One of my favorite movies but there is a quote that the father George says to his son that has summed up my life in the past few months.

"You know the great thing, though, is that change can be so constant you don't even feel the difference until there is one. It can be so slow that you don't even notice that your life is better or worse, until it is. Or it can just blow you away, make you something different in an instant. It happened to me."

George was 100% right when he said that.  I went to Italy and came back a changed person.  I feel the change within me, every breath I take and in my bones.  I can see the change in my face.

Arriving at Rome Fiumicino Airport on June 29th, 2009 and two people waiting for me when I arrived were my brother and sister in law.  My sister in law took my suitcase while my brother grabbed me out of nowhere and hugged me.  It wasn't any regular hug, but it was a hug that was long overdue.  There was longing and sincerity in it and I started to tear, but held it back.

We drove from Rome to Francavilla in about 2 1/2 hours talking the entire time.  It's so easy to talk to him and his wife, they're such easy going people.

They stayed the entire week with me in Francavilla and then that Friday afternoon we left for Asiago to see my nephew Francesco play for Inter Milan camp.  He's gonna be pro someday, he's so friggen good.  He's a splitting image of my father and very shy.  After Asiago, we left for Milan.  We literally went to the Duomo, ate, and then left.  We wound up driving to Chiasso, Switzerland.  Beautiful city, although we only stayed the night. I only saw my nephew for one day, but I am elated to find that my brother, sister in law, niece, and nephew will be visiting NYC in December.

After Chiasso, my nephew left in the morning to go to Sicily so I didn't see him in the morning.  We then left for Bergamo because my flight was leaving from there to go back to Francavilla.  I cried like a baby at the airport, although I was going to see my brother and sister in law in 2 weeks, I still cried.  

While on the plane I was trying to figure out why I was crying and I've come to realize that for the first time in my life, change has happened for good.  I had a crappy childhood.  I only grew up with my mother, brother Daniel, and my grandparents (who died young).  For the first time in my life, I have a family.  My father, the biggest screw up in the world, made such amazing children that he barely raised.  I am fortune to have met such amazing people.  For once, I know that this could never be taken away from me like everything else has.  I knew my life had changed from that moment on and the change was still continuing...

A week later I went to Rome for the first time in my life.  We spent 4 hours in the Vatican (2 1/2 waiting in line).  I went to the area just for prayer, which I barely ever do.  I cried like a baby in the Vatican.  I prayed for everyone I knew.  I thanked God for uniting me with my brother and my sister a week later.  I was so deep in prayer, I cried so much.  I was also very grateful for this wonderful experience of studying abroad in Italy.

A week after Rome, I flew to Germany to visit my sister, brother in law, and my 2 nieces.  My brother, sister in law, and niece were driving from Switzerland.  All in one house together.  We missed my brother Danny, but we called everyday.  My nieces are all beautiful.  Enza, who is only two years younger than me has the same personality as me.  We partied every night together, with my brother and sister in law too.  Giorgia and Sofia, 3 years old and 4 months, are amazing.  Giorgia is so smart for her age.  I instantly fell in love with everyone.  I've never had that happen to me, ever.

Goodbye's were the hardest in Germany.  I didn't know when I'd come back to Germany to see my sister because I have school and she has the babies.  I cried the most leaving Germany.  I didn't want to let anyone go.  From my crying, I had everyone else crying.  My sister called me the next day and told me Giorgia was crying all day.   I told my sister the next time I have a break from school, which is probably January or April, I will take a flight to Germany and spend at least two weeks there.  A weekend is not enough, but I had classes to attend and I was not allowed to miss one.

My last weekend in Italy we took a trip to Venice which was amazing.  I rode a gondola (I'M ON A BOAT) lol.  I posted pictures and videos on facebook if anyone wants to see the entire month of adventures.

I can't wait for December.  My family in a house together.  I will miss my sister, brother in law, Giorgia, and Sofia this Christmas.  This will be the first Christmas that I will have a big family together.  My aunt, uncle, cousins, brothers, niece, and nephew.  

My life has changed.  I can see it in my face when I look in the mirror.  Italy changed my life.  I will never ever forget this experience and I thank God for letting me experience this.  I am grateful.

My life is still changing, every day, every hour, every second...

and yours is too.  Embrace it.  There is light after the tunnel...after 21 years of being in the tunnel...I can finally see the light.  

Oh btw, I also became a year older in Italy.  I'm 22 years old now.  Wow.

I needed to vent, TOL was the first place I thought of.

For the past week my mind has been going a mile a minute.  I haven't slept or ate much because I am so nervous about going to Italy on Monday.  I'm not nervous about being in a foreign country as many would expect, but I'm nervous to meet my brother, sister, nieces (sans nephew, he'll be at soccer camp) and my cousins for the first time.  I don't have butterflies, it's worse.

I know no matter what my brother and sister will love me unconditionally, but I don't want to talk about him while I'm there.  I haven't seen him in 2 years and I've never had a relationship with him, unlike my brothers and sister.

I was not nervous at all until Monday came.  I need to do stuff to distract me and me staying home at the moment is a bad idea, but I'm too lazy and tired to get dressed.

I went to the "Remember Me" set yesterday.  No Rob Pattinson.  I met a cool twifan, which all the other girls were biotches.  Sorry, they were like "if Rob comes out, I'm gonna scream my number"...YES YES YES, WAIT WAIT HE'S GONNA PULL OUT THAT PEN AND PAPER!! haha.  I couldn't help but laugh.

I need to sleep.  I have my last day of work in the morning.  I'll be going back to work in August, but still...I've never taken a vacation this long.

RIP Ed McMahon, Farrah Fauccet, and Michael Jackson

Hey TOLers,

It's been awhile since I have been on.  I've been crazy busy!

I finished the semester and I got pretty good grades which I am happy about.

It's about 6:30am in NYC and I went to bed at 3 and I have to go to work at 9.  I don't know how I will manage the day.  UGH!

I am leaving for Italy at the end of the month and I'm totally excited for that. I get to finally meet my half brother and sister, although neither of them live in Italy anymore.

I'll have a wifi connection at the hotel I will be staying at for the month (since Hunter College is weird and sends us to a university with no dorms, but I'm not complaining at all, I have a beach front hotel and an awesome roommate.)

I went out last night for pizza at Luzzo's in what I think is in the East Village (I passed Sarita's on the way, tempted to buy mac and cheese) Afterwards, we went to the Bryant Park Hotel at the Cellar Bar.  Really nice place but there was not much of a crowd unfortunately.  You know those moments when you connect with a person at the bar and talk to them for awhile.  You hear their entire life story and they hear yours and yet you never exchange phone numbers.  That's happened to me twice in  two weeks.  Idk, I'm starting to think all I attract are _______(s) (insert curse word)

Oh man, is everyone else sick like I am? Not mentally, like coughing and sore throat. The allergies are brutal right now.  

Ok I really should get back to sleep so I can feel someone not hungover when I go to work tomorrow.

XOXO.

Do you ever feel when you're discussing your problems to people they're not listening, they're just waiting to get their time to speak.

I've been feeling a lot of that lately.  I can't vent to certain friends because they just don't listen, or understand.  I know we've all felt like that before.

I've been feeling like crap lately, especially with these final exams.

The most interesting story is me getting into a fight on Thursday night. OH MAN THAT WAS EPIC.  Epic because I don't normally fight, I'm not a volatile person.  Trust me, you can even ask my friends.  I consider myself rational too.

I see an ex-friend at a restaurant/bar.  I was there to celebrate my friends 26th birthday, exhausted after finishing a 7 page paper that day at 5, then going to the class the paper was due at 5:30pm.

Anyway, the second I walked in the RED LIGHTS WENT UP! First Suzetta, thinking I stole her man (not true, some story she concocted(spelling?) in her mind) She gave me some 'tude.  Then, a girl who shall not be named, called me a whore.  The funniest part was she did the *COUGH* WHORE *COUGH*.  I think I turned around and quoted Bring It On with "no one has done the cough since the 90s" or something like that.

Later on in the night, I go to the bathroom with my friend (hence why I hate going to the bathroom alone, not the first time I've gotten into a fight in a bathroom) and THE GIRL is in there.  She washes her hands.  SHAKES HER WET HANDS ON ME fndjabfsj&*&^HJHJKHHGHBJIN.  Some obsenties were thrown (one sided from me) and I attempted throwing some punches until my friend came out of the bathroom, holding me back.  The girl proceeded to spit in my face.  Twice.   I was red the rest of the night.

I even drunk called my cousin, who thought it was hilarious that I was drunk but none of my friends understood my anger.  Even though half the friends I was with are hot headed, they did not get upset.  I knew that if that had happened to them, they would have thrown punches immediately.

It's over and done with.  I won't resort to violence because I am much better than that.  I think I just need to get rid of the stress with finals. 

I'm exhausted.  I have a headache.

I'm going to see Little Ashes tonight.  Hope the movie is good! Ciao ciao for now! 

Stress is through the roof.

I've been snapping at every little thing, (i.e. tourists walking so slow to the point where they cause ped. traffic; people who talk on cell phones where not suppose to; etc etc.

I can't wait for finals to be over.  I'm going to take some relax time.

Then on June 29th, I leave for Italy for a month.  It's going to be M-azing!

Follow me on it:

www.twitter.com/lauramaniscalco

i need a life. 

spring break sucked.  well the first half didn't, i spent it in dirty jerz with my cousins in clifton.  we partied it up in hoboken.  we danced to "stayin' alive" extremely drunk in the street.  good times, good times.  i love my family.

gotz ta gooooooo.  gotta get the goooo. hehe.  no, i have class in about 30 minutes and i want junk food.

love ya lotz!

Hi fellow TOLers!  I missed writing on here so I decided to run to the computer lab to write.

My life has been so hectic lately! I have to remind myself to breathe!

Spring Break starts April 8th, oh how I can't wait!

Here's what's been up:

My father was married in Italy before he married my mother.  He had two children.  They found me on Facebook.  How crazy is that???  So for the first time in my entire life, I'm talking to my oldest brother.  His eldest daughter, is nearly 20 years old..I'm only 21 for godsake!  It's complete insanity!  It's weird being called Aunt though, or "Zia" since they are Italian.

I hope to meet them some day, whenever I have money to catch a plane to Switzerland (yes, they live there, not Italy, I don't know why)

Saturday I am going to the dirty Jerzzzz for a birthday party.  Did I tell you that I have no sense of direction? I need to buy a GPS system ASAP! or ask my friends to borrow theirs.

Then next weekend I am spending the weekend with my cousins Josephine and Charlie! I am sooooo excited.  I am hanging out with them for a long period of time, for the first time.

We just recently reunited.  For everyone that is confused, the answer is "my father is a(n) (insert curse word here)"  

I must do some school work now.

Btw, I am totally excited that Evan Farmer joined the team! I LOOVEEE 2GE+HER.  "how much is a buttload?".  HAHAHAHAHAH!

"ONE LOVE, ONE HEART, LET'S GET TOGETHER AND FEEL ALRIGHT" 

p.s. - I've been heavily listening to Bob Marley lately.  Don't know why.  And Pearl Jam.

I was asked to seek reviews of an Italian film, so I decided to pick my favorite one of all...Cinema Paradiso.  I teared up watching the trailer.  The music and movie are magical.  If anyone ever has time, you must watch this movie and listen to the soundtrack.  It will change your life.  And I forgot to mention, it's Ennio Marcone's true life story of love and film.  

...studying, but I am not.

Ah, I don't even know where to begin.  It's been so chaotic for me.  I last wrote in January, that's a lie,  I wrote a few blogs about how school was giving me a hard time but I deleted it fearing my professor's were going to google me after I found out that if I google myself, this is site is about third from the list.

I just finished watching behind the scenes clips of Twilight.  The DVD is coming out on March 21st in the U.S. so a few of my friends and I are going to the midnight release parties.  Whoever is going to be in Manhattan that night, let me know if you want to meet up.

I MIGHT go see Russell Brand tonight at Barnes and Noble in Union Square for old times sake.  I miss my friend who I met at the Kooks concert and Russell Brand.

I think I am getting sick again.  I need to nap.  XOXO.

Whilst walking the Upper East Side today, freezing my bum off, I was SO upset to walk to the bank (which my professor made a great remark today) in the freezing cold until I saw this saying on lululemom atheletica.  it said "rosa sat so martin could walk.  martin walked so obama could run.  obama ran so our children can fly".  it was so inspirational, I stop my complaints.  Everytime I passed it, I stared at it to remember it.

Another point my professor made about going to the bank today was that we can't look pessismistically when going to the bank to deposit a paycheck.  You should be glad you have a paycheck to deposit or money to withdraw.  I never looked at it that way, it really made me think for the rest of the lecture.

It's the first day of class and I already have a buttload of assignments.  Now we all know what a buttload is since I have spoken about it in my past entries lol.  I'm going to have a different aspect on this semester, even though I won't be getting home everynight until 10pm, I'm still going to think positive.  That was my problem last semester, I cared but I wasn't positive and I failed.

"If you think you can, you can, if you think you can't, you're right" - mary kay ash.

I hope this semester gives me enough time to blog.  And I am going through serious Twilight withdrawal.  I wish I was re-reading the books.  Then again, I have so many other new and wonderful things to read this semester (I have a nice list).

19 days until I leave for the Caribbean.

BTW, does anyone think it sucks that McFly are going to Latin America and NOT America.  Also they're going to Asia too. WTF MATES.

HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (from the mighty boosh for any fans here)

A few blogs back I had said that 2009 was going to be chapter 21 in my life.  I feel that this is more that I had expected.  I was expecting a new chapter in my life, but this is more like a new novel.  So much has happened in so little time and they're life changing events.

Christmas Eve my uncle, aunt, and cousin JoAnn called from Italy to reconcile.  I found it extremely odd after 5 years.  The fighting began from his trying to convince my dying grandmother (his sister) to give him all the inheritance.  FAIL and CAUGHT.  Apparently JoAnn got married and is living in Venice and invited me over for the Summer.  I think I will find some form of transportation to there from London.  She was always nice to my family and me.  I still have my guard up though.

Yesterday, my brother hears the doorbell ring and it's my cousin from my fathers side of the family.  The story with my father is that he comes and goes in my life.  He left when I was 4 (left my mom, brother, and me bankrupt and nearly homeless), came back when I was 13 to finally divorce my mother (they didn't divorce because we didn't know where he lived) and he left after the divorce, he moved to Dominican Republic, came back when I was 19 and left after a few months and now is permanently living there. 

Anyway, my point is that his sister (my aunt) wants to reconcile too.  Well, I wouldn't call it a reconciliation because we never fought.  We realized that my father purposely lied about wanting to see eachother telling both women that they hated eachother.  I can't believe someone could be so cruel.  I really can't.

On top of it, when his mother was dying (my grandmother), her wish was to see my brother and I and he told her "they don't want to see you".  When I heard that, I already had tears in my eyes.  I don't understand how my own blood can be so malicious.  I haven't seen my grandmother since I was 3 years old and I never will anymore.  I didn't get a chance to say goodbye.  Who knew that seeing her at 3 would've been my last time. 

I am meeting my Aunt next week.  I am nervous.  I haven't seen her in 17 years.  I definetly need moral support on this.  I am overwhelmed with emotions. 

Also, another reconciliation happened.  One of my friends from Elementary School and I hung out tonight.  I was so weird to hang out and not do the things we did when we were in junior high school.  Driving in a car.  We missed out on a lot of years.  I felt glad to have her as a friend again.  We reminisced of the good ol' days.  And the not so good ol' days.

Okay, I'm REALLLLLY tired.  Did so much in one day.  Definetly need some sleep. 

t-minus 27 days until fun in the sun.

Which reminds me, schoo lstarts next monday.  I am dreading it.  I just want to graduate already.

?

been extremely busy.? the holidays sucked as usual.? new years was good though.? sorry, i really don't mean to be pesimistic, but my mother is driving me to insanity.? i need to get out of staten island ASAP!

I got a call on Christmas day from Gareth in London.  It was so nice to hear from him!  Definetly a great Christmas present, but I'm apparently getting a British package from him.  I wonder what it'll be.

We got a call the day after Christmas from my cousin in Italy who we haven't spoken to in 5 years.  After my grandma died, we fought.  Apparently she called to apologize and invited us to go visit her in Venice.  I think I will in the summer, maybe go straight from London.

Another MAJOR reason I am writing is because 12/27 is a huge deal for me.  6 years ago today, in 2002, I went to see Chris Trousdale in concert.  I saw The Biggest Fan, which was one of the corniest movies I'd ever seen.  Even though the movie sucked and I got hit in the head with a candy cane, I had a blast.  I went to the Beacon Theatre for the first time in my life.

I don't know what it was, maybe being told by Barry Cavanaugh that I can't take a photo, but I was mesmerized the entire time.  I think I met Lauren that day too, for the first time.  I had a photo of that somewhere, but it's lost in the abyss of photos I have.  That day was completely chaotic.

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Give me a break, I am 15 years old and very excited to meet some member of DreamStreet.

It's 1:36am in New York City.  I am sitting in Staten Island, exhausted but unable to fall asleep.  The holiday's make me restless.  I don't know why.

I hope everyone on TOL had a great holiday (or is still having one).  Mine was nothing out of the ordinary.  My life is boring and there is literally nothing to write about.

I spent all of Christmas Eve reading Twilight, I read the entire book in one day.  I found it hypnotizing and I fell under it's spell.  I feel like a 14 year old girl but whatever, I'm off from school for the month, I think I can give myself credit to read something I enjoy.

I had an epiphany while reading, we take courses on African American Literature, Women's Studies, William Shakespeare, and Dante Alligheri, and yes, they are very interesting, but I would find it more interesting if I ever had to take a course on Chuck Palahniuk or Stephanie Meyer.  Just a thought.  Or dream.

So tomorrow I'm going back to Brooklyn, work a few hours and then have a girls' night out.  We're going bowling!  I get so excited to go bowling since I don't get to do it often and even though I'm horrible at it.

Happy Holiday's to all! Love you!

When Gareth was in town, JoAnna, Kate, and I found out that is an extremely popular Christmas song in England.  I downloaded it and I sort of what to get drunk while listening to it.  It's called "Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues.

I thought I'd post some pictures of the week I had.

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the first snow in brooklyn.

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Enzo's 26th Birthday Celebration at Fushimi in Bay Ridge.

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Me and Gareth on Top of the Rockerfeller Building.

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Me doing "Smooth Criminal" at TOTR.  The walls lit up when you walked by.

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Kate's air guitar (not intentional) and my asain tourist in Times Sq.  I had to act like some sort of tourist.

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If you're a McFly fan, you'll understand the meaning on this photo.  "You're SOL"

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I rock hard at the hard rock.  Times Sq.

55 days until I go to the Caribbean.  I need to relax, my brain has already farted out.

My friend Gareth from London came down to New York City  to visit for the weekend.  I was befuddled on what touristy things to do, and apparently he's back in London now still raving about the weekend we had.

Friday - he landed in New York.  I had to work.  I also had to write a paper after work.

Saturday - I went to school early to type my paper.  Met up with him in front of the Apple store in Midtown since it was halfway for both of us.  We made up for two years missing of hugs.  Then we were off to the tree.  I took him to the Rockerfeller building even though I am petrifide of elevators (I tend to think the wire is going to break) but I managed.  JoAnna and Kate met up with us at the Hard Rock Cafe.  Me and him met through music so I figured to take him to the cheesiest place in Times Square lol.  Then I took him to W4 to some of the bars.  I wanted to go to the Bitter End for some good music, but it was so packed in there that there was fog on the glass so we went to the bar next door.  By this time JoAnna, Kate, and I were exhausted.  So we took a cab home and that was Saturday.

Sunday - I met up with him at Whitehall St. to hop on the ferry.  My mom missed him too so she wanted to cook him some dinner.  He told me he never had baked ziti before and my mouth hit the floor.  HOW COULD SOMEONE GO THROUGH LIFE WITHOUT HAVING BAKED ZITI!?!?  so he experienced his first ride on the Staten Island ferry, took the railroad with me and walked around my old neighborhood for a bit.  I was showing him some interesting things.  JoAnna met up at my house and we had delicious baked ziti with meatsauce, osso buco, meatballs, and sausage.  My mom also made some veal cutlets, string beans, and JoAnna brought the best cake I have ever eaten in my life.  JoAnna's dad picked us up and was so kind to drive Gareth back to his hotel on 53rd.  Then he drove me home.

Monday - Considering I slept only about an hour and a half to write my English paper, I still went to school.  I missed African American History because I was still writing the paper so I dropped it in her mailbox.  Then I went to my 11:10am final.  Then went to Anthropology at 1:10pm.  After Anthropology I met up with Gareth again in front of the Apple store because I had to purchase an item.  I was still shocked about the baked ziti thing and we got into the conversation of mac and cheese and HE HAD NEVER HAD MAC AND CHEESE IN HIS LIFE!  i was like "wtf do you eat in England?" and he replies with "crap" and I couldn't help but laugh.  So i HAD HAD HAD to take him down to E12th for some s'mac.  He told me it was one of the best things he had ever eaten.  I was like "BOO-YA" so I told him to go to Tesco's when he gets home and buy some s'mac haha.  in an alley. HAHA.  He left New York at 4:30pm, we said our goodbye's with nearly tears in our eyes.  I arrived at my apartment at 5:30, fell asleep at 6pm, and woke up Tuesday morning at 7:30am.  

Check out my facebook for some of the photos.  I am too busy at school right now to do that.  I have a final at 5:30pm and I have a paper due at the same time.  IN ITALIANO!  CHE FORTUNA!!! 

i feel like i've just been hit with a wave of anxiety.  i had to stop writing my paper.

this morning has been sad.  long story, i will write about it later because i believe the fight i got into is not over.  i try avoiding confrontation at all costs, but if someone instigates, i'm not going to trampled on.

so whilst writing my paper at Hunter, i opened itunes and i found the nightmare before christmas soundtrack on here, and literally wanted to jump out of my chair and start dancing.

i know a lot of people write about loving this specific movie, obessions with jack skeleton and the music  but this movie has a different meaning for me.

i was around 5 or 6 years old when this movie came out, my parents had just split up and i was on my weekend visitation with my dad.  he told us he was taking my brother and me to the movies.  i knew nightmare before christmas had just come out and i was ODing with excitement.  i asked my father "franco (i never called him dad, should've taken it as a sign of our love, so it stuck, till i said it again when he decided to show up after not seeing him for 7 years, i was 13 and he got mad), can we go see nightmare before christmas" and he said "yes".

because one of the terminator movies had come out that same weekend, he bought tickets for that when we got to the theatre.  when i heard him say "3 tickets for terminator" i questioned him "but i thought we were seeing nightmare before christmas" and he said "we will" and he continued to lie.

we sat in the terminator movie, my brother and father loving the stupid film and me upset.  he then sneaks me into NBC and i only saw the first 10 minutes and the last 10 minutes of the movie because he took me back and forth.

when i arrived back home to mom, i told her what had happened and she called him to reprimand him for his actions and should have told me that we weren't seeing it in the first place.  i think the truth would've been A WHOLE LOT BETTER!

my mother felt so horrible for what my father had done, she spent money she didn't have to take me to see it.  i realized that how much my mother loved me and how she would do anything for my happiness.

she later then bought the film on VHS, which i still have today.

nightmare before christmas has a different meaning, and my mom doesn't understand still why i love this movie so much.  it's a meaning of love for me.

okay i really shouldn't compare myself to them, but i definetly spent more than 24 hours in my bed.  i went to bed on monday night at 10:30pm and i only got off of it to go to the bathroom.  i just got out of bed today at 10:30am.  i have a stomach flu (it's a lot better today though, i just ate two pieces of toast and i'm doing the sign of the cross).

what did i do in bed for all that time? i slept most of it but i ate ritz crackers in bed and drank iced tea and soda.  i kept this all next to my bed.  i had my iphone in bed with me so i watched youtube while i was awake.  i was listening to vampire weekend and watching the click five videos.

i am in school today only because i have a buttload of papers to write.  whats a buttload? a buttload is 1000.  okay, i have 4 but whatever..

i pray i don't get sick in school today because that would suck.  i'm just glad the fever is gone.  the chills.  the kicking. the nausea. etc etc.  all the things that come with a stomach flu.

anyone going to see nate campany tomorrow night? i'm debating on going, whether if i feel well or not.  let me know. 

it's at the rockford theatre on 196 Allen Street, NY, NY

SO, the semester will be officially over for me in approximetly 10 days and you would think I would have at least one final paper written but nope.

i procrastinate really bad.  especially this semester because I do not care for it.  I just want to be finished with college, no more writing papers.

this semester is coming to an end.  this year is coming to an end.

I grew up A LOT.  I had a growth spurt, mentally, in 2002.  I came to an understading of life and death when I had a fellow friend/bandmate/classmate die.  He was 15 and I was extremely saddened by his death.  But, his death also made me realize how short life is and how I should take in every moment, so that day on I swore to myself I would change and I did. 

2008 was sort of like that for me except more positive.  I usually base my year on how NYE was for me, because if it was a bad one, then I usually had a bad year.

I finishing chapter 20 of my life, and coming into 2009/Chapter 21.  My first New Year's of being legal age to partyyyyy.  I hope 2009 is good to me. 

I have a paper due at 8:10am and I haven't even written anything yet.  I might want to start that so I will go.

BTW, I never went to the AAR concert, I stayed at work instead. LONG STORY!

Hope all is well with everyone on TOL. 

I was not looking forward to going to school today because Wednesdays are my worst days.  I'm at Hunter from 11:10am - 7:20pm.  Especially this particular Wednesday when I have to still finish that take home test that was due two weeks ago and doubt my professor will accept it.  Finals are around the corner too.  Final papers are around too.  Plus Gareth is coming the weekend I was hoping to write my final papers, so that's a bust.  I'll probably write them next Thursday instead of Friday - Sunday.

I was contemplating on whether to go to my first class but I couldn't sleep anymore and I did go.  My friend Jennifer, comes into class today and goes "Are you busy Friday" and I said "no", knowing I had work but assumed it would be a Friday night and she says "I got free tickets to the All-American Rejects show on Friday, I have an extra ticket, wanna go?" I was like "FUCK YEA!".  She told me she asked me because she remembers how much I say I love concerts.  I felt extremely grateful that she asked me of all people.  I had an urge to scream out and hug her, but that would be odd in the middle of class.

I am uber-excited.  Has anyone on TOL seen AAR? If so, give me your opinions.

I hope everyones Thanksgiving was Happy. :-D

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I am looking forward to Christmas :-D.  I put up all the Christmas stuff up today.  And you know it's Christmas time when you put in the *NSYNC Christmas Album while putting up the decorations.

My friend Gareth from England, who I met almost 3 years ago on a cruise is coming to NYC on Dec. 12th - 15th.  I'm extremely excited he's coming to NYC. It just sucks that it's the weekend before finals.  I pray I don't kill too many brain cells that weekend.

It's dinner time in Casa di Maniscalco (my last name is too effin' long),.  Peace Out XOXO.

wtf?  i am so confused but i still love mcfly and love the fact that danny looks hottttt!!

i don't get the meaning of the video.  did the zombies come from no-go city? why am i trying to make sense of mcfly? lol.

i like that this song is for children in need.  so buy the single. i did!  itunes, hmv, amazon, where ever! 

i like how there was a whole article in the sun on how mcfly's video needed parental discretion.

www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article1949781.ece

Your name is: LAURA MARIE MANISCALCO

Your heigh​t is: 5'5"

Your age is: 21

Your marit​al statu​s is: SINGLE

Your curre​nt locat​ion is: BROOKLYN

Your birth​day is: JULY 27TH 1987

this is my first blog entry, so excited!

i joined T1L awhile ago but i never had time to write an blog entries because i had 5 birthdays within a 7 day span.  between school work and partying, it was insane.

on thursday the 20th, we celebrated connie's birthday at duvet on W23rd.  it was insane.  we took a limo and we got annihilated.  it turned ugly afterwards with one of my friends almost got alcohol poisoning.  i felt horrible for her.

saturday we celebrated lauren and marilyn's birthday at suite in bay ridge.  it was a good night.  we were all scared to drink because of what had happened on thursday night.

i wanna say happy birthday to:

connie turned 24 on nov 12th

angelo (her daddddd) turned 51 on nov 15

my mom(51), lauren(24), and marilyn(23) was on nov 18th

it's sort of crazy how we're all changing and getting older.  it's the inevitable but we've all been friends since i was 15 so its amazing to grow older with friends.  especially me and connie who have been friends almost our entire lives. 

i should be writing my paper in italian right now, since it was due wednesday and it is now monday, but i am too lazy to write it.

i'm also alittle p-oed because my 8am african-american studies course was cancelled when she got there.  i could've slept an extra two hours instead of waking up at 5:30am.

thank goodness this weekend is a short one.

:-D