Hey Jude...

I have had several moments in my life that I will never ever forget but a few weeks ago I had the highlight of my PR career happen.
We were asked to work all the press for Julian Lennon's photo/art show at The Morrison Hotel Gallery and it was insane. Weeks of preparing and pitching we had a guest list of over 800 people and a press list like I have never ever seen before. I actually would look at the list and amazed myself that we actually got all these people to cover the event. Rolling Stone, Access Hollywood, CBS Sunday Morning News, People, US Weekly, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Vogue, etc...

I was asked to write the Press Release for the event as well, which I normally don't event think twice about. But this time, as I was writing it, I realized that Julian himself would be reading it and proofing it. YIKES!!! John Lennon's son will be reading something i have written?? The God son of Sir Paul McCartney will be editing my work?? I had a small panic attack when I hit "send" on the computer. It came back with a thumbs up. whew!!

So anywho... night of the event we had a huge line around the block. A mob at the door. I was in the back when Julian arrived, with his baby brother in tow, through the back door. They looked like a good mix of John. Julian was the 60's version and Sean was the 70's. Both Lennon brothers were friendly and smiley.

While he was in the back doing private interviews I made a walk around the main room to make sure everything was going according to plan. That was when Dawn came up to me and whispered in my ear, "Yoko will be here in 3 minutes". I knew she was coming but hearing those words made my heart race. Seriously? I was about to meet Yoko Ono?? What?

All 5 feet of her arrived through the front door with body guards on each side of her. I escorted them all to the back to see the boys. When we got back there Julian's mom, John's first wife, Cynthia Lennon was back there. Really? I was in the presence of John Lennon's ENTIRE family. Cynthia Lennon (his first wife, who he had to keep a secret when the Beatles first came to the US), Julian Lennon (his son with Cynthia, also kept a secret), Yoko Ono (the woman who he cheated on Cynthia with and later married) and Sean Lennon (his son with Yoko). All 4 of them just chatted away and there was a moment where Cynthia and Yoko were sitting down and just holding each others hands catching up. Sean turned to me and said, "this is amazing. This NEVER happens". I was witnessing history.

To make it even more of a moment for myself, Mrs. Patty Boyd (George Harrison's first wife and later on Eric Clapton's wife) shows up. We become fast friends and end up on a first name basis. "Jamie darling can I trouble you for a glass of red wine?" asks Patty.
"Sure Patty, anything you need. Want the whole bottle?" Jamie says in a joking way.
"Haha Oh Jamie darling do you think I need it?" Patty chuckles
"Well you are the one who married 2 musicians, you tell me."

As I was walking out to the main area to fetch Patty her wine I ran into May Pang. May Pang is a Press House friend and she comes to several of our events. She is also the woman that Yoko fixed John up with when they decided to separate for a while. May and John were lovers, if you will. When Yoko wanted John back May Pang put up a fight and there was drama. So...... the fact that May was there was a problem for Yoko. May was trying hard to get in the back to see Julian. Yoko wouldn't have any of it. This was the first time EVER that Cynthia, Yoko and May Pang were in the same room. Awesomeness!!

By the time we were ready to bring the family out to the public the place was so packed. We had to push and scream at people to get them out of the way so that the camera crew and the family could go look at the prints. It was a mad house. I have NEVER been around so many flashes.
By the time we made it back to the back everyone was amazed.
Sean said to me, "holy cow, that was insane!"

Julian walks back and says, "Wow!! I had no idea there was that many people here. Thank you guys for doing all of this for me." and then he gave me 3 kisses. One on each cheek and then one close to my lips. Yes, I just kissed Julian Lennon. I think we might date now!!

Yoko walks back and says in her little Yoko accent, "That was amazing. I haven't been around that much press in a long time." Then walks over to me and says, "Thank you for doing this for Julian. It is such a great thing during this trying time for our family." I think she was referencing to the fact that in December it will be the 30th anniversary of John's death or that the man who killed him was up for parole and was just denied, or that in a few days it would have been John's 70-something bday.

I told he that it was an honor to do this for her family. She grabbed both of my hands and said, "You are so precious." I said back to her, "No Yoko, you are precious."
I was officially part of the Lennon family.

To see photos go to http://www.wireimage.com/SearchResults.aspx?sr=1&igi=453412&s=Morrison%20Hotel%20Gallery&sfld=C&vwmd=e


Later that night after they all left and the party was winding down I had a moment where I burst into happy tears. I could not believe what just happened to me. That if you would have told me 7 years ago that New York would have opened these kind of doors for me I would have not believed it. It was a moment that I will never forget.

Oh ya, And to that guy who once told me 7 years ago that, "New York will eat you alive" and "You will never make it there"... I am now one degree to the entire Beatles family.

How about them apples???

Mr. Wiggles

(this is not a pic of the actual perv)

There are always strange people on the subway. It's expected. I feel like I've seen them all. The drunk homeless man, the angry at life messed up in the head woman who thinks everyone around her is out to get her, the skitzofrenic person who is rocking back and forth repeating the same thing over and over, the subway pole dancers that are too ugly to be strippers, the drugged out woman who drops a syringe by my flip flop feet and the typical "homeless" person with the speech, "May I just have a minute of your time. I am not a drug addict. I just have fallen upon hard times. Could you find it in your hearts to...". But never have I ever been flashed before.

While traveling home, on a Monday on the D Train from 42nd Street it was a typical commute. Crowed trains, men not getting up to give you their seats, people ipods turned up too load that everyone on the train can hear them listening to Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind.
I was standing by the doors, as I like to in case there is an emergency and I need a quick escape. I get on the train at 42nd street and the train proceeds downtown. The D train is an express train so it makes limited stops and there is only one stop in between my work and home stop, 34th street.

We pull into the34th street stop and it is business as usual. It's a over busy stop due to the fact that it's at Penn Station and a lot of people get off here to commute to the LIRR or the NJ Transit to take them out of the city. I stay on the train and stand by the door as I people watch. I notice a normal looking man in his 30's standing front first close to a wall. "That's weird. I wonder what he's doing", I think to myself as I lean to the right to try to get a better look. The though goes through my mind that it looks like he is peeing. Really dude?? Peeing on the Subway platform during rush hour? Ya, you are sure to get caught.

As that thought crosses my mind I see that he is staring at me while I am staring at him. The look on his face goes from a smirk to a HUGE smile with a little of his tongue out. He slowly turns towards me and as the train doors are closing I notice that he was not peeing at all. Instead he was pleasuring himself and shakes and wiggles his "thing" right there for me to see. All with the biggest, grosses smile I have ever seen. Right there on the platform at 5pm rush hour. I let out a small scream and say "Really? Really." in the way the do on SNL in the skit, "Really! With Seth and Amy".

I was shocked and felt very violated. Did I really just see a man penis wiggling on the 34th Street platform? I thought to myself, "welcome to New New York! and now I need a shower."

SO I feel that I have almost seen it all. I was prepared for grime and grit when I moved here. I was ready to see things that would send our parents generations to an early grave. I guess I just am never ready for ALL that I do see. So pretty much you name it I have seen it or experienced it.
Man, I still LOVE this City! Mr. Wiggles and All!!

And She's Down for the Count...

I thought it would be a good idea to try something new this summer. I thought that doing something from my childhood would bring me joy and happiness. Umm, ya. I am pretty sure that I am not a child anymore.

I ordered a kick scooter from my Chase Rewards Points, I really love those things. It makes you buy things that you don't really need, i.e. a Crock Pot, Thigh Master, steak knives and a Shake Weight. So why would ordering a Kick Scooter be any different?
I am so excited when it is delivered to me in the mail at work. I thought about scootin' home but decided to wait till I was dressed a little more appropriately.

Jamie, why a scooter? Well friends, I will tell you.

1. I sometimes need to get places faster than normal and it has been hurting my knees to walk as fast as I do so i thought, "Hey, how about I scoot instead."
2. I see Hugh Jackman, Mario Batali, Matthew Broderick and Susan Sarandon Scootin all over the West Village so why can't I?
3. I can't seem to save enough money to buy a Vespa.
4. I want every guy in Manhattan to think I am 12 rather than 16.
5. Why Not?

So my first day out I scoot over to have dinner on Christopher and Washington in the West Village. It normally would take me about 20 minutes to walk it. Scooting it took me 8. Think of all the time I will save scootin' around the city. I will be able to get so much done.

The Cobra, that is what I named it, handled well. It was a little uncomfortable going over cracks and bumps but on smooth surfaces it was perfect. Thank goodness NYC doesn't have any cracks in their roads (sarcasm inserted here). By the time I got to the restaurant I was sweaty and looked like I had just been through an entire hour of bikram yoga but I still had a great time so it didn't seem to bother me. Someone pointed out that the scooter seemed small. That maybe it was a child's scooter. I denied it and tried to blow it off as if I had done my research on them and knew that I had bought the right one for my size. Little do they know that i DID in fact buy it off of the child's section on the Chase Rewards Catalog. Whoops! Oh well, "good thing I am small so it doesn't matter so it still fits," I thought.

4 days after my first scootin' adventure, when the above picture was taken, I decided to scoot the farthest I had ever gone. 20 blocks to Bed Bath and Beyond. I had to pick up an item that only they carry so I had to make the trip.

Scooting there was a easy. Through Washington Square Park, Up 5th Ave and cross over on 19thth Ave. Sidewalk to street, sidewalk to street. Easy Breezy. On my way back i had my bag hooked to my handle bars since it wasn't too heavy. But what was heavy was the traffic on 5th. I was trying to avoid car traffic and people traffic at the same time. I even got a little air while ramping off the curb. I was confident and had full control.

As soon as my confidence kicked in my front wheel wedged into a deep crack on the sidewalk. The scooter came to an abrupt stop while I kept going. Head first I flew over my handle bars and flipped on to the sidewalk making a sound like a walrus when I hit the pavement. As soon as I hit I thought to myself, "there is no way I will be able to stand after hitting this hard," but with the embarrassment of EVERYONE IN MANHATTAN staring at me I quickly got to my feet, with the help of 2 business men in suits, and got right back on my scooter.

I began to scoot away when I hear, "miss, I think these are yours." I was handed a Jumbo size box of Tampons that I picked up in the "Beyond" section of the store. I know at age 34 I shouldn't be embarrassed about that but if i hadn't just flown over a child's scooter on 5th ave during rush hour I think I would have said thank you and walked off. Instead, I say, "Oh those... huh? No they... um... ya.. ok," and then get on my scooter and scoot away.

As I get closer to home, almost in tears due to the pain and the embarrassment, I decided that the scootin' days are over. I see my supers kid on the way in and just hand the scooter over to him saying, "here, have it. It's yours now."

The very next week I go to the doctor and have my knees looked at. Now I am in physical therapy and have to look like a robot 2 times a week.
Thanks Chase Rewards Points! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to bruise my body and my ego at the same time.

Fatty Fatty 2 by 4...

7 years ago I started noticing sharp pains in my right knee while driving. It would lock up on me and I couldn’t move it. Kinda like a Toyota. I went to see a specialist in Nashville and they did a MRI. The doctor was able to find broken cartilage floating around in my knee that was causing the pain. So he sent me to physical therapy, which I hated, to help solve the problem before surgery was an option. A year later I moved to NYC and never got the surgery.

7 years later I am having more pain in my knees than ever. So yesterday I go to see one of the best surgeons in NYC. We schedule a MRI and x-rays on both knees. During the MRI you have to remain completely still for about 30 minutes. THIS is so hard for me as my knee locks up if left in one position longer than 3-5 minutes. So there I am, stuck in this noisy machine in massive pain trying to not move and focus my energy elsewhere. I focus so hard that I fall asleep. Bad idea. I ended up jumping so the images were blurry. Have to do it all over again and stay awake this time. UGH.

After the x-rays I make my way down to see the doctor. I am left waiting for a while as they review my MRIs. I am convinced that they will find something so wrong with my knees that I will need surgery for sure. After all, that is what the great doctors of Vanderbilt Medical Center told me.

Waiting and waiting and waiting….

Finally the Doc comes in. He asks tons of questions and then makes me walk, which I can do just fine. Then he bends my knees in positions that you only do if you are a contortionist. Ouch!! He hears all the popping going on in there and then it’s on to look at my results.

X-rays show that there is nothing wrong with my bones and alignment. Great news seeing how I fall constantly and just recently flew over the handlebars of my kick scooter last Monday.

MRI results. Dun dun dunnnnn. I’m waiting for the news, “Jamie, we will have to do a small procedure on you. You will be on crutches for a while and we will have to operate on both knees.” – is what I thought I would hear.

Instead it was, “Great news, everything seems to be in place. The popping is from Patella Femoral Syndrome. No surgery required, just Physical therapy.”

What?? Really? Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t want surgery but I would rather surgery over physical therapy. Only because I hate working out.

Ahhhhh there it is. There is the key phrase “I hate working out”. We will come back to that later.

So he signs me up to go to a clinic that he tells me is “Dance Therapy”. Cool, so I will be dancing as my therapy? Sure, that’s it. Awesome. Ummm ya, I was wrong again. It just treats the dancers from Baryshnikov’s school. I will not be taking dance with them. Duh, Jamie. Good thing I posted that on my Facebook status before I actually looked into it.

So I get there to the clinic. There is a lady with a thick Russian accent screaming something at the front desk girl over paperwork. I assume she is a friend of Baryshnikov’s since she’s Russian. First impressions, pretty cool. All the therapist are young which is a plus. And there are several cute male ones. Which is a plus plus.

I am sent back to see mine. His name is John. He is blonde, built and thinks my jokes are funny. So far so good. He begins doing things to my knees that make me think he is just trying to break them so I have a real reason to be there. 30 minutes of him bending and pushing and lifting and rolling and he comes up with a conclusion.

Here is what he said, “8 years ago when you said you stopped dancing and basically stopped exercising everyday your ITB began to tighten up because you were not stretching. Over the 8 years it has gotten so tight that it is pulling your knee cap out of place which is causing the pain and popping. Your muscles around your knee are no longer strong enough to counteract this action. This usually occurs in women because of the hip line being wider. And this often occurred in ex dancers or athletes who stop being active. So we will need to work all this out and retrain your thigh muscles.”

Here is what I heard, “You have been so lazy for the past 8 years that you now have fat thighs and you need to get off your lazy butt and do something with yourself you wide lazy load. How do you expect those knees of yours to carry such heavy gorilla thighs?”

I have always hated my thighs but how come all of you never told me that I was getting fat. Thanks friends.

SO now I have to go in 2 times a week for 3 months to “retrain my muscles”. I knew this day would come.

Negatives – I’m fat, I still hate working out, it’s painful and all the cute PT's know I’m fat and lazy.

Positives – I will finally get my fat thighs in shape, my knees will stop hurting, I might get used to and enjoy working out and I will get to flirt with the cute fit physical therapists 2 times a week for 6 weeks.

It’s a win win for everyone involved!!

Update on Where my Update Is:

Have I been slacking on updating my blog? Yes, yes I have. Why? I have been traveling out of town like crazy. I haven't had a time to sit and focus. But, I am home for a while so I will do my best to update you with my whereabouts the best I know how.
I have a lot of photos from the Chitty trip to Disney World and from my recent trip to Seattle.
I even attempted to eat Seafood for the first time. I failed. BUT, it's all on video with my meltdown and everything. Good times.

Update soon!!

Oh ya, I am doing a benefit on June 24th for Gulf Aid. All proceeds go to help support the animals and those dealing with the the disgusting oil spill in LA. If anyone wants to help out let me know and I will send you the details on how you can.

Amazing and Successful Event!!

We had an AMAZING event!! Cherry Lane Music Publishing was celebrating their 50th Anniversary and we had the honor of working the event. Cherry Lane has artist such as Black Eyed Peas, David Cook, John Legend etc. Here are a few highlights from the event. Also, watch E! News tonight. We will be on there. And I will let you know when it's in People Magazine.

Location: Brooklyn Bowl. It's an amazing venue where you can eat, drink, listen to live music all while bowling. So much fun!!!Here is our Press House Team on the Red Carpet: Me, Dawn and Emma. Kiva was taking the picture.
One of the artist Antigone Rising

Moe looking dapper in their suits.
Antonella Barba. She was on American Idol. We are working her now. She is a doll!!
Jamie Hilfiger. Model and Designer and daughter of Tommy.
The Amazing John Legend performing.
John Legend on the carpet. I was getting him set up to do the interview with E! and after I lightly touched his arm his bodyguard rushed over to ask me if I could "Not Man Handle Mr. Legend". Haha What? Is he made of clouds or something? So delicate.
To check out more photos go to
http://www.wireimage.com/ItemListings.aspx?sr=1&igi=433808&nbc1=1

Our Press was awesome. People, E!, Cosmo, NY Post, NY Times, Modern Drummer, Rolling Stone, Village Voice, Billboard Magazine, Fuse TV, Examiner, Guitar World, Huffington Post, In Tandem Magazine, London Entertainment, Lucid Culture, Men's Health, NBC i Village, NY Daily News, Redbook, Relix, Reuters, Right On! Magazine, Sirius Radio, SPIN Magazine, USA Today, etc.

Whew! It was an awesome night and we, as well as or clients, were very happy.
After a long month of working this event to make it perfect I am ready to relax at Disney World with my family. We leave on Saturday.

Jamie Chitty Takes the Gold!!

Getting my Body Back:

I joined a gym with a pool to start swimming. I was a little nervous about this because my swimming usually consists of pool games and breaks to lay out. I’m not really a lap swimmer and wasn’t sure if I could handle it. I also wasn’t sure if I wanted anyone to see me in a swim cap and goggles. So off to the sports store I go to buy all the top gear that I will need.

How is it that I can look bigger in a one piece than a bikini? I ended up paying $60 bucks on a suit that I feel fat in. Why? Then I try on swim caps. I ask the guy if there is any of them that won’t make me look like a big dork. Apparently there is not. So $15 later I buy a black one to match my suit. Goggles are next. I can’t tell you the last time I wore goggles. $25 later I have the exact ones that Michael Phelps uses. Why? Because they are the only ones that don’t make me look like an 8 year old in swim class.

I am on my way out and then what do I see??? A case so that you can swim with your Ipod. Hmmm, it’s going to get interesting now. I must have the case! I HAVE to HAVE the case!! How else will I be able to swim? But is it really worth it? I know me and work outs, I do it for a couple of weeks and then get bored and move on to something else. I better not buy it. $70 later, plus an extra $30 for the underwater headphones, I can now run, swim, kayak, water polo, scuba, snorkel and skinny dip all to the hits of Huey Lewis and the News.

Off to the gym I go with swim gear in tow.

When I arrive I head to the locker room and get dressed, or undressed I guess. Swimsuit on, Swim cap on, goggles on, rockin' Ipod underwater arm band on, Pray to God that the water doesn’t leak in and ruin my ipod, done. I feel like a complete dork and hope that I will not see a single cute man. I walk into the pool area and it’s me with 10 or so men my age, 5 Asian women that are just sitting at the end of the pool whispering to themselves and one other girl in a floral bikini. Really? A bikini to swim laps? I looked like a pro. I felt like a pro. Now I must perform like a pro.

Music switches to my “Work my A** off” play list. I shake my arms and legs, because that is what I see the pros do, and then in the water I go. I am going at a great pace, so I think. Yes, made it to the end and with an underwater flip and turn I am off to finish lap one. Half way through I start to feel pain in my arms. A burning sensation. I think they call this “Show Off Syndrome”. My breaths for air are getting less and less successful but as I end my lap the pride in me makes me turn and flip for lap 2. What was I thinking? I am insane for not easing into this. But I can’t stop now; I have all this gear on. It looks like I know what I’m doing. Flip and turn and the end of lap 2 is coming to a close. I am drowning. I am on fire, not in a good way, and I am drowning. My form is not even good anymore. I look like I am in desperate need for a paramedic.

I decide to stop and come up for air after lap two. When I do I am so out of breath that it hurts. The guys sharing my lane with me say, “Wow, you are so fast. Do you swim a lot?” This is when I look around and notice that everyone else is going a normal speed. Not a gold medal speed. Another guy notices that I am having trouble breathing and recommends that I take it a little easier on the next laps. Ummm, you think??

So after an hour in a half of swimming back and forth, trying to regain my coolness I decide to go home. But wait, I bought a new lock for my locker and where did I put the locker combination?? Oh yes, IT’S IN THE LOCKER!! I looked at the number once and that’s it. And seeing that I have number dyslexia I forgot what they were. So now I am in my suit, tired and wet and now have to get someone to come cut my lock off my locker all because of my stupidity. Nice Jamie. Way to be cool.

I have since returned to the gym, with a new lock and my composure. I take my time with the laps now. I am getting better but still think I look like a big dork. I am not sure when I will feel that the one piece looks good on me. I seem to think never. But if an Olympic scout ever comes to my gym looking for swimmers I will be ready. I will dive right in there and swim my heart out.

Watch out Michael Phelps. I have my eyes on your Gold.