I'VE FALLEN AND I CAN'T GET UP!!!

Please forgive me...I'm very behind with blogging. The day was July 10th, 2010...

I was performing with the band, Mirage, at the Venetian in Garfield, NJ for a wedding reception.  During our soundcheck, when I was stepping down these 3 little stairs, I noticed the first two steps were slightly tilted downward and the last step to the ground was a larger space from the previous two.  Hm, I thought, that could be dangerous.  I was careful to ask one of the men from Mirage to help me down.  I was walking toward the exit to go to the restroom and BAM! I tripped over this large metal pole that is responsible for holding up the light set.  So I laughed at myself the way I always do when I trip.  Truth is all my life, I've been known to be quite the Puerto Rican Erkel!!  - I always tripped over my own feet, walked into lamp posts and am infamously nown for not being able to walk a straight line whenever any of my ex-boyfriends walked with me sisde by side.  It's as if I walking after 3 or 4 shots, except I haven't had any. LOL.  A few minutes later, I was walking toward the stage, and you guessed it, I tripped again, OVER THE SAME POLE! But this time I fell.  One of the band members who I call Uncle Ralph didn't see me fall.  But he looked down and saw me on the floor....AND KEPT WALKING!!  I was like, um "hello, hello anyone I"m on the floor!"  LOL.

We had just finished a GREAT set in front of about 250 people! We were taking a break, and I changed into my flip-flops, and you know I'm known for putting on the chancletas when my feet ache.  While I was changing, the band members began moving into the other room for a dinner break.  I have the flip flops on and I look at those 3 little steps.  I tell myself, Judy, be careful and take your time.  There is no bannister or anything to hold on to. No big deal..you got this."  I felt like Britney Spears because as I was falling in what felt like slow motion, all I heard in my mind was, "Oops, I think I did it again."  BOOM!! I went down, this time with my left ankle completely betraying me and turning inward COMPLETELY!  Aw, damn, this is gonna be bad.  I couldn't move because the burning sensation was just too much to take.  I just couldn't find it in me to get up. As I cursed myself for being so careless after forewarning myself, I looked up and noticed that in the crowd of 250 people - NO ONE SAW ME!!  I felt so freaking invisible!!  Um, hello, anybody? Is chivalry dead?  But perhaps it was a blessing because it save me more embarrasment anyway.  Suddenly I look to my left and I saw Mauro, our band director and pianist. Like a true Italian, he says, "Eh, Judy, what are you doing on the floor??"  God, this was THE moment to be sarcastic. I wanted to say, "Duh, You think??? I fell!"  But I left out the "duh-you think" and just said, "I fell." 

Mauro was as compassionate as could be.  He assisted me up and walked me into the room where the band was having dinner, and everyone said, "Oh, my God, Judy! What happened?" I told them I fell for the 3rd and 4th embarrassing time, and then Uncle Ralph, with the timing of a sitcom, says, "Is that why you were on the floor???"  LOL "I thought you were changing your shoes?"  I thought to myself...on the floor?? LOL           

Here's where the funny part gets serious! On average I am pretty clumsy, but when I become too clumsy, it can be a warning sign for me.  The last time I bumped into, tripped over, and fell onto a lot of things all in one day, about a week later, I had my first attack of optic neuritis. In English, the nerve in my brain that allows me to see became so inflamed that I went blind in that eye.  It caused irreversible damage to the nerve and to this day, I don't see too well out of that eye. I cannot read with it at all.  My point is, the optic neuritis put me in the hospital, where MRIs were done, and I was finally diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.  So yes, it's funny when I start bumping into things and fall down for stupid reasons, but no, it's not funny when it makes me wonder if an attack is coming on.  That is what I have to be wary of...an attack can come about when the body is overstressed or when the mind is overstressed, and I've been stressed in both ways for almost 2 months now.  Once the filming of the video is done and Beatstock has passed, I MUST take a couple of days to do nothing. Falling down's not so bad, I just don't want it to get me down, know what I mean?

(1 of 2) Adventure of Interviewing Aventura - Uh, Are We On Latino Time?

Hardly slept last night, just knowing I had landed the chance to interview Aventura!  I tossed and turned imagining what the interview would be like in my mind. Would I remember their names?  Would I remember the statistics that have risen them to fame?  Would I stutter?  Blah, blah, blah!  Fell asleep around 3am.

"Oh, my God!  The interview!...what time is it?  Oh, lol, it's only 7:30am!"   I HATE that panicked feeling!   I did all my errands, made my cafe con leche & watched the first 20 minutes of The View.  Damn, I wish I was on that show!  Why don't they have a host who's hispanic?  Aren't we almost the majority  minority?  LOL...anyway, let me stop.

I checked my facebook, myspace and found so many good luck comments, and extra interview questions that the fans and friends gave me that it ignited a happier spirit.  I looked over my notes, interview questions and decided that if I could just get the introduction down by heart, the interview would be a snap!   Here's what I came up with:  "Number 3 ont the Hot Tours list preceded only by Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears; Outselling Lady Gaga in ticket sales; 5 studio albums and their most current album entitled The Last remains at #1 on the Billboard Latin Charts for over 22 weeks; 76,000 fans, 4 sold out concert at the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden...Ladies and Gentleman:   Aventuraaaaaa...Yes Sir!!"  Confident that I had the opening, I took a 10 minute cat nap and made some business calls.

A bit later, the "romantic interest" I mentioned last night called me.  I need to give him an alias...I think for now, I'll call him Mr. Mak!  LOL.  Anyway we chatted about our career endeavors and talked once again about meeting tomorrow after I do a quick video shoot...remember how I said yesterday that it seems something k,eeps getting in the way?  Well, we hung up agreeing to meet tomorrow.  I was confident that we sealed an address and a time...and then I put the tv back on, and hear the meteorologist  ruin my day:  "All NY schools closed tomorrow. Noreaster coming sooner than we thought...12-18 inches by tomorrow."  Whaaaat???? Oh, my God...I can't win.

So I begin to get ready; rush to the station's studio.  The interview is set for 6pm - 7pm..  I get to the station at 5pm.  One hour early.  I rehearse that opening statement at least 5 times.  I  got it.  I'm good.  I'm nervous.  God, the butterflies...STOP!!  The music director says, "Ready?  Excited for 6:15?"  Huh?  Oh, okay I guess I was wrong...it's 6:15.  Okay good.  I have 15 extra minutes to prepare.  6:15 comes...no sign of Aventura:  Romeo, Lenny, Henry and Max.  We're told Max won't be coming.  Okay, I can deal with that.  
6:25
6:30
6:45  I begin hearing Jeopardy theme music in my head...
6:50.
Where are they?  Oh, I guess they're on Latino time...you know, "I'm on my way...I'll be right there..I'm looking for parking, etc."  LOL.  
Now it's 7pm...they're here.
But I can't interview them because they are scheduled to do a LIVE webcast at 7pm.  Can't let the fans down because the station has been advertising 7pm.  So I 'm told I have to wait.

I watched the female fans swarm over them like bees protecting the queen in the hive.  Cameras were atop of their. raised arms as an extenstion of themselves in hopes to catch them at the right moment.  

8:00pm...are we ready now? No. Now they have to do "drops", the liners that artists record so the djs can play them before playing their songs on air.  So I walked into the studio to watch and observe them.  I was willing to do anything as long as I could disttract myself from my nerves taking over me.  They were recording, laughing, joking. There were funny moments among them. I realized how down to earth and endearing they were and I finally relaxed. 

8:20pm -they walked in.. (To be continued tomorrow.)  I need sleep.  Goodnight.