I LOVE FALL!!!

Autumn is by far my favorite season. It’s inherently nostalgic, the breezes carry the promise of upcoming holidays and family time…it’s romantic and allows you to take one last deep breath of wonderfulness before winter hits. Here are a few more reasons why I love this season:

1. The Weather! You can’t beat it. You don’t need to be wrapped to the point of immobility in heavy coats, scarves, multiple pairs of socks, etc…but it’s deliciously cool outside and you can curl up in blankets or fun sweaters while sipping hot cocoa or warm apple cider.
2. Leaves. They change colors. They make an enticing crunching/crackling noise when you walk on them. They rustle when blown in the wind. A true feast for the eyes and ears. And did I mention that they’re fun to jump in? We used to have huge leaf piles and I really enjoyed jumping in them…watch out for random sticks though…ouch!

3. Pumpkin patches. Do you remember taking trips there when you were in kindergarten? I sure do. I would try to find the largest, most perfect pumpkin out there only to realize that I couldn’t carry it so would have to settle on one with more character. Now I want to go out and buy a pumpkin.

3a.Pumpkins in general. For decorating. For eating (pumpkin pie…hello! And if you don’t already know, Kristan makes a wide variety of pumpkin treats that are out of this world!!). For carving. OH, and I’m seriously obsessed with these guys:

I went to target last night and they were on sale…let’s just say my self-control flew out the door in the Halloween candy aisle.
4. Autumn decorations. Enough said.
5. Just all the memories that come with fall: the first day of school. Sitting out on my porch swing. New all wardrobes. The joys of wearing a hat and gloves for the first time before you remember how burdensome they can be :)

Where Did These Come From?

So, when the employees at 1221 Avenue of the Americas (at least my floor) arrived to work on Monday, they were greeted with the addition of several items:



Wall hand sanitizer dispensers. There are two in each bathroom and several more spread throughout the floor (like in the kitchen area, etc.) Not too exciting but I thought it was a little quirky...the best part was listening to various reactions. You'd think they'd installed spy screens the way everyone was carrying on...

It Just Goes To Show You

Okay, first of all, a shout out to my wonderful father who always told me that life is full of things you don't want to do but have to anyway and that the experiences you look forward to least can turn out to be the greatest. Case in point...tonight.

I found out about this, in essence, networking event after work where I'd have the opportunity to meet some people in magazines and do a little schmoozing (is that even how you spell that?) I'm not usually into that kind of thing because I'm shy by nature and I just don't like to appear fake as I think so many people do when trying to "network". But I decided to follow my dad's advice. Well, when I got there I met a few people and it was all well and good. The Ad Director of Cosmo actually gave me some great advice, which I intend to put into practice immediately...

Well, toward the end of the evening I started talking with two girls around my age and they invited me to go to this Martha Stewart party with them. I figured "why not" so we jumped in a cab and headed down there. The exterior of the building was a little sketchy and I was kind of wondering what I had gotten myself into.

After getting off the elevator on the top floor we walked up the stairs to the roof. Everything up to now had been sparse and I was thinking we had missed the good part of the party (it apparently ended around 9:00...weird). But the roof was...beyond words! First of all, you can't beat this weather we're having right now. We were right by the water and had a breathtaking view of the Hudson and surrounding sights. I was in awe. It's the sort of view people write poems and songs about. The tables were decorated with gorgeous orchid bouquets (which, one of the managers gave me TWO to take home...not one...two!!) One table had a decorate your own cupcake station. There were three kinds of buttercream to choose from and so many toppings. It was hard to keep them elegant (as they appeared in the pictures...) and I felt like a kid that wanted to pile it mile-high with every topping...but I refrained. There was apple crisp and passed hors d'oeuvres.

Oh! And there was a station where the lady who wrote "Sex, Lies and Handwriting" (I think that's the name of it) was there to analyze everyone's handwriting...I thought that was really neat! It was interesting to hear what she said about me. I wish I had a picture to show you, but for some reason my camera wouldn't turn on (I really hope it's not broken) so I'll have to put them up when one of the girls I went with emails it to me. The event was great and I got to talk with some really interesting people.

HA! And EVEN BETTER...I'm telling you, cab drivers in this city love me. I was on the way home and realized that I wouldn't have enough cash to cover the ride home! So I told the cab driver that I'd either need to stop at an ATM or get out because I was out of money. Well, he told me not to worry about the money and I said no, that I wanted to pay him. And he said "what, you think a cab driver only interested in money? A nice girl like you and I can't drive you home? If you don't have no money, you don't have no money. It's okay"...
Thank goodness I only ended up being a dollar short or I would have felt terrible. But at least I didn't give my email to this one! ha.

And that is the story of my night. Just goes to show you that a lame event can turn into one of the best evenings!

2002

So, on Friday I received a random email from the IT Office at BYU, with part below:

"...Currently, however, we are unsure of what internet bill you are referring to. We are currently not charging for internet service if you are visiting the campus. If you would like to know about a bill, you can contact student accounts at (801) 422-4104. If there are other problems that we can help you resolve, please contact our office again."

Upon asking for clarification (especially since I haven't been a student since 2004) I received the following explanation:

"We are sorry for the confusion. It appears that an email that you sent in 2002 appeared in our inbox this morning. We are not sure how or why this happened. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Thank you for making us aware of this issue."

2002...how random!

Um...

Did anyone know that these M&M flavors existed? I'm now on a mission to find them...

All That Razz: Creamy white chocolate center surrounded by milk chocolate and a raspberry-flavored candy shell.

Eat, Drink & Be Cherry: Creamy white chocolate center surrounded by milk chocolate and a black cherry-flavored candy shell.

A Day At The Peach: Creamy white chocolate center surrounded by milk chocolate and a peach-flavored candy shell.

Orange-U-Glad: Creamy white chocolate center surrounded by milk chocolate and an orange-flavored candy shell.

AlmonDee-Licious: Almond surrounded by creamy white chocolate and a candy shell.

Mint Condition: Creamy white chocolate center surrounded by milk chocolate and a mint-flavored candy shell.

Nut What You Think: Peanut surrounded by creamy white chocolate and a candy shell
Cookie Mintster: Crispy center surrounded by dark chocolate and a mint-flavored speckled candy shell.

He's Baaaack

I was actually thinking that I hadn't heard from the cab driver in quite a while...but yesterday I got an email from him.

Hi
How u doing
I just want to send u a hi
I hope u success in u life

At least some guy out there is thinking of me :)

I Have a Confession

Today when my iTunes (which I often listen to 'all songs' in random mode) went to a Christmas song, I didn't skip it. In fact, I even went to my Christmas playlist.
(insert gasp here).
Try not to judge too harshly :)