This Ride Called Life

Learning how to cook eggs

2012-01-18T12:57:00.000-05:00

YALL, I was blown away at work yesterday.

Yesterday was a generally dull day at the office. It was gross weather outside, so I didn’tleave for lunch. This means I was hereinside from 8:30am until 7pm. My ownfault, but I start to get depressed around 2pm and it’s downhill from therebeing cramped up here with these guys that are boring as shit. I’m sure they aren’t really boring, but thewhole day could go by without them speaking to me and if they do, it’s justabout scheduling a meeting. It’s kindaannoying how much time I spend with these people and how little realconversation you have. But whatever,that’s not the point.

The point is, 2 of them were standing at my desk. The French guy and who I previously calledAsberger’s, but I think this is sorta not pc to call him this, even though Ionly say it in truth not to be mean… so I need to call him something else. Let’s call him Headache because more oftenthan not, he is a pain to deal with., or not, better yet, let’s call him Eeyorebecause he is always mopey and sad. Always. So the French guy and Eeyore were standing atmy desk at like 6pm.

and the French guy tells eeyore “how were the eggs?”

I look very confused at them, not trying to involve myselfin their conversation but if a conversation is happening within a 5 feetcircumference of my desk, then it’s my business.

Eeyore replies “they were good.”

Back story: Eeyore for one year has been dating thislady. He is 43, she claims she is 32,though some in my office think she looks older. They met on NYE of last year and she moved in with him like a monthlater. She lives in his apartment, doesn’twork. She is a pretty Pilipino lady whois always put together, but very much carries herself as the trophy wife, verydone up, lots of makeup, cute and petite. Let’s call her trophy girlfriend.

I have at times said things when he is like, “I’m hungry!” Isay “why doesn’t trophy girlfriend bring lunch to you? Doesn’t she have time?” I mean they do live like 6 blocks away only.

Anywho, so he had already said during the holidays howtrophy girlfriend made these cookies that were HORRIBLE. I didn’t know it was possible to makehorrible cookies and I reprimanded him for saying such a thing to the girl. But really, I did know it was possible. Cookies are either hard or "woops, I added to much salt" but they aren't horrible. I have been bakingforever and didn’t realize girls existed that can’t bake. She couldn’t bake the cookies, so hebought cooking classes for her. She hasbeen attending these cooking classes, though I’m not sure what she is learning.

Yesterday, when the French guy asked “how were the eggs?” apparently, this was in response to trophygirlfriend LEARNING HOW TO COOK EGGS. Learninghow to scramble eggs, fry eggs and make an omelet.

I was shocked. In myshock and outrage I’m sitting with my mouth wide open and the words coming outas “Are you kidding me? Who (women,specifically) can’t cook eggs??!”

Then the French guy defends it “Most girls in the city don’tknow how to really cook, they don’t have kitchens, and besides how will weimpress them?” He also says "I mean it's kinda hard to make a perfect omelet with the flip-over" (I mean we are talking eggs! IS IT really that difficult to make an omelet? I mean if you've watched a person make an omelet at a food station at a restaurant or hotel, can't you just emulate this??)

I was flabbergasted.

Absolutely flabbergasted.

I couldn’t get my mind off of it the rest of theafternoon.

I don’t know how your feel is on gender roles. I think women should work if they want towork or stay home if they want to stay home. have kids or not. wear pantyhose or don't. like to chop lumber or don't. hate dirt or like it. I don't care. But I also think, DAMN, a girl should know how to make EGGS!! Did your momma not teach you anything?!!

I think the ladies should be able to cook a couple thingsand the man should be able to kill a bug and be strong enough to open ajar and be able to fix things (or at least figure out how to problem solve for something else to fix something). Please, people!

That said, I have friends who aren’t good at cooking…that’sfine, but to not know how to do such simple things. I mean, at a very minimum can’t you lookonline and figure out how to do these things? Maybe I should make a youtube video for how to cook eggs for the womenin nyc. Maybe yes, that will be my partto correct this issue. And title it onyoutube as “Leisure women of new York city, learn how to cook eggs!”

I still am in disbelief. These are the basics of life that I’m not sure how a person would notlearn how to do.

Maybe I’m a little more drastic about this since I cookfried eggs every morning for breakfast.

Now we did address that I wasn’t talking about doing thepoached egg like in the Julia Childs movie. That is a whole other level, though the Frenchman seemed to know exactlyhow to do this with vinegar, etc. Imight try to learn this just to blow the other women in this city away! JBut clearly, I can cook something so I’m leaps and bounds ahead.

I’m still shaking my head. Can you believe this ladies? It’sfood! Maybe too being from the south, wetreat food differently, I don’t know. Maybe the people here are just so used to going out to restaurants andmaybe the small kitchen has to do with it??!! But I just don’t know. I need to ask one of the guys with teenagegirls if his girls are learning how to cook from their mom.

I did ask the other asst. who is from NJ if she knew how tocook an egg. She does. Surprisingly.

If you don’t know how to cook an egg, be on the lookout formy video soon.

I still can’t believe it… can you?!!

Sabotage

2012-01-11T23:05:00.000-05:00

Dang! somebody is trying to SABOTAGE me!! and AT THAT, it's one of my bosses!!!

This guy gets me to order his personal lunch some days. Most the other guys wouldn't ask me to do this, but he really likes having an asst. and feeling "cool" so I really don't mind. Plus, the way I see it is, if he is full and not hungry, then he will be nicer to me, and that has proven true. Sometimes he will eat the candy and snacks on the white table for his "lunch" and on those days, it's not pretty for anybody.

Any who, he has gotten in the habit of getting the same grilled chicken pita from Pita Joe's. He will come to my desk, or if I ask him if he wants lunch he'll say "yeah, order the regular" and I order "the regular" and put it on his personal credit card.

So today, he came and asked me to get "the regular" around 1:30pm and I gladly click over to my Outlook Notes to pull up his order and the phone number. After several tries, all I am getting is that the phone number has been disconnected and also the website is down for online orders. I'm not sure if the place went out of business or WHAT!

I let him know and suggest two other options. He settles with a Greek Salad w/ chicken from this cafe called Grey Dog. I place his order.

Then I remember how when I first started my job, a delivery guy from Grey Dog came that was so HOT!

I go about my business, and then before you know it, I'm walking back to my desk and the most gorgeous, tall hipster is standing in front of MY desk calling MY name! (not the same one as the time before...a different, even better looking one!!)

"that's me" i say, all while trying to play it cool in front of his hotness.

the total cost was $14 something and I didn't blink an eye about putting in a $3 or $4 tip (I mean, who knows if there was already a delivery fee?? I couldn't focus!!!) - that's over 20% people!

I carried the food back to his office and let him know...

"OMGAHHHHH this has to be your new lunch place!!! The delivery guy is SOOOO CUTE!!!" followed by a hand-to-the-forehead, half faint as I held on to the glass door in his office for support of my falling body.

the delivery guy had dark hair with sorta beiber swoosh under a almost-flat cap, that I'm pretty certain had the A-town A on it.

I go on to tell my boss that this is very important because "wow!!! i mean this guy is dreamy"
my boss - this one - he is a generally awkward guy who really doesn't quite know how to take me most of the time, so he is just like looking down at his desk and kinda smiling (he rarely smiles) like not knowing what to say.

Then I realize that I am wearing my business woman skirt suit today. I never where a suit, but I happened to today. Before he says anything, and is still looking at me..I start to flip out and say something to the extent of "oh, but i was wearing THIS, damnit, i should have dressed more hipster!!!!" and run dramatically out of his office.

everyone did comment on how great i looked today in this suit, but i saw myself in a full store mirror in it this afternoon..and it is NOT hot! it's boxy, it's a suit!

I run to Alissa's cube and she says "i know!!!" as she is still on a conference call holding the phone to her ear, but we gather together to drool as she saw him from 20 feet away. my words can hardly come out to tell her!!

....

now to the sabotage! i'm sitting here watching the Bachelor from this week and happen to check my mail.

this boss has emailed me with the subject line: "salad wasn't nearly as good as pita! Sorry!"

WHAT??!!! wait, WHAT?!!
why is he trying to keep me from being happy?
whyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!
why are people so selfish??! i'm sure that salad was a good salad! i've never had a bad thing from there?! [did he realize that he paid $18 for it maybe? :-)]

i don't usually email with work people at night. I don't like to let them think that i'm always available, but my emotions can not be caged.

My response: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Don't worry I'll still keep being your assistant if I marry the grey dog delivery guy!! I mean, clearly, I will need to keep my job!!! Sandwich! try a sandwich next time!"

i should have used a question mark so he would reply and relieve my concerns of never seeing this delivery guy again.

sighhhhhh.

why?
why does he want to sabotage me?
I've done nothing but good for him.
some people....

My Thoughts on Running in the NYRR Ted Corbitt 15k Yesterday

2011-12-18T23:30:00.004-05:00

In no particular order....

There are a lot of big-bottom girls that run in New York City. I typically think of serious runners being on the thinner side, and maybe that's the fastest ladies, but there were a lot of ladies out running yesterday that had some big booties. This makes me wonder what it looks like to run behind me. This I will never know and would probably rather never know. I run thinkin' i'm all fit and my waste is getting small and "go me" i'm wearing this size SM adidas jacket to run in, but my booty and thighs are pretty big, so I am too one of those big-bottom girl runners in NYC.
Right when the race was starting, and the people with me at the back of the pack that reported a 9 min 40 sec mile...yes, that's basically the back of the pack with NY runners were having to wait for the several thousands in front of us to get going, I had my iphone now in place with pandora on and it was playing "Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake. The same song that was playing at the exact time right before the start of my Fitness 5k I ran earlier this year. This is a fabulous amp you up song and I have no problem bee-boping in line while I am waiting to get going.
On mile 4 of 9.3 when we were coming back up the opposite side of the first oval in the park we had to complete, this other justin timberlake song cameo on my pandora. it's the one where he says "drums" (Can't nobody love you like i love you) and as I was pulling my weight up this little hill trying to think how the hell I was going to do another 5 of these, right when Justin said drums, i notice this street performer right on the side of the running trail in the park beating his own drums that were setup. He had a silver and red "Merry Christmas" sign hung up on his drum set and was going to town with his beats. I thought "thanks god, that was good" little signs. little encouragement.
On around mile 6, pandora pulled out this song which nearly brought me to tears. no, seriously, like legitimate, cry-fest tears. I had to pull it together because i could not breathe and cry at the same time. Just something about it. so many people want to tell us who we should be. i don't feel lovely and beautiful most of the time, but I would like to. soulful song. she says "i can't be all these things you project on me" really love this girl - sara haze

I walked some in mile 6 and some in mile 8. I reminded myself that I wasn't racing for a time, I just was racing to complete the event. In the middle of mile 8, THIS song came on!!!

and I run and I sing and I dance while I run! it's great!

I have been singing a lot to my music while I run, no matter who's around. I mean it's not like I'm going to see these people again. This song also came on my Pandora

I so remember when this song and video came out! I loved it!! and while I was running my little heart out, I was remembering how gorgeous Mariah looked with her thin legs in this video. yes, that was my motivation.

COLD. I don't think I've mentioned how unbelievably cold it was. i had to get my number and timing shoe ticket thing in the morning. so I had to wait for the bus in the cold. FREEZING COLD. then I got to the race 30 minutes early. this is great when it's nice out and you're there early to stretch. This is miserable when it feels like 28 degrees you, and I have on capri light pants. FREEZING COLD. I had on 3 layers up top, and fortunately had grabbed a pair of amateur gloves and the only beanie I could find. i mean it was SOOOOO cold. that's the part too, where this whole thing was a very bad idea!
I pulled my time online today. I completed 9.3 miles in 1 hour, 35 minutes. it was an avg of 10 minutes and 17 seconds per mile. this is really good for me, i think. Especially considering i hadn't really been, really training, for distance. I ran 8 miles last weekend in preparation. I had completed 3-4 4.5-5 milers in the past month or so, but that's it! so glad I met it through.
Racing in NYC is fun, but before and after the race, you have to public transit and WALK yourself to/from. it was still freezing after when the bus couldn't come fast enough . at one point I was at one train stop and I was going back and forth as I couldn't decide to just walk to try to get home, or stand in the cold to wait for the bus. i must have looked nutso because I literally walked 5 ft one direction, then back, then no - back, then no - i'll wait. you get the idea. nuts.
I was so out of it when i was done with the race, I didn't even remember to get my race shirt. I guess it wasn't really that important and I don't usually wear them anyways, but I realized when I got home that I still have my tshirt coupon on my number.

okay, think that's all i got on my running random thoughts. long distances like this. not that much fun. only when you're done.

Good Morning, Day.

2011-12-02T22:56:00.001-05:00

okay, i really have to go to bed because Ash and I are running are race at 9:30am tomorrow morning. that's right! We are in New York Road Runners club, and I got the newsletter on Monday that they have a group of Young Professional runners in NYRR and they are hosting a fun run on Saturday. I think I'm doing the 5 mile route, then it concludes with hot chocolate and christmas goodies! yeahhhh you got it! if we're supposed to be there at 9am, we are leaving at 8:15am. it's all of about 2 miles from us. that's kinda funny right?! but we'll catch the bus to go over so we don't have to walk that before running.

For those of you who don't follow me on instagram: kristen_n_nyc, i wanted to share with you my pictures from this morning.

I think I have mentioned before, but I just love what I see most days coming out of the subway in the morning. I walk underground until the closest point to my office (this station is HUGE like 4 blocks wide so I stay underground for the shortest path) where I come above ground. it's the middle of union square, so it's not coming out right at a building. I see wide sky. On monday, Wed and Friday when the Union Square Farmer's Market is in action, I come out to a booth of fresh flowers, or jams, or like this morning - gift boxes (think they had jams in them)

I snapped all of these this morning in about 30 seconds as I was rushing off to work, late, as usual! I just love coming out to work to all this. I walk just over to my street close by and am off to my elevator on that block to get up to work.

When I worked at Anthro I wasn't crazy about this area - but maybe I just wasn't seeing the right things. on the other end of union square, on one sunday morning, there were lots of homeless people sadly trying to keep cold last winter. there is that.

i'm glad i don't see that every morning. i don't know if I could handle seeing something like that every morning, feeling so helpless.

Glad I have been given a great morning start, even when the train may be packed full and people being obnoxious, to walk out to the fresh air and this open blue sky is just awesome.

Tres Leches - Triple Cream Liquer treat drink

2011-12-02T22:46:00.001-05:00

Let me explain to you how delicious this liquer is. it's DELICIOUS!!!

When we were in Cape Cod, we stepped into this little store for some water, and they had liquor. Then we were hoping to get some Bailey's, but the guy suggested this stuff. I bought a 12-mini bottle pack for $12...great deal, right?! anywho, it's certainly not that cheap in Manhattan.

it is the perfect serving to pour into a cup of coffee or into a cup of hot chocolate.

I mean it makes it taste just sooo rich and great.

you should try it.

Tres Leches - Triple Cream Liquer.

let me know if you want to know where in Charlotte to find it because I think Nat and Christina hunted some down.

I think Emily Conrad Mueller will really like this.

I recommend using Swiss Miss hot chocolate with the marshmallows. make it, eat the marshmallows off the top, then pour this in, give a little stir.

then try not to burn your mouth as you want to just guzzle the whole thing it's that delicious.

mmmmmmmm!!!!!

Realist or Cloud Head?

2011-12-02T22:07:00.001-05:00

One morning this week, I was down at the office jerk's desk talking something.

OH, i know, the other asst. wasn't at her desk - she sits back in the corner outside the office of Cranky Pants. She is back there by herself when he is travelling, like this week. So I asked the Office Jerk where she was. He was like "i don't know." I was a little concerned about her. I know sometimes CP will tell her not to come in when he is out, but I sure hope someone would ask where I was if I just didn't show up in the morning. w/ CP travelling internationally, who knows if something happened to her if she just didn't show up.

So I started saying this to the office jerk - like, seriously, what if something happened to her. he said to me "don't talk like that."

I say "what? i'm just sayin'. I'm a realist." [as in, realistically, let's ask where she is in case something happened to her...disclaimer: nothing happened to her, CP had told her to come in later so she would work later when he was back in the country]

his response, in laughter, was "you're not a Realist! your head is in the clouds most the time!"

. can you believe this fool?!

just because I am a happy person doesn't mean i'm not realistic. i do have a hope greater than he knows that makes me HAPPY, but i'm still a realist.

it just made me ponder how co-workers know very little about a person, even though we spend 40, or 45 in my case, minimum hours together every week of our lives. and they know nothing.

my friends know I am realistic and sometimes to a downfall. i don't think i'm dreamy. I'm creative. I'm thoughtful. but i'm not unrealistic.

maybe i need to show these people my realistic side a little more.

I mean i was being realistic when I told asberger's if he never decorated for the holidays (and whatever that means for being jewish too) that he only had about half his life left to decorate so he might want to get on it.

when I delivered a stack of biz cards back to one of the guys that I had already entered into his outlook contacts...he said "what am I gonna do with these?" The guys have a tendency to just stack them on the desk. and I told him. simple. "you're going to keep them for another 15 or 20 years and then you, or someone else for you will throw them all away. and you'll never use them after I hand them to you either"
i mean, that's real.
and business cards are out. let's go all digital, baby!

so the end of the story. this fool thinks he knows something about me, but he has no idea.
but I guess as things go, there is a lot worse ways to be thought of then as someone who has their head in the clouds. because it is beautiful up there.

Non-Worship

2011-12-02T20:55:00.001-05:00

At work today, I was reminded of how these people like to be worshiped. How, in fact, their aim is to be worshiped by others.

But let me set out to begin with to say that...I year later in New York City...I still won't.

Cranky pants came back from a 4-day trip to China today. He very kindly brought back a collection of souvenirs from Shanghai (freeze dried chicken claws, cucumber pringles, a 100-yr old freeze dried egg, keychains ...the usual Chinese crazy-sauce souvenirs and food). He did what he called show-and-tell after the 'tequila friday' that has been happening every Friday at 6:30pm in our office.

note on tequila Friday. i'm pretty certain that he does this under the mask of a nice gesture, but he really wants to see who is still there Friday at 6:30pm, because in his book he is taking notes and attendance. that said, since the summer when all the bosses would go to their upstate or hamptons homes at 2pm every friday, that no longer exists and I have to miss Craig Smith's 6:30pm dance class on Fridays every time now. not happy at all about that.

We all gathered around for his show and tell, and everyone stares at him expectantly to hear what marvelous stories he will bring back to us commoners. (he did the same thing for his India trip). sorry if I sound like a bitch about this, but it's like REALLY?! everyone listens intently (myself included) and laughs on cue, followed by an un-inspired question like today's "cranky pants, what was your favorite food in china?"

this is just all so hard for me to stomach. the new kid that started over the summer, well, he spent two summers in Hong Kong. I've been to China twice (AS IF anyone cared to know). He seriously thought he was bringing back all these exciting things from the other side of the world...but no one dare say, "ya, ya dip, we've been too, let's talk like normal people"

One of my co-workers, the other organizational girl who has been there for 3 yrs has said to me on more than one occasion "he hates that you don't think he's awesome."

now I don't know if she is saying that just to flatter me, which could be true.
or If she really thinks that it bothers him that I don't fall on the ground in front of him to pick the shit off his feet.

I did turn down his job. i think I told you, but probably a month after I was full-time, word came that his asst. was leaving, and for then the next month, here or there his asst. or the org lady would ask me to take his job.

the whole time I said "hell no!" 'NO WAY'
i'm sorry, but the dude didn't speak to me for the first 2 weeks I was there. He would literally walk by my desk and not acknowledge me. I think that's just rude and poor taste. I was not trying to get into the weave.

okay, maybe my other couple of bosses that I work with don't care if I worship them, not most of them, but with some of the junior staff, you can already see them trying to take the patterns of the worship-me people. it's sick.

the 'worship me' syndrome comes through a lot though masked as the "i'm ivy league and 100% know everything in life" syndrom. that must be so tiresome. that problem affects several of my co-workers.

a lot of them, just work so hard to be right and superior.
I don't think there is anything wrong with working hard and working with excellence, but sometimes the superiority just is dripping off.

then I feel really bad for them. imagine how overwhelming to have to live every day in a way where, on the outside, you make no mistakes. you are perfect. you know everything.

that just sounds so tiring to me.
let me be the first to say - I am NOT PERFECT! not even close. i'm not the smartest. i'm not the best-looking. i don't have all the answers. I mess up, act mean, hate on people, lose patience quite often. damn though, it's so freeing to know there is this grace that covers that all up and makes it all okay. every day. it also makes me know I'm not anybody deserving of worship. God, i hope no one is looking at me to worship.

then when I think of this non-worship idea, it makes me think how we are all equal. If you think you're someone to be worshiped, then you think you are better than people around you. You are superior. You have it more together. You have more fame, more money, more desirable life - you are better. But I cannot go with this. people are people. we are all humans of the human race. If you live in a way where you think you are to be worshiped, then you think that you are above others.

doubt it.
newsflash. you're not.

people think they have such open minds. it's not open until you realize that we all have the same value. we are all someone's child. we were all created just perfectly special and terrific. We all are different and something special, but everyone has it. We are all people who deserve love - no more, no less. all of us the same, sitting here with one life, some short measured number of days to figure out what it means for us to live it, after all of which our physical bodies lay under 6 ft of dirt or in a concrete thing or in the ocean if you're ashes or whatever. maybe my ashes should go in central park, btw.

so long story (not-short) I ain't gonna worship any of these fools. I will treat them all the same - like people. I will muster all the kindness, care, love to show to them that I can possibly muster as an imperfect selfish person.

and don't worry. I don't just hold them to this. I didn't worship Tony Stewart or Jimmy Johnson or Denny Hamlin or any of those NASCAR drivers. I didn't worship Dale Earnhardt when i went to his little ranchy ranch. I didn't worship shorty Ryan Seacrest. I didn't worship my dad or my mom when they said they would hook me up with some dollars here or there. although my friends are brilliant and lovely, I don't hold them up so high as to worship them.

so people did get tricked if they ever think that's how i will act. i will act with respect too. but there is another thing coming if these people expect something more than non-worship.

Sweet Show at Ella Lounge and @thezog

2011-11-30T07:53:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite things in the city to do is go to this lil comedy show in the East Village on Tuesday nights. It's at 9pm every Tuesday night and you have to get there at like 8:30pm. This comedian Seth Herzog (who apparently is on or writes for Jimmy Fallon and is on some VH1 stuff) has been hosting this comedy night for like 7 years. He brings out comedians from all over that are in the city, writing staff of comedy shows and his random entertaining celebrity friends!

The show is Seth and a "host" which last week was Justin Long, previously was a dude from another primetime show, and time before that I attended was the cutee fiance from the Hangover.

Seth and the host stay on stage for the whole show. The host will welcome Seth, he will dance, do some chatting, then bring out 3 or 4 comedians...of course, some better than others. I think there were 4 last week, one of which, well the first girl I'm seen perform there, who is a writer for David Letterman, named Jenna.

It is just the most fun time to go there and laugh. Even if they aren't good or if they're un-necessarily vulgar, it is just so good to laugh in New York City. because at least where I work, people are pretty serious most the time and I have to make myself laugh or depend on my facebook friends to do that most of the time.

Seth's mom is usually the last part of the show every week. She is not a comedian, she is just a 60-something (i'm guessing) lady who gets up there and has fun. She just says whatever she is thinking or wants to say. It's like you're sitting in their living room, except Seth is just showing us how funny she is. The first time I went she was confessing (remember how old - like 60-something) how many blow-jobs she had given his dad. it was just silly b/c he was asking and she was saying, then i think he wished they hadn't asked. And the host of the evening gets in with it as well. his mom, named Kera, she is always there before and after the show chatting with folks. She does some sort of psych classes at NYU, so she says this is just the time where she can get up there and just say anything. this freedom at her age, you can tell she looks good in it. I mean just imagine, to get up in front of 70-some strangers and say whatever you want about how you are and who you are. and yes, the point is for people to laughd, but it's just there it is. another time she told a story about how excited she was to discover the Cosco (in the same center as the harlem target I go to). She was so giddy about discovering the Costco - making it really funny. she is just a sweetheart. and then afterwards, one time, she was at the same bus stop with us - and got on the m15 together to ride into the nyc night (aka up 1st avenue)

The show is at Ella lounge, which if you check out the site - www.ellalounge.com you can see how it's this awesome 20's 30's feel. the space is just fabulous. Then for the comedy show, it's down the stairs in this little itty bitty basement with 4 rows of chairs, 4 on each side, 2 half-booths then small standing room and the bar in the back. I mean it is TINY. it's just like this special little funny pocket in new york city.

on tuesday since justin long was hosting (remember him, the love interest in the New Girl and he's been in a ton of movies and oh ya, he is the apple commercial guy) I really wanted to go. I ditched my brother at the ice skating rink. He was skating in the rain. I was just standing there. It was silly.

i went by myself on Tuesday for the first time.
In true form, no one spoke to me. and I didn't speak to anyone.
it makes me giggle. i mean, you know, i'm a nice person, but I am a shy person. it was all I could do to not get my magazine out of my purse and read before the show began. (we know I never said i'm normal)

oooooh but the other awesome part of these tuesday nights and this place. they have half-off drinks before the show at 9pm. and their drinks are AHMAZING! I don't know how you call them, but the drinks are prohibition time-esque with all fresh items like watermelon and ginger that they grind right there in front of you. the drinks are just delicious, and with the half off that makes them $6 each, which is a great deal! i just never seem to get there early enough to get more than one to take downstairs for the show.

I have been now 3 times, i suppose. it's just so fun. if you're here on tuesday, let's go! let's laugh! and be carefree for like 2 hrs on a tuesday night! and then laugh some more.

picture of last Tuesday for you

What's Better...

2011-11-19T12:43:00.001-05:00

What's better....

Finding $10 in a pair of old "skinny" pants

OR

Fitting into the old "skinny" pants.

Well, I think for anyone, anytime who has lost any amount of weight, you know that it is definitely the latter.

What a great idea though?!

I have had these pants since, well, I believe I remember buying them in Daytona one year...I think the year I worked newly transitioned Verizon (from Alltel) hospitality in February. I had zero track pants and these were the purchase. Though, I don't think I got to wear them many times because they were too tight. I have the bad habit of buying things a little too small, because afterall, I'm on my way to losing lb's and want to have them fit me. and then I stop losing lb's...they don't fit me...then they just sit in my closet. or sit in a box. and move from city to city with me. :-)

I'm sure I'm not the only one. But I am very much looking forward to getting rid of my old too-big clothes. no need to keep clothes. no need to keep clothes for just in case. Here there is just no room to store things, so I look forward to taking yet another bag of items to the goodwill very soon. Dropping clothes at the goodwill also does something for cleaning out mind-space it seems.

This past week was awesome.

I went to the orientation for NY Cares, a volunteer organization city-wide. I am hopeful I get myself out and actually volunteer with it. In Charlotte, my friend Twix and I went to this Charlotte volunteer orientation, but we never actually volunteered. well not for that organization at least. I think they kinda spoke it on us when they said 2 out of 3 people that come to these orientations, we never hear anything else from. It's like they set themselves up for that one.

The orientation leader was this sweet old British man that did a fabulous job talking about all the areas of need. He said over 1Million people in the city are below the poverty line which is $18k/year for a parent with 1 child and $22k/yr for a family with 2 children. [these numbers I could be slightly mis-quoting, but it's about right] Basically, there are a lot of people that need a lot of help. Children need help to stay up to speed with their classmates. People in nursing homes often times just sit in their wheel chair all day, and volunteers can come alongside and play bingo or board games. Seems quite worthwhile, doesn't it? I'm thinking of signing up for Tax Preparation. I mean I do like numbers. You have to take a class and get some training, but basically you help people file their taxes for free. They helped 9k families last year file their taxes and got back 18.1 million dollars in refunds for those families. It was about $1700 per family. A lot of families don't know that the government owes them this money, and so won't get it. It's also important as it is putting money back into the NYC economy. so pretty cool. I think I might sign up for that. I know it is so dorky, but I quite like doing the turbo tax even on my own taxes. I sure hope their computer systems are set up such that the amounts received back or owed tally up like turbo tax does...isn't it fun when you punch in a number and then...like a slot machine...it re-tallies!! You cross your fingers that it re-tallies in your benefit, instead of the other way around.

So good things there. I'm excited, though a little anxious about going out to some of these first events. The shy person in me comes out. They also have a lot of opportunities to volunteer with pets or with gardening around the city. The orientation leader said there is something for everyone - whether you like things with 2 legs, 4 legs or no legs at all! (and i assume he wasn't referencing amputees, though maybe...)

Thursday night and Friday night I got to go to this "God at Work" series thing to hear christians talk about their life as professionals. So much goodness for me out of this. I ponder a lot with how this whole thing works - life, work, God. It was cool to meet other professionals around the area in an easy environment. We had dinner, got to hear a speaker, had convo at our table. I could write 7 blogposts about just these two nights, but all-in, a fabulous time and I'm really excited about the potential here of meeting interesting professionals around the city and learning how to take God's purpose into the workplace. ....The topics for the two sessions were Ambition & Work-Life balance, and then Stress at Work or something. lots of good conversations and thoughts.

well, i'm finishing my coffee before going around the corner to my local hardware store to purchase paint. well i need lights, paint and spray paint. I'm taking apart this gorgeous shelf I have and am going to use the wood as shelving in my apartment. the shelf is lovely, but considering my mom pulled it off the side of the street for me, and paid a homeless person $10 to use his cart to bring it to my apartment (this is no lie) , I thought to myself, no point to go purchase any wood, when I have this lovely wood sitting here that is mine and I can use! Reduce, Reuse and Recycle PEOPLE!

I'm revamping my living quarters and very excited to show you the final product. although, I don't have before photos really, i am still excited to show you. My loveseat will be delivered this week. okay, let me show you this...

I ordered from overstock.com.

I've never purchased a piece of living room furniture before, so as much as spending the $$ pains me, I am very excited about this piece. It got great reviews, and even if it is not comfortable at all, it is cute as a button. but let's hope it's comfortable as well.

Also, would like to thank Natalie O., my talented interior decorator from afar. I don't purchase or make any decor decisions without her input. If you've seen Nat's home, you know why.

off to buy paint. happy saturday, lovelies.

NOT Driven by Fear

2011-11-17T22:03:00.001-05:00

I'm going to the gym tomorrow morning like I have been doing for the past 4 months. you know.."i be up in the gym, workin' on my fitness, fitness" -Fergie.

I didn't go this morning. I was tired and just not ready to go back.

On Wednesday, when I was getting ready in the Girls Locker room after my workout, this assumed staffer was in a massage room peeping Tom on me while I got ready at locker 109 where I always get ready. I had heard something in there and noticed the door was cracked open, but honestly, I didn't want to see or know or be bothered.

Right when I was about to leave, I heard ruffling noise again and turn and look and someone sees me see him (though I couldn't actually see a person) and he hurriedly I think says "oh shit" and shuts the door and locks it.

In my head I thought, "seriously? really?" I grabbed my stuff, went upstairs and left.

By the time I walked the 3.5 blocks back to my apartment, I was angry. Angry for disrespect and injustices to women around the world. I know my small privacy situation isn't that BIG of a deal, and as my friends know I'm not that modest, I don't really care that some loony perv saw me in the locker room. But I was mad for broken people that do things to hurt, harm, insult other people. It's just not right.

I called my gym - new York health and racquet club - 76th street...in case you were wondering. The lady assistant manager was un-phased, and said that room does connect to the guys locker room. After I started throwing some f-bombs and getting irate, she apologized to me for my experience. This conversation left me more livid.

After a co-worker called her center, I got the phone number of the COO, Jeff Bodnar. I left a vm and sent an email. Still mad at this point. Mad that the lady I spoke with at the gym didn't care. Mad for whoever in her life made her feel like that was okay. Shocked that the gym doesn't seem to have any protocol in place to handle a complaint like this. The COO said all the right things when he called me back, that they would see who did this and call them into the office, etc. He said he would call me back to let me know if/how the issue has been resolved.

That was Wednesday. I haven't heard anything back. I'm still greatly annoyed that this large chain gym in NYC doesn't have something in place to handle when people are violated in their facility. I can't be the first or only one.

I've felt internally a lot of things about this whole situation. I felt like, although, I'd personally rather to not even have brought it up, this is what it is like to stand in the gap for people. I need to say something for all the girls that not nice things happen to. not right things happen every day left and right to people, injustices, and it makes me sympathetic to those people.

I'm going back to the gym in the morning.
Has word got around to the other staff? maybe or maybe not.
will they look at me like that's the girl? probably not. but maybe.
and what if that guy is there?

But you know what...
I don't give a SHIT! I like that gym, it's in my neighborhood, and I'm not going to be scared off by some little boy who doesn't respect people. F THAT!!!

what is inside me is more than what is in the world.
the bible says - I will fear no evil, for my God is with me.

that is what I have.

I feel like we as humans can be driven by fear so much. fear of what others think, fear of losing, fear of judgement, fear of failure, fear of rejection. but in this situation, I will not be driven by fear. I will hold my head high. I will go in there, I will almost pass out of breathe on the treadmill like I always do. I will go downstairs to the ladies locker room and get dressed.

At some point in life, I have to learn to not be driven by fear. I will take this chance to step out in this situation and not be driven by fear.

It's Falling

2011-11-07T08:15:00.002-05:00

Good Morning Friends! It is Fall!!!!! I hope you've been basking in all the loveliness of it.

things here have been on fast-forward like they always seem to be. every day brings something new, but maybe I will try to slow it down. maybe i will try to write more. i miss it so much every day. work has been busy, keeping me mostly occupied during the day, except of course, when I have to chat with my friends on the other end of the hall. Jake and Shamika and Van and Michael. and nancy! I just remembered that Nancy, my puerto rican receptionist, is back today. her mother was very sick in PR so she has been gone for 2 weeks. so sad. I have prayed for her mom. i sure hope they can find some peace in whatever it is they are going through.

nothing dramatically different to point out at work, except that I have realized, i might have portrayed people at my work a little more interesting and funny then they are. they are not at all. they are mostly a-holes and not funny. not all, but most. i will still find the humor in little things, but i'm just sayin'.

on another note, i'm sitting in the kitchen eating my everyday breakfast and my cat keeps looking at me like she wants food. somehow her food is all on the floor and she acts like she literally cannot see it. so then I show her, and nope, won't eat it. I put it in her bowl, nope. she is refusing to eat it b/c it touched the floor. what a cat diva!!

okay, i have to get ready, but I've been thinking about you. I need to write. I need to find the time. It will come. I can't even say I've been doing anything brilliant in my free time. at least not last week.

that's alright though.
maybe I'll count it success if I find some time to sit outside and enjoy the fall (with a starbucks holiday drink.)

here's to hoping that we make this Monday great. even if it comes at us full-force like a Monday!

This Week In Laughs

2011-10-22T12:41:00.003-04:00

These recent days, I find myself laughing all of the time. Life is just so good. So many rich (and not like the money) relationships, wondrous happenings and all around silly behavior. I feel like God has handed me some lovely rose-colored glasses and I'll take it for the time being. I know there are a million things that I would like to catch you up on. (I am quite regretful of my lack of blogging and documentation) but on life, there is just not that much time for the past (and at time for the future...) ..this is now!

This was a really busy week at work. My ...well, I call her my boss, even though I don't guess she really is. She is like my senior counterpart, anywho, she is really fun, but she has been out for the week, which means more work for me and just generally i have to be more alert and THERE at work.

Asberger's was travelling beginning of this week. He is one of the 4 guys I support. Though he is not most senior, he things that he is my sole purpose during the 5 days of the week. When he is travelling, he calls me like a million times and asks me stupid questions or will call to harass me about things that I didn't do right (remind me to tell you about the new policy I'm going to have to put into place!) So with his travelling and her gone, super busy week. but there were some really great parts to it.

1 - SAMPLE SALE. post got too long. see Sample sale post. :-) http://thisridecalledlife.blogspot.com/2011/10/10th-floor-sample-sale.html

2 - One of my coworkers had a package delivered. His mother told him that he needed decorations on his apartment walls, and so this is what he ordered.

Panda-monium.

That's what it is called. this made me LOL all day. then the French dude said, this should have been the mascot or the logo for the goings-on in Zanesville, Ohio this week. haha! I told this kid, I said "what are the ladies going to think when they come over and see this?" He said "the ladies will love it, they will think I'm funny."

oh geez. and then it becomes, "i mean, kristen, what would you think if you went to a guy's apartment and this was on his wall?!" oh geez louise!

3 - Work birthdays. No one actually likes to celebrate their birthdays in the office. I know that seems ungrateful to say, but it's sorta true. I guess it's damned if you do, damned if you don't, because if we didn't do anything ppl would probably not like that either. I didn't want to do it, but they made me, and of course, none of the old people like to celebrate their birthdays because they are OLD, which I think is ridiculous, but that's a different post. So with YK out, I was responsible for the birthday fun. I tried to ask other people that knew the birthday boy well, what we should get to eat, but no one knew, so I just went to him and said (in about this way) "well, you have to do it, so might as well tell me what you want" oh, important fact, this guy is a health-guy. no carbs after 2pm usually. he never partakes in others birthday sweets, as at 44yo he is trying to be healthy and watch his weight. so a couple of the suggestions was to get a vegetable platter, protein shakes for everyone... he said that was like the people that give out apples at Halloween. He finally agreed to do chips/guac. Everyone loves this! We get chips/guac from RosaMexicana. It's expensive $28 for a double serving, but it's the fresh guac like Cantina in Charlotte. Got 3 orders of that, which they delivered at noon instead of 4pm so we got double our $100 order when I requested that they re-deliver correctly at party-time. woohoo double!! this means I could share with my friends on the other side.

Here is our conference room prepared for the birthday party. It just feels so The Office to me. I added the Happy Birthday sign for birthdays (THANKS TIFF!) This is the setup. And we just stand around, and the old guys try to be funny and laugh at each other, and that is about it. I sit there and laugh at them, and think ...life is funny.

oh and then the good part. the birthday dude, born and raised Upper East Sider, but apparently his parents were immigrants so I think summer were spent in Denmark or somewhere. anywho, that has nothing to do with this. he walks around the office sometimes in his socks, and will often walk around his own office in just his socks (he have all glass and frosted glass walls in the office) so as a gift, and since they were only $5 at the sample sale upstairs, the "kids" gifted him these women's leopard slippers to wear around the office.

Then the kids also gifted him this.

Four Loko drink that I adorned with ribbons. Four Loko just makes me laugh b/c it makes me think of Natalie b/c she told me about it. I had no idea. It's this drink that is apparently 8 beers plus caffeine in one drink. It is banned in most places now b/c the drill has killed people. Well, the drink didn't, but you know, people drinking too many of them.

It made me giggle that I put ribbon on it, and it made me giggle that everyone over 30yo had no idea what it was and they were trying to talk the birthday guy into drinking it after they had told him that it's been banned for killing teenagers.

3 - Gorgeous day. On Thursday, when all of these shenanigans were going on at the office, I went to Zumba at lunch for a workout. This is what it looked like on my walk back. This picture does not do justice to the sky on this day. the top of this building is gold and it just shined in the sun. I was reminded that there is always sun after the rain. the day before was so rainy and windy and what people call "gross" out. When I have my umbrella, it is still bright out.

4 - Zumba - At zumba, my heart was filled with. funny. I got in there in my first time to this class. 2nd time ever to zumba, first time in this class. Whenever I go to a new class, there is a sort of anxious feeling curious of what it is going to entail. I notice that most the people are over 50 yo and they are quite chatty with each other. then the teacher lady comes in and she looks wacky. short sassy hair, worn face, tiny tight clothes, sassy personality, fake lips. she is chatty with all the students too! I stand there and prepare watching everyone, looking at myself in the large studio mirrors thinking "can we please get this going b/c I have to get back to work and i need to work my ass off in this time!"

I notice that the window washers are cleaning at our studio-level. Well, aren't they in for a great time...!

the class was pretty fun. I'm not awesome at all the zumba-esque moves, probably basically because Ive never been taught them, I just try to catch on. the older lady beside me with the terry cloth head band around her forehead knew the moves VERY well!

it was fun! but I would laugh. there was a really old dude in the back. He must have been 70yo, tall, full workout gear, and not quite the coordination to keep up. he was rockin' out though to the sassy latin moves. Good for HIM!

We did a couple dances to lady gaga songs.! ha!

oh apparently the dance instructor had coreographed for wayne brady when he was at Universal Studios before he 'made it big'......I like listening to people.

Then at the end, we did full out THRILLER dance. michael jackson, eat your [non-beating] heart out. it was a lot of fun!! AND fun to watch around me. I certainly wasn't the best person in there on the dance. These peeps had done this before. I just couldn't believe. me in there with the oldie goldies dancing to MJ's thriller. so solid lunch break.

ha! here is the thriller video for you. this is the closest I could find for you to understand.

and you know the part where you shift your shoulders and do a stiff leg and drag it around. I couldn't really ever get this down, but the lady with the terrycloth head band was so SERIOUSLY AWESOME at this part.

okay, i have to go, but there was also a fire in the kitchen sink on this day.. all i could see was the flames appear in the mirrored backsplash as my funny Puerto Rican receptionist was pulling the flour tortilla out of the toaster.

oh she also taught me this. "hace frio de madre!" when i say it she thinks it's verrry funny. i ask her what it meant. then I guess it means "it's cold as a mother." the bulgarian said that I should not say this, but I think it's funny.

my hip hop dance class experience and the washboard abs class from this week deserve their own post.

also, the attack on the subway that I almost did to someone. yes, that deserves a post as well. this girl had to better had backed on off. ! grr.

if it sounds like all i did this week was work and workout, that's about right! but i enjoyed both. i mean we do spend most of these days at work, like it or not (or even if your work is at home taking care of a baby) whatever it is we do these days, we should figure out how to enjoy it the most we can.

oh i also have to tell you about the reality show being filmed on the 12th floor and all the ear-budded people riding the elevator these days.

my roommate and i signed our lease to stay in our studio another year. it's best for the time being. now i'm going to ikea today. i already feel like this is going to be a sorta, waste of a trip. it's not close to me at all. It's in brooklyn and will take quite a while to get there, but what am I gonna do! I'm going after some of their room divider and curtain materials. I'll have to do some before/after's if this room makeover deal happens today.

okay, i'm sure i'm missing some noteworthy humor for this week. here's to another week of trying to BLOG! :-) hope you had the best week.

10th Floor Sample Sale

2011-10-22T11:07:00.001-04:00

1 - SAMPLE SALE: As if it's not already hard enough working on 5th Ave (i know....WAHHHH) with GAP, Banana, JCrew, Anthro (literally, at the bottom of my office building), Express, Free People, Urban Outfitters, Kenneth Cole, Steve Madden, Michael Kors...the list goes on...these are all either on my block or the one over...always calling to me from their windows as I walk to grab lunch. As if that's not hard enough, there was a sample sale 4 floors up this week. I saw the flyer in our shared kitchen for it, but didn't really pay attention. I don't really "get" sample sales. For some reason, I don't think the items are legit or really the brand. [sorry, just spent 5 minutes looking up the real price for these Ellen Tracy bags...yeah, they were selling for way cheaper at the sample sale]

I hadn't paid attention to the flyer in the kitchen, but on Thursday morning, the boys in the office came in both with rolling suitcases, one at a cost of $15 and one HUGE MEGA duffle rolling suitcase for $20. well, crap. AND one guy had got a funny gift for another coworker's birthday that day to be funny....that story to come, but they were the nice Dearfoam slippers for only $5. I mean, even at Kohl's on the day after Thanksgiving, you can't get those for the cheap!!!

The next question was....of course....

Cash or Credit??!!

I skipped down to get some cash after taking a trip up to the 10th floor to survey my findings. The findings resulted in needing cold...hard....CASH.

I was able to do some early Christmas shopping. The sale didn't have everything - mostly luggage, pajamas, robes, scarves, and slippers. but mostly luggage and pajamas...random right?! You know, I love a good deal, and I thought, well, who doesn't like slippers! (even though, I didn't actually buy any slippers) I hope my mom/aunt/grandma like what I got them!

I was also so stoked because I was able to buy a couple of these scarves that I tell you, soon, you will see everyone WEARING! the scarves that have a hoodie in/on them. Yes, scored a couple of those for $5 each. oh wow, there is a name for these scarf hoodies....www.schoodie.com who KNEW?! ugh. i can't find jut the right example online to show you. so you'll have to imagine.

okay, this is for you...

See how great this knit is so thick, and it's a gorgeous gold color. yes. AND the little draw tie let's you make it tighter around your face as to keep the snow out of the hair. are you with me?

Also, at the sample sale, I got this really great robe (originally marked for $188 retail, hello!) that was to be for me, but I got out and totally didn't realize I didn't pay attention to the size. Well, it must be a S or XS because I tried it on and it looked like a dress with a slit all the way up to my crotch! that won't work! Will have to gift that. I got my aunt this great beach tote, a top for my mom, 4 scarves and this pink plaid DKNY night shirt with pockets I am in love with!!! all for $40.

that was fantastic! so not only was I having a super busy week at work, but I was having to sneak off to the 10th floor to peruse and then return again with money. then of course, on Friday (the last day of the two-day sale) I had to go back up. I really wanted/needed a large suitcase. Mine is rather old and has had a lot of use. They had HUGE roller bags in brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Dockers, Jessica Simpson, etc. for $25. I was too discouraged about carrying on the subway, so I left it behind. I thought, do I REALLY need this?! though, I actually probably do, and when mine breaks it will be an issue, but until then, I should travel light anyways.

I went up to the sale on one occasion with my fellow receptionist (from the other side) , she is Puerto Rican and awesome! She liked to show me things that I should buy. She is cute. She not only had got them to save out the stuff she wanted, but she also convinced them to let her take her stuff home and bring money the next day. She did snag, among other things, this cute tshirt with a sequin scarf imprinted on it. cute.

Oh the hazards of working in New York City. Sample Sales in your office building.

Google will find your odd child's name

2011-10-16T18:25:00.002-04:00

It occurred to me today. Just one of those random thoughts that POPS into my head. Well, probably too, because yesterday Ash and Wendy were talking about rando baby names. One of Wendy's friends posted on facebook a picture of their new baby with the note "Please welcome Doppler!" We were like WTF, seriously, like Doppler Radar?!! Turns out, this was a joke, and the baby's real name is Hennelly.

It occurred to me today, how these kids with wacky names, will be so easily googled when they are older. I have thought my name was that GREAT, but it's been a fine name...I don't have anything against it either. I am starting to like it more now though, because it's a not too uncommon first and last name. There are lots of my names out there across the United States and people with their own sites. AND not only is my first and last name uncommon together, my middle name is also common in between the first and the last. In fact, I just found [insertmyfirstandlastname].com and sure enough, her middle name is same as mine.

I like being not the only one, so I can have an online profile, but it's not a complete giveaway.

Think of how difficult it will be for these "no one named that" kids to keep online anonymity. IMPOSSIBLE.

Even with a regular last name like Jones or Morris, if you're first name is ~~wacky~~ special like Clawboo or Diaper or Hanger...I don't think there will be many others with that same name therefore your child will be pretty "open" on the online world.

Help your child to be able to have their own online anonymity by giving them a name that isn't the only one in the world. There are lots of other ways to be special. Give that baby the option to tweet or blog or email without the world being able to locate he or she with one quick click "google."

okay. good talk.

The Eve of my New York City 1 Year Anniversary

2011-09-30T22:03:00.000-04:00

YALL, can you believe it?!

Grateful. I feel so grateful. I really can't wrap words around it.

I also can't remember the night before I left for NYC last year. I guess I was at my aunt's house in Douglasville, GA.

[I just looked back at my blog and realize it's BIG JEN'S birthday today!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG JEN, I LOVE YOU!!]

Tonight, I just have this feeling over me that is...

God is about the impossible.

the bible in Matthew 19:26 it says: Jesus looked at them and said "with Man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

it shouldn't be possible for a regular, medium-2-shitty income girl to quit her job in a recession to move to the most expensive city in the world and "make it." not just live but "make it!!"

in 2 months, I'll be back to about my savings before I left, i'm making more, paying the same to less housing as in clt.

It's mind-blowing to me when I stop and think about it.

Let me tell you my Creator is so good!

I am so thankful for God and I am so thankful for my friends. I can't even tell you how much my friends support has meant to me. My care packages, cards, emails, text messages, blog comments, fb posts, chats - i mean it seriously brings tears to my eyes to think of it. Several of you reading this are probably those people. It is amazing what strength friends can give you. I never will be able to thank enough the special people in my life that believed in me and told me I could do it. I am forever grateful. FOREVER.

I only wish I could just put you all in my pocket and have you here with me.

In the most amazing, different, crazy, unique, awe-inspiring city in the world. (YOU always have an air mattress here to lay your head on :)

How am I spending the eve of my New York City 1 YR Anniversary you ask???

Well, I came home a few minutes early, washed clothes, baked kale and a veggie patty with balsamic, and have been enjoying some Merlot ($2 buck chuck, you know!). My roommate came home and we're watching ABC - Surburgatory, Panam, and followed by 20/20 shortly. :-) [do you know me? don't judge!!]

Tomorrow I am having lunch with Orzo, one of my sweet sorority sisters, who is now my "neighbor" as a resident of DC. She is in town!!! Then at 1:45pm, I catch a $14 (how cheap!!!) bus to Philly to visit my girl Ashley Mac!!!

alright, i'm away. i love you. thank you. 100 times over. can YOU believe it??!! ONE YEAR!!! CRAZY!!!

Frank and Louie, the cat with two faces.

2011-09-29T19:54:00.002-04:00

Look, I don't seek this stuff out, but when it pops up in my yahoo feed, how can I not click on it?

how wacky - a cat with two faces ...article here http://news.yahoo.com/mass-cat-2-faces-lives-12-years-sets-131909351.html

I had to click through the pictures because the above photo does not even look really, but I suppose it is. I mean, look at the middle eye.

Also concerning, is why the owner, named the cat 2 names - Frank and Louie. I mean how does that work. If you call it...one can't really come without the other. Or maybe that one side will look at you when they say the nae, but how you would even teach them each what their names are I don't know.

Apparently, it's the Guinness Record for the oldest 2 headed cat.

so yeah, check that out. and be intrigued.
I'm surprised this guy didn't get in the travelling circus ring. Coulda made HELLO money.

Please know if Lucy did anything remarkable (aside from the being able to tear a human apart with her teeth) I would certainly be making that hard cash off of her as we traversed the globe off of her remarkable talent.

But instead, Lucy just sits around and "be's" awesome. Not sure what the going rate is for that these days.

No Titles in Heaven

2011-09-21T08:21:00.001-04:00

This morning, I went for the pool routine (Yes, still wearing the bag on my head during the rare occasion that I decide to swim awkwardly while the lifeguard just sits there). Then I went to the hot tub. It's nice just to be in there alone in this little room with just me and my thoughts.

I thought to myself.

How great will it be in heaven when/where there are no titles. It won't matter if you're the an m.d., asst., exec., ceo, fry tosser, associate, whatever. None of it will matter. Only one name will matter.

There also won't be any clout or connections. Only one connection will matter. It won't matter who your daddy is or how much money he made investing into the heaven company. It won't matter if your husband is a big wig. It won't matter if your family is the largest provider of alcohol or grain or barley in the whole place. None of it will matter. The only relationship that will matter in heaven, is the one you have with God.

I think this thinking started because at my job, little by little, I am learning that everyone has some connection. I know this is true anywhere, and I wouldn't be in my position if I didn't have my friend Kristen who connected me to her friend Wendy at the staffing agency who set me up for this interview, but the people at my job didn't really know me or my skills. I have continued to prove myself, though, that's neither here nor there.

Half of our staff is there because of who their father is and how much money he has, and in some cases, how many millions of dollars he has invested in our company. I get that this is how it all works, but won't it be lovely there in heaven?! We won't have to google anybody to understand where they fall on the scale or to find out WHO they are.

It's all even ground. no titles. no clout. no previous relationship. no status. and only one name matters there. #JESUS

Mid-Weekend Review

2011-09-18T09:54:00.001-04:00

Great weekend so far, and hard to believe I still have one more day left.

Co-worker Engagement Party - On Friday, Cranky Pants (aka bossman) hosted an engagement party for one of my coworkers - I shall call him Coify because he has long, luscious coifed hair that he likes to run his fingers through. Turns out, he is a very nice guy, about my age, and his fiancee is a teacher in the city with a gorgeous smile! CP threw the party in his apartment that overlooks Gramercy Park. I don't know if you know Gramercy Park, but it's private and you have to have keys to even access the park. The only people that have the keys are the neighbors that surround the block-wide park, so you know, people with enough money to afford their home in a prime area in the city and part of another block.

The party was very nice. The apartment wasn't HUGE, though it was big enough for a beautiful baby grand piano. Also, apparently, per his asst. they had to store some pieces of furniture elsewhere to make room.

It was cocktails and passed hours'devores for 2 hours. All the coworkers (and some wives) came out, along with lots of the bride and grooms family (62 ppl total). I guess CP threw the party b/c both of their families live outside the city and they thought it nice to be able to throw an engagement party so the friends in NYC could celebrate. Very nice I think.

It was the typical. I didn't speak to people other than my coworkers and their significant others.

there is a LOT of material there, but overall, turns out I like the girlfriend of Asberger's much more than anyone thought. She sort of has the mail-order-bride look to her and she doesn't work and she lives with him after they met a month prior - so all the tellings of a transaction instead of a real relationship. She is very pretty and he is well...NERD ALERT. Anywho, after seeing her at this 3rd word function and actually speaking to her, turns out I like her. I kinda thought I would. She is nice and harmless.

However, this other WIFE. so the wife that always calls and is asking me questions like "well, where is he? do you know when he will be back? is he on cell?" ...this is just too much. Usually, I give as much information as I have or know, "he is not available, he out at a meeting that should be over in an hour." Over the phone, she attempts to be nice, but sometimes she is just demanding and I become embarrassed for her and for him.

So Friday, I tell the guy, "oh i'm so excited I get to meet Ilana (yes her name is actually Ilana), don't let me leave here without introducing myself and saying hello"

She comes our way and I introduce myself. She begins very nice and is asking me about myself. Then I'm asking and talking about their 7-yr old whom we like to talk about at the office.

Then she says "Well, do you have kids, you don't do you?!"

I respond "No, I don't"

She says "Well, you know with kids, you actually have to get home to them, so we need to leave."

HAHAHAHA!!

I was so annoyed by this. Was this her rehearsed line to get herself out of conversations with people or to go home? YES.

sheesh, lady, no lines needed, just say "so great to meet you, thanks for all your help and for putting up with my nagging and annoyance, but we need to leave"

Trust me, I would not have asked questions or begged you to stay!!

it was a nice night overall. I probably could have worn a cute cocktail dress, but seeing as how everyone was coming straight from work, I didn't want to do too much and be the only one.

office accountant who works from home in long island came in for the event, so she wanted to do dinner afterwards. We went to this diner where I tried my hardest not to eat too much since I was running in the morning. Big Daddy's Diner - good stuff and good tater tots. hello!

jeez, there is so much more to tell. I haven't told you that The Office Jerk is in an upcoming New York Magazine as one of New York's Most Eligible Bachelors!!!! yes, seriously.

I had planned to tell you about Saturday too, but gotta keep it short.

I ran 4 miles in 38 minutes and 40 seconds. running with 8000 women at one start. so cool and empowering.

saw my friend jason bolz.

rode a bike that made a smoothie for me as I pedaled

got a free legit pedometer

came across a German parade.

came home napped to tbs movies.

out to see ten out of tenn.

and now today. what will it hold?!!!

it's gorgeous out here, by the way.

now off to church.

Country in the Air

2011-09-15T22:56:00.000-04:00

I feel like I am doing something really good for the environment by putting my country music into the air. I wonder if my neighbors feel the same way. I feel like Ashley Mac would totally agree with this.

I downloaded Spotify. Have you heard of it?! it's like the new pandora, but you can find any song and make your own playlist and basically just click play on whatever song you want, or album. It costs extra to use it offline (on my iphone or in the subway or for running) but for sitting here at my computer listening to old Dixie Chicks, Lady A, Taylor, Jodee, and Faith, it sure gets the job done.

The other thing about this spotify is it allows you to easily share playlists. For example, my cousin who is "in the know" with the hip good music, can just send me and my friends his playlist of songs he is listening to so it makes sharing music really easy. As if the mix tape wasn't already gone, this does away with the mix cd. You can just send your friend a link to the playlist you made for them and they can listen to it online.

it's spotify.com if you need an invitation, just message me and I'll figure out how to send you one. :-)

The Gate Keeper

2011-09-15T22:42:00.000-04:00

First, can I just tell you, I'm sitting in my backyard on this September night while my country music tunes flood this quiet backyard city air, and it is COOOOOLD back here. seriously very cold.

I wanted to tell you how much I enjoy being the Gate Keeper.

At work, I am the receptionist, so I sit front and sorta center for anyone that makes it all the way back to our office at the end of the hall (there is the Casper, Where's Waldo company at the first end of the hall where people get off the elevator). I also happen to sit beside our single large conference room. I can't see into it, but I sit directly adjacent to it. Most of our office is transparent glass walls, but the wall between my desk and the conference room is frosted glass, so I can always see when someone is about to walk out the door. The conference room large glass door (floor to ceiling) slides open so sometimes guests (and our staff) struggle with how to open it. The doors are heavy and sit on railing that can be particular.

So once a visitor has made their way out the glass door, I'm well aware that they are coming out, such that I can be looking up directly at them like "YES, CAN I HELP YOU?!"

So whether people know where the bathrooms are or not, I think they feel obligated to ask me.

Or if they have to step out and make a call, they feel the need to have to say so.

On Monday, we had a fun visitor in the office. and by fun, I mean a celebrity. I'll try to use discretion. She was married to a 90's metal musician, with a huge following, who committed suicide in the 90's. We will call her C. Love. :-)

So she brings her rough-lookin' self out of the conference room, and, like everyone else, I am standing there looking like "YES, CAN I HELP YOU?" (you may be reading this like I say it all nice and southern, it sorta is, but it's also kinda like how your mom would say it to you as a kid when you had guests over and the kids were outside playing and you would go inside and your mom would be like - "um, yes, why are you in here?")

So she of course has to give me an explanation. "yeah, just gonna have a cigarette"

haha! I'm alll..."oh yea, sure, no problem!" haha, this makes me laugh. like yes, go ahead, have your cigarette! good luck with that.

I need to make another post about why she really shouldn't have been having the cigarette. my friend nat often refers to people that look rough as "she looks like she's been ridden hard and hung up wet to dry" we don't really know what exactly this saying means. but it always fits. it FIT.

back to being Gate Keeper.
it's fun.
my coworkers don't really acknowledge me when they come in and out of it during the day, but when the strangers have to give me their verbal "pass" in and out, it's entertaining to me.

"we" the office put a bid in on a new office space a couple blocks up. I hear it doesn't have glass walls. shucks.

I will find another Gate to Keep!

Blogger iPhone app.

2011-09-09T13:34:00.001-04:00

Testing 1, 2. Testing 1, 2!

How glad am I that blogger got an iPhone app!!?!?? So happy!

This works great with a plan I just had to get a wireless keyboard such that I can type on my iPhone while on the go! Sometimes though this mini keyboard on the phone is just too small to write whole posts and other writing that I need to do!

And can you see the photo of the chicken Margherita pizza that I just ate from cosi?! It's ny's version of panera. They don't have sweet tea but it works!

I hope you are having the best day. The haters are trying to bring me down today, but it ain't gonna happen! It's a gorgeous, beautiful day in NYC. Stopping by the farmers market for some vegetables before I go backup work. And you should see the woderful flowers I bought from there this morning! So nice! Talk soon!

Blitz and Glitz

2011-09-08T21:41:00.000-04:00

Well, I've done it again. I joined my work fantasy football league. so dumb. I don't know why I do this.

i would like to thank a couple people so far.

Ashley for helping me come up with the name - Blitz and Glitz. [next year, I already have my next name in the hopper "Tastes like Glitter and Football" I think it would be funny to hear the guys say that]

Ward for offering very helpful advice today to my overall team makeup.

Todd for accepting my initial instant messages freakin' out that draft was in 20 minutes and I forgot what the first positions are that I need to draft.

Brian for making me laugh when I messaged him for help and he gave me this nugget of wisdom

"Draft the best player available! Not how you think they look in their uniforms..."

I love it!

So here is my Blitz and Glitz girl fantasy football team in the boys league:

Tony Romo - cute and newly married to Chace Crawford's sister. I though will always remember how he was attached to Jess Simpson and Carrie Underwood

J. Addai - I'm pretty sure Brian had him 2 or 3 yrs ago when we were on a league together

A. Foster - apparently an excellent pick because when I picked it from my desk in our life draft this afternoon, the boys gasped and yelled my name from the conference room. whatever that means. (did I mention I had second pick?)

B. Lloyd - another one that I got yelled at from the other room for picking which I guess means is good. I also picked because he plays for Denver of which I know the assistant coach. I told one of my co-workers who wanted him, "yeah, remember before when Brandon Marshall was on the Denvers" ....the denvers....he yelled at me and said this is why he didn't like playing with girls.

G. Jennings. don't know anything about him.

Celek, Thomas and Rackers. I'm pretty sure I've had Neil Rackers in another fantasy life. maybe. i have the giants Defense because they are my TEAM.

also, I got Chris Cooley, because since I played my first year of fantasy football I haven't wanted him and his COOL name on my team. yes, I picked him because of his name. the rest I'm sure I picked because of how cute they were or how nice their smile was in their team shot. I mean, HELLO?! what else do you want?!!

we don't have any money on this league though so the whole thing is probably down the toilet. people don't keep up with and commit to it if their money isn't behind it too. for rich people, these coworkers are pretty cheap. what's a $20 gamble in a fantasy league??? I guess a lot when you don't know much about football or how to operate a draft, etc. man cards, please.

Summer Fun Work

2011-09-08T21:19:00.002-04:00

So people have asked me in the past month or so how work is going....and surprisingly it's been going well. It's been quite fun actually, not too bad. Pretty laid back and nice. I really thought God just gave me better eyes for the situation, but turns out...well, God still has helped me in dealing with these people, but I am learning that they were nicer in the summer.

Cranky pants was all happy-go-lucky in the summer, nice to people, letting people leave early, and people were of course on vacations here and there. It was a fun atmosphere. We had a great summer outing and I thought "wow, these people could alright" my boss and I get along really well and I've had lunch now a couple times with the Bulgarian too - and she is super entertaining to me. the office jerk has been a little less jerky, but then, come to think of it today, projects have changed and I haven't really had to work with him at all like before.

Basically, the moral of this story is, we're back from Labor Day. I was told at the end of last week that things would get super busy and "back" to the grind after the holiday. Well, they weren't joking. I don't think, though, it's that a switch flipped in the workload between last week and Tuesday of this week, but a switch flipped in Cranky Pant's brain that now affects the whole office.

He is reminding me how he earned his name.
Oh silly me!

I'm not sure though that I'm up for the task of teaching these people that you can work hard and be busy and still be HUMAN and DECENT, dare I say NICE to other people.

I just keep saying I'm not going to let them still my joy, but I'm pretty sure it happened today. there may have been some F-bombs dropped.

I just don't think the place has to be miserable because people are busy and on deadlines. i think that is stupid and bullshit.

these people are just chasing big money though, that must not be a great thing to be after in life, success in life. I wonder what their reward is for dying with the most amount of money.

Do you think they know that they can't take it with them??

Maybe some of them think they'll be able to afford body freezing and to come alive and spend their money in another life??

though, not sure why they would want to, some of them act a lot of times like life sucks so much anyways.

whatever.
I need to rebuild my wall so then i am immune to ridiculousness a little more.

I'm back!...my weekend in Atlanta

2011-09-08T20:59:00.001-04:00

hi lovely friends,

i'm sorry it's been a while since I've written. I have not abandoned my blog, but have just been very busy. I'm certain this is the longest I've gone without a post in almost 4 years of blogging. There's been a lot going on in August and this whole summer that I shall do my best to catch up on.

I've been working out lots, so pretty much i'm getting up around 6am going to the gym for a short or long workout, get ready at the gym, do my breakfast thang and get to work by 9am. I work until 7pm, then rush to a class at the gym. Depending on what time the class is (just dance starts at 8:10p on Mondays) then I'm home between 8:45pm and 9:45pm. I know sleep is SUPER important for me when it comes to staying on a healthy diet and working out. I get home, jump in a shower, eat a snack and go to bed about 11p so I can get up and do it all over again.

I've lost about 10 lbs and am gaining tons of muscle. it's so much better for me to be getting healthy and losing my stress-eating weight. I'm feeling so much better already, even with another 10lbs to go at least.

I went to Atlanta over the weekend on a quick trip back home. My cousin was coming to visit, but what with the hurricane and all, he wouldn't likely be able to get his free student airtran ticket, so I used some of those travelling us air points i accrued while working on the circuit and flew myself to Hotlanta!

On the way through I had a layover in Charlotte where my awesome friends brought Chickfila to the airport and we picnicked in the cell phone lot.

I spent Friday and Saturday with cousins at their pools. Saturday my cousins were running a 5k and asked me to join. My aunt paid my way in and I ran with them. I am so glad I did, it was really fun. It was nice to run just for fun, and since i've been practicing faster shorter distances, I was able to run the 5k in 32min 10sec, which for me was amazing!!!!

the funny thing is when I run and don't know how far I've gone, I can go for a very long time. I saw the 1-mile marker and was just "gettin' after it" I never saw the 2-mile marker or the 3-mile marker....so I was still looking for the 2-mile marker when I rounded the corner and saw the big FINISH sign!!! I was ecstatic and quite shocked. then when I saw the time, I was pointing at my mom like LOOOK! LOOK what time it is! that was unbelievable.

Saturday night we shrimp boiled and the boys (my mid-30 yo cousins and my GT cousin and his friend) set off fireworks leftover from July 4th, in the street in front of the house. the neighborhood kids and my cousins' kids ran around the front yard like crazy people.

Then Sunday my aunt (on my mom's side) cooked a ton of food - my fave steak and ribs - and my family in Warner Robins on my dad's side came up to see me. My mom visited Fri/Sat but had to work on Sunday. My dad...now that I think about it...he hasn't called since I saw him, AND he also didn't call when i might have been washed away from the hurricane. oh well dad. whatever.

Then Monday, I went to breakfast with my cousin Matthew who I call Moo! He is a really smart Georgia Tech student and an even funnier person than he is smart. THAT is REALLY funny. We went to breakfast at Highland Bakery which was Delicious...and THEN. then I got to meet my favorite babies and see Brocco and Gou and Arti and Rye Bread. Geez Louise I love these people!

I just wish we were closer because i wish I could huge those babies all the time. look how cute they are.

Then I came back home on Sunday night, but my flight was delayed so I missed my connection late in Charlotte, so my good friend Nat picked me up and housed me for the couple hours I was there.

here are some fun photos.

my crew in charlotte right before i got on my ATL flight on thursday night, so it's sans Twix.
the guy at the airport told me i looked like I was ready to go out like a flapper. I wore this outfit all day, so not exactly sure what to think of that. i just laughed.

this one is funny because my cousin is pouring water on me. because he is a pain in my a$$. ha! look at the guy behind us looking and laughing. it might be because I'm getting water dumped on me and it might be because I am the only person at the christian run without a tshirt on. not sure which.

this is the racing crew. my 2 cousins on the left. and Kellee - jeff's wife on the far right. we had a lot of fun. I ran faster than the sun could catch me though so I didn't have to wear sunscreen

this is my mom and my aunt. they are cray! they were good photographers for the event. and they were like, "well, we had to walk about a quarter of a mile to the finish to meet yall, we're tired."
do i look like them?! my mom is on the right. she has been skinny for life, even though she tries to act like she has been fat before. my aunt and i know better and we don't believe her, but we let her think it.

I hope this was a good "I'm back post"
and if nothing else, I've moved the Blood Sausage off the top of the page.

Why Blood Sausage, White Wine, Fine Italian Cheese and a Male Turbokick Instructor in a Blonde Wig DON’T MIX.

2011-08-03T10:24:00.000-04:00

Omgosh. Yall.

I might vomit just writing this post.

Last night, we (the office) went out to drinks at this new rooftoprestaurant Birreria (sorry, just took a minute to go write a bad yelp reviewfor them – the customer service was horrendous and the staff was incompetent)above Eataly, supposedly a Mario Batali restaurant…I’m told. Our intern’slast day is Friday so this was a going away party. I had committed to going, but also wanted toattend my turbokick class at 8pm at the gym because I missed it last week and itis such a good cardio workout.

I determined in advance that I would have 1 drink, that’sit, then I’d go to class.

I had one glass of wine, that was actually quite good. They ordered a cheese tray, a sliced meat(pork?) tray and sausage-y tray.

The blood sausage looked like a brownie patty. I took a try before I asked what it wascalled. It looked like this.

from this site:

Blood sausage has a long and noble history in Ireland, Iceland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Estonia, Italy, Spain, Finland, France, Germany, China, Tibet, Uruguay, and many other countries where they don’t pretend meat comes from a supermarket.

The basic recipe for blood sausage is to fry up some onions, spices, rice, and chile peppers, and then add blood which you boil until it congeals. Coagulation, a trait blood possesses which helps you not bleed to death from a paper cut, is also handy for cooking. It is hard to make a good raspberry jam, for example, because raspberries don’t have enough pectin to get satisfyingly gloopy when you stew them. Blood is the ultimate thickener.

[visual my hand is now over my mouth from reading this. that is disgusting. vomit vomit vomit.]

whatever. moving on.

The cheeses were delicious, and perhaps my unlikely saving grace may have been the 2 slices of french bread I consumed. This was all fine last night BEFORE I went to turbokick.

I participated in some mildly entertaining conversation with my coworkers. they were laughing about midgets, which always makes me miss Keri and Zach, my last clients, because they really loved midgets.

At about 7:40, I was sitting at a table with just the guys, they were talking about bachelor parties, it was time for me to go to 8pm turbokick.

I scurry to the gym, which fortunately, is on that block.

About 10 minutes in to the "cat fight" as the turbokick instructor calls it, I knew this was a very bad idea.

I don't think I've told yall about Turbokick. The instructor is this very crazy, feminine, chinese dude with a thick accent. He is CRAZAY. He just tries to explain to new people what it is, and you can see in the girls' eyes that they, like me on my first time, have absolutely no clue what he is rattling off about. He will say "this isn't kickboxing. this is more a CAT FIGHT!! okay? ok."

He is the taller version of the Martin Short character in Father of the Bride, but in bicycle shorts and a tight shirt.

I pushed through the workout yall, but it was BAD, so very BAD. There were only 3 of us in the class. One girl was new. 3/4's of the way through the class, for one song, he puts on this blonde pigtail wig for the whole routine. The girl was literally laughing out loud. I love it. so funny. and so funny to see people's reactions. It kinda makes you feel like you're on candid camera - like is this serious, as he throws his lanky body around for the moves. then for the part where you, well, he, turns and slaps his ass. that just puts ya over the edge.

I do get kinda embarrassed for myself though when he can move faster than me. He is hardcore.

It was all I could do to make it through the class. I left in pain and not feeling well.

This is what my glamorous new york city nights are filled with. I got home, showered and got horizontal as fast as I possibly could.

this was a very very bad idea. the next time you're faced with this situation. pick one. pick the flamboyant, passionate, not understandable kickbox instructor OR the cheese/wine. I don't recommend ever picking the blood sausage in the future. and I absolutely do not recommend partaking in all of these together.

Swimming Caps REQUIRED

2011-07-27T10:33:00.000-04:00

This morning I got up and went to the gym, very reluctantly. I was awake all night with a head cold andsore throat, but was not yet willing to give up my 16^th consecutive weekday morning at the gym. I just couldn’t doit. [side note: so amazed and grossed out that I slept with a cough drop in mymouth for several hours and it was still there when I woke up. Weird.]

Anyways, so I groggily, sadly and overly grumpily go to thegym. This Wednesday morning, I was goingto follow in suit with what I did last Wednesday morning, and do a swimmingpool workout. I’ll swim some laps, treadsome water and try to enjoy doing a different activity to mix things up.

I stumbled into the gym with my bathing suit already on witha skirt and tshirt on over it. It’s alsonice not to have to put on the sneakers and I don’t bring any above-waterworkout clothes because my intention is to swim.

I go through the dressing room and into the pool area wherea dude is sitting, same as last time. When Katie visited the gym, she got the tour too and noticed that therewas some guy just sitting there in the pool area. So this time, I acknowledge, “So are you thelifeguard?” to which he replies “yeah.”

It was weird last week, although there was another ladythere, who appeared to be a swimming regular, he just sat there. You don’t really know that he is a lifeguardor if he is just taking a break, or what. It’s pretty odd for some guy just to sit there in the pool area andwatch. This pool is small. If there were lane guards, it would make intoonly about 2, maybe 2.5 lanes. It’s thesize of a pool in someone’s backyard, but nice to have a pool in the city touse, even if it is underground.

So I strip off my tshirt and skirt and am about to get in,when he says “you need a shower cap.” Isay “huh?, really?” Then he points to aposted sign that reads “swimming cap required to enter the pool”

I just sort of stand there and look at him, thinking tomyself… “I swam last week without a cap.” He is like “yeah sorry you need a swimming cap.” I stand there in my bathing suit, giving himthe stare of death a little longer. Mindyou my head still feels like it’s going to explode from this head coldthing.

He says “you can get one upstairs maybe.”

I stare again for another 10 seconds or so trying to wrap mymind around what he is telling me, as well as the fact that I have never worn aswimming cap and was not seeing this happen.

I say “is that going to cost something because I don’t haveany money with me.”

He says like. “ I dunno.”

At this point, I’m giving up. I can’t go upstairs and do anything becauseall I have is flip flops and beachwear.

I don’t speak another word to him, but put my clothes backon and head back to the locker room.

I stand dramatically in front of the mirror with my head in my hands trying todecide what I’m going to do. I guess Iwill just give up on this today, I tried, but I’ll go back home and sleep orwhatever.

After I stand there for a bit depressed, I move along to the lockerwhere my stuff is. I pull it all out andwith my gym bag around my arm, the locker room attendant lady asks me “what’sthe problem?”

This lady, Monique (if I remember correctly), introducedherself to me yesterday saying that she sees me here every morning. She seems nice enough, but most mornings Ihear here just chatting with the other guys that work there or talking on herphone in the massage room cursing up a storm – f bomb this and f bomb that. Kindaannoying and very unprofessional. Anyways,I tell her “I don’t have a swimming cap, I can’t go in”

She says “oh no, just use one of these bags” and motions tothe small New York Health and Racquet Club bags that are available for peopleto put wet clothes in. She says thatpeople do this all the time and the lifeguard just has to be fair to everyone, thateveryone has to be required to wear a swimming cap.

I’m standing there, head all down, like I seriously cannotbe bothered and am so annoyed he is messing up my workout. She nudges me a little more “this will ruinyour whole day, you got to do it, use the bag tie it around your head, peopledo it all the time”

I’m thinking now – wow, really? Am I going to wrap a plasticbag around my head to go swimming. Ilift a bag and look in the mirror, curious if it will even fit over my big noggin– it does. I guess this could work.

I tie if off at the nape of my neck and decide….”LET’S DOTHIS SHIT!”

I put my bag back in the locker and grab another towel.

RE-DO.

I go back into the pool area, where the lifeguard kid isstill sitting, hanging out, listening to his music.

I walk in there with a “you can’t stop me” sort of look, butnot at him, I don’t look AT him.

He sorta smirks at me, and I can’t help but crack a smile asI undress AGAIN thinking that I BEAT HIM!! He tried to hold me down, but it is NOT possible.

I proceeded to swim with a plastic bag over my head. It stayed on mostly, though I didn’t gounderwater (it wasn’t that tight.) Ialmost lost it once, but then I tucked the handles around my ears to make it alittle more secure, also thinking how absolutely ridiculous I must look. I did look very ridiculous, but I’m not in toswimming caps, so I might do this again next time, although it would be nice tobe able to swim underwater.

I guess I know now – SWIMMING CAPS REQUIRED.

I hope you didn’t start your morning with a bag over yourhead, but if you did, just remember

CAN'T NOBODY HOLD YOU DOWN!!

To work or not to work...that is the question.

2011-07-25T11:14:00.001-04:00

I'm at work today, but I'm trying to decide if I actually want to do any work today.

how are you?! sorry, I've been busy lately. mostly just working out at my new gym. New York Health and Racquet Club , and well, yeah, working out.

I was wanting to tell you 2 weeks ago how my sweet Bulgarian co-worker went to visit her friends and family in Paris for her birthday and brought me back SOUVENIRS!! so nice, right?!! She brought me this Baci hazelnut chocolates.

and some Rose lip balm (because apparently rose oil is one of Bulgaria's exports, after drugs, women, and yogurt) .
And she also brought me some marmalade preserves that her mother canned! How sweet was that?!! I just thought it was the NICEST thing!

She would have liked something from Charlotte. I totally should have stepped up and brought something back, but I didn't think of it.

Ballet has been going well. Saturday before last, I rocked it. This past Saturday, I was off.

now i'm googling tubing. I want to go to a river and go tubing. I hear New Jersey has some options, but the trick it getting there.

Also, i might go to the mall with the Chickfila this coming up weekend. Now THAT would be an event!

Children at Starbucks

2011-07-23T16:42:00.002-04:00

hi friends. sorry it's been so long. I have so many things to tell you about, but haven't found the time or where to start. you might have an onslaught of posts in the near future, or whenever it is that I have the time.

let me start with this though.

i'm at Starbucks and have been here for a couple hours. 1 Venti nonfat latte and 1 venti iced-coffee in. (you do know if you have the gold card you get free refills on iced coffee and regular coffee?.... you should know this!)

I am trying to think and type, but these loud 3 adults and their 2 children have moved in on my space.
the children are singing the kid-hand games and annoying me.

maybe someone should invent a kids play area that also sells starbucks and people with children should go to those places, instead of coming to the regular Starbucks and chatting it up, while your children just run around loud and singing and playing.

now the children have started in with the "can we go now?"
I wonder how long this will last for.

please people. think about it.

to my friend-mom's out there. i still love you. i'm sure this isn't about yall! haha!

But i'm just super disappointed that i can't FOCUS!!!
this rule should also fall under the people that have loud, inappropriate cell phone conversations in close proximity at starbucks, as well. those people suck too!

breathe in. it's okay. i'm about to go to yoga here shortly. i will leave them in my dust.

seriously. can someone open that children's playhouse starbucks?!! for the love of coffeee..PPLEEEASE!!!

Top of the Mornin' to You

2011-07-02T09:12:00.001-04:00

Well, Good Morning! I hope your week went really, really well. And if it didn't, then Praise the Lord, IT'S OVER!!

I am enjoying coffee in the backyard this morning and wanted to jot a note before the days starts.

Guess what I'm doing this morning....

[drumroll, please]

ADULT BEGINNER BALLET CLASS

you got it!!

I'm a little nervous because last Saturday was the actual first day of the class so I hope that

a.) I can find the class
b.) I haven't missed out on learning the basicy basics

c.) I'm also nervous about being HUGE in the class.

I don't know how much you know about ballet, but ballerina sorta people are very thin. (If you are reading this and have no idea what I look like...I am NOT thin.)

I went last night to the official Capezio dance store located in the heart of the theatre district to purchase my apparel: tights, leotard, chiffon skirt (of course) and ballet slippers. It was pretty overwhelming. My head was just saying "ohmygosh, you are huge, what are people thinking?!!" my mind was being so bad.

As you know I'm shy sometimes, so I was standing in there thinking "aw shucks, I didn't watch and read the how-to videos to tell me WHAT to wear!" What kind of tights to get (transitional, footed, footless, etc.) and can I wear the tights in the slippers, what kind of slipper to get, how do I wear this skirt exactly, etc. lots of questions.

While I was standing there with a leotard in hand, staring at the tight options, I got on my phone for some answers.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4500676_dress-adult-ballet-class.html

this helped a little.

Then I thought, well, I must try this stuff on, I need something I can wear that is comfortable and if I get out of here and the tights and leotard don't fit me tomorrow that will be a problem.

So I made eye contact with an overweight staffer, who clearly wouldn't judge me ;-), and she hooked a sister up with a fitting room. Mind you, there were lots of younger girls there with their moms, obviously little ballerinas. There was a teenage skinny minny ballerina there trying on point-shoes. The whole thing made me really uncomfortable.

I tried on my stuff, and fortunately, the leotard fit, and the tights were workin' harder than any tights in the store ever had!!

then to the shoes, the last part. there was lots of people being helped before, and that part was super intimidating to sit there and ask for shoes for ME, but, danget, I need shoes and they have to fit and I have no idea. there are several different kinds.

Finally, this nice boy helped me. He was so kind to explain to me the differences. I had no idea, some of the shoes come with the elastics undone (as in you can't just wear them undone) you must either tie them underneath your foot (not so professional) or stitch them into the shoe exactly how you need them.

I will be reading this later ...

http://www.wikihow.com/Sew-an-Elastic-Strap-on-a-Ballet-Slipper

they will be tied to begin. also, there is an elastic bow at the front, and those too, the guy told me that he just double knots them, and then cuts them, as opposed to what I would have thought to do which is to tie them into a bow.

You know this whole experience so far is interesting. I almost decided against taking this class because I just feel fat. I have some l-b's to get off from the past year and could stand to lose 15 lbs. I feel like how those super overweight people don't even feel comfortable going into a gym, that's what I liken it to (not that I don't think I can go to a gym, just ballet class). but you know, I just can't let anything in life, what I do or don't do, be managed by fear. I just can't. I go if I want to go, I can't stay back scared, because that certainly isn't going to help me get any healthier.

Sometimes I think I'm fearless, but, this shows me that sometimes I may do or not do things out of fear of what others will think. Here's to a first step in breaking being fearful. I have nothing to fear and I don't want to make any choices based on being fearful.

okay, so i better change and hurry off. let's hope this doesn't go like my first step class at the YMCA where they were "hello-fast" and i left.

let's talk soon.

HOT, HOT, HOT!!!

2011-06-28T09:23:00.002-04:00

Yall! Getting to workin the summer in New York City is NO JOKE! It is HOT!! It’s hot walking the3 blocks to the subway – that’s enough to get the sweat drippin’ down my back. Then while I wait on the platform for thesubway, you just try to not move and stand as a statue and feel your heart ratestart to drop. Sometimes I close my eyesas I breathe very slowly.

Now from here, things can go up or down.

If it’s the just right time (I don’t know this exact timeprobably because it’s earlier and I’m never early) the subway train is notentirely full and the train has great air conditioning. They all have air conditioning (unless it’sbroken) but some works better than others. Those days when the air is pumping and the quantitative body heat is low– getting on the train is a welcome reprieve. I then have about 17 minutes to cool off before getting off at the nextstation where the hot air will gush over my entire body.

Some days though, the train is not so delightful.

Like this morning.

So many people. So hot. Bodies touching me. Eck!! I take the required number of steps to get in to a secure place on thetrain and assume the same head down, eyes closed, slow breathing as before.

The hotter it gets, the less clothes people (and me) arewearing. Sweaty bodies against me.gross. This morning wasn’t a sweaty bodyagainst me but this dude in a suit on my back. I just keep squeezing away.

After I arrive at Union Square, there is the walk under thestreet, then the one block walk to my building and waiting for theelevator. When I step onto the sixthfloor and feel the air conditioner blowing cold air out of my office – it’slike – I have MADE IT!

People say summer in the city is amazing, but this is hot,and we still have July and August to go. I didn’t mind winter that much. We really haven’t had much of a spring, morerain. Fall will be glorious.

DOUCHEBAGS SUCK!

2011-06-27T17:50:00.002-04:00

The fedex dude just asked me if I [got crazy] and showed myboobies while I was on vacation last week?!!!

Are you FUCKIN’ KIDDING ME?!!! who says SHIT like that?! And why is it that guys think they can sayshit like that to me.

Was it my hair pulled back in a tight bun that gave itaway?!! Is that what makes him think that?!

I’m not even showing any cleavage today.

This dude comes and picks up our packages every so oftenwhen we have them, like maybe once a month. Of course, I’m friendly. I’mfriendly to every person that comes in here.

The first time he told me I looked like Rachel Weisz. I thought it was weird that he knew who shewas, but I thought it was nice.

The second time he came he was weird.

The third time he came, he was like, why do you always actuncomfortable? I think he said somethinglike that. And basically, it’s because Itry my hardest just to totally ignore the dude when he comes.

And then this time in small talk, I mean I hardly even lookup at my computer. I just don’t understandwhat signal I am sending?!!

Alright. Whatever. Fuckin’douchebag.

Next time, dude is gonna have something coming. You know, like usual, like you have readabout many times on here, I don’t have a crazy reaction, I go into a shell likea little hermit crab. My response was,staring at my computer screen, mumbling “doubt it.”

What I wish I would have said…”What the FUCK?!! What iswrong with you?!! No, I didn’t show myboobies AND why the fuck would you think that?! Don’t come at me like you knowme, cause you don’t know SHIT! Back offwith your busted ass-self, cause I’m from the A and I will go gang-busters onyour ass!”

GAH. Whatever. This daywas so lame already, and this asshole just made it worse. I get nowhere being nice.

My Thoughts on Marriage Today.

2011-06-26T21:26:00.004-04:00

I attended two very special weddings this week in Charlotte.

Two lovelies who were in my Charlotte small group.

Both girls met their hubbies within weeks of each other about a year and a half ago (both connected through eHarmony too! hey, guess that's how to meet guys who are looking for marriage!)

To my point...

A lot of days, I very sincerely think that I'm not sure marriage is the thing for me. I don't look at life as something that is waiting on marriage to start. I have yet to meet a dude, that I wish I could spend all my days with.

The media and the world continually throws out one view of marriage that is that a lot of them end in divorce. And that people can't trust. Because people will let you down.

And church. Sometimes church gives a really lame view of marriage. just cheesy shit. and it's like life ends when you get married, and then you have to be with the old married people. and you have to fit that mold that, well, not sure that's me either.

But, seeing my friends - that makes me believe in holy matrimony. That does make me believe that God loves us enough to have someone else out there to share love and life with - as we are made.

Sharing in my friends' happiness, their joy, and their love - is special. These couples make the whole thing seem desirable and as God has planned.

thank you my lovelies! Your dependence on God to bring you the truest form of love under the heavens is inspiring.

Flying is way better when you don't do it 20 times per year. (from 6.18.11)

2011-06-26T21:01:00.000-04:00

Flying is way better when you don't do it 20 times per year.

This flying experience is so lovely. I used to love flying and planes. I am now reminded that I still do. Travelling hundreds of miles over the mass of ground that we call Earth. I'm only travelling a very short distance over this globe - New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina. I enjoy the sights and the sounds of the airport. Seeing people from all over the world meet in one place for one purpose - to go somewhere. Once on the plane, you spend an hour or fourteen with a stranger, whom could become your new best friend or a passing individual with whom not two words are spoken.

Once when I was flying back to Charlotte, NC from somewhere, I met this lady that lived in South Charlotte. I must have just moved to Charlotte because she kinda felt bad for me that I didn't have any family there. She gave me her name and email and said I should let her know if I need anything. I should have emailed her. She was a very nice lady. I remember she had a cat because she was asking me about my baby cat, and somehow we were talking about cat litter. I just remembered her saying "no, you need to change the cat litter every day." I do not. I changed every like 4-7 days, but till this day, whenever I'm changing the cat litter, I think of my airplane friend and try to do more often so that my cat has a comfortable box situation.

I came across the lady's information maybe a year later and threw it away. I should have reached out.

...

My flight attendant today, her name is Theresa.

Oh, did I mention?! I got upgraded to first class! woohoo!! I got Silver Preferred on US Airways after making a million trips last year for work NASCAR weekends. The unfortunate part last year was that I was always on the plane with the rest of the NASCAR "high school class" which included among race executives and weekend travelling crews, reporters who went to the races every single weekend giving them much higher status than me. I never got upgraded last year when I was flying all the time.

This year, I'll maybe fly 3 or 4 times in the year, but that's quite okay. I'll enjoy my little trip upgrades this year, and next year be glad to sit in coach and not feel the pressure that I feel now to drink alcohol because I'm in first and it's free! One mojito in, and a coffee with bailey's at my side. :-)

I wouldn't let you down.

Back to Theresa, I'm quite curious if she takes advantage of being able to fly free anywhere she wants as a flight attendant. I wonder if she has a travelling heart or if this is just her job to pay the electric bill. hmm. maybe a little of both. I sure hope she takes advantage and goes to a tropical beach at least once a year, interspered by domestic jaunts and European tours.

I love looking through the airline magazine - not the sky mall, but the airline-provided, edited magazine. It always has the best articles about travel around the globe. The writers do a great job, because I'm already thinking about where I want to make my next trip. #marketing if you know what I'm saying.

I don't know how some people can't like or want to travel. I'm trying to get my little brother to go to Montreal with me for my birthday, though, I don't think he actually will. He has been to New York City in a car to visit me and he has been to California when he was younger. He has been to the surrounding Georgia states, but that's about it. There is something about travel that opens up the senses and brings about curiosities. Travel envokes intrigue and understanding. My brother had a great time when he was in NYC and I just know that he would love it if he would come. Both my brothers love discovering , as we all should. I'm not sure why it's so hard to get out from underneath the normal and standard draws of life.

I can't recall at what age I fell in love with flying. I remember going to California to visit family when I was in middle or high school. I should thank my mom for those trips and the Atlanta-Harsfield airport for their kickass tram system (I used to love that thing and my brothers [age 29 and 20 yo still to this day] would always want to sit in the front of the train).

omgosh, i just spotted a dude to my diagonal in first clas who has a stack of trash in his hands to throwaway. One of the items is a box of CANDY CIGARATTES!!! yes!! AWESOME!! who buys though?! who that rides in first classs buys candy cigarettes?! thank you, sir. good job. OH OH OH it's two boxes of candy cigarettes. and an empty bag of beef jerky. :-) see!? the possibilities are endless in-air.

Lunch at Danal

2011-06-15T15:01:00.000-04:00

NYC is a lot about eating. And eating at great restaurants...since there are a ga-zillion, it's a big deal to always eat somewhere delish with a great ambience.

thought I would show you where I had lunch today.

the other asst, her boss is out on vacay so we got to have lunch. Here's where we went. ..

Danal - http://www.danalnyc.com

Just 3 blocks down from our office, one small yellow store front leads into this lovely place...

this is what it looks like when you walk in. there is a spiral staircase that goes upstairs. It was nice and darker then this.

I sat in the last booth seat to the left.

Apparently, Danal was conceived in the teahouses of Paris...ooh la la!

it's not super cheap but was a treat.

I was hunting to see what I was eating to plug into the ole daily burn.

Mediterranean Plate – spanakopita, hummus, pita, falafel, cucumber yogurt sauce & Mediterranean vegetables

I went Mediterranean!

Hope your day is going phenomenal

Why Jennifer Nettles Made Me Late For Work

2011-06-15T09:25:00.033-04:00

This morning, I sat down at my computer because I had a few extra minutes, and was hoping to plug in my Daily Burn food activity for the day.

One of my google chrome windows was open to a song I was playing the other day.

cute video!! i LOOOVE Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland. I saw them in concert and they are REMARKABLE. just remarkable.

love her in this video! they won CMT video of the year for it I think.

1 - at the beginning when she is in the car, I loved the pink short fingernails she had, so I felt the need to paint my fingernails the same shade of pink for the day. [need the fierce silver skull? ring she has though, might buy off the street today] unfortunately, the polish in that color I had was old, so after two coats, i was having to hold in front of a fan and under the cold water, and yet still, I have smudges. oh well! that polish is a goner.

2 - watch her dancing in her unitard at the end!! get it Jen! She goes all Beyonce!! this is the first country music has seen of this. I mean leeanne rhimes did try to, unsuccessfully bring dancing into some of her videos, but Leeann doens't have the rhythm that Jen Nettles has! I have seen it, my girl, Jen can DANCE!

Then I was offered this oldie but goodie that I love...

and when I heard these lyrics...

Five years and there's no doubt

That I'm burnt out, I've had enough

So now boss man, here's my two weeks

I'll make it short and sweet, so listen up

I could work my life away, but why?

I got things to do before I die

I thought, why did I not just play this song on the day I gave my notice at my last job?! that would have been awesome.

this song is like my anthem. one of the many.

then I listened to these favorites...

everybody's dreamin' big in everyday america and everybody is just gettin' by...

and then this song, that brought Sugarland to the scene.

and that is how Jennifer Nettles made me late for work today.

But she made the morning awesome. i hope she can make your morning awesome too!

BIG TUESDAY...HUuuuuuGEEEEE!

2011-06-14T14:23:00.016-04:00

Omgosh, yall! It’sbeen a big Tuesday here already.

It was just a normal subway ride in except these two chattyLatinas were in my ear the whole way. One of them had no sense of personal space and was totally up on myback. I don’t like most people touching me.

Sometimes I can’t be bothered to swap trains at 42^ndstreet, but since I was already a (normal) few minutes behind, I jumped over tothe 4 train at 42^nd street (just went to the train across theplatform because it was there) The 4shoots straight to my next stop. The 6that I take down makes 2 stops in between, but oddly enough the 4 isn’t THATmuch faster.

I wait on 16^th street at our street elevator (theone of the side, not the one through the marked lobby, all my anthrofriends think it’s cool that I go up themysterious elevator on the side of the building) with 3 other people who werealready waiting for the elevator to come down.

I get on the elevator and fall in love!

This guy asked me if it’s supposed to rain (because I had myumbrella with me). this is just funnybecause I NEVER pay attention to the weather, but since I’m going straight to aYankees game tonight, I actually paid attention. I laughed because he didn’t get the irony init, but I said “yeah, for once I actually checked, and I think it might.”

He says “awesome! I lovethe rain!”

You might not think this is a big deal, but let me tell youWHY. Everyone in this city is constantlycomplaining about the weather. Constantly.

“this was the most horrendous winter”

“it is so hot out today!! it’s sweltering”

Then Monday, it cooled off and it was water-cooler talk: “it’sso cold outside today!! wahh wahh wahh”

So I liked this guy’s positivity! I think I said something like “awesome! I lovethat!”

When I got off I said something like “well, for you, I hopeit doesn’t rain since you didn’t bring an umbrella” and he said something about not needing anumbrella cause he LIKES the rain!

As a recent umbrella-convert (I used to never use one) I appreciatedthis. I only carry mine now because it’sawesome. If it wasn’t, I would still just get wet.

Well he was nice, breathe of fresh positive air to start the morning!

Did I mention I’m GOING TO MY FIRST YANKEES GAME TONIGHT?!!

Also, the French partner at the firm is going to his firstYankees game (he has lived here for 12 yrs), so I enjoyed being ultra-hyphy andpestering him about his excitement to take in America’s Favorite Past time.

he didn't get the big deal. he said he just was looking forward to hot dogs and beer (but it was certainly charming in his french accent)

Then, as if the morning wasn’t great already, one of thekids here found an asbestos notice athis apartment this morning, so he spent the next 2 hours freaking out aboutit. fortunately, he is good-hearted, soit was hilarious to me. he wasresearching it on google and literally thinking he was going to die. One of the other kids shouts “SUE!!” haha! Thesepeople! After talking to a cityrepresentative, he felt much better understanding that the asbestos was just inthe cable on the roof and not in the paint as to become airborne. People freaking out is funny, at least whenit’s not me.

Then an email came across my inbox that started with “Lauren,I’m not trying to awkward, but….” …..WHO WRITES THIS?! Who professionallywrites “I’m not trying to be awkward.” Rule:if you ever say you’re not trying to be awkward, then you automaticallyARE. I found this funny too.

I ~~may be~~ am easily amused, but life is just too short to notlaugh at the little things. and smile a lot. and be kind to as many people in the day that you can.

Go Yankees!

AND NOW JUST WHEN I THOUGHT IT COULDN'T GET ANY BETTER...

my new friend Bets (who I was intro'ed to thru Mozz!) just text me that her job came through and she is moving here starting her new job on july 5th. AHMAZING! i better quit now while I'm ahead.

simply grateful.

i wish you could see the dance I just did at my desk.

"we're gettin' there"

2011-06-12T23:04:00.000-04:00

that's what I just told my cat.... "Lucy, we're gettin' there"

I spent the day cleaning our studio apartment. I know. It should not take that long because we do NOT have that much space, but when I do it, I do it GOOD. because I don't do it that often.

I also have another bag to take to the thrift store.

I hung the last 3 small framed photos that I have from Charlotte. I took my big art pieces that I've had for a couple years to the thrift store on the last go a-round.

i don't know why it's so hard to get rid of decor items. I liked the stuff when I bought it years ago, but can't I change? i mean it's not really necessary to buy new decor, but I want a more modern, less old look.
when i lived in my owned home, I wouldn't put a lot of holes in the wall, I didn't paint anything. I kept my place pristine. but here in this rented studio, they expect holes in the wall and general wear and tear so I'm just putting those pictures on the wall, including the old LeBron picture. that's right. you got it. the lebron james memoribilia from my first NASCAR race that I have framed. I just started the wall of odd frames behind the coat rack.

i'm parting with things like ..

my old green gap sequin cardigan. yes, there are still wears to be had in it. but I have had it since I worked at Gap in college. and if my calculations are correct, I have been out of college for 5 years now. it's just something that had to go. when I saw the same one in purple at a thrift store the other day - I knew it was time.
my nautica towels. I know towels are a funny thing because they last a long time, but when I was going off to a college, a lady from church got me 6 white nautica-brand towels. I have used them, and they are still fine, BUT it's high-time they go. it just is. I only wish I had this idea closer to Passion, I would have brought the towels for the Atlanta homeless. It's hard here to find places to donate clothes to homeless.
....what this means for you. If I have a large group coming to stay, more than like 3 people, may have to bring their own towels, but people offer this anyways. or I told my roommate that the rule will be you have to buy a towel (or a blanket if it's cold in the winter) and then before we leave, you go to union square and donate it to a homeless person before you leave - sort of like a city cultural engagement program. :)

hope you had a marvelous weekend. I completed my very last 7-4 shift at Anthro on Saturday. I will be glad to not have to be up so early all saturdays and I will be glad to not fall in love with clothes and have to purchase them.

my garden is coming along quite nicely. I have the tiniest blooms on my tomatoes, my cucumber/cantaloupes/squash are coming along dashingly! I look forward to getting back outside after everything dries out a little (from the crazy rain) to cut back some of the green that is just a little too outta control.

I need to show you photos of my garden. i'm really so proud. well, I guess I should wait until there is actual food. need to get more herbs too! we just have chives and mint.

oh, i just joined pinterest and instagram this week, so find me on there if you are on there. both are addicting.

The Beauty Department Blog with Lauren Conrad

2011-06-10T12:10:00.016-04:00

You must check out this site....

The Beauty Department

A site for the ladies brought to you by Lauren Conrad (our LC) and two of her "friends" Amy Nadine and Kristin Ess

they've got hair, makeup, fresh looks, tutorials.

loving recent Curves Ahead post....

AND plan on trying this out very soon...

HAPPY FRIDAY! ENJOY!

One Very Lost NYC Purse

2011-06-07T01:09:00.000-04:00

Today at lunch, I was sitting out at Union Square reading my book. I was sitting in a mass of neon green tables in the nook under the statue behind the farmers market tents with about fifty other people. I was sitting there reading, not at a table, but with my feet up in an empty chair, staying pretty aware so if someone wanted that chair, I would move my feet and they could take it.

I look up briefly as two ladies are passing by me and one lady asks me if I will smell 3 perfumes for her and tell her which one I like the best. I smile and say "no thanks"

she says "it will just take a minute" and again I say "no thanks!" (i know, it's like when I would work events and we would have to beg people to take free things, but a lot of people in union square are trying to sell stuff, or up to something hoky)

they walk around and not too long after, a park maintenance person walks up and automatically sees through 3 tables, including me, a woman's big black purse on the chair.

He responds in an oh-great-why-people-gotta-go-dumb-stuff sorta way and ask if it's any of ours. I look up from my book and around. the girl beside me says she thinks it was the girl who spoke to me. We all kinda look at each other. I think...hmmm...then get up and walk out to see if I still see the 2 girls standing nearby. nope.

I come back and this young hipster guy has the purse, he very carefully, without hardly touching it tries to find something identifying. he hangs it on the chair, who I guess he is sharing the table with a girl he doesn't know.

I need to get back to work, it's 2:30 now, but I just don't want to leave and have them leave her purse. I thought that I sure would want someone to help me and not leave my purse to the wolves at union square. the guy comes back from getting his juice and i go over to ask if I can help. another lady jumps in and we find the girl's phone in the side pocket of her purse. the other girl says to dial the last number, so I speak to a friend of hers who says she just spoke to her and will come right away to meet and get the purse. I explain that there is a gentleman wearing a blue plaid shirt that has it.

the lady that lost her purse was a foreigner. she had all her foreign cards with her. I think that would have been a bummer to lose all the cards in her bag and whatever else she had in there!!

once i knew the friend was coming back, I felt comfortable to leave. the guy thanked me and I shook his hand and said farewell to him and the other lady. As I walked off, I thought I might be on that friday night abc show "what would you do?"

i hope I do the right thing if i'm ever on that show.
I hope more occasions come up like this where I can be a hero for a minute in a day. i hope more chances come up where i can do nice things for random people.

new yorkers will surprise you. I can't tell you how many times people have looked out for me here, whether it was because I left a bag on the bus and the lady chased me down, or because a hairclip fell out of my bag and someone told me so I didn't lose it.

there are good people here.
so many more people per square inch.
I like what Tim Keller said the other day

"in cities, you have more image of God per square inch, than anywhere else in the world." - Tim Keller

maybe tomorrow I could save a baby or something. or maybe a puppy.

Finding One (A Man)

2011-06-06T23:56:00.051-04:00

[good mornin, I know this is a lot of posts for a Tuesday morning, when you are likely reading this! GOOOD MORNING!]

I had this awkward moment at church on Sunday. ha, well funny, to me.
We had to do the regular 4-minute meet-and-creep which is growing more annoying by the week. This girl who volunteers at the church turned around and was talking to me and kt. She asked if we had gone to connect group and I said 'yes' and tried to be of few words in my response in particular. I didn't love it. I wasn't gonna lie, but also didn't feel like having the conversation about why I didn't like it. anywho, in making small talk I asked her "does this church have co-ed small groups ( people who get together once in a week to talk about Jesus, learn, pray, build community)?" her response was "no, groups aren't for finding a man, you can come here, to church, and find a man!"

hahahaha - at which point I quickly stopped here "oh NO NO, I am not TRYING TO FIND A MAN!!"

so annoying. why is that any person who is single has to be TRYING to find a man. I am TRYING to do some things in life and that is not at the top of my list (some may say that's why i'm still single. sure, i'll take it)

it got a lil awkward because I kinda did it shakin' my head like (practically sayin') "oh uh-uh!! YOU DON'T KNOW ME!"

Sometimes I think in my head, if I truly put my efforts into finding a man, I could find (me) one. :-)
But I just don't think that's how I go about this challenge.

i am of the thought that you do life, you live life and at some point, if it's meant to be you look to your right or your left and find someone remarkable that is worth doing it all with.

When I think of my friends in great relationships, that's the case many of times. they have found incredible guys in their circle. that said, I know many people who have used the online outlets successfully too, it that's where you heart is, then you know, that's you and I'm excited for you. maybe at some point that will be me too, but I just don't think it is right now (the online dating piece). I'm 27 years old and have a lot of (selfish) things that I want to do. maybe i'll find someone sooner than later that will add to that, or maybe not. Maybe I have a lot more to learn and experience and grow.

so let it be known, and ESPECIALLY if someone who doesn't knows me accuses me of it - I am not looking for a man.

I would like to get in a co-ed group. I know some churches have these. guys bring a different/fun dynamic to a group and I think it's high-time that I got some really awesome ones as influencers in life, maybe just for this season in life. or if I can't find it, maybe I will have to make my own group of like-minded inquisitive men and women that want to help the community, love new york and love people. I'm certain they are out there. THAT. that is what I am looking for. ...

and I am NOT goin to church tryin to find a Man, player puhleeze!

Manly Men I

2011-06-06T23:38:00.048-04:00

And since I'm on the topic, I would also like to say that I (and I think most of the female population except for the ones settling for pansy boys which brings a whole other drawn out set of questions and theories from the past hundreds of years) want a MANLY MAN.

Last week at our office, as you know, the air conditioning wasn't working, and I kept smelling a burning rubber smell. I knew in my heart-of-hearts that not a one of these men in my office of 15 men knew the first thing to finding anything out about where this smell was coming from or what was burning.

HELLO.

The best they could do would be to call the "help" from home to come see the problem.

One of the young guys the other day was saying that the toilet at his parents' house was broken and his mom had to just call somebody because his dad wasn't getting in there to fix it. Then the other men in the office agreed that they wouldn't know the first thing to fixing it. HELLO PEOPLE!!

I get that guys don't want to always do the dirty work, that's fine, but don't be a little girl.

Be a Man!

Isn't there some since of wanting to accomplish a project or take care of a problem?!
Independence? No?

I won't get too overtly deep with this - I think men can be manly on an emotional scale and all that too, but I'm just talking about the simple willing-to-get-dirty, solve a problem, be a hero in the small things sort of man. Men that take pride in their work. Men that take pride in doing the things for the ladies that men are better suited to.

this makes me want to read that book that I never finished called Wild at Heart because I think it talks about this stuff, but I'm not even reading that.

okay, so I just want a manly man.
I don't think that has to come in a certain size and shape, although if your hands are as frail looking as one of the men I work with....EEKS! his hands look like my grandma's but I guess that's okay for him because he has zero sense of this "manly man" (from what I can tell). his hands seem very well-equipped to count high stacks and stacks of dollar bills, which is perhaps, how they became so frail looking. i digress.

I want you to be able to carry stuff that I can't.

One of my friends from days past that I still keep in touch with, he will send me photos of the new fencing he has done at his house or the new addition on his master bathroom while he points out that this is where "the magic happens!" bwahaha. he can get junk done and he takes pride in doing good work. AND he can come and cook for me and Ash a gourmet meal - because he just takes pride in the work whether it's in the ability to build a fence or cook a meal.

so please. manly men*. please be out there.

*I'm not saying this disqualifies nerds or hipsters whose skinny jeans may make them appear less manly. nerds/hipsters can be manly in their own way. but please, let me feel that you would be a good partner to be with if we had to survive on a deserted island for a long amount of time. I will be pissed if I'm the only one cutting down wood and building fires and shit. Gosh, I would be pissed.

What kind of guys are you interested in?

2011-06-06T23:12:00.032-04:00

So probably 2 months ago, I was having lunch with my boss. She is a nice gal, early thirties, Korean American, 2 degrees from super smart schools, born and raised in Queens. She is really funny and I enjoy working with her. She is mostly nice and when she is stressed and gets snappy she totally acknowledges it and usually says she doesn't mean to be that way.

Anywho, I digress. We have gone to lunch a couple times and are building a nice, friendly working relationship.

So on our way back from this particular lunch, she asked something to the tune of "What kind of guys are you interested in? " or "what kind of guys do you like?"

i'm sorry to say - i was super taken back by this question.
then I thought there was something wrong with me for being so taken back by it.
I mean, I really didn't have words to say.
I guess I should really be thinking about the answer to this question. but on the other hand, is it worth it to think about an answer to this question?! I mean, what..is she going to pull a rolodex out and have someone on-hand that fits my bill.

and past that, I seriously do not have a bill. I don't have a list of things.

here's a starter, and I know it's a lot to ask..but I want a boy who LIKES ME! or likes me a lot. who likes me more than I like him. (but people can't say that. because that. that is stating the not-stated-obvious)

I would like someone who tells the truth,
I would like someone who is funny and entertaining.
light-hearted.
adventurous.
caring.

blah blah blah. I could sit here and think of nice attributes, but I really don't have a list.
1- love Jesus. love God. the giver of the truest most unconditional love in history who daily teaches us how to love.
2 - love me more. I will love you. don't worry, i probably already do, but have the courage to put yourself out there. be stronger than me.

I seriously felt so uncomfortable when she asked me this, I mumbled some random words.
trust you, me, me, you - I want to have a someone just like every one else, but my mind tells me that I really can't put thought-power and effort into this that I cannot change. For me, in this moment in life, it's not worth putting my thought hours into, the finding of a matching person. I have other things I'm working on. I have better uses of my time. like writing this blog - ha I kid! getting involved in my community and my world in some cool ways - need to write about soon.

but if you're looking for me. i'm okay with someone UGLY.

i hear this song in my head

:-) "if you wanna be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife, so from my personal point of view, get an ugly girl to marry you!"

I'd take a not pretty face any day over a sour heart.

the older I get, the more I'm learning about what is valuable in life. and praise the Lord, value is not from the looks on the outside.

California Gurls

2011-06-06T22:58:00.026-04:00

Whoever had the idea to make this video Candyland - Good Job! I like how it looks like a wonderland.

And if I was a person that "dressed up" I totally would have dressed up for Halloween as one of these characters (like hello.steph she rocked an awesome Katy Perry costume from this video)

It's kinda weird.

I was born in California and lived there until I was 8, when my family drove from coast to coast (we stopped at the Grand Canyon and lots of places along the way) to move to Georgia where my dad is from. I remember we got out in the country on a dirt road where the grass was 2 ft tall, unlike I had ever seen...I'm certain my 8-yr old mind said "W-T-F!!!." I lived the next 9 years with my family in Byron and Warner Robins, Georgia. Then I lived for 2 years at Georgia Southern by the coast. then I lived for 3 years in Atlanta at Georgia Tech, then I moved to Charlotte, NC for 4 years.

When people ask me where I'm from, I always say Georgia, because my math-mind says that's where I "grew up" technically - it's where I spent the most years of my life.

I do a lot of things that are California-ish....I feel like I can where minimum to no clothing (beach attire) year round, I was taught to ALWAYS BRING A BATHING SUIT NO MATTER WHAT, although my accent isn't west-coast, it's definitely not too southern either.

But I don't think it's questionable, I was raised in the south, that's why I just say that.
I remember when I was 17 yrs old thinking..."shit, now i've spent more years here!" (but i don't think I cursed then probably)

When I'm like 40 years old and still living in New York, then can I just say - I'm a New Yorker?! I think so. people don't expect you to be in New York for upteen years to be a New Yorker...about 10 years will do.

I would say I'm from California, but I don't want people to say, "oh you just lived there till you were 8?! you aren't "from" there."

see, I care far more what people think.
it ain't right...

Sweet Visits

2011-06-06T22:18:00.072-04:00

One of the best things about living in New York City is that it is a location that people are likely to happen through for work or vacation! I simply love it when I get to have dinner or coffee with a friend from another time.

A couple weeks ago, I got a call at work from my friend Valerie who I worked with before g.m.r. She found me on linked in, saw I was in NY, happened to be in the city for a week for work. She found my office number and called. I was so surprised to hear from her. We grabbed drinks together on a Saturday after I was done working.

Lindsey was here a couple weeks ago for a bachelorette party.

And NOW! my best ashley is coming for work this week. I have been hanging on every detail of this client-trip coming through so I could see her face!!! and she is coming!! Wednesday and Thursday of this week. I simply can't wait.

can't exactly remember when this photo. I think gmr daytona 2009!

ash and I walked in one Monday and both looked at each other - we were both possessed (on our own) to cut bangs over the same weekend. . we rocked the $H!t outta those bangs though!!!

and our good ole skeeball daze! I'll miss the one on the left merr bear but we'll all be together sooooon!
Merr was here for work too like 2 months ago...it's the best!! to just see your friends on a night, it's such a treat. when Merr was here we went out to Mexican food and the bar down the street. It was so nice just to let loose and sit back with my girl. I have so many laughs with these people. After some number of margaritas followed by beer at the southern bar around the corner, we left because they wouldn't play merris's karaoke song. I'm not un-ashamed to say that I gave the finger to the dj as we walked out because he was pissing me off! merr had gotten kicked out of the same place when she lived in the city so it was a little getting even with them. jerks. don't tell a sister you're gonna play her karaoke song then play a bunch of dumb songs for other people over and over instead. ASH, if you would like to get rowdy at the same bar, there is one by your hotel, and I would be willing.;-)

our same picture every time.
Ash, let's take one this time too, even though I haven't been taking a lot of photos since I feel like a beast, let's take one.
and when I think of ash, I also think about eating at bristol at her mom's campsite, and country concerts (namely getting our photo taken with that one band and my intro to eric churhc) and videos of country line dancing at that cowboy place and this one time I was really drunk and a hilarious story she told me after the fact that still makes me giggle when I think of it (thought it's quite appalling), but it would never be as funny retold to anyone!! it's HILAR! and i think of clogging, not only because ash is a superstar clogger, but because she will break out the clogging on any dance floor to any music and I think of fun slumber parties and rainstorms. i don't know that it rained when ash would come stay at my house but she always said it was so quiet there, so i dunno. and when I think of ash, I think of her puppy and clemson and her overly-decorated cube filled with clemson and her friend photos. i think of jesus shoes and the gaff and delicious chicken salad and christmas.

and and and when I'm back in clt. we add this one to the mix too!!

:-)!!! one photo says it all!!!!

I can't wait to see my friends.
Sometimes it makes me sad, although I am brilliantly excited to be in New York City, ya can't have it all! I have to meet new friends and make my own new communities. It doesn't mean friends disappear it's just, well, as much as I try, I couldn't bring them all with me. so i will be so grateful for moments when I get to reconnect with "my people"! people who know i'm CRAY but like me anyways.

I looooove my people!!!!

147 Million Orphans

2011-06-01T23:38:00.000-04:00

omgosh, yall!! I am supposed to be in bed, but I just found this girl is going to be at Catalyst.

http://catalystconference.com/Katie-Davis

I didn't know who she is. She went to volunteer in an orphanage in Uganda when she graduated high school in 2006. Then I went to her blog and the first post on screen from May 27th, 2011, is a heart-breaking story about losing a baby.

HUh?!!

www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com
She has adopted 14 children and runs a school in Uganda. her heart is amazing. UHMAZING.
She runs a non-profit, check it out. http://amazima.org/

I was reading how you can be involved, and came across this site.
http://www.147millionorphans.com/

that these two ladies started (http://oatsvallteam.blogspot.com/ and http://joiningthejourney.blogspot.com)

YALL!
these people's stories are just beautiful. compassion.
so many children in this world needing love. and we all have it to give unlimited.

White Whine

2011-06-01T11:00:00.000-04:00

A new website one of my coworkers introduced me to yesterday called White Whine - A Collection of First World Problems Updated Daily

with funny stuff like this...

and this...

Health, Weight, Grateful

2011-05-30T11:57:00.000-04:00

Happy Memorial Day to YOU!!

I'm enjoying a quiet moment at home this morning sipping my coffee and flipping through old Kraft Food and Family Magazines (dang, I wish they still sent those out for free!!) I am OFFFF today. Hallelujah.

As I continue adjusting to life here, and the craziness ("unsure-ness") that has been the last year, I am slowly starting to arrive back at the place where I need to put my health farther UP on the list of my to-do's. I have this thing. For those of us who have to work to maintain our weight and not be a million pounds, and for those of us who haven't met many (any) foods we don't enjoy, and for those of us have always found food and eating as a way to make stressful times feel better...well, I of course am one of those people...it takes a lot of focused concentration and time to be healthy. to eat healthy. to workout. to pay attention to how much I'm eating.

And frankly, there have been times in my life, the last year being one of them, where I just don't have the time/effort to put toward that in my life. I don't even call if falling off the bandwagon. I just realize there is only so much time and concern I can put toward things in my life, and with moving, talking careers, changing careers, quitting a job, being jobless, ...with all of it, there is and was no time for being concerned and stressed about what the number on my scale said or over the fact that I can no longer fit into my small clothes.

Now that life is beginning to balance back out, this is looming over me. it's time. it's time to refocus. it's time to lose the 17 lbs I've gained in the last 2 years. it's time to be healthier. it's time to get my body to work hard again. it's time to think about being stronger.

I say all these other adjectives (stronger, healthier, yadda yadda yadda) but probably in my head what I'm really saying is be skinny. I want to fit back into clothes that make me feel good. skinny makes ya feel good and makes me feel comfortable. [i use the word "skinny" very loosely - i've only ever been a size 8, small as I can remember EVER, but I felt good] skinny makes me want to get out and try new activities, gives more energy, makes me sleep better...makes LIFE better. I feel more confident in myself and in talking to people. I feel all around better.

anywho, so I'm starting to contemplate these things. I have been working out some in the past couple of weeks, and eating healthier here and there.

BUT what all this thinking of health really has made me think of though.

is that I am so completely grateful, when I stop and acknowledge it, for my HEALTH. I may be on the pudgy side and it's no doubt that it affects my mind, but really I am healthy. My body is a good body.

I have so many friends around my age, some older, some younger, whose bodies are doing wacked out things on them. Friends who will have to take painkillers for a long time for certain diagnosed issues. Friends who have to think of their insulin and what they are eating all the time for diabetes. Or friends who have to take pills or medicate because of lactose issues. I know people who have to do special exercises for certain parts of their back to not hurt. Or my other dear friend who has this random-ass disease that causes remarkably painful cysts that currently the only cure for is to try to eat a seriously strict diet to ward off the cysts or continue to visit the doctor to receive immediate relief when it happens. I have friends who have to be careful of every kind of workout they do because of past sports injuries, and friends that just can't do certain physical activities due to weak muscles or past injuries. I have my friend Kelly who was diagnosed at the beginning of May with breast cancer, and by the end of the May had her breasts removed (check her inspirational story blog here http://survivalistheonlyoption.wordpress.com/)....
And the above-mentioned, these are people around my age. I'm not even talking about our parents' generation who really is getting into wavering/failing health territory. I should be taking advantage of every healthful second of this life.

I am so blessed in the health department.
My body works incredibly well.
Every part of it.
My feet sometimes get so exhausted from walking around this city, but they bounce back every time.
My systems work right.
I rarely have to take any medication for body ailments.
My lungs are so strong, they get me through a mile run up the river and last year's 13 miles in the Nashville half marathon.
Can I call that incredibly healthy???
I have my health.
I just like to take the time to recognize what I have been given in that category.

Unfortunately,
I will still look in the mirror and see my arms in tank tops right now and think - "dear God!!! gross."
I will still put on my new skinny jeans that I hope to shed into well, and think "Oh my gosh, I seriously can't breathe" (and that's because I literally can't breathe in them and have to sit like a board in them)
I will likely still look at current pictures and think "I am HUGE"

But I really am so grateful. Maybe if I keep reminding myself of that in my head, I can develop a different relationship than I have ever had with myself and food and exercise and my body.

Here is to my new try to lose weight, eat healthy, get stronger and look good in bikinis (don't you think for one second I won't be out there in central park with the rest of Manhattan laying out in my bikini!)

And here is to being grateful for this very good body that I have right now, 20 lbs heavier and all.

HOT IN HERE

2011-05-27T09:53:00.000-04:00

YALL! the a.c. repairmen are here at the office working on the air condition this morning and this cupcake is melting!!!

It's so freakin' hot!

seriously.
and I am not dressed appropriately,...I should have worn FAR LESS CLOTHES!!

I have on a strapless dress and a suit jacket over it. I can't take the jacket off.

haha my boss just came in with the same glistening look that I have. I should have had an ice water on her desk for her ..that would have been nice!

I told her that I am starting to cool off as I have sat here and tried to slow all my rates - my heart rate, my mind rate - that I have cooled off.

She said in West Africa (those two words alone made me get a little cooler too thinking how hot people deal with it there) people when it gets very hot will go sit in their huts in the shade and just sit, almost meditatively to be out of the heat. West Africa is serious heat. I wonder if they have a lot of nudist colonies there because it's so hot...people just opting to not where clothes.

maybe i shouldn't google about that on my work computer.

It's a gorgeous hot day outside today. Union Square is filled with flowers and farmer's market vendors selling lavendar, eggs, fish, meat, candles, pastries...everything you can think of almost.

If I'm not dead of heatstroke by then, I may peruse during lunch, then sit in the shade.

Small Group Tonight

2011-05-26T18:53:00.000-04:00

I'm trying out my first small group tonight - of Hillsong NYC. It's funny for as long as I've been ...

PAUSE.

my coworkers are talking. he is saying that his home in the sorta Hamptons he rented for this summer is a 4-acre spread for him, his wife and his 7-yr old. WOW. there is a lawn. peter just told the dude that he would be glad to come out there and "school him" on his acre in football. ... "the pool is very nice. it's takes an hour and half to get there. the outdoor is really nice. the pool is very nice."

"the hamptons.. a lot of people live there. Alan Alda lives in the Hamptons full time. Merissa Haggard lives in the hamptons full time (who???)"

NOW they are talking about the $50k per year for the 7-hr old's school. it's 35k to 37k then the extras get it at $50k
now they are discussing if the NY upper east sider 7-yr old's school is the same cost as Harvard for a year.

>>> okay, leaving for small group. excited to let you know how it goes!

Awkard Bathroom Moments: Pick That One

2011-05-25T12:52:00.000-04:00

I know I’ve already written, on a number of occasions about bathrooms in nyc (ahem http://thisridecalledlife.blogspot.com/2011/04/sitting-on-throne-in-new-york-city.html) and at work specifically…and I’m pretty sure I told you when I started my new job about the bathrooms (flush up for solid and flush down for liquid) – fairly certain I provided a photo as well.

Anywho. There are 4 bathrooms on our floor shared with our office and the one on the other end, probably 70 people together. 2 of the bathrooms open up to the long main hallways, and the other 2 bathrooms you actually enter into a small area with a sink and on either side are doors to those bathrooms.

Well, nature called, so I went into 1 of the 2. The doors slide open and face each other, so it can be awkward sometimes if you’re coming out at the same time as the guy or girl across from you.

Okay, JUST WAIT, IT’S ABOUT TO GET WEIRD.

So I go for the one on the left, I go in, shut the door, press the little lock, then notice there is boy pee on the seat, so I’m not trying to sit on that.

I come out of the bathroom, and this girl is coming right through the doorway to grab a bathroom. Since she was coming to fast for it, it didn’t occur to me to go to the one across, I would just head for one of the other 2 solo big bathrooms, so I say to her as I’m exiting…

“pick that one” and I point to the one on her right (the one without the boy Pee) she laughs uncomfortably and says okay.

I go to the other bathroom, and think to myself, well, that’s just weird.

Do you think she thought I was just coming out of the one on the left, and because I had dropped a bomb, I was telling her to pick the other one??!!!!

I mean, there is no way that she knew I did NOT use the bathroom I was walking out of, or why I was telling her to pick the other one.

She must think I was saying that because I had dropped a bomb!

I mean, now, when I see her in the kitchen or in the hallway, I can’t explain to her that I didn’t drop a bomb, but that bathroom was dirtly. Damnit. I should have said – “this bathroom isn’t clean, pick the other one!”

I mean because even if some one at work DID drop a BOMB, you NEVER TALK ABOUT IT!! I mean I would be mortified if someone came out and said “DO NOT GO IN THERE!!” (think Jim Carrey in that one movie.)

Weird. I didn’t drop a bomb. There was just boy pee on the seat. And I didn’t want her to have to be annoyed by it.

An anonymous note perhaps to correct the situation?

I hope word doesn’t spread about this unfortunate, seemingly smelly situation.

Man, I miss the days of men’s and women’s stalls.

Besides the automatic toilets flushing on your butt uncontrollably, the bathrooms at gmr were pretty good.

Okay. That’s all.

I don’t even find bathroom humor entertaining. Not at all.

Hope you’re having a nice lunch. Bye.

Office Birthdays

2011-05-25T01:30:00.000-04:00

2 thumbs down to office birthdays.

not to be the party pooper, but not at any age, to celebrate my birth into this world, do I want to be gathered with 8 - 10 other people, who are practically strangers and be required to stand around a conference table and make small talk for 15 to 25 minutes in celebration of my birthday. I would rather clean a bathroom or eat bleach or go to a nascar race or something.

at our office of about 16, we celebrate each person's birthday with their favorite food or dessert.

the office jerk's birthday was the other day. so we did it.

we bought what he wanted. city bakery goodies (the goodies were actually quite delightful, but not worth the pain and agony of the lame conversation) and sent an email for everyone to meet in the conference room quickly because the birthday boy had to leave soon. anyone that was in the office and not in a meeting came to the conference room (about 8 of us maybe).

Us, admin-type, do all we can to appear busy in preparation. AND THEN. we all stand around the table as someone says "so what are you doing for your birthday?" and we all pretend to be interested.

it's painful.

I thought to myself, if I was the office jerk (and he was actually in there on his actually birthday), would this really be how I imagined spending the celebration of my 32nd year on this planet.

HELL TO THE NAH!!!

I'd want to punch myself in the face for being lame.

My birthday is coming up in August. I need to request off the day right now, because I don't work on my birthdays. But still, I don't want to have any office birthday celebration. in all seriousness.that would make me much happier. I mean i get along with a couple of the kids over drinks, but when you put everyone in a room, it is just the epitome of awkward.

so how can I make this not happen?

request Brussels sprouts as my birthday treat? I mean, who would come to that?!

it gives me the body shivers just thinking of people lazily dragging themselves into the room to eat whatever it is I picked and say happy birthday and see them pretend to care what I'm saying.

how will I get through this?

i need. ways i can get out of the office birthday situation.
OR maybe I should just make up some total bogus stories about my birthday or birthdays past.

I have a little under two months to figure this out.

Cranky Pants continues being.....well....Cranky!

2011-05-25T01:18:00.000-04:00

I last told you about how Cranky Pants (the big guy who has reminded me verbally on at least two occasions now that "I run this office, you know! everyone reports to me!") got all grumpy because I was leaving at 6pm instead of 7pm, even though my boss told me I could go.

He stomped his feet and cried and said "I want someone here from 9am until 7pm!!"

so I did it. My boss was mostly embarrassed because she didn't mean for me to get in trouble and he was making her look dumb by going over her head.

the next day, I came in like, "whatever" I'll do my work, I'll do a good job, and your rumbly tumbly attitude is not gonna kill me. you embarrass yourself.

Two days later, I was down at his assistant's desk. Now, mind you, I don't speak to the guy. The first 3 weeks I worked there as a temp, he didn't acknowledge my existence. I might still be kinda mad about that. He isn't friendly, he is super busy in the head and just rough around the corners. I was helping his new assistant with something and he called me into his office and pointed to the chair.

He proceeded to apologize to me for fussing at me about leaving. He says "I know you have a thick skin." basically, you have to, to get along with him and not go crazy. I have had some good past training though, maybe. In this same little meeting, he said "you know I run this place."

I think he thought that I was like asking to go, to get out of work, but what he failed to realize is that it was an agreement between my boss and I. She likes when I can get out early, and some days I'm working on things and have to put in extra time and she knows that I will.

I hope he understands, it's all the same to me. If he is insistent about wanting someone there for specific hours, hard-core...no problemo. i'll do it.

so that was nice that he apologized to me. although surprising. but i think partly because my boss probably told him it was completely not cool.

On Friday, his old favorite assistant who worked for him a year and a half but moved back to Texas was visiting the office. He called me in to meet her, which I thought was nice. He said we would probably be friends if she lived here still, I could agree. She seemed like a nice girl. and he complimented me on doing a good job (in his you-have-to-hunt for the compliment) sort of way. she and I had also had an exchange on the phone and she was complimentary, so that was nice.

My boss told me over lunch on thursday that she thinks I might have hurt his feelings by not wanting to be his assistant. :-)
in her opinion, everyone wants to be close to the boss. it's true. people like to keep the powerful, top people close-by. think about it in your industry. any of the level of people in our office fight for this guy's time or to work closely with him, and I was adamant that I DIDN'T want to work for him.

I just don't think it would have been good. i can only have thick skin for so long. and. let's be honest. it would kill me to build some arrogant guy's ego any more.

plus, this guy wanted someone to put him on a pedestal. his new assistant is young and does that VERY well. i make a good assistant but if it comes with having to worship someone. i just can't do it.

then today. he said I could come to this afterwork event. I tried to frame it like I would be willing to do the favor. haha! so maybe we are making progress.

I was thinking today though. you know, some people, that have turned out to be close work friends I didn't get along with. I mean...bruns. we never liked each other. and my good friend brian insists that I hated him for the first 3 months we worked together! ...haha so who knows! this could be the start to a long, well-meant acquaintance.

i just wonder what his two teenage daughters are like. He has the ability to literally give them whatever they want. I guess the other day they were seeing a play and he got them backstage to meet daniel ratcliffe(harry potter) that's nice! i hope they have good people in their lives showing them how to be good people and make good decisions.

i have a beef with rich people I have to figure out. that's for another day.

Office Jerk Follow-up

2011-05-25T01:01:00.000-04:00

1 - (don't ask me how) but I found this free iphone app called THE OFFICE JERK. You get to throw paper balls at this office jerk.

here's a little youtube video of it. You get to "throw crap at this guy" haha

So a couple days after I posted this post about the Office Jerk

My boss says to me, "ya i noticed [the office jerk] was at your desk trying to make nice." She said, "I can tell he doesn't like that you don't like him." Her theory is he, like many of these guys, are the kind that are schmoozers and this arrogance has a line, like they want to be arrogant, but they do want people to be okay with and like them.

When I just put him on ignore (i.e. don't speak to him or acknowledge him when he walks by, assist in email or instant message as minimal as possible with no "please" and "thank-you's") he seemed to be much nicer to me. yes, nice actually.

oh, well, i don't know if that's it. or maybe it was us asking him why he tried to be an arrogant asshole while we were out for drinks that time before. that made him want to be less of a douche.

I just thought it was hilarious how my boss saw over the cubes him up at the front trying to be nice to me. The unfortunate part, I'm not good at being mean, so long as you're nice to me, I'm nice to you.

He has been reasonably pleasant to me in the past couple of weeks.

haha! and there is the glance. the office jerk told me "why? what is that look for?" and I just catwalk my way back to my desk. it makes me laugh. i'm not used to being able to get a reaction out of people for just not speaking to them and giving "dirty" looks. probably because i'm just not used to the 'not speaking' part.

not speaking...and this is where cranky pants story continues...

Backyard tonight

2011-05-25T00:48:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting in the backyard tonight. was talking to my mom. and wanted to make yall two quick videos to tell you some things. so I did it. but the video sound is jacked. I guess I need to get a microphone. it's weird though. skype works just fine, but why doesn't it pick up my voice in these videos? I was trying to talk loud.

also, I ended up getting a toshiba laptop. pc.. did I ever tell yall. I know! If i had a mac, this would not be a problem. but seeing as how I can never figure out how to even put music on my iphone using itunes...i may have had many more problems with the mac.

so if you have brilliant speakers, you may be able to hear my little message, if not. sorry.

Finding Neverland on Broadway

2011-05-24T22:58:00.000-04:00

I have to write. One of my loyal followers, ahem, Ashley told me that it was wack that I just wrote post saying why I don't have time to write! haha! because afterall, I should be providing something entertaining to get through boring work days. ....

I HEAR ya ASH!!

So tonight I went to a reading of the upcoming Broadway musical called Finding Neverland.

My companies clients - the Weinsteins - just wiki them, are in the works to bring several big-screen successful moves to the broadway stage and travelling show via their live entertainment wing. My company is helping them bring in investors. I think it's a pretty good investment, but unfortunately, I do not have the minimum $250k investment to take part.

i went tonight as a favor to Cranky Pants. He emailed out yesterday that he needed more people to attend. I thought he just meant for "the guys" to reach out to more contacts to get potential investors in the room. I asked my boss this morning if I was supposed to respond or if that included me and she said I should email him. so I did. and he said "thank you - yes please come" (a tinge of niceness...full cranky pants development in blog to follow)

here is a link to what they are trying to dohttp://www.slashfilm.com/weinsteins-developing-finding-neverland-crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon-broadway/

so myself and a couple other co-workers (including the office jerk) boarded the subway and jetted over to the Lincoln Center. I know, the Lincoln Center...doesn't it just sound fancy?!

We were among a crowd of an invited group of about 70 individuals in this small theatre room at Lincoln Center. We took our seats and shortly thereafter, the already chosen actors took the stage, which was on the ground, we had theatre seating directly in front. if I recall, Weinstein gave a short, snappy welcome and they jumped in.

The actors and actresses read and sang the 50-minute version of the show. It was wonderful! I haven't seen the Johnny Depp Finding Neverland movie, so it was extra fun because I didn't know what was going to happen. I leaned over and told my co-worker Alissa...where are the girls?! I thought there was a girl in Peter Pan (Wendy?!) yes, I know, this story is from a different angle.

the actors all had their notebooks with the script. (the lead lady was a noteable Tony-nominee Kelli O'hara...think the guy playing Mr. Barrie is notable as well!) they would each stand during their part. they were all in casual clothing. They must have sang at least 6 or 8 different song numbers as well throughout it. my absolute favorite part was the children. they were AMAZING!! the one little kid, probably was 5yrs old and couldn't have been more than 7 yrs old was so stinkin' cute. I was just so impressed that he sat there the whole time and read along in his notebook and he knew when to say his parts. AND in a british accent with his sweet voice! the other 3 boys were about 12yrs.

Afterwards, there was a cocktail reception, which I participated in for about 12.5 minutes before jetting. We talked to the one kid who is playing Peter. He is 12 yrs old. He has been in plays since he was 4 yrs old. He was so incredibly poised. amazing!! He flew in today from Seattle as he has been on the road with the travelling National Mary Poppins show and he will fly back out tomorrow. He doesn't go to school as he has a tutor. Crazy!

It was a fun event, but I am NOT in my element. Actually, while I was sitting in there, I was thinking, maybe this is my element. I am totally intimidated because as an admin, I feel like people consider me lowly. I don't think they think this, as much as I do. I also think because I'm less of a NY'er...that is kinda intimidating. Give me time I guess. I'll make them all fall in love with me.

the show was awesome! luckily I wore a nice spring dress to work today that fit in just fine. I would have dolled up better had I been expecting to attend and done my nails and picked good shoes, but I was alright.

cool event.

ha! cranky pants and someone were speaking about putting on this event last week, while they were at my desk. I pretty much only speak to him when he involves me. He made a comment - "Think you could act as a believable rich investor?" I said "I definitely could" He said "Yeah, i think you could too."

you should google around this stuff of the show and pulling in investors. the idea is pretty interesting. I guess it's not common for shows to get multiple investors in at lower levels. It's almost like getting shares of stock. there is no creative oversight though when you buy into this.

As I was watching, my marketing brain was wondering....are there sponsorship of national tours or buy-in from corporations to invest in shows at this level to get a pay off??!!! I wonder if there are any successful partnerships like this in the past. if not, there should be. i mean, instead of just buying right to marks on something, if a company chose to come in at an investment level and get return off the whole shabang...I mean...why is that not being done??!!!

okay. it was a fun night!
I only got one hours'devor and I didn't even have a glass of wine...that's how quickly I left! :-) on the to-do list: quit anthro, learn how to small talk with fancy rich people.

Lunch Date with my Laptop

2011-05-23T14:26:00.000-04:00

I had this brilliant idea to pluck one of the laptops from my home laptop garden and bring it to work so I can take it with me during lunch to write what I need to write. Then since it’s one of the older ones, I could leave it at work too and still have my Christmas laptop at home for when I’m there without having to transport every day.

I charged it this morning under my desk and at 12:30pm, I placed it carefully in the Trader Joe’s recycled plastic bag that I brought it in. (Yes, I have bookbags, laptops bags, laptop sleeves, but no, somehow I managed to bring it to carry in a super-thin plastic trader joe’s bag.)

I made my way to the cupcake café where I was hopeful that it would be a quiet place, and I was positive I wouldn’t run into any of my co-workers. (it’s not quite high-brow enough!)

I get there, chatting on the phone with Tiff, finally open my computer, and NOTHIN’!

HA!! HILARIOUS!! Such is life. I bought my cupcake and coffee. Cupcake – alright. Coffee – not so much. I’ll go for just a bottled root beer next time.

It was quiet. And it was lovely. Instead I played on my phone and wrote some words on two napkins.

Two napkins is not enough for the writing that I miss doing.

OMGOSH hilar. There is this old man cleaning guy filling in for the young cleaning buy from the Bronx, Jake, who always works. So the old nice cleaning guy was just walking through and I chirped “HI, how are you?!” He said tomorrow he will be back at home because Jake will be back from his trip. I asked what he would be doing…he said just sitting at home with his wife. She used to work at an organic store on 54^th street but it burned down. So now, when he is off, he and his wife just sit at home and watch Jerry Springer and Maury.

Gotta love it!!

I have so much to tell you....

2011-05-18T11:20:00.002-04:00

and a lot of words to send into the blogosphere (nerd alert word)!!!
But not time. I have been keeping a running list.
wonder if that list will ever run through my fingers and onto this screen.

I’m not a Creepster or a Peeping Tina

2011-05-11T18:41:00.000-04:00

I just want to be real clear on this, I AM NOT A CREEPSTER or a peeping Tina!

This weekend, when we were in the backyard on Saturday night, I was working to push up this one big tree and then decided to hang the lights in the backyard. As Katie and I were working on it, we finally decided that we need the step stool to get to the highest point in the tree directly in the back such that we could anchor the lights and the cord there.

I was up in the tree on the 3-stool step stool trying to situate the chords, while not pulling out the lights so they all fall to the ground and break, when my eye caught someone in an apparent kitchen through the window on the second floor. I didn’t even think twice before I was like “hey what’s up!!!” (thinking that it was Tyler that I met last weekend).

I’m not sure if it was Tyler, but whoever it was, was just opening his fridge in his kitchen on the second floor and was just like “hey” (in a very monotone, why-are-you-talking-to-me kind of way)

I was pissed!! Like oh uh-hu Tyler, oh no you didn’t just brush me off after I let you climb up my fire escape last weekend. OH NO YOU JUST DIDN’T.

Then I thought. Maybe it wasn’t him? Maybe it was a friend?

On Monday, I told my friend Natalie about this. And she said, “well, maybe he thought you were a peeping tom!”

!!! can you believe that?! Maybe he did.

But clearly, he could tell that my backyard was being re-done into a glorious, romantic, outdoor escape.

so I sure hope he doesn't think I was just trying to creep on him while I was standing on my stool. because I wasn't. I promise.

Long Morning Breakfasts and WFH

2011-05-11T08:10:00.000-04:00

I don't when exactly I started it, I think it may have been when Jesslyn introduced me to fried eggs on tops of English muffins and coffee, but I enjoy having a "Saturday morning breakfast" every morning before work.

This morning I am out of eggs so I had to make oatmeal (don't worry, I'm not THAT healthy, I put chocolate chips in it!) and I am enjoying my macaroon coffee. I sit in my chair in the kitchen with my breakfast (or laptop) on a barstool in front of me faced toward my backyard. That's sort of weird how I love to be or look outside. In Charlotte, I would eat breakfast on my deck when the weather was this beautiful. I should get up early enough to go outside here in the morning, but if nothing else, i stare out into the deep green colors of the backyard and appreciate the sun shining through the leaves of this tree.

Wouldn't it be lovely if I could just continue working here at home. I would leisurely drink another 4 cups of coffee, stay in my pajamas till 10 (or noon) then go work on my laptop outside.

For today, I wish I was that person. I have a couple friends like that. Apparently it works best if you get up and get dressed to get along with the day.

sigh.

but that is not my day. I must iron my skirt, put my makeup on and get out the door in 15 minutes or less.
until later people. have a gorgeous Wednesday!

I should have gone home...

2011-05-10T19:01:00.000-04:00

already. but because of cranky pants I'm sitting here twiddling my thumbs (actually surfing readymade.com DIY projects)

Asberger's is behind me just talking to the other partner about hotels in l.a. He used to live in LA and he was working in the film business and he thinks that he is a cool kid. He likes for me to get him pricing when he travels on the most ridiculous, absurd awesome hotels...none of which the company will pay for.

He told me one time about some hotel in L.A. and is like. "you must not know LA" I kinda like messing with him. He told me that this hotel was known for being "racy." dude is a total nerd. about as racy as he gets is (and i don't know this for a fact) but I do process hotel bills and there are "movies" on them. that's all i'm going to say.

let me tell you about Asberger's (since I have 15 more minutes before I can leave). this guy is super anal. He gives me the most work and is the most pain-in-the-neck, but at least I'm not bored. He treats me like his executive assistant, although I am not. He is very jittery and talks very fast and hardly ever smiles. He looks like a little boy.

He has something. I'm fairly certain it's some amount of asberger's. I wish someone would tell me so that I would know best how to deal with him, but maybe I should just start looking into it. I'm glad I watched that movie from the redbox called Adam about the guy with Asberger's Disease so I would know best how to deal.

[great, the french guy just left, and it's me and the office jerk left here, at least he sits several cubes away from me!]

anyways, back to asberger's, he doesn't get sarcasm, and he is very literal about everything. the other weekend, he seriously pissed me off when he texted me on a Saturday about a meeting. at the point that I got the message, he had already re-confirmed and swapped pleasantries with the person, but he HAD to quote me from his email that said "kristen will respond to this" like he needed to point that I didn't do something even though it was already done.

He does this on the regular.

He travels a lot, and when I first started, and sometimes still, he will call me from San Francisco or wherever flipping out about random shit. He likes for me to put travel times to everything in his calendar, times in front of each subject entry, he is just super anal.

last week, he was talking to me on the phone pulling into the Hertz at San Francisco airport, and I hear his gps lady in the background saying "you have arrived at your destination. you have arrived at your destination" and he is just yelling at it while i'm on the phone "I can't see hertz, WHERE IS HERTZ??!!!"

Asberger's is very prompt. If he is to call someone for a meeting at 2pm. He will call them at 1:59 or 2pm and if they don't answer, he is calling me to find out where the person is and why the person didn't answer. I try to schedule his calls so that he calls the people, because people are late, so if they haven't called him, he will be calling me or emailing the person saying "I'm ready to speak."

Sometimes, I am a little embarassed for him. His clients will be here and he will be ordering them what they need to do and what time they need to be places.

Sometimes, he would yell at me for his client not being on these pitch calls. I just let it roll off my shoulder.

I laugh at him a lot. Not in an "I'm laughing at a disabled person" sort of way, but in a "i have to laugh at you or you would make me crazy" sort of way.

My boss said when she first came here, she was so annoyed and frustrated by how he treated her and that she was very impressed with how I handle him. She said soon I would have him wrapped around my finger. Now, let it be known, I have never had any man wrapped around my finger, but ... we'll see.

There are lots of stories still to tell about this guy, but it's 5 min till so I need to start wrapping up.

Asberger's may be very smart. maybe. that is still to be determined. But he is entertaining. omgosh, and i haven't even told you about his live-in girlfriend who was talking about having lingerie slumb parties at his house!! EEKS!

last week, when we had our royal tea party at work, the other new asst. to cranky pants brought a william and kate tote that he had brought back from a trip that week to her! I said, "can you please go take that by Asberger's office and show him that you got gifts?! he bothers me far more than cranky pants bothers you and I don't get any gifts!!" (sarcasm, kinda not really)

so he was challenged by my boss to bring me back the tackiest gift.
He proudly came to my desk on Monday and brought me this gift.

A super-sized San Francisco mug!

I was quite pleased.
even though I mentioned to my boss and she emailed him before he left san francisco to remind him! ha! I wished she wouldn't have because I don't really like to ever guilt people in to getting me something, but I do like this mug!

okay. peace.

New App: Videolicious!

2011-05-10T18:23:00.000-04:00

I was surfing one of my new favorite sites, Readymade (www.readymade.com). Readymade is a magazine that I am dying to get the subscription to, but in the meantime, I will save my money and surf their great site/blog of awesome DIY ideas.

While I was surfing, I came upon an ad that invited readers to submit their videos to the magazine. Well, duh, this perked my interest.

The ad read ...

You can make videos on Videolicious using your iphone, and upload them to the site of yourself hosting a DIY segment. You can supposedly cut your clips, add photos, add music. Very cool! Em Conrad Mueller...I see this in your future!!

I was super disappointed though when I went to download on my iphone (3?) and it denied me the pleasure.

So if you have an iphone 4 or an ipad, can you please try this out for me?

The Videolicious site also mentions this “Video Ideas” where the app uses an algorithm to edit videos automatically. That sounds cool. I need an app that's as easy as possible!!

I tweeted @Videolicious and asked when the app would be available for non-iphone 4 users. They tweeted me back and said hopefully soon. I always appreciate a good tweet-back.

Now if only the @the404 guys would tweet me back and let me be the new @natalimorris …now that would be a great day!

Here is the site, check them out.

Oh and the best part...it's FREE! and you know what we say...FREE IS FOR ME!

Just embarrassing.

2011-05-09T23:19:00.000-04:00

One of the benefits, that my boss sold me on in this job when I was considering coming on full-time, is that although the hours are 9am to 7pm, she guaranteed me that during the summer, people leave early. She is so sweet to come by on several occasions and say “Kristen, what are you still doing Here?!” and encourage me to leave early when there isn't major stuff going on. And if you add it up, that’s a 45-hr work week if I work the entire 9am until 7pm.

I don’t like to not follow the rules or be out of line, so although, as the receptionist, it does make me slightly uncomfortable to leave, I tell myself, it’s what I have coming to me. If I don’t leave early some days, fact is I am making less then when I was temp’ing with them and that is not how it is supposed to be, so I need to leave early when I can (which hasn't been that often and I have also stayed later some days too when it's called for).

It’s been a relatively quiet day today, so at 6pm, I went to my boss and let her know I’m going to take off early. She said “sure, get outta here!” I was opening the door to go to the elevator and Mr. Cranky Pants was at my desk. He looks at me all stern and grumpily and says “why are you leaving?”

basically he pitches this big fit, "no, I want someone here until 7pm every day"

I turn around, go back to the desk, put my purse down, and turn my computer back on.

NOW for A MINUTE can I just say PRAISE THE LORD. I wasn't mad. I wasn't upset for basically being fusses at/reprimanded.

I just thought, "Oh my goodness, how embarrassing for him!!"

my boss told me I could leave, and now he is being a jackass like this. I mean there are other options like to take it up to my boss if it's a problem but getting cranky with me is not cool. clearly I wasn't trying to break rules, I was doing what the person that pulled together my agreement, and I, agreed upon.

She apologized to me for getting put in the middle of his fire. Apparently he was in a super bad mood and emailed to tell her that I could go at 6:30 then.

i'm proud of my maturity, and that I have a boss that I can laugh about this with. she texted me that it's like "i will HUFF AND I WILL PUFF AND I WILL BLOW YOUR HOUSE DOWN...!!!" that's what he and some of them like to do. she also calls it penis wars, when all the men are just being ridiculous and demanding their way and how they have to one-up each other and fall into order behind others.

whatever. this dude is a douche.

God has given me a lot of grace to give out with him though.

I mean I'm not super nice and trying to be his best friend, but I think he respects me more for that.

I mean, i did afterall, turn down the job to be his assistant because I didn't want to deal with his cranky ass and he knows it. well, maybe not the cranky ass part, but he did know that I absolutely did not want to take the job as his assistant.

It was pretty unbelievable. makes me remember how I starr'ed this article online to read today about how rich people are not happier.

it's this article i want to read http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/04/secret-fears-of-the-super-rich/8419/

this dude has got a lot of money weighing on his joy i guess.

and when I say a lot, we are talking hundreds of millions, I believe.

i guess when you have that kinda money, you don't get embarrassed??

well, he sure as hell shoulda been for pitching such a fit, stomping around because it wasn't his way.

what a tool.

Mike the (retired) New Jersey State Patrol man on the bench

2011-05-09T23:08:00.000-04:00

Well, another day as a shy person in an extrovert’s body.

I was sitting in Union Square at lunch after having talked to Christina for my lunch break.

Let me explain. People line the walkways, sitting in the benches that line the walk ways. You have to walk down these “runways” and try to find an open spot. It’s like everyone in ny, this is what they do is just sit on benches. It’s really quite lovely.

This guy started making small talk with me. He is from Jersey and was a retired state patrol. Now he is a driver. When he said he is a driver, my first thought was..hmm.. what do you drive? Dirt racing? Open wheel? Motorcycles?? (my NASCAR girls know THIS!!)

No, he is a DRIVER. He drives someone around who I didn’t catch who the person is, but the guy doesn’t have to go many places so he just drops him off in the morning and then picks him up in the evening. In the day time, he stays nearby, just in case he has to go somewhere, but can spend the rest of his time working on his own projects and sitting in parks or whatever.

He said he still doesn't know what he wants to be when he grows up.

He said he was the state trooper and I want to say he say he did it for a long time.

I wouldn't guess he was over 40 but knowing the age range that usually speak to me, he probably is definitely over 40, just statistics would point to this.

His name was Mike.

When I had to leave, I mean, I felt kinda bad, because I wasn't leaving because he wasn't a nice person, but I really had to get back to work.

then there was this awkward moment because I think he was going to give me his card or something and he was kinda fumbling with his briefcase and then I got up and was like, "it was nice to meet you, i'm sure i'll see you around because I'm around here at lunch all the time"

he definitely wasn't at all creepy like the other guys in union square who have approached me (and as you know, there have been several!!)

it's probably a good thing he didn't give me his information because it's not like would have called him anyways. I mean this is random park where I have not had much luck meeting new friends...not like I look for them there.

then all this afternoon, i just think of how weird I am and how shy I am. I am not good at having conversations with some strangers, if there isn't some common point.

it's like I want opportunities to meet and speak to new people and to learn, but then I just feel like my words are just not put together well. I think I'm far harder on myself in this way then anyone would realize.

maybe I should read that book about how to meet people and influence strangers or something. winning friends. whatever it's called.

wish my words would come out more right in a lot of situations.

so lastly, for you, enjoy this, from the ps22 choir in Staten Island. i love kids. there is all hope in these faces.

I’m a Ballerina at Heart

2011-05-09T12:51:00.000-04:00

Now it is my chance!! I found something yesterday that will blow your mind.

It has to do with these.

And with this blue number.

And with these.

I got a flyer in the mail the other day for this 92^nd street Y, for a coupon to visit their facilities. I thought, well this is cool, I’ll give it a try. (I’ve been on a free-low cost gym spree trying to find a great facility and to get healthy again)

I was perusing their site, and come to find out. It’s not the Y like the YMCA, it’s actually a Jewish Community Center that offers a ton of awesome stuff to the community.

One of those awesome things is Adult Beginner Ballet classes. Sessions start in June. They also have hip hop, modern dance, hula, broadway basics …an assortment of classes. Check them here. http://www.92y.org/content/pdf/Summer2011-AdultDanceSchedule.pdf I mean soooo many!!! Amazing!!

Now, let’s be clear…I’m not trying to be on the next big dancing show. I don’t “so you think you can dance”. I just think I want to be a ballerina, if for at least 1.5 hours a week. I want to stretch my body like that. I want to stand straighter and move with the grace of a gazelle.

I tell people all the time that I’m a ballerina at heart. One time, at church, Danielle told me I had great turnout, though I wasn’t sure what this meant. When I was in high school, one of my good friends was this girl named Laura. She was a ballerina. She would always dance at church. But she was also like the Mila character in Black Swan, but not with the having sex with girls part, just that she had a very sort of feisty, wild, side to her. I remember going with her family to see her perform in Greenville, SC one time when she was there for a program. It’s just so beautiful the way a ballerina float effortlessly and how the movement flows from the bottom or the toes to the tip of the fingers.

so I hope you can all come to my first performance. :-)

Gross Apartment. nyc.

2011-05-08T20:19:00.000-04:00

ugh. annoying. Our cold water is out in our apartment again. this means, the toilet won't flush. the super knocked on the door last night to tell us she was going to have to turn the cold water off again. I wasn't worried about it until now when I need to bath or shower and the toilet is full of crap and smells like a porter potty, and besides, the water I poured in the bath an hour ago is still burning hot so I can't get in anyways because my skin won't be able to take the pain.

i'm tired and want to go to bed.

and Tyler, well i presume it's Tyler, the neighbor upstairs has been rocking the bed for the last hour. that's annoying me too, hearing this girl sex screaming up there.

we have a stack of dishes in the sink now because we can't wash the dishes with no cold water. because, again, we would burn the skin off our hands.
hope the dirty dishes in the sink doesn't call out our little mouse friend.

I really just want to shower and go to bed. is that so much to ask?

i'm not an optimist, but this makes me remember how much MORE that I have than a lot of other people on this Earth. And we've grown up pretty good, haven't we? Our biggest worries and bothers are so minor compared to other things.

so i'll still sit here in my pity of just wanting to go to bed after working 7-4's both days this weekend.
also, living in nyc, let me tell you what it does to a girl's feet. it is not good. you just walk so much. my feet get lookin' rough. I was thinking to myself today was it really such a good idea for us to walk on just these two feet?! i don't know if my feet are up for all this!!

okay, well, i'm going to see if my water has cooled down, but will leave you with this song Turning Tables. my roommate got the new adele cd and realized how much I loved Gwyneth singing this song on GLEE. so checkout Gwyneth and Adele's version of this song. incredible.

and adele's version.

“But Mom, That’s NOT FAIR!”

2011-05-05T10:20:00.000-04:00

…What Monroe will be saying to her brother Morrocan.

Mariah Carey finally had her twins, after what seemed like a forever-long pregnancy. She named her baby boy Morrocan Scott Cannon and her baby girl Monroe Cannon.

Now tell me?! Why can’t sister get 3 names too?!!

Mariah named baby girl after her idol, Marilyn Monroe. Fair enough, I like the name Monroe, but since Mariah doesn’t not have a middle name, she opted to not give her a daughter a middle name either.

Now, you know that growing up Mariah did not like NOT having a middle name.

There is not backup if your name totally sucks.

There is no cute ring in the words when someone says your first and middle name together.

And let’s face it, chances are, Monroe is not going to be like Mariah or Cher or Madonna. Though she may be like the newest one-name starlet Lindsey…but who knows!

With all the names out there, was there no middle name good enough for this baby?

Simply, that is just NOT fair that the twin boy gets a middle name and sister doesn’t.

So much for women’s equality.

Beyonce Surprises Harlem students at Let's Move! Flash Workout Event

2011-05-04T15:35:00.001-04:00

Why does this video bring tears to my eyes?!

These kids do not miss a beat when Beyonce comes out to dance with them!! This is a part of First Lady Michelle Obama's active lifestyles initiative in schools - the dancing, not the beyonce.

Isn't this just so fun?!!!

Think of how it made these kids days/weeks/YEAR!!

Harlem p.s. 161 ladies rule!!

GigWalk Allows Iphone Users to Stumble Into Part-time Work

2011-05-04T11:12:00.000-04:00

How cool is this? GIGWALK

I just downloaded the free app to my iphone. Basically the app shows you nearby listings on a google-map where you can complete tasks and make dollars. It’s like playing in a scavenger hunt that you get paid for completing the tasks. I think it’s brilliant. I will have to try out some of the tasks first. It makes sense, get people to do the work that companies would otherwise have to do in researching and snapping photos of restaurant and other location-related tasks. I’ll have to let you know when I get my first $4 if it’s worth it! (Here's the full article where I discovered it: http://mobilized.allthingsd.com/20110504/gigwalk-allows-iphone-owners-to-stumble-into-part-time-work/)

Also, you can gain levels or “street cred” apparently that allow you to gain access to higher-paying gigs.

I would love this if I could post that I needed a piece of furniture moved, or shelves put up in my place, and I’m willing to pay $30 to have it done, and some athlete or tech nerd or whoever is on here, could find my posting and come help me. I get my shelves hung and they make $30.

Or maybe someone could post a task that is like, I need you to pick up this item from the store for me and drop it off here, I will pay $X for you to do this for me. It would be like having a personal assistant but on an as-needed basis.

The possibilities are endless!! What would you use it for? And I’m curious if you download this app if there are tasks to be completed in other cities or maybe New York is mostly a hot spot?

FREE SHIPPING ON ALL RIDING MOWERS

2011-05-03T15:02:00.000-04:00

Thanks Home Depot. That would be awesome if you could give me free shipping on a riding lawn mower. You know me so well. I'm sure it will come in quite handy in my Upper East Side 5 ft x 5 ft. yard. though, my concern is, not sure where I will keep it. will you also give me free shipping on a shed that I could maybe put on the front sidewalk to store this riding lawn mower in?

Oh though, if you aren't able to ship a shed free, can you send a riding lawn mower cover that is fireproof because our neighbors on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors are rude haters and they throw their cigarettes out the window. Recently a burnt cigarette fell on my bbq cover and burnt a hole in it, so if you could ship a free lawn mower cover that is fireproof that would be awesome.

...

I do love Home Depot. yes, and it does make me feel old. My mom's Easter Package to me that got lost in the mail and finally found it's way to me yesterday, included a home depot gift card that had pop-up flowers. You pull the little thing and flowers pop up that is the gift card.

I have flowers and seeds I have been meaning to plant. so many things I am always "meaning" to do!! maybe tonight is my lucky night. I'm inspired by my gardening friends. I would love to show you progressional pictures from seeds to plants to flowers. maybe one day.

I should say I have to plant stuff before I am allowed in Home Depot again. yes, that is what I will say.

Weekend Goodness

2011-05-01T21:05:00.001-04:00

i'm just sayin'. I'm quite tired, so this will be a quick one, but I don't want to forget it (like I did that I was in a play in middle school).

Friday night I spent alone at home flipping through music videos and just being lazy by myself. It was glorious. this is how we know I am by definition an introvert. I am so fulfilled and recharged by time by myself.

Saturday I had the pleasure of riding the subway at 6:30am with the rest of working service New York City to go to work at Anthro at 7am. It wasn't too bad. I like seeing the girls there. They are nice. I got off at 4pm, needed to pick up a couple of items for the employees that were only discounted through April. Nothing I brought home I liked, so it's all going back to the store :-( I got home and was hoping for a nap, but no time!

At work on Thursday, my friend Eddie gave me 2 free tickets to this play called The Normal Heart. Ash and I went. It was a play about aids beginning to grow and be spotted in gay men in NYC in the early 80's - the pain, the politics and the growing deaths of the epidemic. It was in a small theater and the actors were phenomenal. It wasn't a play that I would have probably went after to see, but it was really great. Ellen Burkin, Sheldon from Bing Bang Theory and several other notable actors were in it. It got kinda awkward at the end when the girl behind us was balling her face off, but it was overall a great show.

As we left the theater and began to walk to the subway in Times Square I see flashes of cameras at the theater beside us that we are about to walk by and knew someone big must be out there signing...

IT WAS MR. BIG AND JACK BAUER!!

woohoo. Mr. Big sees us and says "oh, get outta here, coming from the other show"
I stared at him. I don't get starstruck, but he was lovely.
then a cop who was trying to keep the roads cleared, pushed ashley and I on, sorta like we were cows or something. I thought it was the justice system getting us back for the time during the Halloween parade when we jumped the baracade.

We gathered and snapped photos. Keifer Sutherland looks good for an old dude too. But seriously Mr. Big had on a suit and looked just like he did in SATC. fun NY night followed by drinks and buffalo chicken tenders at bar coastal that is on my block. It's a nice little place and fun that it is just steps from my front door.

this morning I woke up and sat outside in my backyard. Just thinking how absolutely grateful I am for all God has provided - and so abundantly. I sipped coffee, ate oatmeal and watched my cat walk around back there like she had landed on the moon for the first time.

i mean seriously it's like my secret garden .

this is the stuff god's plans are made of - it's unheard of!

I go inside, of course, with only like 10 minutes before I need to walk out the door for church. (or CHUCH as all the Aussie greeters call it!) I jump out of the shower and my door buzzes.

who in the world is buzzing me on a Sunday morning??! I answer and it's the neighbor who says he has locked himself out and wanted to try to get up through the fire escape in my backyard.

crap.

I try to throw on some clothes. and crap, again. My place looks like a hurricane hit it. I've enjoyed my roommate not being here and have stuff thrown about EVERY WHERE!!! how embarassing for me!!?? I fold up the ironing board so he can at least walk through and throw a stack of clothes on my bed.

After about 5 minutes, I go out to the door, and see this totally good-looking guy standing at the top of my stairs. he says his name is "Tyler." I introduce myself and take him through the house as I'm apologizing and explaining that my roommate isn't here so it's a disaster and that I have till 11pm tonight to pull it back together.

we get to my back yard and peer up at the fire escape. he figures out that there is a hook on it and points it out to me I say 'oh ya" but i didn't really see it. I offer to get my step stool which he ends up needing.

YALL, I mean this guy is CUTE! and quite friendly too. he is like "what an adventure this is! I manage money for a living, i don't do stuff like this!"

meanwhile i'm laughing purely entertained!!

note: these fire escape stairs are SUPER heavy iron material. too heavy for me to even hold up. So he pulls the ladder down and climbs up it. all the while - super friendly. I mean how would he not be though?! he did bother me on a sunday morning!

I said "tyler, how did this happen?!"
He said something about driving in from Astoria this morning..!?? I don't know I didn't really catch it.

As he climbs up the ladder, I notice his belt with little mini skulls on it. now, he is preppy-seaming, but the skull belt, i know kt mac and nat would def give points for that.

After he gets upstairs, takes a couple of tries and opens his window. He mentions something about going to boxing practice (i think) and then to a wedding. I said "have a great day!" and I think at some point in there, I said yea, we'll be out here all summer so definitely say hello. i was friendly. and not entirely awkward as usual.

then I went inside and did this "holy shit! this never happens to me" excited dance. not only is the guy upstairs good looking and seemingly very nice, but he just had to climb up the fire escape from my backyard!!!!

then I also thought - woah, is he the one I can hear having sex upstairs. i don't know i always thought it was the girl who lived there. but to be fair, there are like 6 apartments upstairs, so not positive that it it his. it might be his neighbor. or he might have a lot of sex. I don't know. but still funny.

walked to the subway on this gorgeous morning, went to Hillsong NYC. it was good yall. actually found a seat this time. a good seat! the service was spot on. spot on. spot on. i'll have to write another post about it. and they sang

our God is greater, Our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other....
and if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us...

i love love love that song. sometimes, I really just have to claim it, make it my song, make it my voice.
I jetted afterwards of course, and have been home cleaning all afternoon. 4 loads of laundry. and i'm sitting here finally. really tired. but there are still lots of clothes to put away. where is Natalie when i need her??!! :)

then as if this weekend wasn't awesome enough, I try out some hotdogs and chicken on my grill to find out...we still have gas in the tank thingy!!~ woohoo!!! bbq time!!

chatted with friends today. just soaking in peace. life is good today.

HOME ALOOOOOOOONE!!!!!

2011-04-27T23:13:00.000-04:00

Yall!!! for maybe the second time in the 6 months months since my roommate and I moved into our NYC Studio I am HOME ALOOOOOOOOONE!!!!!!!!! WAHOOOOOOOO!!!!!

My roommate went home to surprise her family for her brother's birthday.

so from now until Sunday evening, I have the room to myself!!!!

I'm going to play this on repeat and learn the dance by when my roommate gets home. I kinda want to be gwyneth in this.

there's lots more to come this weekend!! TOP FORTY, SWEET CHEEKS!

Happy Admin. Asst. Day to ME!! and Thanks for nothin'!

2011-04-27T21:15:00.000-04:00

Today I received my first official “not for everyone” holiday (outside from my birthday and the major holidays).

As of 2 months ago, when I became an assistant, I am to be celebrated on this day – Administrative Assistant’s Day.

..but NO. not a flower, not a card, not a gift card, not a new pair of shoes, not a scarf, not a necklace.

NOTHING.

I’m just not sure if these people value my career and my contribution their administrative professional.

I light up this front desk every day. I am making people happier. I am making things easier for people to get more of their higher-level work done. I make their guests feel like they just walked into the best place on Earth. I hydrate those who need coffee/tea/water. I bring joy to the delivery people. I mean, come on!!

What’s the point?! If I’m not celebrated on my day.

I mean I guess, now, this holiday isn’t even mine.

All said, I’m glad no one did anything over-the-top=embarrassing. I don’t like a lot of attention, but people should at least realize the holiday. Maybe they are all still caught up in Passover and the Jewish holidays that seem to be going on for so long. That would be the case! GAH!!

Thank you to KT mac for both making me aware and for your well wish.

At Katie my roommate’s job, she has a team of admin’s. They took everyone out to a big lunch yesterday in celebration. I don’t know if she got anything extra today.

Oh well, people should learn. Always go above and beyond to be nice and kind to the admins. We make the junk happen.

So, cheers to me! I mean, who knows, I may never celebrate another admin asst. day.

And this one dude who has me running around all the time for him and fussing at me - he definitely owed me an admin asst. gift. ppl need to RECOGNIZE.

Sitting on the throne in New York City.

2011-04-27T14:04:00.000-04:00

I know I must have already posted on here how bathrooms are few and far between in New York City. When you are out and about, it’s very important to be super strategic about where and when you may be able to find a public bathroom.

This time though, I have a different thought about using the facilities in NYC. (sorry, if this is a little low-brow for you, but ..it’s something I THINK about!!)

This city, space is so valuable that even the bathroom space is limited. And in most places in the city, even at work, we are talking lone stalls. No men and women’s entire-wing bathrooms, it’s mostly just one door with one stall.

Because it’s NYC these single stall bathrooms are often times surrounded, on the outside of the bathroom walls…by a million people.

At Anthro, we have a hidden bathroom that customers aren’t to know about. It’s behind an “employees only” door on the top level of the store in the shopping area. Sometimes when I would be in there I would think to myself that if this wall went away, or if the door opened, there would be like 300 people on the other side, seeing me, the retail employee, going to the bathroom.

I think once in a bar bathroom here, someone opened the door on my roommate, and it was the same - door and then like 20 people belly-up to the bar.

At work. (and don’t act like the bathroom situation at work is not important!!) At work, not only do we have eco-friendly, flush-up for solid and flush-down for liquid, but they are their own separate stalls so guys and girls so guys and girls use the same ones. In the afternoon, when the bathroom traffic picks up, people are generally good about not standing outside waiting for a stall to open. I mean, it’s one thing if you’re in a line at a theme park or at the mall and it is a stranger that comes out and you go in right after them. … BUT it’s AWKWARD if it’s someone you work with or a person from the other wing that you will continue to run into the rest of the day/week/month/year(s).

My cousin visited last week. She took a picture in a bathroom she went into a some swanky club last week. One wall of the bathroom was glass as it was in the corner of a high floor in the skyscraper, so while you were sitting there doing your business, you could see out over Manhattan. That is weird.

I prefer my bathrooms to be tucked away. But I suppose I will get over that, much like I have had to get over my desire to pay with plastic for everything and have my own bedroom.

Complacency

2011-04-27T01:28:00.000-04:00

I sort of mentioned this in the last post, but want to expound.

I woke up the other night with this severe sense of desperately not wanting to be complacent here.

I don't want to get into this huge rotation of my new social wonderful NY life here.

I know I just experienced this huge transition last year with my career-home-city change, and that is not always every-day of life, but at the same time, I just do not want to lose my sense of urgency.

Urgency to change things. Urgency to care about others around me - from the most to the least of these.

I'm scared of becoming very "about me."

I want to be about Jesus.

what does that even mean?! I don't know, guess we should be reading in the b.i.b.l.e. what that means. to be about Jesus in life.

In a way, I have been waiting for life to become 'normal' here. To work a 5-day a week job, instead of 7 days. to have enough money that I have savings again. to build and be a part of a community of friends. to take time to enjoy really fun nyc and just be normal. But normal scares me.

nothing is great about normal. what has ever been achieved in normal?

i'm certain there is some middle ground in there.

sometimes all I see is black and white.

i'm scared of being in another job where I get by but am not truly contributing to anything bigger than myself. but I have to pay the bills, and this is what I've been given today to do that.

I expect things to happen overnight.

maybe that's my problem.

I just don't want to look back and have any regrets over time of what I haven't accomplished or how I should have better invested my time. or realize that I spent years dwindled away on tv or facebook HELLo!

It's kinda funny because as christians we are taught that God has a plan for us, a divine, detailed plan for our life. But it's not like we necessarily know it, some do, I guess in a very path, here-is-exactly-what-i-need-to-do sort of thing. and the greater rest of us, maybe, just have to take action and small steps of right things, good investments, that we hope add up to some large sum of difference in the world.

I don't want to be complacent. I want to invest in people. and learn. and give. and grow. and follow God on this journey with no regrets.

somehow my barometer says it what we do and how we give to others. how we love.

i want to do all of that enough.

Church Pickin' in New York City

2011-04-27T01:08:00.000-04:00

so I've been saying that I haven't found a church yet because I have still had to work a lot of Sundays. This is sort of true, but also because I just haven't found a church yet. I really liked Forefront Church where my friend Ashley goes. It is very much like Ridge and Northpoint that I love and is familiar. I feel like I could definitely see myself fitting in really well there. I have visited a couple others too.

oh and pause. I think the idea of "picking" and "judging" churches is pretty lame. It's like there are a lot of good groups of people that are doing really awesome things in the city.

But I have felt this huge pressure because I am STAYING in this city for my foreseeable future, and unlike Charlotte, where I didn't feel the pressure b/c I was only passing through...I know that here I really want to be somewhere that I can serve and make a difference and I really want to be with a church ppl that is going to challenge me out of complacency. I don't want to just BE in this city and forget about all the people that need physically and emotionally around me.

anyways. I, too, think it's dumb as people visit churches and say things like "that music was just 'eh'" or "the pastor didn't do enough of this or that" I feel like it's easy to be knit picky, but it's just not cool. At the end of the day, it's not going to be the place we last left, it will be different and hopefully beautiful and challenging in its own way. and most importantly, hopefully, it's a place where I can go meet with Jesus on Sundays. and do life with other people that love Jesus too. and find a home. and a place with an opportunity to give back time and money for God's glory. at the end of the day, surely, that's what i'm after.

I blogged about going to this new startup church here called HillsongNYC back in October (you might remember I met my lovely new friend tiffanie from columbia)

let me say all these things i'm about to complain about probably are dumb to say... my first impressions of hillsong nyc was this is a little wilder than where I want to go. lil too much charasmatic. they do some annoying things like sometimes make too big of a deal about ppl giving money or whatever. some things here or there that just rub me the wrong way like always making a big deal of their mothership church that's from australia. i guess maybe it only annoys me b/c I'm not that familiar with it or the characters. i dunno. i guess i do this in my own circle that I have grown up in. with the name droppin and junk , but anyways, i digress.

...then there are the parts of the church service at this place that really annoy me that I don't think are dumb that are actually really annoying. they do this 4 minutes of forced fellowship every Sunday!!! i am TOO SHY for this. talking to strangers for 4 minutes. i'm a true introvert. this seriously makes me want to crawl into a shell. no, this makes the teenage me want to crawl into a shell, the 27 yo me is like, whatever i'm gonna just sit here, I do NOT have to make a new best friend here today or speak to anyone. ha! don't worry, I usually awkwardly speak to at least one person for a half of a second. AND there was the one time last month during the fellowship that this greeter lady came and said hello to me, then started chatting to the couple beside me about small groups. She was hard-core recruiting them, and I was standing awkwardly in the middle of their conversation. it was AWKWARD.

and nothing ticks me off more than having to walk around and get in a long-ass line outside to wait in by myself to go to church. I spend the first 20 minutes annoyed and praying "Lord, help me to not hold this line in front of what I need to get out of this service today! and distract me from praising you!!" On Easter weekend, me and the girls got there 30 minutes early, had decent spots in line and still BARELY got seats. As natalie pointed out, the insiders filled most the seats the bottom. either that or there is a back entrance we were missing.

then there was the time 3 weeks ago when my future BFF that Shelly intro'ed me to who I'm praying will move to NYC soon- joined me here. We were standing the whole time in the balcony. STANDING!!. for the whole time and I couldn't see anything, I was stretching my neck around people. I would have walked out if I hadn't have been with this friend. I was just sitting there trying not to be so ridiculously frustrated and annoyed. I ended up sitting on the floor b/c I stood at work for 8 hrs earlier that day, my poor back could not handle another hour and half of it.

BUT after all my seemingly senseless griping, I continue to leave the service feeling like God is renewing my mind. and it is good. And feeling like God is meeting me and others there. and that His words are melting into my heart. that my eyes are being opened. and that my roots, the passion I have for this city, could be matched here.

I don't know if this place is where I could fit. I'm thinking maybe I should stop judging and just start getting involved. I got to start somewhere and you know it's not like I'm marrying the place.

I know this sounds crazy but I also thought - let me start investing my money in this place too. so I gave them money online this week. it didn't really make sense, so i thought it was a good idea.

None of this is really about me. it's about reaching this city with the good news that Jesus Christ lives. and it seems we both desperately care to do that.

guess I need to pray more. about where I should land. maybe I'm being lazy. if there's any tips on this. finding a church home in a new city. help a sister out. peace.

Friends friends and more friends!

2011-04-27T00:27:00.003-04:00

I walked in Thursday night from work to see these beauties sitting in my studio!!! this is natalie and kt mac. natalie and I were in small group at Ridge Church together when I moved to Charlotte and finally decided to get involved in a church and a small group. well, actually, I met Natalie when i 1st 1st moved to charlotte, went to a bible study with Twix and then quit after 2 weeks when I didn't want to participate anymore. but as fate would have it, Natalie randomly started going to Ridge too, and we have been pals since! Natalie is freakin' hilarious and she is always participatory. she is also a caller-outer for me, one of those people that I know will shoot straight. Kt Mac is my friend and natalie's fabulous, endearing wonderful roommate who is an absolute style guru. (even though, kt mac, i did read this week - fedora's are out and floppy hats are in. just fyi.) They are both just super fun girls.

We galavanted all around the city this weekend. It was a nice, mostly relaxed visit! we did some shopping, we sat on benches, we ate at a couple great restaurants. I took Friday off from work and Natalie helped me CLEAN my apartment. not the soap and water kind of clean, but the organizing kind of clean - the kind I am really bad at. I have another 4 bags of goodwill stuff in the hallway to go. Although, I will very soon no longer remember anything from my childhood or college years as it is all thrown away (and for the record, I got the pink bid day shirt back out of the bag - so i could make a dress with it!!) at least I will have an organized place, which hopefully means an organized life. We worked on this for hours on Friday!!

Saturday was shopping in Soho. The rain wasn't as bad to us as it could have been most of the weekend. and Easter Sunday was phenomenal weather and such a pleasant day! We tried to Brooklyn Flea it on Saturday, but we got all the way out there to see it's closed because of rain. We ate at Cafeteria and cupcakes from Magnolia! fortunately for us, KTmac went to school at FIT so she knew lots of cool places in the city to go. She also wore this hat (the fedora) that is called the magic hat. guys would stop in their tracks to talk to her. it was weird. but as this one guy snapped at me "OH, you wouldn't be making that face if I was telling you that!!"

my thoughts. ..."you're a douche, walk away and leave us alone. we are having a conversation."

we drank lots of coffee and wore lots of Kt's jewelry. she is releasing new stuff here soon http://evidencejewelry.com/home.html if you know of any jewelry dealers - home girl is super talented with her metal jewelry art. we wore her gorgeous necklaces and earrings around the city all weekend! We ate lots of desserts and we laughed a whole lot. We cooked in for two dinners which is odd in this city - where people do not cook in, but it's just right for us! We were all watching tv on Saturday night together loving life and just hanging in.

natalie said to me, "gosh kristen, you sure have a lot of friends!" (in reference to my visitors!)

I know I have. but it's amazing. how awesome my friends are. Natalie has visited twice in 7 mths. Twix has visited twice!! Tiffany has visited twice. My mom has visited twice! Christina has visited! My brothers have visited! My aunt visited! ...I feel like I'm leaving some people out, but the moral of the story is...my friends rule. and this isn't even mentioning all the friends that have been so supportive through email and fb and chat and all. I am blessed beyond measure. it's relationships. it's people. that's the good in life. it's like God's love for us represented in these nuggets of friendship.

omgosh. i just realized I haven't even updated you on the American Girl Doll store and cafe yet!! I will do this. don't fret. My time with Tiff and Trin celebrating Trinity's 8th birthday was one for the books!!! We had such an awesome weekend too!

And Patrick and Jon are visiting in two weeks. P and J are two of mine and my roommate katie's friends from college at GA Southern. Their visit is sure to be a blast!!

mmm...i love my friends.

YOU, PEOPLE!

2011-04-21T10:33:00.000-04:00

I guess nobody likes to be called a “you, people!” It’s a slang term that I sort of enjoy. I refer to those of you reading this post as "my people" as I also do to pretty much everyone in Harlem that I meet - I say those are "my people!" These people at work, so far, not "my people."

I brought cookies into work today for my co-workers. My roommate and I made a grocery trip to Target yesterday and they had on sale the yummy sugar, shortbread, frosted cookies! You know those kind we always used to get in college!! Wal-Mart also makes them and they usually sell an 8-pack for about $2.50. Well, I wanted some and I wanted to share these yummy cookies with my co-workers.

I nervously put them out at about 11am this morning – 2 packages of these delish cookies. I was very paranoid. This is a basically all-jewish-esque office. Most everyone is Jewish, but only one guy goes by the rules of eating kosher and being home at sundown on certain days. A couple of people were out for Passover but some not. It’s all very odd to me…and there is lots more to say about the jewish majority here and my ignorance, but that’s another post.

Not only was I nervous that my cookies were not jewish-friendly (and thus, would only be edible by about 3 people in the office, including myself), I was also nervous that they were “not good enough” for these people who mostly strike me as hoity-toity. I know that sounds bad, but they do have very high selection process for where they eat their meals. I mean the one guy did tell me McDonald’s is ONLY for hangovers.

So my co-worker/boss comes up to me and asks “where did these cookies come from?”

I mention that I brought them. My friends and I always liked to eat them.

Then she was like “where did you get them from?”

….

I was dreading this question.

I’m such a wimp.

I mean Target is money-saving. If all these people knew how much they could save, they would probably all be there too.

>>>

So then I say, because I can’t hold ANYTHING BACK… “Well, I got them from Target! But I didn’t want to tell anyone because I didn’t know if YOU PEOPLE would like them if you knew that!”

She was like “YOU PEOPLE?! HA!”

Then she said, “well, if anyone asks, just tell them you got them around the corner”

I guess people don’t like to be called “you, people.” It’s like it just slipped out because that’s how I feel. It’s me and the rest of these New Yorker business investment banking people.

>>>

I wrote this post yesterday, when I got the cookies.

1 pack was eaten yesterday, and I just took survey and there is a whole box left.

If it doesn’t get eaten today, I will have made my point.

Word got around that they were from Target and no one wanted them.

I’ll let you know.

Follow up to American Girl Doll Post: American Girl Doll Nudity, Transplants AND Child Humiliation??

2011-04-15T18:10:00.000-04:00

NEVER!!!

I have to share because I know there is some American Girl LOVE flying around out there! And since I am almost 24 hours from my dinner of chicken tenders and mac 'n cheese, or whatever it is that us, American Girl Dolls eat.

Another Samantha story.....from Brocco:

So I had Samantha TOO! :)

My little cousin was going to the American Girl Cafe here in Atlanta so my mom gave my cousin my Samantha doll to take for a head transplant (I was a little rough on her hair I guess).

Anywho my mom thought since they were keeping her for the transplant that she should send her without clothes to the cafe.

Just FYI this is a no, no. My poor cousin had an embarrassing moment where the wouldn't let her come in with my unclothed Samantha until they put a little hospital gown on her. Naked dolls are completely unacceptable as modesty a a value of all American Girls.

Live and learn.

...What a life lesson!!!

PEOPLE, do NOT take your American Girl Doll to the cafe without clothes! discrimination is still alive. she will not be allowed in.

Thank you Brocco for this notice. I will be sure my friend's doll goes clothes.

There will be photos/update from American Girl Doll Cafe to follow.