Going Home

I'm going home at the end of this week and there are a few things I'm looking forward to (besides the first 2 these are in no particular order):

1) Spending time with the family
2) Waterskiing!!
3) Watching the fireflies from our porch swing
4) The scent of the corn fields
5) The sunsets and being able to see the stars
6) Consuming insane amounts of movie theater popcorn with my sisters
7) UDF and Young's Jersey Dairy (despite the recent diagnosis of lactose intolerance, I will be eating ice cream there - if it hasn't killed me the past 24 years, a little now and then won't kill me now, right?!) And there's nothing better than going to Young's for a strawberry milkshake accompanied by the world's best onion rings after a long day of skiing!
8) Sleeping in my own room
9) Going to the pool
10) Large pancake breakfasts
11) Seeing some old friends

It's safe to say I'm ridiculously excited about going home and think I might burst if the next few days don't go by quickly!

If anyone wants any souvenirs from Buckeye territory, speak now or forever hold your peace :)

I Have Never

There are a few things I always used in the game I Have Never:

I have never had a bloody nose

I have never been snow skiing

I have never cracked my own knuckles

I have never had stitches

Well, after last week I’ll be limited to the first three. I have now had stitches! Don’t ask me why I used an exclamation point there because it wasn’t a fun or exciting experience. I was running in Central Park and just as I was coming by the fountain on my way home I totally ate it. And I mean totally. I fell and slid. When I looked back to see what on earth had the audacity to get in my way and trip me I didn’t see a thing! Yup, I’m a klutz. My knee was pretty badly banged up with some cuts, but my arm was a complete disaster! One man came over to me with a napkin and said “I promise it’s clean”. I wouldn’t have cared if it weren’t – I needed something besides my shirt (already covered in blood) to put on it. (And, may I just interject here – as I was walking home, dripping blood – mind you, crying my eyes out, only a couple people asked if I was okay…what’s wrong with people?!!)

I don’t know what I was, or wasn’t, thinking when I decided it was okay to go into work after cleaning the wound. It was bad. But, I went to work. After having to change the gauze for a third time I decided I’d better have it looked at. So I called my insurance company and asked for the location of an urgent care clinic. The first two (yes, that’s right, TWO) turned out NOT to be able to do sutures…as you can imagine I was on the verge of a breakdown when I called for the third time. I didn’t care that I was standing in the middle of the street crying on the phone. I finally found a clinic and they were able to help me – after they made me wait 2 hours, that is. Showing the woman the wound didn’t help. And, don’t worry, I had to change the gauze again while I was there because it was still bleeding. According to the doctor, the cut was down to my bone (I hadn’t really wanted to look at it) and everyone kept saying they couldn’t believe I didn’t come in sooner. I can’t believe I didn’t either – I think I was in denial that I’d need stitches. Or in shock (which the doctor said). Or just plain crazy. Take your pick.

But, I’m stitched up now and healing very well. I didn’t actually feel a thing during the stitching, which I appreciated.

I’ve debated putting the photo up or not, because it’s really kind of gross, but I’ve decided to anyway – Maren & Amber (and any other nursing friends) – I figured you’d enjoy it.

Fireflies!

I love fireflies. I love the magical, whimsical sensation they evoke. Like you've stepped into a world where fairies exist, where wishes come true and where meadows of wildflowers abound.
To me, fireflies are synonymous with summer: With days spent by the pool and experiencing the joy of the hot pavement beneath my feet. With adventures past the fields and into the woods behind our house where we would build forts and tree houses and imagine all sorts of things. With sitting on our porch swing long after the sun had set, listening to the crickets and inhaling deeply to smell the fresh corn scent carried on the soft breeze that danced through the air.
I used to run around barefoot in my yard with a Mason jar and catch them. Not to brag, but I became an expert firefly catcher.
Last night Maria, Liz, Ali and I went for a walk in Riverside Park and I got to see (at catch!) my first firefly of the season! Needless to say, I will be making as many trips to the park as possible to delight in the wonder that fireflies bring!

Bird Watching

So - do you remember what it was like in First Grade? I thought I did...then I went to my sister's first grade class (she's the teacher) to help with a field trip. My goodness! I had a lot of respect for my sister's job prior to visiting her class - but now I think she's an absolute saint/hero/superwoman! Almost 30 kids with just one teacher? I swear, I've never heard the phrase "teacher! teacher! teacher!" more in my life than I did there - and that was just the 10 minutes BEFORE the bell rang for class to start. Every child wanted to be the center of attention. And they were all so adorable! And of course, she assigned me the most interesting ones to look after during the field trip to the aviary. Here are just a few highlights from the day:

- Telling Andrew to stop chasing the poor peacock
- Telling Andrew to stop climbing the fences
- Basically telling Andrew to stop doing whatever he was doing because it would more than likely result in an injury to himself/others/the birds
- Laughing hysterically at anything Brendan said. For example: One of the girls forgot her lunch at home and started crying. Since she lived nearby, she asked if she could run home and get it. Brendan's response to this was: "What's the big deal? Why is every body worried? It's not like there's no food left in the world. Jeez. She can get food here. Would everybody just calm down?" And he has the cutest voice too.
- Trying to find all the kids' shoes after they set them down on the playground and had no recollection of where
- One girl having blisters and crying and then suddenly watching all the girls develop blisters
- Watching the video of their class musical performance
- Remembering what First Grade was like

The next day we built boats in class and made them float in bins of water - I'll let your imagination run with how messy the place become. Chances are, it's not wild enough to picture how messy it really was!

Here are some pictures...the close-up of the little blond boy is Andrew...

Andrew chasing the peacock

I'm Moving to Old Lyme...

I’m obsessed with the city, but every once in a while I need to escape. I need to walk on green grass and breathe fresh air. But when you grow up with this (see image below) being your back yard can you blame me? I’m really a country girl at heart.



This past weekend I went to New Haven (technically Old Lyme), CT to visit some family friends. Mike and Brian came down from Boston as well and we had a fantastic and rejuvenating weekend. We’re already planning a trip back it was so wonderful!!

I took the train up Friday night and got off at the Metro North Old Saybrook stop. I met my friends and the boys there. As I’m sure most of you know, it’s unseasonably chilly – that night was cool with a blanket of misty rain that rested over everything like a deep sleep. This made it the perfect night for comforting food. So, what did we have? Pizza! We started with a delicious, crispy salad of romaine, fresh garden tomatoes and mushrooms, fresh parmesan and a house olive oil, balsamic dressing. I would have been happy with just the salad! But then came the pizza and it was wonderful! We had a chicken cacciatore, a Bacon, broccoli and tomato and a pesto with sautéed mushrooms (which was my favorite). Yum!

My friends’ place is idyllic – a bit of heaven on earth. Seriously…it’s the perfect retreat! We slept in on Saturday and when I woke up in my room upstairs I felt like Anne of Green Gables…they live in one of the oldest houses in Old Saybrook and it’s beyond charming. They’ve done a wonderful job decorating it! I woke up to the sound of birds chirping!! How cliché yet perfect is that?! And, call me ridiculous, but I was so excited about the fact that I looked out my window and saw a lush, vibrantly green tree! SO much better than an apartment building. Their yard is amazing!
Breakfast consisted of homemade oatmeal (no, she didn’t grow the oats, but what I mean is that it wasn’t instant…), fresh, warm bagels with cream cheese tomatoes and onions. The perfect start to the morning!

Then the boys and I did a little touring. We went to the beach!!! I took my shoes off and walked around barefoot. I could have died happy at that point. There’s something so liberating about walking barefoot on a beach. (Brian has all those pictures, so I'll have to wait to post them until he sends them to me...)



We drove through the old towns, went to a charming book place called the Book Barn (where I wanted to buy everything!) and saw a lighthouse where we shot pictures despite the fact that we weren’t supposed to. Oops :)



Lunch consisted of ice cream from the Old Lyme Ice Cream Shop (hey, it’s dairy, right?!) I had black cherry chocolate chunk. So you see - I even had a serving of fruit in there!



We went to the Bee & Thistle Inn (to be re-visited later) and sat down by the water on these three chairs...



Aren't you jealous? :)

Then we went back to my friends’ house and learned how to play Boules (the French version of lawn bowling) and now I’m slightly addicted! The boys were actually very good…I, however, need some practice. But we had a great time playing two rounds before dinner.



Did I mention that my friend is a food critic and an EXCELLENT chef? We have Caesar salad with freshly-grated cheese and homemade croutons, pasta with Bolognese sauce and warm bread straight from the oven.



For dessert we went to the Bee & Thistle Inn (owned by their friends) and let me tell you – this is everything every inn out there should aspire to become!
We were treated to the following:
Lemon custard cake with fresh berries and cream
Chocolate pot de crème with fresh whipped cream
Phyllocinni (Phyllo dough shredded, brushed with butter and sugar then baked) ice cream sandwiches with warm strawberry rhubarb compote and vanilla ice cream.
Um…hello!! It doesn’t get any better than that!

Basically, the weekend was perfect!

The results are in...

(well, half of them anyway...)

That's a "NO" on the avocado and lima beans and a half and half on the alfredo sauce...I don't hate it anymore, but I'm not sure it will ever be my first choice at a restaurant...

I still haven't been able to bring myself to eat cottage cheese...that was by far my least favorite. And I haven't seen any cordial cherries, so maybe I'm off the hook :)

Grown Up Tastes???

So you know how you’re often told when you’re little that your tastes will mature? And how your mom uses that as the reason you need to keep eating things you don’t like – because one day your “tastes will mature and you’ll like them”…I never understood that. Why force yourself to tolerate something? Chances are you never really will enjoy it, but rather just numb yourself to the taste so your gag reflex no longer kicks in. There are a few things I hated as a kid that I bet I’d dislike just as much today, despite my oh-so-mature nature :) haha.

For example:
Lima beans



Avocado




Alfredo sauce



Cottage cheese




and

Cordial Cherries



I'm known in my family for knowing exactly what I do and do not like, and being very specific with my tastes. Just go to a restaurant with me once and you'll probably know what I'm talking about. Sometimes I feel badly for the servers when I ask them how a sauce is prepared or if I can make certain alterations/substitutions (sadly, that doesn't stop me from asking…oops :) …I apologize to those who find this annoying. I promise I'm not really that bad!).
I've decided to see if my tastes really have matured or if I still don't like any of the aforementioned things. So within the next week or two I'm going to try them and return with you the results…

Now, as it’s not the holiday season, does anyone know where I can find cordial cherries? :)

Vita e Bella

So Liz and I have both been in the mood for a good tear-jerker for the past few weeks. What can we say? We’re girls. We need that every once in a while. We had g-chat conversations about the perfect one. There were some great contenders: Stepmom, The Painted Veil, A Walk to Remember, Finding Neverland, My Girl (remember when you were 12?!!)…but in the end we thought Life is Beautiful would be a good choice. Well, after putting it off for a while and then not having it the night we wanted to watch it, I decided to order it from Amazon.com. (Love them, by the way, a total one-stop-shop!)…
Yesterday I got a wonderful email alerting me to the fact that my box had been delivered…Of course I had to g-chat Liz right away! We both agreed that it couldn’t have come on a more opportune day and decided to watch it that night. It was wonderfully poignant…I laughed, I cried…was inspired and moved. It’s such a beautiful movie!! And I love Roberto Benigni. He’s brilliant.
This is an unforgettable movie that truly demonstrates life, love and the power of the human spirit. (wow, I should write movie tag lines!! Haha) Watch it. You’ll love it!

April showers...

Peonies are my favorite flower (Followed closely by lilacs, lilies and daisies). I love the way they look, the way they smell, and the fond memories I have the peony bushes we had in my yard when I was little (I always hid behind them - predictable? Yes. But can you blame me? They're so pretty!) I was so excited to see that they are now available at all the florist shops! It really did brighten my day/week...aren't flowers wonderful?

This lovely bouquet now resides in my apartment. I have to resist the urge to carry it around with me (a la "You've Got Mail" style) everywhere I go!

If this is what all the rain we've received of late brings, then I guess I'm okay with it...I guess...

Here's hoping for even more flowers in May (wink, wink guys...)

Full Circle and An Invitation

Edmund:
Th’ hast spoken right, ‘tis true.
The wheel is come full circle, I am here.
(Kind Leer Act 5, scene 3)

"Full circle" is Edmund's coinage, and he employs a now-rare meaning of "full": "complete." In essence, Edmund's use of "full circle" is close to what I’m trying to get at (though, he’s talking about the inevitable workings of fate and I’m talking about blogging…but work with me here…) — that once someone's actions have passed through phases only to return to their starting point…

Since my last post I’ve gone through phases and fits, both hilarious and enlightening experiences and now I can say, as Edmund, “I am here”. I’m putting an end to my blogging moratorium. The reason for this? Basically, there was a little prodding from some people (wink wink)…and maybe it’s an act of hope that I’ll have a lot of interesting things to write about this summer…who knows, but here I am…

A recap of the past 5 or so months would be unrealistic, but I’m sure there will be stories and photos that pop up from time to time…but, to kick it all off, I do have a funny little story to start it off again…

I was walking home and thoroughly enjoying the nice weather (let me rephrase that – GORGEOUS, made-for-a-movie-weather) and had turned down 73rd street. There was a guy approaching me who wasn’t all that hard on the eyes (hehe)…tall, dark hair and he pulled off his 5 o’clock shadow very well….he said hello so I returned the greeting and kept walking. From behind me I hear “Have a nice day”. Feeling very happy because of the spring weather I decide to turn around and tell him that I hope he has a nice evening as well. I turn to go again and he keeps talking! He was walking into the NY Sports Club and told me that if I ever wanted to come in, that it was on him (but I don’t know if he worked there because he didn’t have on a uniform or anything, just regular work-out clothes…do the employees change there??)…I smiled and said thank you and turned again to go. He then introduced himself and told me his name. Unable to resist I told him mine, smiled and said goodbye. This is one time I actually didn’t give out my phone number or email…for previous readers of this blog, you may be well aware that I have a bad habit of doing so and it’s resulted in some awkward/borderline scary situations…but he was so cute I’m kind of thinking it might have been worth the risk…(insert sigh here)…But maybe I’ll see him again some time...maybe…

New York, A Place Where You Can Truly Have It All...

I think the photo says it all:

Forbidden Romance

I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff. Loving from afar. Flirtations. That kind of thing. It's wonderfully painful in a way.
I think that's why my two new crushes stem from two shows that deal with exactly that...forbidden romance.
Pushing Daisies and Moonlight. I'm in love with Ned and Mick St.John!! I'm hooked, sucked in and committed to watching these shows. Sigh.





But, let's be honest, as great as forbidden love is, I want there to be a good resolution, I only accept happily ever after...

Watch these shows!!!!

ps - the blog is still under construction...I'm working on a new design...

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Please pardon our appearance while we work to improve your blogging experience...

Eavesdrop? Moi?

So, I’m really big into eavesdropping on people’s conversations when I’m out in public. I know, I know, probably not the most polite thing to do, but it’s just hilarious sometimes. Like the time I was in the nail salon and overheard this girl telling her friend why she was better off without this guy:

“He was so boring anyway, you want someone who has personality…I mean, at least someone with a pulse!”

Seriously? A pulse. It was just the way she said it. I’ll admit that a small burst of laughter escaped my lips, but I don’t think she noticed…

And then I was in the break room making what would be one of three cups of hot cocoa and just to smile at the conversation I overheard. Two of the most flamboyant women in the office were speaking half in English, half in Spanish. I just got the biggest kick out of the inflection in their voices (and this post really won’t do it justice). If only it wouldn’t have been rude to turn around and see if their faces matched the lilt…

Woman A: I know I couldn’t believe ….Spanish, Spanish, Spanish, Spanish….do you see what I’m saying?
Woman B: Spanish, Spanish, Spanish…it’s like he just…Spanish, Spanish, Spanish,… just annoying. And I try to tell him.
Woman A: You just have to put your foot down. That’s what I did…Spanish, Spanish, Spanish… And then he’ll just have to understand.
…

The conversation went on like this and then I left. If only the best parts hadn’t been in Spanish!

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 :)