What Did You Do Yesterday?

Bubba and I went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

 

 

 

 

All's Well That End's Well

The Party was great! A huge success! I was worried about 5 pm as I was finishing everything up because I ended up with only 23 chocolate mousses instead of the 26 I was shooting for. But I had some cheese and apples for those not in the mood for chocolate (how could THAT ever happen!) or just too full to consume any. Turns out that I had about 8 left over! Everyone had a fabulous time, even the babies! And no one had to stand in the bathroom unless on purpose. Pigs is right, small apartments make for a cozy party. Afterwards we took the party to our favorite drinking establishment, The Dive Bar, and proceeded to stay out until 3 am. WAY too late to actually make it to church the next day! We are bad, I know. And I'm still trying to recover from not getting enough sleep over the weekend. Wish I had the week off like some people.

FYI Pigs, I served these little individual chocolate mousses I found in Southern Living, February 2005 issue. They were excellent and really quite simple. I made strawberry sauce instead of raspberry, though, because I couldn't buy frozen raspberries. I'd highly recommend them for your party!

Party Central

I'm having a party at my place on Saturday. Bubba and I are participating in a Progressive Dinner with our Couples Class, and we are having dessert at our place. I have never participated in a progressive dinner party, so I'm pretty excited. The difference here is that this is Manhattan, and space is limited. We have 31 people, including children (all under the age of 10, mostly babies) who are coming. That's a lot of folks, even if we were all to be in a house! So our organizer has split everyone into 3 groups for dinner so everyone can sit down, and we are all together for appetizers and dessert. Now, the most people we have ever had at our apartment at one time is 12, I think. Even if a few of the parents don't make it to dessert (which means they miss out on my fabulous mousse!), that leaves roughly 2-dozen people coming to my small one-bedroom apartment. I was thinking about it last night, and decided it will just have to be like the big party Audrey Hepburn throws in Breakfast at Tiffany's where there are so many people that some end up standing in the shower. That means I better make sure the shower is clean! Yikes! Talk about good, clean fun!

That's A First

Joel and I were walking down the street today and passed a man who was....knitting. That's right, he was walking down the street whilst knitting. Looked to be a pot holder or hot mat or something, but the needles were a-goin', and the yarn was in a bag on his arm.

Not something you see every day, even in New York.

Is That Dandruff?

Bubba and I spotted snow flurries on our way to the subway this morning! Woo hoo! Not having grown up in the Cold North, I'm always excited for the first snow. Makes me want to break out the skis or build a snow-man.

Happy Veterans' Day!

If you're like me, you probably didn't realize today was a National Holiday until you were on your way to work and there was significantly less traffic on the roads. Or in my case, people on the subway. Or if you have kids in school and they are at home today. My memory lapse does not in any way reflect my gratitude to the Veterans and Active Service men and women who make my way of life possible. It just sneaks up on me, and as I have to work (not being a government lacky or bank teller), I usually don't have any idea in advance. But here's a big THANK YOU from lil' ol' me to all of you out there with a family member who was or is in the service. I myself have a handful. You make me proud to be an American and thankful I live in such a great place.

Do You Want Fries With That?

I watched Super-Size Me last night for the first time. If you haven't seen it, rent it, put it on your Netflix list, borrow it from a friend. It's great. Maybe the best documentary I've ever seen. Needless to say, I may never eat at McDonald's again. There will have to be dier circumstances. I was amazed at what the food does to your body. Makes me want to go on a diet or run a mile or something.

The best part was one of the deleted scenes showing the decomposition over 8 weeks of various sandwiches and a large fry. After 8 weeks, the fries had NO mold on them. Ew. Gag a magot!

Quick Update

So sorry to not have posted since the NLCS victory for the Astros. Somehow I never got around to posting about the actual World Series, but I've been busy. And am seriously sleep deprived from staying up late to watch all those games! ~Yawn~ But now that baseball is over I can concentrate my sports efforts on college football! Go Horns!

Nothing much going on, I had a concert last Monday night at Juilliard that went so well our director is wanting the group that sang to make a recording of some sort this summer! Exciting stuff, I'll keep you posted on that. Bubba's folks were in for the weekend, we had an excellent time shopping and running around the City. I always love for them to come visit and only wish I had room in my tiny apartment for them to stay so they wouldn't have to get a hotel. Oh well. The new job is going splendidly, I'm really enjoying it and can't believe I stayed at my old one for as long as I did.

Guess that's about it, nothing much to report. The City is fabulous this time of year. "I love New York in the fall, makes me want to buy school supplies." Bonus points for those of you that can get that quote (besides Mols).

TTFN!

THEY WON!!!!

I can't believe it! Astros win! Astros win! The Houston Astros are in the World Series for the first time EVER! That's right, they have never played before. You can take Houston off of the list of teams never having even appeared in a World Series.

I had choir last night, so I didn't get to watch the game until the 6th inning, but Roy O. dominated!!! Joel and I were much more casual about this game, trying not to get our hopes up, considering what happened last time. But when the final 27th out was made in the bottom of the 9th inning, there was jubilant celebration in the Barron household. Joel was just jumping up and down saying 'WORLD SERIES! WORLD SERIES!' We popped open a bottle of bubbly and answered the phone calls that came flooding in from friends and family. What a game! World Series Party at our place Saturday night, hot dogs and champagne will be flowing!!!!

Instant Replay

I keep playing the top of the 9th over and over again in my head. I can't help it. I can't think of anything else. It's terrible. This is why I can't get too involved in games. I can live and die by them. I am my father's daughter. Papa was not able to sit through any basketball game in the stands with Mama I ever played in because it made him nervous. He'd stand over on the side with the smokers and sneak in and out to keep tabs on the action. He couldn't watch, and I never understood. It used to make me upset and angry. Now I get it. I can't handle the pressure. I'm depressed today, and all I can think about is the last 3 batters and how close we were. Instant replay of something I would like never to have happened and never to have to see again. It's over. Yes, I know tomorrow is another day, but yesterday was our day, and yesterday is over. And there is no tomorrow.

A Chapter Ends

It's my last day at work. Bittersweet is the word. It was my last day (until February) to walk to work with Bubba. My last early morning stroll down 23rd Street (I'll be getting off a stop earlier). My last cup of coffee from my coffee place where they know my order and make it when I come in without my asking. It's a day of 'lasts,' but it's not sad. Part of me wishes things had been different and I wasn't leaving. But the other part of me is very excited to be starting something new. A door is closing, but a window as opened and I'm jumping out head first.

It's weird, when I've left jobs in the past, I've been much more emotional than I am now. Even in Dallas, where I fully intended to return. I think that's because I was much more connected with the people there. They were, and are, my friends. Here, that connection just does not exist. So I'm not sad to be leaving the people. I don't think of people here as my 'friends' per se, just my co-workers. I think that's the difference....when you say good-bye to friends, there's a lot more emotion involved. And, I'm just going around the corner, I'm sure I'll run into them sometime. Although Manhattan is a place where you can live or work around the corner from someone and NEVER see them unless you plan it.

Anyway, I'm turning a corner today and not looking back. Here's to hoping it's better this time.

Rubbing Shoulders with Famous People

So, here I'm bitching about the subway, and the coolest thing happened on it today on the way home! It was super crowded when I got on at 23rd St., and I had to fight over someone (again) to get to the middle of the train. I hit this guy's newpaper, said 'Oh, I'm sorry,' and looked up....right into the eyes of Philip Seymour Hoffman! On MY train! I said 'I'm a big fan!' and turned around to hold on before I crashed into him (which would have been TOTALLY embarrassing). I rode shoulder-to-shoulder with him to 42nd street, where we both got off to change trains. How cool is that! I kept thinking of things I could say, but couldn't come up with ANY of the movies he's been in lately except for the new Capote movie, which I can't wait to see. (That always happens, doesn't it? You completely lose your memory at the most inopportune times!) But, I'm a fan of not fawning over celebrities and letting them just live their lives, so I didn't say anything else but 'Bless You' when he sneezed. I really don't know what he was doing on a subway train at rush hour on a random Thursday when he could be in a car with a driver, but it's cool that he was just being a regular guy, going about his business.

New Yorkers seem accustomed to celebrity sightings, but I hardly ever see any (I don't hang out in the West Village enough), so this is so cool!

Subway Irritation and Germ-o-phobes

I ride the subway to and from work every day and never cease to be amazed at how rude and totally oblivious people can be. When I get on the train, I head straight for the middle, where the AC is the coolest and there is WAY more room than by the door, because for some reason people like to crowd by the door. (And, I could get lucky if someone gets up to get off and I can easily take their seat!) Crowding is not usually a problem in the morning because there are more trains running to handle the peak hour traffic. This morning was different. We rode the express train from 96th St. to 42nd this morning, which is not unusual for us as we will more than likely pass a local train we can switch to. This morning we arrive at Times Square/42nd street and discover a PACKED train platform with people waiting for the local train. Not a good sign. One finally does arrive, and we all squeeze together to make sure we get on THIS train and not have to, God forbid, wait for the next one. This one jack-ass middle-aged guy in a business suit with his briefcase pushes his way to the front of the line, then doesn't move all the way in. He takes the obligitory, half-hearted one-step in towards the middle. I guess he thinks this will appease people behind him and make us think he's trying to move in more. I am squished between Joel and this very large stinky woman and can't even reach over to grab hold of anything so I don't fall over. There is literally room for 4 people on the other side of this guy, as well as two seats, TWO, in the middle of the car! At the next stop, I ask him to move in some, and he doesn't do anything but move a little step and lean over so I can climb OVER him AND his big briefcase. Joel has no such luck, and asks him again. His answer....'I'm getting off at the next stop.' Yeah, well you and half of this car, buddy, so I'm sure you'll be able to get off. He doesn't move, and Joel even says, 'We'll let you off you know.' I am all stretched out in my seat, which I didn't even have to squeeze into, and Joel is elbow-to-elbow with people seething at this one guy all stuck by the door. He in fact does get off at the next stop, and Joel and the rest of the people move into the middle of the car, cursing under their breath.

I don't know WHY people HAVE to stand by the door in the subway. Half the time they won't even move for you to get out or in! I just throw them a shoulder now, serves them right for not stepping out of the door and letting the rest of us off. I swear, it's like they think they won't be able to get back on or something. Pisses me off no end. Everyone walks around in this crowded city thinking THEY are the only thing that matters. Take care of Number One, and screw the rest of you.

All of this irritation was lessened only slightly by the silly girl who got on at 72nd street and didn't want to touch the pole in the subway car to hold on to for fear she might get cooties. We made fun of her lots! She was bobbing and swaying and stumbling around like an idiot, and bumping into the people around her who were smart enough to hold on. She was about to fall into the person next to her and had to finally reach out and grab it, and she only touched it with 2 fingers!!! Really, people will risk bodily injury to avoid 'germs' they can get off of the door knob. Haven't these people heard of hand sanitizer!? We have a whole generation of people that are wussies. If you are THAT afraid of germs, what the hell are you doing in New York City!?

New Blogs!

Hey, check out Grope for Luna, Wes and Roxi's new blog! Tell them Katie sent ya!

7 Things

Compliments of The Singing Pig

7 Things I Plan To Do Before I Die
1. Have a few kids
2. Move back to Texas
3. Travel to Ireland
4. Learn to speak another language
5. Own a complete set of crystal, fine china, and silver
6. Learn how to knit
7. Retire by 60

7 Things I Can Do
1. Sing a high D above the staff at 8am
2. Play the trumpet
3. Make perfect snickerdoodles
4. Drive a stick-shift
5. Sight-read a piece of music almost perfectly
6. Design a storm sewer
7. Make a three-pointer

7 Things I Cannot Do
1. See without my glasses or contacts
2. Beat my husband at Trivial Pursuit
3. Root for the Mets
4. Raise either eyebrow
5. Trill my R's on command
6. Smell fresh-cut grass without sneezing
7. Eat an kind of a melon (watermelon, cantelope, honey dew)

7 Things that Attract Me To The Opposite Sex/Another Person
1. Sense of humor
2. Smart
3. Sincere smile
4. Clean-cut
5. Strong faith
6. Can make me laugh
7. Is not afraid to appear vulnerable

7 Things That I Say Most Often
1. Howdy y'all!
2. Baby!
3. Are you effing kidding me?
4. Hello?!?
5. Seriously....
6. Your mom (try living with Joel and not saying that)
7. I'm not from around here....

7 Celebrity Crushes
1. Ron Livingston
2. Chris Noth
3. Robert Redford
4. Vince Vaughn
5. Sean Connery
6. George Clooney
7. Peyton Manning

7 People I Want To Do This
1. Bubba
2. Molly
3. Wes
4. Timmie
5. Roxie
6. Jody
7. Rebecca

We're Ba-ack!!!

I should have posted over the weekend, but I was a little pooped and occupied with other things. The trip was fabulous, and I'll be posting up some pictures soon (we have lots, let me know if you want the link to see all of them), but I can't do that at work, since I don't have the software here. Needless to say, we got back on Tuesday and by Friday I was having a 'wine-withdrawl' and needed a little fix after work (thanks Michael and Angela!).

I also want to tell you all that my news is now official, I have a new job! I accepted a position with another engineering firm the day before we left for Italy, and gave my two weeks notice at my current job on Friday. It went very well, my boss is disappointed, but didn't throw me out or anything. It's like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders and life is looking fun and exciting again! Not many people (in fact, only 2 that I know of) know about my resignation right now, but I'm sure word will get out soon. I'm not going to break the news to anyone just yet. But it is fabulous! Yeah! Champagne all around!

Do What You Can

This is my call to all of you to give to the Red Cross, or to your religious organization of choice, to help the Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast. New Orleans is down for the long-haul, it will take weeks, if not months, to get all that water out of there. Trust me, I'm a civil engineer. Also, encourage your place of employment to match your donation. This is our tsunami. Yes, it's that bad. So please, do what you can to help.

Geez I'm Old

My baby brother turns 21 today. Happy birthday Colin! Welcome to my side of legal! About 3:30 this afternoon, 21 years ago, Grandadder was picking me up at school to take me to the hospital where I had a new baby brother! Gross, a brother! But you were super cute, and I can still remember you sucking your index finger (even thought I STILL have no idea how you did that!), holding your little diaper, and riding around on the wooden horse in the front yard with your little boots on the wrong feet! You were so cute! Now look at you.....you're a cute OLD guy now! Time flies....

If you're a single female out there in the DC/Baltimore area and looking for a cute sensible guy, just let me know. If you're lucky, I'll put in a good word for you.

The Other Shoe Part Due

Well, I think I figured it out. The Other Shoe. I happened upon a tremendous opportunity less than a week ago that will change things as I know them. I can't reveal it now, although some of you might know or can guess, but I promise I will be revealing it shortly. The reason for my sealed lips is my upcoming vacation and need to keep a secret for the moment. In case, God forbid, someone actually READS this blog! But I promise I'll give you the news as soon as I possibly can.

I said vacation? Yes! My vacation! I'm going to Italy with my lovely husband for 13 days! Venice, Siena, Florence, and Rome. I am already mentally drinking excellent House wine, eating the best bread and olive oil in the world, and waiting for my excellent pasta dish to arrive. I confirmed our seats on the plane today, printed out our email confirmations from all the hotels (really, what did we DO before everyone had email?), and started printing maps. We are renting a car to drive around Tuscany, and I'm thinking now that we need to just buy a map. It will at least minimize the upcoming navigation argument in which I tell Joel to go one way and he disagrees and tries to grab the map, even when everyone KNOWS you have to listen to your navigator! We have even packed our bag, just to make sure we have enough room. Apparently we do, as I ordered a new duffle bag from Lands' End and it's HUGE. I thought I ordered the 'Large' cappuchino. (Anyone besides Joel know that movie quote?) I mean, we BOTH put everything we were planning on taking in this ONE bag, and it's got plenty of room for more stuff! And, I can even carry it! Either we are excellent packers (which we are), or we got lucky with a bag bigger than we expected so we can buy lots of stuff to put in it! Maybe it's both...

Anyway, I am very excited and ready to leave right now! But there are 3 MORE DAYS of work to get through. Ugh. Not sure if I can make it mentally. You all have to comment so I have something to do over the next few days.

The Rains Came Down

And the floods came up. Anyone else know that song?

We had some really cool thunderstorms in NYC last night! With big lightening and cracks of thunder loud enough to make car alarms go off on Riverside Drive. If it hadn’t been so damn hot outside, I’d have turned off the A/C and opened the windows to listen to it. (Alas, it was bloody hot here all weekend, miserably so. The thunderstorms were riding piggy-back on a cold front, so we got a slight reprieve from the suffocating temperatures, but not enough to warrant turning off the A/C for even a few minutes.) It was just fun to watch out the window! I know there was flooding and loss of power in other parts of the city and in NJ, but we were just fine.

It made me miss Texas, where storms like these are a regular occurrence and always take me back to my childhood. We had GREAT storms out in West Texas! The power would most likely go out (due to our location 5 miles outside of town) because the wind knocked a tree branch into the power line and boom, no more electricity for our half of the county! So we’d all scramble around in the glow of the electric storm outside looking for candles and matches and flashlights (almost none of which actually had batteries) and the oil lamp we kept for just such an occasion. My parents house has crank-open windows and one was always open somewhere (more than likely there were a lot open, as the big thunderstorms happen in the spring and fall when it’s not so hot and there’s a nice breeze to cool the house), so we’d also scramble around the entire house to shut all the windows before the deluge of rain hit. My brother and sister and I were never frightened by the storm, it was always somehow thrilling to all of us. Out where we lived, you could see it approaching for miles, and I think the fact that we could see it for miles away and knew it was coming even before darkness set in that kept us from being frightened when it actually arrived. If the storm was really bad, we’d be pulled from our beds to go down the road to the neighbors’ or into town to my grandparents’ to escape to the basement. We didn’t have one. I liked to stand up above ground at the garage entrance with the men to listen for the fire-house siren (warning people of the approaching tornado) and to watch the rain come down in sheets. To this day, I still love sitting and watching the rain. Listening to it. It calms me.

The only dangerous thing about the storm yesterday was the flooding in spots and the lightening strikes. I’ll bet the Empire State Building got struck a few times. And when it rains that hard, the subway floods (which is not a good place to be anyway, as they are run off electricity and that’s bad in the rain!) and the trains just don’t run. But, as we had no where to go, we just sat and watched the rain. The perfect thing to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Reminiscing

I got a phone call last night from a person I haven't talked to in 10+ years. Dusty Holland, a guy I briefly dated in high school (junior year, I think). He called to see if I was coming to our 10 year high school reunion this weekend. OK, it's Thursday night around 9 pm. He's calling me in New York City to see if I'm going to be there tomorrow night for the Class of '95 bonfire out at the river. Hmm, let's do the math. I live roughly 1500 miles away, it's late the night before and it would take me all day to get there tomorrow (flight to Dallas, then flight to Amarillo, then 2 hour drive to Wellington). Don't think so. I jokingly said something to the effect that it's a little far for a drive, etc., but I don't think he got the irony. Never really was a sharp cookie.

Anyway, it was strange to talk to someone I used to make out with in my driveway on the phone again. No, he did not call me for romantic intentions, as he's married and so am I. He was our Senior Class President and it's his job to get people to come to our class reunions for the rest of his life. But I don't think calling someone the day before the event to see if they're coming qualifies as getting the job done. We chatted for a few more minutes, quickly ran out of things to talk about (What are you doing now? How do you like NY? How's the weather? I'll bet it's cold in the winter. Etc.) and I hung up, thanking him for calling and to please tell everyone hello for me. Then I called my mother to ask why she's giving my number to random people. (She didn't give it to him, so I have no idea how he got it.)

So I guess I'm having a 'Gross Pointe Blank' John Cusack moment. 10 years. Where have I been? What did I do with myself? Am I where I thought I'd be 10 years later? Do I like where I am in my life? Am I missing anything? What did I learn? I must say I am thoroughly pleased with the past 10 years and don't regret a moment of it. I wouldn't change anything, either. Hindsight is 20/20, but those stupid things you did at 20 only helped to shape the person you are at 30. I like where I am and don’t feel like I’m missing a thing. In the past 10 years, I went off to college, earned my first real paycheck, failed a few classes, drank a lot, gained 20 pounds made crazy new friends, lost a few friends, fell in and out of love, earned a degree in engineering, got drunk with my parents, married the love of my life, read most of the bible, moved twice, had 4 jobs, and earned a professional license. I learned that you should not use an exacto knife when you are seriously sleep-deprived. I learned that sleep-deprivation can make you very ill. I learned how to make a killer margarita. I learned that friends come in and out of your life, but those that count are always there, no matter the distance or the time apart. I learned how to carry 4 wine glasses in one hand and 3 plates on one arm. I learned that my parents really DO know everything. I also learned that I should listen to their advice, but it’s ok not to take it. I learned that a little flirting in business never hurt anyone and almost always gets you a smile. I learned that how to enjoy being by myself. I learned how to cross-stitch. I learned that it’s better to listen than to yell. I learned that gossip can be toxic. I learned how to swing dance. I learned that you should let your bridesmaids pick out their own dresses in the color of your choice. I learned how to maximize my use of space. I learned that you can fall in love in a weekend. I learned that holding hands on a walk is one of the most satisfying things ever. I learned how to cook. I learned the positions on a baseball team and how to keep score. I learned that you can lose good friends because of life changes, and that it’s not necessarily a bad thing. I learned that most people really don’t care what you think. But mainly I learned not to take myself to seriously and enjoy the day-to-day things life throws at you.

I’m ready for the next 10 years. Maybe I’ll make it to my 20 year high school reunion. It will definitely be interesting to see all the old faces again. And secretly think I did better in my 20 years than they did! ;)

Wright is Wrong

Did you know that if you fly Southwest from Dallas, you can only fly to other Texas cities served by SW or the states that border Texas? Dallas is the location of Southwest Airlines’ headquarters, yet you can only get to a handful of other places from there! All because of the Wright Amendment, which was set up when DFW Airport was opened to limit air traffic in and out of Love Field Airport, located a mere 15 minutes from downtown Dallas. This is a HUGE advantage for American Airlines, who pretty much has a monopoly set-up for flights to Dallas. Dallas is a MAJOR airline hub, with that single airport being one of the busiest in the country, up there with Chicago and Atlanta (NY and LA traffic are split between the different airports servicing those cities). Southwest will only ever operate out of Love Field, which American doesn’t even use anymore, so DFW and American are not threatened in any way. There are only good things that can come out of repealing the Wright Amendment. The main thing most of us care about is that fares will go down for flights to and from Dallas, as they do for all major cities that Southwest starts flying to, thus making things better for the consumer. Cheaper flights for everyone!

So, visit Set Love Free and see if your Senator and/or Congressman is supporting the bill (one for the House and one for the Senate) to repeal the Wright Amendment. If not, please write them a letter asking for their support! This is antiquated legislation and it's about time we got rid of it!

Snub Update

It's getting better around here. Have had several actual conversations with 2 of the snubbers. I call that progress! It's not completely over, as the other snubber will probably never speak to me again. Good ridance, I don't like her anyway and she's way too imature for a cool girl like me to even worry about! ;) So, for those of you who were worried, thank you for your kind words and thoughts (screw those stupid bitches!!!). All the good karma has helped tremendously.

The Other Shoe

I haven't figured out what I'm waiting for yet, but I've come to terms with it. I need to just enjoy the moment, live in the moment, and stop worrying about what's around the corner. This is very hard for me, as I am a self-prescribed Planner and am happy to be so. I married a bigger Planner than I am, so this sometimes becomes a problem. But when my Planner Husband tells me I need to stop worrying about planning something I don't know about yet, I know it's time to cool it. Life is happening all around me in this wonderful city. (It's wonderful again now that it's not 100 outside. Yes, I know those of you in Texas are saying so what, but I'm a Texan, too, and it's a completely different thing to leave the nice air conditioning to go wait 10+ minutes underground in the oven that is the subway system. 1 minute is bad enough. And, most people here, myself included, do not have central air. It's much worse here than it is there.) I have things to look forward to, not things to wait in angst for!

In the meantime, I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Wait for It, Wait for It.....

Do you ever feel like you are waiting for the other shoe to drop? Feeling like something is about to happen, but you aren’t sure what it is? It could be good, it could be bad, you have no idea. But it’s something…. It’s just lingering out there, just out of reach in the daily grind that is your life. You go through your daily business, trying to stay busy enough not to think about ‘that thing.’ When you don’t even know what ‘that thing’ is! It is frustrating, and can make your days very long. It’s not like waiting for something you KNOW is going to happen. Like a wedding, or a new baby, or a move to a new city or house. Those are things you have planned, things that can’t get here fast enough and you are waiting, but time seems to fly by and then all of a sudden it’s here. But NOT knowing what you are waiting for is infuriating!

Patience is a virtue. It’s a virtue because most people don’t have it, and it seems like a good quality to have, so we all feel like we need it because we all want to be virtuous. I ask God on a regular basis to ‘give me patience, and give it to me NOW!’ ;) Too bad it’s not that easy. I saw a quote once that said, "Patience is waiting without worrying." I never really associated patience with worrying, but I guess they go hand in hand. My impatience lately does not really have any worry associated with it. I don’t know why I am impatient, so what could there be to worry about? I just feel like something is going to happen. Like there has to be something better out there, and I’m waiting for it. I’m ready. Bring it on. Just hurry it up damn it!

I Can See You!

I have a fun new toy. Google Earth. It is an aerial photo system of the entire world. That's right, the WHOLE thing! Cities are mapped in very good resolution, so I can easily find my home and work buildings here in New York, and my old apartment in Dallas. However, when I go to Wellington, TX, the map isn't so good. But still. It shows roads, terrain (check out Nepal or Colorado!), and even buildings in major cities. I went to Hawaii, Rome, and Moscow this weekend, all in the same day! You can type in any city, address, or zip code and it zooms you away across the globe. I should have bought stock in Google when they went public. This is fantastic, and will occupy you for hours at a time. You download the free software to your computer, it even has different options depending on the speed and internet connection. Try it! You'll thank me.

Are You Gonna Eat That?

It's Saturday night, we are going out to dinner with friends, it's nice weather and we all want to sit outside, but we can't decide where to go. It is the most frustrating thing! One problem is that I can not remember names or locations of places we have eaten at before, and I can't figure out why. Probably for the same reason that I can remember all the words of a song and not have any clue the name of the song. So, when I am trying to think of a place we've eaten at before that I really liked (or didn't hate), most likely I can't remember the name. You see the problem. We pour through the Zagat restaurant guide trying to find some place that isn't too expensive, isn't inconvenient, has outdoor seating, and decent food. This is a real problem. I'm starving, and it's 6:20 pm....

You'd think in a city full of fantastic restaurants, this wouldn't be an issue...

HUZZAH!

I have just realized that blogspot pages load on my work computer again! For months now, the servers at work have been so super slow loading up blog pages that it inevitably times out. This has not been good for me, as work has continued to get more and more boring and I find myself with not much to do. However, I can’t just sit on the internet, either, but I can be crafty and make the page available offline for a short time. At any rate, today we have a breakthrough! I can blog at work again! This is so exciting! Now hopefully I will be better about blogging on a more frequent basis and give you, my loyal readers (those of you that are left) something to entertain you.

Like the fact that I’m being snubbed at work because I ‘hurt someone’s feelings.’ Um, hello? It’s work? Not only did I apologize for unknowingly hurting someone’s feelings, when I wasn’t even referring to her in the first place, but I did it TWICE! That’s right, I went back for MORE of a beating. So, now the said female is ‘mad’ at me, and she and her little friends are ignoring me. Not responding to hellos, looking the other way as we pass in the bathroom, and not including me in conversations taking place in my own cube with my cube-mate! Unbelievable. My job has now reached the point of unbearable. When Pigs Sing, you think you have it bad, you should come sit with me for 8 hours! At least you work with actual children, instead of adults ACTING like children. It's like I'm back in junior high and dared to speak to the 'cool' girls. I've about had it, so don't be surprised if I go crazy here in a few days.

Travel on a Holiday Weekend

The title should tell you everything. It sucks. As I try to keep this a PC blog, I will refrain from the 4-letter words I am thinking right now. My parents are coming in for the long weekend from Texas. They not only got caught in thunderstorms in Dallas (which is not unusual, as it's July and that's what happens there), they ALSO are dealing with very strong thunderstorms in New York! Actually, not NY, but New Jersey. F^@#*$% New Jersey! You'd think they could fly around the storms, over Pennsylvania where there aren't any, but no. They circle around over Delaware and Maryland until they get cleared to head towards NY. And, for your information. La Guardia is the WORST airport to fly into if there is bad weather! They shut all runways but one, and it backs up like you wouldn't believe. Well, they've been in the airplane for so long (11:30am, to be exact), that they ran out of gas and had to land in Washington at Dulles International! Another terrible airport! Geez. They were supposed to be here at 4:15, and it's now 7:00 and they are in Washington, at least an hour flight, if not more. Needless to say, I'm having a cocktail and trying to remain calm. Mama called, and they are ok, so I guess I should be, too. I know others out there are fighting bad weather in airports on a holiday weekend, so feel free to share you story. Even if it's not yours!

There is a God....

I PASSED THE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS EXAM!!!!!!

Whew, such a sigh of relief. Especially when I got the letter this afternoon, I scraped by with a 70 even! Man. skin of the teeth, that's for sure. Joel did not get his letter, but we know he passed, too, it was posted on the internet this morning. I'm sure he got above 90, he's Mister Smarty Pants. I don't really care, the main thing is that I don't have to do that ever again! YEA!!!!

You must all now do a little dance for me. Go on, you know you want to. Oh yeah, and champagne's on me!

Our new home, I mean, our B&B in Savannah. 

My niece and nephew with me in Hilton Head. 

Nothing to Report

Seriously. Absolutely nothing. My life has been pretty boring lately. Still no test scores, sorry to disappoint you. I DID recently go on vacation to Hilton Head, SC, and it was FABULOUS!!! Mainly because I was in desperate need of a vacation. On top of that, not much to report. Work is not very fun, no choir shows, nothing to really bitch about. Well, nothing worth writing about, anyway. Nada.

Ooh, ooh, I DO have a crazy New York story, though! Joel and I were on the way home from work one night this week, and we ended up on the train with 'The Talker.' We go to our normal spot to wait for the train (yes, such a thing DOES exist), and we should have kept walking because there was a man standing there just talking to himself and complaining very animatedly about the train not coming. Continuous drivel about how this always happens to him, any time he wants to go somewhere, etc. And it didn't stop there! A pregnant woman and her daughter were standing there, too, and he looked at her and said 'Do you have room in your apartment for another kid?' So, Joel and I were just avoiding him so he wouldn't 'talk' to us! He talked the entire time on the train, too! It was quite funny, actually, after I got over the uncomfortableness (is that a word?) of his jabber. It was very Woody Allen. In fact, he sounded like Woody Allen, with his whiny voice!

Also, the weather is much better now. In fact, it's almost chilly today! And it's 2 days before the solistice! I'm loving it....

What should I get Joel for our anniversary? It's our 4th, on July 7th. Ideas?

D-Day plus 2 hours

It's over. Thank the Lord. It was much tougher than I expected. Now The Long Wait settles in. I won't get results until July. After a nice subway ride and walk home, I'm having a cocktail and waiting to find out what we are doing for dinner. Tomorrow I'm going to.....oh, I don't know. Do absolutely nothing? I think I'm going to get a massage. Then, nothing. I'm not even going to plan it. If it happens, it happens.

The worst part was the NY proctor lady with the TERRIBLE accent. OOOH, like nails on the chalk-board. Bad. Very bad.

D-Day minus 1

Well, it's here. The Test. The thorn in my side for 3 months is finally here. Tomorrow at 6:45am, a black car will arrive outside my apartment to whisk Joel and I to the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn by 7:30. For a grueling 8 hour day. We each have our bags of books packed and have been relaxing today. I took the day off to relax, get a pedicure, watch a few SATC re-runs (I think I'm obsessed), read my book, sit outside in the sun, and just thoroughly enjoy myself and my day off. We're ordering in (our favorite take-out, Saigon Grill) and going to bed early. So far, there are no nerves. I'm not promising anything tomorrow, so say a little prayer for me. Then I will be a free woman! Wish me luck! Fingers crossed!

Springtime in New York

It's almost here. Spring. It's a marvelous thing. Having lived my entire life until about a year ago South of the Mason Dixon Line, Spring has always been more of an Urban Myth than a season. In West Texas, the arrival of the 20+mph wind on a daily basis really marked the end of winter and the beginning of the the windy season (aka March-October). In Dallas, Spring arrives around February/March when the tulips bloom and you can start wearing open-toed shoes without looking silly. In Houston, Spring doesn't really exist. The rainy winter pretty much just goes straight to summer.

Now that I live in New York, Spring is an Event! It is something to be celebrated, almost worshipped. This was the first warm weekend of the season. I scrapped my attempts at studying (it's the last weekend, then I promise I will stop talking about it) and we went for a long walk after church today. Everyone was outside! Random people at church had red-sunburned faces. I, for one, can not WAIT to don my shorts, tank top, and flip flops and soak up the sun in the park with my big water bottle and current favorite read. Spring in New York is wonderful. Everyone in the City is in a better mood, the restaurants spill out onto the sidewalk, all the baby-strollers have the plastic-thing on the front taken off so you can actually see the child within, and the sun is higher in the sky so you aren't just squinting all the time. It is GREAT!

So, if you are considering coming to visit me (and I really hope that you are!), April and May are the best time. May is better, because the weather is all the way warm, although you need a lite jacket, and all the flowers are in full bloom. But come, you will not be disappointed!

Don't I Know You From Somewhere?

We were on the way home from dinner in Chelsea last night, riding on our regular local subway. Late night, it's better to stay on the train you are on then get off and wait on the Express. We like to watch the late-night crowds on the subway, as you are guaranteed to see something strange. Like the woman so short her legs didn't reach the ground when she sat down! But, I digress. At 50th Street, lots of people get on and the train is super crowded. I look up to continue my people-watching, and see someone I know! My old friend Natalie from Longhorn Singer days! She has long hair now and so I wasn't sure at first that it was her, but she recognized me, too, and we both said 'What are you doing here?' at the same time. Turns out she was in town visiting a cousin that lives here on 72nd Street (thus the reason she was on my subway line), and I clued her in on the fact that I'm married now and my husband and I live here. It was by far the most random thing that has happened to me in a while, if not ever. I mean, what are the odds of running into someone in a crowded New York City subway car (and there are at least 10 cars per train) that you haven't seen in 5+ years in a completely different part of the country? We didn't get to talk long since she was getting off in 2 stops. I didn't even get to give her a hug as we were crammed in and talking over a bunch of people. Oh well, it was still cool to see her and wish her well, etc.! What a strange coincidence! Joel, of course, didn't think it was that odd. Typical.

(Incidentally, I can't for the life of me remember her last name! Anyone know her too, and want to help me out here? Geez, I'm getting old. I can't remember last names of people I hung out with for several years in the height of my college career. Must be the alcohol consumption.)

Spring? Here's hoping. This is from April 25th last year. One month to go! 

Got Milk?

Most of the time, people fall into categories. Coffee drinker vs. tea drinker. Sweet cereal eaters vs. plain. Mustard vs. Mayonaise. City-slicker vs. Country-bumpkin (I think I am both). Crest vs. Colgate. Action Movie vs. Romance. Coke vs. Pepsi. Beer vs. Wine. Email vs. snail-mail. It classifies us and occasionally gives us something interesting to talk about. I have a new one....Those that drink the 'used' milk out of their cereal bowls when they are done with the cereal, and those that don't. I fall into the latter category. I am a life-long cereal eater. I have it almost every day. As does my husband (we are simple people, nothing fancy here!). But I WILL NOT drink the milk out of the bowl when I'm done. My Papa used to do it in front of us after he polished off his bowl, and it would make me gag. I just do not like the milk sweetened by the cereal, or the little left-over cereal dregs floating around. Yuck. Give me a plain ol' glass of milk with my cereal, and I will drink the entire thing. But not the leftovers. Call me wastefull, I just can't do it. That would be the deal breaker for me on Fear Factor.

I also do not like flavored, sweet milk. Like chocolate or strawberry or vanilla. I never did as a kid, and I certainly don't now. I like it plain and cold. No sweet milk for me, yuck. I also don't really care for sugar in my coffee, either. Must be something about sweet drinks that I'm not fond of. Hot chocolate, pass. I'd rather have hot coffee. I'm weird, I know.

Which category do you fall into? Are you a dregs drinker?

Is That the Best Use of Your Time?

I read this article today at work, and it made me tired. It's on the heels of another article I read in Newsweek about uber-moms. The latter was enough to make me not want to have kids for another 10 years. The fact of the matter is, I want to have kids in the next few years. But, I digress.

I just want to put my two cents out there about how I hate the fact that people now seem to have their lives revolving around their children. Adult parents have no time to themselves, let alone with each other, because they let their kids run everything! Whatever happened to baby-sitters? Whatever happened to telling your kids no? No, you can't play baseball and hockey and take piano lessons all at the same time because Mommy only has one car. No, you can't have a new video game. Use your imagination. Whatever happened to 'down time?' Kids dream up imaginary friends because they are bored and want someone to play their 'pretend' games with, like house or army (depending on gender). When was the last time you saw a kid who looked bored? If they looke bored, you are probably mis-interpretting the half-closed eyes and lack of attention as boredom, when it's really exhaustion. There's been a lot of articles written on this topic lately, and I will not even begin to pretend that I have an answer to the growing problem of over-scheduling. I also have the luxury of having a job that is pretty much and 8-hour-a-day job, with occasional needs for over-time. But I still would like to know that when we do get around to having children, and I have to decide if I want to work full-time or part-time, or even stay at home, that I will continue to have a life, albeit a very different one, and it won't revolve around my children!

I will leave you with this....when I do have children, you can bet your ass that they can ride in the back-seat of the car and just stare out the windows! We can play 'I Spy' or the license plate game if they get bored.

Send In The Clowns

I got to do something really cool last night to help alleviate my boring, study-filled life. I sang at a tribute to Steven Sondheim. One of the theaters in town puts together a free series called Wall-to-Wall, in which they pay homage/tribute to one particular composer. Last night was Wall-to-Wall Sondheim. The Juilliard Choral Union sang 3 pieces he wrote that Jason Robert Brown composed for us. It was perhaps the coolest thing I have ever gotten to do. And, and, and....I even had a solo in two of the pieces! I sang, by myself, in front of Steven Sondheim! Granted, it wasn't for very long, but it was still by myself! Everyone said I did good, so I guess it was ok. I didn't screw up or anything! Yesterday was Sondheim's 75th birthday, so we even got to sing happy birthday to him! Me, the choir, Alfred Molina, Angela Lansbury, George Hearn, Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone and Barbara Cook, to name a few. It was awesome!!!

The only bad part was that it was an extremely popular event, especially because it was free, and Joel didn't even get in. Lines were around the corner and it was standing room only. It may be the coolest thing I have ever done, or will ever do (although it's still too soon to call that), and my sweet hubby wasn't even able to share it with me. :(

(That was for him, but between you and me, it was AWESOME!!!!! Maybe it will make my singing career take off! Yeah, right.... What career?)

Writer's Block

I have absolutely nothing to write about. But I thought I would check in and see how everyone else is doing! I have no life, I study, go to work, and go to rehearsal. Boring. Nothing to talk about. Although I do get to sing in a concert for Steven Sondheim on Saturday! Google him. Go ahead, I dare you. He's famous, and I'll be singing his songs! Put that in you pipe and smoke it!

Please write me and tell me about your glamourous, warm, fullfilling lives. Please. I'm desperate.

Evil Alcohol

I have a wicked hangover this morning. We went to our local bar after dinner, did not stay out late, and really didn't have that much to drink. So why do I feel like I partied like a rock star? I figured it out, I think. I was not drinking my usual things, either beer, whiskey, or vodka tonic. I was drinking cosmos. My drinking-past has proven that sugar and alcohol in my tummy do not get along. I can drink whiskey straight all night, but had me a fru-fru-girly-pink-drink, and I'm done after about 2 of them. That was an incredibly dumb move on my part. To top it all off, I woke up early this morning, instead of sleeping it off like a normal person. I have to study today, and we are having a party tonight, so there are preparations for that, too. I don't have time to feel this way, because I can't just lay on the couch and watch movies! Argh!!!

Partiers.com lists several hangover remedies that I'd recommend to those of you in the same position I am in. I'm sitting on the couch trying to rest my head and type at the same time, eating toast and honey and drinking coffee and water. I guess I made my bed, so I have to lie in it. Too bad I can't go to sleep in it....

It's Official

I am ready for Spring. I got a new catalog yesterday and spent the morning flipping through the cute new clothes for Spring and dog-earing the pages containing articles of clothing I want/need/have to have. Then I succumbed this afternoon and actually purchased a few things. All in a desperate attempt to try to get Spring to get here sooner. (I have the attire, can't I wear it now?) No such luck up here in NYC. In Texas, you'll have the occasional warm-ish days in February/March (let's face it, pretty much any time between November and April) when you can wear a skirt without panty hose and not have your legs freeze off. You can wear sandals or opened toe shoes instead of boots and lined all-weather shoes. You can leave the house wearing a light jacket or sweater instead of a heavy coat. You don't need a hat or scarf to fend off the wind. The lining of your wool pants doesn't get cold and freeze your legs while standing on a corner waiting for the light to change. I am tired of stopping at the coat check for happy hour. Tired of close-toed shoes (I NEED sandals!). Tired of standing in front of my closet wondering which pants look the least-wrinkled and dirty because I'm tired of dry-cleaning everything after one wearing because it's got puddle-splatter on the hems. Tired of having hat hair. Tired of the sniffly nose every time I come in from the cold.

Unfortunately, it's still cold. Supposed to be for another month. I'm kidding myself in thinking that I'll be able to wear anything short sleeved for another 2 months, as I have found myself wishing for a light jacket in MAY up here. I can safely wear my sweaters for another 6 weeks without feeling too warm. Boo.

So, please enjoy the warm weather for me. Walk outside without a coat, hat or gloves! Wear sandals for me ladies! Show off your new pedicure! Go without panty hose! I must live vicariously through you. And while you're at it, send me your warm thoughts! I need all the help I can get.

Mucus Alert

I am about sick of this. If you could sell snot for a profit, I'd be loaded. This is ridiculous! I hate this stupid cold! Blowing my nose all day, not being able to talk regularly, having a stuffy head, and not being able to pop my ears. I've had enough, I am miserable. On top of that, I didn't even stay home from work today. I went because I thought I needed to get something done today, and that they were waiting on me to send it out. I was wrong. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. I am skipping choir tonight though. I don't have a voice, and my constant nose blowing would be very distracting. However, when I emailed the chorus manager about not being there, he emailed me back that it's the best policy to be there if you feel ok and sit in the back. He didn't even tell me to feel better! Hmph. So, I am just not going to grace them with my presence tonight. I'm going to sit at home and stay out of Joel's way, as it's his night for 'alone time.' He gets sole control of the remote, can cook or not cook (but I'm not going to cook, so he'll have to feed himself somehow), can have the computer all night if he wishes, etc. Aren't I a nice wife? ;)

Vermont Smorgasbord

I am very disappointed that NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON posted about my Gates picture or blog. SHAME ON YOU! You know who you are.

Anyway....

We just got back from skiing in Vermont. It was very Vermonty. We stayed in Woodstock, VT, downhill skied in Killington, VT, and cross-country skied in Woodstock. Joel sliced his leg open in a freak fall and had to get stitches. Downhill, not cross-country. He's fine, just irritated that now he has to go to the doctor to get the stitches out. I also came down with a cold. Pooh. I should buy stock in Kleenex. The cross-country skiing was great, we both really enjoyed it and are both sore today. But it was totally worth it, we will definitely do it again. It snowed about a foot yesterday, making everything even more beautiful. I would definitely recommend a trip to Woodstock, it is a very cute town and close to several ski areas. Now I am back in the City and wishing I didn't have to go to work tomorrow. Maybe this cold will take over and I'll just be sick all week. This makes two times in as many months that I am blowing my nose so much it is interferring with my activities. -Sigh- I'm ready for Spring.....

The Gates in Central Park 

The Gates

It's pretty cool, I must say. And, I figured out how to post pictures! With that I am well pleased. Joel and I went on Sunday to 'experience' The Gates. We have had several people ask us about them, and we are going to be putting all of our pictures up on our webpage soon, so check it out. I'm so glad we lived here when this was done! It looks rather strange from a distance, but up close it is very neat. I loved it!

Skinny People

I had another concert this past week. The smaller chamber group of the Juilliard Chorus (of which I am a member) sang in a performance with the New York City Ballet Company. We sang Leonard Bernstein's 'Chichester Psalms,' on stage, in costume, and the dancers danced to our singing. (What a concept, right?) It was a totally cool experience, and the choreography was a great interpretation of the words. It is sung in Hebrew, 5 Psalms combined into 3 movements. Really a beautiful work if you ever have the chance to hear it. Bernstein was a genius. We have half a dozen more performances of it at the State Theatre with the ballet, 2 at the end of this month, and 4 more at the end of April.

We had our first rehearsal with the ballet dancers on Wednesday. That means I had my first experience with dancers up-close-and-personal. And I was shocked to find how THIN they are! Not just thin, I think the appropriate word to use is SKINNY. I was always skinny (more like scrawny, and no, I'm not anymore) growing up, and hated the word, but there is no other word to use. When you can count all of your ribs AND vertebrae without sucking in your breath, you are skinny. Waifish. Unhealthy. When you are in the audience watching the ballet, you never seem to notice this fact. But being on stage with them was really an eye-opener. I mean, they are SO strong....that fact I am actually jealous of. Makes me want to work out and eat salad and things like that. Give up bread or something. But on reflection, I'm very pleased with my shape and the fact that I have boobies and enough body fat to ovulate and perhaps bear children someday. Seeing people as skinny as that makes you appreciate your own flaws a little more, you know?

As a side bar, when watching the girls dance 'on toe,' the question that always comes to mind is 'How do they DO that?' It's incredible. And so hard! It's amazing!

The Endless Quest for More

Why do people seem to feel the need to have the biggest and best of everything? Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon? Americans seem to constantly be thirsting for more. Bigger cars, bigger houses (God forbid your kids actually have to SHARE a room), bigger boats, better schools, more exhoribant vacations, bigger tvs, more media outlets in the house, more and more and more money. I recently had a friend make a large purchase of one of the items mentioned above. The only reason I found out was because she can't come visit me now because of it! This event has made me reflect on the status of my own checkbook. I am not wealthy, nor will I ever be in monetary terms, but we make enough money to cover the bills and still retain and contribute to a savings account while living in this very expensive city. But I also don't constantly strive to have the latest-greatest things. We like to travel, so that's usually what we spend extra money on. We have retirement accounts set up that we contribute to every month. I know money is a touchy subject to broach with most people, myself included, but why do people constantly live outside their means? Yes, we only live once, but there are so many people that need the money you just spent on those new movies you'll probably only watch once WAY more than you do. Anyway, there's really not a point to this blog, just my ranting about people that, in my opinion, make poor decisions. Rant done.

Age-old Question

What should I wear? This has eluded women, in this country at least, for decades, if not centuries. I would say since the dawn of time, but I'm doubting the biblical heroines were all that concerned with what to wear on a Saturday night.

We are going out to dinner for a friends' birthday to a pseudo-swanky place neither I or my husband have been to. I looked it up on Shecky's, and it appears to be a happenin' place to go for dinner. A see-and-be-seen type of place. This is not the kind of place Joel and I typically grace with our presence, as they tend to be expensive, the food is not good enough to match the price, and as we are married to each other, we aren't looking to hook up. Now, 'not gracing with our presence' is not from lack of want, really, but we just never know about these kind of places, you know? And, it's not in our neighborhood (UWS), so it's out of the way. (In Manhattan, if you have to go too far downtown, or cross-town, it's out of the way and, especially with the latter, almost impossible to get to.)

Anyway, back to the question at hand....what do I wear? Jeans and a cute top? A skirt and sweater? Jeans, dress shirt, and sweater? Boots or flats? It is February in New York, so that automatically rules out sandals and uncovered legs. But, it was a balmy 50 degrees today, so a sweater might not be a good idea either, as I won't want to sweat, and thus smell, all night. Sexy is a must, as I want to look good in a sexy place. I'm thinking skirt, but then it almost feels like I'm going to work. And this is bad on a Saturday. Jeans and boots might be good, but what shirt? My husband is not good to ask, as he just gets irritated that I can't decide and I inevitably make us late. Granted, for a straight guy, he has very good taste in clothes, and always does well picking outfits for me. But when it comes to Saturday night kind-of-fancy dinners (but not dress up), he's not the person to ask. A woman is. But, I am fresh out of those. I need that cool computer program Alicia Silverstone has in Clueless to choose her outfit without trying everything on. Anyone have one of those? Can I borrow it?

Now, I must stop blogging about this and go stand in front of my closet for a while. I only have one hour before we have to leave. And another cocktail to consume while fuming that I didn't go shopping today because I was doing this. Oh well, it's Saturday night, I'm in the greatest city in the world, what am I complaining for?

Study Break

I'm tired of studying. It is draining and boring. But it's almost every Saturday for the next 2 months. Boo. BOOOOO!

Shadow Sighting

According to the groundhog, we are going to have 6 more weeks of winter. Stupid groundhog. What does he know? I'm all for winter in it's season, and it will last 6 more weeks here anyway, if not 12 or 16.

My mother-in-law tells me her tulip tree is covered in buds in Houston. Just talking about flowers makes me want to see some! You certainly appreciate the spring more when you have to wait so long to get a little. There will be no tulip tree bud sightings here for at least another 3 months. I am not quite done with winter yet anyway, but apparently Spring is coming up fast, as all the stores in NY are stocking their Spring line. I can't think about cute pastel colors right now! I'm still thinking of buying a few sweaters at these super sales because I have 2 more months to wear them.

BTW, who thought up Groundhog day anyway? Why is the designated groundhog in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania? Did you know they want federal money to open a Groundhog Day Museum there? That's crazy talk.

Streaker

I just remembered a hilarious scene from last night!!! OK, I mentioned it's cold here. It was yesterday, too. With very cold wind. So, we come out of the pub last night around 10:15, all bundled up with scarves over faces, etc., and are walking towards the subway with our friends. We'd left someone behind, so I turn around to see if she has actually come outside with us, when I see this man running down the street towards us. It's New York, it's not late, so the sidewalk actually has people on it despite the cold (smokers cursing the smoke ban in the City!). But, he's hard to miss, because he is not wearing a shirt. He has NOTHING on the top of his body! He looks a little deranged, and is running in the male-prone position (you know, shielding the goods). After he passes, it turns out that he also is not wearing any underwear, as his ass is practically falling out of his jeans. I'm talking a half moon, people! Normally I would think nothing of this, as you always see weird things on the street here. But the extreme temperature had everyone turning and taking notice of his nudity. When he crossed the street, still running, some guy actually took off his top layer, a sweatshirt I think, and gave it to the poor guy! This all happened in a period of about 1 minute, and all I could do was gawk at the scene. All of us standing on the corner just kind of looked at each other and busted out laughing. It was so funny! It was sad, too, but sometimes you just have to laugh at the strange things you see on the street that you can't explain. I'm pretty certain he was homeless, thus the lack of clothes, but why was he running? Did someone steal his clothes and he was running away? And if he wasn't homeless, that's even weirder! Did his girlfriend kick him out? Is that why he wasn't wearing underwear? If I'd stuck around on the corner, would a man run by in a few minutes wearing a shirt and nothing on his bottom half? Did the streaker dude steal pants from some poor person so he wouldn't be completely nude? At this point, it doesn't really matter, but it makes for a good story to tell you non-New Yorkers who don't get to see this kind of thing on a regular basis. Feel free to chime in with your version of the rest of the story.

Can I Borrow A Sick Day?

OK, I am having a hard time making it this morning. My body is rebelling. It is WAY too cold outside to come to work today. It's 6 degrees. Wind chill -6. If you don't keep your body parts covered up, they could freeze. Does this sound like fun to anyone?

On top of that, I have a slight hangover this morning. Not a late night, just happy hour, with almost no food, and all of it junk, and a few beers. Wasn't drunk when I got home, neither was Joel, but we both woke up at 4am this morning REALLY hot, extremely thirsty, needing some water, and rumbly tummies. We had the same amount of food and beer. I blame the food. And the stupidity on my part for not drinking a gallon of water before I went to sleep. Oh well. Only 7.5 more hours to go until I can lay my head down again! I am going to need more coffee....

I should have called in sick. It's too damn cold to do anything but snuggle up under and blanket and watch mindless re-runs of Friends today while drinking coffee. Oh, and water. Lots of water.

SNOW!!!!

It's snowing! I mean, it's snowing BUCKETS! When you look out the window, it looks like rain. Except that it's snow. We are very excited. It's the blizzard of 2005! The grocery store was a madhouse, according to Joel, and there's a surprising amount of people out and about. I don't expect this to be the case much longer, as it is accumulating fast, and they aren't really plowing the side streets. We're expected to get 14-20 inches! For us Texans, that's a lot! Everyone is really kind of freaked out about it. I'm rather surprised. But we love it!

Unfortunately, I have my concert tonight at Carnegie Hall. Brahm's Requiem. I mean, I'm excited about the concert, but I wish it was last night instead of tonight so I could stay home and enjoy being snow-bound. Oh well. I guess I shouldn't complain about singing in Carnegie Hall. The snow must go on!

In other news, this weekend is the one year anniversary of our move to New York! Tonight, exactly one year ago, we were arriving into the City on the coldest day of the year! So, the snow storm is in honor of our move to the Great North. And, we are still loving it!

BlogExplosion Addiction

Well, I wouldn't call it an addiction, but it's definitely something I find myself doing a lot more of lately. Especially with my new BlogExplosion account! Ginny got me hooked. You become a member (for free), surf other people's blogs that are members, and earn credits to get your blog in the loop! Confused? Yes, it can be rather confusing at first. But once you get the hang of it, you get a thrill at earning points. And, you get to find some really cool blogs out there. If anything, you get ideas on how to make your blog more interesting and look really cool! Try it and see! Just click on the link I have on the side over there (scroll down, it's the one that's blinking) and sign up. Did I mention it's free? I get referral credits, and you get more people reading your blog! Fun stuff.

Created Equal

My friend Ginny, who is a teacher in Texas, wrote a post today about the No Child Left Behind policy the Bush administration is enforcing. (Read it before you read this post, it will make more sense.) I swear, the more I learn about public school education, the more I never want my kids in it! But, I'm totally a public school girl! What is wrong with this country! I am in total agreement with Ginny, by the way, and wish there was some way to get across to people that WE ARE NOT ALL CREATED EQUAL! On Civil Rights, yes. On our ability to choose to accept these Civil Rights, yes. On basic human principals, yes. As Americans, yes. But on an intellect level, NO! It is a fact that there are just some people smarter than you. And, inevitably not as smart as you. Yes, every child should be afforded the opportunity to do the best that they can to achieve the highest level they can reach. But lumping all children into one category, regardless of IQ level and performance on aptitude tests, is just doing an injustice to all of the kids concerned. Well, at least to the kids on the extreme ends....I'm sure those in the middle end up doing a little better than they would have otherwise. So, not only are my kids (who will be smart, of course! ;o) not going to get grades, not play on teams where there is a 'winner' and a 'loser,' and not be punished in school if they screw up, they will more than likely get less-than-stellar attention from their teachers, because said teachers are too busy trying to get the 70 IQ-ers to grasp basic concepts, while being unable to reward them if they DO happen to grasp said concepts. And, this isn't even the teacher's fault! Great. I'm SO looking forward to having kids and dealing with stupid school boards and administrators who haven't got a CLUE about how to teach my kid! The government needs to re-evaluate their policies on education before we all end up sending our kids to private school.

Under Duress

I'm at work today. I'm not happy about it. It's a Federal Holiday, and I swear that Joel and I are the only 'professionals' (white collar) whose companies are open today. The lawyers aren't even working today! Not fair! There was NO ONE on the subway today. I mean, we sat down for the whole ride on both the express and local trains! That only happens on Saturday morning, early! It was then that I realized I should have called in sick. But, one of the advantages of a sick day is getting to sleep in, and clearly that was already shot. It snowed last night too, and is some this morning, so I would have been all snuggly inside today, maybe venturing out to the park to watch the kiddies sled. But no, here I am, slaving away. My clients aren't even at work today! If it's a 'Federal Holiday,' why isn't it a holiday for everyone?! Why is this an 'optional' holiday? If kids don't have to go to school, and the Stock Market is closed, why do I have to work? Boo. Booooooo!!!!! I'm working under duress today.

Commercials

I have a confession. I love commercials. I'm not exactly sure why, but they fascinate me! For instance, I will be half-watching something on the tv while, say, blogging, and when the commercials come on, I pay attention! It's a condition; I'm taking medication. It drives Joel crazy. I love Target commercials. I just saw a new one watching the Golden Globes. Award shows and the Super Bowl are GREAT commercial watching venues! Granted, there are some really bad ones out there, like McDonald's commercials. And there are those that are WAY too over-played. But, I'll keep watching, and make my runs to the fridge during the program!

Completely Freaked

I started looking at the material I'm going to use to prepare for the PE exam in April. Yes, in APRIL, exactly 3 months away from today. For those of you who don't know any engineers, train or otherwise, PE is the Professional Engineers exam, a test that all engineers who want to practice engineering in the US must take in order to do so. Similar to the Bar exam for lawyers, except that it's a national test, not state-specific, and it's only one day, instead of 3. But, if I pass, I don't ever have to take it again! Joel and I are both taking it, so at least I have a study partner. I am taking the Civil Engineering exam, and Joel is taking the Structural exam. What I have discovered upon further examination (no pun intended), is that I have 5 times as many topics to study as Joel! My review book is 3 times as thick as his, and I have to be knowledgeable in 5 topics, instead of his 1. I am NOT ready for this! 3 months may seem like a lot of time, but I am already feeling the crunch, and wondering if I can actually do this. On top of everything else, I'm living and studying with a man who is a genius. He only made 3 B's in 6 years of school, including his masters classes! I'm overwhelmed, and I haven't even started yet. This is going to be the worst 3 months of my life....

Arrival of Winter

I believe I can say it's official. Winter has arrived. It's a whopping 30 degrees outside. I believe it's supposed to go to 34 today. I must say I'm rather relieved. I thought we were going to be stuck in the 40s forever! And 40 degrees and raining is NOT fun, believe me. I like the cold weather. At least, it doesn't bother me. Makes the arrival of Spring that much more enjoyable! It is not supposed to snow over the weekend, which would REALLY be great, but it might next week! Not having a car makes you enjoy snow so much more! You don't have to drive in it, so you can welcome the coming storm with open arms! The only downer is you can no longer use the excuse "I was snowed in and couldn't get to work." Because everyone knows you take the subway, which is how they all got to work, too! Oh well. Hello winter! I'm glad you could make it! Better late than never, I always say!

Another gross morning

*********WARNING!!! DISGUSTING CONTENT!************

For about a week now I have had this congestion. It's driving me nuts!!! I wake up every morning with my head full of snot, and spend the next hour coughing and hacking and spitting and driving my husband crazy. He thinks I'm the only person that spits when she gets sick. I'm sorry, but swallowing snot is not up my alley. So, this post is for him, to see who else out there believes in blowing your nose and spitting out anything you cough up? Instead of swallowing it like a 'normal person.'

NYC-Texas Weather

This is the weirdest week, weather-wise. It is a well-known fact that in Texas, if you don't like the weather, wait a few days (or hours) and it will change. I have known this to be true many times. Anyone who has spent time in Texas during the spring, fall, and winter (what we call winter, anyway) has at some point run both the heater and the air conditioner on the same day. At least in their cars. Here in New York, this is typically not the case, especially because most people don't have cars! However, this week is different. Monday it was clear in the low 40s. Yesterday the temperature dropped to the low 30s with rain/sleet/snow, depending on your location around the City. Today it's going to be in the upper 40s with rain clearing out. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 60! Friday it's supposed to drop to the 30s again, and Saturday it's not supposed to be above freezing. My body is not liking the temperature changes! Sinuses are going crazy! I never thought I'd say this, but I wish it would snow! We have yet to get a sizable amount of snow, just a dusting here and there that is gone the next day. Boo. Yes, come March I will be wishing I was in Austin sitting on a patio and drinking a margarita in the sun, because it will still be snowing and cold here. But for now, I wish Mother Nature would look our way with some of the white stuff! How is it that I can move to the 'Cold North,' and Texas has seen more snow this year than New York City!? It's a conspiracy.

The Real World

For my friend Ginny, who has to put up with 'self-esteem' problems at her school. I got this in an email from a friend, and just had to post it here for all of you to comment on.

Incidentally, Ginny teaches 4th grade and is not allowed to give grades or discipline her students. Can you believe that? What is the public school system coming to? Since when is it ok for kids not to get GRADES!? Or be punished when they screw up severly?

To anyone with kids of any age, here's some advice. Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping - they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Beltran Blues

Well, Carlos Beltran did not sign with Houston yesterday. He is going to sign with the Mets. This has really irritated my poor husband, the ultimate Astros fan (see his blog about this). He is already a Mets-hater, thanks to the '86 NL championship, so this is salt in an open wound. (Girls, aren't you amazed at the sports stuff I know and keep up with?!) Everyone seems to go for the cash these days. Oh well, just enforces my opinion of sports....it's about money. At least this time it's actually professional sports!

If baseball doesn't do something soon, we're not going to have two leagues of competitive teams, we're going to have the same handful of teams that make it to the playoffs every year. These would be teams in the major markets; New York, Boston, Chicago, and LA. Maybe San Fran. Anyway, if a team has a good player one year, they will more than likely be gobbled up by the team that can pay them the most, which is more than likely one of the above mentioned teams. It's a travesty, I tell you!

Sort-of All Better Now

Well, the snot is still present, albeit a lot less, but I am feeling much better! My voice is still bad, but I'm going to choir rehearsal tonight and will hopefully be able to sing better than I can talk. For some reason, this has never been a problem for me. It's easier for me to sing than to talk. Anyway, I am very happy to not be Pitiful-Katie (as my husband was calling me yesterday) anymore!

Grocery Shopping

My friend Ginny blogged about her trip to the grocery store tonight. I went to the store tonight, too, and this got me to thinking? When is the best time to grocery shop?

Delivery Issues

One of the things I love about living in New York is the fact that you can have pretty much anything you want delivered right to your front door. Food, groceries, shopping packages, liquor, dry-cleaning, you name it. It's not that we are lazy, it's just that it's readily available everywhere! Tonight, didn't feel much like cooking, and Joel didn't want to either, so we ordered Chinese delivery. Which, by the way, is better than any Chinese food I have ever had in my life. Anyway, the only question then, is what to tip the delivery guy. If the weather is bad, you always tip more than you would otherwise. But then, how much is normal? I actually had a guy huff at me for giving him a $21 on an $18 bill! I mean, it's more than 10%, and you delivered it a whopping block and a half on your bicycle, what do you want? I don't make a mint here, buddy. My ficus tree does not have twenties sprouting out of it just to give to nice delivery boys. It was irritating, but I felt slightly guilty at the same time. I typically tip 15-20% at restaurants and when taking a cab. I mean, I get actual service in a restaurant (hopefully), and cabbies make next to nothing, so I give them a little extra as a thank you for giving me a ride and dropping me at the door. Riding in a car is a novelty for me these days, as I don't take cabs very often and have no car of my own. So it's kind of like a joy-ride, and I tip the driver accordingly! I like to think of myself as a generous person, within reason. Do other people tip? How much? Are you an over-tipper? Have you ever stiffed the waiter/delivery guy/cabbie? What do you people think?

Is Anybody Out There?

OK people. What is the deal? Why is no one posting on my blog? Am I not writing interesting things? Am I boring? Do I need better things to write about? If so, please feel free to express your ideas. But at least comment on SOMETHING so I know you are reading! I feel very un-loved.

End of an Era

Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt have called it quits. When they said on the news last night that they had an announcement, I thought it was to say they were pregnant. I totally did not expect this! I'm very sad, as they were our ultimate 'swing' couple. If we were swingers, that is, of course we'd want to go straight to the top! Anyway, I'm sad about this. Doesn't love matter anymore? What happened? Did they get lost in that huge house? Forget to talk to each other? Is movie-making that stressful? Did other 'Friends' get in the way? What happened?

Kleenex Anyone?

It's official. I have a cold. It's 9:15 on Saturday morning, and I got up half an hour ago, because I was blowing my nose too much and disturbing my sleeping husband, who has a cold too and gave it to me. I will spare you the graphic details, as they are pretty gross, but let's just say that if I don't get rid of most of this mucus soon, I may end up sick all freakin' week. Last time this happened, I ended up with a sinus infection, which is the grossest thing you can possibly have. And, you just have to ride it out until you blow out all the snot. Or cough it up, which is even worse.

Needless to say, I am less than thrilled at the idea of spending my weekend like this. But, at least it's raining here, so I don't feel guilty about spending all my time inside. So, there may be many more blogs to read today. If not, it's because I'm blowing my nose too frequently to type! Speaking of which, I've now run out of kleenex and have to go to the store to buy some more. Augh!

No More Seizure News

Nothing new to report, except that Molly made it home 2 days ago. Safe and sound, no problems. Now they just have to figure out what the hell is wrong with her! Easier said than done.

More Seizure News

Just talked to Mama, she and Colin are on the way to Austin. Molly had just called her, they released her from the hospital and she went home with Uncle B. She had a CAT scan and did some congnitive questioning. So, we'll see what happens now.

Seizure News

Molly had another seizure this afternoon. She was getting on the plane in Austin, literally on the gang-plank waiting to get on the plane, when she went down. I don't know much more, as it happened about 30 minutes ago and I just got off the phone with Papa, but they are taking her to the hospital there in Austin. My uncle is there, and we have some good friends in Austin to help see what's going on and visit her and take care of things, but I think my folks are pretty freaked out. In fact, I know they are. Just an update, Molly was diagnosed with epilepsy last May. She's currently undergoing a medical board review to be released from the Navy, and will probably be discharged in a couple of months. This is a major setback, however, so we'll see what happens from here. She turned 25 last Thursday, and was in Austin celebrating that and the New Year with some friends.

Say a prayer that she will be ok.

Crazy Chicago Dude

Check out this guy's blog, which I stumbled upon while looking for someone else. It's pretty good, and entertaining. Not as entertaining as Ginny's or Wes', but worth a look at if you are wanting to procrastinate at work.

What's in a New Year?

After reading my friend Wes' blog, I realized I had not yet expounded on the arrival of 2005 and the passing of 2004. I'm not even sure what to say regarding either. Maybe a list (I promise not to eat it) would help....

2004 Happenings

• Moved north of the Mason-Dixon line for the first time in my life. New York is definitely a crazy and wonderful place to live, but I'd not recommend it to the faint of heart.
• Quit one job and started another. (That's what happens when you move.)
• Discovered exactly what I could live with and what I could not. Actually, this is a work in progress, as there is not a whole lot of room in our small apartment and I'm discovering everyday that I don't really 'need' some things I thought I did. Although a bigger closet would be lovely!
• Joined the Juilliard Choral Union and got to sing in Carnegie Hall for the first time! Very cool, BTW.
• Cooked Thanksgiving AND Christmas dinners at my house! I'm a big girl now!
• Lost a few friends (if you are reading this, you are in the clear!)
• Made several new friends, that will probably end up lifers. You tend to stick together in the big city, makes it more inhabitable, somehow. That, and you are practically living on top of one another, so getting together with friends is much easier!
• Learned that it's not where you live, it's who you are with and what you do along the way.

I'm sure there is much more, but there is no need for me to go on and on and bore you. Most of you know all of the above anyway. As far as 2005, I know of a few things that will most likely happen, like obtaining my Professional Engineers License. God willing I pass the stupid test, of course. Speaking of, I have to actually STUDY again! Yuck. Not looking forward to it. And, I know I'll sing in Carnegie Hall again. In 3 weeks, actually, which is very cool. I have a few more goals, call them resolutions if you like. Here goes....

2005 'Goals'

• Pass that damn test so I only have to study for it once!
• Travel to Europe again. Actually, travel more. Period.
• Curse less. This is actually difficult to do in NYC, as explicatives just tend to fly out the minute someone irritates you. Thus the 'goal.'
• Actually having an exercise program I follow on a regular basis. This would require me to commit to going to the gym consistently for more than 2 weeks, as I've been told this is the time it takes to establish a routine. We'll see. As of right now I consider the walk up the stupid hill to the subway, then from the subway to work my daily workout. I doubt Denise Austin would agree that I was shrinking my female fats zones with this regime. But she can just #$*^*@#! (Again, working on 'goal' number 3.)
• Finish the cross stitch I'm working on. I'm bored with it now, so we'll see.
• Print and organize the loads of digital prints we have on our computer and display some in our apartment!
• Give more to charity. I have plenty. They need more.
• Work on my patience level. It tends to be very low. Short, if you will. Luckily, I married a man who reminds me of this every day.
• Attend my 10 year high school reunion. Well, we'll see, as I definitely live too far to just make this a last minute decision! But I'm thinking about it, if only to brag about my wonderfully cosmopolitan life in the big city! I actually can't believe I will have been out of high school for 10 years in May. Am I old?
• Enjoy my time in New York City to the fullest. It's such a cool place to live, and who knows how long we'll get to live here? So, I vow to not roll my eyes every time Joel mentions going to a museum! And I will explore new neighborhoods and go to new and different restaurants, which is easy to do in NYC, as there are TONS.

I have a few hopes for the year, but I'm certainly not going to put them out there for all you people to read! They are private, so back off with the questions!

What about all of you? Anything you want to share? Be sure that 'Travel to NYC to visit Joel and Katie' is on that list, damnit! We love to have visitors!

Happy New Year to you all!