The World As I See It

Laundry Day

2011-10-20T11:04:00.006-04:00

This is what my husband looked like two days ago. There are so many things wrong with his outfit so how is it that I love it as much as I do? I wouldn't change a thing.

Maybe you should be Ad Rock from the Beastie Boys for Halloween?

Our New Home!

2011-10-03T13:25:00.015-04:00

well, at least in my dreams this is our new Brooklyn Heights home. How does one come by 13.5 million dollars in a day without stealing so as to purchase a home? I am so in love with this house that I can't even begin to tell you how badly I want to own it or something identical to it in New York City. Forget about high rise buildings on Park Avenue; I want a 7,000 square foot, 7 bedrooms, 6 baths, multiple terraces and balconies out back, the Brooklyn promenade behind me along with picture perfect harbor views of the Manhattan Skyline! Who wants to live in a town house in Manhattan when the monthly mortgage of this place is only $57,743, am I right? You know what - I don't even need to own this place - I will gladly cook Thanksgiving dinners and clean the marble bathrooms of this house for whomever is the lucky person to buy it!

It really is the pivotal town house for me: the fact that it has a backyard, harbor views of the Manhattan skyline, a kitchen with marble counter tops and white cupboards, beautiful crown moldings, five fireplaces, excellent neighborhood, the list goes on and on. AND even Adam, my husband likes it. We don't always see eye to eye in terms of architecture. He's more modern, minimalist, clean lines, big open spaces and I'm more traditional, admire antiques, wainscoting, and charm. But this is it for us. We found our home at 212 Columbia Heights, we just need to find the money to make it OURS!

To learn more about this town house for sale and to see full size images, go to the listing site at Corcoran, but hurry while it's still available!

Lobster Red

2011-08-15T21:14:00.019-04:00

Dear long time blog reader Lauren,

In response to my former post entitled, "Lobster, Lobster, Everywhere" you asked about shades of red that are similar to the orange red shade of a cooked lobster that I so dearly love. Considering that I just wrote that post a few days ago, I didn't have time to get to a store and view actual paint swatches (which I'm still considering doing tomorrow); but I wanted to do much better than simply give you a hexadecimal color. So after doing a little research online, I found some interesting shades for you to possibly consider in terms of repainting a dresser for your sons nursery. WARNING! I have not actually seen these colors in person so I cannot vouch for their vividness, orangey-ness, or lack there of in each. You will have to check them out in person to decide if they're the right shade of lobster red. On that note, here they are:

Probably your cheapest option would be to use Rust-oleum spray paint. I found this spray painted outside light fixture on CreateLoveGrow in Rust-oleum Apple Red which I think improved the look and value of the light fixture one hundred fold!

Here is another Rustoleum success story found on CraftBite. I'm unsure if it's the same shade of red as the previous light fixture; it looks as though there is a slightly more blue undertone in it; however, that could just be because of the type of bulb she has in it as well as the white balance of her camera.

If you would rather paint the old fashioned way with a bristle brush, your most expensive route would be by using Farrow and Ball. Granted, these might be a little less bright and bold than you would hope for. They tend to be more traditional or historic in color. Two shades of theirs to consider are

Incarnadine

or Blazer.

I like this Ralph Lauren Lattice Red paint color.

Benjamin Moore has some great shades of Red as well. They usually run about $40 a gallon - at least in New York they do.

Let's start with Benjamin Moore's Red. I found a great post on a before and after adirondack repainted chair at JPM Designs. Here's a look at the final chair. That's a wow red! Actually just Red according to Mr. Moore himself.

Bull's Eye Red

Salsa

Heritage Red

Redstone (I just had to put this photo up!)

Poppy (might be too pink)

If you want a more toned down red, try Benjamin Moore's Currant Red as found on the Life in Grace blog.

Your best solution is to go to Sherwin Williams, Janovic, Home Depot, or where ever your closest paint store is, grab a couple of swatches and BRING THEM BACK HOME to test the lighting against the swatch in your house first. Paint swatches always look different in those fancy lit stores. Better yet, if you have an object you love, take it with you to the paint store and match the color to it exactly. It could be your favorite yellow pencil, red scarf, or even a photo in a magazine. I have been known to do all three! Really, finding the right shade of red these days will be much easier than coming up with a name for that baby boy of yours!

Lobster, Lobster, Everywhere!

2011-08-12T13:54:00.023-04:00

If you know me, you know I love Maine. If you really know me, you know I love Maine Lobstah! As you can see from a previous post of mine entitled Mare Nostrum by Nymphenburg, I have developed a small obsession for all things lobster related. Much of it stems from the fond memories I have of visiting my in-laws in Maine and the times I've spent with my husband who is from there. However, much of it stems from that wonderful orange red hue that can only be found in freshly steamed Maine lobster. There's no other color like it in my book - especially for the summer months. But the great thing about this color is that it can easily transition into the winter months so seamlessly. Not very many colors have that year round staying power and yet this is one that can be fresh and light for the summer yet provide warmth in the long, cold, winter months. It can be used scarcely to add pops of color on a shelf, in a painting, or in a pillow as I have done in my apartment.

Unfortunately when I purchased this lobster pillow made of wool, there was no company name or tag listed anywhere on it (or even inside the zipper - trust me, I checked as thoroughly as an OB-GYN would). I bought it in a small gift shop in Ogunquit, Maine, just before you start walking on the Marginal Way trail if that helps you find it should you too want a lobster pillow.

This lobster napkin is another purchase of mine that as soon as I saw it in the Nantucket Whaling Museum, I knew I had to have at least ten of them. Well, maybe only one since they cost $18 individually...gulp. They're made by Statements Table Linens and distributed by C & W Imports. They are the hand towels with a single stitched lobster on each one. The packaging states it comes with two pieces; however, mine only came with one. It only takes one, though, to put in a little silver frame - which I plan on doing in the future.

This lobster red shade is so wonderful and universal that it can even encompass an entire sofa or chair as in the one I've longed to own for about eight years now, Anthropologie's Astrid Chair in Naive Tropical. But seriously, who hasn't had a crush on this chair by now? It's like the Johnny Depp of chairs.

Come on, how can you not love that face...I mean chair. Notice I even found a photo of him with a red background? Not coincidental.

Alls I'm sayin' about lobsters and design is that inspiration can be found anywhere and if you're trying to figure out what colors to use in your home, think about the color of the things your drawn too, whether it's the food on your plate, the plate your food is on, or Johnny Depp's soft, wavy, chocolate brown hair. I know the following photo is redundant, but it would have been criminal to leave it out. I simply don't want to get in trouble with the law. Heh, heh.

Me and Marriage

2011-05-17T12:17:00.007-04:00

I was replying to my sister's blog post about men putting off marriage and it became so long that I decided to make it a blog post.

Here's her post entitled Men and Marriage.

As a rare case of a female who didn't want to marry, I feel I understand the male perspective to a degree in this case. For me, I wanted to do the things I wanted to do (before I got married), which over the course of the years meant getting a graduate degree and moving to a place I wanted to live (New York City). It meant having the fun I wanted to have while I was young and single. Yes, there was also fear involved of what I thought marriage meant (being with someone not as cool as me forever - Ha! Ha!), but honestly it was driven more by a fear of things changing in a way that I didn't think I would like - that would make me have to make "sacrifices" or basically making me be less selfish and I simply didn't want to not think about myself.

In hindsight, that's an honest look at my motivations in not wanting to marry. I mean I was a nice friendly person, but I just had these hangups about marriage. I didn't think I could love someone as much as I needed to, and in a way that was true because all I ever had to think about before was myself - I didn't rely on anyone else (besides my parents and siblings) for things and didn't think I needed to rely on anyone else for my own happiness. For so long I was happy as a clam and I felt fine. Why change a good thing? Marriage seemed to be harder than it was worth. It took me some time to figure out how much I, Lexia, could love another human and gasp, even need another human in my life (besides my family). What I've learned now is that you don't lose yourself being married. Settling down is a non-existant reality. It's actually more fun to have someone to share your days/nights with. Financially I'm in a better situation because of it (the opposite of what I thought would happen). I don't even apply my grad degree that much anymore - so the things that once seemed so important are no longer as vital to me now (and not because I'm married, but because our interests in life evolve over time).

I understand that it takes some men (and a few woman) time to figure this out and get to the point where they're actually capable of marrying and have a desire to do so. We're all on our own time line; however, I think that the prophet and leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are trying to help us come to those realization sooner rather than later by addressing it and helping us take an inward look at ourselves so that we can make the choices we need to make in order to have the most happiness in life. When we're honest with ourselves it can spare a lot of heartache and wasted time. They point this out in ourselves to help us get on with the more important things in our lives - the things we don't always see as important when we should. I know I don't always see the big picture and get caught up in the details of the daily grind of the now in life; but if you believe in a prophet and God, then who has a better idea of what the big picture looks like than that of the prophet and God.

Now, with that said, I also have my own theories about how we as a society are delaying marriage and extending our "youth" due to the nature of staying in school longer, graduate degrees becoming more common (because bachelor's degrees are now the norm), racking up debt and relying on parents for assistance later in life, marriage and children no longer being as important to society in many ways, health and life expectancy lasting longer thereby extending our youthful years from 20 to 30 and middle aged starting at 50 and 60, and a whole slew of other things not even mentioned. Sigh...regardless, we have to take inventory on why it is we do the things we do and consider whether or not our choices fall in line with where our priorities should be. And if for some reason they are not properly aligned, then we need to be daring enough to make them be so.

I'm not saying you can marry anyone and live a happy life and be fine so marry just to be married. No. But you have to be actively doing things to meet that person who can change your life for the better. You have to try to be open to things you think you may not like (not just physical appearances, but your expectations of people in general, of your definition of marriage, of your priorities shifting in life, etc.).

On that note, I would like to end by saying I'm so glad I was wrong about marriage and what I thought I needed in life. I have so much more joy now than I ever thought I could have in life and a huge part of that was admitting I was wrong in certain ways, trusting and having faith in the big picture ideas, and opening myself up to someone who is so loving, so generous, so funny, so short, so patient, so talented, so EVERYTHING that if I wasn't careful enough I might have missed it due to a different agenda. Adam is so important to me, so much so that I can't imagine life without him. He once said something along the lines of how he doesn't remember his life very well before me - almost like we've always known each other. It does feel like that now and it's a good feeling, a better feeling than I thought it would be...and not so scary after all.

The thing that keeps going through my mind while writing this is something else Adam said when we were considering getting married. We had an interesting engagement (if you can even call it that), but I won't get into the details of our dating history. I will say that I was the one with reservations about getting married. I was the one holding us back - not the lead boy as in classic 1980s movies. What he said was so jarring and simple and profound to me that it just made my mind stop. I was so impressed by his inspired words. He basically said that we would be blessed by the decision to marry. That he, Adam, and I, Lexia, together would BENEFIT from getting married. To me that meant our lives would improve, not fall back or behind or change in some way that would make me regret the decision. I would be better off married and so I am and I never would have thought that before. Anyway, I think that's exactly what the prophet is trying to say. That we will be blessed by marriage in ways we can't understand, in ways we can understand, and that we have to have a little faith (or a lot in my case) that things will work out when we're making the right choices, the good choices, the most scary of all choices. It's easy to do bad, it's hard to do good. And Adam is sooooo good. :) I love you honeyface. Without you I never would have discovered so many things about myself...not to mention I might have never found my favorite place on earth...that lodge in the Adirondacks!

02.10.2010

2011-05-17T12:16:00.008-04:00

The best palindrome day in history...our wedding day! HOORAY!!!
Sort of more on our blog Adamandlexia.blogspot.com

Adam Vs. Jake Hoffman (of the Dustin Hoffman's)

2009-07-13T12:56:00.005-04:00

Above is a photo of Jake Hoffman, son of the famous actor Dustin Hoffman, and my boyfriend Adam. For a brief moment in time, Jake Hoffman was a celebrity crush of mine after I saw him in the movie "Click" starring Adam Sandler.

Well, I have long since forgotten about Jakey-pooh until my sister-in-law, Jacki, texted me the other day. She said something along the lines of "I think a fall wedding would be great." I called her and said, "Jacki, what are you up to?" knowing full well that she was implying Adam and I should get married this fall. She said, "Girl, you're on to me." Jacki is one of those people that uses terms like "girl" and "sister" which I think is a funny side note.

Our conversation proceeded along the lines of something like this:
Me: Jacki, what are you talkin' about?
Jax: Well, have you ever seen that movie "Click" with Adam Sandler?
Me: Yeah, what about it?
Jax: Well, the actor that plays Adam Sandlers son, the grown up one, looks like your Adam.
Me: That's so funny, Jacki, because after I saw that movie, I looked up the actor who played that part because I thought he was really cute. He's Jake Hoffman, Dustin Hoffman's son.
Jax: How funny is that!
Me: And the Hoffman's are Jewish and Adam, while not Jewish (that he knows of), gets stopped on the streets in New York all the time by Orthodox Jews asking if he's Jewish. Ha! Ha!
Jax: Ha! Ha! Well, I think you should get married and you should have a fall wedding.

That was the gist of our conversation. I hung up and thought, Adam is handsome like Jake Hoffman. But the story doesn't end here.

You see, I told Adam what Jacki said and showed him a photo of Jake Hoffman. He kind of laughed and that was that. Well, on Saturday, Adam and I were walking around the Lower East Side and who should we see of all people walking their dog? That's right, Jakey Pooh! I spotted him and pointed him out to Adam and we walked closer so he could get a better look. That's all I was gonna do - no photo. I'm not a person who takes photos of celebrities. But after I JUST talked with Jacki and Adam about how they look similar I thought it would be great to show Jacki a photo of the twinkies. I will admit, I was very nervous to do so, but Adam helped me get the nerve up to do it. I'm so glad I did, 'cause hopefully Jacki is getting a good laugh right now. Unfortunately Adam had just shaved that morning 'cause he was getting ready for a party later that night where he had to dress like Tom Cruise in "Top Gun." That'll be another post soon. Here's the photo:

Favorite Christmas Presents of 2008

2009-06-19T14:55:00.001-04:00

I know this is really late, but one of my favorite Christmas presents of 2009 is this cadmium yellow tea set that my mom got me. One day we were at the mall in Georgia and my mom wanted to go into Teavana, a store that sells all things tea related. I thought, "BORING!" However, I was pleasantly surprised when we walked in to see this eye-catching bright yellow tea set with gold accents. It stood out among all the rest. I walked over to it immediately because it was so striking. I looked at it and proceeded to contemplate on seriously wanting this item for Christmas. Here was my thought process:

"wow, I really like this tea set. I like the yellow, even though it's paired with gold. I think gold and yellow are a good combination these days, whereas in the 90s I used to think it clashed. I really like the shape of the teapot and the size of the cups. And these saucers are so adorable. I could nicely display this on the seven white Ikea Billy Bookcases I want to buy. Even though I'm not one of those people to 'display' a lot of things on my shelf, because I live in New York and don't have space to do so, but if I did, this is something I would want to display. And if I had it on display, it would be easier to use instead of pulling it out from under my bed, which probably means I won't use it, so I must get those Billy Bookcases to go with my tea set. Oh, man, it's a box set so you can't buy more cups and saucers separately? That means I can only invite three people to my tea party - half of which will be roommates. Should I buy another box set of them so I can have more matching cups? I guess I could always keep another tea pot on hand in case this one ever broke - like when I have kids or something. Man, I'm really starting to think about the whole marriage and mom thing lately. Am I really ready for that? I don't know, but I do know that I want this tea set for Christmas."

That was my logic. Anyway, I have yet to purchase the Ikea bookcases, but I'm sure that's my next purchase. In the mean time, I'm happy with my little yellow tea set and can't wait to have a tea party with some girls and air out my white table cloth, bake a round cake and put it on an actual cake stand, eat vegetables and other assorted finger foods such as croissants stuffed with chicken and grapes. It's gonna be so fun.

In case you're wondering, I've only found this tea set through Teavana (it's called "Noble Poppy Bone China Tea Set") it must be made exclusively for them. I've already checked to see if you can buy the cups separately elsewhere and haven't found that you can...yet.

Mare Nostrum by Nymphenburg

2009-06-19T14:15:00.005-04:00

I love these plates and this tureen!!! I love them because of the unique subject matter for such fine china - lobsters. I love the vibrant red and orange hues and highly detailed design of the focal point contrasted with the simplicity of the plain white background. I love the silhouette of the plate itself with it's lightly scalloped edge. I love that the tureen isn't overly decorated and highlighted with color allowing the delicate craftsmanship to show as well as letting the playful lobster handle take center stage. I was so thrilled when I discovered this design months ago. I could tell by the Nympehnburg website that they were going to be expensive - whenever the price of something isn't listed online, you know it's gonna be expensive. I figured since Royal Copenhagen plates run around $150 each, these must be about the same cost. So the last few months I've lived my life thinking that one day I'll be able to own these plates.

Well, I recently found out that these plates are ten times the amount that I originally thought. I found a website that lists one Mare Nostrum Nymphenburg plate at $1,200!!! ONE PLATE! Who are these people that can afford china that expensive? Forget about the Tureen - it's $6,700! Maybe one day I'll be able to afford a plate so I can frame it and hang it on my wall as artwork. They really are exquisite; even the name is beautiful, Mare Nostrum, Latin for "Our Sea." Alas, these plates will not be in MY Sea. Why is almost everything I love so expensive...

I love tulips!!!

2009-03-31T14:39:00.006-04:00

And my boyfriend gave me 30 of them when I got back home after being in Georgia for almost three weeks! More on that later. And more on what I've been doing since my last blog post in November (Wow, Blogger has changed!). And more on having a boyfriend, as well. :o)

Aren't they the prettiest flowers? Just look at the one in the foreground of the last photo opening up to drink life in. Ha! Ha! For reals, though. I think receiving flowers is better than receiving chocolate - and coming from a recovering chocoholic, that's sayin' a lot. I'm curious to know what are some of you're favorite flowers? And boys, do you like flowers in your home as much as girls do?

Ain't Nothin' Like the Smell of Homemade Bread!

2008-11-03T11:04:00.006-05:00

I went home over the summer and brought back my mom's Welbilt Bread Machine Model ABM2H52. I've never made bread with a bread machine before - come to think of it, I've never made bread with my hands before either. Regardless, I had been itching to try it for some time now. You see, a few years ago I finally made my first pie crust from scratch and it turned out great! So I've been trying some new things and making bread is one of them.

The above photo is my second loaf of the Ultra Fast White Bread recipe located in the instruction manual that comes with the machine. There are some interesting things I learned about bread machines. The first being that you're supposed to place the ingredients in the machine in the exact order they are listed in the recipe - i.e. add all of the liquid ingredients first (unless you use dry milk as a substitute for milk, which I'm guessing you mix with water first and then add to the mixture as you would fresh milk), then add dry ingredients, and lastly the yeast.

While you have to be careful to follow the order of ingredients, you don't necessarily have to follow the amounts given. For example, I add a few more teaspoons of water to the recipe so that the tackiness of the bread is just right. I find that if I don't add the additional water, the consistency of the bread is too dry. Beware not to add too much water - only add in a teaspoon at a time!

There are also many substitutes for certain ingredients. For instance, my sister-in-law, Jacki, uses half wheat and half white bread flour when a recipe calls for white bread flour. My mom uses olive oil instead of vegetable oil because it's slightly healthier for you. She also replaces dry milk where a recipe calls for milk - as dry milk supposedly allows bread to rise more than fresh milk.

It's important to note that different types of flour can be used. Just know that if you use wheat flour you have to add other ingredients as well - I think gluten (obviously I haven't tried wheat bread yet). Flour is key to good bread and I only use King Arthur Bread Flour (do not use all-purpose flour as it won't rise properly). Bread flour is specially formulated for, well, bread. I recently purchased King Arthur Italian flour and artisan flour to try as well. I'll let you know how those turn out once I make them.

Other basic bread facts worth mentioning: use warm water, store yeast in the fridge after you've opened it, make sure your yeast is active (basically not old).

It's really not difficult to make homemade bread and at first I thought, this seems so easy, why not just make it without a bread machine? Well, I think the benefit of using a machine is that you don't have to kneed the bread, wait for it to rise, transfer it to a pan, constantly monitor it while baking, and stick around to turn the oven off - everything is timed just right with the machine. You can just dump the ingredients in, turn it on, set the machine to the correct setting, leave your apartment to do laundry (if you aren't blessed to have a washer and dryer in your home), and come back to fresh bread!

Ahhh...ain't nothin' like the smell of homemade bread!

If You Think About It...

2008-11-03T10:39:00.004-05:00

Whistling is a genderless sound. If you heard a person whistling but didn't see them, you wouldn't really be able to tell if it's a man or woman. There's only one exception to this phenomenon and that is if you're a pretty girl walking down the streets of New York, then you can bet it's gonna be a man whistling.

Scary Movies

2008-10-23T14:16:00.009-04:00

Here's a list of movies I haven't seen yet that I'm thinking of renting for this Halloween season (in no particular order):

1. Funny Games (the U.S. version of a German Film which will probably evoke a similar disturbing feeling to the movie Clockwork Orange)
2. The Ring
3. Saw
4. The Thing
5. The Messengers (most recent version)
6. Hills Have Eyes (most recent version)
7. Texas Chainsaw Massacre
8. 28 Days Later
9. Jacob's Ladder
10. Dawn of the Dead
11. Cloverfield
12. Rec (the original - which I think is in Spanish. I'm curious to see what it will be like to watch a scary movie with subtitles - maybe there wouldn't even be that many subtitles in a scary movie anyway, they're mostly quiet and suspenseful, right?)
13. A Tale of Two Sisters (a Korean film)
14. The Cell (with J. Lo)
15. Gothika (with Halle Barry)
16. American Psycho (I saw part of it)
17. Disturbia (I imagine the person who made this movie liked Hitchcock's Rear Window)
18. Rosemary's Baby
19. When a Stranger Calls
20. Candyman
21. Hellraiser
22. Amityville Horror
23. Dead Silence - saw part of it - too scared to watch the rest of it (those ventriloquist puppets scare me so much. I think 'cause I saw a movie about one when I was little maybe on the Twilight Zone or something.
24. Don't Look Now
25. House of Wax
26. Haute Tension (A French foreign film that looks like you'll be curled up in a tight ball throughout the whole movie)
27. The Tenant
28. Les Yeux Sans Visage (French 1959 Movie)
29. Black Christmas (1976 version)
30. The Brood
31. Eraserhead
32. The Evil Dead
33. Identity (with John Cusack and Amanda Peet)

Wow, that list turned out longer than expected. Now here's a list of scary movies I've seen, but worth mentioning:

1. Exorcist
2. Poltergeist
3. Wait Until Dark (Audrey Hepburn plays a blind woman)
4. What Lies Beneath
5. Psycho
6. The Others (Nicole Kidman)
7. Sixth Sense
8. Changeling
9. Halloween
6. Something Wicked This Way Comes - a weird kid scary movie. I mostly remember the spider scene as being the scariest part about it.
7. Pet Semetary
8. The Shining
9. Cape Fear
10. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle
11. Carrie
12. The Haunting
13. Witches - a kid friendly scary movie
14. Watcher in the Woods - creepy for a kid to watch, but saw it when I was young
15. The Omen
16. Tourist Trap (I think I saw this weird one when I was a kid)
17. Flower's In the Attic
18. The Bad Seed
19. Friday the 13th
20. Dead Calm
21. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
22. Disney's Halloween Treat (short haunting cartoons made in 1982)

Some people might add Jaws, Seven, Misery, Silence of the Lambs, Cujo, It, Children of the Corn, Fear, The Good Son, The Mothman Prophesies, Assault on Precinct 13, Buried Alive, or Alien but I don't really consider those Halloween scary movies for some reason. Nightmare on Elm Street, Blair Witch Project, and Chucky I thought were just plain stupid - even as a kid I thought they were dumb.

Hopefully this list will give you guys some ideas for movies to watch on Halloween. If you have any other recommendations I would love to hear them in the comments section - as well as which movies scared you the most!

Most Amazing Socks

2008-10-23T14:01:00.003-04:00

Men's Hanes HP-Fit white athletic socks. They conform to my foot tightly with no extra fabric hangin' around the toe or heel. They have a reinforced toe and heel, as well as arch support. They come in a pack of 6 for around $11 at Target. Finally I found some socks in a pack that I not only approve of, but want more of. I know you're not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition, but how else do I say that? I guess not only approve, but want. Yeah, that's it. Anyway, lucky for me I fit in men's socks so I can wear these...

I tried to find a link to the product on Hanes' website, but couldn't find it. With my luck, I bought the last pack and they discontinued the HP-Fit style. That's what happened to the best conditioner I ever used - some Dove foamy conditioner for fine hair that apparently was only in a test run and didn't sell well so they discontinued it.

I'm Sorry...

2008-10-23T13:45:00.003-04:00

I'm sorry for not blogging in ages. I am still alive, of course, in case any of you were concerned. I have not fled the country or been banished from the country. I am not in the Witness Protection Program, did not enlist in the army and sent to war, or become a magician in the last few months and start working on my disappearing act. I just got really busy. I'll explain all of that later, but for the time being, there are other things I would like to post.

First and foremost, though, is/was my apology for being an inconsistent blogger (and especially for skipping the long awaited July's Future Husband Month of 2008 and October Sisters Month of 2008). For the record, though, my first post/confession states, "This blog probably won't last" followed by my second post disclaiming the potential for sporadic blog writing.

I hope you'll all come back to me...

It's A Girl!!!

2008-06-06T13:23:00.006-04:00

Brooks, my brother, and Jacki just had their first baby on June 3, 2008. Her name is Jordyn Snow, she weighed 6lbs. 14oz., and was 19.5" long. Congratulations yous guys!

This new addition means I'm an aunt of 7 cutie patooties. Here are some photos of my other nieces and nephews:

Lily and Macy a few years ago.

Madison and Sadie looking pretty in pink.

Unfortunately I couldn't find any photos of Mia and Ethan. Mom, can you please email me some photos of them?

I Went to Outer Space Yesterday

2008-06-03T23:48:00.004-04:00

Or maybe it was inner space, eh?!? Do you guys remember the movie Innerspace with Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, and Meg Ryan? It's awesome. I can't believe I don't own it. Anyway, I think I look great as an astronaut. Maybe that's what I'll do next for a career - be an astronaut. Looking the part is half the battle, right?

Seriously, though, if I had to chose between living in the ocean for the rest of my life or space, I would definitely pick space.

I have no idea where such lame post writing came from. I just wanted everyone to see this awesome photo and know that you too can be an astronaut just like me by going to the bus stop at 14th Street and University Place in Manhattan, New York, USA, Earth.

I'm So Very Sad Right Now...

2008-06-03T01:54:00.004-04:00

I just learned that Wilco is playing at McCarren Pool in Brooklyn on August 13th and the general admission tickets are sold out! I'm so bummed. So very bummed. You guys, half the songs I can play on the guitar are Wilco songs! I've always regretted not seeing them live after Yankee Hotel Foxtrot came out. Or even A Ghost Is Born. Now I'm not even gonna see 'em for probably one of their last albums. If any of you readers out there hear about available Wilco tickets to this show, puh-leeeeeease let me know! Sigh...

What concerts have you guys missed that you regret not going to? Radiohead during Okay Computer times is another show I'm mad I didn't see. I have yet to see them live as well.

Sigh again...

On the upside, I'm getting better at playing She's A Jar, by Wilco. That one is a doozy - not that the chords are difficult, but moving from a barre to a major chord is still a bit tricky for me.

What's Black and White and Black?

2008-06-03T01:49:00.003-04:00

Me and Kimmy at church on Sunday! We didn't even plan it.

Summer 2008 Challenge: To Find the Best Burger in New York City

2008-05-23T01:30:00.007-04:00

I'm on a search to find the best burger in New York City. I don't know how conducive this challenge will be to my weight loss; however, sometimes in life we have to make sacrifices - and for women those sacrifices are generally manifested through a disfiguration of the body in some way. Oh well, it's for the greater good. Here's where I've been so far (followed by a list of places I will try next). I apologize in advance for not having photos of each burger.

The Stand
Nice buns!!! crispy, large brioche buns. The first thing I noticed on my cheeseburger that I didn't like was the shredded lettuce. I HATE shredded lettuce on a burger because it doesn't have much of a taste (I'm guessing it's usually cheap iceberg lettuce) and tends to fall off more. The bottom of the bun got a little soggy, I'm not totally sure why - maybe the caramelized onion something or other, but it didn't bother me that much because the top was a little toasted I think. Overall it was an expensive okay cheeseburger. Things of note, the onion rings are fried like tempura, on certain nights after 10:00 burgers are two for the price of one, and most importantly their milkshakes bring all the boys to the yard! Their milkshakes are so thick and tasty that I'm sure Mr. Daniel Plainview from There Will Be Blood would DEFINITELY drink your milkshake. If I had a third milkshake reference I would use it, but I can't think of any more. Anyway, I chose the banana and will be back to try the toasted marshmallow.

Corner Bistro
I really like the mahogany bar atmosphere of this place, though it is really tight quarters, very loud, and a long wait. I enjoyed the burger immensely, I just wish there were a little more of it. It felt like my southern brother-in-law's tasty grilled burgers. Like I said it was slightly smaller than I had expected, but there was no shredded lettuce on this one!

Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridian
I remember the excitement the first time I went here years ago. I had heard about the famous burger joint (no exact phrase intended) located in a secret part of a nice hotel behind a curtain. Behind a curtain! It was like being Toto and spying on Oz all over again. Whatever, I just wanted to pull away enormous curtains to hopefully reveal burger Narnia if you will. I remember thinking once on the other side of the veil that the place looked kinda dumpy - a stark contrast to the pristine marble lobby of the Le Parker Meridian. Don't get me wrong, I like that whole-in-the-wall look; it didn't distract me from my real purpose in going there...the burger. I remember thinking, the burger was alright. Everyone raved about it, but you have to remember this was the first burger I had in the city since moving from the South where grilling out is pretty much a sacred ceremony. I went back a few years after that and liked the burger, but noticed it had lost some weight if you catch my drift. I'll go back. It's fun to take visitors there. I think more so because of the whole curtain, Oz, surprise thing.

Paul's
Paul's is a pretty good burger and it's even better because it's a hop skip and a jump away from my doorstep. It's not the prettiest looking place, but I really like the ornaments they have hanging from the ceiling, the men grilling the burgers behind the bar, and especially the giant statues of a burger and french fries outside the front door of the restaurant. It's also nice because it's not saturated with tourists, or always a long wait to get in. If you're in the East Village you should swing by - I don't know that I would say it's a place someone living in Inwood should travel down for (unless you too are on a best burger hunt), but it's a hardy burger.

Shake Shack
We've all been there. It's a great cheap burger. The first time I went there, the burger I ordered wasn't so good, but I think it's because I didn't like their special sauce. I'm pretty sure since then I only order a regular cheeseburger. The concrete ice cream stuff is good too. I still don't totally understand the difference between concrete and regular ice cream, though. It seems like another word to describe thick ice cream. Its always a long wait, but if it's a nice day it doesn't really matter. Besides, who can resist eating a burger outside in the park with white lights strung above you and the occasional firefly around you.

Blue 9
It used to be better. Now it's a little closer to a fast food burger in my opinion.

Johnny Rockets
I know they're a chain and anyone can get one, but I have to say it's a pretty good little burger and I can't seem to shake the whole 50s nostalgia theme (nor the mini juke boxes). It's worth mentioning 'cause it's in the city.

Oh the places I'll go this summer:
J.G. Mellon
P.J. Clark's
Island Burgers
Chelsea Grill
The Stoned Crow
Better Burger
Donovan's Pub (Queens)
Dumont Burger (Brooklyn)
Zaitseff
Burgers and Cupcakes
Five Guys
Houston's
Rare
Veselka's

Please feel free to add restaurants to the list in the comments section as well as any additional thoughts or experiences you've had with burger hunting in the city.

The Most Unforgettable Date I've Ever Had

2008-05-23T00:04:00.003-04:00

Can be summed up in one word, "Medjool." What is Medjool? Medjool is a type of date (the fruit) and my newest favorite food find. I can't believe I'm only now experiencing this fruit for the first time in my life. Let me share my discovery story with you.

I discovered them while babysitting at a French family's home a couple of weeks ago. They had a little FreshDirect bag of them sitting out on the counter. I would have never tried one because they look like dried, shriveled, ugly, brown, prunes (which I do like), but they were offered to me by the mom of the house so I politely accepted one. I had no idea what kind of addiction was about to surface after that first bite. It is a moment that will forever change my life. I couldn't believe how perfectly perfect this taste in my mouth was. I know that sentence is grammatically incorrect, but it is true.

The texture was a little different than I had expected - not bad - a bit chewy, slightly stringy on the inside, but filled with some sort of sugary crystalline element. It was, of course, the taste that got me - seriously, surprisingly, super good - like homemade Divinity! I thought, "how did they make these things? They must have soaked them in some sort of buttery brown sugar sauce." So I checked the back of the package for a list of ingredients. I saw no "ingredients" section and thought that's either a mistake or Fresh Direct did not want to disclose their secret ingredients. But it's illegal in America to not list ingredients, right? Well, I was pretty sure it was illegal and wondered, "could it be that something on earth grows this naturally candyesque? Could it really be just one ingredient? Could it really be some sort of fruit known to man (and woman) as a date? Could it?" It was as if mom's famous Thanksgiving sweet potatoes were cram-packed into a small, dried-looking, shriveled, ugly, brown, prune-shaped container. Only, there was no wrapper to throw away once eaten, no sodium or cholesterol added, nothing but nature's candy. Nature's candy indeed.

Ladies and gentlemen, that day changed my life and I'm 100% sure that it will change yours as well if you heed my advice and purchase Medjool dates. You may not know me, but I plead with you to trust me on this. If your doubtful, then let this piece of information about myself clear your mind: 50% of my diet consists of mouthwatering chocolate, sweet candy concoctions, and other fatty treats; therefore I am no health nut. I do not promote any food that in no way satisfies my 10,000 taste buds. So on that note, let me just say two things: I will probably be diagnosed with Diabetes by the age of 40 and may I introduce to you my favorite date: the Medjool. Now go take one out for yourself!

My Favorite Television Show Right Now

2008-04-03T11:57:00.004-04:00

Here Come The Newlyweds on ABC is by far my favorite t.v. show at the moment. It's a game/reality show (two themes I usually despise now-a-days), but it's actually very humorous and entertaining. The show began with seven newly married couples and each week one couple gets eliminated (voted out) by the other couples. Silly competitions take place during the week, and and as each couple does well, more money is added to the final pot for the winning couple (currently the prize is at $460,000).

The Moutras are by far my favorite couple and I want them to win. This is the one time in my life that if I could assist in voting for a television show contestant to win via text-messaging, phone call, email, or letter, I would - alas, that is not how the game works.

You can watch full online episodes on abc.com or watch the last episode this Sunday at 10/9c. Trust me guys, you're gonna fall in love with the Moutras and the rest of the newlyweds. Also note on the Web site that they are accepting applicants for season 2. If I hurry up and get married, maybe I could be a contestant...

Confession #20

2008-03-29T16:29:00.000-04:00

The word "caress" makes me feel uncomfortable.

Progress Report

2008-03-27T13:00:00.003-04:00

Here's an update on my progress of learning the guitar:

I haven't quit yet, so that's good.

When I first got my guitar I went online to learn some chords on my own, but realized there were a couple of different ways to explain guitar chords through tablature (apparently there is an incorrect tablature people post as well), ways to express finger positioning, multiple ways to position fingers on each string, etc. So I decided to just see what the Shin's song Those To Come looked like, because it wasn't a chord - rather just picking strings with fingers situated on certain frets...I can't remember what the name of that is off the top of my head (but in describing it, it sounds jsut like I'm referring to playing a chord. Hmmm...). Now that I'm sure I haven't lost your interest in reading my post, I will continue. It was in playing Those To Come that I learned some songs don't necessarily play a full chord. It was an easy song for me to figure out the fingering (at least the beginning part); but it was difficult for me to stretch my fingers from the 5th and 7th frets, though, as well as move from the A string to the low E string. It's still VERY difficult for me to move from one string to the other, however, it's not as difficult for me to stretch within three frets - four is another story.

I started out learning the G, D, and A chords. I tried playing Harvest Moon by Neil Young, but was uncertain that these were the right chords because actually I wanted to play Elliott Smith's version of this song (so maybe I just need a capo). Here I learned that people's tabs can be wrong and that the internet isn't necessarily the most reliable source for tablature. However, it still remains my number "go to" place.

After I got my guitar I made my friend, Adam, play all 40 songs I want to learn and we went through each one to see which would be the easiest to begin with. That was a big help. I was able to write down chords of songs I wanted to learn and see the relationship of certain chords with others (even if they were only his interpretation of the chords used). People have mentioned this chord triad thing, so I think I'm picking up on what that means.

Next up was introducing the Em and Bm chords. I tried playing Fade Into You by Mazzy Star because there are only three chords, however I couldn't really play the barre chord (Bm) so I decided to put this song on hold. Whilst playing this song, though, I realized that I like the sound of the Em chord a whole lot!

I decided to go back to sticking with the G, D, and A chords as my foundation so I found tabs for Muzzle of Bees by Wilco. I think the tabs are incorrect (in that it sounds too high pitched), but I went with what I found online anyway. It is with this song that I learned finger picking is not so easily done. So I just strum the chords. I still cannot transition from each chord fast enough yet. I wonder when I will be able to play a song in real time. Everyone keeps telling me, "you've only been playing for two weeks." Still, I want to be able to move around faster than I am. Maybe my method of learning isn't conducive to that of a beginner - I mean, if I knew what the easy chords were and played those first, perhaps I would be better at switching from one chord to another - but I had to just dive in. If I waded, I would get bored and jump out.

I still haven't mastered the Wilco song, but decided to incorporate other songs as well. Songs such as The Boy Done Wrong Again by Belle and Sebastian. It's kind of fun looking at songs and seeing what chords are used, which chords I know, which tabs look the most correct and easiest for me to play. I tried playing Arthur & Yu's Half Years (despite it having an F in there). I did learn the C chord, so I moved on to the Shins' Gone For Good. It too has an F chord. At some point I will have to learn barre chords...I know this.

While listening to some music the other day, I forgot that I wanted to learn Bulletproof by Radiohead. So I looked at the tabs for it and totally knew all the chords (well, I added the Cmaj7 to my repertoire, but that's an easy one)!

A couple of nights ago I started playing I Became Awake by the Great Lake Swimmers. While this song is primarily the G and C chord, it's difficult in that it shifts back and forth between the two over and over again. I guess it will be a good song for me to practice going from the G to the C. I could also learn their song Changing Colors so perhaps I'll try that. I thought they might be a good band to learn some songs from because their music is slow, so we'll see.

Last night I started learning The Guitar Man by Bread. When I was looking through the tabs I was proud of myself for recognizing half of the chords (with the exception of the E/G#, D/F#, Bm7, Am7, and whatever a C6 G is). I love this song to pieces so I'm going to concentrate a lot of my time on it in the next week.

Hm, looking over my list of songs I should be able to play Anecdote by Ambulance Ltd. I'll try that right now actually.

Well, that went...alright. I know I'm all over the place, playing this song and that, but it's how I roll. By the way, Anecdote has an F in it. Son of a...

So these are some of the songs, parts of songs, and chords I've been working on over the last two weeks. I'm hoping to get good enough by the summer so as to play in the park - that is without annoying people with my slowness or repeatedly playing sections of a song over and over again until I've got it.

Hopefully one day I'll look back at this post and think, "wow, I remember those days when the F chord used to be difficult." Or hopefully someone else who is learning the guitar will find solace in knowing they're not the only one's who can't shift from chords very well. Hopefully I'll get better at that. I just don't see how or when at this point.

Lastly, my nails have never been shorter in all my life. My fingers look stumpy. Hmph.

Okay This is the LAST 80s Video I'm Posting for Today

2008-03-20T12:30:00.003-04:00

This is hands-down my favorite video from the 80s. It's by A-Ha entitled Take On Me I love every aspect of this song and video: the singer, the girl, the shift from illustration to real life, and especially the sweatiness at the end...morphing from drawing to human is an extremely stressful process.

While I'm Perusing Youtube...

2008-03-20T12:23:00.003-04:00

I might as well share another video from the 80s that I always liked as a kid. It's George Harrison's Got My Mind Set On You.

Vampire Weekend? More like Paul Simon Weekend!

2008-03-20T12:09:00.003-04:00

Reghan just bought the album Mansard Roof by Vampire Weekend and they remind me of this Paul Simon song from the 80s - You Can Call Me Al. Here's the video starring Chevy Chase...what kind of name is Chevy anyway?

Breedlove AC 200/SM

2008-03-18T14:08:00.004-04:00

This is how I look playing my new Breedlove guitar.

This is how I will look onstage playing my new Breedlove guitar.

I bought my first acoustic steel string guitar and it arrived on Thursday night! It's Christmas in March for me. I did so much research, people. I know everything there is to know about vintage Yamaha FG acoustics (who they were modeled after, what type of wood was used, which years the "red" label was produced, which have the easiest action, etc., etc., etc.). I could go into detail, but thinking about it tires me so I'll just tell you about the one I now own.

It's a Breedlove AC 200/SM. That means it's from the Atlas series and it is a concert size (has a smaller body than a dreadnought; although this one is slightly larger than most concert-sized guitars). 200 is Breedlove's method of labeling it as having a satin finish, non-cutaway, laminate back. Lastly, SM stands for Sitka Spruce top (solid) and Mahogany (laminate) back and sides.

In terms of appearance, I think this guitar has the prettiest body with a simple abalone rosette around the sound hole, black binding, and a non-cutaway top - I'm not the hugest fan of cut-aways (I know, I know, but you can reach the upper frets easier). I like how clean it looks without a pick guard, however, I probably need one on it. It has a pinless bridge and chrome Grover tuners (which I prefer to that of gold).

I found the sound quality to be the best in considering other new guitars in my price range (I also liked the sound of a Fender CD140S).

I've heard the action is good with no setup necessary; however, it all feels difficult for me right now because I'm just learning. The neck isn't as wide as I thought it would be. Supposedly the nut width is 1 11/16th of an inch, which is on the narrower side for a guitar. It is difficult for me to not press other strings while playing cetain chords, but that could be one of two reasons: I'm just a beginner so am learning how to position my fingers or I have fat fingers. I tend to think it's the latter. Maybe a 1 3/4ths or 1 7/8ths inch nut would be better after all. Regardless, the tips of my fingers hurt and my nails have never been shorter.

Acquiring a guitar has been a very long process for me including many late nights on Ebay, Craigslist, Harmony Central, Guitar Center, Musician's Friend, Youtube and dozens of other sites and stores reviewing guitars and talking to anyone who knows anything about the guitar (thank you brother/Brooks, brother-in-law/Clay, Adam, Kim, Dave, Ronnie, and everyone I emailed on ebay).

To tell you the truth, now that the guitar is here, I'm a little nervous. I think it's going to be even more difficult than I initially thought it would be. I constantly start things and never finish them. I either get bored, distracted, or frustrated when things become challenging and I don't want that to happen this time. I'm going to really put some effort in to learning - even if that means playing 10 minutes every day - which I have been doing.

You know, I've wanted to play since I was 13, but my brothers learned first so I just let them do it - it became their thing and they were/are really great at playing the guitar. Well, over the years I've put my efforts into learning and doing other things - namely excelling at school - and forgot about how much I wanted to learn the guitar. Well, I have a terminal degree so school is dead for me at this point. I have time to do other things like figure out a career path, play the guitar, maybe date. I guess I could have done all of those things while in school, but for some reason when it comes to managing my life, I can't really multi-task. I'm trying to pursue the things I've always wanted to do and not use the lack of money as an excuse to not achieve something. I'm a believer in the phrase, "where there's a will, there's a way." I only hope that my will is finally strong enough to pave the way.

So I've been learning chords at the moment. I have a list of 45 songs I want to learn and have been looking at the tabs for each online (beginning with the songs that sound the easiest play). I'll slowly have to build my way up to Iron & Wine, Wilco, Elliott Smith, and Led Zeppelin. Basically I'm learning how to play on my own with the help of the internet and friends - like Adam, who showed me the Bm chord (Adam I know I said I could learn a barre chord if I wanted to, but maybe I was wrong). I've mostly been practicing the G, D, A, E, Em, and Bm chords. Shifting from one chord to another es muy dificil. Hopefully the more I practice, the more instinctual it will become. I've been learning parts of songs from Harvest Moon by Neil Young, Those to Come and Gone For Good by the Shins, Fade Into You by Mazzy Star, The Boy Done Wrong Again by Belle & Sebastian. As soon as I can play a song, I'll record it for you and upload it to Youtube. Until then, I'm just figuring things out, toughening up my fingers, going to purchase a capo and tuner and rockin' as much as a beginner can. Forget Bread's The Guitar Man, this is The Guitar Woman!

So begins my life as a rock star. Wish me luck!

Funny Quotes

2008-03-13T12:29:00.004-04:00

I saw these two quotes on a guitar forum thread thingy:

I'm such a big fan of ME that I signed myself to an exclusive 7 album deal. Of course since I'm both the artist and the label, I promised myself the world up front and then I totally screwed ME in the fine print of the contract. I'll never see sh*t as the artist, but I'm gonna make a killing as the label...
- posted by someone named gtrbass

The wisest man I ever knew taught me something I never forgot. And although I never forgot it, I never quite memorized it either. So what I'm left with is the memory of having learned something very wise that I can't quite remember.
- George Carlin

The interesting thing about that last one is that it explains me to a tee. I'm sure at some point today I'll try to explain to a friend a complicated concept I've heard or read about and won't be able to articulate myself well because of my poor memory. Then in an attempt to pardon my lack of memory to said friend, I will try to quote George Carlin and of course will fail miserably at that attempt due to an inability to remember it as well.

Adultz Like It Too!

2008-03-12T18:38:00.006-04:00

Once I discovered this cereal while babysitting and have looked forward to babysitting for this family ever since because they always have it (sure the kids are cute too). Do yourself a favor and buy Gorilla Munch for $2.49 a box at Trader Joe's (I think Whole Foods sells it as well).

These Are A Few of My Favorite Games

2008-01-20T00:09:00.000-05:00

Board games involving world domination:
Risk
Lord of the Rings Risk
Settlers of Catan

Card Games:
Spades
Pit
Uno
Hearts
Solitaire
Apples to Apples
At one point I began learning Magic, but didn't ever collect the cards so...
Old Maid
I think I like Texas Hold 'em (I forget which Poker games I like)
Memory (heh, that's a funny game to follow the previous comment)

Games involving lots of words:
Mad Gab
Taboo
Scattergories

Children's Games:
Sorry!
Connect Four
Candy Land
Pictionary
Barbie (the one from the 60s where you have to get a prom dress and a date)
Girl Talk
checkers
Trouble
Hungry, Hungry Hippo
Hi Ho! Cherry-O
You Sunk My Battleship
Mastermind for kids
Operation

Dice:
Yahtzee
Dice

Games that I can't put into a category, but just like:
Parcheezee
Backgammon
Monopoly
Chinese Checkers
Clue
Chess
The Game of Life

New additions since Christmas 2007:
Canasta
Phase 10
The Great Dalmuti

Games I want to learn:
Axis and Allies
Mahjong
Cashflow 101 (the Rich Dad Poor Dad game by Robert T. Kiyosaki)

Games I don't like:
Trivial Pursuit
Mousetrap
Battle of the Sexes is alright
The license plate game people play when they're on a long road trip
Real life games involving people I like of the opposite sex

Game I like depending on who I'm playing with:
Twister

The best television game show of all time:
Press Your Luck (the No Whammies! game)

Games I like on television, but not in board format:
Scrabble

Game shows I always wanted to be on:
Family Feud
The Price is Right
The Dating Game
Love Connection
The Newlywed Game
Pyramid
Remote Control
Win, Lose, or Draw
Singled Out
The one where people were dressed in a costume and had to pick a door and bid on how much the item cost behind the door they picked (and if they chose a crappy door a donkey would be on the other side) - but it wasn't Price is Right because for some reason people were dressed in weird costumes.

Another game I love, but can't remember the name:
A board game from the 1980s that revolves around the theme of an attic. There were also cards such as a tree that would take you to different sections through a "house," and there were dog pieces where you could block people. That game was awesome.

What about you guys - which games do you love to play? Which games should be on here, but aren't? It stinks, because if I had more space (or any space) in my apartment I would own more board games. At the moment I only have a few decks of cards, dice, and I think that's about it. That's gonna change real soon, though. I can feel it.

Did You Know

2008-01-17T22:08:00.000-05:00

Those are my eyeballs, but that's not what I wanted you to know. I wanted you to know that...

Only 1% of the human population possesses green eyes? The most common eye color is brown followed by blue. Honestly, I've never understood why everyone makes such a big deal about blue eyes. Green is where it's at, people. Holla! So my next question is why is Coldplay the only band in history that sings about green eyes? Why don't other musicians start singing about green eyes? It's about time. Oh, here's where I got the statistic on eye color.

Lastly, what color are your eyes? After reading the Wikipedia link, I don't know what color my eyes are anymore. I can't help but wonder if my eyes are technically Hazel. I have little gold bits mixed with green and surrounded by blue. I've always just said greenish-blue.

Things I Did Over the Holidays:

2008-01-17T20:46:00.000-05:00

1. Played at least 8 games of Settlers of Catan.
2. Gained at least 8 pounds.
3. Something I've never done is wished that I had a boyfriend for Christmas, but I did this year and I literally got A Boyfriend for Christmas - only it was a terrible movie and not a terribly cute boy. God is a comedian, I just know it...and a literalist.
4. Ate at the Original Pancake House in Atlanta and loved every bite of it.
5. Cut my hair.
6. Learned how to play Canasta (which I enjoyed immensely since it is very similar to my favorite card game: Spades).
7. Almost kidknaped my nieces because they're so dang cute and I want them to be mine. I asked my sister first if I could steal them and she said it was okay, but I ended up not doing it.
8. Searched for jobs not Web design related. From now on I'm a retired Web designer. Sort of.
9. Canoodled!?! Sort of.
10. Cut my hair again.
11. Stayed up 'til 4 AM most nights talking with Sara and my mom.
12. Danced more than usual - or at least in public (something I haven't really had the opportunity to do in a while - where have all the dance parties gone?).
13. Played, or should I say rocked out the game Rock Band. It was soooooooo much fun! I always knew I would be a great singer in a rock band and this game just confirmed that.
14. Downed about a gallon of eggnog. Something I've never really enjoyed drinking before due to the whole raw egg thing.
15. Cut my hair. I know, I have a bit of an addiction to cutting my hair. I can't help it, when I see uneven pieces, or it's not layered right, I have to fix it. At least my addiction is free (I cut it myself).
16. Oh, I almost forgot that I crushed everyone who tried to challenge me at Mad Gab. If only there was a job that paid to play the game Mad Gab. Ain't no body gab madder than me.

Pictures will follow this post as soon as Sara sends them to me. In the mean time, you'll just have to imagine what all of the fun looked like in your head. What did you guys do over the holidays? I know it's kind of late to be asking, but I feel like I'm just now getting into the swing of things. The swing being looking for jobs again. I need a new swing.

Christmas Party 2007

2007-12-19T02:16:00.000-05:00

Here are some photos from our Christmas party. Thanks for coming everyone - without you it wouldn't have been a party! Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas, Kimmy! You look so cute and excited for Christmas in this photo.

Alejandro always looks so debonair.

This is the only photo I own of Dr. Steve's face - or Latin Ken as I like to call him.

This photo is entitled "Man of the house."

The plaids.

The tree.

The Monica.

The newest roommate, Alicia.

Reghan and Me (Lexia).

We didn't have turtle doves but we did have love birds.

The three amigos: Jeff, Collin, and Brigham.

Not the three amigos, but you will notice two of them in the background.

So Joe, a.k.a. "man of the house," brought us an edible white chocolate antler that he made himself and this is what it looked like. Note that he sells these if you're interested and might I add it was very tasty.

And this is what I would look like if I had an antler growing out of my head. I think I really do look like a deer caught in headlights.

Confession #19

2007-12-10T17:30:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I think 20th Century Fox didn't look far enough into the future; or they ignored the person at the company naming meeting who asked, "what about when the 21st century rolls in?" I guess they were thinking of the now instead of the future - something we all fall victim to I suppose.

Where There Will Be Blood, There Will Be Me

2007-11-24T02:03:00.000-05:00

I haven't been this excited about a new movie since, well, Dan In Real Life. But this is a different kind of movie - A Talented Mr. Ripley kind of movie. It is directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia). Everything about it reminds me of old Hollywood - you know, the kind where they had a plot. In addition to that, the music is... I don't even know how to begin to describe it except to say that it has this haunting, abstract, orchestral quality. Considering that it's composed by Radiohead's guitarist Johnny Greenwood might have something to do with it. Now that I think about it, it has a similar feel to the song Life In A Glass House from Amnesiac (which has always been my favorite on the album).

Just about everything in this movie makes me eager to watch it. The visuals remind me of a John Steinbeck novel. And Daniel, oh sweet Daniel Day-Lewis - a candy bar should be named after him. He's got a wicked Texan accent (and I mean wicked in the true sense of the word - not the Bostonian sense). Paul Dano also stars in this movie. You probably remember him from Little Miss Sunshine (the cute little dark existential teenager). This is going to be the kind of movie that feels like reading a book - if that's possible to do. Considering it's an adaptation of a novel by Upton Sinclair's Oil!, I suppose that might have something to do with it. Oh, the psychological thrill it will be. View the trailer now, or else there will be blood...

How perfect was that last sentence as cheesy as it sounds? :o)

Note that I normally don't promote R-rated films. Also note that even though I mentioned three other R-rated films in this post, it's purely coincidental. I normally don't watch... I... Sara... but you... okay.

Sara, My Memory Succeeds Me...

2007-11-24T01:35:00.000-05:00

I know you can, but so can I.
:o)

If You Google: "I'm depressed because I see what's going on in the world"

2007-11-19T04:04:00.000-05:00

My blog is the fourth link. I only know this because my site meter showed that someone was referred to my blog through typing in this query at google.com. I think it was Google's way of playing a joke on this person because the name of my blog is "The World As I See It: A happy land of bunnies and rainbows." Silly Google. Tricks are for kids - not advanced search engines. If you don't believe me see for yourself (note that the information on this link will change in the future so my blog may no longer appear on the page. Actually, it might appear twice now, since I have the exact phrase in this post. Hm, we'll see...).

Pre Merry Christmas!!!

2007-11-14T23:01:00.001-05:00

You guys, this little multimedia project (brought to you by Office Max) makes me laugh so much. I can't believe how much that elfin body moves like me?!? I could keep adding photos all night long.

Click to watch Steve Carell and me kickin' it elf style.

I'm Not the Only Thing that's Changed Over the Years

2007-11-09T23:02:00.000-05:00

Scroll through the reminiscent jibber-jabber to see more before/after photos of the apartment.

I found these photos of my apartment and realized that it has dramatically transformed over the last four years. I remember looking at the apartment with a broker for the first time. She was supposed to show me "no fee" apartments only, but of course like any conniving broker, she slipped in this apartment like it was some form of GHB. Only, I noticed. And I wanted it. Actually, I debated on getting this apartment for a couple of days. I was nervous to take such an adult plunge. I had never had my own apartment before with a lease in my name. I didn't know if it would be difficult to find a roommate. It was a lot of money just for the broker's fee - I only had the money to pay for it because I still had some student loan money left from the previous semester. I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to walk up six flights of stairs with laundry, groceries, or camera equipment (at the time I was studying video). I was scared, but had to make a decision quickly. I decided to do it despite my fears, knowing that it was too good of a deal to pass up. Are all good decisions prefaced with fear and concern? Or is that just the Snow way?

I'm so thankful that I made that difficult decision to get this apartment. It has been a light, warm, and mostly safe place to live. It has kept me in better shape because I use the stairs so frequently. Since it's located in the East Village of Manhattan, there's a lot of energy surrounding the apartment; however, it's located on the south side of the street so it's as quiet as a New York apartment can be. It's been my home - a place where I feel safe and totally comfortable. I can be myself around it, it doesn't judge me, it likes me for who I am. Heh, heh, it started to sound like I was in love with my apartment so I decided to play off the idea of being in love with it for humorous purposes.

Anyway, Since living here, I've had my fair share of roommates - namely eight. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately (depending on how you look at it), I share a room due to New York's cost of living plus my added student loans. Even though it's rent stabilized, I still pay more for my apartment than my parent's do for their 4 bedroom, 3.5 baths, two story brick home on 1 acre in Georgia. Yes, that's the price you pay for a 450 square foot apartment (with no sink in the bathroom) in New York.

Is it worth it? I dunno. I share a room so my rent is cheaper than if I were to have my own room. But, I don't have my own room, so is it worth it? I dunno. I get to walk outside and immerse myself with all of the things that New York City has to offer. But is New York City the only place to be immersed and what is it offering? I dunno. At the moment, though, I get to work from home. But can't you work from home in any city? These are things I think about everyday whilst sitting in my East Village apartment debating whether or not I should stay in New York. While I love the city (and giving up this apartment would deeply sadden me - not to mention make it impossible for me to move back at the rate apartment costs are rising...unless I become a millionaire), I don't know if Manhattan feels like home anymore.

I recently went to Boston and when I came back, someone made the comment, "ahhh, it feels good to be home." In that moment, for the first time in the four and a half years I've lived in New York I thought, "this doesn't feel like home to me anymore." As the next few months unfold, hopefully I'll reach some kind of conclusion or perhaps something in my life will change, in a similar way to that of my apartment - for the better.

Lauren and I used to air out that rug by opening the window and shaking out the dust. That's now considered a violation in our building. It's a good thing we no longer have a rug.

I killed Fred about a month ago. Fred is the enormous cactus I owned. He got too big for his own britches (he outgrew his pot (meaning a ceramic container)).

We haven't done much to the kitchen. I'm renting, so there's only so much you can do there.

A half bathroom - only there's a tub and toilet, just no sink.

Reghan's been the longest renter thus far (apart from me) and this is her "cave" as we like to refer to it.

The door to Narnia (at least your room has a built-in closet).

My room. Perhaps my love of organizing, right angles, and color is best shown when looking at my closet.

Confession #18

2007-11-09T20:12:00.000-05:00

I don't think anyone should talk before 11:00AM - especially on the radio.

Dan In Real Life - more like My Man In Real Life

2007-11-07T22:01:00.001-05:00

I'm in love with Steve Carell. If only he weren't 45 years old, married, had two kids, famous, and were Mormon (I prefer my imaginary crushes to be of the same religion as me).

Just look at how cute his face is in that photo (that I did not take). The movie Dan In Real Life is almost as cute as his face. I don't want to give a review of the movie, but I do want to somehow force you to watch it. The soundtrack has made me happy for the last month, but I've only been listening to 1 minute clips of it from iTunes. Lauren, can't you email it to me for my birthday...puh-leeeeeeease? Break the law this one time. Kidding. Sort of. Does the FBI monitor blogs [insert nervous laugh here]?

Question?

2007-11-07T21:56:00.000-05:00

If a woman donated her eggs to a medical facility and in turn received $8,000, would she be subject to paying taxes on that money? Gift tax maybe?

Why Captain Morgan Harris is better for Anne of Green Gables than Gilbert Blythe

2007-11-05T14:04:00.000-05:00

When Sara and I were younger, we loved to watch Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea, a television series that was made in 1985. I remember us reenacting the scene where Anne and her bosom friend Diana Bary accidentally get drunk. We would drink cranberry or grape juice and pretend it was Raspberry Cordial. It's interesting that of all the scenes from the show, we both thought that that one was the funnest to play - considering that neither of us has had an alcoholic drink to this day.

Recently, Sara and I were discussing this movie and how I always wanted Anne to marry Captain Morgan Harris (even at the tender age of a single digit). Well, Sara said she was glad that Anne and Gilbert ended up together. We proceeded to argue and disagree and decided to present our arguments on our blogs. So this is why I wanted Anne to choose Captain Morgan Harris:

1. He's more handsome than Gilbert in my opinion.
2. He liked her and showed her he liked her (by asking her to marry him) whereas Gilbert danced around the idea of loving Anne for pretty much his whole existence. I mean, Gil had to face death in order to realize he loved Anne.
3. He has the title of Captain in his name! Who doesn't want to be in love with a captain?
4. She got along so well with his daughter, Emmeline (who needed a mother figure around like Anne).
5. His pad was fly, yo.
6. Gilbert had a constant bubble in his throat.
7. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is that Gil is a boy while the Captain is a man. Who wants an indecisive boy when you can have a man who knows what he wants and goes after it? Man, I was ahead of my time at the age of 5. Hey, I'm a child prodigy of love and romance, Sara - HA!

So everyone who remembers Anne with an "E" and her love interests, please write your thoughts about it in the comment section and be sure to visit Sara's Blog to view her opinion on why Gilbert is the better choice.

I apologize for there being no photo of the Cap'n, but I couldn't find one. Hmph.

A Joke I Made Up For You

2007-11-05T13:05:00.000-05:00

Information on a bulletin board at a psychologist's office:

The Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Recovery Program meets Monday at 6:00 PM.
The Work-A-Holics Anonymous Program meets Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:00 PM.

Ha! Ha! Ha! I was going to spend the time to think of another one, but decided to let you guys do that.

Confession #17

2007-11-05T12:49:00.000-05:00

Are child prodigies the only prodigies that exist? 'Cause I want to be an adult prodigy.

Don't Ever Go To Trader Joe's On A Friday Evening

2007-11-02T19:46:00.000-04:00

I had an eye doctor appointment today and decided on my way home I would pop in to Trader Joe's because they have this amazing frozen Tilapia dinner that's worth the 20 minute wait in line. I picked up my 11 items and stood at the back of the "Under 12 Items or Less" line. I couldn't believe how long the line was. It started (or should I say ended?) by the lettuce - a.k.a. front door. I thought, "oh, well, now I'll have this fish to eat when I get home and the people are always friendly along the way." Note, people are always friendly Sunday through Thursday and Saturday. Friday is reserved for crucifixion. Here's why.

So I'm standing in line. I finally make my way to the free food corner where they were offering cheesecake sprinkled with blueberries. It was alright, but I like that Trader Joe's gives out samples of their food, because sometimes they're really tasty. Once I even bought the ice cream with raspberries and blueberries they were giving out because I liked it so much. I finished my bite-sized cheesecake and turned into the isle with the weird organic toothpaste, etc. I finally got to the end of that isle and turned left where to my surprise, the line was going into another isle. I had never seen this before, usually we in the "under 12 items" line just cut that isle off; however, because I was in a line, I naturally followed the person in front of me down the isle. The funny thing is I pondered whether or not to stand there and not let the line go into another lane. In the end, I chose to continue to follow the people ahead of me. Wrong. Very, very wrong. If I had one moment today to take back, that would be it - I would have stayed put and waited for the last person ahead of me to catch up to where I was standing.

Well, sure enough, people started getting confused. A woman that was shopping in that lane decided to just enter in front of me, I saw that she had hardly anything in her cart and decided it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Then an employee came over and said "you all aren't in line" pointing to some people behind me who were cutting in this funky lane that was getting out of control. The employee said "just stay there but no one else can enter behind you." Some guy decided to pause the line at the same point I had thought about doing earlier. He also took the liberty of shewing people away who falsely entered the line. "Whatever," I thought, "I've waited in this line for so long and I can finally see the end 15 feet ahead of me. I'll just get my fish and get out of here. I'm almost done."

Well, the people behind the guy, started getting aggravated that so many people were still in front of them that they started getting antsy and angry. All of a sudden this woman steps out of line from the back and shouts, "that girl cut in line! She wasn't there earlier!" I thought, "Geez, poor girl this woman's going crazy on her." Next came this out of her mouth, "Right over there, that girl in the red coat cut in line! That girl in the red coat! The Red Coat!" I look down at my sleeve and sure enough, I'm wearing a red coat. She kept going on and on. I turned over to her and said I've been standing in line since the lettuce!" The guy in front of me didn't even stand up for me. He was there with me from the very beginning of the line; we walked passed the bread together and on through the cheese. Yet, he didn't say a peep.

The other guy who paused the line said, "it's okay, we'll just let these people go and that's it" - implying I cut, but had approval. I was so mad that these people assumed I cut in line because they didn't see me earlier. I hate it when people think if they don't see something then nothing happened. I had a roommate do that. I would clean the WHOLE apartment, but because she wasn't around when I was sweeping, mopping, and spending 3 hours cleaning the bathroom, it didn't happen because she didn't see me doing it.

I was just disgusted with these people for slapping a scarlet letter (ironically on my red jacket) for something I didn't even do. The dumbest thing, though, is that those people think they're right. They think I cut them off and I didn't. I was waiting in that line longer than they were and somewhere in the blog sphere someone is probably writing a post about a girl in a red coat who cut them off in line at Trader Joe's. Well I didn't!

Moral of the story, don't go to Trader Joe's on a Friday evening. And if you're name is Hester Prynne, I would avoid Trader Joe's like the plague.

Don't get me wrong, I like Trader Joe's. I'm not into that whole organic food fight, but their food does have a lot more flavor for the slightly higher price you pay than at the Associated (a New York chain grocery store where the lettuce looks like it's been through WWIII). I just have issues with that lady in line, or Mrs. Chillingsworth as I'll call her now. Hm, actually Hester is Mrs. Chillingsworth, in the story, huh? Maybe that lady cut in line once in her life a long time ago and is afraid she'll be outed.

So I ended up having a sandwich for dinner instead of Tilapia. I was exhausted.

Halloween 2007 (or The Best Rubik's Cube Costume Ever!)

2007-11-01T18:57:00.001-04:00

I didn't dress up for Halloween last year and felt awful about it - just awful. So this year I decided to make a great costume; perhaps the best Halloween costume I've ever made. I had thought about being a Robert Palmer girl, but didn't have a Robert Palmer boy by my side (not to mention 9 other girls), so I scratched that idea. After much brainstorming, I decided to be a Rubik's cube! It took me many hours to make this costume; so many, that I only made it for the last 10 minutes of the the church dance on Saturday. It was totally worth it though, because on the way there, many people shouted that they liked my costume. I heard this statement a lot, "Hey, Rubik's cube!" I also heard this from about 10 guys: "I can't ever figure you out," "I can never solve you," or "you're so complicated." How did so many strange boys know I'm such a complicated girl? :o)

Me in the church gymnasium

Reghan was dressed as James Taylor (not Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall). She was the spittin' image of him. I find it interesting that while most girls dress as something sexy and revealing for Halloween, Reghan wore a mustache. I think that says something about her character.

Reghan Taylor and me

Somebunny special

A walking Rubik's cube

This photo is just silly. Notice Mim (if you can), and Francesco's glare.

This is what being inside a 26" Rubik's cube looks like.

Reghan and an Apple walking in the West Village Halloween Parade.

Reghan and Nick walking behind a creepy zombie in the parade.

Frida - or Amber as most of us know her.

Me in the parade

More evidence of our being in a parade.

By the end of the night I was no longer a Rubik's cube; rather a Rubik's hexagon.

I think next year I'll be Gumby.

HAPPY 26th BIRTHDAY, SARA!!!

2007-10-25T18:13:00.000-04:00

These were taken by me (obviously) on May 31, 2007.

Question?

2007-10-25T18:01:00.000-04:00

Has anyone ever eaten that one chunky piece of fatty bacon inside a can of baked beans? You know what I'm talking about. I avoid it at all costs by picking around it or pushing it away from my beans. I'm just curious to see if anyone actually puts that in their mouth.

Memory Lane #1

2007-10-10T19:44:00.000-04:00

I was looking through my photos on my hard drive and realized I haven't uploaded very many pictures on my blog...ever. So, I've decided to post photographs from parties I've had, parties I've attended, or just things I've never blogged about over the past few years.

Saturday night I went to a birthday party for Emily. It was a 1920s themed party where everyone was supposed to dress up. Many there were flappers, gangsters, and the like. I however, was half a 1920s reporter with my argyle v-neck sweater and rolled up sleeves ready take the world by storm with breaking news on prohibition and half a woman of the 2007s. Okay, I didn't dress up, but I definitely used my 1920s reporter voice...see. Here are some photos (my roommate, Alicia, took most of them).

Austin, Alicia, and A-Dave looking very gangster.

Emily, the birthday girl, and Libby.

Pamela and Alicia

Dave teaching me the double windsor

Me, Dave, and Jeff

Kelly, Kimmie, Alicia, Ashley, Genevieve

Me (sans fat tie) and Hillary

Nobu No More

2007-10-08T18:31:00.001-04:00

So, I forgot to mention that I no longer moonlight as a part-time hostess at Nobu. I might have forgotten to mention that I ever did moonlight as a part-time hostess at Nobu. In any case I no longer work there. However, I feel I should share some thoughts about my experience while working there; rather, I should share some thoughts about a transitional period of my life while working there. To begin...

In the Spring of 2006 I graduated from the School of Visual Arts with an MFA in Computer Art. During the summer, I started looking for full-time work mostly in web design and the video editing sphere. I was having a really difficult time finding work that would pay enough to cover the cost of living in New York City and provide additional funding to my medical-school-sized student loan (just to clarify, I did not go to medical school). Every once in a while a freelance web/graphic design project would fall into my lap, so I decided I would hold off on looking for full-time work (since I wasn't successful at finding anything anyway) and decided to actually try to be a freelance designer. Well, the grace period of my student loan was quickly approaching so I needed to earn some quick cash, even if that meant taking a temporary job.

Well along came an opportunity to work at night as a hostess at Nobu. I thought, this will be a good job to have for a month to pay off my student loans plus I can still work in the day. Well, one month turned into ten. I could have had a baby in the span of my "temporary" job - Yowzaas! Anyway, after my first trimester, some time in December, I was honestly depressed. I had Pre Partum depression...and I wasn't even pregnant! Depression is the only word to describe my situation, though. I was working at a job that was not at all related to what I wanted to do, not to mention I didn't know what it was that I wanted to do, and worse I was no longer freelancing. Hostessing became my main source of income. I had spent $120,000 in educational debt to become a hostess. I could have easily held the title "Hostess with the Mostest...debt."

I decided that in order for my situation to change, I had to first change my attitude. So late one cold December night, after walking home from work, I made a list of the things I was learning while working at Nobu. It helped me understand that while I wasn't working as a designer, I was still moving forward in ways that I hadn't seen, and that I was still improving, growing, and gaining skills that I could use in any future job no matter what the title. Here is that very list:

"What I'm Learning @ Nobu"
1. When I become wealthy, I'll be generous with my money - I'll tip the coat check and hostesses $20 - they really need it (some have $100,000 student loans).
2. Be honest and fair with money and work. Example: splitting up the tip jar - if someone else isn't honest about dividing it fairly, then I won't get my share (and likewise, if I'm not honest, I'll be cheating someone else out of money).
3. It's important to be humble. No job is below you and you're not above any job. All parts of a company are crucial - whether it's the bus boy, chef, or owner. It's important to serve others (and serving is a humbling experience - especially when you seat a boy you once dated and his new girlfriend).
4. People are generally nice. Coworkers try to make a bad day manageable, customers say "thank you" most of the time, and bus boys always hit on the hostesses.
5. Celebrities are almost always shorter in real life. [I'm not quite sure how that one will help me in the future, but it was something I learned].
6. Sometimes we need to do things we don't want to do like walk across town in the cold to get to work, take a job that doesn't pay enough, answer the phones, and deal with questions we don't know the answers to.
7. If you're standing behind a podium, people think you know what's going on - that you're in charge in some way.
8. I know how to button and unbutton any kind of coat - whether it's your traditional plastic buttons, metal latches, leather ties, multiple zippers, snaps, or velcro. I love velcro! Also, when my future kids get cold, I'll have them warm in no time.
9. The impossible is possible! If you don't have a reservation, sometimes you can still get in.
10. Babies, toddlers, and kids always bring joy into a room.
11. King Crab Tempura with Honey Truffle Sauce is food of the Gods and is worth every 3,400 pennies -that's a whopping $34!)
12. Trust Heavenly Father. You may not know what you're doing, why you're doing it, or when it will end, but as long as you're doing your best and striving to live the commandments, he's there helping you, even when you're uncertain and your vision becomes cloudy. He's there to make sure we feel satisfied at an unfulfilling job, that we make ends meet despite our low pay, that we're learning, growing, and improving even when we feel like we're not.
13. When work is over and I get home late, it's a comforting routine of mine to read the scriptures and speak to God through prayer about all my concerns, worries, frustrations, and to give thanks for the blessings I have and the people I'm surrounded by. Scripture study and regular prayer are two peaceful ways to conclude a hectic day. They have the same calming effect on me as the King Crab Tempura.

While I may not be learning a computer skill or adding a job to my resume, I'm still learning invaluable lessons that are more closely linked to my happiness - perhaps more so than if I were to be drawing vector graphics or logging and capturing film.

I went on to work there many more months and met some really great people (and I don't mean the celebrities). It's funny because one year later I find myself back in the very same situation: looking for work in the summertime, doing freelance web/graphic design, still unsure about what I want to do, only this time I've had a little more success. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I still don't know if it's time for me to say good-bye to New York. There are many things I don't know, but there is one thing I do know - Heavenly Father has managed to take care of me when I couldn't take care of myself (and he continues to do so even when I haven't a clue what I'm doing).

One last thing. People frequently ask me which celebrities I've seen since working at Nobu, so I tried to compile a list of those that I "seated" I'm so disappointed that I never got to see Jimmy Fallon or Johnny Depp. Those are the only two famous people I would have gotten super excited about seeing. Instead I saw these people:

Heather Graham
Molly Shannon (she was absolutely nice)
Seth Meyers
Magic Johnson
George Lucas
Billy Crystal
Renee Zellweger
Kate Winslet
Axel Rose
Val Kilmer
Lenny Kravitz
Joaquin Phoenix
Ziyi Zhang (Memoirs of a Geisha)
the singer from Jane's Addiction
John Mayer
Seann William Scott (he was surprisingly cute in person and really friendly)
Tommy Hilfiger's daughter (she looked exactly like her dad)
Blythe Danner
Fisher Stevens (every time I saw him I had night terrors, he was in Short Circuit)
Russel Simmons
Gisel
Adrianne Brody
Matty Damon
Richard Gere and wife (she was the prettiest celebrity)
Harvey Weinstien
Jake Gilenhaal
Henry Fonda
Charlotte Gainsbourg (Sara, she's in the 1996 version of Jane Eyre)
Mos Def
Justin Timberlake
Zach Braff
Chris Rock
Famke Janssen
John Krazinsky (Okay, I got a little excited about seeing him. Although, I would rather have seen Steve Carell)
and a myriad of models, CEOs, producers, directors, athletes, etc.

She bangs! She bangs!

2007-09-19T00:52:00.001-04:00

No, I'm not speaking of Ricky Martin's classic 2000 hit single; rather my bangs. After taking a clip out of my hair tonight, this is what happened. I look just like the head elf in A Christmas Story. All I'm missing is a little bell at the end.

Soundtrack of My Current Daydreams:

2007-08-13T22:36:00.000-04:00

"Sleeping Lessons" - The Shins
"Mama, Won't You Keep Those Castles In The Air + Burning?" - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
"There are too many Birds" - Arthur & Yu (thanks Reghan)
"3 Horses" - Arthur & Yu
"Bullet Proof...I wish I was" - Radiohead
"How Can You Be Sure" - Radiohead

Previously it was:
"Lost" - The Mary Onettes
"Cha Cha Cha" - Little Ones
"Rally" - Phoenix
"Skyway" - The Replacements
Songs I don't have the titles to by Patrick Watson (thanks Lauren)

What songs are on the soundtrack of your daydreams these days? Further more, what are your daydreams?

Moles Vs. Freckles

2007-08-13T21:33:00.000-04:00

Here's a fun fact about me that you may not know: I have 80 moles on just my left arm. I am a victim of a skin condition called moles and have been since I was born. The older I get, the more I get. The above photograph is a scanned image of my left arm demonstrating the number and appearance of my moles. I generally don't freckle - I mole. The more I think about this word and say it in my head, the more I think it sounds gross. But it's a topic I feel the need to bring up on my blog.

In the last few days, I have had at least three lengthy conversations with different people about the differences between moles and freckles. Most people have little to no knowledge of what moles are and are not. So, this is my attempt to clear up any misconceptions, stereotypes, or any other false notion that people might have about moles and freckles. It's important to note that the information provided was copied and pasted directly from webmd.com.

Freckles

Freckles are small brown spots usually found on the face and arms. Freckles are extremely common and are not a health threat. They are more often seen in the summer, especially among lighter-skinned people and people with light or red hair.

What Causes Freckles?

Causes of freckles include genetics and exposure to the sun.

Do Freckles Need to Be Treated?

Since freckles are almost always harmless, there really is no need to treat them. As with many skin conditions, it's best to avoid the sun as much as possible, or use a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher. This is especially important because people who freckle easily (for example, lighter-skinned people) are more likely to develop skin cancer.

Moles

Moles are growths on the skin that are usually brown or black. Moles can appear anywhere on the skin, alone or in groups.

Most moles appear in early childhood and during the first 20 years of a person's life. Some moles may not appear until later in life. It is normal to have between 10-40 moles by adulthood.

As the years pass, moles usually change slowly, becoming raised and/or changing color. Often, hairs develop on the mole. Some moles may not change at all, while others may slowly disappear over time.

What Causes a Mole?

Moles occur when cells in the skin grow in a cluster instead of being spread throughout the skin. These cells are called melanocytes, and they make the pigment that gives skin its natural color. Moles may darken after exposure to the sun, during the teen years, and during pregnancy.

Types of Moles

Congenital nevi are moles that appear at birth. Congenital nevi occur in about one in 100 people. These moles may be more likely to develop into melanoma (cancer) than are moles that appear after birth. If the mole is more than eight inches in diameter, it poses a significant risk of becoming cancerous.
Dysplastic nevi are moles that are larger than average (larger than a pencil eraser) and irregular in shape. They tend to have uneven color with dark brown centers and lighter, uneven edges. These moles tend to be hereditary (passed on from parent to child through genes). People with dysplastic nevi may have more than 100 moles and have a greater chance of developing melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer. Any changes in a mole should be checked by a dermatologist to detect skin cancer.

How Do I Know if a Mole Is Cancer?

Most moles are not dangerous. The only moles that are of medical concern are those that look different than other existing moles or those that first appear after age 20. If you notice changes in a mole's color, height, size or shape, you should have a dermatologist (skin doctor) evaluate it. You also should have moles checked if they bleed, ooze, itch, appear scaly, or become tender or painful.

Examine your skin with a mirror or ask someone to help you. Pay special attention to areas of your skin that are often exposed to the sun, such as the hands, arms, chest, neck, face, and ears.

If your moles do not change over time, there is little reason for concern. If you see any signs of change in an existing mole, if you have a new mole, or if you want a mole to be removed for cosmetic reasons, talk to your dermatologist.

The following ABCDEs are important characteristics to consider when examining your moles. If a mole displays any of the signs listed below, have it checked immediately by a dermatologist. It could be cancerous.

Asymmetry. One half of the mole does not match the other half.
Border. The border or edges of the mole are ragged, blurred, or irregular.
Color. The color of the mole is not the same throughout or has shades of tan, brown, black, blue, white, or red.
Diameter. The diameter of a mole is larger than the eraser of a pencil.
Elevation.A portion of the mole appears elevated, or raised from the skin.

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer. The most common location for melanoma in men is the back and in women, it is the lower leg. Melanoma is the most common cancer in women ages 25 to 29.

How Are Moles Treated?

If a dermatologist believes a mole needs to be evaluated further or removed entirely, he or she will either remove the entire mole, or first take just a small tissue sample of the mole to examine thin sections of the tissue under a microscope (a biopsy). This is a simple procedure. (If the dermatologist thinks the mole might be cancerous, cutting through the mole will not cause the cancer to spread.)

If the mole is found to be cancerous, and only a small section of tissue was taken, the dermatologist will remove the entire mole by cutting out the entire mole and a rim of normal skin around it, and stitching the wound closed.

"I Love Jew"

2007-08-12T20:08:00.000-04:00

That's what I would tell Jake Hoffman, Dustin Hoffman's son, if I ever met him. Or I might ask, "how do you feel about dating Gentiles?"

Confession #16

2007-08-07T14:04:00.000-04:00

I would want war to happen all the time if people used fireworks instead of bombs.

Question:

2007-08-07T00:01:00.000-04:00

What do telemarketers do when they get a telemarketing phone call?

I'm Sorry Future Husband...

2007-07-31T23:28:00.000-04:00

and my blog readers. I totally "let you down," "dropped the ball," "disappointed you," "forgot about you entirely," and whatever other phrase exists for expressing failure. I should have been more involved in this months Future Husband theme. I had high hopes and posts that didn't get posted.

In my defense, I spent most of my time this month consolidating my private loans, working two jobs, and going to Mexico. So, err... I would like to conclude my future husband month by saying, I hope my future husband and I can afford my 30 year loan so that I won't have to work two jobs until my kids go to college, and that we will go to Acapulco one day?!? No, that is definitely not how I want to end this month's future husband adventure.

I'm not sure how to end a month that's already over; except to say that I'm one month closer to meeting you. That's exciting. Every day that passes is one day closer to finding you. I hope that the reason we're not together yet is because of one or more of the following:

1. it's your fault - you don't have your act together and need to step it up and get ready for me
2. you're currently too young for me to date and I need to wait a few more years 'til you're old enough (I really hope that's not the case)
3. you haven't figured out that you like me
4. are trying to complete school, establish yourself at a job, or figure out your financial situation before you begin a serious relationship - I understand the whole "providing" argument (and that's noble), but aren't the stack of things to do next always piling up? Don't you want someone to help clean off that mess, to bake the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in the whole wide world when you have a late night of work to do, or to say "don't worry baby, everything will turn out alright" as the Beach Boys' girlfriends always declare?
5. you have a fear of commitment - who doesn't
6. you're currently in the wrong relationship - i.e. not with me :o)
7. it's my fault - for being in the wrong country, for not being emotionally prepared for such a task, for overlooking, or underlooking, or not looking at all.

I don't think there's really any fault to be had in all honesty, but sometimes I wonder if the timing would have been right if I were ready a little sooner - or he was/is. But, that's a big what if statement and one I don't want to waste my time thinking about. Alls I'm sayin' is, lets get our act together so that we can meet for caramels some time and then fall in love and get married and have lots of bambinos. Otay Panky?

Hasta la vista, future husband!

Marriage is a Miracle

2007-07-07T01:26:00.000-04:00

I honestly believe when I get married it will be a miracle - for myriad reasons. One of those being that it's a miracle in progress that I even want to be married...finally. More importantly, though, the timing has to be just perfect. Perfect for us to meet face to face. Perfect for me to be in the right frame of mind. Perfect for him to be in the right frame of mind. Perfect in every particular: geographically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Not to mention we have to click in so many million other ways.

Sometimes I wonder if there is someone out there who I want to spend the rest of eternity with - and that's what will truly make marriage a miracle for me. I mean, eternity is a long time. For example, I could take a nap forever in the eternities and wake up and still have forever left - to do whatever - to take another forever nap. I feel a small amount of pressure about committing the rest of my time with someone else; however, my desire to form an intimate union greatly outways the fear of commitment. The thing that makes me not so terrified about choosing someone to be with eternally (or the worry of not liking the same person forever) is when I think of my sister, Sara. I definitely want to have her around in the eons to come. I couldn't imagine living forever without her in it. So if I want to know her forever then there's got to be some male equivalent walking around out there that I also want to know forever.

To me there are two forms of love. The kind where I say "I love you" and then the kind where I say "I marriage love you!" I love many people and have on a few occasions felt like I loved a boy; but never marriage loved a boy. I suppose once I realize I marriage love someone, then I won't be nervous about the lengthy time involved in eternity. After all, I could imagine Jimmy (of the New York Fallon's) and me together forever. Sigh...forever Fallon. Come on you guys, I haven't made one reference to Jimmy this whole entire month!!!

If Merriam-Webster is right in defining a miracle as "an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs," then it's going to take the intervention of God for me to find the right person - and I write that with a little humor in my voice and a lot of sincerity.

Things My Future Children's Father Will Do

2007-07-06T15:47:00.000-04:00

I read an article on MSN.com entitled Book of the Dad: Thirty-five simple rules for surviving the toughest 18 years of your life. It basically lists 35 things you can do to be a good father (and indirectly husband). More specifically it briefly shares what and how to teach your kids the things they should know at various stages in their lives. Of course they didn't include everything, are skimming over a lot of material, and express a few things I disagree with a little. In general, though, I think it's a good start for men and women who don't know what to do with kids, are nervous about rearing their own children, don't know what to do as a parent, or are just looking for some suggestions on being a good parent (future parent in my case). I like to hear all the advice I can get on child development because I know it's an area where I need to improve greatly.

Reading this article made me curious to know what single men think about fatherhood/husbandhood. How much do you men think about having kids and a wife? Is it something most of you have wanted your entire life? Does it scare you to think about being a dad/husband? What additions would you include on the list? I hope you will give me your input and share any other insight you have on this subject. Women, please feel free to answer the same questions or pose your own. Go!

Three Attractive Features My Future Husband Will Have

2007-07-05T13:52:00.000-04:00

1. An infectious SMILE where his whole face lights up. Luckily, this is true of most people when they show their pearly whites. I look at people's mouths when they talk, more than their eyes. This is partly because I'm deaf, but also because I like to watch the movement of the mouth more than eyes staring at me. I guess I'm saying I want a guy who not only has a nice smile, but who smiles a lot and is happy.

2. An interest in learning how things work. Whether that be the mechanics of a bicycle, neuroscience, modern roofing technologies such as solar shingles, starting a small business, or understanding the launching systems of compressed vs. gunpowder fireworks. I find this curiosity very attractive. I like people who like to learn how to do everything and have an interest in learning the process of making things work.

3. Consistently good conversations, as my sister Sara put it last night on the phone. I want someone who is as interested in hearing what I have to say as much as he is about hearing what he has to say. I don't want someone who always dominates the conversation; likewise I don't want to feel like I'm always doing the talking. It's funny because I feel like I've had some really great first dates where there was no struggle in conversation - it just fell into place; but then on the second date, it's like you can hear the crickets chirping or I can feel that I'm pulling the conversation along and afterwards am disappointed that the conversation didn't flow as smoothly as it had previously. I have some ideas why that might be, but as Sara says, I want the conversations with my future husbands to get progressively better. I want our second conversation to be as interesting as the first; and the only crickets I want to hear are the ones present for our first kiss!

So readers, what are some things you find attractive in/on the opposite sex?

Question:

2007-07-05T01:49:00.000-04:00

I like the anticipation of something that's about to happen, especially when I'm not sure what the outcome will be. For example, not knowing who your future spouse will be. Sometimes, though, I would like to take a peek into the future and see who it is I will marry, or when it is I will marry. I know that takes all the fun out of it, but it also rids a lot of uncertainty.

So here's my question to the unmarried readers:
Would you prefer to see into the future who or when it is you will marry?

And to the married readers:
Would it have changed anything if you had known who or when you would marry?

O, Say Can You See...

2007-07-04T12:14:00.001-04:00

My future husband?! It's that time of year again folks when my blog is dedicated to my future husband for the entire month of July! I'm sure Francis Scott Key appreciates the title of this post, but I had to tie in the fourth of July somehow with my future husband! So Happy Fourth! I suppose I should come up with some kind of Declaration of DEpendence for my future husband; perhaps a Unilateral Declaration of Dependence might be more appropriate - being that he hasn't met me yet. In any case, there will definitely be declarations of some sort this month. Mostly declarations of love!!! Look, people, I've already accepted my insanity - just go with it.

I haven't given much thought to this, the Second Annual Future Husband Month, so we'll see where it goes. I would ask, though, that you guys post as many comments as possible to get the dialogue rolling. Really, the most exciting part about July's celebration are the comments! If you feel at all inclined to write something, I urge you to do it. Don't hold back because I'm not gonna! Obviously. Let me know if there is anything in particular you would like me to address, stories you would like to hear, or just have some good ideas for posts. I'll do my best to make this entertaining for you.

So cheers! Here's to meeting our future spouses - or at least mine!

What My Movie Shelf Says About Me

2007-06-19T13:12:00.000-04:00

If there's one thing I know about myself, it is that I am a hopeless romantic. No, I'm a helpless romantic. Not in a cheesy Mandy Moore way, but in a clever Bill Murray way. I mean, there was a time in my life when the only movies I would rent from Blockbuster had to be Romcom's (romantic comedies) - otherwise it would stay on the shelf and keep collecting dust. Yes, not only did the movies have to have a love story element, but they had to be cute and funny - much the same way I like my men. It's important to note, that the endings of such movies always turn out where the couples get together. I will have none of this loved and loss nonsense (unless it's a period piece I suppose).

My movie shelf definitely confirms this about me. You see, of the fifteen movies I own (excluding television series and educational DVDs) almost all fall into the category of Romcom or Dramedy (dramatic comedy). However, I think it's more important to note that twelve of the fifteen end with the main love interests getting back together. I suppose Funny Girl is debatable; however, I like to think that the last song Fannie sings, "Oh, My Man I Love Him So," is a way of telling the viewer that she's not giving up on Nicky Arnstein and that she's going after him even though he left. I suppose I like my movies to be optimistic about love. This is true of the newest addition to my movie shelf: The Baxter. I found it online for $7.92 (including shipping & handling) so I decided I would splurge. I highly recommend all human beings watch this cute love story. It's right up there with Groundhog Day for me.

Here's a more detailed list of my fifteen movies in case you're wondering. The first twelve have endings where the characters remain together. Sara, where's my copy of Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet?

The Baxter
Dream For An Insomniac
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Four Weddings and A Funeral
Funny Girl
Groundhog Day
I'm With Lucy
Lorna Doone
Royal Tennenbaum's
Sliding Doors
So I Married An Axe Murderer
You've Got Mail

Lastly, here are the three where the main love interests part ways (or one of them kills the other as in the Talented Mr. Ripley). It's important to note that in two of these movies, the characters part ways on good terms and although they do indeed part, I'm not saddened or frustrated by it.

Edward Scissorhands
In Good Company
Talented Mr. Ripley

Other movies I want to aquire in the near future: Proof, The Wizard of Oz, Breaking Away, My Fair Lady, Sleepless In Seattle, Shakespeare In Love, Dr. Zhivago, Rounders, Four Daughters, Emma, Pride and Prejudice (BBC version of course), Life is Beautiful, Good Will Hunting, etc., etc., etc.

Okay now it's your turn. Take a look at your movie shelf and analyze what it might say about you. How many movies of yours are dramas, horror films, animations, children's movies, musicals, foreign films, documentaries, X-rated? How many are comedies and what kind of comedies are they: frat-boy slapstick or witty British? Which one's were given to you by other people; which one's did you actually want to spend the money and purchase yourself? How many are oldies but goodies? Are there recurring actors/actresses in many of your movies? How many movies do you buy on a whim withought having first seen? Why do you own the amount of movies you do? For example, I have a small movie shelf for a few reasons. Mainly, I only like to have things around me that I absolutely love, anything else is clutter to me and in my 450 square foot apartment, space is limited. Another reason, though, is that it's not in my budget to purchase such "wants" at this time. Figure this out, then come back to my blog and give me your interpretation of what your movie shelf might say about you.

My New Favorite Thing To Eat and Some Other Weird Things About Me

2007-06-18T13:03:00.000-04:00

Walnut pancakes. All that is required is Bisquick pancake mix (and ONLY Bisquick will do, because it's the Roles Royce of pancake mixes), and chopped walnuts. don't forget when adding the walnuts to just sprinkle them on top of each individual pancake while frying for a more even distribution. For a variation on the walnut pancake, add sliced bananas.

As far as syrup goes, I'm partial to Mrs. Butterworth's or Hungry Jack. Perhaps I'll do a taste test of syrups. I like to do my own searches for the best things according to my tastes. I frequently do this with toothpaste. Which do I prefer most: Colgate, Crest, Aquafresh, Arm & Hammer? I like each one for various reasons. It's the worst, though, when I've mentally scratched one off the list and then when I'm standing in front of the toothpaste isle, I invariably forget which one it is that I dislike.

At the moment, I'm shopping around for a few new things. Detergent being one of them because Surf is letting me down big time. I'm using Arm & Hammer "Clean Burst" and I suppose it's doin' the job alright. I'm also trying to find a perfume scent that suits me; even though I've never really been a perfume-wearing kind of girl. Most scents I find irritating to my hyper-sensitive nose. I know that I enjoy scents with eucalyptus or heather moss. I don't like rosey-flowery-powdery scents. So I can rule those out. It's a difficult task finding a perfume.

Also on the search agenda is to find a cute young man (men) to spend the summer-time with. That's probably the most difficult search of all to find. How do you/I find the best one for your/my tastes? Tricky. Perhaps I'll save this search topic for the month of July - my blog's annual Future Husband Month.

Oh, and self-tanner. That's another current search of mine. Which one looks the least orange on my skin.

Oh, and a job. I think finding a good job is more difficult than finding a good man.

Err... so let me know what you think of the pancakes and any of the above mentioned products/boys you would recommend I try.

Confession #15

2007-06-12T21:30:00.000-04:00

On the 14th day of the month of August in the year 2006, the weather in New York was so nice that it could make a depressed person happy.

*Note that this post was originally written on 08.14.06.

Confession #14

2007-06-12T21:00:00.000-04:00

I don't trust vegans. I also don't trust those that dislike chocolate, popcorn, and minorities.

Thoughts on Big Bird

2007-06-12T20:45:00.000-04:00

Do you ever wonder who's in the Big Bird costume? I mean, there is some guy walking around New York who pays the bills by being Big Bird -- and we don't even know who he is or what he looks like! I could have passed Big Bird's soul on 14th street and never known about it.

Thoughts on Working

2007-06-12T20:33:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I think I prefer the stress and instability that comes along with finding my own projects to work on than the stability of working a 9:00 - 6:00 job every day. I need my environment to be changing to some degree. Variety is more than just a spice of my life it's one of the main ingredients! Does anyone besides my dad really like working such regular steady hours?

Thoughts on Walking

2007-06-12T20:25:00.000-04:00

Walking is a great exercise because sometimes when you do it for approximately two hours a day for a week and a half you lose 5 pounds - as I have done. I give walking two thumbs up and five pounds down!

Magically Delicious

2007-06-12T19:27:00.000-04:00

This is what I ate for lunch today:
-Edamame
-Shisito Peppers with Miso and Eggplant Chips
-Shisito Peppers with Sea Salt
-Monkfish Pate with Caviar
-Toro, Salmon, and Yellowtail Tartare
-Ceviche
-Sashimi Salad with Matsuhisa Dressing
-Tuna Tataki with Ponzu
-Fresh Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno
-New Style Striped Sea Bass and Salmon Sashimi
-Tiradito/Fresh Fluke Sashimi
-Rock Shrimp tempura with Ponzu Sauce
-Rock Shrimp tempura with Creamy Spicy Sauce
-Squid "Pasta" with Garlic Sauce
-Chilean Sea Bass with Black Bean Sauce
-Miso Black Cod wrapped in Butter Lettuce
-Eggplant with Miso
-Tofu
-Spicy Tuna Roll
-Salmon Skin Roll
-House Roll

I kid you not. So I ate at Nobu in Tribeca today to "learn" more about the menu. Let me share with you what I learned. Rock Shrimp with Ponzu Sauce KILLS Rock Shrimp with Creamy Spicy Sauce. As far as sashimi goes, I prefer New Style to the Yellowtail with Jalapeno because it has a richer flavor (what with the garlic puree, julienned ginger, sesame seeds, chives, and Yuzo Soy). Of all the food we ordered, the Squid Pasta was surprisingly one of my favorites. It has this buttery, meaty, flavor - and I actually didn't mind eating the squid because it really does taste similar to pasta! I also decided that I prefer eating the Miso Black Cod on Butter Lettuce than alone. Lastly, there was this small, round, reddish fruit that accompanied the Tartare. When I placed this japanese fruit on my tongue, my taste-buds didn't know what to do! It was a completely new flavor to my mouth (and nose I suppose). Eating lunch today was such a fun experience. Even after eating my Mint Oreo's hours later, I can still taste the Nobu goodness lingering in my mouth. Mmm...raw fish and Mint Oreo's. The best part about it was that the bill ended up being $692 and I paid $0!!! Chef Nobu-san really knows his stuff. I'm going to make a prediction that Nobu will be a big hit. Mark my words. You heard it here first. :o)

Tapes 'N Tapes at it again inside my heart!

2007-04-11T20:01:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to see Tapes 'N Tapes in concert at Irving Plaza Friday May 18th 2007! Let me just say that "Insistor" is my favorite song to jump rope to at the moment. Oh, I've decided to start jump-roping. I picked up a few pounds this winter - okay 10! I think these non FDA approved Swedish bars my mom gave me are actually making me gain weight instead of losing it. Sara, what movie is that last sentence a reference to (everyone feel free to participate)? Back to Tapes 'N Tapes: what other band could get away with screaming as filler for lyrics? I can think of no other band. I would also highly recommend listening to "Cowbell." My favorite line in the song is "I've been a better lover with your mother." Those silly boys are always at it with their witty lyrics. To slow things down, check out "Omaha" - O ma gosh it's good. Do you think Tapes 'N Tapes sell their new album "The Loon" on tape? Ha! Ha!

Question(s):

2007-04-11T19:52:00.000-04:00

Are the television shows "Extra," "The Insider," "Entertainment Tonight," and "Access Hollywood" somehow owned by the same company? The "cutting-edge" stories they cover are always the same on each program - why? And how can four shows claim "You heard it here first?" And what does it matter where I heard Halle Berry is shaving her head for her next movie?

Tonight Was Perfect Weather To Go Elephant Watching

2007-03-28T02:05:00.000-04:00

So I did. It's funny how some days you end up doing something you had no idea would happen. For example, tonight after work (around midnight) I was walking through Astor Place on my way home and stumbled into an old New York friend of mine who I like to call Alejandro (because that's the name his parents gave him).

I must pause a moment and say that seeing people I know on the streets of New York or in the subway cart is one of my favorite things about this big city. The world is so much smaller than we think. Okay, play.

So, he asked me if I wanted to go see some elephants walking down 34th street and Park Avenue. I've been wanting to see the circus elephants march their way into Manhattan for two years now, so I decided I would finally do it. The timing was right, the weather was perfect, I was already out, I had some friends to experience it with, and I wasn't ready to go to bed yet so I said yes. We didn't have to wait long to see them. There were about five that were marching in a line with the leader wearing a sparkly cloak that stated "I [insert heart] NY." Here's what I noticed about the three minute long event of the night:

1. The police were there to stop traffic and they had barricades lined up along 34th Street, but the crowd wasn't very large.
2. The smell was that of a farm.
3. The elephants weren't really as big as I thought they would be (or perhaps I'm bigger than I think I am).
4. The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind depicted the elephant march to be about a million times more romantic than it really is. I wanted to see this before I even found out about the scene in the movie - just watch it again, you'll figure out which part it is. You'll recognize it because it's the scene with the elephants in the background.
5. Lots of horses followed the elephants. Poor horses. Once you've seen an elephant, a horse is no big deal, ya know? They should have had the horses walk first so they could have a little lime light and help build the anticipation of seeing elephants.
6. It made me think, "why don't I have a digital camera again?"
7. It also made me think, "I have a really crappy camera phone."

So the night proceeded to end. I took the subway back to Astor place where I bumped into another person I met earlier in the evening at the Japanese restaurant I temporarily work at. We stopped and chatted for a bit and then went our separate ways. Tonight was great. I got to see elephants, two people I either know really well or briefly just met - all in the span of an hour and a half. Who knew I would see all of this after midnight tonight. It is just one of those Dark Side of the Moon nights. And now I'm drinking warm milk and honey with a dash of cinnamon.

I Forgot to Mention...

2007-03-27T03:29:00.000-04:00

That I went to the Bodies exhibit a while ago. I know there's some controversy surrounding the exhibit, but I don't want to get into that because I really just wanted to post the cool picture I bought to remember my trip. You see, I've never wasted my money on anything so cheesy in my life. I felt like it was high time I spend $15 on a picture that means nothing to me. So tell me, what's the best $15 you ever wasted? Or tell me what you thought of the Bodies exhibit? Or tell me why the Bodies exhibit should be boycotted? Or tell me what it looks like we're saying in the photo. I like to think I'm saying "Bodies rock!" Jason's like "We're both wearing Stripes." Nicole's goin' "Why are we doing this?"

I've Fallen In Love with Alex P. Keaton All Over Again!

2007-03-27T02:47:00.000-04:00

There's nothin' cuter in my book than the republican orange juice addict that is Alex P. Keaton. I recently bought the first season of the television series Family Ties on DVD and just finished the first disc. I felt so happy watching it. It's well written, funny, teaches a nice lesson in each episode, family oriented, a little off-color, and please let's not forget the wonderful theme song - it gets me every time! "What would we do baby, without us?" Note to self: play this song at my wedding.

If you want to instantly feel warm and fuzzy inside, you can either throw back a long island ice tea or watch an episode of Family Ties. I of course will always opt for the latter. Feel free to discuss your memories of Family Ties or any other television series from the 1980s that we might have forgotten but will hopefully be released on DVD soon - say, like, Small Wonder.

I think I'm Turning Japanese...I Really Think So.

2007-03-27T02:27:00.000-04:00

Lately I feel like I'm no longer caucasian - just asian. You see, I've just realized how much I'm surrounded by all things Japanese:

1.I live in a place I call "Little Japan." There are six Japanese restaurants, three Japanese salons, and a Japanese laundromat all on my street. Just MY street!
2. My landlord is one of the wealthiest Japanese men in New York.
3. I work part-time at one of the yummiest Japanese restaurants in Manhattan.
4. I'm working on a web design for a Japanese children's summer camp.
5. I'm getting my hair cut by a Japanese woman on Wednesday.
6. I want to see Deerhoof in concert...
7. A Japanese man asked me if I am Japanese. Maybe now I can say I am.

I wouldn't mind being Japanese. They're one of my favorite nationalities. And honestly, what boy doesn't love a Japanese girl? Japanese girls always trump white girls - always.

Twinkies!

2007-03-09T13:55:00.000-05:00

Reghan and I don't just wear matching shirts...

We wear matching shirts and sweatpants!

This was purely accidental one day and I thought I would share what happens when you've been a roommate with someone for three years.

My Whole Life I've Been Wrong!

2007-03-09T13:25:00.000-05:00

In all of the 26 years I've been alive I've always thought of marshmallows as marshmellows. In case you didn't catch that, I've always pronounced and spelled the word as if it were marshmellows not marshmallows! I just realized this today as I was grocery shopping online at FreshDirect.com for the first time (I had a 25% off coupon and thought I would give it a try).

I was looking to buy baking ingredients and saw what I thought was an misspelling on their website of the word and clicked on it. Next thing I knew, the Jet-Puffed Kraft brand misspelled marshmallow and so did every other company I googled that contained the word. Merriam-Webster even had a different spelling than I thought it would. Side note: if you play the audio pronunciation of the word marshmallow over and over again, it begins to sound like a strange foreign word. I was shocked at how such a thing could go unnoticed in my life for so long. I've always considered myself a "detail-oriented" person. I mean 26 years I've been in the dark. I walk around the streets of New York thinking, "I need to get Rice Krispies and marshmellows" or "mini-marshmellows are better in hot chocolate than their larger counterpart." This new realization will take some getting used to. I'm going to really have to concentrate the next 500 times I use the word "marshme - DOH! I did it again. I mean I'm really going to have to concentrate the next 500 times I use the word "marshmallow." What else have I been mispronouncing/spelling?!? Catchup? At least I discovered it while I'm still young and able to recover.

My Apartment...the Land of Milk and Honey

2007-02-15T23:32:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make: I don't like tea. I'm Mormon, so the only tea we drink is the herbal kind (or those that exclude "green" tea). Every time I'm offered herbal tea, I usually accept it thinking "well, maybe this time it will be good." It never really is, though, no matter how much I want to enjoy it. So on a cold day in New York, like the one yesterday, I usually make a nice cup of hot chocolate. I LOVE hot chocolate, people - and none of that Swissmiss in a pack stuff for me. I mix cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, etc. But this post isn't about hot tea or chocolate it's about a new kind of drink - and one that I like to think I made up just last night.

Yesterday was the Day of Lovers, or Valentine's Day as most of you know. I had to work the late shift last night and didn't get home until 1:30 in the morning. I basically walked home in 9 degree weather and by the time I made the treck up to the sixth floor of my apartment, I was pretty tired. I needed something warm to drink because the temperature of my body was dropping fast. I didn't want to make hot chocolate because I didn't want to consume a lot of sugar and chocolate before I went to bed and also I was simply exhausted. I decided I needed to figure out something.

"What could I do with hot water?" I thought.

"Nothing," I answered.

I remembered I had a little milk left and decided maybe warming it up in the microwave might be nice. I've never done that and was a little worried that it might not have a satisfying flavor. Then I thought what would be a good combination with milk? HONEY! I could just quickly add a little natural sweetener. Besides, when the Bible referances milk, honey is ALWAYS around. There's got to be something to this combination - and not just in the symbolic sense.

So that's what I did. I heated one cup of milk in the microwave 'til it was frothy then stirred in honey 'til I liked the taste. It satisfied my body temperature and my taste buds - way better than tea would have and way faster than hot chocolate does. Afterwards, I decided adding a small amount of cinnamon would be a nice variation on this new drink. It reminds me a little of rice pudding minus the rice.

I'm sure someone somewhere else has already thought of it, but I would just like to share it with you so that you too can jump on the milk and honey bandwagon. Milk and honey, it's the new tea.

I Can't Wait For Halloween

2007-02-05T23:16:00.000-05:00

'Cause I decided I'm going to be a Robert Palmer girl. Remember those videos from the 80s: "Simply Irrisistible" and "Addicted to Love." I think this would be a great group costume so if anyone else wants to join me, feel free. Just be prepared to wear lots of red lipstick, eye makeup, and gel to slick back your hair. And I'm totally going to make a guitar out of cardboard. Yeah, baby! Any lucky gentleman wanna be Mr. Palmer?

In case you don't remember who Robert Palmer is or his girls, check out this little Pepsi commercial.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow!

2007-01-21T22:21:00.000-05:00

Click image to enlarge.

When I was in the fifth grade, a friend of mine named Lillian said I had stringy hair. I disagreed with her and have for ages. In the last few years, though, I have come to understand that I do indeed have stringy hair. Most of the reason why I have such stringy hair is probably due to the fact that I hate brushing my hair. It feels like a waste of time to me because as soon as the wind blows (which it usually does) it gets messed up again. This idea cross-pollinates with my sentiments on making my bed, but that's another story in and of itself. In short, why make you're bed when you're just going to mess it up again in a few hours? I digress. Another biological reason my hair is so stringy is because I have fine hair and a lot of it. A hairdresser once told me as she was carefully assessing my dyed golden locks that fine hair gets knots easier than course hair (thicker strands). So it's not all entirely my fault.

Over Christmas I didn't brush my hair for two weeks and accidentally began growing dreadlocks. Yes, I washed it; I just didn't brush it after I washed it. I had some serious knots people. I had been thinking about getting my hair cut for a while now. I've had short hair many times before so it's no big deal. In the fourth grade I wanted my hair to look like Chynna Phillips (of the musical group Wilson Phillips). Then when I was in the ninth grade I saw an old photo of my mom wearing a wig in the sixties and liked it. It was similar to the haircut I have now (minus bangs and add bleached strands in the front). THEN when I was maybe a junior in college, I got another bob. It's during this stage of my hair/life that people referred to me as looking like a computer nerd. I'm not really sure why. So it's been a pattern that about every five years I chop my hair off.

I don't really like my haircut that much 'cause some of the layers aren't even and I wanted it to be a more drastic assymetrical cut - more rockerish and less Hillary Clintonish. Oh, well. I'll eventually get there (by my calculations in approximately four months). The other day this guy asked me "why did you cut your hair?" I didn't really know what to say except, "well, I guess I had a momentary lapse of judgement." I don't know WHY I cut my hair exactly, I just did. I guess I wanted a bit of a change. Because I didn't want to grow dreadlocks. Because I just felt like it. Most people have been very supportive of this new change of mine. It's always nice to have people say they like something you do/have even if it's only out of politeness. So thanks everyone. It's growing on me.

Confession #13

2007-01-17T18:12:00.000-05:00

I still wear scrunchies and have for years. I don't really plan on changing that either.

*Note that this confession was originally written in September when I still had the need for a ponytail holder. I know, pictures of the new haircut will be posted soon.

Stick This!

2007-01-06T01:29:00.000-05:00

Any movie whose tagline is "It's not called Gym-NICE-tics" has got to be KILLA!!! I ain't even kiddin' ya'll. Stick It rocked like a baby's crib, a boat at sea, or even the Himalaya mountain range. Not to mention the soundtrack is pretty sick with songs like "Beware of the Boys" by Panjabi MC and "We Run This" by Missy Elliott. The story line is basically the gymnastics version of "The Cutting Edge," "Bring It On," and any other female sport movie where the lead character needs an attitude adjustment despite their mad skills at ice skating, dancing, boxing, soccer, etc. The filming was a little different than your average teenage girl power movie - in a creative and artful way. Also, there is this cute scene between Poot and the mean/critical-girl-on-the-team-who-later-becomes-nice/supportive (because every movie from this genre requires one of those obstacles) asks her to the prom. I could quote it, but it's just easier if you watch it. I promise that it'll stick to you the way it stuck to me. Heh, heh.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND MERRY NEW YEAR!

2007-01-05T02:04:00.000-05:00

I know I'm a little late. I hope your holidays were relaxing and fun. I went home to see mi familia because I love them and miss them and also it was Christmas. Here is a list of things I did:

1.I watched a million movies (I did not like "Lady In the Water" AT ALL)
2.Was jealous of my little nieces' sticker books - I want one!!!
3.Created an expense sheet
4.Cut my hair short
5.Ate my favorite candy that my mom makes called "divinity"
6.Finally learned what "providential" means
7.Decided I'm goin' to California with an achin' in my heart, la, la, la, la...(well, as soon as I can).
8.Had a strange encounter with a person on Methamphetamines who tried to enter my sisters house late one night
9.Decided drugs are bad not just for health reasons, but because users are totally incoherent and can scare a little family late at night by trying to get into their house without permission then proceed to try and get in through the back door despite after having been told if he didn't leave the cops would be called (and so they were)...
10.Played "Mad Gab" for the first time and LOVED it
11.Received a $400 voucher for a flight because my plane was overbooked - vacation anyone?!?
12.Wrote a couple of songs - no, I don't really play a musical instrument
13.Decided I need to learn how to play the guitar so as to play my new songs
14.And some other stuff that I can't remember, don't want to tell you, or am too tired to list

So, tell me what you guys have been up to and how your holidays went!

Question:

2007-01-05T02:03:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed while shopping for peanut butter there are only two varieties (at least with the brand JIF)? It goes from creamy to extra crunchy. What happened to just crunchy? I guess when dealing with peanut butter, there's no gray.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

2006-12-08T14:52:00.000-05:00

I was happily walking to the bank today when I saw the strangest thing. A young woman was jaywalking towards me and WHAM! She got hit by a guy on a bicycle! The sun was in my eyes a little so I didn't even see the guy on the bike until he biked into her. I pretty much just saw the bang and the girl thrown a good 4 feet (and the guy on his bike topple over). I then heard a few expletives from the guy on the bike. They both stood up and kind of looked at eachother, exchanged a few more nervous/angry words and then the girl said very genuinely "I'm sorry." The guy quickly changed his tone and said "It's okay." No one was hurt, but I must admit I was a little shaken up. They proceeded to leave and I yelled to the guy that he dropped something in the middle of the street. He picked up what looked like a part of his bike and rode off into the sunset never to be seen again.

I couldn't believe what I saw. My jaw actually dropped and I covered my mouth with my hand. Why our jaws drop and we cover our mouths when we're stunned, I have no idea. But I kept thinking about the timing involved and being in the wrong place at the right time or being in the perfect place at the perfect time (or being in the perfect place at the wrong time and any other possible combination). Had this girl been three small inches either to the left or right of the guy on the bike, she wouldn't have been hit. They were the perfect perpendicular accident. It was so interesting to observe. Had I taken the time to brush my teeth or put socks on before I left my apartment, I would have missed the whole encounter.

Perhaps the even stranger thing that happened today occurred in the stairwell of my apartment. Once I returned from the bank, I ran into the crazy cat lady (who also has a large dog), who I haven't seen in months. For the first time in the three years I've lived in this apartment complex, crazy cat lady didn't call me Stephanie - she actually called me by MY real name. What a strange day. Hopefully the night will be filled with more of these strange encounters. Stay tuned...

Confession #12

2006-12-06T00:07:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when I call people I hope to get their voice mail.

My Apologies...

2006-11-28T16:31:00.000-05:00

Sorry guys (and girls), but "The World As I See It" has been feeling a little under the weather lately. You see, it's master - me - is sort of going through a mid twenties crisis and hasn't been putting the energy into blogging. Maybe I'll blog about this post-graduating "what now?" syndrome in the future. Actually it's a lot more than just that, but like I said, I'll write about it soon. In the mean time, I'm keeping things updated old school style in my paper journal. So, I won't forget anything. Oh, and not to mention, my year-long free internet ride has come to an end. Alas, the 04Z40912...connection I've been bumming off of now requires a password. So long free internet! You were good to me and my budget. On a more positive note, here are a few things I've been up to:

1. I had my second go-around at pumpkin pie making and this time they turned out even better than the first! Reghan said the crust was flaky and her dad mentioned it was the best pumpkin pie he's ever had. YESSSSS!!! Can bake pumpkin pie - check.

2. I've been compiling things to blog about, but just haven't uploaded them yet.

3. I'm considering the possibility of leaving New York. CONSIDERING!

4. Switched to Dove soap. This is a temp. to perm. decision, so we'll see what happens.

5. Ordered my own internet connection which will be activated on December 1st!

6. Found corn flavored ice-cream. I haven't tried it yet, but will review it soon.

7. Lastly, I took out the innards of a turkey for the first time and broke off its neck with my bare hands. Shortly thereafter, I felt as if I could perform open heart surgery and decided to attend medical school (or be in a movie where I play a doctor). Scalpel.

Confession #11

2006-11-13T17:41:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I feel bad for vegetable because the fruit always gets picked first. Kids shun the vegetables and always go for the fruit. People almost always pick strawberries over sauerkraut (how does sauerkraut grow anyway?). There are no vegetable candies or vegetable ice-cream that I am aware of. Starburst doesn't have a broccoli chew. Ice cream always consists of fruit and chocolate. What about corn ice-cream drizzled in caramel or Sweet potatoe flavored ice-cream with a buttery brown sugar sauce? Vegetable's deserve a chance as much as the next food. They're screaming out for our attention and we always quietly "look away." Just give vegetables a chance ice-cream makers of the world!

Confession #10

2006-11-11T02:19:00.000-05:00

You know those actors that seem like they would be creepy in real life? Well, they ARE creepy in real life.

An Irish Twin Dictionary

2006-10-31T16:12:00.000-05:00

So to conclude our Irish Twin month, Sara and I decided to create a dictionary of terms, phrases, things that our other half enjoys. Sorry guys that we weren't "on top of things," that we "dropped the ball," that we "forgot to write posts," that we had "other things going on in our lives so our Irish Twin month posts weren't as fun for you to read," or that we "don't brush our teeth." :o) I miss Chris. Anyway, We did have a lot planned for you, but that will just have to wait 'til next October. I know you're just dying to hear more.

A sweet spirit - the kind Sara has

Baking - Sara's favorite activity.

Cats - Sara and I love our cat Lucky. Sara and my dad found her at a dumpster and brought her home in 1994. So thanks Sara, you found the only animal I care about!

Engagement Ring - Men, she does not want one. Please get her a professional grade KitchenAid mixer (color: Stainless steel)

"F" word - has never come out of Sara's mouth. Never.

"It's gettin' hot in herrrr..." - a frequent song Sara sings to me in hopes of making me laugh. And laugh I do!

KitchenAid Mixer - see "Engagement Ring"

Lexia - Come on, what else would it be for? It's my blog!

Michaelangelo - one of Sara's favorite sculptors

Pink Balloons - My first birthday in New York (and my first birthday without my twin) Sara sent me 50 pink balloons and had them delivered by a stranger to my apartment.

QuickTrip - At 11 and 12, Sara and I used to walk along a highway in Oklahoma to go to Quicktrip for candy. I remember that gas used to cost $.82 a gallon then.

Strokes, the - Sara's favorite concerts to go to, with me anyway. She also won a free set of Strokes tickets (as did I - yet another chance thing that makes us so similar)!

Tall and skinney - the way Sara likes her men

Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies - Sara's are the bomb-diggity, ya'll (and they come in various heart-shaped sizes).

Word on the street - is that Jimmy Fallon is ALSO an Irish Twin (okay that one was for me)

X, as in Mr. X - Growing up, Sara and I always loved the letter people. We had this Letter People activity kit which included records of each letter's song, a cool book with a Supersonic Mr. S glowing pen, and some other stuff. We always hated a few of the Letter People's songs and one of them was Mr. X (if I remember correctly) and Quiet Mr. Q.

Yelling - Sara used to yell and scream so much as a child. Most people probably would never guess that about her. She used to stomp upstairs when she was mad and slam the door shut to her/our room. When she was three, she used to say/yell "I'm not gonna scream no more. I'm not gonna scream no more!"

Zoologist - something Sara has not ever wanted to be; however, she was a pre-med major so science is something she lives for.

Look into my eyes...

Partners in crime

Just hangin' around

This month's posts were fun for Sara and me and we tried to make it interesting for more people than just us. We hoped you guys would share in your brother/sister experiences growing up. Alas, you did not. So thanks for tuning in anyway. Sorry about the delay in posts. We love you readers and wish we were Irish Twins with you too (sort of, not really)!

Read Sara's dictionary of moi

Photos provided by MacDuff

Two Special Days For Two Special Girls

2006-10-27T01:24:00.000-04:00

Today I received a package from Utah. I thought it was from my sister, Cami, and then remembered she doesn't live there anymore. The writing was clearly written by a girl so I was a little puzzled. Who could have sent me a birthday package arriving exactly on my birthday? My sister-in-law, Lindsey! Thanks. I love getting boxes in the mail.

Alas, this story is not about my love of getting boxes in the mail. You see, I realized that I thought I was receiving a package on MY birthday, when in fact it was NOT MY birthday. It was my SISTER'S birthday. Sara was born October 26th of 1981 and I was born October 28th of 1980. My social security number is...kidding. Anyway, we are the same age for two days - hence the Irish Twin thing. You guys may not know this about Sara and me, but October 26 and 27th are our favorite days of the year (apart from Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). These are the only two days of the year that we're closer to being like real twins!

So, what do I do during these two special days? Usually something like this:

- October 26, 12:00 AM: call Sara and be the first to wish her "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
- Then around 3:00 AM go to sleep.
- Wake up in the morning and call Sara again to wish her "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" and remind her that "We're the same age" (just in case she forgot we are in fact the same age for two days out of the year).
- Blog "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
- Work at an unfulfilling job for a few hours; and of course call Sara on my break and leave her a voice message saying "We're both 25!"
- Walk home from said unfulfilling job and wish I could spend time with my sister in person instead of on the phone. Was that too sad to write? It's true, though.
- Repeat most of the same things for October 27th except take out some "Happy Birthdays" and replace with "You're birthday's tomorrow!" Then add a solemn conversation around 11:30 PM. When the clock strikes twelve, we no longer have our special powers. :o(

What does Sara do on October 26th and 27th? Let's see...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Irish Twin!!!

2006-10-26T14:18:00.000-04:00

This is Sara when she was a baby. She may not have many baby pictures, but at least she has professional black and white photographs. I love you! Glad you were born!

If You Love Me, You'll Do What I Say.

2006-10-26T12:20:00.000-04:00

"Personal Best"
2006

Hey guys (and girls). I have to interrupt my Irish Twin Month blogcast in order to bring you this special late-breaking news.

A video a friend and I made got accepted into the Paste Magazine "Rock 'n Reel Festival." I have to blog about it in order to force you guys to vote for it. I know, lame. Why can't they just pick the winner themselves? What, do they think this is a democracy or something? Heh, heh.

So here's the deal. Watch the Google version above, then rate the video here on Paste Magazine's website. You can view the short film on their site as well, but I wouldn't recommend it because the sound isn't in sync and it gets cut off (not to mention you have to download DivX to your computer). I suppose you could go to their site and view the other videos that are nominated and vote for one of them. If that's the case: you are dead to me. :o)

Thanks guys (and girls)!

Now back to my regularly scheduled Irish Twin Month stories.

You Know What They Say, "Irish Twins Design the Same Graphics!"

2006-10-19T22:26:00.000-04:00

So Sara has a job doing web stuff. I have a job doing web stuff. I caught the web design bug around 6 or 7 years ago and have had the disease since. At that time, Sara was going to be a neurosurgeon; me, a budding computer artist. Aren't we the best hybrid? We've got the sciences AND the arts covered! The only thing we're missing is the law (and I'm working on that one). Anyway, Sara only recently fell into web design. She ended up switching majors (one semester short of graduating pre-med) to that of English. She learned some web technology along the way and her first job out of school ended up being a Web Content Manager. I mention all of this for a few reasons:

1. Even our jobs in life are similar.
2. We will have our own company one day. I mean if you read my last post, we've been working on forming our own business since elementary school.
3. The image you're about to see only furthers our similarities. Prepare yourself, because apparently what you're about to see is something unplanned - yet surprisingly coincidental.

Let me provide some background info. Sara called me last night about having to create a header for her company's intranet site. I told her I would do a quick mock up of something she could maybe use. Disclaimer: Keep in mind this was created at 2:30 AM. So I designed it in Fireworks (which I now prefer to Illustrator - there, I said it! Fireworks has a much more intuitive interface!) Then I emailed it to her. Immediate gratification. Little to my knowledge, while I was designing a header, Sara designed one as well. She called me tonight and said our designs were similar so we should post them. She has seen mine, but I have yet to see hers. The mystery will soon be unveiled! I will now view Sara's design (as will you).

The Little Irish Twins

2006-10-12T23:00:00.000-04:00

I can't imagine growing up in the world without my Irish Twin, Sara. I honestly feel like we're twins, only I came out 363 days before she did. Sometimes people think it's strange how close we are. Even my friends that have sisters say they can't believe how good of friends we are. I have a pair of older sisters that aren't quite as close as us, so I know it's a special bond we have. I once told Sara that I wished we were conjoined twins. She did not share that wish.

My mom says when Sara was just barely a toddler, I taught her how to get out of her crib; probably because I couldn't wait to play with my friend. Since her inception, we've shared a bed/room practically our whole lives. By the time I was in the 8th grade, I was finally able to have my own room. However, I would go to Sara's room and sleep on our old canopy bed at night anyway. That trend lasted throughout college. Okay, it's still a true statement today. Sara pretends to hate that I still crawl into bed with her, but I know she secretly doesn't mind. I know it, Sara.

Notice how my hair has not changed since I was two. I hated brushing it then and I hate brushing it now. Also notice the size of Sara's head.

You see, bedtime for us never really existed. Our parents would try putting us to sleep, but it never worked. Our mom would hug Sara good night and reach over to hug me and in the process of leaning over, she would squish Sara. We loved that. Then my dad would tell us these bedtime stories about three girls named Janet, Janetta, and Janae. We would say our prayers and then get tucked in. After my parents would go to their room, Sara and I did not go to sleep. Rather, we chose to continue playing. Usually we would stay in bed but talk or invent some game that didn't even have to involve toys. I remember hearing my parents yell from their room, "Little girls, go to sleep!" We would yell, "Okay!" and then giggle and laugh and keep on a keepin' on. I mean, sometimes we would get out of bed at night and play in the dark.

This same routine was all to familiar in the morning as well. We would wake up, play some more, get ready for school, and then continue to play. Any time Sara missed school, I would miss school, and vice versa (even if one of us wasn't even sick). Looking back at my old report cards, I would say that my 30 day absences in Kindergarten, or 25 day absences in third grade, is proof enough that we spent a massive amount of time together. Hey, don't judge my mom for not making us go to school every day! I attribute my creativity to those absences. While you were in school every day learning numbers, Sara and I were learning how to run a business (our mom had her own international greeting card company). Anyway, we walked home everyday after school and would then proceed to play "Business" or "School." In both cases, I was always the teacher/business owner and Sara was always the student/employee. I'm sorry, Sara. I shouldn't have said "If you don't let me be the teacher, I won't play," or "I know I said you could be the boss next, but I'm tired now." What's more important is that we spent time together, right?

I think these pictures were published in one of my mom's catalogs. Even at the tender age of five I had no talent for modeling. What is my hand doing? And notice that once Sara's body began to catch up to the size of her head, she was so cute in her pig tails.

We did everything together. There were no two peas in a pod more alike than us. We learned recorder together, waited in the car for my mom to "quickly" run into UPS together, pretended to be ice skaters together, wet the bed together, watched the same movies, wore the same clothes (except in different colors: Sara - purple, Lexia - pink), made up our own language, the list goes on and on. The funny thing is, I don't ever remember Sara being a nuisance. I never once thought, "I want to do this without Sara," or "I wish she wasn't always hanging around me." I never wanted us to be apart - even when I didn't want to be the student or the employee in the game we were playing. I can still remember our favorite games: cards, tea parties, drawing pretend yearbooks and magazines, playing with paper doll cut-outs from mom's McCall's and Vogue pattern books, or playing bank (I was the banker...naturally).

We made everything playtime - or just enjoyable. Even when taking a bath we would bring our Barbie Dolls into the tub and play for hours. I'm not kidding. When the water would get cold, we would drain some of it, and add more hot water. We didn't even need toys most of the time. Just being in each other's company was enough to have fun. And to this day I can think of nothing better to do with my time than talk to my sister, send her emails, send her dumb text messages, etcetera! Etcetera! Etcetera!

Here we are at night playing "Town." Town consisted of overly fat-shaped blocks, my brothers plastic cars, and Monopoly money. Basically, you build homes, stores, and banks and drive around to each place using your money. There was no winning to most of the games we played. Usually we just set up an environment and let it run its course (as in "School," "Business," "Bank," "Paper-Dolls interacting at church" you get the idea).

My dream for us now is to have a double wedding, like the Brady Brides. A double wedding is a day when two people (Irish Twins in this case) get married on the same day. I want a double wedding so badly! My husband better like my sister, or he's off like a dirty shirt! I take that back. What would be even better is to have a double wedding and marry a set of Irish Twin BOYS!!! Because then maybe they would understand us, huh, Sa? Maybe boys don't bond so well though, because of the whole testosterone thing. Hm.

I know it still sounds a little strange. Perhaps my monologue could best be described from a scene in a movie, "Long Island Lolita: The Amy Fischer Story." That was totally an inside joke for my twinster. Seriously, though, it could best be described from a movie: In America. I love that movie because I like watching those two little girls interact with eachother. Especially in the scene when the mom is having a baby and the two girls are outside in the waiting room. The older sister is sitting close to the younger one. They're just sitting there, waiting, and the older sister pulls the younger sisters feet on top of her lap, just to have her next to her. I knew when I saw that scene that those little actresses were sisters in real life. Sure enough they are. How did I know? Because that is such a sisterly gesture to do. I also remember watching Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen on television once describing what it was like being a twin. Although I have no recollection of what they said, I rememember thinking, "that's just like Sara and me!" It's really difficult to explain. We're just so similar in our taste for things, people, perspectives, and it's not that we do it on purpose or to be the same, we just are.

We even had the same name growing up. You see, Sara and I have always been called "The Little Girls." Even my brother who is a little over a year older than me called us that. No one called me "Lexia" or my twin "Sara." We were "The Little Girls" because we were always together. It wasn't until my older sister had two of her own girls that the title was finally relinquished to them. The other night I was visiting my sister and helped her put the girls down for bed. They are five and three. They said their prayers, and we sang some songs, kissed them good night and left the room. A few moments later I was sitting on the couch and heard the little girls talking and giggling and I couldn't help but think of the times I shared with my sister and best friend. That's what I remember most about growing up as a kid with my Irish Twin.

Let's see what Sara remembers.

Movie Quotes: They're More Than Just An Obsession - They're An Irish Twin Bonding Experience

2006-10-06T22:09:00.000-04:00

Sara and I love to quote movies. Actually, we love to do impressions of the actors saying such quotes. We love it so much that we decided to share some of our favorites. These are by no means my favorite lines from movies, rather the funnest ones to impersonate. Most of them are overly dramatic or they’re said with an accent. There are many on my list that are outright terrible. There’s no need for me to point out which one’s are ridiculous because if it’s not obvious which one's are, then you wouldn’t agree with me anyway. So here we go!

Horses, Horses, Horses, Horses...
Annie Reed
Sleepless In Seattle

That’s not happiness to see me.
Emily Bradford Taylor
A Perfect Murder

He had scissors, for hands.
Kim
Edward Scissorhands

He asked me if I wanted to go and I was like, ‘yeah, right!’
Catherine
Proof

I’m a human blanket! A human blanket!
Charlie
So I Married an Axe Murderer

A child is no longer a child. A child IS A MOUSE!!!
Miss Eve Ernst - the Grand High Witch
The Witches

Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I’ll be your slave (then forget about the baby).
Jareth
Labyrinth

I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.
And while I'm at it:
nice, firm, buttocks. Chicks dig gray.
Anna Scott/Spike
Notting Hill

Ya think beautiful girls are gonna stay stahs foreva?
Fanny Brice
Funny Girl

Pappa can you hear me?
Yentl/Anshel
Yentl

I hate John...I love John...I hate John...
Emma
Emma

Mr. 152 insights into my soul!
Kathleen Kelly
You've Got Mail

You had me at hello. You HAD me at Hello.
Dorothy Boyd
Jerry Maguire

Augustus! You-ah going to drown I juss knowit!
Mrs. Gloop
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

I run and you speed walk? THAT is a serious coincidence!
Caroline Swann
The Baxter

She said, ‘Why don’t you try a change?’ I don’t want a change. I can’t USE a change...I’ll let you elaborate on that one Sara.
Jerome Eugene Morrow
Gattaca

I waited for you this morning. Parking lot. I saw you and I thought you saw me. What about prom, Blane? (Blane? That's not a name, that's a major appliance!) No. What about prom? Just say it. I wanna hear you say it. You're a liar! You're a filthy, (er), no-good liar. You don't have the guts to tell me the truth. Just say it! You're ashamed to be seen with me. You're ashamed to go out with me. You're terrified that you're (er again) rich friends won't approve.
Andie Walsh and a smidgeon of Duckie
Pretty In Pink

What can you do with a quarter?
Polo Debevoise
How to Marry a Millionaire

What family doesn’t have its ups and downs?
Eleanor of Aquitaine
The Lion In Winter

But daddy I LOVE HIM!
Ariel
The Little Mermaid

I don't want to buy anything, sell anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that. (Kickboxing IS the sport of the future)
Lloyd Dobler
Say Anything

Now three, act like wherever you are, that's the place to be. 'Isn't this great?'
Mike Damone
Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Listen, I don’t take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is 'artistic.’
Janice
The Muppets Take Manhattan

A powder puff for you and a powder puff for me!
Perfume Saleswoman/Joan Rivers
The Muppets Take Manhattan

Ahh, the sounds of love Su-EEE, Oink, Oink, Oink, Oink!
Kermit
The Muppets Take Manhattan

How about Ocean Breeze Soap: it gets you clean.
Kermit
The Muppets Take Manhattan

I can’t stop!!!!!! Let’s just read Sara's picks. I'm 110% sure some will be the same. Where there is a baby there be milk nearby...

Also feel free to include your own.

October = Irish Twins Month!

2006-10-05T19:21:00.000-04:00

For some time now, I have had a younger sister named Sara. It is widely known that we are bosom buddies, sisters, and almost twins! I love Sara like I love chocolate. Correction -- I love chocolate like I love Sara. Although we are only Irish Twins, we are the same age for a couple of days, look somewhat alike, enjoy the same movies and music, spend as much time together as possible when possible, finish each others sentences, have our own language, love to do impressions of others, long for a double wedding, the list goes on and on.

When we're not standing in the same room, Sara and I communicate via phone and email. If you randomly visited my blog, then you don't know that Sara lives in Georgia and I live in New York. Although we don't reside in the same city, our minds are always in the same place. Recently "we" had an idea for our blogs. We emailed each other back and forth to solidify the idea and this is the exact dialogue that occurred:

Lexi's E-Mail to Sara, July 18th, 2:04 p.m.:
Maybe you could write [a post] sometime if you want to. It doesn't have to be for this theme. I'm thinking of devoting a month to my future kids. You could write a great post then. You know what, though, I kind of want to keep talking about this subject because the end of the month is approaching and I don't feel finished yet. Maybe I'll extend it.

I've thought about us having a post together. Or, having you post comments
on my blog a lot -- a sisters theme. Maybe we could do Sisters one month.

Sara's E-Mail to Lexi, 6:12 p.m.:
In order to drive traffic to both of our blogs, we should capitalize on this sisters theme. Here's how I see it: We pick a topic, and without talking about it, you post your thoughts on your blog, and then link to mine. I'll do the same. Like this:

Lexi and Sara on (Bees):

Bees are really cool. I like bees a lot. Sometimes they're a little bit scary, though, because they sting you. It hurts. Apparently I really like bees because when I was little, I wore a bumble bee swimsuit.

Now read Lexi's thoughts. (The words "Lexi's thoughts" would link to your post.)

See? Then you would do the same thing, but have a link to my blog. It's really a great idea, and I'm glad you included me!

Love you.
Love,
Me.

P.S. I'm havin' a thought. Maybe we should come up with themes in the next couple of weeks, and then August can be the Sisters theme. Or maybe we can just do it whenever we want. We could even do a future husband one for this month. Won't it be so interesting to see how different our posts are? People will love yours more, probably. :(

Lexi's E-Mail to Sara, 6:43 p.m.:
YOU'VE DONE IT!!! You resolved my issue. You see, my initial thought was
to put both posts on one page (to compare and contrast of course). But this
would either have to make my blog have both posts and yours have nothing, or
both of our blogs posting the same two posts. The latter is just reduntant
and not interactive. So, by clicking a link to your blog, YOU get traffic
and I (also capitalized for stress, but I couldn't double capitalize an
already capitalized letter) get traffic. HURRAH!!!

Maybe these emails could be posted as a way to explain to our viewers how
such brilliant thoughts develop. It could be like a study for pyschologists
to unravel the innerworkings of genius minds! Yes, I wrote that last
paragraph knowing it might go on my blog...but not the first one.

So, what should our first subject bee? How 'bout what you look like in that
swimsuit?
:o)
Lex

So that's how this month is goin' down, readers. We have a fun-filled month planned for you and hope you enjoy it. We even wrote our plans on the lid of a Long John Silver's to-go box. Man, I love those hush puppies.

The following photos are some of our first moments as sisters:

Here's what I looked like going to the city pool everyday.

And here's what Sara looked like.

Not a happy camper.

BEE-A-Utiful!!!

Check out Sara's Blog to read her intro for the month.