Hey

Happy birthday ! Miss Brie ! I love you ! Have a super awesome
day !!!!!!

Happy Birthday

To Gabriella!!!
Happy Birtday Pip!
xo

Not on the ball

Do you ever have one of those days, when you wake up and you're just not on the ball? Not only that - but you never seem to find yourself on the ball through the entirety of the day?
That was totally my day yesterday...
I woke up to find that I had a hideous mountain of a breakout on my chin...like...I looked like a lepor on my chin. WTF
From that point on, I naturally felt like I was one of the most hideous people on the planet, because of a blemish. A blemish quickly resonates to your outlook on your weight, hair, eyes...even down to your fingers. (Don't ask - it happens)
All physical issues aside, my brain was off too. I was forgetful, not quick to draw, and even listening proved to be an issue for me. It came to the point where I was having a conversation with the boyfriend, and he started to laugh hysterically. When I asked why my mental state was such a high point to him, his answer was simple.
"You are normally SO on the ball. SO prepared, and with it. And today...you fell WAY off your ball!"
Come to think of it - it was pretty funny for an outsider. I mean, I fell WAY off my ball yesterday...
Let's hope I can find my balance today.

Happy Birthday!!!

To Maddeal!!!!

Have an awesome day girl!
xo

Oh ye God, grant us what is good whether we pray for it or not, but keep evil from us even though we pray for it.
~Plato

Happy All Hallow's Eve

All you beautiful, stressed, wonderful, strong women of my world!
It's Friday!
It's Halloween Weekend!
Be Safe!
Be Good!
Be Careful!
I love you!
The End!
xoxo

Powerless

Have any of you ever been in a position where you have felt totally and completely helpless and powerless? I'm feeling this way right now, and frankly, I hate it.
My boyfriend's crazy, and I mean crazy, ex girlfriend won't go away. First it was constant phone calls and txt's, so my boyfriend changed his number. Then it was IM's, so my boyfriend blocked her, then this weekend it was a FB note saying how much she missed him and hoped that he missed her at 4am no less... so he blocked her on that end as well and didn't respond to the email. Now I'm seeing that she's still writing about him and how much she misses him on her blog.
Why is it that this ***** (insert the B word here) won't go away? Why hasn't she gotten the picture that it's over, he's moved on, and does not want her in his life? How can she be so pathetic?
The worst part about it, aside from the fact that she won't just leave us alone, is that I cannot do a thing about it. If I take care of it myself, she'll know we're giving her attention, she'll know she's gotten to me, and to be honest, I don't want to go to jail. LOL.... kidding, kidding.
What do I do?
My boyfriend has been amazing throughout all of this, and that definitely makes it easier to go through, but I'm still so unbelievable frustrated and annoyed.
Thoughts? Advice?
xoxo

Slacker

>

> So I am posting for the first time I know I know I suck!!! Well
> since June my life has been turned upside down and shaken ! June 5
> of 2009 a very good firend of my brothers and me since we were young
> kids passed away from an oxy cotton overdose . It was sad and
> upseting the funeral was wierd but we all stayed together and got
> through it. On June 28 my bran new nephew was born Finnegan joeseph
> O'Malley ! He is Amazing ! Then on September 5th my brothers best
> friend my sudo brother and just an amazing father and friend passed
> away also from an oxy cotton overdose. This has nearly torn us all
> to pieces! As I sit here and write this I still can not believe he
> is gone it happened so fast and none of us were prepared for this .
> I have watched my eldest brothers heart break in two and my other
> brother try his hardest to be strong for both jay and me ! I am the
> girl that trys to hold myself and everyone else together and now I
> find myself just sad and angry and trying to get through each day! I
> thank god or whoever every day for my family I am very lucky to have
> them. And reading this blog has given me so much strength I felt you
> all deserved to know what has been happening in my life! I am sorry
> that it is not the most postive blog ever but still it has been my
> life! On a postive note on October 16 my brother Matt and my best
> Friend Lisa were married it was an amazing wedding and a great
> pickmeup for the whole family ! I will promise to write more
> often :) for now I will leave you with this! Tell the people that
> you love how much they are needed In your life hold these people
> close to your heart and take every memorie to heart because we live
> in a world that can take away so much ! So our time with each other
> is amazing and priceless !
> P.S sorry for typos using my iPhone and to lazy for spell check!
>
> Anna O'Malley
> Autism specialist
> 702-499-7502
> Sent from my iPhone

Monday Monday - daaaah da da da da da

Good Morning lovies!
Yes, it is Monday, and traditionally...that's no bueno. However, this morning I was just feeling good! I walked outside in this rare but wonderful 36 degree weather (Atlanta doesn't usually fall that low until January), and looked up...and saw the most beautiful sky. The stars were so clear and bright, my breath was white and thick...and I was rocking my new H&M coat (which is super cute!) And as I walked to my car, I thought about each of you...for no other reason than you popped into my head.
So take this Monday and make the most of it! Someone in Atlanta is thinking of you!
xox

Ladies! Ladies! We've been slacking on our blogs; myself included. Just a quick note letting you all know I'm thinking about each of you, hoping you're all well, happy and smiling. Let's kick this blogging bit up a notch.... I'd love to hear what's going on in all of your lives. I'd also love to know if anyone is as FREEZING as I am here in Boston. Burrrrrrr! xoxo

Monday

It's cold and raining here.

One of those days where you wake up partially from the sound of the rain on your roof, and mostly because of that annoying sound your alarm clock makes...and all you want to do is roll over into that comfy place your body made in your bed and fall back asleep.

But no, you're awake, and at work...wishing you were elsewhere, or at least wishing that the weekend had done something different for a change and lasted a day longer.

Your hair is just not cooperating, you've accidentally kicked the power button on your computer - shutting it off mid email, that annoying voice in the office just seems to reach decibles you never imagined possible...and it's only noon to top it all off.

Anyone else just adore Mondays?!
Good grief.

Workin' for the weekend...

Yeah, it's a horrible song, but a suitable title for a weekend blog. LOL... Just a quick note to say, "Happy Friday Ladies!" I hope you all have an amazing weekend; blog soon! xoxo

Perfection

It's Thursday...do you know what that means?
Nothing more than the fact that tomorrow is Friday...

BUT - I will love you more tomorrow than I do today
EVEN THOUGH, I love you more today than I could have imagined yesterday

Now THAT'S something to brag about!
xo

Random Thoughts...

Being Sicilian and a Scorpio (yes, look out!), I realize it's only natural that I am stubborn, intense, extremely loyal, inquisitive, oh and the list goes on... However, sometimes I feel as if I can also be my own worst enemy. I mean, I am so incredibly lucky to be in love, have amazing friends, an incredibly close and supportive family, a great job and of course my health, but at the same time, I can't kick that voice in the back of my head that says, "Alison, if something seems too good to be true, it usually is...." Why is that? Can't some people, who deserve it, be genuinely happy and have it all? Or is that just in movies and fairy tales...?
How do you guys allow yourselves to simply enjoy every moment and don't allow that voice in the back of your head creep up every so often?
What's the secret?

Day 2 Dry Weather

So today is supposed to be our second day of dry weather in nearly 2 weeks!
I guess Mother Nature got the memo that this is Atlanta, not Seattle.

Tuesday Pick Me Up

So I'm in my office, working...well, I was before I started writing this...

And of all people, I just know you all will be able to appreciate this.

I needed a pick me up, nothing major - just something to counter the rain/thunder/fact that it's only a quarter to 4 on a Tuesday...

SO...I did it...I youtube'd: Heart, Alone.

And I'm so pumped! Why you ask?!

Well aside from the fact that the Wilson sisters pretty much rock my world right now - I'm going to see Journey on Saturday night...

Can we say overload!?

Til nowwwwwwwwww, I always got by on my oooooooooooooown.....

Enjoy your day :)
xo

Happy Friday

Now listen here women of my world...
It's Friday:
We've all got jobs....
We've all got shit to do...
But make it a point to have fun this weekend (safely!)
Love to you all!
xoxo

Why I stay...

So, we all have issues with our jobs/life/bosses at times. Today is one of those for me. WHY does everyone act like he's the king? I mean... I get it, he's brilliant, he's been doing this forever, he has a black american express card.. I Get It! But, what I don't get is this : the people I work with live in constant fear and they stress themselves out so much it's absurd. It's unhealthy, people! He's not as insanely peculiar as you've convinced yourself he is. He's a man, a business man and you just have to ride with it.

So, today he tells me he wants the second Phoenix single to go to radio asap, as in...do it now. OK well... although sales have declined (after 125,000 records since May, you'd assume they'd drop) band is coming to tour all of Sept... ok, we wanted to send this single towards the end of September and kinda see what happens. A lot of stations are ready for #2, but even more are not. They've just really kicked in their spins, they've yet to get research.. we can't push #2 if they aren't ready. It will be a green light to just drop the band to make room for .. oh let's see.. Death Cab For Cutie, AFI, Muse etc etc etc.. credible and staple bands. Well, he tells me "A good promo person would look at all the facts and send #2 out now" then, he told me "I don't know.. maybe with 5 more years under your belt, you could have pushed the button on '1901' and hit it at radio."  I'm sorry but... this is the band's 4th album - first on Glassnote and, this is the FIRST time they've been on Alternative radio, let alone we went to #27 on the chart. Um. Top 30 for a band that never got airplay before is pretty fucking good! And, we've sold more then the first 3 records combined... plus some! I feel inferior and ask myself on days like this "why don't I just quit?!"

Happy Week

I just wanted to let everyone know that someone in Atlanta is thinking about each of you - and I hope you all have an awesome week!
xoxo

When the combo of personal/industry relationships get..um..interesting

i had become friends with a girl who i had met because she held the same position previosuly at a label that i currently held. phew did that make sense?

once i left that job we bonded over comparing our experiences about the job, making fun of the boss and what not. we hit it off right away, and she won me over with her extremely loud voice and unapologetic personality. as i got to know her more there were certain "red flags" that came up that made me want to pull back a bit (very frequent drug use, she'd constantly talk about herself and not listen to anything i had to say, get pissed if i didn't text her back right away, getting heinously jealous when i'd have some success). I figured no one is perfect and I should just give her a shot.

Both of us happen to be in the same area of the music industry, technically competitors which i thought wouldn't eventually come between us. about 8 months ago I had asked her for a person's contact info, not even thinking twice about it. she immediately retorted saying that she didn't appreciate my asking he for that info, and i shouldn't keep doing things like that, and she technically could get fired for it. she also went to her boss (whom i know) and talked to her about how i had asked for it.

i was really taken back since:

a) i had never asked her for info before and she was saying i did

b) went to her boss who knows me about it

i apologized and said i understand about the firing thing and how i didn't want to put her in that position, but that it was ridiculous to say i do that all the time since that wasn't the case. of course she has every right to speak with her boss, thats her business and her private relationship. but she didn't have to tell her boss that it was me. anyway, we moved on from it and carried on the friendship. In this time I bent over backwards to get her into shows for artists I work for who she loves and didn't even think twice about it, i went over to her place the night after she got a DUI and let her sleep and cry in my lap for an entire day after canceling plans I had made in advance with my boyfriend.

flash forward to a few weeks ago, and a coworker had asked me if i knew a particular band (a small one at that) had management representation. I knew this friend worked with the band so I asked her if she knew who the manager was. Again, I get this dramatic answer consisting of "what do you need?" "why do you need to know?""management information is confidential here".  I just lost it, and said actually there's a Web site called Pollstar that has a ton of management info and I asked you because you rep the band. I added that if I had asked anyone else they would have told me, and if it was such a big deal just say you can't give it out. Our arguement got completely blown out of proportion  I decided I needed to take some space. I didn't speak to her for 3 weeks until she emailed me that she missed me and wanted to talk about what happened.

things haven't been the same, which is partly a good thing because i've been keeping her at arms length, being positive and cordial. many of my other friends and my boyfriend had been very vocal about how they weren't a big fan of hers, but I didn't think it was worth cutting her completely out b/c there are just too many professional people we have in common and I didn't want it to escalate any more than it had.

overall, i just think professionally if you are able to help someone out, you should. and if legally you can't, say so right away and don't make it into a soap opera mini-series. in any work setting whether its music or not.  i found it strange that someone so close to me who i had supported personally and professionally would act in that manner, when there were far higher roads to take. i don't think i've ever reacted that way nor from my prior experiences from interning to my actual jobs had i been instructed to do otherwise. 

phew this was a lot of rambling hope it made sense.

So for whatever reason, I allowed my friend Kelley to make a Match.com profile for me....I have had several friends tell me that they know people who have gotten together online, and I thought "what the hell" it was worth a shot right? After getting several emails and 'winks" from the guys that you would imagine driving the garbage truck that honk at you, and other randoms that don't want to anything about me except how I got into the music industry, AND a few that sent me their myspace links to their bands to see if I could make them famous ( I am not joking)....I finally got an email from a guy who was interesting. He is an internationally acclaimed painter, graduate degree from Yale, well read, good taste in music, and we have been IMing each other...Everything was fine, until we talked on the phone, where I discovered that Mr. Interesting was actually Mr. SNOB! Thats right, total snob....And he keeps sending me Im's and asking me to go hang out with him over in his neighborhood...When I told him, if he wanted to hang out, he would have to come to my neck of the woods this is what he said: "I am very particular about where I choose to spend my time" PUH-LEEZE!!!!!

So my sweet bad ass sisteren, why do I seem to only attract these weirdos???? Where are all these normal, cool, smart, driven, funny guys at? I'm sitting here doing a CD review on the new Imogen Heap, and it seems to me, that she is wondering the same thing too.....

Why is it...

that I can't let certain things go? Why is it that despite having an amazing boyfriend, an amazing relationship and knowing I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him, I still have doubts.
I worry...
For some reason I worry his psycho ex will come back into his life and tear us apart, as she's done a few times so far throughout the year we've been together.
I worry that once we finally live together we'll realize we're not who we thought we were.
I just worry...
Why can't we, as beautiful, intelligent, confident women relax, totally and completely with our significant others who love us and ultimately, simply put chose US, no one else.
Outside of relationships, I am confident and independent, with zero worries because I know everything will work out in the end. Inside of this particular relationship, I'm still confident and independent, but there is an underlying feeling of doubt. Why? Is it because I actually, genuinely and truly care for and love this man?
I joke with my girlfriends that the men in our lives struck gold when they met us; they know it and they won't let us go. I can confidently say that, but that voice in the back of my head won't go away... "will they really not let us go?"
Sigh... why is it?

"Friends"

You're probably reading that title, with a slightly cocked head - "why does that word have quotes around it?" Well my dearest friends...let's sit right back, and you'll hear a tale...

In March, a dear friend of mine got married - she was the wrost friend ever during that time. She alienated herself from EVERYONE, including myself and the other MOH Lauren. Lauren is a very strong personality - she's diagnosed bi-polar and has a tendency to be extremely inappropriate at the most inopportune times. Lauren felt the brunt of the "friendship" with the bride a little harder than I did, and she claimed that after the wedding, the relationship was "IRREPERABLE!" Needless to say, Lauren and I became very close friends during this time...or so I thought.

After the wedding, I would hear from Lauren in an everyother day consistence. She would stop by for dinner, I would go to her place...we celebrated her birthday together (the whole 9). In April, Lauren told me that she had decided that she and her then boyfriend had decided they were going to get married, and asked me to be a part of their wedding...oh yeah...he hadn't proposed yet, so she didn't have a ring. So I went along with everything - I set up dress appointments, venue visits...even sat with her to speak with a preacher...still no ring.

3 weeks ago, I was informed that her then boyfriend was planning the big proposal...that's right, he still hadn't done it yet. He has his pilot's lisence, and was going to fly them to Athens for lunch, and propose mid air. He asked if I would drive to Athens (which is about an hour's drive each way) to be there when they landed, and when I declined because my own sister was in town for her own REAL wedding stuff, he seemed okay with it all. The Saturday he proposed, I called her, to no avail...so I texted her...to which her response was, "You should be here butthead!" I told her that we should get together for dinner that week...and that was the last correspondence...

So come that Monday...I called (3 times) left a message, and didn't hear back. So I texted...I facebooked, i called again....no answer, response or acknowledgement of my breathing existence. A week goes by...nothing. I call again...nada. I text...niete. So I stopped...I was hurt, over it and more than anything else...annoyed.

Matt (boyfriend) and I went to dinner with the former bride and her husband, and she proceeds to tell me that she and Lauren had done "this and that"for the past few weeks together..."irrepreble" my ass. I looked at Matt, who clearly heard the comment, and changed the subject...'cause now...I was pissed.

Today marks over 3 weeks since I had spoken to Lauren. I had pretty much given up on being her friend, let alone in her wedding...until the email came. A mass email to over 30 women inviting them to a "wedding weekend" in the mountains for "wedding stuff," in November. As I was reading the email, I noticed who was #1 at the email correspondence...the bride...and who was second...me.

In the email she proceeds to tell us that she will need $60 per person who will be staying with her for that weekend to do her wedding stuff....THANK GOD I alreayd was going to be out of town that weekend...I didn't want to go anyway...

As I'm reading the email, yelling at my computer screen, I get an IM....that said, "I just sent you and email." "ok" "we need to get together for lunchor dinner next week." "How about lunch Monday?" "I'm out of town until Thursday..." "And I'm leaving Friday for the lake because it's a three day weekend..." "I guess we'll have to wait til after Labor day weekend...." "whatever"

I'm done with being a fair weather friend...I'm a DAMN good friend...but you need to be my friend back. I will give you the shirt off my back, I'll pay for your train ticket over the phone if you're stuck somewhere, I'll feed you while both your arms are set in a cast....and I don't expect much in return...just acknowlege me!!! That's all...that's it....

Evidently that was too much to ask.

Why Men Still Have to Make Themselves feel dominant?

So I am very very lucky to know these seven other women who are strong minded and goal driven. They are a support team that a girl in the music industry, like myself, needs. A band that I am working very closely with is opening up for their idol on Sunday. They are extremely excited about this (he is a main inspiration for starting the band), and we have some things in the works, that they might be able to tour with the idol.

I emailed the radio station's events manager, asking if there would be any way to get a private area set up, so that "Idol" and my band could have dinner....Somewhere in the message, he lost the"Idol" part, and went into a frontal attack on me and my band, asking if we were too good to eat in public. Then when I politely corrected him, saying this was asked by "Idol" he snapped at me again, and told me he was already setting up hospitality.

Now this is the dilema I face: In my head, I imagine me kicking him in the balls, and asking why a 42 year old man, still feels the need to be an ass hole to women ( which he is pretty notorious for being). Instead of very kindly handling the situation, he felt like I was stepping on his territory, and got pissy.

And the messed up part, is that for a minute, I felt bad, like I had done something wrong and needed to apologize!!! It's like women in the industry have to either be catorgized as bitches or sluts, and we can't just be treated like the intelligent, confident women we are.

I need to take a skin thickening class sometimes, because I know that I should not let people like this bother me. Sometimes though, the sheer ignorance and rudeness of people, just bothers me!

UUUUggggghhhhh!

Short and sweet...

While I wish I had more time to write, vent, vent some more... I have to shut down for the day and get the heck outta work.
I do want to say, before signing off, that I'm so psyched for this blog and that we're already writing and sharing stories; we rock!
Until tomorrow... when I actually have time and energy to write... have a great night ladies!

Where should I begin?

Shall I start with the insane amount of stress I'm watching people self inflict? I mean... really!
The label I work for is fantastic, but it consists of 7 people (including the owner) in NYC and 1 gal in LA. Each of us "in charge" of our respected fields / the only person doing that job. I, myself, am head of promotion. Which in laymen terms means, I do radio... all radio... every format, every band... I'm it. So, I get it.. there's a lot of pressure and a lot of responsibility - for each of us.

So, I find it slightly irritating when the 5 of us (the actual staff) sit down in the box of a conference room and, things like "our logo on that radio one sheet needs to be on the right side." Um, here's my response "not to be rude but, I've been making radio one sheets for album mailings for 3 years. I know what needs to be on it and, I also know that they look at it for a 5 second time frame, then throw it in the trash. There are more important things than a logo. We should really remember that." It didn't work. THERE IS MORE to life than redundant and meaningless items such as this.

Other things I noticed today in my normal NYC commuter routine :

*Man next to me on subway was reading the obituaries in the paper. ew.
*Guy in the elevator had orange lego blocks as cuff links. Didn't really match his Diesel sunglasses.
*Oh and, for some reason, I've been enjoying breakfast burritos lately.

Good day! x

Admins on a Power Trip

I know you've all been in this position...and if you haven't - don't ever wish to be.

So about three weeks ago I started working for this amazing company - doing amazing stuff!! My direct boss is the CEO of the company, so I'm just going to say that I'm a pretty big deal. (Yes, I'm tooting my own horn, I've worked hard for this)

From day one, I've had a bit of an issue with his personal secretary...the issue is...she's a heinous bitch. She's a 40-something-year-old woman, with a mustache my own father couldn't contest with, and she has a SERIOUS power trip thing going on.

If I were in her shoes I would think:
1. Who is this young hotshot?
2. Why does the bossman always like to talk to her and meet with her?
3. Is she gunning for my job?
4. Does she really think she can tell me what to do?

But being in my shoes I can answer those with...
1. I'm a professional who has worked my ass off to get where I am today
2. He likes to talk to me a lot because I"m doing a lot for the company. He likes me more than you because I actually do my job, and I do it well.
3. HELL no I don't want your job...you're a secretary
4. Yes, I can tell you what to do...that's part of my job.

SO - just because you have the ability to read his emails and hold the CC numbers, doesn't mean you can try to talk down to me, and tell me what to do. And FURTHERMORE - do NOT second guess me when I'm trying to tell you do give me a file, CC number or anything else for that matter. I was hired to do a job - I can't do that job if I spend all day waiting on you.
I have no qualms in going toe to toe with you, and putting you in your ungraduated, menopausal, mustached place. DON'T cross me lady...I have a shovel and and Italian mother.

Why, hello there!

Who knows who will even paruse this, but, it is something the world needs. The collaboration of 8 incredible women, jotting down their thoughts, revelations and life struggles. (I use 'struggles' losely) We are very strong in mind, body and soul but sometimes, we've got something to say and this is where we're gonna do it! Welcome to our world.. it's going to be interesting and perhaps emotional at times but, its words are meticulous and credible.

Now, enjoy this... HAAAA

It's so horrid, I laughed so hard I cried...