Introducing Roxy's Best Of...Blogs

As my loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives and Bay Head Blog readers know, I've been hard at work over the past couple of months on the launch of the Roxy's Best Of... WordPress MU Community.

To give you a bit of background on the new site as well as some of the old ones, Roxy is a former disc jockey and advertising copywriter, current investment banker and mother-of-two coming to you from the Roxiticus Valley, New Jersey. You'll find my original PG-rated blog, reporting on the quirks and sexual peccadilloes of the neighboring desperate housewives, or whatever else the milkman may have delivered this morning, at Roxiticus Desperate Housewives.

When we (Roxy, Rex, and our two daughters, London and Maddie) moved out to the Roxiticus Valley in October 2003 from a co-op on the Hudson River in New York City's West Village, we didn't know where to find anything: toddler ballet classes, butchers and prepared foods, local clothing boutiques, and all sorts of personal services, from pediatricians to florists to our now beloved cake lady. As our girls grew up over the past five years, from ages 2.5 and 1.5 to 7.5 and 6.5, we discovered age appropriate opportunities for them, and favorite restaurants for grown-up play dates. So Roxy's Best Of... started out within the Roxiticus Desperate Housewives blog as a directory of our family's point of view on the best of the Roxiticus Valley, including the Best of Mendham, NJ; Best of Bernardsville, NJ; Best of Chester, NJ; Best of Peapack-Gladstone, NJ; Best of Far Hills, NJ; Best of Morris County, NJ; and the Best of Somerset County, NJ.

In addition to our lovely home in the Roxiticus Valley, where our children attend Mendham Township Elementary School, we also own a beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey, where we spend many weekends and vacations during the summer, so Roxy's blogging expanded to include the Best of Bay Head, initially known as the Bay Head Blog.

After our most recent of four annual vacations in Laguna Beach, California, Roxy added a new blog to include our favorite restaurants and art galleries out there. It's a bit hard to keep that content up to date, but we're hopeful that our dear friend Mary Alice, who just moved out there with her family, might contribute as she finds the best restaurants and activities near their new home in Palos Verde.

Recognizing that one Roxy can't do it all, we invite you to write about the local area where you've become an expert. Please use the Roxy's Best Of... contact form to submit your proposal for a new "Roxy Blog." If you're a local restauranteur or service provider in one of our existing Roxy areas, please use the Roxy's Best Of... contact form to learn more about advertising with Roxy.

While I'll probably never give up my Google Blogger/Blogspot sites entirely, I'll slowly be moving the best blogs from this site over to Roxy's Best Of... Other People's Blogs. Hope you'll stop by and check it out.

Manipulating Spreadsheets in Excel, Writing Offering Memoranda in Word, 12 Tabs Open Dropping EntreCards, Commenting on Mariuca, No Blue Death Screen!

My loyal readers here on Roxiticus Best Blogs and over on Roxiticus Desperate Housewives know that I stretch the truth every day: I'm neither desperate nor a housewife...I'm a happily married mom-of-two and the owner of a small investment banking business with my husband, Rex. We have a deal in our household: Rex does all the cooking, and I do all the spreadsheets. While technically (pun intended) I'm the President & Chief Operating Officer of our small firm, Rex and Brent frequently refer to me around the office as "Senior Tech."

On the average night, after I read my girls their bedtime stories, you'll find me in bed with Rex and my HP notebook: manipulating spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel, writing offering memoranda in Microsoft Word, "Getting Wicked" by dropping at least 150 EntreCards with 12 Internet Explorer tabs open (sometimes in my sleep), and trying to leave a comment on one of Mariuca or Lady Java's blogs...On my old high-priced IBM notebook with Windows XP, that would have been asking for the blue screen of death, and even a woman who's allergic to cats doesn't get more than nine lives.

When that IBM notebook bit the dust three days after its three-year extended warranty expired, I seriously considered switching to a Macbook because it seemed like so much more fun...and there were all those commercials that poked fun at Bill Gates. However, while Maddie and London love the huge-screen Mac in our family room (and I've been known to sneak on and drop an EntreCard or fifty before they wake up in the morning), I find that I can't get my "real work" done on a Mac. Blogging yes, investment banking no go no how.

While you've all heard my complaints about my shaky Internet connection since Comcast acquired Patriot Media earlier this year (and you don't want to get me started about e-mail forwarding coming to a screeching halt on August 31st), I do have some happy technology news. Since I bought my new HP Notebook back in April 2007 with Windows Vista Ultimate (the version that combines features designed for both personal and business computing requirements) preloaded, the blue screen of death has made far fewer appearances in my personal and business life. The sleek new look of the Windows Vista desktop, including a widget-friendly sidebar, also makes it easier for me to combine business and pleasure. I've found that most leading small business applications—including software from Adobe, Autodesk, Avanquest, CA, Corel, Intuit, McAfee, Sage, Symantec, and Trend Micro—and thousands of others are compatible with Windows Vista. I have spent the last year and a half calling Brent in the office to access my Sage ACT database because it's still not compatible with the 64-bit version of Vista, but that's my only major gripe.

I've also learned about Windows Vista Small Business Assurance, an offer designed to help small businesses move to Windows Vista, with a responsive customer service team for small business owners like me. Well, small business owners who are perhaps smarter and less cutting edge than I am...as the offer, which will continue through September 30, 2008, is for small business customers who purchase PCs with Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate after July 1, 2008.

When you buy a new PC with Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate like I did, only do it now through September 30th, 2008, you'll receive free support, compatibility assistance, and one-on-one coaching from Microsoft to help ensure a smooth transition. While I may have missed the official shopping window, I think I'll give Windows Small Business Assurance a call next time my computer re-installs Vista Service Pack 2 as I'm trying to shut down and get some sleep. I'll let you know if they're as good with the midnight magic as our blogalicious friend Lady Java....

Inspirational Posts from the Roxiticus Best Blogs

As we come up on the third blogiversary celebration of Roxiticus Desperate Housewives, I've posted there about Instructions to the Double, the blog that inspired Roxy to start blogging. I've truly enjoyed reviewing that blog, and I've received many favorable comments from bloggers who share my intrigue. I realized that every blog has a story, and I may not know what it is, even when it comes to my favorite bloggers. So, over the coming weeks, I'm going to refresh my linky love on all the existing Roxiticus Best Blogs, and accept nominees for new Roxiticus Best Blogs. All I ask is that you share with me one or more of your favorite posts (along with any background from the blogger) by leaving a comment here with a link to the specific post(s) URL(s). I'll check them out, "reprint" them here with your permission, and link to your blog. I hope you'll find it as much fun to look at the history of our favorite blogs as I will.

Deb On the Rocks (Her EntreCard Says "LapDance"

I found Deb on the Rocks one night while I was out cruising the blogosphere on EntreCard, bringing home the best bedtime entertainment for my Roxiticus Desperate Housewives Readers.

While some of my regular readers spend a good deal of their time ROFL (rolling on the floor, laughing), Deb on the Rocks actually "took me there" with her Night-Night Story for the Jolie-Pitt Children. Go there. Wake your kids up now! Read it to them. Good family fun.

(Still not sleepy? Yes, I'll bring you a glass of water, and you can also hear another story: A Night-night Fairytale for Suri Cruise. And after that? Lights Out! I mean it!)


July 22nd update: Henceforth, Deb would like to be known as a "mythical hobbit." By the power of the Genies' magical lamp vested in me, I hereby grant her wish.

SpicyBug Here...and There

Spicy Bug is one of my favorite BlogExplosion finds...she's a mom, and a grandmom, blogging in between chasing after babies and toddlers all day long and trying to get a little sleep at night...and she's one of the nicest people I've met out there in the blogosphere. SpicyBugz World is the only place where Roxiticus Desperate Housewives is one of the top ten EntreCard droppers. I may not always be numero uno, but at least I'm on her list. In fact, I've been reluctant to take an Internet-free vacation for fear of dropping out of Spicy Bug's top ten. I started reading SpicyBugz World whenever she participated in a Battle of the Blogs, and I haven't stopped...it is loads of fun and surprisingly addictive.

SpicyBug describes her blog as a "Little bit of this and a whole lot of that. My daily adventures, joys, heartaches, laughter and tears." On December 8, 2005, Spicy Bug launched her blog with the following answer to "Who Am I?":

"I went outside this evening after a strong snow storm. The wind was still blowing but the snow had ended. As I stood out on my deck, with the wind whipping my hair all around. I got lost in thought, as I often do. Who am I? a small voice whispered in my head. I then saw a sparkling diamond, shimmering in the sun. Who am I? I am your neighbor, the girl next door. I am the nurse at your doctor's office, the cashier at the grocery store. I am the grandmother down the road who bakes cookies and apple pies. I am the lonely housewife who sits home remembering when children used to run thru the house. I am the sexy model on TV. I AM that diamond. And like that diamond I have many sparkling facets. I can’t be put in a box and labeled as one thing. Each time you look at me, you will see a new and amazing color. Watch me Shine. "

And now, congratulations girlfriend! You beat me to the punch and introduced your very own URL, www.spicybugz.com! Let's all head out and pay a visit to the new, improved SpicyBugz World!!

Rent Your Cars Now for the Roxiticus Best Blogs Dinner Party

Now that I've got the new dining room set and Rex has committed to a pistachio encrusted rack of lamb as the main course for our Roxiticus Best Blogs dinner party, there's just the small matter of getting all of you top bloggers here to the Roxiticus Valley, New Jersey. I believe you can get a direct flight in to Newark International Airport from most Roxiticus Best Blogs locations, including Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia. If not, you'll have to fly into JFK. Either way, there's an Advantage car rental available for you, and there are even some special offers that would get you up to a 50% discount on luxury and hot red convertible car rentals. Just let me know which date works best for all of you.

Henson's Hell

Henson is funny. Very creative and very very funny.

Something you might not know about me is that I'm not so good with funny...you'd have to drag me kicking and screaming to the movies if they were showing a "comedy," but Henson makes me laugh. LOL as they say. LMAO as they say.

Check out his blog. I found him through the extensive comments on Matt's MTMD/Michigan Rafter blog, since he's got this nekked avatar that shows up whenever he makes a comment. Henson describes his blog as random musings and humorous observations on pop culture from Henson Ray of "It Happened in Plainfield." And Plainfield, NJ, it turns out, is the town where I was born. Many years ago.

Every now and then, I drive Henson crazy by giving him a little homework, in the form of a meme or two that have been passed along from blog to blog like an urban legend until he twists it in his own humorous way. And whatever Henson may say, ROXY is not a four letter word. I mean, it has four letters, but...see what I mean? He's got me tripping all over my tongue.

I've also been known to show my face on his EntreCard widget and vice versa. So head on over to Henson's Hell and let me know how hot it is...don't wait until Hell freezes over.