOT A YOUNG CHICK BUT I CAN TRULY SAY THAT I WAS KIND OF A ROOKIE BEFORE. (LOL!)I HAD MORE "FIRSTS" THIS PAST YEAR THAN I'VE HAD IN MY WHOLE LIFE. I FEEL LIKE I JUST GOT THROUGH MY FRESHMAN YEAR AND NOW I'M JUST MOVING ON... AND THATS REAL TALK. SOMETIMES WE ADD THINGS UP AND CONVINCE OURSELVES THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH ALOT AND THAT THERE COULD'NT BE MUCH MORE THAT WE COULD GO THROUGH... EH!!WELL NOW I KNOW BETTER AND I CAN PROUDLY SAY THAT I AM TRULY A SURVIVOR.AND I CAN ALSO SAY... "I AM IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE NOW BECAUSE OF IT!" I'VE GONE THROUGH THE DRAMA OF WORK, FAMILY & RELATIONSHIP FIRSTS/FAILURES. BUT I ALSO WENT THROUGH THE FIRST OF ALMOST LOSING MY LIFE DUE TO HEALTH ISSUES THAT WERE MISSED BY MY DOCTOR (WHO I WAS PAYING CASH & GOING TO SEE EVERY 6 MONTHS AND MORE!) I KEPT CRAMPING, FEELING SICK & MY BODY WAS GOING CRAZY (SKIN, HAIR, ETC) AND I COULD'NT UNDERSTAND WHY. I ASKED THE DOCTOR & HE JUST TOLD ME IT WAS MY DIET CAUSING THESE ISSUES AND POOR DIGESTION. SO I MOVED ON, BLAMED MYSELF AND STARTED WORKING ON HOW I ATE, ETC. IT SEEMED TO HELP A BIT BUT NOT COMPLETELY.I KEPT GETTING SICK FROM TIME TO TIME UNTIL ONE DAY I GOT SO SICK I FINALLY ENDED UP IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM. MARCH 22ND. AFTER ALMOST 24 HOURS OF TESTS THEY TOLD ME. I HAD A TUMOR BIGGER THAN A TENNIS BALL IN MY RIGHT SIDE CAUSING MULTIPLE PROBLEMS (ALL KINDS OF MEDICAL TERMS) AND THEY NEEDED TO REMOVE IT RIGHT AWAY. THERE COULD BE COMPLICATIONS, INFECTION & I COULD ALSO DIE. SO THEY NEEDED SOMEONE WHO COULD MAKE MEDICAL DECISIONS FOR ME JUST IN CASE I DON'T MAKE IT. "MY LIFE FLASHED B4 ME..."I WAS IN SURGERY IN LESS THAN AN HOUR. I HAD JUST ENUOUGH TIME TO MAKE 3 QUICK CALLS, FILL OUT PAPERWORK & LOOK AT MY 2 SCARED DAUGHTERS TO SAY GOODBYE... AHHH...YEAH.

WELL... THEY TOOK IT OUT & IT WASNT CANCEROUS! IT TOOK 8 WEEKS (APRIL,MAY) FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO FUNCTION NORMALLY AGAIN & I'VE BEEN RECOVERING SUCCESSFULLY (SO FAR). I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FIVE DAYS AND DURING THAT TIME IT ALL STARTED. THE TRUTHS!!! THE TRUTHS ABOUT ME!!! MY LIFE!!! MY FEELINGS!!! MY DREAMS!!! MY GOALS!!! MY WANTS!!! MY NEEDS!!! THE TRUTHS... ABOUT ALL THOSE AROUND ME AND THOSE WHO ARE'NT. FRIENDS, FAMILY, ETC.THE TRUTHS... ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT AND WHAT ISNT. WHATS URGENT AND WHATS NOT. THE TRUTHS... ABOUT WHATS REAL LIFE AND WHATS REAL LIVING! AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. IT ALL STARTED TO COME TO LIGHT, COME TO LIFE AND COME OUT OF THE SHADOWS.AND IVE BEEN DEALING WITH EVERY LAST THING SINCE THEN. THE GOOD AND THE BAD. BUT I LOOK AT THE SURGERY AS DIVINE INTERVENTION. THE LORDS FINAL WAY TO GET IT OUT.IN RETROSPECT, THE ONLY THING I REGRET IS THAT I DIDNT LISTEN TO MY INSTINCTS AND MY BODY WHEN IT WAS TELLING ME SOMETHING MORE WAS WRONG. FUCK THE DOCTOR!!! MY PERSONAL ADVICE (SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE NOW) IS ALWAYS GET WHATEVER TESTS NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE NOTHING SERIOUS IS WRONG. DOCTORS ARE GETTING SO LAZY NOW WITH PEOPLE'S LIVES. PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN A CURE. AND IF YOUR DOCTOR WONT GET IT DONE THEN GO TO ANOTHER ONE. NO MATTER HOW LONG HE'S BEEN YOUR DOCTOR! AS FOR ALL THE OTHER SHIT. FRIENDS, FAMILY, RELATIONSHIPS.... WHEN THE TRUE LIGHT SHINES UPON YOUR LIFE THE VAMPIRES WILL BE REVEALED. THE ONES WHO'VE BEEN SUCKING THE LIFE OUT OF YOU. CARE FROM A DISTANCE. DONT GIVE THEM PERSONAL ACCESS TO YOU. ONE THING ABOUT ME IS THAT I AM TOO HONEST, TOO GIVING AND I CARE TOO MUCH ABOUT OTHERS LIVES, WANTS & NEEDS. THOSE WHO KNOW ME KNOW THAT. AND I WON'T CHANGE. I LOVE WHO I AM & I KNOW WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER. JUST GONNA BE MORE SELECTIVE NOW. ITS TRUE WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT LIFE...ITS UNEXPECTED, ITS IRONIC, ITS A BITCH, ITS A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE & ITS TRULY AMAZING. I CAN HONESTLY SAY NOW THAT I LOVE IT MORE THAN EVER BEFORE.... VIVA LA VIDA!!!!

Well, after reading this story I was so inspired and encouraged. This wasn't some random story on the web, but someone I was only separated by 2 degrees of separation. It made it a little more personal. Talk about getting knocked down by a curve ball and getting back up again!

I know so many people that are experiencing hardships right now, but keep your head up. It's Gonna Be Alright!!!