Days 9 & 8 - 10 Day You Challenge

.9. LOVES

1. Central Park in the Fall

2. My dog's soft ears and the way he puts his head on my lap when I pet him

3. The Barnes and Noble New Releases table

4. The feeling after a good workout

5. My mom's voice over the phone

6. My dad's text messages--emoticons and all

7. The childhood memories I have with my brother

8. London and the stamps in my passport

9. The smile on my face after a good date

.8. FEARS (in no particular order)

1. Snakes (I've said that before...)

2. Lakes and other bodies of water in which I can't see the bottom

3. That Snooki and the cast of Jersey Shore will never go away

4. That kids will grow up running their fingers across iPads and other devices more than they will turning pages of books

5. Mice and rats (as evidenced recently)

6. Birds freak me out a bit too.

7. Driving other people's cars

8. Things I think are normal for a single gal my age

10 Day You Challenge!

I'm hopping on the bandwagon too!

#10 - SECRETS

1. I really don't like avocados or sushi. I usually don't tell people this because I get teased for being from CA and not liking avocados and people here love their sushi.

2. I love when people compliment me for being brave for moving to NYC all alone without a job but at the same time it makes me a bit uncomfortable--like I'm bragging or something.

3. I was born 8 weeks premature. But was the biggest baby in the NICU. I joke and say I've been strong willed since before birth.

4. I have an almost unhealthy fear of snakes. Like it freaks me out when my brother's ball python gets even remotely close to me.

5. I have three reoccuring dreams: (1) I am in a car and I am driving really fast and either can't or won't stop (sometimes I'm being chased by the police.) (2) I am being made to return to high school to finish a class (usually PE, science or math) even though I am an adult and have graduated from college... Most of the time I haven't been doing my homework either. (3) My family has to move back in to our old house and I move with them even though I am a "grown up" now. (This one is newer.)

6. I had my appendix out when I was 16. Beyond that I have never had any major surgery or broken any bones.

7. I want to marry a British guy so I can live abroad and raise kids with little British accents.

8. I don't just babysit for the money. To quote part of a line in Juno, I like being a piece of furniture in their weird lives. I think I sometimes crave being around families because I'm here solo.

9. I really didn't like high school or college. Both of them. I know I'm supposed to think back on those days as the "best in my life" but honestly I would rather pay rent, work, etc. than do it all over again.

10. Sometimes I think about "outing" myself on this blog. Posting pics and real information about myself. Then I chicken out.

she was here and now she's gone

My hurricane weekend was...

Here is the list of things I did while waiting for Irene:

Taped the basement windows, just in case.

Froze water in the freezer, just in case.

Watched half of Beaches on TV.

Watched half of Bride Wars on TV.

Found a bunch of decks of cards and played solitaire.

Made pasta for dinner.

Tracked the storm online.

Bugged my friends by sending them texts and emails asking them how they were enjoying the storm.

Chatted with my roommate.

Watched Bend it Like Beckham.

Talked to my cousin on the phone for a bit.

Ate ice cream.

Painted my toenails.

Painted my fingernails.

Ate more ice cream.

Cleaned the kitchen.

Watched 500 Days of Summer.

Went to bed.

Woke up at 4 am when Irene came.

Pulled my furniture away from one of the walls when I noticed the window was leaking on my desk.

Went and slept on the couch in the living room because the rain and wind was keeping me awake.

All in all, she wasn't bad to us at all. Just a few leaks in the apartment, which is great. The neighborhood was virtually untouched, except for several downed trees and one light, which I saw while walking around this afternoon. Central Park was closed but lots of people were jumping the fence to get in. We all had cabin fever.

Others in New Jersey, Westchester County, parts of Queens, etc. weren't as fortunate as we were. There are people without power, flooded areas, but luckily it wasn't as bad as they expected it to be. Some people are saying it was anti-climactic. Cynics are saying they told us so, that New York was over reacting. I say that it is better to be safe than sorry. That even though my home in upper Manhattan wasn't affected, there were people whose homes and neighborhoods were. The focus might be on Manhattan because it is Manhattan and because MTA was shut down, but there are other boros, the local news (which broadcasted warnings, updates, and other types of "fear mongering" reaches those who really did need the information.

Of course I will always remember where I was when Irene hit. I'm sure people will talk about how it was a big deal for nothing. And for me it was. I'm glad about that.

Hope all my fellow New Yorkers and East Coasters weathered the storm just as well!

come on, irene?

Unless you've been living under a rock you know Irene.

The chick who ruined many a weekend plan, including mine. The gal who shut down the entire MTA system (buses, subways, and all) in NYC.

The reason Grand Central station is quiet and vacant tonight and I am sitting on my couch eating pasta, drinking wine, and watching Bride Wars tonight.

So much love for my family and friends across the country tonight. I've recieved texts, calls and Facebook messages checking in on me. I am fine. She is coming but I do not live in an evacuation zone. I'm just hoping my basement level does not flood. It isn't fun when it does.

A text I recieved from my dad last night. And I quote...

Tips for storm:

1. Fill bathtub with water for flushing toilet in case water is shut off.

2. Freeze water in case power is lost to keep food cold.

3 . Duct tape all window panes diagonally then horizontal and vertically in case flying debris hits glass.

4. Stay away from windows during storm.

5. Duct tape around basement windows to hold back water from over filled window wells.

6. Have plenty of batteries.

7. Charge cell phone.

8. If evacuated: take passport, Social Security Card, other important papers & medicine.

9. Call home when you can.

10. Love you! :-)

That's it. The whole thing. In one text with punctuation and capitalization. I love my dad.

Stay safe East Coasters!

summer is fading

How is the summer almost over?

Only a few more weekends until it "officially" ends.

I spent the last two weekends away from the city--working, reading, cat napping, waking up at 5am, then 6am, then 6:15am and, finally, 6:30 before dragging myself out of bed and putting on the TV for the kids I was nannying for. Sleeping with a kid in your bed is hard!

I started the Mad Men series on Netflix, a great book called The Ni.gh.t C.i.r.cus that I am really enjoying a lot and watched the same Carebears DVD 653 times. I sang songs, caught kids as they jumped off pool's edge with an exhilarating leap and ate my weight in Goldfish crackers, strawberries, cheese, and salt and vinegar potato chips (the last of which I am thoroughly addicted to.)

I took the Monday morning 6:20 bus back to the city with all the finance husbands, crashed in bed Monday night, squeezed in a happy hour for my alma mater's NYC chapter, didn't grocery shop, neglected my gym membership, ate pizza instead, and did the weekend all over again.

I thought less, breathed more, cared not a whit, well maybe a momentary bit, and told myself I'd return to paradise again--more on my terms.

I vowed never to have four children under the age of five. Never to have four children period. I turned back the biological clock about five more years.

I returned to the city, went to work, contemplated my bank account, honored my savings, planned beach trips and fireworks...

all for the rest of the summer.

r & r - sort of

This morning I was commuting to work, per usual, via one of MTA's lovely express then local subway trains. On the platform waiting for the local train I saw a HUGE DEAD RAT.

I literally gasped "Oh my God!" out loud and almost ran to a different area to wait for my train.

Lately, Manhattan has had me cranky. People are loud in the morning. I vote for a no-talking-before-9-am-on-the-subway-don't-you-people-get-the-ettiquette-of-it rule. The homeless man who frequents my block has been extra pushy. I know he knows me. He sees me every day. I never give him money. He usually accepts it but lately has been asking for "Just a dime! Just ten cents!" And everything is dirty and stinky. And there are dead rats!

Duh. You say. This is New York.

I love this city. It is my heart. It is my boyfriend. But...

It is just all kinds of gross in August.

So thank goodness I get to get away for the weekend! Last year I was lucky enough to be asked to take on nanny duties for a family at their house in the Hamptons. Yes, please! I loved it. I got to enjoy a gorgeous house, a great pool, the beach, and some cute kiddos. So when I was asked back this year, I didn't hesitate.

I took the train out today, arrived as it was cooling off but still sunny and gorgeous, and even got some pool time in this afternoon. Score! I will be reading non-work books (think, Tina Fey), chasing kiddos around, trying not to eat all the ice cream in the house, and getting some nice quiet in.

Seriously, the silence was so loud in my ears this afternoon. No wonder I wished I had a masseuse on retainer last night when I was getting into bed. Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing to myself if I notice the quiet so profoundly when I leave the city. As in, I am so used to the stressful noises, activities, etc. that I don't even notice anymore...

That's a thought for another day. I must go relate to, I mean laugh along with, Tina Fey.

friday night five

1. I'm home alone tonight. I love that this is so much of an event that I feel the need to announce it to the world every time it happens.

2. I'm enjoying my time by eating cereal, watching my Netflix movie (Last Night - I thought it was good and of course the actors are entirely too good looking for their own good), and day dreaming (or is that night dreaming?) about where my life is going to take me in the coming months.

3. I'm feeling the urge to do something new. Start new writing, spend time with new friends, meet new people, etc.

4. Our little mouse friend is no longer with us. There was a simple memorial service the other night after I had the pleasant task of laying him to rest. (I was the first one home that evening. Lucky me!) Snap traps do work. Go figure.

5. I think this is going to be a largely quiet weekend. I think I will spend most of it listening. We'll see what I hear...

a manhattan tail

It has happened again.

It was only a matter of time.

I have a new roommate. Well, a temporary one anyway.

Last Monday my roommate and I were chatting in the kitchen when she screamed bloody murder. That's right. A mouse. Lucky us.

I think I previously blogged about the mouse problem I had in my old apartment several years ago. This time around we think it is just one little guy who came in through our doors when we had them open all day long during a recent shindig we had for some friends. In fact, we dare say we disturbed his lovely mouse home outside on our patio in an attempt to make it look less like a weedy jungle.

We were unsuccessful in catching him last week so we bought some traps (the kind that don't work) and called it a night. I hadn't been home for the evening in a while and no one had seen him. We were hoping he'd politely let himself out.

Nope.

Last night roommate and I were watching TV when we saw him scurry into our fireplace. It was 11:30pm. We knew we had to try and trap him and get him out. So we gathered the mouse-catching essentials: a big cardboard TV box, several Tupperware containers of various sizes, a copy of US Weekly with Kim Kardashian on the cover, a CB2 catalog, gardening gloves, a flashlight, and I donned my old gross sneakers because if the little guy scurried across my foot without protection I knew I would be losing my ish completely. We sealed him in the fireplace with the TV box and just stood there like deer in headlights, afraid to make another move. Other roommate came home and she, being much braver than the two of us, got down to business, trying to coax him out. He didn't move. There was an unused pile of wood in the fireplace and we knew he was in there.

She even enlisted the help of an innocent passerby who had just come home from work. Poor guy was good sport about it and we met a neighbor. (PS - This may be why she had a boyfriend and the other two of us don't... Just sayin'.) By 1am there was still a mouse running free and I had to go to bed. I think I finally got to sleep around 2.

Dear Mouse,

We didn't want to hurt you. Next time you choose to come out please be mindful of the time. 8pm is perfect. Any later and you will be calling my office and explaining why I am late the next day.

xo,

M

PS - So sorry about the forthcoming glue traps. Don't tell PETA.

monday's three songs

With the amount of time I spend walking around with earbuds in my ears (Shh, don't tell my mother! Everyone in NYC does it!) You'd think my life had it's own soundtrack.

And that's the way I like it...

Because music is to my soul what books, dance, sweat and sun are. Nourishing.

I've been listening to these three songs on repeat as I knock out this day. (Ignore the videos. YouTube is the easiest way to share!)

Lights - Ellie Goulding

She is my new musical obsession. Her cover of "Your Song" makes me cry. Makes me believe it. I always thought Elton's version was kind of cheesy but this version makes me fall in love with a yet-non-existant person every time...

But that's not the song of the day. Here's Lights:




Let Go - Frou Frou

When the movie, Garden State with Natalie Portman and Zach Braff came out, I saw it in the theater and immediately fell in love with the soundtrack. I've loved the song ever since. Every once in a while I rediscover it.

and finally

Bright Lights - Matchbox Twenty

I'd forgotten how much I loved this song when it first came out several years ago until a couple of weeks ago when it popped up on my Pandora station.



What are your three songs today?