Therese and I just returned from a great long weekend in New York City! The trip was very busy, and seemed mildly insane at times… but turned out to be incredible!  We stomped around the city getting a lot of stuff done, but of course, saving time for fun!

 I flew in Wednesday night and stayed with a good high school friend Alex Bavifard. (Thanks for letting me crash Alex!)  Thursday is when the craziness started.  Therese, Debbie Weiner (a friend of Therese who knows the city well) and I met with Brad Witter  who is a writer for US Weekly magazine. He is coming to Buffalo to cover Catwalk for Charity V in the magazine!  So great for the foundation!  The US  magazine office (which was beautiful by the way), is also in the same offices as Rolling Stone Magazine, and Mens Journal(HQ for Wenner Media).  In the office they have this wall of all the Rolling Stones cover dating back to the very beginning November 9, 1967.  It was jaw dropping to see the history! (see pictures)  We also are trying to get Rolling Stone Magazine to do a story on the event, especially since the theme this year is “A Reason to Rock!” 

After that meeting, Therese, Deb, and I had a lunch meeting with Eric Vinal, who is very connected in the modeling and entertainment industry in the city. He was so helpful and offered us so much valuable information about all the agencies, and gave us advice on how to further my progress toward my dream job of being  an NFL sideline reporter. 

Once that meeting was over, Tee and I hopped on a train to New Canaan, Connecticut where we met up with Therese’s college housemate Wendy (yep.. another Wendy.. we were both so thrown off all weekend! Whenever Tee would try to talk to one of us, we both answered! Haha).  We had some great sushi for dinner, and went to the Goo Goo Dolls (who are from Buffalo!) concert at Fairfield University. It was  a fantastic show, and we had a blast, especially when we went back stage after the concert to say hello to Robby Takac! Thanks Robby for the tickets and passes! See, Buffalo people love to always take care of fellow Buffalonians!  It helps that Tee knows Robby too!

See why I said it was mildly insane at times… that was all in the first day!

On Friday morning, we hopped on a train back to NYC, and while in Grand Central Station, we met Dan Donovan, who is currently the D.A. of Staten Island, and running for NYS Attorney General, and Rudy Giuliani!  They, funny enough, were going to Buffalo that afternoon to campaign, oh, and to eat wings at Anchor Bar! Haha

Once that excitement was done, we hopped in  a cab for a meeting with Dave Maryles, who is an agent with The Agency, Sports Management and Marketing, who represent Broadcasters such as Merril Hoge, Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, and athletes Reggie Bush, Colt McCoy, and Bruce Smith (and many more!) The meeting went so well, and heightened my excitement and drive for my future career! (See picture of Tee and me in the office)

After that we had the pleasure of meeting  Adam Lippes, a fellow Buffalonian, who is an innovative up and coming designer who you may have seen on Oprah, or in InStyle Magazine!  In 2007 he was named one of the “most important young designers of today.”  I got to try on everything in the store (which is called ADAM), and had a fun photoshoot with Debbie Weiner as the photographer!

That was it as far as the “business” part of the trip.   After all of that we met up for happy hour with another one of Tee’s Ithaca College Alumni friends, Dave “Tree” Memerg, and then headed back to Connecticut for some Halloween fun!

All in all, it was a super productive and exciting weekend! And… on top of that excitement, you can start to look for me on Time Warner Cable during local high school and college football games starting this week!!!  I am also doing red carpet reporting and interviewing for the Buffalo Sports Hall of fame on Thursday November 4^th! (posts coming later!!) As Therese put it, my career is on the fast track! A lot of it is thanks to her working her butt off for me!  Thank you Tee!

Hi! Wendy Haskell writing again! Just a quick update.. then into the post we go! I am finally back living in Buffalo! Got back just a few days ago, and the fun has not stopped since I arrived! Prime example below!

I’m calling this a surprise post because it was completely unplanned.. but so funny!! Therese and I went up to Niagara Falls, Canada yesterday with Kathy Carlson, Sarah Stuckel, and Amy Doyle, to celebrate July birthdays (Amy’s and Sarah’s). 

Here is the surprise part! While we were up there we caught wind of a buzz going around that Jimmy Buffett was going to be playing an impromptu concert at his bar/restaurant Margaritaville! Of course we couldn’t miss that!! Needless to say, the place was packed! The concert started at 5pm.. to go along with his song “It’s Five O’clock somewhere.”   The music was great.. the crowd was crazy.. and the Margaritas weren’t bad either (or so I heard!) J   He played all of his hits in about an hour, and the only one I really didn’t like was the “Fins to the left” song!! (that’s the song they play when the Dolphins score a touchdown at home).. he should be careful playing that song so close to Bills territory!! hahaha

After the concert we were fortunate enough to see Jimmy and his entourage walking out of the restaurant! He waved and blew us kisses! (so cute..see pictures!)

The whole experience was so fun and random I just thought you might enjoy hearing about it!  We will keep ya updated on more fun events and happenings as they come up!

~Wendy~

Wendy Haskell blogging here! It’s been a while.. but Tee and I had an exciting event last weekend!  Carvings for a Cause unveiled Andre Reed’s Carving at the 97 Rock Tailgate prior to the Bills game in the parking lot at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday!  Andre was of course there, along with Jim Kelly, and Ruben Brown!  The event was a blast, and the carving is great!  The tailgate party included beverages donated from Bud light, Mulberry’s delicious food, a dunk tank featuring a few beautiful girls called the “Causettes,” a VIP tent for our sponsors, music, and fun for everyone!  We had a couple sponsors which we would like to thank.. Sgroi Financial, Camp Bow Wow of Tonawanda, Upstate Automotive Group and Envisions Home Theater and Electronics.

The most fun part for me….. I was fortunate enough to have Jack, a videographer follow me while I interviewed Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, Future Hall of famer, and the man of the day Andre Reed, and former Offensive Lineman for the Bills Ruben Brown!  I also interviewed Chad Kelly (Jim’s nephew) who is the star QB for St. Joes high school here in Buffalo and (knock on wood) a future NFL QB, and Chad’s star running back Nick Hall, who had 3 touchdowns in his last game!  Of course.. the best interview of the day was when I interviewed the founder of Carvings for a Cause…Therese Forton herself!!

After the unveiling was done.. Andre was hoisted by truck to the Big Tree Inn (our favorite post-bills game bar/restaurant) and placed next to the carvings of Jim Kelly, and Chris Berman.. and they all look great out there!! (see pictures) 

It was a fun and successful day.. and I got some great experience and footage toward my future sports broadcasting/sideline reporting career!! J

My Precious Mother

I have been on a hiatus for a few months due to a personal crisis, as my Mom passed away August 6th, 2010, after a somewhat lengthy illness(we think a form of ALS).  It has been a very sad time in our families life, but we are also so thankful that we had time to spend with her before she left us, something a lot of people do not get a chance to do.

 I am blogging about her because she was such a  big part of my life and actually I considered her a “partner” in my event planning business. She was always helping me brainstorm new creative ideas, checking grammar (which she was so good at) on proposals, invitations, letters etc., and general office help.  She would come over the week of an event and do anything and everything around my house to help me. She hated seeing me stressed out and wanted to help out in anyway.  That was usually laundry, dishes, stuffing envelopes, playing with the dogs or sending my Dad on errands as he was a huge help too. She wanted to hear all about every detail of each event and then she and my Dad would come to the setup to see it all come together, and would always attend when they could or was appropriate.  She was so proud of me and for that matter of all her children. She loved all the weddings I ever planned and I would always bring her home cookies, cake and flowers which she just loved. She could not wait to hear every detail on every event as there was always something interesting, and sometimes funny, to tell. When I first started the blog during the Winter Olympics from Vancouver, she was so excited because she felt like she was there with me. She could not get out of bed, so each time I would come home from a trip or event, I would bring over the computer and show her all of the pictures and read her the blog, and it made her smile and as if she did not miss anything.  She loved all of my parties and events and was my #1 fan. My creativity and event planning skills I have, I owe to her. I also owe to her my trait of never wanting to miss anything, and never able to leave a party!!  She enjoyed life. She had a unique fun loving sense of humor. In her last days of life, she had us all laughing with various comments. One thing she said to all of us as we surrounded her bed was,  “Therese is in charge of logistics!”  I was always making sure she was comfortable, straightening out the pillows,  fixing her hair, rubbing her feet, putting lotion on her legs, etc..… and she said “Look at Therese…I am a table and she is setting me up for an event” …we all laughed! .  (Actually, I  credit my parents a lot for my event planning skills, since I did my “internship” at the house I grew up in; they were often away taking my three older sisters to college and I would have lots of parties. )

Mom related so well to children of all ages, and  they all adored her.  But most importantly, she enjoyed her children and grand children.  She taught us so many things in life that I will forever be indebted to her for.  If you ever met her, you would remember, as she made you  feel warm and welcomed in her surroundings with her genuine interest in you. She had so many wonderful traits, but her sincerity was one of my favorites. Thank you Mom for being so precious!

“All that I hope to be, I owe to my angel mother” – Abraham Lincoln

Reading at Memorial Mass for Mary M. Forton

August 10, 2010

Read by Mary Beth Forton

 

One of my sisters wrote this a few weeks ago as she was struggling with my mother’s illness, and it expresses the feelings of my entire family about my mother.

                      

“Look at all of us. We’re ready.”

By Jamie Forton

July 2010

Mom,

Every day that passes. We see less of you and more of this disease. We cry and grieve and cry again — the vital, fun loving mother who taught us all to question authority – even yours – when we were little children. The mother who other children in trouble would come to talk to — because you were always there, a formidable presence of love / concrete with arms that hugged and words that taught unconditional love and acceptance. Now as your body is hurting — we’re not sure what to do without you and somehow we’ve got to believe that this long slow illness has something to do with letting us down easy in the end. Because everything you ever did gave us something.

It’s one thing to accept the passing of a body / the endurance of a spirit forever — it’s all together another thing to say goodbye for the last time. And we know this is something that was unfathomable to you — to have to leave this beautiful world — the children and the grandchildren you loved beyond belief, the precious children of this world, the flowers, the water, what grandchildren would accomplish — how could someone bear to leave these things. Detachment was not your strength / this slow illness forced you to / pulling the beauty of the world from your grip a centimeter at a time. A centimeter at a time we said goodbye.

And now we can imagine a better place for you than here in this tired body that can’t play or laugh with children anymore. We can imagine the spirit of you blessing us all and protecting us for an eternity — and now we can imagine you embracing the passing from this beautiful world to another — and not so fiercely hating that it’s time to go / as you might have before you endured this suffering. We can picture you, waving goodbye, like you did from the porch window on Argyle every morning that we walked out the door to go to school. Catching one last glimpse of “the precious five children.”  There is no neat ending here, just our desire to see our precious mother at peace.