tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51626218083091858462024-03-19T09:05:50.629-04:00Preppygrams Singing Telegrams 800-936-SINGWelcome to the Preppygrams Blog !
This blog will keep you up-to-date on this unusual business and the funny and poignant encounters I've had over the years and continue to have in this my 30th year!
Who knew 30 years ago, when I started this to supplement my income as an actor, it would turn into a full-time business?
Enjoy!
Check out my website: http://www.preppygrams.com/
Or call me at 800-936-SINGKerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-66435004271641824202013-01-08T01:12:00.001-05:002013-01-08T01:12:13.794-05:00'Gram of the Week (12/12/11 - 12/18/11)<br />
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<b><i>HONEY, THERE’S A SIX-FOOT CHICKEN AT THE DOOR!</i></b></div>
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Kelly and Matt are celebrating their 20th Anniversary. Their daughter, Madison is finally 18 and old enough to vote…..and go as far, far away as she can from her crazy family!</div>
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Matt’s business partner in advertising decided to send a chicken singing telegram to the family to wish a Happy Birthday AND a Happy Anniversary.</div>
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So imagine, if you will, a cold night in December, up in Ridgefield, CT. It’s not exactly dinner hour. It’s more like 9:00 PM and it’s dark up in Ridgefield. The last thing you’d expect at your front door is a chicken. But there I was in full plumage. </div>
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Madison, is applying to colleges; all on the west coast. She’s let her family know that’s where she’s going and that’s where she’s staying. In truth, Matt and Kelly are from Santa Barbara originally. That’s where they met, as a matter of fact; in high school.</div>
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Also, there is a woman named Deborah Ann, who has a chocolate shop in town and everyone in this family has worked for her at some point.</div>
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I got to announce that in the morning, Matt was taking Kelly away to Turks and Caicos for three days, leaving Madison in charge of her two younger sisters. How’s THAT for a Birthday present, Maddy?</div>
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I quickly got the “flock” out of there, hearing Madison protesting as I drove away.</div>
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Kerry</div>
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<a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PREPPYGRAMS</span></a></div>
Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-38232932720186324382013-01-06T00:11:00.000-05:002013-01-08T00:52:44.501-05:00'Gram of the Week (12/5/11 - 12/11/11) <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 23px;"><b><i>HEY JUDE, DON’T MAKE IT BAD…….JUST SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN AND TAKE IT</i></b></span><br />
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Ever hear of Patch? Patch is a hyperlocal online news service. They are community-specific and encourage community contribution in order to realize the success and survival of their operation. They have a presence in many towns and cities in about half of the United States. Chances are high there’s a Patch online publication in your town.</div>
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Jude is a sales manager in the New York City office, selling local digital time to advertisers. A die-hard Jets fan, his coworkers wanted to celebrate with a singing telegram of a rapping gorilla. It gives me a chance to enhance my usual gorilla with some bling, a leather jacket, and baseball cap. This group added a New York Jets jersey to spice things up a little.</div>
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Very conscious of his health, Jude lives for his protein shakes, eggs, and peanut butter. He’s up every day at 4:30 AM to lift weights, box, and workout. Then he bitches and moans on his way to work, because he commutes from New Jersey and sweats on the train.</div>
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All week long, he avoids carbs like the plague and then binges every weekend. For lunch every day, it’s “street meat” from a vendor. He bites his fingernails until they bleed and “pec pops” (flexes his pectoral muscles). He wears extremely tight clothing and because his biceps are so big, his wife has to peel his t-shirt off every night. And apparently, he has a “thing” for Nick Lachey.</div>
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This guy’s a hot mess!</div>
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<i>(delivered a la rapping style)</i></div>
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<i>This job can’t be the easiest, it causes stress indeed</i></div>
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<i>You always bite your fingernails until they’re known to bleed</i></div>
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<i>Your boys are not complaining, but they might sue you for libel</i></div>
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<i>Do Luke and Matthew know they’re named for Gospels in the Bible?</i></div>
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<i>Your diet’s like a paradox, I’m serious, no joke</i></div>
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<i>One minute healthy, then it’s chocolate chips and Diet Coke</i></div>
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<i>Every thing you do is macho, still I have to say</i></div>
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<i>I’ve been told that you have a “man-crush” on Nick Lachey !</i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><i><br /></i></i></span></div>
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Kerry </div>
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<a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PREPPYGRAMS</span></a></div>
Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-5469233126817483542013-01-05T22:49:00.001-05:002013-01-05T22:50:23.323-05:00'Gram of the Week (11/28/11 - 12/4/11)<br />
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<b><i>I’M GOING TO CANZ-A-CITI, CANZ-A-CITI HERE I COME!</i></b></div>
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…they got some crazy little women there, and I’m gonna get me some!</div>
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John again! He frequents a lot of places and he's always calling me to sing to the barmaid of his favorite hangouts, or even the bank tellers at the banks his strip club has his business accounts with.</div>
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Sara is a barmaid at Canz-a-Citi Roadhouse in Patchogue. For the uninitiated, the “cans” ain’t for the beer. It’s similar to a Hooter’s. This Jameson-shot-drinking barmaid will tell you that Blue Curacao comes from blue oranges (who knew?). And after a few “Irish Car Bombs” and “Jaeger Bombs”, she’s known to growl like a bear and rolls around on the floor….all while she’s working! And when she’s ready for a nap, you’ll find her sleeping next to the ice machine. I was born 25 years too late!</div>
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Kerry</div>
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<a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PREPPYGRAMS</span></a></div>
Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-10557663673541294802013-01-05T01:28:00.002-05:002013-01-05T01:30:31.564-05:00'Gram of the Week (11/21/11 - 11/27/11)<br />
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<b><i>IT’S A JOLLY HOLIDAY WITH…VANESSA !</i></b></div>
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It’s the perfect tune to use for just about the perfect woman. Vanessa turned 40 this week and her husband, Alex, flew her up from Florida to celebrate with family and friends. In the interest of full disclosure here, I know Vanessa and she’s as sweet as they come. So when Alex called me, I was ready to do whatever needed to be done to ensure this would be perfect.</div>
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For me, finding a special tune for a special delivery is very important. It helps to define the person and the event. Sure, I use some “old standards,” but every once in a while, a singing telegram that I’m writing will just scream that it has to be written to a specific song. And that urge just won’t quit until I’ve chosen it and written the lyric to fit the tune.</div>
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All I could think about when Alex was providing the information, was Mary Poppins’ “It’s a Jolly Holiday With Mary” that Dick Van Dyke sings to her when they’re in the animated park with the dancing penguins.</div>
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I arrive at Meehan’s of Huntington down in Huntington Village, dressed as a big red heart, which allowed me to point out to everyone there that I had a “big heart on for Vanessa!”</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>(sung to <i>“It’s a Jolly Holiday With Mary”</i>)</div>
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(verse)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Your Great-Granddad was quite a guy</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>He gave you some money to buy</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A bathing suit, I guess</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>That bikini, you recall</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Was very small</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>He said, “Where’s the rest?”</i></div>
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(chorus)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>He’d also ask you to stop sunbathing</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>From the roof, I understand</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Because it was scandalous and scathing</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>You were causing traffic jams</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A C.O.O. and C.F.O. accountant</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>You’d think she is a gal whom you could trust</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>On a wine-tasting trip, she</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Was so tipsy</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>She stole a lot of wine accessories!</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>She leaves the fridge open when she’s cooking</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>No wonder it’s Vanessa whom we love!</i></div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> </div>
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Kerry</div>
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<a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PREPPYGRAMS</span></a></div>
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Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-18877293886464355902013-01-05T00:51:00.000-05:002013-01-05T00:52:22.725-05:00'Gram of the Week (11/14/11 - 11/20/11)<br />
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<b><i>HOW HAMPTON HOTELS DIDN’T END UP AS “HEARTBREAK HOTEL” FOR YOUNG AND RUBICAM!</i></b></div>
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Young and Rubicam, one of the world’s largest consumer advertising agencies, got some very good news via a Preppygram Singing Telegram this week. After months of creative review and research testing, Hampton Hotels rewarded them with their account; choosing Y & R to be their new creative advertising agency! <a href="http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/index.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Hampton Hotels</span></a></div>
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The hotel chain wants to introduce people to “Feel the Hamptonality”: a proactive, friendly service that the hotel team members offer their guests daily, aligning with the product and amenities at their hotels. It’s all about anticipating and fulfilling guests’ needs; going above and beyond. Free hot breakfasts, free high-speed internet access, and a clean, fresh bed. No more need to ask <i>“Are You Lonesome Tonight?”</i> With “Hamptonality,” there’s always a friendly face at a Hampton Hotel.</div>
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Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Hampton Hotels sent a singing Elvis to announce the selection. They see Y & R as a perfect fit for their needs. Like “peanut butter and bananas,” which is what Elvis used to say.</div>
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The advertising team had no clue as to why I was there. They truly had been kept in the dark and were eager to know the outcome of their proposal. I’m sure they were thinking <i>“Don’t Be Cruel,”</i> but once I started singing, they got <i>“All Shook Up”</i> and started to <i>“Shake, Rattle, and Roll,”</i> with a whole lotta whooping and hollering and high fivin’ each other.</div>
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<i> (sung to “Jailhouse Rock”)</i></div>
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<i>You traveled down to Memphis and you got that feel</i></div>
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<i>I’ll bet you walked with your feet ten feet off of Beale</i></div>
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<i>Now with you in our corner, we’re bound to excel</i></div>
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<i>You’ll show the world we’re different from the other hotels!</i></div>
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<i>We want you</i></div>
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<i>To help make our dream come true</i></div>
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<i>We’re full of confidence, can’t be denied</i></div>
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<i>With Young and Rubicam right by our side</i></div>
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Once Young and Rubicam get to work on their advertising campaign, <i>“You Can’t Help Falling In Love”</i> with Hampton Hotels. </div>
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Kerry</div>
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<a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PREPPYGRAMS</span></a></div>
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Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-25150538841307022922013-01-04T01:29:00.003-05:002013-01-04T01:35:47.964-05:00'Gram of the Week (11/7/11 - 11/13/11)<br />
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<b><i>WOODSTOCK; THREE DAYS OF PEACE, LOVE, AND …..WORKING AT THE A & P</i></b></div>
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Poor Elaine. She REALLY wanted to get up to Woodstock in 1969. In fact, she was supposed to go and made plans to go with friends. Unfortunately, her boss at the A & P had plans of his own and that was for her to work the checkout as a cashier that legendary weekend in August. To this day she’s still complaining. (I imagine she might feel a little like Pete Best, the former drummer of the Beatles, before he was unceremoniously replaced by Ringo Starr!). And missing that concert might explain why today her favorite band is The Village People (ewwwww) !</div>
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An alum of Maria Regina High School, she was retiring from the Town of Hempstead in Planning and Economic Development with a dinner celebration at King Umberto’s in Elmont. Her co-workers had me deliver a singing telegram dressed as a nun: Sister Bernstein from Our Lady of Perpetual Motion.</div>
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Elaine has quite the storied past. And each story is more “fantastic” than the previous one. She claims Oliver Cromwell drove her ancestors out of England and they ended up in Freeport, New York, where she would hang out on street corners drinking Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill and Tang. (Cromwell died in 1658 and Freeport was settled in 1640, so there is an element of truth in that!)</div>
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Aside from being a Foosball legend, her claim to fame is that she’s had a drink in every bar in Nassau County (that’s some feat!). In the late-’70’s and early-’80’s she hung out with Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground at Studio 54 (But didn’t the V. U. disband in ’72 and not play for some 18 years?).</div>
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Her retirement plans are to settle on land she owns in Virginia, and make moonshine to supplement her income…….or to become a holistic health counselor.</div>
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Kerry</div>
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<a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PREPPYGRAMS</span></a></div>
Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-55229322801687766452013-01-03T22:03:00.003-05:002013-01-03T22:06:44.052-05:00'Gram of the Week (10/31/11 - 11/6/11)<br />
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<b><i>COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND; WHERE YOU CAN FURTHER YOUR EDUCATION AND ………GET MARRIED?</i></b></div>
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Spec (that’s his name -- Spec) saw me do an Anniversary singing telegram recently at the Sovereign Motor Cars Mercedes dealership off the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn and it got him thinking. He’d been dating his girlfriend, Lena, since High School, and he was trying to figure out how and where he wanted to propose to her.</div>
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There’s just one big problem; his culture. He’s Albanian. And so is Lena. And there are rules. As I was to discover, it is a very, VERY conservative, strict, protective, family-oriented culture. They had to keep their dating private because if Lena’s brother or her family found out, it would be Bad-News-Bears for Spec. Like I said, he’s Albanian, too. It’s not like she was dating “outside” of the culture. I’m guessing the guys can be wild and crazy, but don’t even think about messing with their sisters!</div>
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Spec has a good job with Sovereign and even gets to drive a nice-looking 2011 white CLS as a perk. Lena’s in college now; specifically at the College of Staten Island for education. I assume by now, he’s made nice with the family. He already went to Lena’s Dad to ask for her hand in marriage. The only thing left was the proposal.</div>
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So Spec found out Lena’s classes and went to her professors. Professor Gold gave the OK and even went as far as telling the class at the previous lecture, that he was going to bring in Dr. “Fox”, from the psychology department to talk about a new and exciting teaching technique the psychology department wanted to implement.</div>
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I show up to campus at the appropriate time. Spec is smoking like a fiend, nervous as hell, and drawing a lot of attention from campus security. I asked “What are you nervous about? I’M the one who has to sing! All you have to do is get down on your knee on cue and pop the question.” He made the mistake of waving his video camera around a little too liberally. Security came over and told him to put it away or they’d kick him off campus……and stop smoking; it’s not allowed. (I’m thinking he’s going to blow it before we get anywhere near the class.)</div>
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I agree to secrete the camera inside my lab coat (I’m a professor from the psych department, remember?), thereby making me an accessory to the “crime”. Our window of opportunity was closing, so I said, “le të shkojë ” (“let’s go” in Albanian). I knock on the door, was greeted very warmly by Professor Gold and proceeded to ad lib my way through some BS about how the use of song is very effective as a teaching method and I was going to prove it to them by singing to them and then testing them. Lena’s girlfriend was also taking the class and was able to make hand motions behind Lena to indicate who she was (she looked nothing like her picture!)</div>
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Halfway through the song, I look at Lena and start to sing some very personal material (Philly Eagles fan, collects designer pocketbooks, sleeps with her socks on, wouldn’t kiss Spec on their first date, etc.) and she’s thinking it’s still part of the teaching technique and that she’s the guinea pig with all the personal info that I’m going to test the class on.</div>
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It wasn’t until:</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>“When you first dated Spec, it’s known</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>You changed his name on your cell phone</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>You renamed him ‘Lu’, no doubt</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>So your brother would not find out</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>C.S.I. is where Spec chose</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>To be the place to propose</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>So now he’s down on bended knee</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And he’s asking……….”</i></div>
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At which point Spec walks in the room, pulls out a ring, gets down on one knee and asks,</div>
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“Lena, will you marry me?”</div>
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The whole class erupted. No one knew what was going on. They’re cheering, Lena’s crying, Spec’s crying, Lena’s sister is recording, and Professor Gold wanted me to talk more about the “singing teaching technique” !</div>
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Lena said “yes,” by the way. I hope they’re very happy and have lots and lots of little Albanian children. At the very least, just so Spec can continue the tradition and put his daughters’ boyfriends through hell when it comes time for them to start dating!</div>
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Kerry </div>
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<a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PREPPYGRAMS</span></a></div>
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Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-51815723752996518002013-01-02T20:45:00.001-05:002013-01-02T20:45:11.266-05:00'Gram of the week (10/24/11 - 10/30/11)<div style="font: 23.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<b><i>HER OWN PRIVATE CONCERT SOME 54 YEARS LATER!</i></b></div>
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Mary turned 70 this week and her children sent her a singing telegram out to Mattituck, where they were celebrating at the Transfiguration of Christ Church.</div>
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Fond of playing BINGO and Scrabble online, “Crabmary” is always early with everything; including birthday wishes. She gives gifts earlier than she should and she’ll even wish you a Happy Birthday on the day before your actual day.</div>
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She’s quirky in that she always has to smell her food before she eats it (maybe not THAT quirky. After pouring bad milk into my coffee many years ago, I’ve never recovered. To this day, I’ll take a quick whiff of the milk before adding it to my coffee; even if I personally open a brand new container!). She’s also lots of fun at parties. One Halloween, Mary dressed up as a Bag Lady. She was so convincing, that no one knew it was she and suspected an actual Bag Lady had crashed the party!</div>
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Her only big regret: back in High School, she and her girlfriend cut school to go see Elvis Presley in concert. Never got the chance though, because they got caught. So some 54 years later, her family thought it was time to right a wrong and send an Elvis to their Mom.</div>
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Thank you. Thankyouverymuch!</div>
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Kerry</div>
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<a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PREPPYGRAMS</span></a></div>
Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-11126844254508822572013-01-02T19:54:00.004-05:002013-01-02T20:18:17.757-05:00'Gram of the Week (10/17/11 - 10/23/11)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>WHAT DO YOU GET THE GIRL WHO HAS NOTHING ( I mean who </i></b><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b><i>WEARS</i></b></span><b><i> nothing)?</i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A singing pink gorilla, of course! Taylor Vixen was the 2010 Penthouse Pet of the Year (for the sake of propriety, I'll forgo the usual links to other sites!) Taylor was in town to do some promotional work and Café Royale, the exotic nightclub in Farmingdale, was hosting her and discovered it was her Birthday. One of my good customers, John, who manages the club and has been the subject of a number of my blogs, called me up with a last-minute SOS. Knowing I'd never refuse a last-minute request to stop at the club (for work, for WORK!), I wrote up a song highlighting her.....uh.....attributes. John instructed me to go all out and not to worry; "she makes her living in the porn industry!" After all, she recently had been on Howard Stern's Sirius XM radio show, bragging about her natural D-cups.</span></div>
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But all of the jokes seemed to go over Ms. Vixen's head.</div>
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One of my usual throw-away lines is to say, <i>"I don't strip or belly dance"</i>.......[crickets]</div>
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<i>"I've come to croon, with my <span style="text-decoration: underline;">own</span> balloons"</i>...[crickets]</div>
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<i>"The details of your age are kinda murky</i></div>
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<i>I have to say you're looking pretty...perky!"</i>...[crickets]</div>
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<i>"PURE Night Club's host"</i></div>
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<i>You are the most</i></div>
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<i>There's nothing finer</i></div>
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<i>Than your.........shapely body!"</i>........[crickets]</div>
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The patrons liked it. John liked it. Well, I guess that was the most important thing; keep the customer happy!</div>
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Kerry</div>
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<a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PREPPYGRAMS</span></a></div>
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Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-33267440392562952062013-01-02T00:08:00.000-05:002013-01-02T00:09:23.073-05:00'Gram of the Week (10/10/11 - 10/16/11)<br />
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<b><i>“THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND, THIS LAND IS MY LAND…”</i></b></div>
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October 2011. The Occupy Wall Street movement is in full swing. Ted works for Deutsche Bank down on Wall Street and has to walk past the protesters in Zuccotti Park. Every. Single. Day. He has nothing but disdain for them. At 35, he’s not much older than they are. And like Andrew Breitbart, he has been known to “engage” with them on his way to work.</div>
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This Wharton grad is very fond of trading distressed convertible bonds, specifically GM, Ford, and Yellow Roadways. He’s also obsessed with his “Euro Hedge”. He met his wife in a bar. But he had to go really low to get her. He told her he was a Democrat, a Red Sox fan, and that he worked at Goldman Sachs. Her response was priceless: “You mean the jock itch company?” (that would be Gold BOND!)</div>
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His buddies over at Deutsche Bank wanted to have a little fun with Ted. They sent me in as a Hippie Occupy Wall Street protester who was able to “gain access” to the building to show him no hard feelings and that the “guys over at Zuccotti Park” wanted to treat him to a Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Latte and a dozen donuts.</div>
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One would figure he could take a joke. After all, at Wharton, he used to write for the Follies; no small accomplishment. I don’t think Ted was amused!</div>
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Kerry</div>
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<a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PREPPYGRAMS</span></a></div>
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Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-9241372590845404562013-01-01T23:05:00.000-05:002013-01-01T23:06:51.159-05:00'Gram of the Week (10/3/11 - 10/9/11)<br />
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<b><i>PERHAPS THE FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY FIGHT SONG WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER CHOICE!</i></b></div>
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Fairfield University’s mascot is Lucas, the red stag. I don’t think a Reggae Gorilla comes close to looking like Lucas, unless you squint your eyes really, really tight; but who am I to judge? After all, it IS college and there might be lots of underage imbibing……..even if it IS Fairfield! </div>
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Julia is a sophomore at Fairfield University. She turned 20 this week and the only way her “friends” wanted to celebrate was with a singing telegram in the cafeteria at the Barone Student Center…..at lunch-time.</div>
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Imagine the scene; a packed cafeteria, a cornered bio/chem major, and a Reggae Gorilla revealing <i>most</i> of her secrets for the student body to hear. This Chris Brown fan is addicted to Juicy Juice, is a germaphobe, hates those who text loudly (?), likes to talk in a high-pitched baby voice, and can’t play soccer for the Stags because she rolled her ankle while wearing high heels! And those are only the things I can repeat in mixed company.</div>
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Oh yeah, she might be a little bit gullible, too. One of her friends prank-called her, saying she was the Dean of the school, and scared the bejesus out of her; hook, line, and sinker.</div>
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“Deuces”, Jules!</div>
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Kerry</div>
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<a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PREPPYGRAMS</span></a></div>
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Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-72265400347043889062013-01-01T01:47:00.003-05:002013-01-02T20:19:08.604-05:00'Gram of the Week (9/26/11 - 10/2/11)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Times New Roman', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 800;"><i></i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Times New Roman', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b><i>"FOR WHAT DO WE LIVE, BUT TO MAKE SPORT FOR OUR NEIGHBORS, AND LAUGH AT THEM IN OUR TURN?"</i></b></i></span></div>
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Husband and wife, Scott and Janice, celebrated both of their 50th birthdays this week in Babylon. Neighbors Janet and George couldn't be there and sent a comic Elvis to sing to them at their "Prom-themed" 50th Birthday celebration.</div>
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Their neighborhood in Copiague is very, VERY close-knit. They not only look out for each other, but they tend to get in each other's way, as well......often!</div>
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Whoever said that "good fences make good neighbors" and "love your neighbor, but don't pull down your hedge," obviously didn't know the gang on Harbor Court.</div>
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Not only is there always a party going on, but they also take vacations together. In Las Vegas, Scott fell asleep by the pool, only to wake up surrounded by empty bottles of beer his neighbors surreptitiously placed around him. </div>
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Practical jokes seem to be a required skill to belong to this group. During Christmas one year, Scott and Janice brought their two TV sets for their daughters over to Janet and George's place for safe-keeping. They ended up putting their own tags on the gifts, so when Scott and Janice's daughters unwrapped the TVs from Santa, it didn't say it was from Santa Claus; no, it had Janet and George's names on it.</div>
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Scott enjoys water sports and has a lot of water-related "toys" on his property. One neighbor went so far as to put a huge sign on Scott's property that said, "Water Sports Rentals by Scott"! Scott got even by posting a sign on the neighbor's property that said "For Rent". They got quite a number of unexpected visitors that weekend!</div>
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Kerry</div>
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<a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PREPPYGRAMS</span></a></div>
Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-80048909004606193582012-12-31T21:52:00.001-05:002013-01-01T23:10:38.123-05:00'Gram of the Week (9/19/11 - 9/25/11)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><i>TIME HEALS EVERYTHING !</i></b></span></div>
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Deb Silver's husband, Steven loves her .......a lot! They live in England and split their time commuting back and forth between Manchester and New York City. Tall and beautiful, a la Diana Rigg, Deb is a lyricist/composer and a jazz singer who headlines at the Zinc Bar in NYC. Steven is Steven Stone of Steven Stone Jewellers in the United Kingdom. (<a href="http://www.stevenstone.co.uk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">http://www.stevenstone.co.uk/</span></a>)<br />
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This year's birthday found them separated with Steven working in England and Deb performing in NYC, while celebrating with her girlfriends at their New York pied-á-terre. Deb and Steven met 30 years ago in their 20's, split up, then met again two years ago, before finally getting married last year.<br />
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Here's a music video clip of Deb's homage to Steven after finding each other again. She wrote her own lyrics to the Beatles' "Got To Get You Into My Life" and spiced it up with choreography mixed with pictures of them throughout the years. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T2qj6aOn2w"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T2qj6aOn2w</span></a><br />
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Steven decided to return the favor by having me show up in tuxedo to her apartment in NYC and sing one of the ballads from her act. I upped the ante by personalizing the song to that tune ("Time Heals Everything" from <i>Mack and Mabel</i>). This time, Deb ends up being on the receiving end of a torch song.<br />
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<i>(sung to the tune of "Time Heals Everything")</i><br />
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<i>Steven's 'cross the "pond"</i><br />
<i>No disputing.</i><br />
<i>Back and forth, you're fond</i><br />
<i>Of commuting.</i><br />
<i>30 years ago, met, it's said.</i><br />
<i>Split, then met again</i><br />
<i>Now, you're wed!</i><br />
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<i>He's enthralled with you</i><br />
<i>Like no other.</i><br />
<i>To his children</i><br />
<i>The best stepmother</i><br />
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<i>Today it's you he's thinking of</i><br />
<i>It won't be long now till October</i><br />
<i>To Hale you'll be going over.</i><br />
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<i>Happy Birthday, Deb</i><br />
<i>Steven sends this with</i><br />
<i>All his love.</i><br />
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Kerry<br />
<a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PREPPYGRAMS</span></a>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-10347211442193677062011-09-27T12:14:00.005-04:002011-09-27T12:51:09.876-04:00'Gram of the Week (9/12/11 - 9/18/11)<span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOW DO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE DONATA?</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Mary Johnson was a nun for over 20 years. With the chosen name of Sister Donata, she worked in the </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Missionaries of Charity </span><span style="font-size:130%;">congregation with Mother Teresa in Calcutta.<br /><br />The operative word here is "was". She is no longer a nun. Having left the order, she came back to the States and wrote a book called<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unquenchable-Thirst-Following-Service-Authentic/dp/0385527470/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317141230&sr=1-1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">"An Unquenchable Thirst: Following Mother Teresa in Search of Love, Service, and an Authentic Life"</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />The book, published by Random House, was scheduled to hit the market on Tuesday. Her story is in the October issue of O Magazine, with Oprah and Rosie O'Donnell on the cover.<br /><br />What better way to celebrate and thank Mary's publisher and her agent by sending a singing nun to sing a congratulatory/thank you telegram from a former nun. (what's with all the singing nuns lately?)<br /><br />Dan Conaway is Mary's agent. He nixed the idea of Mary's original sub-title for the book, which was <span style="font-style: italic;">"Mother Teresa Wasn't Always Pleased With Me"</span>. There was also some private joke in there involving Copernicus, when he awoke from his coma after someone placed a published copy of his "De Revolutionibus" in his hands, took his last breath, and died!<br /><br />From there I went to Random House to sing to a group of editors, publicists, audio book producers, and their assistants -- all of whom tried their very best to take in the sight of a singing nun, congratulating them and thanking them for all the work they did to make Mary's book possible. I was a big hit all around.<br /><br />Loved collaborating with Mary on this. The only unanswered question is "Who will play her in the movie?" She suggested that I should, given that I was so convincing in my habit. But I'm thinking more along the lines of Debra Winger, or her heir apparent!<br /><br />Kerry<br /><a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Preppygrams</span></a><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span><br /></span></span></span>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-18793491509749896672011-09-21T11:21:00.008-04:002011-09-27T11:38:13.360-04:00'Gram of the Week (9/5/11 - 9/11/11)<span style="font-size:180%;"><strong><em>THE WEEK THAT WASN'T !</em></strong></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">This week will go down as being more interesting for the deliveries that </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">didn't</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> happen, as opposed to the ones that did.<br /><br />On Monday, a woman called me to inquire about a delivery at a hospital in NYC for someone who had minor surgery. Each hospital has its own policy regarding deliveries, as well as what costumes are permitted. It's always best to check beforehand. Most hospitals DO allow singing telegrams, but generally limit delivery time to visting hours. Some restrict balloons and very often "suggest" that anything loud and outrageous be toned down. So even gorillas and chickens pass the smell test.<br /><br />But this woman had asked about a grim reaper! A grim reaper?" Really? "A grim reaper at a hospital?"<br /><br />"Why not?", was her reply.<br /><br />"Maybe the fact that some people go into a hospital but don't come out. I think it would be alarming to have the grim reaper share an elevator with a relative of a recently deceased person....not to mention it's really in poor taste and inappropriate. I am </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">sure</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> the hospital won't allow it. And even if they did, I wouldn't be interested in doing this delivery for you."<br /><br />"But you're in the service industry!" she snapped.<br /><br />"Yes, I am," I replied, "but I have certain guidelines that have to be met. A delivery like this could prove to be hurtful to someone, just by an unintentional meeting. And that's not the kind of business I run. I can't fill the request that would result in your satisfaction."<br /><br />"Well!" she clearly was clueless and exasperated by my response. Then she hung up.<br /><br />I'm guessing she got someone else somewhere to fill her request. As I like to say, "wouldn't wanna touch </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">that</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> karma with a ten-foot pole!"<br /><br />My second </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">non</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">-delivery started out as a delivery. A secretary called on behalf of her boss to order a Get Well singing telegram for her boss's partner, who was home recovering from being hit by a car while bicycling. At first she asked for a rabbi, because the partner was Jewish. After being told it's not on the costume list and suggesting the man might be offended, she opted for a singing nun, because her boss was Catholic. She claimed her boss approved it. I kept asking to speak to her boss to help clarify the order, but she said he was too busy to talk and she was authorized to do the ordering, which she did, using his corporate credit card.<br /><br />The delivery was to take place the next day, between 1:00 - 2:00 PM. The next day at 12:36 PM, 24 minutes before the delivery is to take place and ten minutes away from arriving at the house of the recipient, Dina calls to say her boss wishes to cancel the telegram because HE thinks the nun is inappropriate and offensive.<br /><br />"But you </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">ordered</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> it yesterday, fully cognizant of it being a nun, specifically because I didn't have a rabbi."<br /><br />"Well, my boss changed his mind and no longer wants it." she said.<br /><br />I told her she could change the costume, but couldn't cancel the delivery because I need 48 hour's notice and she's only giving me 20 minutes. I'd be happy to redeliver with another costume later that day, but she wasn't budging.<br /><br />"This is not a shirt you can return to Macy's!" I said. "Let me talk to your boss"<br /><br />Again, with the "He's too busy to talk to you. I'm authorized on his behalf to make the decision."<br /><br />I should have just said that it was too late, I couldn't get hold of the messenger in time, and left it at that. Instead, I headed to my next delivery. Within four days, I got a letter from American Express with an attached letter from Dina's boss saying he was disputing the charge with all sorts of made-up excuses that made me look like I run a business that could get a Triple F rating from the Better Business Bureau. (30 years of great customer service being thrown down the drain!).<br /><br />Thankfully, I have all the calls and time-stamps on record, as well as </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">every</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> page of my website showing the cancelation policy clearly stated. Over the course of the 30 years I've been in business, there have been about four disputes over charges and each time American Express has sided with me 100%, without even having to make a partial refund.<br /><br />What's ironic is that in each case, specific to the delivery, there is something the customer could have said that would have left me defenseless. Of course that "reason" would have been a lie, but nevertheless, I would have no choice but to refund the money to the customer. (For reasons you can understand, I'll elect not to disclose it.)<br /><br />So now, having submitted my data to American Express, I await the resolution which I expect to be in my favor. I'd much rather be concentrating on making someone's day a little happier!<br /><br />Kerry<br /></span><a href="http://preppygrams.com/"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Preppygrams</span></span></a>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-49587863620825941672011-09-19T12:02:00.009-04:002011-09-19T14:10:45.753-04:00'Gram of the Week (8/29/11 - 9/4/11)<div style="margin: 0px; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">HIGH MAINTENANCE</span></span><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font: 18px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 21px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Tiffany loves her brother...dearly. She's the baby sister of the Safavieh rug and furniture store family that dominates the home furnishings industry. Their headquarters and warehouse are on Long Island in Port Washington, NY. Tiffany's also a little bit nervous.</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font: 18px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">It was her brother's Birthday and she called me that morning to do something for the afternoon. She kept calling back to change the costume at least a half-a-dozen times. Then the bombshell hit when she said her brother was going into Manhattan for a meeting, but was coming back out at the end of the work day. I was a little skeptical because, he lives in Manhattan, it IS his Birthday, so why would he come back out to the warehouse if he left early to go into the city? And my policy is that I need 48 hours notice for cancelation, so it couldn't be canceled. I'd be happy to re-deliver, but if he wasn't going to be there, why waste everybody's time? She insisted he would be there.</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font: 18px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The last costume change was from a Rapping Gorilla to a Mick Jagger/Ozzy Osbourn-type rock star. The problem was that the rap had already been written and there was no time to re-write it, so the rock star was going to rap out the Birthday song. </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font: 18px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Complicating things was that I had House Seats to see "War Horse" on Broadway that night and I was taking my daughter to see it, so we had to be there by a specific time. Tiffany kept calling me as I was driving to the delivery, giving me traffic updates as to where her brother was as he headed back to the warehouse. As I pulled into the parking lot , Tiffany calls me, very nervous that Jonathan will see me upon his arrival. It's a huge parking lot and I told her that unless he was specifically looking for a surprise, and based on where I was parked, it was highly unlikely Jonathan would spot me. And that's exactly what happened. Jonathan arrived and went straight into the building.</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font: 18px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Tiffany decides to come down to the car to give me more last-minute instructions. It was then I got to meet her face-to-face and she got to see me sitting in the car with a 16 year old! I offered no explanation and Molly just smiled and waved to her. It was the first time all day that she was speechless. </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font: 18px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">But she quickly recovered and started to give me the scenario about how I should wear my costume and that maybe I shouldn't wear the spiky-haired 80's glam-rock wig I wear for such deliveries. I finally had to stop her and say, "Tiffany, please let me do my job. I know exactly what to do."</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font: 18px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">With that, I walked into the showroom/warehouse and started talking very loudly about how I was a rock manager and needed to furnish my airplane with Safavieh carpets, talking in a really bad over-the-top cockney accent. When Jonathan turned the corner, he didn't know what to make of me. I then told him I was the lead singer of a Rolling Stone cover band called, "Gathers No Moss" and that I heard it was his Birthday, so the boys and I wrote a little ditty and rapped it.</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font: 18px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Jonathan just beamed from ear-to-ear. He told his sister it was the best gift he had ever been given (I don't think that was hyperbole!), and baby sister Tiffany was pleased. She was so pleased, that she called me about four more times on my way into Manhattan to tell me what a great job I did and that her brother can't stop talking about it. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said. "You were right".</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font: 18px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font: 18px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">(a la rapping style)</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font: 18px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Let's celebrate, you're 28, knock me off my kiester</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">You're such a macho guy and yet you're a big fashionista</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">You're into bath & body goods, on that you should be dwelling</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Stick candles underneath our nose, then ask, "How is that smelling?"</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">"Competitors are criminals", of that you scream and shout</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">On every website you delight, "Make sure you're whoring out!"</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Soon you will go on QVC, where they sell Coach and Gucci</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Your dream, by far, to be a star, bigger than Susan Lucci!</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font: 18px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Kerry </span></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span style="font: 130% Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Preppygrams</span></span></span></a></div><div style="margin: 0px; font: 18px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 21px;"><br /></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-38132906045173567762011-09-18T17:42:00.006-04:002011-09-27T12:52:19.911-04:00'Gram of the Week (8/22/11 - 8/28/11)<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">HURRICANE IRENE</span></i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">There must be something in the atmosphere that affects and influences people's biorhythms...or maybe it's that primitive, caveman part of us, like the hypnic jerk, where you feel like you're falling just before you fall asleep. I've read that primitive man, or probably our more ape-like ancestors used to sleep in trees. And if you fell out of a tree, well, you were dinner for whatever lurked below. That jerking reflex kept you alive and from falling out of the tree!</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 21.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">It is with that, that I introduce a variety of highlighted deliveries for the week.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 21.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The week started innocently enough with a delivery to a 95 year-old retired medical professor from Cornell University; Dr. Roger Greif. An old-fashioned gentleman, Dr. Greif has taught and trained generations of young doctors throughout the years. His wife is a trustee of Goucher College in Baltimore. I had expected to deliver to his apartment on East 87th Street. I was mistaken....it was his house! His HOUSE in New York City. It's rare that I get to go to someone's house in Manhattan. The entire brownstone is his home, and he lives over by Gracie Mansion.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 21.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">What made this delivery so interesting is the inter-connecting of life's dots; the six degrees of separation. Making some light conversation after, I sang, I asked if Cornell was the only place he taught. Roger said that he had taught at Johns Hopkins in the early 1950's. Then I mentioned that I was reading this remarkable book called "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks", by Rebecca Skloot, which tells the story of how in 1951, at Johns Hopkins, a young black woman's sample of her cancerous tissues, taken without her knowledge or consent, continued to grow (and are still growing) and turned out to provide one of the holy grails of mid-century biology, making some of the most crucial innovations in modern science possible. Dr. Greif nodded and said simply , "Yes, I knew those people".</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 21.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Then Wella International sent me to the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa on Fifth Avenue to send a singing VIP invitation to two stylists/colorists to come to the annual International Trend Vision Awards as guests of Wella. Usually held in Europe in cities like Paris or Milan, for the first time the event is being held here in New York. It's a gathering of 65 other countries. Exciting for all I imagine, except of course, those in the industry who work in New York . So I went, dressed in my tuxedo, and sang a song to the very embarrassed duo, to the tune of "New York, New York", while their wealthy clientele looked bemused by the presentation. The staff was super. They treated me as if I were one of their guests, giving me a cool glass of water with lemon while I waited to perform.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 21.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Speaking of lemons, this next delivery was a testament to making lemons out of lemonade.</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Toward the end of the week, with the approaching hurricane, things started to get a little wobbly. Maria had originally called me a few weeks back to do a Bachelorette Party-type delivery out in Montauk Point on a Saturday night, but by the time she called the order in, there was no one available to do it, since it's a two-hour drive east and a two-hour drive back. I couldn't squeeze it into what was already on the books. So I sadly had to kiss that one goodbye. But Maria loved the idea so much, she decided to have it done at BLT Fish in Manhattan at the rehearsal dinner, the night before the wedding/reception at Cipriani's. The rehearsal dinner was also the night before the hurricane. She had asked for a singing chicken because the bride and groom collect stuffed animals and that's the closest costume I have to a stuffed animal. A few hours before the delivery, Maria calls me to tell me that Cipriani's called them to tell them the wedding was being called off. They had no staff for the next night because of the hurricane and they had to postpone it until sometime in October. That's enough to take the wind out of anyone's sails. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 21.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">But because it was Friday and the hurricane had yet to begin, they were already celebrating their rehearsal dinner with most of the guests who would be attending the wedding, including the bride's Aunt, who is a spiritual leader and the celebrant for the wedding. The couple opted to get married on THAT night, instead of some arbitrary date in October. After a quick "update/rewrite" of the song, Aunt Barbara stepped in to unite them, the chicken was the "cantor-du-jour", and Hurricane Irene christened the festivities.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 21.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">"Tomorrow was the day, it's true</span></i></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">You were supposed to say, "I do"</span></i></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">But a woman has stepped in-between</span></i></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">She goes by the name of Hurricane Irene"</span></i></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 21.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 21.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">And finally.......there's Louie. If anyone personified the imminent storm, it was he. It's Lou's 25th Birthday. With his two sisters, they run a Greek restaurant in Brooklyn. He's the cook. Based on what his girlfriend of six months told me, he seemed like a pretty interesting guy. He's of Greek/Mexican descent, speaks Italian, Greek, Spanish, and English, works six days a week, loves to quote liberally from Adam Sandler movies, plays poker with his buddies, and is a big practical joker.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 21.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">But this goes back to what I've said many times before; a singing telegram is </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">NOT</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> for everybody. You should know the person well enough to know whether or not they are a good candidate for a singing telegram. Louie was not. I'm in Brooklyn, poised to do my chicken delivery. The skies are getting dark and ominous and I'm eager to get back to Long Island before our predicted Category One arrives. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 21.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">It arrived earlier than expected....in the form of Louie. Oh, was he mad! And I knew it the minute I stepped out of the bathroom to confront him. I'm liberally editing the song, doing my best rendition of an Evelyn Woods Speed Through (look it up!), looking for that hint of a smile. It ain't there and it ain't coming. He finally put his hand up and said, "Stop!" Which I immediately did. I turned, walked back to the bathroom to change, and walked out. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 21.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">His sisters were very apologetic. I don't take it personally. "It's alright, it happens," I said. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I just wanted to get home. I had to walk past Louie and his girlfriend, outside of the restaurant, with him screaming at her and a look of complete astonishment on her face. (A side of him you never saw before? When someone shows you who they are......believe them. The </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">first</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> time!).</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 21.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The skies opened up as I pulled into my driveway.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 21.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Kerry </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><a href="http://preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Preppygrams</span></a></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 21.0px"><br /></p> </div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-7767394156193439252011-09-13T00:32:00.003-04:002011-09-27T12:53:07.772-04:00'Gram of the Week (8/15/11 - 8/21/11)<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">GOING FOR THE TRIFECTA!</span></i></b><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Evan has already surprised his wife, Stacy, with a singing telegram. It was a year ago, when he sent me to her Dad's dress designer company in the Garment Center in NYC.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">This time, they would be dining at Rare Steakhouse in Syosset. Evan's cool. I always admire entrepreneurs, who come up with neat ideas for their business. Evan's is called <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><a href="http://barmitzvahbouncer.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Bar Mitzvah Bouncer</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">. He provides a party chaperone service in the New York/New Jersey area for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, Sweet 16 parties, and any other teen party, where parents want peace of mind, supervising the kids, while the parents can enjoy the party, as well. He hires teachers who have that special knowledge needed to deal with the teens effectively -- a great and effective idea!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">I have a special kinship with Evan. Both of our wives laughed at us when we told them the type of business we wanted to start.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">This time Evan was going for the trifecta; he didn't just want to send me into the restaurant <i>once</i> to sing to his wife again, he wanted me to go out and change my costume and come in a second time, making it three times that his wife has been surprised with a singing telegram in one year.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">The first time, I was dressed as the Godfather/Soprano/Goodfellas/Wise Guy character, "Beansy". The second time, I was dressed as the chicken. It was raining like heck outside and the restaurant was packed for a Sunday night, but the owner had no objections to my singing in the middle of their dinner and allowed me to get into my costume inside the front of the restaurant, out of the rain (Nice guy. Note to self; patronize the place!)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Stacy just groaned and rolled her eyes when I turned the corner (She didn't know what else was coming!). But she was very gracious and took it like a pro, while zinging her husband with sideway glances. She was a little down in the dumps because they were supposed to be in the Bahamas Atlantis for her Birthday, but her daughter got sick and they had to cancel at the last minute....and no, this didn't make up for it!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">After the first song, I kissed Stacy goodbye, and said, "See you next year!"</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Five minutes later, I was back singing as a chicken. All she could do was just stare at Evan. Her Dad didn't even stop eating this time; just kept packing the food in, while I sang! At one point, she said to her husband, "I am so embarrassed!"</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Wait a minute. Let me get this straight; <b><i>I'M</i></b> the one dressed as a chicken and <b><i>YOU'RE</i></b> embarrassed?</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">On the way out, the restaurant owner said, "So you coming back as Elvis next?" </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">I answered, "No, why?"</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">He said, "Oh, the husband mentioned that he was having an Elvis singing telegram, too!"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">(Glad I got in and out early!)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Kerry</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><a href="http://preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Preppygrams</span></a></span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-30864034695832460232011-09-11T23:19:00.004-04:002011-09-27T12:53:27.780-04:00'Gram of the Week (8/8/11 - 8/14/11)<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">WE AIM TO PLEASE!</span></i></b><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I work in the service industry. My job is to give the customers what they want. I feel I already offer a unique business; custom-written, personalized songs, and a wide range of costumes from which to choose. But sometimes, customers want something else. Perhaps a costumed character not on my extensive list, a delivery outside of my delivery zone, or maybe a specific song, instead of a personalized one.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">As long as their request doesn't hurt or offend anybody, I usually comply; or make the attempt to comply. After all, as I said, it's a <i>service</i> business. I never say "No!" The next step, of course, is pricing the request to close the deal. The rental of a costume, the extra charge for transportation, or taking the time to download a song and then learning it. All of that costs money and has to be factored into my price for the specialized service. And most customers understand that and have no problem paying the additional fee.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Rakel contacted me from Sweden. She's working temporarily in the Stockholm office of B-Reel -- a production company that produces digital, film, and animation. It's her first Anniversary for her and Patrik; they've been dating a year. Her request was pretty unusual. She wanted a male singer to arrive at the New York office of B-Reel, dressed as a big red heart, and sing two specific songs.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The first song was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZUm2Gp3_AA"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">"You and Me"</span></a>, by Penny and the Quarters, which became a hit when it was used in the Ryan Gosling film, "Blue Valentine". No problem. That was easy.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The second song was a little bit more unusual. Apparently, they have this private joke between them that has to do with a South Park episode, where a hand-puppet sings a song a la Jennifer Lopez, called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tw6uckztIM&feature=related"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;">"Taco-Flavored Kisses"</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;"> .</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">And the request was to sing that second song, JUST LIKE the puppet sings it on the YouTube clip. Well, it took a couple of dozen times of listening to it over and over to get the rhythm and the pronunciations right ("Fulfill all your weeeeshizz with my taco-flavored keeeeesizz"), but in the end, I nailed it: picture perfect.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Now I can't get the damned song out of my head!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Kerry</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Preppygrams</span></a></span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-15189069145087841912011-09-10T20:23:00.009-04:002011-09-27T12:53:58.449-04:00'Gram of the Week (8/1/11 - 8/7/11)<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">A FITTING TRIBUTE FOR A FINAL BIRTHDAY</span></i></b><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">......and sometimes, when you are faced with tragic news, you want to help ease the burden a little bit, get them to enjoy the here and now, and make someone's day just a little bit brighter.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Gina called, asking for a quote to do a singing gorilla with a pink tutu for Little Egg Harbor, NJ; a place I had never heard of. It's a little bit north of Atlantic City and having recently driven down there, I wasn't eager for another six hour round trip. I told her that Little Egg wasn't in my coverage area, then gave her the phone numbers of other companies out of Philadelphia that might be able to do it for much less.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I almost felt embarrassed to quote her my rate. I'd also be limited to a specific time, since I'd have to leave by 9 AM in order to get there somewhere between Noon and 1 PM, getting me back to Long Island by 4:30, 5:00 for my other deliveries.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Gina's Dad, Frank, was going to be celebrating his 70th Birthday and the family had just received some pretty devastating news; he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and this Birthday was more than likely going to be his last.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">His kids and grandkids were all going to be seeing him later on the weekend, but because of their schedules and jobs and distance needed to travel to get there, no one was going to be with him on his actual Birthday.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I told Gina I'd go above and beyond -- write as long a song as I would need to fit in as much information she wanted to give me, as well as throw in a balloon bouquet, but I couldn't do it for less than my quote.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I don't know what happened with the other companies, but she called back in the evening, the night before Frank's Birthday. "They </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">are</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> less expensive," she said, "but I don't like what they're offering. We want to go with you."</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">She and her siblings had reasoned that this would be all the future Christmas gifts, Father's Day gifts, and Birthday gifts, that they'd no longer be able to give him, all rolled into one.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">"Gina, you're breaking my heart."</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I got right to work, writing the Mother-of-all-gorilla-in-tutu-songs for Frank, a retired auto body mechanic, who now spends his days fishing and crabbing. There was also the story of how, many years ago, while trying to cut a bush, he cut off the cat's tail, and part of his finger!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">His wife and neighbors were there to take pictures. We laughed. We cried. Frank exhausted his repertoire of Polish jokes (despite my Polish heritage, I laughed). I stayed until they ran out of different combinations of poses for the camera.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">"This animal lover is whom we hail</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Cutting a bush, cut off his finger, </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">And the cat's tail!"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Kerry</span></div><div><a href="http://preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Preppygrams</span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-82031527570730452952011-09-10T01:10:00.005-04:002011-09-10T01:34:01.954-04:00'Gram of the Week (7/25/11 - 7/31/11)<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">PETER PAN IS ALIVE AND WELL AND SLEEPING ON HIS FRIEND'S COUCH IN SAYVILLE!</span></i></b><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">David turned 40 this week. All of David's friends are married and have children. David's single and spends most of his time hanging out with all his married friends and their kids. By the end of the night, he usually winds up crashing on their couch. "Better not sit there. That's where David's going to sleep!"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">So David's friends ordered an Elvis for his Birthday. I show up and they're all shooting pool. The pool table takes up the entire living room ( they're ALL just big kids!).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">David is an independent film producer, who, when he's not searching the data base for a suitable mate on Match.com, he is taking enneagram personality tests, crossing yet another feat off of his "Adventure List", hanging out at the Walt Whitman Shopping Center, and eating his hamburgers "topless" (no bun!).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Oh yeah, I suspect he's kind of anal, too. When you invite him over for dinner, he not only brings his own food, but he goes through your cupboard and reorganizes it! Yup.....this bachelor's a real catch!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">But in all seriousness, David took the roasting in good stride. That's his greatest asset; the ability to laugh at oneself!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Kerry</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Preppygrams</span></a></span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-44248215123576712102011-09-08T10:22:00.002-04:002011-09-08T12:30:19.198-04:00'Gram of the Week (7/18/11 - 7/24/11)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><i>DANTE'S INFERNO -- HOT! HOT! HOT!</i></b></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><i>(recap of a gaggle of deliveries in mid-July)</i></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">A solid week of heat this week, where the temperature hovered in the high 90's - low 100's. Hot doesn't begin to describe it. I wake in the morning chanting "nogorillasorchickenstoday, nogorillasorchickenstoday, nogorillasorchickenstoday"....</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">But I cheerily book them when they're ordered. It's such an odd feeling, as I step into costume and immediately feel the waterworks of sweat cascading down my back and slosh my way into a room to sing. (So THIS is what Hot Yoga feels like!)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">*<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Had a delivery for a producer at NBC Nightly News. This one was in a tuxedo. Parking is a little bit of a problem in NYC, so you kind of have to find it where it exists and walk to your destination, otherwise you've got to shell out about $20 - $30 to park in a garage in mid-town for an hour. But I found a spot on the street about ten city streets north and three avenues west of 30 Rockefeller Center. Parking was limited to one hour, so I had to make tracks. A 15 minute walk going and a 15 minute walk coming back only gave me about 30 minutes of wiggle room. I don't think I got more than three blocks before my white tuxedo shirt was drenched. I carried my jacket, instead of wearing it. When I got to the building, I looked as if I had melted and asked for ten minutes in the men's room to "dry off". Then I sang to Megan about her craving for Magnolia's Banana Cream Pie and how she's known as the "Obit Queen" around the office. She's the go-to girl whenever a celebrity dies. Upon completion, it was a mad dash back to my car.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">*<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Freddy works for NYC sanitation and lives in Staten Island. He broke his ankle playing basketball in a pick-up game and couldn't work on the trucks, so his friends sent a gorilla/doctor. He felt so sorry for me singing in the heat, he gave me a six-pack of beer.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">*<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>David got a pink gorilla in a commercial high rise building in East Rutherford, NJ. He was on the phone when I arrived, so they put me in a conference room to wait.....and wait......and wait...... It had been a very long, hot day. I put my head back in the cool, dark conference room. The next thing I know, someone's nudging me awake. I had fallen asleep in my costume....I have never done that before. This heat sucked all the energy out of me.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">*<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The very next day, I have to sing to a fireman in Paterson, NJ. His wife sent him a cowboy, because he loves cowboys and horses. Just as I show up to the station house, they're called out on an alarm. Bad timing. They were gone for an hour. It was my last delivery of the day, so I didn't mind waiting, and given his job, it's the least I could do. I couldn't hang out in the firehouse, so I waited in my car, windows open and half out of my costume. With the evening heat, humidity, and hot winds blowing, there was no relief. Again, I made the mistake of putting the baseball game on the radio and putting my head back.....damn, if I didn't fall asleep again! Awoke to his wife at my car window, saying, "He's baaaaaaaaaaaaack!"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">*<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Sunny's parents are away and her friends out west in Los Angeles heard she's throwing a big Birthday pool party for herself with her folks out of town. Dressed as a chicken, I felt a kinship to my slaughtered brethren being barbecued on the grill next to me when I entered the backyard. It's probably the only time I would not have minded if someone decided to throw me into the pool. But these costumes are a bitch to dry when wet!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">*<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Carmela works in a laundrymat. Her boss sent her a comic Elvis for her Birthday. Seemed like a pretty cut and dry delivery, until I pulled into the little shopping strip to park my car in the shade and change into my costume. It was right about then that three police cars came tearing into the parking lot with sirens wailing to collar some guy, who I later found out was dealing drugs. It was a stakeout and they pounced hard and fierce. After about a half an hour of waiting for things to settle down, I was eager to get into the laundrymat to sing, so I just stepped out of the car and made my way across the parking lot....dressed as Elvis! It was a very cinematic effect as I walked by the crime scene. I felt as if I was walking in slow motion as all the policemen and the drug dealer stopped what they were doing to turn their heads as I walked by and into the laundrymat.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">*<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>And finally....I ended this blistering week with a delivery on <a href="http://www.thehighline.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;">High Line Park</span></a>; the "park in the sky". It's a NYC park built on the former elevated freight railroad spur of the West Side Line from West 12th Street to West 30th. Emi's family and friends were giving her a Bachelorette Party and opted to have me sing to her on the public stroll through the park instead of at the restaurant . After a week's worth of gorillas and chickens in the blistering heat, I "urged" her sister to go with street clothes in lieu of a formalized costume. Better to catch Emi by suprise and have a pedestrian just start singing to her. Apparently, there is some connection to Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman." So after narrowing down which party of ten females walking in party hats and hornblowers was Emi's group, I leapt into song. As I was leaving, I caught part of a couple's conversation behind me. "I don't know, why you don't you ask him?", the woman said. Then, directed at me, I heard, "Excuse me, but were you just a singing telegram?" I turned to find this gentleman, his wife, and their three daughters facing me and replied in the affirmative. The man broke into a big satisfied grin and said, "You sang at our Wedding 22 years ago at the Lawrence Jewish Center! You were a gorilla in a tuxedo!"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">"How did you know it was me if I was a gorilla then and now I'm in street clothes?"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">"I recognize your voice!", he said</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">"You've been busy!" I said, noting the three girls. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">"Well.........Mazel tov!" I said as I walked away.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">"That's what you said 22 years ago!", he shouted.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">What a week!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Kerry </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Preppygrams</span></a></span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-92142958846595011562011-09-08T00:11:00.003-04:002011-09-08T00:35:59.784-04:00'Gram of the Week (7/11/11 - 7/17/11)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><i>HOW TO KEEP YOUR WITS WHEN EVERYONE ELSE AROUND YOU ARE LOSING THEIRS!</i></b></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Marta's from Poland and she turned 25 this week. She also works at the Wall Street Journal. It hasn't been a good week for Rupert Murdoch and his News Corp. media empire with the phone-hacking scandal at the now defunct News of the World newspaper in the United Kingdom.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Even worse, this afternoon, his right-hand man, Les Hinton, resigned as the Chief Executive of Dow Jones (the parent company of the Wall Street Journal).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">So I guess you fiddle while Rome is burning, right? On the very day the Chief Executive is resigning, some of his staff is sending a pink gorilla to Marta, a sales planner, trying to brighten her day ( and I imagine everyone else's) and add a little bit of levity to the dark cloud hanging over the media tycoon's empire....glad to oblige!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">So I sang about Polish kielbasa and pierogi and drinking Dogfish Head beer.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">You've got to admire a company, whose owner is having the worst week of his professional career, if not his life. Rupert's employees are trying to keep some kind of sense of humor in their heads, while everyone else is losing theirs!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Kerry</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Preppygrams</span></a></span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-27960514084105097232011-09-06T19:13:00.003-04:002011-09-08T00:39:41.059-04:00'Gram of the Week (7/4/11 - 7/10/11)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><i>ON SECOND THOUGHT.............</i></b></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I'm not sure Orly thought this one entirely through. She wanted to celebrate her one-year dating Anniversary to Josh, by sending him a gorilla in a tutu to Blackrock in Plainsboro, NJ.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Blackrock is the largest money manager in the world. When you walk into one of their buildings, you'd think you were in Fort Knox, with all the secrecy and all the security. Even the name sounds kind of ominous.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Apparently Orly and Josh met while working out at the gym. He is as tall, young, and tattooed as she is beautiful; a perfect match! However, the info she was giving me was better suited for a private, more intimate setting among friends, not co-workers. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">(TMI !)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I kept asking her, "Are you <i>sure</i> it's OK to say this?"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">"Oh, yeah, yeah," she replied.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">All I'm thinking about is how am I going to get this past security since Orly did not have a contact person on the inside. I figured that the worst-case scenario was that they would have to call Josh down to security and I'd deliver the song there, instead of up on the trading floor, among co-workers.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Sure enough, I walk in the building and I'm immediately confronted by a cadre of retired cops, who now work the security detail for Blackrock. But they were cops with a sense of humor. Instead of calling Josh down, I got a police escort up to Josh. All five of them. It was an escort, because no one wanted to stay behind. They<i> all</i> were eager to see the gorilla in a pink tutu deliver to this huge guy.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">When I walked into his office, which was just off of the open trading area, Josh was on a conference call. He figured out was about to happen and managed to jump off of the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"> call. He knew he was trapped and there was little he could do ( he COULD have told me to leave, but I think he was trying to save face in front of his co-workers)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">Josh kept his head down the whole time. I'm pretty good at "reading" people, so I'm always very aware of body language. He winced when I mentioned the part about him sending "naughty pictures" to Orly</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">, especially in light of the recent Anthony Weiner sexting scandal. It was clear he was never going to hear the end of it from the guys (and the cops) at Blackrock.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">Forget about the two-year dating Anniversary....I'm taking bets on whether or not they're going to celebrate their 13-month dating Anniversary in early August.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">On the escort back down to the lobby, one of the security guards said, "You have the best job in the whole freakin' world!".............That I do!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><i>"You put Orly in a fix</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><i>When you send her naughty pics</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><i>To travel 'round the world, you choose</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><i>Where you show everybody your tattoos!"</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">Kerry</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Preppygrams</span></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><br /></span></div>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5162621808309185846.post-71930666126549741752011-09-05T18:13:00.008-04:002013-01-01T01:50:40.246-05:00'Gram of the Week (6/27/1 - 7/3/11)<div>
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A VISIT FROM SISTER MARY ELEPHANT!</span></i></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(Who wants to work after coming back from a glorious week in Rome?....well, I guess I do if I have to pay for the trip!)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">James is a former high school acting student of mine. I used to direct him in his High School musicals. He went on to major in music at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. His focus is Prog Rock and his band is <i><a href="http://www.edensongtheband.com/">Edensong</a> </i>(heavy influence of Dream Theater, as well as Ian Anderson/Jethro Tull.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">He brought me in to play keyboards/piano on their first CD, entitled <i>The Fruit Fallen</i>. They love to play funky time signatures (17/8, 23/8....which drove me absolutely crazy). The drummer would always say to me, "Don't try to count it, just feel it!" (He was right).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I used to make fun of myself in the group, calling myself "Grandpa", but they were very accepting and preferred to call me the "saucy Uncle!"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Anyway, James is getting married in August to a girl he met up at Wesleyan. His Bachelor Party was held in a music studio in NYC. His buddies surprised him by flying in the original vocalist from Dream Theater, who now resides in San Diego, to hang out and jam with James. They had me come dressed as a nun and I sang the song to the tune of "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria", from <i>The Sound of Music</i>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I considered it a privilege to catch him mouth agape and speechless!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(sung to the tune of "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria")</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">No argument here, you are Sarah's Adonis</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The very thought of you evokes a smile</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Progressive Rock's your thing, can't stand Alanis</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We cannot ignore</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Dream Theater is more your style</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We'll find you making soup two in the morning</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Studio engineer's your rightful place</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It drives you nuts, no bull</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">To have your back hair pulled</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">But "I am not a boundary in this case"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My friends, this wedding soon will be upon us</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It's married life that you will soon embrace!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganFuLvO39VPnLTq6Zk2v3vgK29L43QGiW0Y4p2xEqD12CN_96VVg9ApqMBGUL0XfaMlL_8o67ND6vDqYcnnZVZ0ekEelMpTc1f3d-0v-5zQamhT-QA9q84tk_P26W89_ZLzO9msA07J_y/s1600/269153_601995898391_16001113_33379156_4490815_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649010777444170050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganFuLvO39VPnLTq6Zk2v3vgK29L43QGiW0Y4p2xEqD12CN_96VVg9ApqMBGUL0XfaMlL_8o67ND6vDqYcnnZVZ0ekEelMpTc1f3d-0v-5zQamhT-QA9q84tk_P26W89_ZLzO9msA07J_y/s320/269153_601995898391_16001113_33379156_4490815_n.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 214px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Kerry</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.preppygrams.com/">Preppygrams</a></span></div>
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Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10003327329051773263noreply@blogger.com0