flip flops on lex

details without much detail

2012-01-26T20:31:00.006-05:00

I have been MIA for quite a while.

It seems I just don't know what to write any more that isn't too negative, too personal, too much.

Without going in to too much detail, here is what is going on:

Work is rough. Every day I struggle with the fact that I wanted the job I have. I sought it out. I was so excited about it. I know so many people have things about their work life they do not love. I'm there, in spades, right now. My goal is to try to identify one thing per day that I really like about my job--to help me beat down the negativity and stress. Today it was that I spoke to two authors with complete ease on the phone. A year ago, I would have been a huge bundle of nerves. Authors are our industry's rockstars. Author care is an art form, really. Today I had a meeting right in between the calls and was juggling a last minute project that I HAD to get done in about 10 minutes. I am really proud of myself for how good I have gotten at a very important aspect of my job. In this regard, I have grown a lot and that's good.

I have been having issues with my right knee. Long story short, I may have a torn meniscus. In the past couple of days I have grown quite miserable about it. I'm O-V-E-R it. Right now I'm just waiting for MRI results that will tell me whether it is a torn meniscus and surgery is necessary. This is only beginning.

In an attempt to give myself a reprieve, something to look forward to (and focus on) and a way to broaden my horizons, I have booked a SOLO vacation to a foreign destination. I am SO, SO excited. Seriously, this saves me many a day.

I'm looking in to going back to school.

I have yet to go on a date since my late fall heartbreak. I've never been so heartbroken and I'm in a good place with it right now but I'm tired. I'm not opposed to a date though. I will have to test the waters eventually...

My new year's resolution to approach life from a "place of yes" (sorry, didn't mean to quote Bethenny Frankel) is going well. I've got a fun day trip out of NYC planned for this weekend. It costs a bit more than I'd normally spend (and would thus say "no" to it) but it won't break the bank and I think it will be fun.

What's new with you?

twenty eleven into twenty twelve

2011-12-31T11:41:00.002-05:00

It's been a while again...

But it is the end of the year and, like every year and everyone, I am in a reflective mood.

I'm really excited for 2012. I plan on doing some amazing things including:

Taking a big trip (hopefully abroad)

Applying to go back to school part time

Approaching life from a "yes" perspective. I read somewhere that a great way to meet people in this crazy city is to say "yes" to everything. So unless it is financially, physically, or emotionally a horrible, horrible idea, I plan to do just that.

2011 was a good year for me. I overcame many obstacles. It was the first year I felt truly comfortable in my New York skin. I made strides professionally by expanding my skill set and confidence. I met someone I really enjoyed spending time with and felt I could fall for. I've always wanted that. And even though he didn't share the same feelings, it was a wonderful thing and I'm happy we spent the time together. I also realized that I really do want to pursue more education after several years of waffling and trying to figure it out. I'm really excited about it.

I knew 2011 would be good and it was. I'm looking forward to an even better 2012 and will go out and celebrate with friends tonight.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-07T21:53:00.000-05:00

sunday night "lightbulb moment"

2011-11-27T22:01:00.001-05:00

Every once in a while I struggle with the loneliness that comes with living in this city of millions.

It seems counter-intuitive, as there are constantly people around and there are so many things to do and see on any given day. But the culture here can be isolating. The city is filled with Type A people who work too much, socialize in a very structured way, don't often talk to one another, and go about their lives just as I do. I realize this is a very huge generalization. One thing I love the most about this city is that there are so many different kinds of people. I always say there is at least one out there that walks, talks, dresses, and thinks like me.

It has been four years for me and some days I still feel like I'm struggling through year one. I've met some wonderful people, have made great strides, and have learned a lot about myself. But I often feel like there is much missing.

Today was a boring day. I wasn't feeling 100% this morning and was really tired all day so I decided to go with it and be lazy. I was looking around the internet tonight and thinking about how bored I was. My solution to boredom is usually to plan the hell out of the coming days and weeks. (Good and bad, I suppose.) I decided to Google "meeting people NYC." One link was a forum in which people discussed how hard it is here socially.

I don't know why but this made me feel so much better. It acted as sort of a lightbulb moment for me. I know I'm not the first one to move here, having not known anyone and struggle with putting down roots, meeting "forever friends" and dealing with dating. Logically this has always made sense to me. But I am extremely hard on myself and expect a lot from myself. Especially after four years. Reading the thoughts of strangers (written even before I arrived on the East Coast even) made me realize that my struggles and feelings of not "succeeding" where others have are completely typical and normal.

This seems so silly, especially as I sit here typing it out, but it is so important for me. Hopefully it will help me find a bit of peace in the paths I've walked down and find some patience as I move forward and undoubtedly encounter more difficulty--and more happiness.

giving thanks for the blues

2011-11-23T10:13:00.002-05:00

I'm feeling blue.

Something exciting, happy, and hopeful ended abruptly and I've been feeling cheated and miserable and feeling very sorry for myself--a lesson that nothing is certain in life and life moves on.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I miss my family. I wish I were home with them, making food with my mom, listening to my crazy dog bark and whine to come in the house, watching documentaries with my dad, going to the movies with my bro, and enjoying my loved ones. I will be here in New York instead, headed to the home of a lovely friend who is gracious enough to take me in on the day of thanks.

And today I am thinking about what it means to be thankful and give thanks, even when we are angry, searching, feeling alone.

I am so very greatful for the things I have--the spirit to want more and the drive to seek it out. The feeling of discontent because I know that life is rich and powerful, that perspective is essential, and that happiness is earned not handed out.

Tomorrow will likely be a more difficult holiday for me. I recognize this and accept it but I refuse to stick in it. I will gather my feelings and mine them for what they can produce--thoughtfulness, introspection, and ultimately humility.

I am well. I am fed. I am loved. I am able to do so much.

a night with anais nin

2011-11-15T21:44:00.002-05:00

I love quotes. They inspire and motivate me. Some of my favorites are cynical (anything by Dorothy Parker), some are literary, but all keep me going because they speak to me. They put into words what I have trouble saying in that moment.

Tonight I'm stuck on Anais Nin. Here is my night. . .

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naïve or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman.

We are like sculptors, constantly carving out of others the image we long for, need, love or desire, often against reality, against their benefit, and always, in the end, a disappointment, because it does not fit them.

Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.

I looked with chameleon eyes upon the changing face of the world, looked with anonymous vision upon my uncompleted self.

autumn

2011-11-09T13:07:00.003-05:00

I remember reading somewhere about the Turkey Trot. I think that's what it was called... the dating phenomenon that occurs after high school when young couples split up to go off to college swearing they'll make it work. But the boy decides it isn't so he breaks it off with the girl around Thanksgiving--the first time they see each other again after the start of the new semester, new year, new life.

Over the past couple of years I've wondered if I have my own sort of autumnal issue. An Autumn Curse, if you will. I think I even blogged about this last year. Let me preface what I'm about to say with a disclaimer that I love the fall season. Like, love the pants off of it. I am totally an "autumn" color wise. My favorite color is brown. I'm a Virgo. Earth signs and all that rot. So fall = fave in my book.

But damnnit if I don't hate fall for what I seriously am starting to consider this stupid curse.

It all goes back 3 years. My first real fall season here in NYC as a dating person. Guy #1 and I met in October, dated. I swooned. A lot. He was great. He was a Left Coaster like me. I read into things. Saw things that weren't there. I was sporting some pretty spiffy rose colored glasses. He was great but he wasn't as into me as I was into him. He ended it a couple of days before Christmas. 2 mos into whatever it was. I was shocked. I cried and cursed him and threw myself into trying to find someone to replace him.

The next Fall I met Guy #2. I think it was November. He was friendly from the start, interesting and funny. We went out a few times. He was in the process of starting a new job. Red flag I didn't see. After a few dates he started blowing me off. Then he disappeared and things fizzled. I certainly contributed. Lessons learned. But I was still very surprised as I thought we had good chemistry.

Fast forward to September of last year. Guy #3. He was interesting. A former teacher. We had two good dates and a really awkward 3rd but I kept hope alive because I liked him. In hindsight, not as much as the others, but I was willing to give it time. He was definitely one of the better ones. The awkward goodbye after date 3 sealed it. He blew me off a bit and disappeared. Another one bites the dust.

That brings us to Guy #4. Freshly added to the "roster" last night. Things were going so, so very well. At least I thought they were. I was getting green lights all over the place. This was the best thing I'd experienced in a long time. I thought him a potential keeper. We were certainly headed in that direction. Until last night. It's not me. It's him. I won't say anything disparaging about him because the reason I am so crushed is because he is a wonderful guy. Really. One of the best I've ever met. We had sparks. I thought we were perfect for each other. It is him. I believe it and he took responsibility but it is a bit me too, isn't it? Because when it is the right person it just works out. It isn't so hard.

So I am 4/4. I won't give up on my beloved season yet though. I just know that September-December I'll be a little more wary.

fly by

2011-10-20T09:57:00.002-04:00

Hey there,

I've been so bad at the blog thing lately. Sometimes I wonder if I should just stop altogether....

Here are my updates:

Work is still very, very busy. I have a few trips coming up and am taking on more, which is good, but I've been so exhausted when I get home at night that all I can usually manage is to stuff my face in front of whatever episode of The Real Housewives is currently on. Yes, that is true.

Thus I have not been going to the gym very often. Shame on me. My credit card is pissed. It still gets charged for that membership.

I wish I could motivate myself to wake up in the morning and workout before work. I was really good at this during the Spring months (and by really good I mean I managed to do it about twice a week) but now I hit snooze 5,000 times before turning it off, falling back asleep and waking up late. Ha!

I'm in a voracious mood when it comes to reading. I think it is because it is relaxing. I just want to read all day and end up very sad when I get in bed at night, pick up my book, and find I can only make it two pages before my eyes are so heavy that I have to turn out the light.

I'm in the mood for historical fiction. First up, Egypt! I'm finally getting around to Mich.elle Mor.an's The Her.etic Qu.een. Last year I blogged about how awesome Mich.elle is and she found my little blog post (via the powers that be at Google alert, I can only assume). It was so exciting. I've previously read Nefer.titi and she has one more Egyptian book, Cleo.pat.ra's Daugh.ter. Then there's Mad.ame Tuss.aud which is amazing! Love all of them!

Russia is up next! If anyone has any other recommendations I'd love to hear them!

I'm still seeing the guy I was seeing the last time I blogged. Well "seeing" is not an operative word here, really. We're dating but our schedules are so crazy this month that we haven't been able to get together lately. This is very disappointing but I'm trying to be patient and am hoping things will continue to go well regardless.

update...

2011-10-01T15:23:00.001-04:00

Wow, I haven't blogged in a while (and haven't had a "real" post in even longer). Here's the latest. . .

I feel like I'm always reporting that I've been sick. But this time around it was a nasty little bugger that hit me like a mack truck with chills, exhaustion, fever, cough. . . the whole gamut.

I am happy to say that though I missed two days of work, I am well now. My cough is still hanging on (and causes me to get dirty looks from people on the subway and on the bus) but today was the first day I haven't really coughed at all. And it has been 2 weeks! My coughs always hang on until the bitter end but I daresay this one is on its way out. Fingers crossed!

Work has been INSANE. I'm so busy because (I guess) Fall is a very hectic time of year for me. I wouldn't know. This is my first Fall in this particular position. That coupled with missing two days and events that I'm responsible for that fall one right after the other. . . I've been very, very swamped.

Today is my New York-iversary. I've been here four years! In some ways it seems like much shorter or much longer but it is unbelievable in every way. I want to talk to that girl, the one who really didn't know what she was doing but wanted to do it anyway; the one who had a vague idea of what her life was going to be like but really had zero clue. Today is a very fun and special day for me and it always will be. To some it seems like a small milestone but to me it is huge and represents so much in my life, my growth, and my relationship with myself.

Last but certainly not least. . . I'm seeing someone. I feel like an eighth grade girl but I like him a lot and he likes me. We've been dating for a month but I feel like I've known him so much longer. I told my mom last weekend. I'd been waiting to see what would take shape. Telling her made it feel real. I've gotten so tired of talking about dating so when this first started up I had the "I don't care. I'm over it." attitude (not in a bitter way but in an acceptance sort of way). He and I hit it off from the very beginning. We'll see what happens!

Hope everyone is well! Happy Fall! I love this time of year and it looks like NYC weather is finally going to feel like autumn this weekend. . .

10 Day You Challenge - Day 8 - Books!

2011-09-20T17:16:00.004-04:00

*BREAKING NEWS* I'm still sick. (And being a total and complete baby about it.)

So here we are. Day 4 of 10 Day You Challenge.

Books.

Everyone knows I love books. In fact, to the untrained eye, it might seem like I don't have many other interests. I read them. I collect them. I studied them. I work with them. My obsession dates back to when I was but a wee lass and would "read" books to

my parents.

I'm supposed to come up with four books. That's hard for me. So I'm going to choose the four that have had the most impact on my life, its course, and how I've gotten where I am today.

1. Babies by Gyo Fujikawa

This was my favorite book when I was small. In fact I still know the first line: "Babies are soft, warm, and cuddly." only I couldn't say my c's so in our house it was "Babies are soft, warm, and tuddly." My parents still talk about (and do impressions of) the way my face would light up when I was read this book and how I would recite it back to them. I like to think this was what started it all...

2. The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder

When I was in fourth grade, the book nerd in me officially let her freak flag fly. I got really into our school reading program, Best Foot Forward, and worked so hard to earn the Big Sticks (popcicles, remember those?!), pencils, folders, and other prizes. I loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and, since in fourth grade all California kids learn CA history, I became obsessed with all things olden days. My grandmother even made me a prairie dress. It was too big for me but I wore it anyway. I have such fond memories of rushing through my homework, laying on the couch and reading On the Banks of Plum Creek while drinking Kool-aid.

3. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

I was a sophomore in high school when I was first introduced to what would become (and still remains) my favorite book. We read it in E

nglish during a seminar sets unit (in which we could choose to read one of five books and get in groups and talk about it and stuff.) The district tried to eliminate it from the curriculum shortly thereafter (due to somewhat graphic sexual content) and some of my class members went to a district meeting to defend the book. I didn't go but I now wish I had. (The book ended up getting put to 12th grade as an optional text.)

I have since read it again three times, studied it in college, and I've seen the author speak twice. She is awesome and oh so funny.

5. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

I wish I could say there is a book that made me want to become an English major. There really isn't. But books like Mark Twain's Huck Finn, Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, and Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides made me certain I'd made the right decision. The best book I've read since I got my hands on The House of the Spirits all those years ago.

Likewise, I wish there was a book that I could point to and say "This is the reason I am in book publishing. This is the reason I made the switch to kids' books." There are many, many I have read and love over the years. But if someone were to ask me, I guess I would say "I'll start with these four... how much time do you have?"

a break in our regularly scheduled programming...

2011-09-18T15:59:00.002-04:00

I have the flu.

What's that you say? It is too early in the "season" for the flu? MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY!

I blame the lady who sat behind me at the movies the other day, hacking and coughing all over the place. There were a total of 10 people in the theater. She totally could have sat away from other people.

My weekend has consisted of sleeping and watching movies. Yesterday I watched Romeo and Juliet (the Claire Danes/Leo DiCaprio version that always makes me flashback to my teen years) and then caught the Wedding Crashers on TV. This morning I watched Hall Pass and am about to settle into Fair Game (the Valerie Plame story starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn). I'm sure there will be more.

The only good thing about being sick is that you get a free pass to eat whatever sounds good. In my case it has been chicken soup and Haagen Das Cookies and Cream ice cream.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. I fully intend to live it up next weekend. Good thing my bed is comfy.

Day 7 - 10 Day You Challenge

2011-09-16T14:24:00.006-04:00

Not really sure why the image isn't working but by now you all get it. . .

Day 7 is food. I love food. I'm the girl who eats a brownie instead of downing a drink when I've had a bad day. When the food comes I ignore my cocktail or beer. I have a major major sweet tooth. It is a huge problem (so much so that I can't keep cake or cookies or ice cream in the house... I will gobble them up in no time!)

So I'm listing my favorite foods that I would eat every single freakin' day if it didn't mean I'd be 500 lbs, a couple of things I eat regularly, and what I would choose for my last meal. You'll notice some of these categories overlap.

5. cake - Love the stuff. I wish every day was my birthday so I could eat it. Birthday cake is awesome. As is german chocolate, red velvet, and this kind my mom makes called earthquake cake (it is like german chocolate cake but it also has cream cheese. OMG.) I'm salivating now.

4. apples and yogurt - I've been eating this since I was young. My mom used to cut up apples and put vanilla yogurt on top. I still eat this a lot. I realize that an apple is not the first fruit one thinks to pair with vanilla yogurt. I'll also add that I love blueberries and strawberries (any kind of berry really) with yogurt.

3. green beans and edamame - These are my go-to veggies. I could eat them by the truckful

2. a bean, cheese, and rice burrito from my local hole-in-the-wall taco shop at home - I want one now. I've been going there since high school. In fact, it still is a high school hang out... which makes me chuckle when I go there now. I make at least one trip every time I go back "home." They know me there and they know what I like. It is kind of embarassing because I rarely get anything else there. I once sent a burrito to my BFF for her birthday. It sounds gross but I overnighted it frozen and it made it (full disclosure: if it had had meat in it, I wouldn't have done it!). Best birthday gift idea I've ever had!

1. taco and enchilada plate from my favorite sit-down, family-owned Mexican restaurant at "home" - Last meal. I'd have 5. SO good. Then I'd have cake.

Day 6 - 10 Day You Challenge - Places

2011-09-11T16:29:00.006-04:00

Everytime I sat down to write this one I wasn't sure which six places I should choose. I have lived in six cities (one in the Midwest, two in Southern California, one in Northern California, London--where I studied abroad--and then, of course, New York.) But everyone knows where I'm from and where I live now.

I thought about choosing the six top places I'd like to visit but I have already done that.

So today I finally focused enough on this and I decided to choose six of my favorite locations in Manhattan. . . In no particular order. . .

1. Posman's Bookstore in Grand Central Station - I always go here when I'm at Grand Central. I'm not sure why I love it so much. It is like any other independent bookstore. (I was thinking about it today when trying to remember the title of a book I saw there the last time I was there. It has a brownish-tannish covor, a woman on the front, and I believe it takes place during WWI in Europe. It is driving me nuts so if anyone has any idea, please let me know!)

2. Central Park's Turtle Pond - You can see Belvedere Castle from the grass by turtle pond and, if you're lucky, a little guy might come up and say "hi." I also love meeting people in this area as it is smaller than The Great Lawn and easy to find one another.

3. Central Park's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir - The views from the reservoir are gorgeous. A couple of years ago on Thanksgiving my friends and I went for a walk after dinner. I'd never been after dark before (and would certainly not go alone) but it was beautiful and very serene and quiet.

4. The Hudson River Walk - This runs from Chelsea down to Battery Park. I love the views of the Hudson and New Jersey. If you can't tell by now I love to walk around.

5. Bleecker Street in the West Village - Well, I guess this can be extended to the West Village, period. But Bleecker has a special place in my heart because it was my first residence (for a one month sublet) when I first moved to the city. I especially love walking past all the shops and brownstones and down the cobblestone streets in the Fall.

6. Blockheads - Good food and $3 margaritas. Several locations. Done.

Of course there are many, many more places I love. These are just the beloved ones that came to mind first.

Day 7 - 10 Day You Challenge

2011-09-02T12:03:00.002-04:00

I'm a day behind but who cares?

Sometimes what I want feels like it changes by the minute. Some are big and some are small. And I am hungry right now so some are food related...

.7. WANTS

1. A turkey club sandwich with potato chips from Grey Dog Cafe (This one is seriously my #1 want right now...)

2. A burrito from my local taco shop in CA

3. A nap on the beach

4. More time in the day to get my work reading & my for-fun reading done

5. Money and time for an amazing European vacation

6. A vacation, period

7. To have my cake and eat it too...

Days 9 & 8 - 10 Day You Challenge

2011-08-31T22:07:00.004-04:00

.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!

2011-08-29T10:21:00.004-04:00

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

2011-08-28T19:11:00.002-04:00

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?

2011-08-27T19:42:00.002-04:00

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

2011-08-22T20:44:00.002-04:00

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

2011-08-12T20:52:00.004-04:00

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

2011-08-05T22:23:00.002-04:00

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

2011-08-02T10:36:00.003-04:00

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

2011-08-01T16:05:00.005-04:00

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?

small summer update

2011-07-31T12:19:00.002-04:00

It has been forever.

I've been busy.

Between babysitting, work, Happy Hours, movie and beach going, I'm wiped out so today I am ignoring the gorgeous sunshine and am tempted to go get ice cream and eat it while watching Lifetime all day.

I've been on a few dates with a guy but I don't think it is going to go anywhere. Another reason for the ice cream. I had high hopes for this one but we don't have much in common and after a couple of good dates, it just doesn't feel right anymore...

Generally speaking though everything has been really good. I'm just trying to enjoy the summer and am headed to the Hamptons in a couple of weekends for a job. I'm pretty excited about it.

Hope you are all enjoying your summer!

midnight musings

2011-07-19T00:13:00.002-04:00

If you're trying, you're doing a great job.

I stole this from another blog. It isn't my quote and the context from which it was taken has nothing to do with me or my life right now.

But it still fits.

And it makes me smile.

miscellaneous monday - the hot as hades edition

2011-07-11T20:51:00.002-04:00

1. It is stick-y here.

I went to the beach yesterday (woohoo!) and burned my white little self. Oy. My own fault. I did not reapply enough. It was so much fun though and I was once again reminded how good the beach is for my soul. Makes me wonder why I chose to move somewhere where the surf and sand is at least an hour away by public transportation when I was ten minutes away from it California.

2. I'm going to a Harry Potter trivia event tomorrow and I am so excited!

3. I am feeling better! Hooray! No more coughing and I have my energy level back.

4. Today I went to the gym for the first time in a few weeks. Eek! Got some work to do.

5. I have an event for work tomorrow and I'm nervous. This is the first one I've been entirely responsible for. Fingers crossed it goes well!

6. I made a Two Princes (by the Spin Doctors) station on Pandora tonight. Love! I love 80's music but I'm definitely a 90's girl!

7. I went to Staples on the way home from work tonight and saw a ton of moms and kids shopping for what I assume are back-to-school supplies. Seriously?! Is it really that time again? No way.

8. That's all she wrote!

done

2011-07-09T20:25:00.002-04:00

It has been a week. I still have a cough.

I've entered my third weekend of "illness" and am very fed up.

There are certainly worse things in this world. I am not throwing myself a pity party. I'm hoping the roughly 13 hrs of sleep (yes, 13) that I got last night help. I plan on a repeat performance (less an hour or two) tonight.

Go away, stupid cough. You have made your mark. I've got plans next weekend so you'd better have your ugly face gone before then.

my 2011 independence weekend was...

2011-07-04T23:17:00.005-04:00

downtime (and lots of it!) - due to a cough that just would not go away! (Thank you DuaneReade Doctor on Premises program. I love my antibiotics!)
eggs and pancake time - I had no appetite all weekend until last night really when I got a hankering for eggs and pancakes. So I skipped over to the 24 hr diner and sat at the counter reading my book and eating.
because-i-can time - TV marathons, air conditioned bedroom, naps, and reading
money makin time - because I want to do more than just "get by."
sunbathin' time - I spent today in Central Park with a friend by Turtle Pond soaking up the rays and sweatin' up a storm. (I don't think I will ever get used to the "sweat-behind-your-knees" type of humidity they got goin' on here.)
Turtle Time - We spied a turtle who had come up from the pond onto the grass and proceeded to make the rounds through the park for his adoring onlookers. I really was worried about the poor little guy. He seemed lost. (Pst - If you watch The Real Housewives of NY, that last title was for you.)

Happy Independence Day to you all.

four 4ths

2011-07-02T23:30:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone,

I've had a cold for the past week and a half. It is hot outside. You do the math.

I'm trying to enjoy the holiday weekend anyway and plan to spend significant parts of the next few days reading The Story of Beautiful Girl. Thanks, MCW, for putting it on my radar.

One of the most interesting things, I think, about holidays is their ability to make you remember details of what life was like exactly a year ago. The other day I was thinking about my last four 4ths.

I spent my first one in California, actually. I'd been there for a work conference so I stayed on for the holiday weekend, spent it drinking daquiris and playing Scrabble, and spying on fireworks between the trees in my parents' neighborhood.

#2 is my favorite so far. My friend Annie, who no longer lives here, came over and we played cards on my patio while eating chips and salsa and drinking beers. Then, along with one of my roommates, we went to her friend's party just a few blocks up from me. We ate burgers and climbed up on the roof to watch the fireworks from all directions.

Last year was a toughie. I was having a rough weekend but went to Montauk for the 4th anyway. It took forever via LIRR (Lesson learned! Never again.) and was a very long day. Sunburns, sand, seven am to midnight. The beach was fun and I'd never been to Montauk but I am SO glad that things are so much better this year!

Not sure what I'm doing this year. I made plans with a friend to go to the beach, however, we'll see how I feel. Stupid cold. Maybe a repeat of fourth numero dos is more my style this year.

Where were you four 4ths ago? What do you have planned for this weekend?

the one where i break everything

2011-06-22T00:17:00.003-04:00

It is 12:22 am and I should be sawing logs... Or well on my way.

Especially since I have to be at work early tomorrow for a meeting.

But it is hot in my room tonight and I am still geared up from the last few days I have had.

It all started on Friday when I discovered that the "click" function on my new MacBook's trackpad (because, to me, 14 months old is still a baby) was no longer functioning properly. So I took it in to the Apple store on Sunday. Turns out it couldn't be fixed and since it was no longer under warranty, I paid to have it replaced.

Luckily, they had an appointment open so I had it done the day of and resolved to just forget it ever happened. I tend to think that that is the best way to deal with expensive surprises. That way I don't hyperventilate.

Then today I decided to actually go somewhere on my lunch hour and head to DSW to try to find shoes for a wedding I have this weekend. The line was long so it took a lot longer than expected and I was rushing back to the office. Long story short, I dropped my smartphone on the sidewalk and completely shattered the screen. As in giant spiderwebs of expensiveness and heartache. I was devastated. This thing isn't even a year old.

I'm still so worked up about this stupid thing that I am not remotely tired. I spent the afternoon weighing options, considering pleading with Verizon to sell me a new one at the upgrade price, Googled and read subsequent discussion forums where people told their similar tales of woe and others scolded them for purchasing a $500 phone and not getting insurance (Nope! I didn't get insurance either! Smart me!) I consulted Motorola about how much it would cost to fix the screen, looked on eBay a bit for used ones, felt sorry for myself.

In the end I will pay the price to have it fixed or replaced with a used one (because God forbid I actually give up this phone and go back to a flip phone!), charge the card, and resolve to forget about it. Just like the time I lost my entire DVD collection on a plane or the other time I left my iPod on a plane. Lost that too. We don't speak of these things. I have since learned my lesson about planes.

Perhaps I need to learn my lesson about extended warranties and insurance too.

getting goofy over summer

2011-06-19T22:27:00.003-04:00

Happy Father's Day to everyone. It was a beautiful day in NYC today. And I had a lovely chat with my dad on the phone tonight where I heard the story of how my brother and I got him the same thing for Father's Day! Too funny!

This weekend I explored two new parts of the city! Yesterday I spent some time in Battery Park City, hanging out with a fun five-year-old at splash parks (a concept entirely lost on this beach-going girl before she moved to the concrete jungle). Today I walked home from the Upper East Side and the route took me through newer parts of Central Park: The Conservatory Garden, Harlem Meer and North Meadow.

Love. The. Park. Makes me wonder why I don't spend every single weekend there.

Where did this weekend go?? I'm in the mood for picnics, cool drinks, bbqs, laughs and lots of friends. I'm going into this summer with the highest of hopes. Yep, it is going to be sunny.

What are you all looking forward to this summer?

"In summer, the song sings itself."

William Carlos Williams

my weekend was: more prose than poetry

2011-06-15T09:19:00.003-04:00

Happy Hump Day!

I had a crazy busy weekend last weekend and have had a busy week this week so I am just now getting to writing about it.

On Friday I got off work early (God bless the publishing industry for having "Summer Fridays!") and was super productive for the rest of my day. I went to the gym, did laundry, made dinner, and FINALLY put away all my winter sweaters and clothes and got out the rest of my summer stuff from which I've been pilfering for several weeks.

Saturday morning I got up pretty early for a Home Goods shopping event. My bud Summer invited me to it and I was thrilled to be included! We all arrived at the beautiful new Upper West Side HG store at 8 am, chatted for a bit, met our hosts and hostesses, and enjoyed refreshments. We then were turned loose in the store with a $50 gift card for an hour and a half. I must say, I wandered around for a good hour feeling completely overwhelmed. I tried to think of things I really needed for my apartment. Since I live with roommates, we all contribute to common areas and therefore have a lot of stuff. For my bedroom, I do need a couple of things but wasn't able to find things that suited me.

In the 11th hour I ended up grabbing a dutch oven, which will be given to a friend as a wedding gift, and a couple of new pillows for myself. Practical to the very end. Yep, that's me.

Thanks to Summer, Home Goods and Blog Her for a lovely event! I had a wonderful time and very much appreciate the opportunity!

After my morning shopping spree, I went home, changed, and went to the gym. I was exhausted after this so I chilled for a while before heading out to a friend's BBQ in Brooklyn. I never made it there. I tried. Really I did. But the weather was bad, I'm not familiar with Prospect Park and by the time I would have gotten there I would have had to turn around. I don't do well in Brooklyn (direction wise). This is very embarassing. I need to work on this.

I came home, relaxed some more, and headed out at 8 for dinner and dancing as part of my good friend's bachelorette party. Fun was had. I had Jamie Foxx's "Blame It" in my head for the rest of the weekend.

Sunday I did nothing for most of the day, headed to the gym around 6 and ended up watching about 5 hours total of the Real Housewives franchise. Yeah, I did...

Since it is Wednesday, I am now looking forward to this weekend, which is shaping up to be busy as well... As we all know, I like busy. Busy is good.

Have a good week everyone!

the perfect storm

2011-06-06T19:20:00.002-04:00

You know...

I really hate using this word here. I try not to. But today I just feel like it. I'm talking about the F word. And I just want to scream it to the world.

I am FRUSTRATED.

I had such a bad day today. I can think of a billion ways in which it could have been worse and I know many, many people who have it worse off in life than I do. I'm fortunate and blessed--was given a good life and have made a good one for myself with what I was given. But you know those days when a case of the Mondays, Murphy's Law, and a short, short fuse collide?

That was today.

I woke up in a bummer mood. I had a date yesterday that was seemingly great on the outside but about 2/3 through I knew I didn't like him. This might not seem like a big deal to some but when it feels like it happens all the time things get magnified. The thing is that I totally expected to like him. Damn...

So I was in a pity party mood this morning and still am. I'll get over it. I'm SUPER stressed at work because it is like everything collided at once. I have had two events that I've been working on and we had to postpone one for various reasons so I'm dealing with all of that. I'm behind schedule on several things and then, of course, other things don't stop coming. I like my job and can handle the more stressful days but it just seemed like a lot today...

Money is tight. I always worry about money but never have I been so excited for a paycheck. Only a few more days until I get my next one. My goal is not to have to dip into my savings and I find myself doing that more and more lately. The tide will turn, I'll work more and spend less and it will be fine but it is stressful to constantly worry about it in this expensive city.

It is like a perfect storm. I went to the gym tonight to try to work some of it off but I must be dehydrated because I didn't get very far. Plus it was crowded and I didn't feel like waiting for a different machine so I just left, came home, and ate.

I don't like to wear my heart on my sleeve. I'm a pretty private person so the fact that I have a blog on which I can complain (no matter how anonymous) is something. And ever since I found out that I'd been found I often get paranoid that people I "know" are reading and judging my every complaint, every comma.

Today was just one of those days. So now I'm going to go get some chocolate, get in bed with a movie, and hopefully go to sleep early...

So I can start tomorrow fresh--with a workout in the morning.

the melody of eharmony: this girl's case study (part one)

2011-06-05T18:28:00.004-04:00

You know the saying. . . Opposites attract.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about what I'm attracted to in a guy and what kind of guy I think I'll eventually end up with. In my mind's eye he's friendly and personable but fairly private. He's a guy's guy with a softer side that comes out every once in a while. He's intelligent and well spoken. I could go on and on.

I tend to think since I'm on the quiet side I will end up with someone who is more outgoing and brings that out in me. I tend to be Type-A about stuff and I think my guy might loosen me up a bit... I joke and say that I'd better end up with someone who is good at math... otherwise my kids are screwed.

So when I decided to try eHarmony it was in large part due to the fact that it appears to be a rather large sociological experiment. And I'm curious. And I'm single and seeing more and more wedding photos and baby pics on Facebook. You get the idea. I'd avoided the site for a while for personal political reasons, however, I decided to give it a go two months ago.

For those of you who don't know, eHarmony's thing is that they match you based on what they call "29 dimensions of compatibility" rather than letting you have-at-it with a giant database of dudes. Before I signed up for a paid subscription, I filled out a personality profile and answered questions about the ways I communicate, my values and habits, etc. Then I had the chance to review my matches, delivered right to my inbox. I'd learn a guy's first name, age, and location as well as his answers to various questions like what he can't live without, the first thing someone notices about him, etc. I also answered the same types of questions for my profile.

I took the plunge and signed up after finding a discount coupon online. The site ain't cheap. They advise giving the site at least 3+ months. I signed up for a one-month-at-a-time subscription and ended up giving it two months before I cancelled it last week.

eHarms has 3 steps of communication. If someone strikes your fancy you can send them three multiple choice questions to answer (that you choose from a list of questions). He answers them and then sends you his three questions and you answer back. After that you swap your list of 8 Must-Haves and Can't-Stands. Then come the "open ended questions." You can select from a list or write your own and then he fills in the answer in a little box. I alternated between the pre-selected questions and writing my own. Then after that they think you're trustworthy enough to let you email one another.

I must say this guided and slow way of communicating with someone only appealed to me only on the basis of curiosity. Otherwise, it seemed to prolong things. I was interested in how the site chose guys for me. A guy's answer to a question along with the questions he asked me were telling. Generally speaking, we toed gender lines. I was interested in knowing how driven he was and good communication was on my must-have list. The guys tended to ask me how often I laugh (Read: "Are you a stick in the mud?") and physical chemistry was a must-have. (Naturally.)

Overall, I gave it two months and I think that's enough. I'm not sure I'd try it again but I have learned never to rule anything out when it comes to finding the right person for me. Once upon a time I decided that was going to include this type of thing. I still fight with myself over whether it is something I want to be doing. A lot. Bottom line: I don't think it's for me and would reconsider giving it another shot... This is getting to be a long post so tomorrow I will tell you why...

we do redo

2011-05-30T18:27:00.002-04:00

Happy Memorial Weekend everyone!

I'm being a huge lazy bones and haven't been running (as much... some), I've been eating like mad, and am currently drinking a Pepsi Throwback (made with real sugar, not high fructose corn syrup... Not sure I like it better but whatever. It is what is in the house.)

I've also been going through the boxes and boxes of books of mine that I have here at my folks' and picking out books I want to reread. I suppose that means this year's theme will be great re-reads. I know I've said this before. I settled upon Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende--who is, by far, my favorite author. I've seen her speak in person twice. She's brilliant and hilarious. Her first novel, The House of the Spirits, is my favorite and (in my humble opinion) her best work but I'm remembering how good Daughter of Fortune is. I guess that's why Oprah picked it for her book club...

Here is my full (so far) reread list:

Portrait in Sepia - Isabel Allende (kind of goes with DOF)

The Kitchen God's Wife - Amy Tan (I love Amy Tan and have read most, if not all of her books.)

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

Falling Angels - Tracy Chevalier (I talked about her the other day and keep thinking how much I remember liking this one.)

Bibliophiles, what books have you read that you would love to read again?

Have a great and sunny day!

city musings from suburbia

2011-05-26T21:59:00.000-04:00

The more I come home to suburbia, the more I realize how drastically different my life is in a rumbling, living, breathing city.

Here are a few reasons:

1. In the city we have these wonderfully magical things called bodegas (like mini-marts or convenience stores, if you will.) Found on nearly every corner, many bodegas are open 24/7 and while a jar of peanut butter tends to cost $7, they are super useful for chocolate cravings, soda runs, and those "oops I didn't have breakfast so I'll pay $1.50 for a granola bar" mornings. My bodega is great. The guys know me and the lady who works on the weekends always talks to me about the weather. The other day I was about the purchase two items when I realized I only had enough money for one. I told the cashier I only wanted one because I didn't have enough money and he said, "That's OK. You pay later." I jokingly said, "Yeah, it's not like you won't ever see me again." To which he replied, "I see you every day." While I'm not sure how much I like these guys knowing my horrible compulsive snacking habits, there is comfort to be found in such small things as this.

Today I decided I wanted a Diet Dr. Pepper (ugh, my biggest vice) but there wasn't one to be found in the house. So I had to drive to a nearby gas station to pick one up. Oh the horror.

2. The comforting sounds of the city. I'm used to the sirens and plethora of other noises now. The first time I came back to sunny So Cal after my big move it was too quiet. The silence rang loudly in my ears. Now I'm used to both but this time, between the partying house next door, the ridiculously loud crows that caw every morning, and my crazy dog barking, I long for the city quiet.

3. I love me some driving. Seriously. I do. My love of getting behind the wheel, pumping gas, and using my turn signal didn't surface until rush hour involved bodies packed in a subway car. Nowadays I grab the keys to someone's car whenever I can. Early this evening I was feeling cabin feverish having spent a large part of the day around the house and my brother's car was available so I decided to go to Barnes and Noble to check out what's new. Yes, while on vacation I think about books and peruse the shelves to pay attention to trends and new releases (and covet many, many pretty covers).

I can go to B&N in New York. I can go to an indie in New York. I can go down the hall and grab a book from the "take shelf" in New York. But I always love to go book shopping when I get home and I was looking for an excuse to drive around. The suburbs also have these things called shopping centers, in which many different (chain) stores are grouped together around a giant parking lot. After B&N I went next door to Ross where I bought a couple of things and then drove to pick up my dinner--a burrito from my favorite hole-in-the-wall place. That's another thing about suburbia... they don't deliver anything but pizza.

4. Yesterday I went for a run up to the elementary school. I marveled at the tell-tale signs of suburban splendor. The rows of mailboxes with their little red flags. The vanity number plates on houses. The outdoor ornamental lawn chairs that no one ever sits in. Along the way I passed a few fellow runners who smiled and said "hi" to me. In New York, the only person who talks to you on the street is the homeless guy who asks you for 50 cents for a cup of coffee outside the subway. Yes, this is cliched and yes for a split second I wondered why they were talking to me. It was a classic "you are now a hardened city girl" moment.

5. Last but not least... life feels slower. It really does. I know I'm on vacation so I am out of my routine but I have gotten so used to everything buzzing by and staying in step with it all that when I stand back and look at it I realize just how much happens, how much I see, how much I ignore, and just how much I love it.

Remember the Sunscreen Song? In it, the guy said to live in a city at some point in your life but not so long that it makes you hard (I'm doing a horrible job at paraphrasing it but it goes something like that.) Today while I was driving around I considered how much more city I have in me. I have been saying lately that it is one lease at a time. But the city is so much a part of me who knows what will happen. And I like it that way right now.

"i'm your biggest fan. i'll follow you until you love me... "

2011-05-25T17:58:00.003-04:00

A conversation I just had with my dad:

Dad: I like Lady Gaga.

Me: You do? (surprised) What song is your favorite?

Dad: I don't know. I don't know any of her songs.

Me: (laughing) Then why do you like her?

Dad: Because she's weird.

my weekend was... in numbers.

2011-05-22T20:38:00.003-04:00

100 minutes--of hilarity. I invited some girls over on Friday for pizza and The Hangover. Love, love, love it all. Low key nights with friends are the best.

29,000 steps*--running on the treadmill, walking to the volunteer site, walking through the park when it turns out the volunteer project was cancelled, walking back uptown to my neighborhood.

four hours spent lapping up the gorgeous sunshine in Central Park while people watching, visiting Strawberry Fields, reading on a lovely park bench by the lake.

seven digits... that I gave to the guy who hit on me while I was sitting on the park bench. He texted and called yesterday. I don't really want to go out with him. Hmmm...

15,000 steps*--running on the treadmill again, walking to my friend's apt, taking her dog out for a walk in the park, heading home.

Three hours and fourteen minutes left in the weekend. Sad!

What was your weekend?

*I know the number of steps I have taken this weekend because I've been wearing a pedometer as part of a corporate challenge thing in which my co-workers and I "walk across the world." We are currently in Fiji. I believe the team that gets there first or gets the highest number wins something. I honestly don't remember. I did it for the free swag. (Only half kidding there... It is kind of cool knowing how much I walk in a day.) Oh, and I've rounded the numbers.

where were you when...: the book nerd edition

2011-05-19T09:52:00.001-04:00

I'm a huge list maker and a huge bibliophile.

I'm a huge nerd.

I've kept a chronological list of all of the books I've read since 2004. When I joined goodreads.com in Spring 2008, that list began being housed on the internet. When my laptop crashed last year, the lists from the previous years (all in gorgeous Word/Excel docs) were lost. Tear.

Every once in a while I take a peek back at what I was reading this time last year, and the year before, and the year before and try to remember what I was doing around that time. So I thought I'd be an even bigger nerd and share:

2011 (Today)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (reread)

I've posted a bit about my rediscovery of this wonderful book here and I'm still plugging away at it. (I'm distracted every day by things I have to read for work.) I first read it in September 2007.

2010

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (UK Edition)

I brought two books with me to London last year and by my 3rd or 4th day there, had read them both. (I have a long plane ride and a relatively lengthy train ride to Bath as well as my well-formed habit of reading on public transportation to thank for this.) I'd also known I wanted to purchase a book while I was there. Most books in the UK come out only in paperback. The cover art is often different and sometimes the title is as well. I loved browsing bookshops and noticing the differences.

So whilst in Paddington Station waiting for our train to Bath I bought the UK edition of The Girl With the Pearl Earring author Tracy Chevalier's newest novel. I believe it had yet to be published in the U.S. at this point so I was feeling pretty spiffy. I read it on the plane ride back to New York. It is the story of "two eccentric women searching for fossils on English beaches" and while it wasn't my favorite of hers (I've read all the others) I'm happy this souvenir sits on my bookshelf.

On a very unrelated note... Can I travel abroad again? Soon? Please?

2009

Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan

You can find my review of that one here. I remember reading this while waiting for my friend to meet me to stand in line and rush tickets for Billy Elliot on Broadway. We quickly found out that only students can rush for that show so we went to dinner instead. The two of us saw a few shows that Spring/Summer and then at the end of the Summer she moved back home to Florida. I miss her. She was one of my first friends here.

2008

The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine by Somaly Mam

This is the story of a woman who was sold into prostitution at the age of six or so and her fight to free herself it and help other girls and young women throughout the world. A heartwrenching and at times too-tough-to-read account (I had to put the book down and walk away for a bit a couple of times), this book is so important and Ms. Mam is truly an inspiration.

I don't remember what I was doing when I read it but I do remember that when BFF came to visit me for the first time in NYC, she read it while she was here. She and I were uber tourists, going through the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Top of the Rock, Central Park, and more like madwomen. So much fun!

the cycle

2011-05-18T09:20:00.003-04:00

Date #2 happened last night.

It went fine and I had a nice time.

I'm open to a 3rd.

But I'm feeling frustrated and burnt out. And I'm tired of feeling this way. It happens often. I go on a couple of dates, it stops being fun, I stop going on them but then start up again because well... that's what you do. It is going to happen some day and some day might as well be today, right?

And I tend to do this thing where I don't give up. I'm too stubborn to. It is both a blessing and a curse in life.

It is time to hibernate again.

'Til next time...

monday, rainy monday

2011-05-16T10:33:00.004-04:00

It is horribly rainy and disgusting outside today. I forgot my key card to the building on my desk on Friday. These two things made me a bit of a grumpus this morning as I hauled it into to work with my broken umbrella, my bag, my extra canvas bag with my lunch in it, and my crazy frizzy hair. The hair is now up in a ponytail. I think that is going to be the look of the week as it is supposed to be rainy all week.

I had a low-key weekend. I sacrificed it to job numero dos and some extra cash in my pocket. Every once in a while I have weekends like this. I won't lie... They depress me a bit sometimes but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

I'm supposed to have a date tomorrow. Supposed to is the key phrase here. It is a 2nd date. I have leveled hopes. On our first date he called me the most normal girl he had yet to meet here in NYC. Even though he's only been here 5 months, I took that for the compliment it is.

Oh how I wish I was in bed reading right now!

Happy Monday everyone!

my may weekend was...

2011-05-08T21:10:00.003-04:00

. . . an exercise in organization.

. . . a last minute pocket full of Jackson's.

. . . a cab ride home, quick bite, change of clothes and a bit of mascara and another cab ride into the heart of my youth.

. . . a forgotten ID. No entry.

. . . a last-ditch effort at saving the night and a glass of wine and chat with a good friend.

. . . Madison Square Park and a view of "Echo."

. . . the time to work out, do laundry, and cook--all in one day!

. . . another dating lesson.

. . . gorgeous spring weather, always alarm clock-free, and entirely too short.

What was your weekend?

I just went. . .

2011-05-06T22:34:00.004-04:00

. . .on the most awkward date ever tonight.

I decided to approach dating with a renewed vigor about two months ago. I know I complain a lot about how hard dating is in this crazy city. I don't think one can understand it until she tries it. It is so odd to be surrounded by so many people yet not be able to find one who catches your attention. Not meet someone with whom conversation sparks and chemistry flies. In a way it makes no sense to me yet all the sense in the world. Some days I think I'll give up one of these days and resign myself to the fact that dating and coupling in this city is not made for me. There are too many factors that work against me and I'm a fool to try.

But I'm strong willed and I'm here. So if I'm going to be here then why not be here completely? If I feel like putting myself up for the possibility of one of the worst dates ever on the chance that it might turn out to be one of the best, why shouldn't I?

That's exactly what I did tonight--armed with a nonchalant yet friendly attitude, I made my way downtown to meet another would-be stranger for another date.

Oh wow. This one was a tad painful. It was so awkward. Like he-barely-looked-me-in-the-eye awkward. I put on my brave face, politely ordered a second glass of wine, and asked him about his job. I thought maybe he'd loosen up talking about it but it is just who he is. And there is someone out there for him.

And there is someone out there for me.

On my way home, changing trains at Times Square, I chuckled to myself for my luck. A big step. I'm shifting focus. I'm backtracking once again. This round is over. I think because I'd felt rejected by someone I really liked I've been looking for a substitute when I really should be looking to myself. Of course I've known it all along. I just had to feel it.

I'm still me. I'm still strong willed and I still have faith.

I'm just going to try that faith out a little differently.

friday, i'm in love

2011-04-29T13:02:00.003-04:00

It's Friday and I love...

1. The Royal Wedding.

OK, I admit. I'm in love with it. Mostly because of this scene.

He is adorable. And they're in love. And it makes my cynical frayed heart happy today so that's all that matters.

2. Button-down tops

I'm wearing one today and this morning I left my apartment feeling like I really do need to buy more like it. It's almost seersucker looking... grayish blue and white with tiny stripes. I think it makes me look preppy and I don't really look "preppy" that often. I'm diggin' it.

3. Fun work friends

I feel like I'm coming more into my own at work and making friends, which is nice. Two girls in my department and I have plans for a Happy Hour next week and we were chatting about the morning's events in the assistant's cubicle this morning. I also now sit by a really sweet publicity assistant who greets me with a "Good Morning, M!" each morning. :)

4. Re-reading books

I'm loving A Tree Grows in Brooklyn the second time around. I'm considering continuing with my re-reading (seems a bit easier to take on "fun" books this way since I read so much for work) with The Book Thief next. What would you re-read? I love saying re-read. It is fun.

5. Fridays!

T-G-I-F! Tomorrow if the weather is nice I will probably just take a walk or two and laze around. Maybe get in some shopping if I feel up to it.

What do you love this Friday?

natalie portman, kool-aid and running shoes: a miscellaneous wednesday

2011-04-27T17:09:00.005-04:00

Because I know you are all dying to know...

1. Yesterday a colleague told me I look like Natalie Portman. This is not the first time I've been told that but it has been a while. I admit it made me feel great since she's super pretty but I don't really see the resemblance...

2. I've had a bit of the Kool-Aid. I've been semi-paying attention to all this Royal Wedding stuff. (OK, I watched 2 TLC specials while babysitting the other night. Sips, people! Sips.) I guess the romantic mush in me just thinks they are super cute. Plus the anglophile in me loves all things British and I really, really want to go back to London these days.

3. For all the bellyaching I did this past weekend about not being busy, my phone was blowing up (I hate that expression but I just used it. Funny how that happens.) on Monday and I got two sitting jobs for this week plus a dinner/drinks invite from a friend. Life really does come in waves, even the smallest ones.

4. Have I mentioned how much I love the fact that I am a regular gym-goer (again) yet? Well I do. It is amazing for me and I have decided to treat regular exercise like taking my medicine. It is so good for my mental, emotional and physical state and I have been so out of it (regularly, that is) for so long. Mostly because I didn't think I could afford it... Oh I long for the days when my Y membership only cost me $18/month.

5. Speaking of which, I'm in need of a good pair of running shoes that won't cost me a ton o' cash. If anyone has good recommendations for brands and/or stores, please let me know!

6. I've been trying to go on a date with a guy now for a couple of weeks. Our schedules never seem to work out. Mostly his because he has a crazy busy job and we have both been traveling lately. Sigh.

7. Speaking of dating, I've had at least four people ask me if I am dating or have a boyfriend in the past week. Is there something on my forehead?

8. Today I got a huge shipment of books in and organized them for contest winners of a sweepstakes my department did. I felt a bit like Santa Claus and this made me smile.

9. I'm headed "home" again in just a couple of weeks but it is a surprise! Shh!

10. Time to go sweat out the small stuff!

dear diary

2011-04-25T09:42:00.002-04:00

Dear Diary,

Why are Monday's so incredibly painful sometimes?

This one is no exception.

Love,

Me

tonight

2011-04-23T23:05:00.004-04:00

I started out tonight feeling sorry for myself...

Sorry that I don't have family here to hang out with. That I don't have a significant other to guarantee that I almost-always have plans on a day like today when there were no special plans. Sorry that I didn't have a job tonight to occupy my downtime and make me some extra cash.

Sorry that I had no plans. Sorry that I didn't even really feel like seeking out plans with friends if it meant going out and spending money, braving potential rain, yada yada yada.

I was so easy to please today. I wasn't feeling contrary at all.

When it came to my attention tonight (as I was watching Bend it Like Beckham on IFC, I might add... I love that movie.) that I something unusual was about to happen, I became intrigued.

Tonight would be the first time in a long, long time that I would be home, in my house, alone. For an extended period of time.

I know I've mentioned it here before. I have three female roommates. I have my own bedroom, my own space and domain, but at any given time there is always someone home with me--or the potential of someone coming home. Roommate switches have happened lately and I have two new people with two new schedules living in my home. One is gone for the weekend and the other two roomies went out tonight...

I'm home alone!

Once I realized I could make fun of my lonely night I ~~begrudgingly~~ embraced it. I started by going to the gym and sweating out some of my frustrations. (Oh yes, I have become a gym rat. I gave in. I'm loving it. It is so very, very good for me.) When I came home I decided I was going to take a bath in our tub. I've never taken a bath in this tub. So I cleaned it first (Yeah, as I mentioned, three roommates!) and finished my book. It was lovely.

The rest of my night has been spent doing some light web browsing, eating a spot of dinner, and watching The Ten Commandments on TV. (I'd like to add an 11th commandment: Thou Shalt Not Overact.) After I'm done here I'll likely read until I get tired enough to fall asleep.

Tomorrow is Easter. I've got plans with friends for brunch and a movie.

I need to learn to embrace the solitude sometimes. Relax in the moment. Not make something out of good nothings. Tonight was a good start.

week of quotes - day 7

2011-04-23T21:13:00.000-04:00

Maybe tomorrow I'll find my way

To the land where the honey runs

Into rivers each day.

And the sweet tastin' good life

Is so easily found,

Way over yonder...

That's where I'm bound

- Carole King

week of quotes - days 5 & 6

2011-04-22T23:10:00.004-04:00

"When I get a little money I buy books;

and if I have any left I buy food and clothes."

- Desiderius Erasmus (also attributed to Abraham Lincoln)

Yesterday I ventured over to one of my old neighborhoods and discovered that an indie bookstore had opened up. I had a little time to kill before I met a friend for drinks so I wandered around inside. I quickly decided that while I don't really need another book on my bookshelf, I wanted to support my local bookstore so I purchased a "sale" book: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

I read thisbook the summer before I moved to New York and have wanted to own it ever since. (I'd checked it out from my library in California and vividly remember reading it in the cafeteria at my then workplace during my lunch hour.) I'm glad I bought it yesterday and am feeling quite in the mood to read it again.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Won't sleep 'til I've had enough.

Won't sip my wine from no paper cup."

- Beth Hart

This one is by my favorite singer and from one of my all-time favorite songs: Delicious Surprise. To me it is all about not giving up.

As am I...

week of quotes - days 3 & 4

2011-04-20T13:57:00.006-04:00

I spaced and forgot to put up my quote yesterday. I guess you could say yesterday's and today's go together.

"Dating in New York is not for the faint of heart."
-my good friend during dinner last night

_______________________________________________

But now I know the things I know
And do the things I do
And if you do not like me so
To hell, my love, with you!

- Dorothy Parker -
from her poem "Indian Summer"

week of quotes - day 2

2011-04-18T20:46:00.002-04:00

"I want so much to open your eyes

'cause I need you to look into mine."

- Snow Patrol -

week of quotes - day 1

2011-04-17T20:22:00.003-04:00

I don't feel like going into it with long blog posts lately so I thought I'd capture the mood of each day this week with a favorite quote. Mostly so I don't fall off the face of the earth. Who knows. It could end up being interesting...

Here is today's... newly discovered.

No coward soul is mine

- Emily Bronte

very short

2011-04-10T11:52:00.001-04:00

I have ~~everything~~ nothing to say.

I will be back another day.

my spring weekend was...

2011-04-04T13:57:00.005-04:00

...exhausting but GREAT!

I'm bucking the traditional list format for this one and I'm just going to spell it out. This weekend I got a couple of new roommates. I'm thrilled and these girls are super sweet. I think everyone is going to get along nicely. I did not move but as exhausted as I am today you'd think I did. I spent Friday night hanging with one roomie as we waited for her bed to be delivered and just chatted away. I was supposed to meet a friend for dinner but wanted to be around so it wasn't awkward for her to sit there waiting on the delivery. I'm glad it worked out the way it did as I had a great time sitting there and getting to know her better.

For some stupid reason I stayed up really late and really regretted it the next day when I woke up at 7:30 to start readying the apt for its new people. (Cleaning, mopping the floors, sweeping, moving large pieces of furniture, etc.) Like I said, I wasn't moving but with the cleaning and moving of furniture I did you'd think otherwise. By 2:30, the girls were moved in so I attacked the refrigerator with renewed vigor (It was gross but I wanted to make sure everyone was out before I started.) and collapsed on my bed to watch Winter's Bone (I liked it. I think Jennifer Lawrence will make a good Katniss in the Hunger Games!) before heading off to hang with super cute four and a half year old twin girls for the evening. Perfect end to the exhausting day. Next weekend I will do everything up nicely but I would have been too exhausted to do much else.

Yesterday was LOVELY. It was a gorgeous day, I was in a GREAT mood, and I'd been invited by a new-ish friend to have brunch with her and some of her friends in Brooklyn. So I hopped on the train, overestimated the time it would take to get there, and ended up with about 45 mins to kill... I went to Tarjay! I never go to Tarjay anymore. This made me even happier. I went for new curtains but instead got a couple of cute spring dresses. Oops!

Brunch was great, the company was better, and afterwards we walked around Brooklyn just soaking up the nice rays. Perfect. I came home to my nice, peaceful apartment, ran out to do my laundry, watched bad reality TV and roommate and I tried Skinnygirl Margaritas for the first time. (Not bad!)

I'm super duper tired today. Already counting down the days until next weekend! What was your weekend?

my so-called life?

2011-03-25T15:03:00.005-04:00

I've stolen this idea from MCW because... well it is a good one.

One day when I'm old and gray and there are flying computers and teleportation devices or something I'm probably going to be curious about what life was like for me in this big city at the tender age of "twenty-something." I don't lead a super exciting life. I'm not constantly out, don't do clubs that often, and God knows my life isn't something out of Sex and the City (Whose IS?!) but it is my life, I'm comfortable in it (most days), and I had a pretty typical week this week so I thought I'd write it all out...

A week in my life:

Monday

The week started off kind of crappy I guess but it wasn't the end of the world. I was supposed to go to a professionally related Happy Hour event after work but my stomach was hurting so badly that I ended up leaving early for the day and going straight home. I spent the night trying to figure out what I could/wanted to eat, watching TV online, and trying to get ahead of myself on the lunch-making, clothes-choosing and other domestic parts of my life. Per usual, my organization fizzled after one day. I ate pretzels for lunch today. Yeah...

Tuesday

I spent Tuesday evening in the company of my favorite little girls as I hopped on the train right after work and headed to their beautiful apartment for job numero dos (aka a babysitting gig). The baby (who is two now and really not a baby anymore - insert sad face) took a tiny spill of a squatty kid-sized chair and bumped her noggin on another squatty kid-sized chair. Tears ensued, of course, and though I'm not mommy I did my best to wipe them away. The parents came home early-ish, which was awesome, as I had spent the evening talking to my mom on the phone and had completely forgotten to get dinner. I happily headed home and watched Teen Mom 2 while eating carrots, cheese and cereal. (Remember what I said in the last paragraph? Organization gone by dinner time!)

Wednesday

Super fun! I played bar trivia with some friends. I love trivia! Pigged out on fries and ended up seriously regretting it but at the end of the night my tab wasn't bad and I learned that Lil' Wayne has ESPN tattooed on his arm and Amazon is being sued for using the word "app" in its new "app" store. Oh trivia. How I love your randomness. I didn't do very well but I had fun and I did get a couple right.

Thursday

More kiddos! Same kiddos. Tonight the older little girl sang songs for me in Spanish and then had me help her with a little coloring project where she drew a hand, colored fake fingernails, I cut them out and we glued them on. Interesting. The baby also joined in the singing fun with "Head Shoulders Knees and Nose." I'm telling you, the little songs melted my heart like you would not believe and I think I felt my ovaries twitch. I love those girls!

Friday (Today)

Tonight I'm going out to dinner with a friend. We're going to a French restaurant. I rarely eat French food because it always feels so heavy to me but I think I just have to order smartly.

Saturday

I used to volunteer a lot on Saturdays but I haven't been doing as much lately in favor of taking back my mornings. There is nothing better than knowing you can go to sleep whenever you darn well feel like it and sleep in as late as you want the next day. I mean, it is like Christmas... And when it comes at least once a week... who wouldn't want that? I will probably poke around the house tomorrow morning and watch TV or Netflix Instant Streaming. Then...

Even more kids. I have plans to look after a cheeky little British girl who is super fun to talk to. The rub is that I turned down two invitations - one to see a movie and one to a play! - to take this job but they asked me first and I never back out unless I'm sick. Girls' gotta eat!

Sunday

No set plans yet! I need to be around the apartment because someone is coming by to give me something in the morning but after that I will likely convince myself I'm going to do my taxes and go for a walk, watch TV, mess around on the internet, etc. instead. Maybe I'll meet up with a friend for brunch or something. You never can tell about Sundays...

Oh and I'll go to dance class at some point this weekend.

Happy Friday!

sunny days...

2011-03-19T16:32:00.002-04:00

It is gorgeous out today. Cooler than yesterday's seventy degrees but still sunny and respectable in temperature.

I should be out enjoying it...

Instead I'm being the world's laziest bag o' bones.

So far today I have watched the end of a documentary I started late, late last night, eaten cereal, talked to my parents on the phone, talked to BFF on the phone (twice), watched "Kathy Griffin 50 and Not Pregnant" and I'm in the middle of a Sex and the City marathon on E!

Oh I'm so busy I don't know where to start.

I have no motivation for anything this weekend. You know what I'm talking about. I forced myself to get dressed so I could go outside (Oh yeah... I decided I didn't want any of the food I have at home so I rant to the bank to get cash and then went to the nearby cafe to get take out.) But I just can't bring myself to care today.

It happens. I know. But I was a busy kid when I was just a little two-year-old squirt setting up tea parties in the closet. Staying busy keeps me motivated and happy. I enjoy my time off and love lazy weekends but I know this lack of energy for anything today is because of a small but acute case of the blues.

It's just one of those days. I just wish the weather matched.

i dare you to let me be your one and only...

2011-03-13T01:15:00.001-05:00

Just. Wow.

Love her. Love this.

So perfect.

high/low

2011-03-10T17:50:00.003-05:00

A favorite family of mine used to play a game they called "high/low" at the dinner table. Everyone would go around and state the highlight of his or her day and then the "lowlight" too. I loved this idea as it seems like a great way to share and get conversation going in families (or amongst friends too!)

Today, I bring you my high/low:

High:

Speaking with a celebrity on the phone for something work related. I'm not so much starstruck (although it IS cool to tell people) as I am glad that I have the opportunity to do something that is deemed pretty big and important within my department. Unfortunately, I can't share who but it was pretty awesome and the call went well, I think.

Being copied on an email to my boss and another "boss type" in which another author praised me and the work I'm doing. Yes!!

Low:

I am not a perfect person. I made a mistake. I messed something up. And it might cost money to fix. So now I get to fix it tomorrow. Ugh. Fail.

What were your high/low moments of the day?

whirlwind friday

2011-03-04T17:07:00.004-05:00

Holy frijoles what a busy few weeks I have had!

Topped off by the uber-crazy work week that just passed.

Last weekend BFF was in town for whirlwind NYC adventure. Adventurous it was not... really. We spent most of the time dodging the touristy things (She's been here enough. She's seen.) opting instead for brunch, Starbucks and reading, Barnes & Noble visits, dinner, drinks, more brunch, etc.

This week was nuts-o-la! I had two half day events at work culminating in an entire day away from my desk so this kept me super busy all week. I also managed to do Happy Hour with a new friend (who is also in the biz, though at a different house) and visit the MOMA (first time!) with a couple of friends for their Happy Hour event.

And the upcoming weekend has me sitting on babies, washing the clothes, meeting several strangers (more on that to come!), catching some flicks and partaking of buffets--all the while trying not to spend my entire paycheck along the way.

Have a good weekend everyone!

i'm on the right track baby...

2011-02-24T11:04:00.004-05:00

It is really ridiculous how much I'm loving this song right now. . .

As in rocking-out-at-my-desk-trying-not-to-sing-at-the-top-of-my-lungs love. Playing over and over again love. Finding meaning in the cheese love. I think I'm channeling the little girl who used to listen to recorded tapes of Madonna's Immaculate Collection on her Walkman in the back of her parents' car. Turn it down. They'd say. You'll hurt your ears.

Gaga's newest has that same "anthem" feel. It reminds me of another girl power fave, Express Yourself.

I just keep clicking play on the "video" above.

Yes, Gaga. We're on the right track.

my president's day weekend was . . .

2011-02-22T21:44:00.005-05:00

My long holiday weekend was. . .

. . . borderless. I crossed five state lines on the way to and from the Washington, D.C. area. (New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia.) As a California girl, I'm pretty obsessed with this fact.

. . . reflective. I went for a bit of a walk in Arlington National Cemetery on a gorgeous serene day. (Note: I did not walk all over the grounds. This marker was right off the path.)

. . . educational. I learned the term for when orangutans swing from limb to limb (brachiate) at the National Zoo, discovered the history of the birth control pill at the Smithsonian American History Museum (I'd been here before but stopped in to check out this exhibit), sampled some of the best museum food and checked out the amazing exhibits at the Smithsonian American Indian Museum and found out you aren't allowed to take photos in the Pentagon Metro Station.

. . . celebratory. I traveled to Mount Vernon where I helped George Washington ring in his 279th with a tour of his mansion, costumed characters, and some very cute, and very friendly sheep.

. . . non-stop. I caught a free show, hoofed it all over, went to a flea market, had nachos and beer at a pub, visited memorials, ooh-ed and aww-ed over lions, and tigers, and bears. Oh my!

What was your weekend?

all you need is love

2011-02-18T13:16:00.005-05:00

1. THE WEATHER!

Aye dios mio it is so nice out! I'm wearing a light jacket today and even that felt a bit too much when I went out a few minutes ago to get my lunch. It is supposed to get cold (darn February flukes!) again but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts. C'mooooon Spring!

2. Groove With Me Event

My bud Summer posted about this as well so I will let you go there for pics. I had a wonderful time last night at this event even though I was feeling a bit stressed earlier in the day. It is an amazing cause and as a "former dancer" I would love to become involved in a program like this. One young girl got up and spoke to the group and I was amazed at how eloquent and well-spoken she was. I've been thinking lately about getting involved with older girls (I do the little kid thing mostly) in a mentoring program or something like that. Things like this just make my heart burst and keep me grounded.

3. Vacations!

I'm going away this weekend. Hopefully I will have lots of fun pics to post when I get back.

4. My new co-workers

I made some wonderful friends at my old job and every now and then I get sad about not being able to see their friendly faces every day. But today reminded me that I work with some wonderful people here who have been so helpful and great to get to know so far.

5. My mama

Last night someone in our neighborhood decided to have a block party (Or something. I still don't know what was going on but it really sounded like live music. . . Which is weird because we have zero bars in the general vacinity. Anyway. . .) and I could not fall asleep. So I tried calling my mom. She always calms me down. Even just hearing her voice. It must be related to biology and the fact that your mother's voice is ingrained in you in utero. Anyway, being that it was three hours earlier in CA, she was busy and didn't pick up. Then she called me early this morning even though she was super busy getting ready for work to make sure all was good. I have the best mom ever and not a day goes by that I'm not thankful for our amazing relationship.

Have a good weekend everyone! What are lovin' this Friday?

plight of the transplant

2011-02-15T16:58:00.006-05:00

Look at me. Three days in a row of blogging. Wow.

Inspired by recent blog posts I've read and conversations I have had lately with co-workers comes the following post. . .

When I first moved to this city I was constantly, and I mean constantly, asked how long I was going to be here. When was I going home? I'd get this from both sides: new people I'd met here and friends and family members back home. (Many of whom couldn't believe that'd actually mustered the cajones to do this thing. True story.) I have repeatedly said that there is no expiration date on my time in New York nearly 3 1/2 years in I still feel like I just got here. Just did this big thing and couldn't possibly imagine "undoing it" (well, leaving isn't undoing it but you get what I mean...)

I've made no bones about the fact that 2010 was the year nostalgia wore off. It was the year what was glittery and dazzling became boring and commonplace. Add self-induced pressure and yeah. . . Not a good recipe. But I came out of the year knowing that I'm still in it for the forseeable future. No expiring any time soon.

But every now and then the question circles around again. How long do I see myself here? Will I be walking these streets in ten years? Will I be driving down the road of a nearby city? Will I be back where I came from? Will I be lying on the beach of my own private island having struck it rich and completely "arrived"? (If only!)

Anyone with a pulse has asked him or herself if the status quo is working. If this is how it is really supposed to be. At least once in a lifetime, that is. And for a planner like me (whose lists have lists) doing the whole "It'll happen." thing is tough. Once I got over the hump of actually building a life here, I started thinking about how exactly I'm going to make the reality and the envisioned look more alike.

The million-dollar question for any one of the millions of single gals in this damned city is how in the hell are we going to find someone? No, let's broaden that. Not just someone. Something too. The something we're meant for with the someone we want. And for the transplants, for whom the ties aren't inherant and for whom no familial ties really exist, I think it is inevitable that we question - Is it meant to happen elsewhere? When do we turn around and say "I'm not sure I want this anymore." When do we make the decision about whether we are lifers? Do we decide at all?

I'm not complaining. I'm not moping. I had a wonderfully content Valentine's Day yesterday. I'm not standing on the edge of any ledge. It is hard not to think ahead when thinking ahead is what you do. Sometimes I flirt with giving myself an ultimatum but that's just not fair.

And as I told a co-worker the other day, I'm taking it one lease at a time.

Is it the city? I know you NYC gals can probably relate. Do others in different cities feel this way too? Is it the plight of the transplant? It can hardly just be limited to that but perhaps I feel it is more pronounced when you're the one who struck out. You're the one who is trying to make it work. Solo.

happy valentine's day

2011-02-14T22:32:00.002-05:00

(via)

the one where i (again) review movies and you all tell me if you agree, disagree, and what you've watched lately. . .

2011-02-13T22:35:00.001-05:00

Another winter weekend. Another movie marathon.

Considering I'm still pretty down for the count, I've tried to look on the bright side. And since I've already paid homage to the wonder that is Netflix Instant Streaming and it's ability to babysit the infirm (I exaggerate for the effect. Is it working?) I'll just get going with my thoughts on the flicks I caught. . .

1. The King's Speech

I actually ventured out with some friends Friday night and finally saw this one. I'd been wanting to for a while. Let me just put in my Oscar predictions here and now. Colin Firth for Best Actor. Hands down. He was incredible. Geoffrey Rush's performance was also every bit as amazing and he completely deserves Best Supporting Actor. The film itself was great and I wouldn't be surprised if it wins Best Picture. I love historical stuff and biopics so I thought they all did an absolutely wonderful job depicting an historical figure I knew pretty much nothing about. I wish they'd gone more into his role as king and the history he was involved in but I realize that really isn't what the movie was about.

SEE IT!

2. World Trade Center

I'm cheating a bit with this one as I've seen it a couple of times before. It is currently on the instant view queue so I watched it yesterday morning. Normally I am not a Nicholas Cage fan. Like... at all. He has such a mopey face and reminds me a lot of Ross's character on Friends. And ever movie he's in becomes a "Nicholas Cage movie" but all of this aside, there is a reason I have seen this movie several times. I thought it did a really good job of portraying events while zeroing into the lives of ordinary people who became heroes.

QUEUE IT UP! (But make sure you have Kleenex!)

3. The Killers

OK, I confess I wasn't going to see this movie. But I was in the mood for something mindless so I put it at the top of my queue. I watched it this morning and I must say while it wasn't Shakespeare I didn't hate it. Some parts were kind of cute but for the most part it was mindless, just like I thought it would be.

SKIP IT (Unless you want proof that Ashton Kutcher can play a role other than the goofy college kid... Barely.)

4. Arranged

This indie movie tells the story of two women, both teachers in a Brooklyn school who become friends. One is Muslim and the other an Orthodox Jew. Both are going through the process of matchmaking for an arranged marriage. The premise of this movie was intriguing. As were the impressive looking indie film festival logos on the "cover image." But I found the movie itself, while somewhat delightful, to be forced and hokey in various places. Some parts were surprisingly more stereotypical than I would have imagined. One of the Muslim woman's "suitors" was a hairy older man from the "old country" while the Orthodox Jewish woman's matches were various degrees of socially awkward. The movie, of course, was tied up in a neat little bow by the end and while I don't feel like I wasted my time, I was a bit disappointed.

EH - YOUR CHOICE

Check out more of my movie "reviews"

puppy love

2011-02-10T21:08:00.004-05:00

This is my Valentine . . .

He's a super smart, ice cube loving, stubborn, rambunctious-as-all-get-out, wanna-be lap dog.

He's a people pleasing, butt sniffing, I-just-want-to-be-part-of-the-pack, full-of-lovin' boy.

And his heart is so full of love that it is getting bigger.

This means he couldn't be put under anesthesia earlier this week for his routine teeth cleaning.

They didn't think he was healthy enough.

What was a slight heart murmur is getting worse which is now a bigger deal.

Yet he bounds around like a rambunctious two year old.

Despite the fact that he is 13.

And a half.

Who knows what will happen.

But he's far away.

It breaks my heart.

Please send some puppy love his way.

under the weather list

2011-02-09T14:56:00.002-05:00

So I'm home today.

Yeah, I got knocked on my butt by this thing.

But instead of whining about it today I'm going to focus on the things I'm grateful for. . .

24 hour bodegas. My corner store along with the local drug store are practically my mother.

Netflix, especially the instant streaming. On deck today is Mystic River probably followed by a bit of 30 Rock.

Hulu.com. I always love this site, especially now that I don't have a DVR anymore. I was able to watch Teen Mom last night and then Parenthood this morning when I finally woke up. Priorities.

Trader Joe's Chicken, Vegetable and Barley soup. And the microwave.

Microsoft Outlook Web Mail. That way I can check my work e-mail and not stress. . . Even though there is very little I can do about it today.

Poland Spring 1.5L bottles of water. Keeping me hydrated and eliminating multiple trips to the Brita pitcher to refill.

Mott's applesauce. For some reason this is my go-to food when I'm sick. Especially when I have a killer sore throat. I never eat it otherwise.

Generic brand nighttime cold/cough medicine. This one is last but it certainly is not least. I'm the type of person who can't sleep when she is sick so 2 tbs of this and I'm out.

tuesday's child is full of grace

2011-02-08T08:42:00.004-05:00

Good morning everyone.

I never made it home last night. I did not sleep in my own bed.

Now let's not get too excited. I had a sleepover job. I went straight from work yesterday to "work," slept in the baby's room, woke up and came to work this morning. Along the way I forgot my toothbrush and dehoderant (Making an early morning trip to the drug store imperative! - Thank goodness they had a spare toothbrush. Yuck!) and ended up with a four-year-old in my bed.

But I woke up to my "roommate's" sweet little face this morning, made some cash, and I must say my commute to work from their apartment is so much more preferable!

In other news the cold that has been teasing me since Friday has decided to make it official. Only 8(ish) hours until uninterrupted bliss and 11ish until I hit the Nyquil.

One mississippi, two mississippi. . .

quote for an icy morning

2011-02-02T09:29:00.001-05:00

Hang in there everyone! Punxatawney Phil did NOT see his shadow today. :)

mystery man

2011-01-30T11:42:00.001-05:00

So it has been a while since I've been on Match.com, however, that doesn't stop them from sending me e-mails begging me to come back.

I know. I'm that amazing.

They offer me three months for the price of one, 25% off, and other deals to get me to bite. Then there are the "He winked at you!" and "He e-mailed you!" ones. Most recently I've been sent the latter. It is my fault, really. I should have disabled my profile if I wasn't going to be active on the site. But generally I just press the "delete" button in my inbox and go on my merry way.

Now on to the gentleman who e-mailed me. I can't see him, don't know anything about him except for what they tease me with to get me to sign up again and e-mail him back... I know three things about my mystery man. He likes aerobics and camping and he works in IT/Computers/Engineering.

I keep picturing someone like this in my mind:

Whatta man!

(I know, I'm horrible.)

(image via google)

shop talk: reading four books at once

2011-01-27T17:28:00.003-05:00

So I have mentioned here that I recently started a new job. What I haven't mentioned is that, in that job I have switched gears a bit. Meaning I now work in Children's books. When I moved to New York it was to work in kids' books so this is a realization of a dream of mine. While I do love adult books (and am finding myself looking longingly at the new releases shelves at B&N every time I visit) I really have always known I would work with or for kids in some way.

What this change means is that I read many more books. I read a lot when I worked in adult. But it was never expected that I'd read everything. It just isn't possible. Working in Children's means that 90% of my reading is now made up of the latest teen novel, vampire adventure or middle grade (think upper elementary) work of fiction. Sometimes I wonder what people think when the person next to me on the subway is reading Jane Austen and the cover of my book has cartoon kids being chased by make-believe beings.

What this also means is that I now read multiple books at once. You'd think, working in publishing, that this would have happened long before I defected to the kiddos but I've been a literary monogomist from the get-go. On rare occassions I would dip into more than one book at once, but generally speaking that happened only a couple of times a year and they would have to be vastly different from one another. Case and point, I read The Hunger Games, the first book in a dystopian Young Adult trilogy a while reading an historical fiction novel set in 19th century Britian. You get the point. But now I've developed a much different system.

I am currently reading four books.

Book A is my long subway ride book. This is for, you guessed it, long subway rides, train rides, plane rides, babysitting, anything that involves a wait and more than 15 minutes. This is currently a Young Adult (teen) book.

Book B is my short subway ride book. It is my "this-car-is-too-crowded-for-me-to-focus" book. Book B used to be Book A but then I decided I wanted to read an award winner so it became book B. It is light and funny and I'm breezing through it almost entirely during my commute to and from work.

Book C is my treat book. My "you-can-only-read-this-at-night-before-bed-so-you-aren't-thinking-about-work" book. And it will take me forever to read it because it is Freedom by Jonathan Franzen and is super long. But I'm reading it on my Kindle so that's OK.

Book D is a lark. It is an easy manuscript that is really more pictures than words and I flip through it while I watch TV. Shhh don't tell!

I do feel like 4 books is a bit excessive. I'm sure I'll dial it back but for now it is fun to think about. I told my friend's ten-year-old who I've recently started exchanging e-mails with (aww!) that reading books has become my homework.

Yeah, that's fun. I can live with that.

sweet dreams boy

2011-01-26T00:54:00.004-05:00

I should be sleeping but I just got home and I'm one of those people who can't just fall into bed. I have to veg out and relax before I can even think about falling asleep.

Work is going to be rough tomorrow.

So as I wait for Mr. Sandman, I thought I'd share a pic of my boy:

It's old-ish. Taken during my visit "home" almost two years ago, I think. I miss him.

my winter weekend was. . .

2011-01-24T22:09:00.003-05:00

. . . relaxed. I spent Friday night in with Fashion Police (It's kind of funny. I'd never seen it before.), the new Newbery Award winner, and a good burger.

. . .mismatched. I wore a white sock and a brown and yellow striped one on Friday. Saturday was a big laundry day!

. . .informative. I was in a documentary mood this weekend and I watched some great ones. 8 (Interesting and so heartbreaking. That's all I will say.), The Cove (incredibly heartbreaking), National Geographic: China's Lost Girls and National Geographic: Stress, Portrait of a Killer (both were really intriguing and informative).

. . .international. I baked in Italian at my friend's house for her housewarming party. We used her Italian cookbook (which she translated for me) to make yummy cake with Bavarian creme and delicious cookies.

. . .friendly. I met some lovely new people at said party and we chatted the night away.

. . .snowy. No, it didn't snow but I decided I needed an excuse to get my butt out of my jammies on Sunday so I grabbed my camera and boots and went for a walk. I hadn't really gotten any snow photos yet so I had fun for about 45 minutes at the park before I decided it was too cold and went home! (The featured photo is from my "photo shoot.")

. . .sharp and sexy. I went to dance class and loved, loved the combination. It was different from the funky and sassy stuff she normally does.

What was your weekend?

well hello there

2011-01-20T19:32:00.003-05:00

I've tried to write this post about three times over this week. I just can't seem to get myself to string enough related sentences together, add a bit of flair so that it isn't completely mind numbing, and hit "publish post" so here we go with another random list of things...

I love how coming home and watching The Office on Netflix instant view after a long day at work puts me in my happy place. I have been going through all the seasons since before the holidays and am now on Season 6. Oh Jim. Why must you toy with my emotions? You know I love you.

My weekend was crazy. In a good way. I had four babysitting jobs. That's a total of seven children: five boys and two girls, four infants and three preschoolers, one set of twins. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to be able to leave on Sunday after a full day of childminding to meet a friend who I hadn't seen in several weeks for Mexican food and margaritas.

I also spent Friday night watching Blue Valentine with a few girl friends and then discussing Blue Valentine with said girl friends at a swanky hotel bar (for which I was completely underdressed - hooray for casual day!) over a glass of wine. I really thought it was a good movie folks. Full of angst and emotional torture and the stuff that post-cinema depression is made of. Plus Ryan Gossling is just awesome in so many ways.

Saturday night I was supposed to go to a stranger's birthday party (A friend invited me. The girl is her old co-worker.) but I decided it was too cold, I was too tired, and my bed was too inviting. So instead I grabbed a slice at the cafe next door, watched 3/4 of the Miss America pageant on TV and then popped The Town into the DVD player. More cinematic hotness ensued.

Tomorrow is Friday! I am childminding once again. My credit cards are thanking me and I'm craving the solitude with a side of Showtime TV that such nights produce. Saturday's a housewarming party. January has flown by. And I'm all smiles. Mostly.

Hope you are all well!

miscellaneous monday - thursday edition

2011-01-13T21:18:00.003-05:00

1. I love when a low key week turns busy. I'm kind of one of those people that thrives on keeping busy. Don't get me wrong, I love me some good vegging but I enjoy it so much more when it comes after several busy days.

2. This has been one of those weeks.

3. Tonight I had drinks with an old co-worker. It was unexpected as she called me this morning saying she was going to be in my hood. I was so excited. I miss her. We chatted about what has changed and what has remained the same since I left my old job. Such a wonderful night!

4. Earlier this week I had another great drinks date with fellow bloggers, MCW and Little Match Girl. I'd met up with MCW a couple of times before but this was the first time I'd met LMG (Both are super sweet!) and we had a lovely time over wine, garlicky apps and interesting conversation. Thanks girls!

5. TG tomorrow is F! And the upcoming weekend is long. The snow from Tuesday night's blizzard will probably start melting on Sunday but I hope to go to Central Park at some point to revel in all the white. So magical!

6. One of my goals for the upcoming months (I won't use the "r" word - resolution) is to be better about cooking and thus, eating well. Earlier this year I got lazy, stressed, and so much else and it became easier to just eat crap. And eat it out. I've been bringing my lunches to work and "cooking" at night. If anyone has any good and easy recipes for things that would make good lunches/dinners, please pass them my way. Particularly yummy things with chicken because chicken is easy! I frequently substitute ground turkey in things and eat a lot of salads (especially at work) but I'd like to mix it up. So send some stuff my way!

Happy Friday everyone!

and the mail goes to...

2011-01-10T21:42:00.004-05:00

I've lived in this apartment for over two years. During that time, I've had two people move out and two new people move in. There are four bedrooms. This apartment has seen girls coming and going continuously for the last eight years. You do the math.

That means a LOT of mail for people who don't live here.

Some people have tapered off but there are a couple of people who we regularly get mail for. I rarely get fun mail. It is usually credit card offers, TimeOut or New York Magazine (OK, that's kind of fun...) or bills. Blech.

Today we got something that was misdelivered. It wasn't for Jane Moved-in-With-Her-Boyfriend or Sally Moved-Back-Home. It was for someone entirely different. It rarely happens but it does happen. As I was unpacking myself from the long day and sifting through the mail I came across said envelope, from the Screen Actor's Guild. I didn't think anything of it until I realized it contained a DVD. Since it is coming upon award season, I got excited!

A couple of years ago I was babysitting at the home of a family who had connections to SAG. They had all the award contenders on nice little discs for me to pass the long hours with as their three year old slept. That night, I was in cinematic heaven, smiling at my own fortune as I watched Across the Universe and The Reader.

It's the little things, folks.

Anyway, coming back to present day, I held this fortunate find up to the light and saw through the white paper easily. I had, in my little hands, The King's Speech.

Now I realize it is a federal offense to open someone else's mail but I really want to see this movie. I grabbed my dirty laundry, pondered the ethics of it all during the spin cycle, and later on this evening I circled the street number, wrote "wrong address" and put it up by the mailboxes for the postperson to see.

Sometimes being a good person is really, really hard.

an update of sorts

2011-01-06T20:13:00.003-05:00

I realized this morning that I have yet to blog this year. I guess I haven't had much to say. My New Year's was low-key and nice. I hung out with the family in So. Cal. On NYE my parents and I cooked a fairly involved dinner and then the entire fam watched Inception and completely missed midnight.

I got back to NYC earlier this week feeling lighter and ready to take on 2011. Work is going well. I do not care about dating right now. And in a couple of weekends I'm going to repeat this idea I had last year. One weekend, just me -- no set plans, no seeking company.

I'm my own company.

They say snow is coming.

I am ready.

my 2010 was...

2010-12-31T19:28:00.000-05:00

It's here. The last day of 2010.

I know this year was a tough one for me. My toughest since I moved to New York three years ago. To be completely honest, there were times when I seriously thought of throwing in the towel. I was tempted to quit everything and leave, try something completely new or go back "home." I always thought year one would be the hardest. After all, I moved there without real friends, a permanent home, and a steady and permanent job. But I took the changes in stride and soon established myself. I began opening up to people and making lasting friendships. I began confiding in some, dating guys, putting myself out there.

This year all of that was tested. Friendships. Resolve. Work. Everything. I hope that a year from now, when I look back on the end of 2010 and 2011's posts, that I will find my life has not only grown and changed for the better in ways I can't even anticipate (today that is) but that I will realize that though 2010 kinda sorta sucked, I learned a lot. That the bad days were stepping stones, setting me up for the for what is still to come.

I know that fortune is waitin' to be kind. So give me your hand and say you'll be mine. - Bob Dylan, "Mississippi"

My 2010 was . . .

January - I honestly don't remember much about the beginning of the year. I know I started it with a big head cold and big hopes for the year to come at home doing family things with my fam. I stayed in So Cal several days into January to attend a work conference, making me a tourist in my own town. I'm pretty certain I also went to dance class a lot this month. This year I really got back in to dance.

February - I went on a date at a good wine bar (it is worth nothing) with a guy who I liked, seemed interested in me, and then completely disappeared. I spent Valentine's Day with co-workers on another work trip in Denver. My bone marrow donor experience officially ended. I quit Match.com. (Uh, yeah... that stuck.) February was also a dull month.

March - I met MCW and Stephanie for drinks making it the first time I'd ever met blog people. I went on a few ill-fated dates with a guy who doesn't like dogs. My laptop died and I purchased my first-ever Mac. I won't go back!

April - This month was all about Texas as I spent quite a bit of time there. First on a "paid vacation" helping to squire three little boys around town with a good friend while their parents worked. The second trip was for a work conference and I got to spend some extra time with BFF.

May - More travel! I went to London to visit a friend who was interning there and re-immersed myself in the city that was instrumental in my move to The City -- or at least that's the way I look at it. I also vowed after this trip to make international travel a huge priority. I came back, promptly came down with strep throat, and came back down to reality.

June - Drama. It started in June really. My apartment flooded. That was loads of fun. I also went to Washington D.C. for work.

July - I spent the 4th in Montauk. I served two weeks on the New York State Special Narcotics Grand Jury and learned a LOT about drug law. I can usually successfully spot an undercover drug bust in Times Square now. I spent a fun weekend completely by myself, not really focusing on anything but spending quality time alone. I need to repeat this soon... (What I thought was) a good friendship ended.

August - My apartment flooded. Again. I took 2 days off of work to clean up and supervise some major construction. Other friendships were tested and, in that way, my heart was broken and mended. I saw fireworks on Coney Island. I took a group of kids to the circus. I went "home" to California for my birthday and had a great few days catching up with old friends, teachers and mentors and driving down Hwy 101 with the windows rolled down.

September - Major major apartment drama. I took my first trip to the Hamptons and had more fun than I expected to, finding a bit of solace also. I lost something I really wanted to someone else and went on a couple of dates with a nice guy before he bailed too. More testing in the friendship department.

October - I celebrated 3 years in NYC. BFF visited and we painted the town red in our walking shoes and were too tired to enjoy any nightlife. The drama reached crazy proportions. Serenity-prayer-on-repeat-in-my-head kind of proportions. I gritted my teeth and dug in my heels. I ended the month on an upswing as I moved into a different room in my apartment and found a little light. My favorite roommate and good friend moved out and a new girl moved in.

November - I went back to Denver for work and while I was there I was offered another position at a different company, which I accepted. I went back to Texas to visit a friend for Thanksgiving and started my new job right when I came back. My blog was discovered by an author!

December - I really began my new job and got my bearings for a couple of weeks before leaving for a fairly lengthy holiday vacation in California. Once again, I'm ringing in the New Year with my family at "home."

My 2009 recap was a little more lively. Read it here. I have forgotten a lot of the smaller details of this year. I think a lot of things were simply overshadowed by the larger issues, or for privacy sake, cannot be included. But the general gist is this: I went on fewer dates but still had difficulty with quality vs. quantity, I struggled to find my place in a changing work environment and changed my environment to make it work for me, and my general motto became KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.

Not to be presumptuous but I think karma owes me. And I am going to make it work for me. Here's to a great 2011!!! What was your year?

more shop talk: counting down 2010 faves!

2010-12-30T21:53:00.000-05:00

Here it is, my list of favorite reads from 2010.

I won't break it down this year. I want to make sure they all get on this blog since I have a bad habit of starting things and not finishing them. Hmm... I wonder if that would make a good New Year's Resolution...

Anyway, without further ado, here's the list.

10. The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald - Henry House is a "practice baby" living in a house run by Home Ec students on a college campus in the 1950's. These programs really existed and historian Lisa Grunwald does a wonderful job of fictionally answering question: What happens to these babies as they grow up? The babies were orphans, "adopted" into this "home" for the first year or so of their lives before they, like their young female "mothers" moved on. Only Henry did not. A really interesting story and a fun romp through the 50's and 60's.

9. Bloodroot by Amy Greene - This book inspired a period of Appalachian fiction in me but after reading a few more books set in the area, I was unable to find one was well written as this one. It seems I love me stories about generations of women eeking out an existence in dire circumstances and this one certainly does not disappoint!

8. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - Having been told to pick this one up for a while by multiple people, I finally did while I was on jury duty this past summer. It takes place in the 1940's in Barcelona and has that touch of magical realism to it that (as you can tell from my previous post) I just love.

7. Vaclav and Lena by Haley Tanner (coming in Summer 2011) - This one is a delightfully charming story of two young friends, children of Russian immigrants, growing up in Brooklyn.

6. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - I avoided this one for a while, thinking it was fluffy Southern women's fiction - not really my style. But I was wrong. This one has depth and heart that I didn't anticipate. I'm anxious to see the upcoming movie.

5. One Day by David Nicholls - For a while, I couldn't get on the Subway without seeing this book in some girl's hot little hands. The premise is great - it takes place on the same day, hopping back and forth through the 80's, 90's, and today. A wonderful love story, One Day takes place in Britian and is chock full of tidbits any Anglophile (that's me!) would love.

4. Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran (coming in Spring 2011) - See my "review" of this one here. (Hi Ms. Moran! *Big wave*)

3. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson - I guess the theme this year was "Listen to your friends already and read this book!" as I delved into the Millenium series this summer. This is the last book in the trilogy.

2. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - I always knew the trilogy was likely to take the gold, silver, and bronze in this year's round up and I realize I'm out of order here. I really did love this book, it was the first in the series and thus set up the kick-ass character of Lisbeth Salander. It also stands alone better (with a better arc, I believe) than the 2nd and 3rd titles, which tie together more...

1. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson - I put this one in the #1 spot because it was just so charged and action packed. It really put Lisbeth, and the series, on the map for me. I don't think I'm alone in my love for this series. It remains on the NYT Bestseller list and the books were the number one holiday sellers for the Amazon Kindle.

Calling all fellow bookworms! What are your top books for 2010?

shop talk - books that will ruin your life: contemporary literary fiction

2010-12-29T21:09:00.005-05:00

This morning I woke to an e-mail from lovely blog/NYC pal, Stephanie, asking for book recs so she can load up her Kindle. My first thought was, "So many suggestions! I need to narrow it down!" So I zipped her an email back asking what she likes to read. This got me thinking in general terms though, and since I am a bonafide bibliophile and list-making nerd, I thought I'd share some of my utmost favorites. I'm focusing today on literary fiction.

I've already posted my top historical fiction picks. To find them, go here.

Top Contemporary Literary Fiction

5. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

I'm crossing genres a bit here because this one is also Young Adult. (I'll probably do a post on YA novels at some point for those who are interested.) It is an incredibly unique and powerful story of a young girl growing up during the Holocaust. I know there are a lot of those out there but this one is different. First, the young girl is not Jewish (Most stories are told from the perspective of Jews.) and second, the narrator of the story is death. Morbid, yes. Amazing though. Definitely unlike anything you'll have ever read before.

4. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

Bel Canto is the story of a group of people held hostage in South America after a birthday party full of diplomats is crashed by a group of terrorists. In these dire circumstances, Roxanne Coss, an opera singer performing at the party, and Mr. Hosokawa, a Japanese businessman must learn to communicate with one another, a task that eventually evolves into friendship. A great and interesting read!

3. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I read this three times in college. It is a finely woven tapestry of Latin American history, family, and amazing storytelling. Oh and Oprah really liked it too.

2. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

This is easily the best book I have read in the past 10 years. It tells the story a girl, Callie, born in Michigan in the 1960's who eventually became Cal, a teenage boy. And for the record, I "picked" this one long before Oprah did!

1. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

I first read The House of the Spirits in 10th grade and was immediately struck by it. I've loved magical realism, Latin American authors, and Isabel Allende ever since. It is the story of three generations of women--Clara, Blanca, and Alba--and is simply gorgeous, heartbreaking and thought-provoking. I met Ms. Allende in college and was like a blubbering teenage girl at a Justin Timberlake concert when I stood in line to get my well-loved copy of the book signed. I saw her speak again recently at the 92nd St. Y in New York and will say that if there is one author to see, it is her. She is lovely, personable, hilarious, and so interesting.

Runners Up (These books are also amazing.)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini (I liked this one better than The Kite Runner.)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon

Find other book recommendations and reviews here.

PS - Steph, I hope this helps a bit!

fingers crossed!

2010-12-28T23:17:00.003-05:00

Here's to hopin'!

I had a lovely day today. This morning I took this boy

on a walk. Or rather, he walked me...

Then this afternoon I met an old friend with whom I've recently reconnected (Thanks Facebook!) for lunch. We had fun trading crazy roommate stories and catching up on where we've been since middle school.

Tonight I went to a one year old's birthday party. The first of many to come, I'm sure, as it seems everyone is having a baby these days!

It seems after I'm done with this holiday vacation I will have seen a record number of people when compared to trips before.

It is like a very special episode of "This Is Your Life..."

miscellaneous monday: holiday recap

2010-12-27T21:05:00.004-05:00

1. I need to be cut off from the cookies. Really. Smack me if I go near the jar!

2. I went to the beach today with a friend to just walk around and enjoy the lovely sun. They have piled the sand up near the shore and a bunch of kids were "sledding" down it on toboggans and boogie boards. Oh So Cal. How I love thee.

3. I'm missing a HUGE blizzard at home. So sorry for the bragging, NYC pals. I hope you all haven't gotten stuck somewhere and are at least enjoying it somehow. I kind of want to be there just because it is such a big deal but I'm sure if I were there I would be wishing I was here!!

4. Snapped this awesome shot today. (Again, sorry!) I wish camera phones didn't make photos look so pixelated. I'd love to blow this one up.

5. I am in love with iPhoto. I can't hide my feelings anymore and I don't care who knows it!

6. I had a lovely Christmas weekend with my family. I baked and cooked for hours, played Apples to Apples, Just Dance 2, Wordfued and my new Kindle (a huge Christmas morning surprise!)

7. I found heaven in a burrito.

8. The diet starts when I get home.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of the year!

don't let the light go out

2010-12-24T14:05:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

I was just reading last year's Christmas Eve post (and a couple before and after it) and it is crazy to see how quickly a year goes by and how much life can change.

I'm in a very different place this holiday than I have been in years past. (Part of that is probably because I didn't just get "dumped" by a guy I really liked the way I did the two previous years. HA! That'll do it.) But part of that is because I'm feeling a great sense of peace this holiday.

I have been listening to one particular "holiday" song this year, Light One Candle. My version is from the Peter, Paul and Mary Holiday Celebration concert that aired on PBS back in the 80's. My parents bought the CD and we would listen to it as we road tripped to visit grandparents for Christmas. The album and it's songs are my childhood Christmas memories and this song is one of my favorites. I found the video below and aside from Mary's hideous outfit (seriously!) it just makes me teary eyed (or maybe that is partly because of ensemble!)

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season. May peace be with you in 2011 and may you never let the light go out.

miscellaneous monday: impatient and all over the place

2010-12-20T20:31:00.006-05:00

1. Yep. That's right. I loved this one so much I was obnoxious and posted it on Facebook. I think I shall also make it my wallpaper on my computer.

2. Is it time to go "home" for Christmas yet?

3. Overheard today at CVS: Mom to daughter: "Why are you acting weird? No one likes a weird kid." I nearly cracked up in the middle of the pharmacy.

4. Is it Christmas yet?

5. My CVS receipt included a $30 off coupon for "GPS for Dummies." CVS is bizarre.

6. Seriously, do I HAVE to go to work this week?

7. I am ridiculously excited for the premiere of Teen Mom 2 next month. 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom and Teen Mom 2 I will never want for a dose of underage pregnancy and schadenfreude. I think I should find a program for my addiction.

8. I love this video:

9. Yes, I realize I just put the word "bitch" and a video about the birth of Christ in the same posting. Sorry Grandma!

10. That's all!

miscellaneous monday: the thursday edition

2010-12-09T22:13:00.002-05:00

1. I just learned that Mark Zuckerberg RENTS his house in Palo Alto, CA. RENTS. And he is a billionaire. I don't get it.

2. Found in my new cubicle at work: a book jacket autographed by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Just the jacket.

3. Today someone I'd spoken on the phone with told me in an e-mail that she's glad that my predecessor was replaced by a "warm and well-spoken woman." Sounds like something my grandma would say but I thought it was sweet.

4. It is C-O-L-D here and super cold in my room. I'm thinking of sleeping with my coat on.

5. I was thinking of going to Montreal with a friend next month until I looked up the temps on weather.com. The low there today was ONE degree. Yeah, now I'm thinking I want to go somewhere else... Any suggestions? It has to be fairly cheap!

6. The Jersey Shore made Barbara Walter's Most 10 Fascinating People (yeah, I'm watching it right now... That's where I got my Zuckerberg info.) of 2010. They earn 30,000 per episode supposedly and "The Situation" made millions of dollars last year. I just might cry.

and every mother's child is gonna spy...

2010-12-08T23:08:00.004-05:00

My new route home has me passing a posh chocolate shop with a giant window that allows me to spy on the creators as they do amazing things and yummy looking things that make me want to run in there and buy up the store. This time of year it is especially fun because there are lots of holiday themed treats to peer at. I got to see Santa from start to finish. One morning he was pure white, the color of his beard. That evening he had the beginnings of his red suit. A day later I saw he had a friend so I snapped this photo.

the one where i review movies and you all tell me if you agree, disagree, and what you've watched lately...

2010-12-05T20:44:00.005-05:00

'Tis the beginning of the season.

You know which one I am talking about. Not holiday season, Christmas season, or gain-20-lbs season.

Movie season.

Last weekend I caught (count 'em) 3 flicks in the theater. I think that was a personal record for me. Then I saw another movie on Friday night with a friend, got a Netflix via mail yesterday and watched 3 more via Netflix super-cool-instant-gratification-via-computer thingy today. (For the record, I'm not a complete bump on a log, I went to brunch, saw the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, took a brisk walk through Central Park, and went grocery shopping today as well.)

What can I say? When temperatures dip (and even when they don't!) I can get in running around the city and loafing around like a drain on society in equal parts. Now on to the movies. I've done book reviews but this is my first movie "review" attempt. Here goes:

1. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (a Swedish film)

For those unfamiliar with the book trilogy (who have been living under a rock, really), this is the last book-to-movie installment in the series, the way God intended it. That is NOT starring James Bond (who will be featured in the American versions). Not that I have anything against Daniel Craig, I just don't see why the US has to do its own version when the Swedes did a very good job. That said, I found the last one to be a bit on the slow side and they cut out some really good and suspenseful parts and changed others so they could cut out chunks of the book. I would have liked it if Noomi Rapace played a more interesting part in the first half of this movie. But I felt the same way about the book. I also think that she's an awesome actress. By and large I did enjoy the movie but not as much until the last third.

SEE IT (but read the books and see the first 2 first).

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

Believe it or not, this is the first HP I've seen in the theater. And I hadn't seen movies 5 and 6 until just recently. I knew that this was one not to miss on the big screen as the books kept getting darker and darker as the series progressed. So when BFF mentioned she wanted to see this in the theater, I happily agreed. And I'm thrilled I did. The film did not disappoint, except at the end when we both were lamenting about how we didn't want to wait until next summer to see the end of it. Having read the books, we knew how it ends and it was disappointing not to see it right then. The actors have really come into their own and (as I mentioned before) the teenaged love stuff got my former teenaged heart all a flutter.

SEE IT

3. Tangled

The last Turkey Day weekend movie I saw was simply just to satisfy the little girl in me who LOVED Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast. Tangled is the Disney cartoon story of Rapunzel (but with a twist) and aside from the parents, I think BFF and I were the oldest ones at our Sunday afternoon showing. While I have more to say about theater etiquette (yes, even at kids movies!) than I do about this one, it was cute and funny and the animation was good. (My one complaint is that Rapunzel had GIANT eyes that made her look like those crazy stuffed animals with giant heads and eyes and really small bodies.) The music did not compare to the princess movies of yore but over all it was enjoyable.

RENT IT (to satisfy your inner princess)

4. Love and Other Drugs

I saw this one this weekend and I must say I liked it a lot more than I thought I was going to. It was funny and watching Jake Gyllenhall for 2 hrs is never that bad of a time, but more than that it was an insightful and touching look at love and relationships sans sap. The characters in the movie are reluctant and resistant from the get go but I saw that as more realistic than a lot of the rom-coms out there. A word to the wise, there is a lot of s-e-x so if you're squeamish, hide your eyes. But like I said, JG... ain't bad. The ending was a bit predictable and mushy but overall I did not exit the theater thinking, "It is so obvious. A woman wrote that."

SEE IT

5. Sex and the City 2

I knew this wasn't going to be Oscar worthy but I put it on my queue yesterday. The first one wasn't amazing either but I enjoyed it and found it satisfying. Half way through SATC part duex I almost shut the TV off to read instead. Very little about this movie is satisfying. In fact, it is just bad. Really bad. Now I can get past the cheese and the cliches. The series wasn't exactly my cup of tea until I actually moved to the city and found all the NYC-isms infused in SJP's narration to be charming. But in this one I just found her annoying. It was like they couldn't get the regular (good) writers to participate in the project and a decent screenplay written. Instead it was an exercise in everything over the top to beat the original movie. I mean Liza? Miley Cyrus? the United Arab Emirates? Yes, I knew what I was getting into after I saw the first commercial of them strutting through the Arabian sand like it was Fashion Week to the background tune of "Empire State of Mind" but c'mon people. At least get decent enough writers. You could have taken a cut of SJP's money. I'm sure she's not hurting for it.

SKIP IT (unless you are THAT die-hard of a fan in which case you won't care that the movie is crap.)

*These next few are oldies...*

6. My Girl 2

Don't laugh. I loved this movie as a kid so I was happy to see it make the insta-queue. The best thing about it was probably the romp down childhood lane. It's cute. It's good for a Sunday morning. It's not as good as the first one. (But it doesn't make me burst in to tears while watching it the way the first one does.) Even without Maculay Culkin, I wasn't disappointed.

QUEUE IT UP

7. Curly Sue

Somehow, I escaped seeing this one when I was younger. But I remember that the preview for it was on my Home Alone video tape and my brother and I watched that one 1000x so somehow I thought I'd seen it. It is about a little girl (Curly Sue, duh) and her con man guardian (Jim Belushi) and how they swindle people out of money and how cute she is in the process. And I agree. She's cute. I looked her up on IMDB and she's older than I am but she was a convincing little actress. Beyond that, I didn't like the story line. And I'm not THAT picky. I watch Lifetime movies, for crying out loud.

EH... YOUR CHOICE

8. About a Boy

Another cool thing about Netflix viewing via computer is that they have all the movies that are currently playing on Starz, including this one, which I had never seen but had always meant to. Despite my best efforts not to, I really enjoy Hugh Grant and find him incredibly charming and witty. I think it is mostly the British accent and wit, really. Gets me every time. I loved this story and might actually make a note to read the book. Toni Colette was great. The lead kid (don't know his name) was also wonderful and end damn near had me a giant blubbering sobbing mess. It is one that I would buy and watch frequently. Two thumbs up.

QUEUE IT UP

motivations on change

2010-11-30T21:23:00.002-05:00

Last night I watched Amelia via Netflix and came away with a newfound respect for this incredibly brave woman. Not only did she, quite literally, spread her wings and fly, she did so as a woman during a time when women were not thought capable of doing men's work.

And as I do for most movies I watch, I took my fascination to Google and came up with this quote from Ms. Earhart:

Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace.

I had this in my head as I ponder recent decisions I've made to change direction of my day-to-day and, therefore, the course of my life. Change, no matter how much one wants it, is difficult. And learning to embrace it for all that it means and all that it could mean requires that you take the bad with the good.

I don't know exactly where I am going with this except to say that even good choices are hard. Even good times bring difficulties, a new set of worries and opportunities. I don't mean to be pessimistic or go looking for negativity. I am not a peppy person. I like (hope, really) to think I am a realist. I'm not much of a dreamer, but I am a flyer. Because when all is said and done and change is changing and move is moving, the reality is what you are left with and extracting the lessons from it becomes the juice that powers everything.

give me a q and i'll give you an a

2010-11-28T23:07:00.000-05:00

I have always said, since day one of this little blog thing, that I mostly blog so that I can look back years from now and remember the bits and pieces of what these last few years and this NYC adventure have been like for me. So I decided tonight to take a peek at last November and December's posts and it doing so made me feel like this year has just flown by! I can remember those feelings and those moments almost exactly. But I will surely wax poetic about that later.

The real purpose of this post is because I came across my Q&A and I figured, "Why not?" I'll do another and see what kind of questions I get...

So if you fancy it, please do give me a few preguntas. I'll give them my best shot.

Read last year's questions and answers here.

thanksgiving weekend

2010-11-26T18:32:00.002-05:00

Things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving weekend:

1. Target. Black Friday. 1:00pm. Not a total disaster. I had gone a couple of days ago and we decided to brave going back today so that I could possibly save money on the dress I wanted for my first day at my new job. We went back and the dress was not on sale but I got 2 DVD's, a sweater, and a top that were.

2. That said the toy aisle was a bit nuts. So this year I am thankful for being childless.

3. My Verizon wireless rebate card which made me feel like I wasn't spending a ton of money anyway.

4. I also purchased a bunch of things from the New York & Company website yesterday because everything was 50% off with free shipping. So, of course, I bought twice as many things, including a much needed new winter "puffer" coat.

5. Mexican food on Thanksgiving instead of slaving over the turkey and potatoes. Since Christmas at my house is basically Tgiving part deux in terms of food, this was a perfectly lovely and welcome alternative.

6. Being able to break out the flip flops once more before the snow season starts. Though Mother Nature I must say... 80 degree weather this time of year is a bit much.

7. Rupert Grint's burgeoning muscles in Harry Potter 7, Part 1. Ron and Hermoine just make my little teenaged heart go crazy. Like omg.

8. Drive-thru's. I realize they are the epitome of laziness and the beacon of obesity, however, going through one with a Christmas tree in the passenger side of the car is pretty fun.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

not sleeping

2010-11-24T01:15:00.003-05:00

It is 1:15 am in New York.

And 12:15 am in Texas, where I am right now after I flew in tonight to spend Thanksgiving with BFF. She lives in a gorgeous 3 bedroom house. Alone. Her master bedroom is the size of my apartment. The apartment that I share with 3 other girls. I just keep repeating to myself "I love New York. I love New York."

I should be sleeping right now. I'm exhausted after my flight. Here's a tip to those of you traveling for the holidays (or ever for that matter.) Remember that there are people sitting around you who might not want to hear you talk about custody issues, surgeries, and other personal details with your neighbor (whom you just met, I might add) for FOUR HOURS STRAIGHT. As a matter of fact, no one wants to hear another person's voice for four hours. Period. Say "hello," chat for a bit, and then shut it so other people around you don't have to pay six bucks for the TV and jam their sound-proof headphones in their ears just for a bit of peace. Of course, this did not happen to me tonight.

I'm a bit cranky, yes. I've been going non-stop these days. The cat is out of the bag now so I might as well share it here. I got a new job. My last day was today and I start my new job at a new company next week. This weekend I plan on living like an "unemployed" person. Not that my job is stressful at all really. I hardly save the world. Yet I feel I am being called to watch hours of movies, eat good food, and lounge around. Yes, it is Thanksgiving and I would probably normally do that but this time I don't have work hanging over my head. This is the first time since my last college summer break that I haven't been working hard at school, working hard to get a job and move, working harder to get a job and move, working hard at my job, working hard to get a new job, etc. And I intend to enjoy it.

Also, please share any movie recommendations you might have. They really do need to be accessible via Netflix instant viewing. To give you an idea of the breadth of my taste, last night while organizing my room and packing I watched Defiance and Searching for Bobby Fischer. Both are great movies and I recommend them.

Have a great week everyone!

gearing up

2010-11-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Took this from a car driving by Macy's at 34th St. tonight.

They are ready. So am I.

royally obsessed

2010-11-18T14:16:00.006-05:00

I fear I might have a new obsession.

This one just might surpass yogurt parfaits, playlist.com, and TV shows on DVD.

I'm talking about the upcoming royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

I'm not exactly sure what it is. I was never this way with his parents, or any other "celebrity" couple for that matter. I remember when Diana died I watched the funeral procession with William, Charles and Harry walking behind her casket on television. But I never swooned over Wills (well, not that much) and certainly did not stock up on all things "Lady Di" like the girl in my study abroad program who spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars shipping memorabilia home.

But I watched the Dateline special last night, click on all the People.com stories and links about them, and almost sought out my very own replica of her engagement ring, which formerly belonged to William's mother. Almost.

I don't really get it. All I can say is he's a cutie, she is gorgeous with such poise and fashion sense, and they are adorable together. And her hats. I love her hats. They make me want to attend polo matches and sip Earl Grey from dainty teacups. Calgon take me back to London! I want to attend the wedding in St. Paul's or Westminster Abbey (or wherever it may be.) I want to buy cheap things with their faces all over them. OK, maybe that last one is taking it a step too far.

Am I alone here? What are you currently obsessed with? Perhaps it will make me feel more normal.

(via)

"pay no attention to that man behind the curtain:" an open letter to michelle moran

2010-11-15T22:31:00.009-05:00

Remember that line from The Wizard of Oz? I thought of it immediately once I decided to write this...

My recent post about some of my favorite books caused a bit of excitement in my universe. Turns out the very talented Michelle Moran found my little ol' blog! *Squeal* She asked around a bit about who I could be and while I really had to fight the urge to identify myself, (I really did want to jump up and down going "It's me! It's me!") I must say I like that line between my personal and professional lives and this blog belongs squarely in the former. So in response...

Dear Ms. Moran,

I'm thrilled and honored that you found and enjoyed my post. I feel so fortunate to be able to encourage good books and reading every day and being able to meet authors whose work I love (however indirectly that encounter may be) is really icing on the cake. I really admire your talent for blending history and fiction and wish you the very best of success with Madame Tussaud.

PS - Can I please marry Henri? Please?

I think that was my first fan letter ever. I'm off to write John Krasinski now.

shop talk - books that will ruin your life: historical fiction edition

2010-11-09T22:34:00.003-05:00

I haven't done many "shop talk" posts at all. I call them "shop talk" because I work in books. I talk about books (without really talking about them) practically all day. I read constantly. Shop talk. 'Nuff said.

Earlier this week I posted about the great book I'm currently reading, Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran. It is available next February and just might be the best piece of historical fiction I've read thus far. I'm a huge fan of the genre and have read my share of the princesses and courtiers stories. This one touches on royalty but the "heroine" is a wax modeler living during the French Revolution. And it doesn't hurt that her love interest makes me swoon a bit. He was definitely written by a woman.

Reading this book has me thinking about my historical fiction faves so I thought I'd share my top 6 just in case some of you float in the same literary boat as me and are looking for some ideas. And feel free to add to my list if you feel so inclined!

6. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant - This biblical read is told from the perspective of Dinah, daughter of Jacob who appears briefly in the book of Genesis but, according to the author, has no voice of her own. A really interesting look at what life might have been like for a woman in Biblical times.

5. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran - The title says it all. This book follows the story of the Queen of Egypt, Nefertiti, but the fact that it is told by her sister makes it all the more interesting. I wanted to see the pyramids and sphinxes before this one but reading it made me really want to go to Egypt!

4. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff - Read my review of this book here. They also made a Lifetime movie out of this one. Not the greatest though... the book is MUCH better.

3. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin - Read my review of this book here. This one combines history and classic literature. Triple love.

2. The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory - This one is every historical fiction lover's staple. England's Henry VIII had six wives. And several mistresses. One of these was, Mary Boleyn, who just so happened to be the sister of his most infamous wife, Anne Boleyn, mother to Elizabeth I. This was the stuff of soaps before the days of TV. Can't get better than that.

1. Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran - OK, I'm going to go ahead and put this one in the top spot. I just love the different layers of this book. Tussaud's Wax Museum might be a cheesy tourist trap now, but it was once the center of news during the French Revolution. I can already see the movie.

If you take anything from this post, it is that Michelle Moran is an awesome historical fiction author. There are so many more great books beyond these. Happy reading!

"every step of the way, we walk the line"

2010-11-08T10:32:00.004-05:00

OK, I'm back with more music. Music Monday. Yeah, that's what I'm going to call it, I think.

The next song was written by Bob Dylan (for the purists) but has been covered by The Dixie Chicks and Sheryl Crow. If you aren't a Chicks or Crow fan, you can find the original on YouTube, I'm sure. I just like that the covers are more upbeat.

I can relate to practically EVERY SINGLE lyric in this song (and I've bolded my faves!). There is just so much truth to how I feel about my life, my experiences, and how I have handled them that I can't help pressing the back button on my iPod over and over again so that I listen to it repeatedly as I'm walking down the streets. Funny, as it has a country twang and this city is (mostly) anything but country. I'm going to post the lyrics and videos for this one.

Mississippi by Bob Dylan (covered by The Dixie Chicks and Sheryl Crow)

Every step of the way we walk the line
Your days are numbered, so are mine
Time is pilin’ up, we struggle and we scrape
We’re all boxed in, nowhere to escape

City’s just a jungle; more games to play
Trapped in the heart of it, tryin' to get away
I was raised in the country, I been workin’ in the town
I been in trouble ever since I set my suitcase down

Got nothin' for you, I had nothin' before
Don’t even have anything for myself anymore
Sky full of fire, pain pourin’ down
Nothing you can sell me, I’ll see you around

All my powers of expression and thoughts so sublime
Could never do you justice in reason or rhyme
Only one thing I did wrong
Stayed in Mississippi a day too long

Well, the devil’s in the alley, you're kickin in the stall
Say anything you wanna, I have heard it all
I was thinkin’ 'bout the things that you said
I was dreaming I was sleepin' in your bed

Walkin' through the leaves, falling from the trees
Feelin' like a stranger nobody sees
So many things that we never will undo
I know you’re sorry, well I’m sorry too

Some people will offer you their hand and some won’t
Last night I knew you, tonight I don’t
I need somethin’ strong to distract my mind
I’m gonna look at you ’til my eyes go blind

Well I got here followin' the southern star
I crossed that river just to be where you are
There's only one thing I did wrong
I stayed in Mississippi a day too long

Well my ship’s been split to splinters and it’s sinkin' fast
I’m drownin’ in the poison, got no future, got no past
But my heart is not weary, it’s light and it’s free
I’ve got nothin’ but affection for all those who’ve sailed with me

Everybody's movin’ if they ain’t already there
Everybody's got to move somewhere
Well stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow
Things should start to get interestin' right about now

My clothes are wet, tight on my skin
Not as tight as the corner that I painted myself in
I know that fortune is waitin’ to be kind
So give me your hand and say you’ll be mine
Well, the emptiness is endless, cold as the clay
You can always come back, but you can’t come back all the way
There's only one thing I did wrong
I stayed in Mississippi a day too long

my weekend was... complete with googled images!

2010-11-07T21:37:00.004-05:00

My weekend was (with images this time!)...

a relaxing Friday night at home with a great book. Historical fiction fans should check out Madame Tussaud when it comes out next Spring!

getting my domestic on in a friend's new kitchen, making cupcakes and cookies and watching You've Got Mail while we worked the icing/cookie gun. The thing is so cool!! We had a hard time controlling it so the frosting looked like chocolate Christmas trees on top of the little cupcakes.

catching Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake at NY City Center with margaritas and taquitos afterword. The corps of swans was all male instead of female. Really interesting and wonderful to watch. Then again, why wouldn't one like to watch a group of shirtless men with amazing bodies. Ahem, moving on...

working two jobs on opposite sides of town during the New York City Marathon and getting stuck at the route on First Avenue.

Walking 20 blocks up and then 30 blocks down as 40,000 runners passed me by. Yeah, I felt so out of shape next to them.

(images via google)

What was your weekend?

"i ain't got style like a magazine, i know my shoes don't shine..."

2010-11-01T18:58:00.005-04:00

Last week I had this idea when I was trying to come up with something to say...

Sometimes, to preserve my own privacy, I cannot say what I really want to. I can't talk about the specifics, the difficulties, the excitement - the realest of reality.

Sometimes I wouldn't be able to put it into perfect words if I wanted to. I fancy myself something of a writer, always able to find a way to express what I'm thinking and feeling. But I find so much of my inspiration, solace and serenity in the lyrics of my favorite songs. There are those that are staples - the familiar and well-worn verses I turn to when I'm angry, frustrated, sad and need inspiration.

This week I'm going to share some of my favorites - the songs that have gotten me through my move to New York, hyped me up for job interviews, comforted me during disappointment and heartbreak, and motivated me to keep moving on even when I feel lost and alone.

I hope that some of you will find inspiration and comfort in one or more of these songs. They are meaningful, hopeful and so true (in my humble opinion).

As Good As It Gets by Beth Hart

Most people don't know Beth Hart and that is just why I love her. She had a song on the radio back in the late 90's (L.A. Song) but she is mostly popular in Europe (I think.) She's soulful, with a hint of Janis Joplin and "As Good as It Gets" just keeps me going when I want to give up and give in. "Until I break a sweat, it ain't as good as it gets."

finding waldo, finding light

2010-10-31T23:01:00.005-04:00

I smashed my right pinky finger in a drawer tonight pretty hard. It is swollen and already a couple of gorgeous shades. So I am typing a little wonky but still not doing that bad of a job.

I spent the weekend moving upstairs (my apartment is two floors - rare for NYC!) and into my new bedroom. It has a skylight! I bought sunflowers to mark a new era of light in my life. I love my new room and am feeling more hopeful and settled in it even though it has only been 24 hrs. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I can see myself here three more years from now. I can see myself meeting a great guy here. I have faith that it is going to happen. It has been the longest time since I've felt that way. Amazing what a little light can do.

I didn't partake in the Halloween festivities, as predicted. I preferred to spend the weekend rearranging, reorganizing, and regrouping. But I did do my share of observing and I will say that people watching is so much fun over Halloween weekend. I found myself looking at people in costume on the subway and thinking that for several of them, if it wasn't Halloween, I wouldn't look twice at them. I would just think that's the way they dress.

I saw an Alice in Wonderland with her husband, the Mad Hatter, and a couple dressed as Mario and Luigi from Super Mario Bros. And So. Many. Lady Gagas. But my favorite by far were all the Waldos. I found Waldo first at a bus stop. Then I saw him at the Subway station. But when I saw him tonight at Chipotle, I began to wonder if Waldo is just as popular this year as Gaga and Snooki.

I wonder if finding Waldo three times in 24 hrs is lucky. You know, like a four leaf clover. Some luck and more light could only do me good.

Happy Halloween everyone! What did you all do and see today?

(via)

this is my halloween

2010-10-29T23:12:00.006-04:00

Friends, I like Halloween but... as an adult, I'm not a huge fan. I find I do not enjoy the costume thing as much as I did when I was a kid. It isn't for everyone. Plus I'm not super creative so I never think of cool ideas like going as "swine flu." (A girl I know wore pink scrubs and a pig snout.) Tonight I was watching the episode of The Office where every woman in the office dressed up as a cat. Yeah, I've totally been the cat. More than once.

So when I found out that my apartment move coincided with Halloween weekend (not out just up - I'm playing musical bedrooms since one of the roomies moved in with her bf.) I didn't stress over it. Last year I went to D.C. instead of dressing up and going out. The year before that I moved into this apartment on October 31st and spent the night nursing a cold and unpacking. The year before that I was new to the city and fresh faced so - in a night that is a feather in my proverbial feather cap - I dressed up as a Hershey kiss with my then roommate and we went bowling at Chelsea Piers.

Now, I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish I was doing something more like the latter this year. I think my Halloween indifference is wearing off. Elvis walked by my cubicle at work today and Lisbeth Salander made an appearance before going to a party held by another department. Oh how I looked longingly at that conference room as the sounds of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" mingled with my Excel spreadsheet. (Side note: If you haven't read Stiegg Larsson's Millenium Series - Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc. you MUST!) Apparently, my department feels the same way about Halloween. No one dressed up. Unless you consider dressing like a "real New Yorker." Today I wore a black dress, black leggings, black boots, and a black cardigan.

While I might attempt the West Village Halloween Parade this weekend, I think I will have to plan on embracing it all next year. Hopefully, it will not involve spending the day dressed up as an exhausted single gal who has moved her belongings yet again. But one never knows. This is New York.