This story is absolutely not in reference to me BUT thinking of NYC and Halloween this week-- an old story popped into my head. I had a friend who lived in Queens with 2 roommates. He and his roommates always threw a big Halloween party. One year his roommate, Drew, ended up meeting a young lady at their party dressed in a full out bumble bee costume complete with wings and some sort of pollen wand. I'm sure she looked absolutely adorable riding the N train over on Halloween evening with her friends, her eye glitter and her well rested glowing skin. As it happens at Halloween parties (or any party with copious amounts of alcohol), Drew and the bumble bee decided it would be best if she stayed over after the party......
The next day, my friend told me that the poor bumble bee had to ride the N train back into Manhattan...during rush hour. I can't believe a more humiliating walk of shame home. She was probably carrying her crooked wings in her hands, black tights ripped or at least askew, cute makeup all smeared or washed away, hung over having to deal with the lurching of the train and clearly having no other reason for a busted up costume than a late night rendezvous with a guy who wasn't even nice enough to give her an shirt to wear home. But, honest truth, I would have loved seeing that on my ride into work on November 1st!
Again- this story is not about me......I can't wear yellow strips.....and anyone who knows me knows I would have taken a cab home.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Cars
So- as I've been driving around my new city in my new, rather old mini-van, I've realized that I really don't care about cars. I can barely identify mine in a parking lot and seriously can't tell the difference between a fancy Mercedes and a Honda accord.....seriously. If challenged, I might be able to tell you what color car you drive but that's it. It's just not something I think about and my brain is completely unable to retain any car-related information.
But- I've been reminded this week of the one time I was properly embarrassed by my ride. When I left NYC the first time and moved to Washington, DC, my husband and I didn't have a car. As luck would have it, my parents had kept my college car and they used it from time to time. It was a 2 door gray Saturn XL or a BMW sports car, I can't recall. Time had been kind to the inner workings of the vehicle but the outer shell was a disaster. We began driving that sucker into the ground.
A few years later, we decided it was time for a new car and got a brand new Honda CRV. So- the Saturn was relegated to the 'extra' vehicle and only used in case of double event/car emergencies. This turned out to be a blessing because the Saturn was also the new recipient of a giant hole in the passenger rear side panel courtesy of a wind gust that blew a cab's door into the side thus leaving a gapping wound for all to behold.
One night, my husband was scheduled for a guy's poker night about an hour away and I was scheduled to attend a black tie awards event for work at the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown. Somehow, hubby won the privilege to drive the new car to poker and I was rewarded with the beat up Saturn. So, I donned a beautiful, black tie worthy dress, sashayed to my car, creaked open the door and drove to the $30 valet at the lobby of the Ritz Carlton. This, in and of itself, is not really a big deal. But, I've neglected to tell you the best part....that hole in the side of the car had gotten a bit more interesting. Brilliant geniuses that we are, my husband and I decided that we didn't want the giant hole to rust but we didn't want to repair it. So, we did the next big thing....we duct taped over the hole clearly thinking that the no one would notice the tape because it was the same gray as our car. Not only that, but the tape didn't stick down all the way so it would flap in the breeze. We were that lazy....we didn't want to deal with getting it repaired and we are also too lazy to actually duct tape it properly.
Great event! Great awards! The top advertising executives in Washington, DC were present and it was a night full of food and drinks and appropriate revelry. But, as we were all lining up at the valet stand to get our cars, I started to get nervous. Every car that drove away was a fancy, fancy car (I guess the big ones like Mercedes, BMW, whatever). I was standing with the man whose team had just won the biggest award of the night and he graciously allowed me to go first. I kept insisting that I wasn't in a hurry but he wanted to be all gentlemanly. Well, what am I going to do, walk home? So, I patiently waited for my car......and it arrived in style. Not only did it make a puttering sound noticed by all but, of course, as it drove up, the side with the duct taped hole rolled to a stop directly in front of the waiting line.
I turned to the big wig ad executive and said "well, that's my car. I must be off," took my keys from the valet, walked around the rear of the passenger side, naturally paused to carefully reapply the hanging duct tape, creaked open my door, hopped in and waved a big farewell. We got rid of that car after I forgot to renew the tags or get the car inspected for like 4 years. Sad thing is I'm likely to do the same exact thing again in the future.
But- I've been reminded this week of the one time I was properly embarrassed by my ride. When I left NYC the first time and moved to Washington, DC, my husband and I didn't have a car. As luck would have it, my parents had kept my college car and they used it from time to time. It was a 2 door gray Saturn XL or a BMW sports car, I can't recall. Time had been kind to the inner workings of the vehicle but the outer shell was a disaster. We began driving that sucker into the ground.
A few years later, we decided it was time for a new car and got a brand new Honda CRV. So- the Saturn was relegated to the 'extra' vehicle and only used in case of double event/car emergencies. This turned out to be a blessing because the Saturn was also the new recipient of a giant hole in the passenger rear side panel courtesy of a wind gust that blew a cab's door into the side thus leaving a gapping wound for all to behold.
One night, my husband was scheduled for a guy's poker night about an hour away and I was scheduled to attend a black tie awards event for work at the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown. Somehow, hubby won the privilege to drive the new car to poker and I was rewarded with the beat up Saturn. So, I donned a beautiful, black tie worthy dress, sashayed to my car, creaked open the door and drove to the $30 valet at the lobby of the Ritz Carlton. This, in and of itself, is not really a big deal. But, I've neglected to tell you the best part....that hole in the side of the car had gotten a bit more interesting. Brilliant geniuses that we are, my husband and I decided that we didn't want the giant hole to rust but we didn't want to repair it. So, we did the next big thing....we duct taped over the hole clearly thinking that the no one would notice the tape because it was the same gray as our car. Not only that, but the tape didn't stick down all the way so it would flap in the breeze. We were that lazy....we didn't want to deal with getting it repaired and we are also too lazy to actually duct tape it properly.
Great event! Great awards! The top advertising executives in Washington, DC were present and it was a night full of food and drinks and appropriate revelry. But, as we were all lining up at the valet stand to get our cars, I started to get nervous. Every car that drove away was a fancy, fancy car (I guess the big ones like Mercedes, BMW, whatever). I was standing with the man whose team had just won the biggest award of the night and he graciously allowed me to go first. I kept insisting that I wasn't in a hurry but he wanted to be all gentlemanly. Well, what am I going to do, walk home? So, I patiently waited for my car......and it arrived in style. Not only did it make a puttering sound noticed by all but, of course, as it drove up, the side with the duct taped hole rolled to a stop directly in front of the waiting line.
I turned to the big wig ad executive and said "well, that's my car. I must be off," took my keys from the valet, walked around the rear of the passenger side, naturally paused to carefully reapply the hanging duct tape, creaked open my door, hopped in and waved a big farewell. We got rid of that car after I forgot to renew the tags or get the car inspected for like 4 years. Sad thing is I'm likely to do the same exact thing again in the future.
Monday, October 29, 2012
The Quiet Storm
It's so weird to live with your heart in two worlds simultaneously. We moved 15 days ago from NYC which is currently being pummeled by Hurricane Sandy. I know I don't live there anymore. I stopped writing my astronomical rent checks, riding the subway, shopping at Fairway, running along the Hudson River, walking my dog in the park, terrorizing Hippo playground with the kids, but I've watched the news all day with anticipation of this big storm......that isn't coming anywhere near me in South Carolina. I read the Upper West Side blog I loved so much and search the news clips for specific warnings about my old neighborhood.
My head completely understands that I've moved on. That chapter in my life is closed....again. Yet, my heart remains open to that indescribable thing that IS Manhattan. I remember when Hurricane Irene came through just over a year ago--- my daughter was about 3 days old and we were buying water and snacks and candles and weathered a hurricane that didn't do any damage to our city. We had friends over and spent the entire day watching our boys play and passed around our newborn so everyone could get a snuggle. That was a moment when I felt like I was truly a New Yorker-- having just hailed a cab while in labor, giving birth in a hospital overlooking Central Park, getting home 2 days later and immediately getting prepared for the storm.
It's not that I'm not excited about the new chapter in my life.....it's just that my heart hasn't quite let go of the old one yet. I'm preparing for a storm that not's coming my way......preparing for damage that I won't physically feel. I'm wasting time and energy thinking about another life that is past and not focusing on the new one in front of me. I think it's time to let go and let this storm wash away the remaining strings to NYC that we've left behind.
My head completely understands that I've moved on. That chapter in my life is closed....again. Yet, my heart remains open to that indescribable thing that IS Manhattan. I remember when Hurricane Irene came through just over a year ago--- my daughter was about 3 days old and we were buying water and snacks and candles and weathered a hurricane that didn't do any damage to our city. We had friends over and spent the entire day watching our boys play and passed around our newborn so everyone could get a snuggle. That was a moment when I felt like I was truly a New Yorker-- having just hailed a cab while in labor, giving birth in a hospital overlooking Central Park, getting home 2 days later and immediately getting prepared for the storm.
It's not that I'm not excited about the new chapter in my life.....it's just that my heart hasn't quite let go of the old one yet. I'm preparing for a storm that not's coming my way......preparing for damage that I won't physically feel. I'm wasting time and energy thinking about another life that is past and not focusing on the new one in front of me. I think it's time to let go and let this storm wash away the remaining strings to NYC that we've left behind.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
The Players
So- I haven't written since my first blog because I found myself sooooo motivated the first night and then chickened out. I got really self conscious and figured I didn't have anything interesting to write. I was going to do a detailed outline about my husband and 2 kids but I got bored just writing it. All you really need to know is that I have a wonderful, lovely, compassionate husband who is constantly misplacing things so I'm always subconsciously remembering where he lays down his wallet or keys or screws for the bookcases during moves. We have 2 beautifully wild, loud kiddos- a 3 1/2 year old son and a 14 month old daughter. I'm tired of breaking up fights and crave silence more than any other time in my life. Caesar, our 110 pound lab/golden retriever graces us with his presence, his bad breath, his unexplained late night seizures, and his warmth everywhere we go. The big change is that our motley crew just packed up an 800 square foot 2 bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and moved to a much smaller city but much bigger house in South Carolina......14 days ago. 3 weeks ago I'm walking past bustling street corners, taking the kids to crowded city playgrounds, dodging the fall influx of rat mating season, having a glass of wine with a friend at a trendy downtown bar........to all of a sudden owning a gray mini-van and raking leaves. First off- I own a freaking car! Second- I own a freaking gray mini-van. I seriously can't find it in the mammoth grocery store parking lot so I find myself parking really far away so I can spot it quickly. If it gets any worse, I'm going to paint a giant lightning bolt down the side so I won't try to get into someone else's car.
These next few months are going to be quite an adjustment. I wonder how long it will be before I stop thinking of NYC as home and give in to our new life......mini-vans, leaves, and all.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
The beginning
Okay. Starting at the beginning--- Why the Eiffel Tower and why Phenomenal Woman? Well, my beginning was Paris, France....or more accurately- Versailles. I was born in Versailles while my dad was in Paris for 3 years on business. I've always had a profound connection to that city even though we moved back to the States before I turned one. And- I've only been back one time....on my honeymoon! So- it seemed like the best background photo for my very first blog.
As for Phenomenal Woman......well, I lay zero claim to this amazing statement. It's my favorite poem by my favorite writer Maya Angelou. "The swing in my waist, the joy in my feet"--- ahhhh, just divine. I feel like I've spent the majority of my life reading, watching movies, going to museums & plays, traveling, photographing, etc to be truly moved by a single piece of art or a single moment caught in time- like a drug addict looking for the next big fix. When I read Phenomenal Woman for the first time, it was one of those perfect drug moments. Check it out!
Total side note: I felt the same way when I read "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings," heard Ani Difranco sing live for the first time, hung my son's first art project on our wall, took a picture recently of my daughter that undoubtedly captured what she is going to look like as a surly teenager, saw the original cast of "Rent' from my 3rd row center seat in NYC when I was a freshman in college or when my husband and I were mistaken for Parisian locals on our honeymoon -- that feeling of bliss, excitement and absolute understanding. Truth: I also felt that way when I read "Eat, Pray, Love" and kept telling my husband that I was going to pray in an ashram in India for 4 months while he smartly ignored me and watched football over my gesticulating shoulder.
Now- for the big question-- why do a blog? Well-- when I'm in the right mood with the right people, I can actually tell a really funny story. And- a few people who love me far too much have told me over and over again to write....write something, anything. And since we just left NYC and moved to South Carolina to start a new adventure/chapter of our life, I've decided to start embracing things that scare me or seem ridiculous......like Tough Mudder type events. Have you heard of these things? They are like 12 mile obstacle courses that you run in the mud: you get electro-shocked, crawl through tunnels, jump in freezing cold tanks of water, etc all the interest of 'fun.- not even cash prizes. I guess I could save $150 bucks and just have Brad (my husband) spray me with a hose in the backyard while I run in circles for three hours....it's cheaper, I still wouldn't need to do a pull up and I wouldn't have to find a babysitter--plus the pictures would be fantastic-- but I want to embrace the insane so I'll probably be signing up for one of those events in the future too. Just stop me if I start talking about a neck tattoo.....I don't think people really recover from neck tattoos.
Anyway- this blog is for me....but hopefully also entertaining for you. I want to be more aware of my life's journey, I want to embrace the awkward, I want to push myself, I want to be more -- well, ME I guess. I want to put it out there so I have to follow through on all of it. Let's see what happens......
As for Phenomenal Woman......well, I lay zero claim to this amazing statement. It's my favorite poem by my favorite writer Maya Angelou. "The swing in my waist, the joy in my feet"--- ahhhh, just divine. I feel like I've spent the majority of my life reading, watching movies, going to museums & plays, traveling, photographing, etc to be truly moved by a single piece of art or a single moment caught in time- like a drug addict looking for the next big fix. When I read Phenomenal Woman for the first time, it was one of those perfect drug moments. Check it out!
Total side note: I felt the same way when I read "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings," heard Ani Difranco sing live for the first time, hung my son's first art project on our wall, took a picture recently of my daughter that undoubtedly captured what she is going to look like as a surly teenager, saw the original cast of "Rent' from my 3rd row center seat in NYC when I was a freshman in college or when my husband and I were mistaken for Parisian locals on our honeymoon -- that feeling of bliss, excitement and absolute understanding. Truth: I also felt that way when I read "Eat, Pray, Love" and kept telling my husband that I was going to pray in an ashram in India for 4 months while he smartly ignored me and watched football over my gesticulating shoulder.
Now- for the big question-- why do a blog? Well-- when I'm in the right mood with the right people, I can actually tell a really funny story. And- a few people who love me far too much have told me over and over again to write....write something, anything. And since we just left NYC and moved to South Carolina to start a new adventure/chapter of our life, I've decided to start embracing things that scare me or seem ridiculous......like Tough Mudder type events. Have you heard of these things? They are like 12 mile obstacle courses that you run in the mud: you get electro-shocked, crawl through tunnels, jump in freezing cold tanks of water, etc all the interest of 'fun.- not even cash prizes. I guess I could save $150 bucks and just have Brad (my husband) spray me with a hose in the backyard while I run in circles for three hours....it's cheaper, I still wouldn't need to do a pull up and I wouldn't have to find a babysitter--plus the pictures would be fantastic-- but I want to embrace the insane so I'll probably be signing up for one of those events in the future too. Just stop me if I start talking about a neck tattoo.....I don't think people really recover from neck tattoos.
Anyway- this blog is for me....but hopefully also entertaining for you. I want to be more aware of my life's journey, I want to embrace the awkward, I want to push myself, I want to be more -- well, ME I guess. I want to put it out there so I have to follow through on all of it. Let's see what happens......
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