trick or treat...smell your feet

i abhor my coffeemaker so badly. it does not befit my studio. it is egregiously large. it has character, i give it that. the lid is broken. burn marks everywhere. the water level monitor is loose. i want a bodum so badly.
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i cleaned my studio to the umpteenth degree. i don't think my apartment has never been this organized in my entire existence here. i have twice more space in my closet and now i can easily get my clothes. i think it is partially due to my cutting down of clothes. i can't believe that i used to wear that stuff or bought it thinking i would actually wear it. i kept a lot of it thinking that i would wear it someday. i used to find it really hard to part with something you spend on but now i don't feel so badly anymore. the only stuff i could not bear to give away are the clothes that my mom bought me. they are more sentimental.
but i have a huge suitcase full of clothes i will give away soon enough.
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maureen dowd wrote a really relevant piece in the NYTimes entitled "What is a Modern Girl to Do?" Going abroad really broadened my mind literally. Life is more than this. More than the swill that is sometimes NY. And for me, I would like my life be more. I want to achieve something. But always at a price. Can't we just have it all?
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Trivia of the Day: Who also from the times is dowd's best friend?
Yesterday's Answer: Pelham Park

Typical Weekend...

Typical weekend for me. Friday night I went to BRBP, played darts, had IPAs and ESBs. Then went to some parties. Lots of general insanity. Saturday, I went to the bank, took the car in for an oil change, watched a little football, and eventually went to a hip hop show at Headz on Mass Ave. The show was quite good. I woke up today with a really sore neck. I'm not quite sure why. Watched more football today and chilled with the 'rents. That is all, really. Back to work tomorrow.

union turnpike

Woke up super early today even by daylight savings day standards. I finished _The Queen's Fool_ by Phillippa Gregory which I brought to London with me. That was quite apt. Methinks that _The Other Boleyn_ was more suspenseful and more historical while this one was a lot more romantic and fictional. Elizabeth was described to have long flaming red hair but in the portraits that I did see of her, I did not consider her at all attractive.
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Went to the gym and caught the penultimate episode of My Fair Brady. I like Adrianne Curry a lot so I hope the Brady does propose. I am going to the gym for less and less time but I really try to do more of a circuit now only because I want to keep the workouts more fun. I really shun the stair climbers though. I don't know why.
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I read the NY Times today and my two favorite sections are Travel and Style. The Style section just had an article about goth. I preferred the Business section since it featured the two Google guys. I find Sergey really nerdy hot. I read the article about the profits they were generating and it behooved me to even search jobs there. Unfortunately, I do not have any experience in the search industry. I was hoping to go to Mountain View and have Sergey fall in love with me. Alas!
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I was very displaced this afternoon geographically and socially speaking. I went to the Queens County Farm which was very far away from home. We did a Maize Maze, saw weird animals and walked around a pumpkin patch and even purchased some kettle corn. I am such a sucker for popcorn. I found the experience to be really amusing. I had a grand ol' time. The age group was considerably below mine. But I needed the orientation for the maze anyway.
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Went to Sapporo for dinner. Ramen place but I got the curry. Lesson? Get the House Special Ramen. Duly noted. On the way back, I say the 7 person bicycle. It seems so fun. I want to ride on it.
I am so spent.
(Trivia of the day: What is the largest park in NYC?)

repetitiones

thurs spent idly
fri too...until i realize that it would be such a waste. i woke up really early all ready to do my laundry. instead i decided to have a snack. i put pumpkin in my oatmeal along with egg whites and soy milk and it is the best thing ever! then i went to the east village. the farmer's market in union square is probably one of my favorite places. i got some cherry apple wine which was delish and went to sephora to be bombarded with the wonders of beauty products. there are so many out there...how do you know which one is the best? i walked back to whole foods and got some groceries and went home. i thought i did a lot already and didn't want to do anything else.
but i told my ex coworker i would go visit her. i also had a coupon to get a free sample of dr weil's plantidote as well as clinque happy so i decided to go. boy, was it chilly. no plantidote yes happy. then i went to see M. the office is still the same but everyone is different. there was so much candy/chocolate for halloween that i am really glad i don't work in an office but at the same time feel kind of contained from the festivities of the holidays. when i walk around new york, i feel so full of energy because there are just so much to see, to do and so many people around me. i walk and walk and walk and don't feel lethargic because right now i feel like this time of year it is the BRINK of something...more cold, more holidays, more people, more shopping/sales but just not yet. so there is plenty of excitement in the air. baited breath.
then i had an appointment with my facialist but before that, i got coffee at Fauchon which has the BEST coffee ever. How? I tried the sumatra coffee at Whole Foods and it was kinda blah and Starbucks is just a jolt of caffeine but this Fauchon stuff is heaven. $2.50 for a bit of heaven.
I went to 42nd Grand Central and had some ciao bella sorbet. The pina colada is heaven and I can even taste the pineapple bits. It makes me want to get their gelato at Whole Foods.
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Today I woke up kind of early and I did not want to go meet my sister at the Met in the afternoon. Nor did I want to do the laundry that was taunting me. But I went to the gym, did laundry and met my sister. Van Gogh's drawings is an amazing exhibit because though I can definitely say that I am a fan of his, I never knew that he championed drawings. His early works was very focused and ornate and upon going to Arles, it became looser 1888-1889. I love his repetitions; he would draw the same scene to three different people Bernard, Russell, and Theo. Bernard's was always very stylistic and had very exaggerated dark lines while Russell's was very soft with curvilinear lines. Theo's seemed more to the point. The exhibit would juxtapose the pen and inks with the paintings which really underscored the magnificence of the paintings, which were really beaming with color and the dancing dabs of his brushstroke. But I can totally appreciate his drawings. I thought it was really interesting that when we left and we read that Van Gogh killed himself, my sister said that his drawings always seem sad while I thought that at times he just seemed unfocused. Perception is a rather naughty thing. We see what we want to see. We relate to who we are perhaps. Van Gogh's prolific despite short career inspired me to see more beautiful things in the city and I took a walk down Madison Ave. I even went to the Ito-en store and tried the Matcha Green Almonds which tasted like dark chocolate powder with almonds. I was very disciplined that even though I passed by not one but two Le Maison du chocolat, I did not purchase a macaroon. Nor did i purchase one at Fauchon the other day. I had enough at Paul's so right now I think that I should cease for a while instead of making it a habit. so alas...i must fold my laundry. which reminds me that i should donate some of it to charity. the fewer the clothes i have the less laundry i would have to do. it sounds about right but it may just be wishful thinking on my part. au revoir.

Hung Up

Madonna's may not seem relevant here in the USA but her beats are thriving in the UK. Her and the Arctic Monkeys, that is. While I was away, Robert got to meet Madonna. Good ol' Madge:

I see London, I see France...

Top Things to Do:
1) St.Paul's Cathedral--Charles and Diana got married here. Look up at the dome to the mosaics done by Sir Christopher Wren. Look at the beautiful stained glasses in the apse, see the serene stillness of the quire, and contemplate to Henri Moore's "Mother and Child." The galleries are the best part. Spiral upon spiral are the stairs up: to 259 steps up is the Whispering Gallery (you can hear someone 32m diametrically opposed to you in this dome), 378 steps up is the Stone Gallery, and 530 steps up is the Gold Gallery (the view rivals that of the London Eye). The crypt memorializes Churchill, Florence Nightingale and Wren.
2) Covent Garden-- Lively entertainment of singing, dancing and acrobatics amidst the small shops (Thornton!!). Dining is outside of course as the cafes and pubs bring their food out to you. Apple Market has rows and rows of knicks nacks for your paddity wacks.
3) National Gallery-- Amazing to me that I get to see the real works like "The Sunflowers" by Van Gogh (brushwork is almost tactile made for his friend, Gauguin's arrival), "Madame Moutessier" by Ingres, "The Arnolfini Portrait" by Van Eyck (so small), and Da vinci's "Virgin of the Rocks" (the another one at the Louvre is equally dark), studies of Seurat's "Sunday Afternoon" (the real one is at the Champ Elysees), "Dinner at Emmaus" by Caravaggio," Holbein's "The Ambassadors" (weird skull in the foreground) and all the works of Constable, Turner, and Gainborough a girl could ever need. Right next to it is the National Portrait Gallery, replete with portraits of the Tudor family, photos of English stars (Gregory Peck is so hot), and the Royal family. A huge Chuck Close greets you at the door. Bonjour!
4) Tower of London/Tower Bridge-- Definitely go there early, get Paul's (j'adore parisienne patisserie) and sit outside to soak in the view of the Tower Bridge. My sister noticed the baby blue that outlined the bridge during the daytime (it lights up in this eerily beautiful way during the nighttime). Go on a tour with a Beefeater who are trained to guard the gates for twenty years and notice the spikiness of the portcullis that works even to this day. Enter with these yeoman warders through the traitor's gate. Inside, the beefeater will tell you the wonderful stories of the beheadings that went on. The White Tower by William the Conqueror started it all. The Tower Green was probably the most infamous for two of Henry the VIII's wives who were killed there, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Anne Boleyn, most influenced by the French, wanted to die by the french sword and the cut was so fresh that when they pulled up the head for all of England to see, her eyes were still moving side to side and her lips were still chanting in prayer. Sir Walter Raleigh was a prisoner there for 13 years. Among the most luxurious of the 13 towers was the Jewel Tower, that housed all the wonderful crowns (most famous being the Crown Jewel of India), and other crown jewels. Among the most unique things about the Tower are the ravens, which old wive's tale say that if they ever leave the tower, something bad will befall England. Just to be on the safe side, eight ravens are inside the tower (six are working in house two are being benched). Lots of stories lies within the towers like the murders of the two princes who were suffocated within the tower and other tales of treason. At the top of the Tower, lies a wonderful weathervane with a royal crest to show that the kings and queens used to live there. Spectacular.
5) Kensington Palace/ Victoria& Albert Museum/Harrods-- Kensington is a magnificent place filled with rooms for a king and queen (duh). But rather dull after a while. Really the costumes make the tour, as the fashion changes with the times. V&A is really great. I really wish I saw Danny Lane's balustrade but Raphael's cartoons, Dale Chihuly's chandelier and costumes of England really made the museum for me. I love Harrods. Not because they have the dirty champagne glasses Diana and Dodi used before they died along with the gaudy engagement ring he gave to her, but because food and drink department was so damn cool. The Egyptian walls with the soft lighting made the beatiful, chocolates, pastries and othe delights sing and dance like The Nutcracker to me. Ok, maybe I am the nut.
6) Tate Modern-- I love the area in general the museum overlooks the Milennium bridge which is somewhat shaky right now so they are trying to fix it. It is really close by to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre which appears to be surprisingly new as well as Hay's Galleria which used to be a dockyard for importing teas from India and China. LA's national museum looks very similar to the Tate: colossal, white, open rectangular construction. Dali's "Lobster Phone" (raunchy), Boccioni's "Unique Forms of Continuity" (dynamic), Gilbert & George's "Death Hope Life Fear (indecipherable), Andy Warhol's prints (kitschy), and Picasso's "Woman in Nude" (monolithic). My favorite was Matisse's "Snail." It was cute.
7) House of Parliament/Buckingham Palace/Westminster Abbey-- Somewhat feel obliged to put this in because Big Ben is so awesome. Changing of the guards was kinda yawn. So crowded I need to bring stilts next time. Westminster Abbey has a nice coronation chair and some pretty stained glass windows as well as a novel poet's corner that has the stained glass in blue but seeing the tomb of Mary I after Elizabeth I and Henry VII was just plain morbid. I know, I know...Queen Victoria was crowned here. Long live the Queen!!
8) Madame Taussad's/London Dungeon--The wax museum was fun with George Clooney. Posh and Becks, and the Incredible Hulk. They had a really creepy exhibit where you go in the dark and you think that they are wax figures but they are actually live people running up to you and screaming at you!!! I was attacked so many times!!! London Dungeon was really poo poo because we learned about the plague, torture devices (tongue twister), and Jack the ripper, none of it was scary because the machines are a little off on the timing and the actors have done it so many times, they kinda just deadpan it. I liked how they take a photo of us in the beginning as I got to behead my sister...hee hee.
8) Trafalgar Square/ Bond street/Soho--West End theatres with tickets booth. Right now the hit shows are Woman In White, Guys and Dolls (Ewan Mcgregor and Jane Kracowski) and Chicago (Linda Carter as Mama Morton!!) Bond street has more high end jewelry and Soho has many cool shops and is near Chinatown which reminds me of the one in Boston but with wittier named restaurants.
9) London Eye/Saatchi Museum/ London Aquarium--Definitely go at night when the city lights make the view more fantastic.
10) British Museum/Sir John Sloane Museum--The center of the windowed dome encases a library. Small wooden shelves upon shelves worth of books. On the right side, the Enlightenment gallery mimics the theme. The Rosetta Stone is there. Just being in the area makes me feel more learned. It is a nice juxtaposition to the bare whiteness of the dome. Sloane was a great architect that housed a lot of works from China and Egypt but the best works he houses are the beautiful moral drawings of the "Rake's Progress" and the "Election" downstairs in the basement.
11)Museum of London/Monument--I loved the nook where they had model shops of the tailors, bankers, tea makers, pawn shops, dressmakers, saloons during the Victorian Age. I like the different clocks too. The monument commemorates the Great Fire of 1666 done by Sir Christopher Wren.

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Anglophilic about:

Jo Malone
Thorntons
Whittard's Tea
Pret a Manger
Boots shaper's Lemonade
Patisserie Valerie
Fortnum & Mason
Marks and Spencer

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Next time:
1) Buckingham Palace/House of Parliament-- Late July to early October is when it is open to the public.
2) Notting Hill/Regent Street: to check out the posh, well-coveted residential area.
3) Walk around Kensington gardens, check out the Serpentine Gallery. Regent's Park, Green Park, St James' Park but heck I can't even make it to Central Park/
4) High Tea at a posh hotel.
5) Somerset House for the Hermitage rooms.
6) See a show!!

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Bathrooms are really clean.
Museums are free except for the special exhibitions.
Walk instead of subway. Much cheaper.
Cold and damp.

Congrats South Side

Yo

Sorry about the lack of updates by me, especially considering the fact that Alice is not around, and I'm supposed to take over or something. However, I am now spending 8 hours a day at work looking at a computer screen, so I don't spend much time on the computer at home these days.

Anyway, what to say...

I had an interview with the Princeton Review last Wednesday for a SAT prep course instructor position. I had to do a teaching presentation and ended up teaching the rules to first-capture Go. Apparently, I did well, as I've been invited for training. The training is three consecutive three day weekends in January in Columbus, OH, and each class lasts seven weeks. It sounds like a pretty nice job, but I hate making plans that far in advance... So, I need to think it over.

Work is work is work. Got the first check on Friday, though, which was nice. Weekend was rainy and uneventful. Later.

Just call me...grandma

I have me habits of an old woman.
I don't smoke.
I don't party.
I rarely drink.
I regale in vegetables and oatmeal.
I watch Oprah.
I read Dr. Weil.
I go to bed early
I bikram.
I don't run. I walk.
I still think that Madonna is the coolest thing since sliced bread.
I drink water not diet soda.
I love Martha's crafts. ( I was so excited to find out that her studio is 2 blocks away from where I live).


What has happened to me? I hope London makes me more relevant.
I am entrusting Aaron with this blog until I get back. May the blog prosper with humor and joyfulness.

Funkytown

In a funk. Not sure if macaroons will make it all better. Read _The Second Assistant_ by Mimi Nare and Clare Naylor and it made things a wee bit better. I'll be sure to read the sequel.

I have so many books to read still. Egad. Ay Dios Mio.
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So much shit to do tomorrow that if I hit all the points, I be golden. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!!
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Reality show bites:

1)ANTM--Caryn is out. I feel kinda bad because she looks like a cross between a man and Tyra. Kayla is such a bitch though for taking Nic's line. But I still don't think that should really let that affect Nic because come on!! There are lots of shits out that try to screw you over to get on top. But no wonder she is so closed because it must be hard to be in that environment and learn to trust people. Lisa is over the top but I think she really gives a lot of herself and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
2)Martha's Apprentice--Jim should be out. Jennifer made a dumbass move but Jim is a dumbass. I just hope he gets his day.
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I embrace my break. Embraceable break.

Sexual Healing...Oh What a Feeling

Dude. So I pride myself in being pretty well-versed in the 5 seasons of Sex in the City.
So guy friend takes test and gets a whopping 94%. Hah! I can beat the crap out of him!

http://www.hbo.com/city/swf/trivia/trivia.html

I take it and get a ...60%. They told me that I "don't work well under pressure and should try again and maybe take a Viagra this time."

Thanks. You more than made my day. Asswipe.
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I went to Le Maison du Chocolat and got me some macaroons. I need to stop. The coffee one was sooo good! My...I also got a yummy pistachio caramel. The Rockefeller Rink is now in session. Time goes by so quickly!
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Aldo has some nice shoes. Wedges seem to be really in this year. Read in Styles that Kors from Michael Kors is a hit. But they all look like Eskimo shoes that costs $400 dollars.
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Was also at the Marriott Marquis on 45-46th Street and Broadway. One would think that it would be crass but it is actually really nice inside. A haven from the heavy-lidded lights of Times Square.
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Dr. Andrew Weil is going to have a line for Origins. Pat Wexler has one for Bath and Body Works. There is a definite trend towards biopharmaceutical/skinceutical products which I find interesting. However, I do believe that organic/naturapathy is the way to go.
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My fridge is clear of any food. I really want to try an ostrich burger. I still have three days to go before I leave. Cooking is such a hassle. Call me Betty Crocker.
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Looking at all the things I have done, I was such a waste of space today. All I do is eat look at nice things and do fun things. I am so shallow!! On that note, I am looking forward to watching America's Next Top Model and continue to read my chick lit book. Au revoir!

Lots of Sports

This weekend was pretty fun.  The USC-Notre Dame game was amazing.  It’s pretty cool watching a game and knowing for sure that you’ve witnessed sports history.  Once USC converted on 4th and 9, I knew they’d win it.  Better luck next time, Notre Dame.  

I went to a house party on Saturday night at a really large and nice house in a quiet neighborhood.  It was kind of strange.  The beer was free, and the rock and roll was too.  Good times.

Sunday, I watched the Denver-New England Game and the end of the Angels-White Sox game.  I love seeing New England lose.  The White Sox will win the World Series.  I wonder if everyone and their brother will write a book about it when they do.

Work today was fun.  Two of my co-workers and I decided to make our jobs a bit more interesting.  We drew up a 64-team bracket and spent the day qualifying the individuals who were mentioned in the students’ essays.  Once a celebrity/musician/athlete/politician was referred to twice, they were placed in the bracket, seeded in the order in which they qualified.  The four number one seeds were George Bush, Peyton Manning, Lance Armstrong, and Brett Favre.  Round one begins tomorrow.  The first person to be referenced in each bracket moves on to the next round.  We haven’t decided if we’re filling out our own brackets or just seeing what happens.  Regardless, my pick for the dark horse of the tournament has to be Bill Gates, seeded abnormally low at around 13, I think.  I don’t have a copy, because of confidentiality regulations regarding removing documents from the scoring room.

Monday Night Football was awesome.  What more can I say.  Big plays wherever they were needed.  Huge defensive effort.  Huge offensive effort.  6-0, yo.

Yoga Ninja

I love my new Asics. I took it for a spin today. Spinning class that is. Good workout!
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Being a hardcore yogini necessitates bringing the mat everywhere. Unwieldy, unsightly unstylish. If Andre Leon Talley saw me, he probably do a "tsk tsk." Bookbagging the pink beast makes me feel like a FIT student. Or rather a Yoga Ninga.
North Face black. Lycra pants black. Only thing to complete my ninja getup is them stars of steel. Whatoong!!
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Immensely busy week. Countdown to London 4 days. Whoopadeeedoooo!! :)

On a completely unrelated note, to prepare for my trip, I am learning French. This is about as nonsensical as I can get

eclair: flash
framboise: raspberry
pomme: apple
floret noir: black forest
gateaux: nibbles

I am concentrating my efforts on the dessert category.
That is to insure that when I am in a pattisserie, I know what I am getting myself into. Mom should be proud.

How Do You Like Them Apples?

Fuji. Gala. Green. Used to be my favorites but now it is the JonGold (a cross between a Jonathan and a Golden Delicious). Just tart enough with a tad of sweetness. I didn't know I was such a connoisseur when it came to apples. I even baked some apples for mom & G.
I tried making apple buckwheat pancakes but it came out in a clump. They looked like deformed macaroons.
--
Now that I am a Grade A bonafied cook, I declared hell with vh1 and watched thirteen's "Scandinavian Cooking." Tina Nordstorm rocks. She pokes a big hole in the ice, nets some fish, and grills it while simpering "das easy no? squeezes of lemon. lemon and fish best friends." She butters, bay leafs everything. Whole eggs, milk, steak. All in a ice hotel. A Heidi inspiration. Makes me want to wear my hair in pigtails and churn me some butter.
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But she did get me to explore more at Whole Foods. I got me some organic whipped unsalted butter, chicken sausage and organic peanut butter. Heidi Ho!!
--
When I come back from London, I shall make some stew. Tina uses dark ale in hers. Well, I still have a pack of Coors Light in my fridge...

Chanel No. 5

Went to Metspa. Fauchon was nearby and got to try their Rocquefort crackers which were yummy. They do have macaroons! Yes! Strawberry mint, lemon, vanilla, pistachio (my favorite). Didn't get them because it was so hard to choose.
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M4 was taking forever so I decided to hike up to the Whitney along Madison. Givenchy, YSL, Chanel, Armani. In the pouring rain, the vacancy of the night streets made me feel fresh, anew as if I owned that avenue. I was glad to take in everything.
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Oscar Bluemner's exhibit was really well organized. Great artist and I really got to see the evolution of his artwork. The quote in the beginning really moved me. "Amidst the brilliancy and the vivacity of forms of colors lies a certain stillness." I could definitely relate to that. At first, he was an architect but later became an artist when he moved from Germany to New York. He started out painting expressionistically in Saddle Hills, NJ and later, influenced by the futuristic tendencies of the Italians, he made his subject matter more dynamic. I really loved this really small painting with buildings grouped together but in a way that the eye couldn't really piece out while the elongated clouds seemed to be moving also. Everything moved. He studied a lot of asian works because he believed that they captured the essence of subjects and were able to depict what was there and equally importantly, what was not. "Death" was really another great work. The stark wintry road alongside the writhing bare tree really got the meaning of the title. Bluemner's notebooks were encased, showing his beautiful vignettes of Samurai and Kabuki masks.
I enjoyed the moonlight room where he painted of the sun and moon like ying and yang perhaps as an ode to his wife, who passed away during that time. Later on, he became more self-reflective as the same subject matter became more anthromorphic. "Our paintings are really self-portraits." At the end of his life, he painted Ego (Man Building Red) NonEgo (Woman Tree Green) and UnEgo (Nature Sky Blue). Artists aim is to depict expression and not reality. Color was Bluemner's medium.
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Bluemner fell ill and could not see and had to wear sunglasses due to the sensitivity to light. Robert Smithson also died tragically as at 35, he was on a plane that crashed as they were travelling to a potential site for his earthworks. Smithson is one crazy bastard. There exists a creepy creepy about him but within his madness lies a brilliance. Many people give kudos to his earthworks but I rather prefer his graduated pieces. Several of his puzzle pieces were amazing because as I walked around it, the artwork changed but at any angle, there was a harmony and coherence about it. The question that he poses about bringing the museum to the world or allowing the world to become a museum is interesting indeed but the entropy of life is hard to master. For example, his Spiral Getty has been under water for most of the time and just recently became visible again. But I feel as if he is trying to control things that have naturalistic tendencies which I guess is a metaphor to life.
--
Artists are an interesting bunch. A lot of them seem always to be at this brink and sometimes push themselves to madness. Van Gogh, Pollock, Smithson, I applaud you for your courage. But was it well worth it?
--
Calder had a very quaint exhibit with the circus and wiry faces. It inspires me to go home and do a portrait with pipe cleaners.
--
Ambling back home, I was emotionally and physically weary. But as I trudged to the bus stop, I saw a sign of heaven. PAYARD!!
Nothing like a blackcurrent and pistachio macaroon to lift my spirits.

Life is oh so delicious. *CHOMP*

More Work, Urine

Work the past two days hasn’t been too bad.  Yesterday, I passed my qualification exam, scoring a 100%.  The rest of the day was spent waiting around for the people who didn’t pass it to take another one and for my supervisor to spend three times the necessary time to explain the correct answers on the exam.  It was mad boring.

Today, we began scoring the essays.  There are two laid back guys to the left of my assigned desk who joke around and are very helpful.  There is a very loud, obnoxious woman to the right of my desk who I believe was a man at some point in the past.  I took my time, not really breaking a sweat, and ended up scoring 120 exams.  I know I’ll get faster than that as the month progresses, so I will be fine as far as my productivity goes.  I had one disagreement with my ‘cell leader’ regarding one of my scores that she reviewed, but today it didn’t count against me.

Many of the essays were quite interesting, if a bit random and inaccurate.  Lots of Orlando Bloom.  Lots of Bush.  Lots of random family members.  Lots of  Oprah.  I learned that parrots can’t eat pickles, chocolate, onions, or garlic.

I saw Urinetown: The Musical tonight.  My friend Phebe was in it, and she was excellent, as usual.  I’m not a huge fan of musical theater, despite having played in many pit orchestras for that kind of thing.  However, I really enjoyed this.  The writing and the acting were both hilarious.  The singing was generally very good, though there were times where some of the performers were singing a bit below their range.  I didn’t catch many of the references, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, regardless.  If you are anywhere near Indianapolis, go see it at the Phoenix Theater before the 23rd.  If you aren’t going to be in Indy anytime soon, sucks for you, but you should see it somewhere else, anyway.  

That’s it for me today.  I hope the Notre Dame/USC game tomorrow is awesome.  Later.

Hung Up

Madonna's new single "Hung Up" is pretty good but does not hold a candle to the Killers "All these Things that I have Done" which I have been listening to religiously.

Reality Bits:

1) ANTM--Bye bye Diane. The pattern is that they always have a fat but fabulous model who never makes the final cut.
2) Martha--Dawn was going to go. Primarius is unstoppable. Love her letters. So snide.
3) Trump-- Get over yourself Toral. Good schooling does not equate good breeding. Get off your high horse. However, I do smell a blonde clique that reeks of cattiness. I have a newfound respect for Rebecca. I hope she goes all the way!
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Finished _The Botox Diaries_ which was excellent! One down ten thousand more library books to go. Had character development and good laughs. There seems to be a new thing where writers write together. Next up: _The Second Assistant_ which features two writers again.
On a side note: I saw Jennifer Weiner on the telly and she looks larger than her bookcover picture allows. She seems to have a lot of heart though.
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Went to Laughing Lotus with T today. So crowded. What pounding the pavement and weight training do not do is teach you mantras that is good for the soul. Today we learned to listen to ourselves. Even if something is hard and our mind does not allow our body to do it, we should not deny it but rather accept that we can't do it and make that choice. I think a lot of times, I do not do things because I am afraid. Afraid that if I truly tried and still don't make it, I have no one to blame but myself. But Patty told us today as long as we do our best, it is good enough. I like Patty.
Side Note: Why are yoga centers offering classes in Japanese? Some niche market?
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I tried to cook a chicken patty today and it was going well until it kinda singed and my fire alarm went off. "Fire Fire" it deadpanned. Lo and Behold my fire alarm talks! I think it is a testament as to how often I cook or at least how well I do it.
Next up: Pumpkin pie.

Batter up!!

My New Job

Hello. I started a new job today. It’s a temporary job grading ISTEP tests. The ISTEPs are standardized tests that are annually administered to all Hoosier students in grades three through ten. All sorts of things are (at times controversially) determined by the results of these tests, so they are pretty important. That’s why some testing company is paying some staffing agency to pay me to grade these things full time for the next month.

I have been assigned to the group responsible for grading the 9th grade writing section. I’m not sure why, exactly. We assign each student’s essay response two scores based upon criteria listed within The Rubric. The Rubric is the very important and very confidential (even though the test is over) book that tells my co-workers and me how to grade subjective responses as objectively as possible. I could go into more detail, but I’ve spent all day going over the damn thing, so some other time. I am considering beginning to evaluate Alice’s posts in this manner in order to hone my skills.

All the magic happens in a gigantic room filled with about 800 desks with computers. It’s like a huge Chinese internet café, except you can’t smoke, drink anything, or play Counterstrike. It’s located in a huge building that used to house a department store before all the people in the vicinity with money moved away. Poor suburban neighborhoods are pretty nice places to work, though, because there are plenty of fast food options for half-hour lunch breaks, and there’s plenty of parking.

My co-workers seem alright. The guy who sits next to me is involved somehow with one of those VoIP companies that has recently sprung up. We got to talking and he ended up giving me this DVD containing info about his company so I can see if I’m interested in applying for a position. According to him, they are planning expansion into China, but he was unaware of any of the developments described in this article. I told him I would print it out for him. Regardless, I’m going to check out the DVD, as it’s a rapidly expanding industry. I guess Terry Bradshaw makes an appearance on the disc, so that’s pretty cool.

More on my new job later. Good bye.

Sneakin' Around

Never have I ever run my sneakers down so much that I simply had to get another pair. My Asics have no sole. Completely tattered.
Which means I need to get a new pair.

I got these!!











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Never have I ever bought an economy size tin can of Equal/Splenda and run out of fake sugar. Not one packet left in my house. No sense of accomplishment felt but rather, an shot of alarm as to how much cancer I allow myself on a daily basis

--
Never have I ever had a full fridge. I make coffee, I drink all of it. I buy food, I eat all of it. I get a condiment, I use all of it. No pacing. Learning to moderate life is a process. I want results!! But life is not always about the end. Work that edge! In Bikram, we always do sets of two. First one is always diagnostic, second time we always have to push ourselves a little bit more. Same with life. Ok so you sucked it up the first time, learn from it, move on and do it even better the next time. There is a Buddhist Mantra that I really love.
"Please give me the grace to accept things I cannot control
Courage for the things I must face
Wisdom to see the difference between the two."

Something along these lines. So be it.

Run NY

Drench. H to the 2 to the O. Everywhere.

1)Shower-- My bathroom is leaking water downstairs so this is the second time Russian men are coming in to fix the shower. The whole floor was fixed but now the walls are pink, and the floor is this aquamarine. Such a fashion disaster! Apartment is so not instyle. West Elm come rescue me! Water everywhere.

2)Gym-- Before I even set foot in the gym, My sneakers, socks, pants were utterly drenched. Bazooka. I contemplated going home but then I asked myself a question anyone of sound mind would ask himself at that moment, "What would Lance do?" Lance would work through it! So water abound, I worked through the splatters, the pain, the burn. Steam room afterwards.

3)Bikram-- Because I do not like to stretch, I decided to do yoga today. I sweated buckets and leaving the center, the rain had nothing on me. I was already one wet noodle with one crazy noggin'.

Clean as a whistle inside and out. Do I dare venture today?
You betta believe it.

Totes R Us

Bikram is awesome. Cleared away my sinuses!
Went to World Financial Center to see the TaiwanToday orchid show. Bamboo and orchid arrangement was quite beauteous. Ambling within the center, there is everything you need there: food, clothing, knick knacks. You never have to leave really. I guess that is the idea.
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I got off at Chambers Street which was the last stop on the E train. Wait...the map said World Trade Center is the last stop. Duh!! I haven't been there for the longest and looking at the cage hole, I felt so overwhelmed. I got all teary. I attribute it to my cold and the wind but the energy exuded from that area is overwhelming hollowness. It is not sadness. More like a bereft. Or perhaps not knowing that something is lost but realizing it is and you lived without it all along.
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BR clothes is quite pretty this fall. I like the cuts and the colors. Deep wine and deep aquamarine.
Gap I am not such a big fan of. Everything is happy though. It makes me want to put on a pair of jeans and a nice yellow top and jump for joy cuz I am fallin' in the Gap!
Century 21 is a sheer hellhole. I went to buy an umbrella and all the totes were scattered and open. Samsonite and Nautica available too. But I picked the signature tote with the round grip. It is a tad bigger than the regular one but I think it shall withstand tough weather. I wanted red but got it in tan. Tan matches better with things.
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Went to Carnegie Hall. Always ten thousand commissions beforehand with terrible, dissonant music but it is the end we were all waiting for. In this case, it twas Gershwin in F Major. The pianist was quite dynamic. I rather enjoyed it. Didn't fall asleep once! I met a girl who reminded me of another girl in high school. I think it is rather funny when people start reminding you of other people. I shouldn't be old enough for something like that!
It was weird because I met someone there who I felt I knew a really long time ago. Like the comfort level was there. I find that really heartening since I thought that all the people you really connect with you have already met, but I guess that is not the case. But it is weird how there are very few people in this world you truly connect with and care about. Family is a given, but friends? Maybe I am not so old. Maybe I still have some more people to meet.
All in all, I ended the friggin' day going to Rite Aid. While others are buying Snickers and candy corn, I bought me some cough drops. *HACK*
Yeah, you kiddies, if you come a knockin' you will be getting some cough droppin' ;)
Happy Halloween!

1,000,000 Miles in a Month

This Canadian guy is trying to earn 1,000,000 frequent flyer miles in a month.

Avocados in China

Here's an interesting article about avocado production in China. Interesting indeed.

Character of the Day

Yǔ. It is apparently raining in NYC. It isn’t raining here. Regardless, unless you live in the desert, it will probably rain near you at some point, so why not study this character. It means rain. It’s involved in these combos:

雨点 – yǔdiǎn means raindrop
雨季 – yǔjì means rainy season
雨具 – yǔjù means rain gear
雨量 – yǔliàng means rainfall
雨伞 – yǔsǎn means umbrella
雨水 – yǔshuǐ means rainwater or rainfall
雨鞋 – yǔxié means galoshes or rain boots
雨衣 – yǔyī means raincoat
下雨 – xiàyǔ means to rain
酸雨 – suānyǔ means acid rain
暴雨 – bàoyǔ means rainstorm
豪雨 – háoyǔ means pouring rain
风雨 – fēngyǔ means trials and tribulations

So, I hope you easterners dry out soon. Keep in mind that the plants like it, though. Bye.

Weekend Update

I miss travailing in New York but glad that I got to do it this weekend despite the weather.
I haven't been able to Bikram but I think I still have a virus.
Poo Poo.
--
Saturday
Gym. Whole Foods. Sephora. Wine Tasting. Karen's. Kiehl's. Bank. Two for the Money. Republic. Sleep.

Sunday
Gym. Dinner with Joanne.
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I just hope that I will get better soon. The weather ain't helping me.
East Village/West Village.

Rain Rain Go Away

I do not own an umbrella. Everytime I buy one, I lose one. I think I subconsciously forget about them because I like being wet and in the rain. I enjoy the feeling of coming home, completely sopping wet only to take a long, hot shower, make some hot cocoa and realize how wonderful it is to be inside, safe and sound, away from the cold harshness of the world.

Character of the Day

Gé. COTD is back. Let’s get started. This character can be translated as to separate, to partition, or to be at a distance from. There are several interesting combinations where this character can be found. Here are some of them:

隔壁 – gébì means next door
隔断 – géduàn means to cut off or to separate
隔阂 – géhé means misunderstanding
隔绝 – géjué means to isolate
隔年 – génián means following year
隔天 – gétiān means following day
分隔 – fēngé means to separate or to divide
间隔 – jiàngé means partition

So, there you go. It’s a useful one to be able to recognize. Alright, that’s it for today. See you around.

The Unexamined Life

Life is a process. Up days, down days, sideways, highways.
Perhaps that is why I love reality television. Get to partake in the progression. But the beauty of it is, I get to be critical and omniscient.
--
Apprentice-- Boardroom was very exciting but strange. Don't understand what Rebecca means by "having integrity" by letting egotistical Toral go back up to the suite. Dumb move but the girl ousted was tres annoying. Crying is really wimpy and she was so nasal. Next!

Survivor-- Poor Brooke sacrificed due to the evil machinations of her team members. No offense Judd. You are a pawn to the game. Contrary to his belief, he is not great at reading people. Judd the Obscure. Next!
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Speaking of networks, NBC sux. Back in the day, with Seinfeld, Friends and when ER and Will & Grace was good, NBC was the network to beat. Now, ABC has the best dramas (Desperate Housewives, Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Alias), CBS the best reality (Survivor, CSI, Big Brother). Even Fox is up and coming with its tacky but sooo good reality (So you think you can Dance?, American Idol, OC). UPN is the next Tyra channel catering mostly to black viewers while WB gives tweens the good, hearty telly with pretty gals and boys. Whaddup with NBC? So sad its so bad.

And whaddup with the LIVE portions of reality? Chat with former models about America's Top Model. Talk to former survivors about Survivor. Dude, have you got a watch because your minutes are up?!?! Besides, it is an extra hour I have to kill. No time. Next!
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Oprah-- Had the glorious opportunity to watch O today. Uma was on. Meryl too. I really enjoyed it. I had a rough last night and was in a funk today but watching Oprah was very uplifting. She exudes a lot of strength and she is very wise. I especially liked her definition of strength=power/time. Physics.
( "Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different." Isn't that a great definition? It just means that when you know better, you do better. If you had known better at that time you would have done better."I think the number one thing that keeps you from doing better than your best is fear," Uma says. " When you go through it, … you get through your fear a little bit, too, because it's happened. And that makes you stronger." "I think you're one of those people who will turn your pain into great power," says Oprah. "Strength over time is power.")
Uma is very thoughtful. She seemed to be searching for answers in her life which I can definitely relate to. Her interview with Meryl Streep was amazing.
("I know life is short and I'm a lucky woman. I think that you find your own way. You have your own rules. You have your own understanding of yourself, and that's what you're going to count on. In the end, it's what feels right to you. Not what your mother told you. Not what some actress told you. Not what anybody else told you but the still, small voice. … Beyond that, I don't know. And it's the not knowing that's the good part. To me, mystery is the most beautiful thing—the fact that you can't figure it out—that's it for me. That's for sure.")

Contemplative. To thine own self be true.

Home is Where the Heart Is...

My host kids.
They are so old now:

Rio
Blood Type A. Sponge Bob advocate.

















Rena
Taught me how to say "up" and "down" in Japanese.













Riu and Toru
Younger sister. Prefers to hang out with adults.












I miss them all so much and I never even met T.
:)
Cuteness.

I am back

Hello everyone. I'm back from my journey. I had a good time, but it was pretty exhausting. I got to engage in a some urban orienteering, along with some more general exploration, which was fun. As Alice said, we met up and hung out for a bit, which was also fun. I ate some good food and moved a lot of heavy furniture and boxes around as well. The last part was the least fun, but had to be done. I have determined that I prefer wandering around outlying neighborhoods as opposed to bustling city centers. I guess it's because I get a lot out of seeing what ordinary people call home whenever I'm away from home. Not to say that ordinary people don't live in bustling city centers. Everyone focuses on those, though, and I like appreciating the unappreciated. Anyway, it was a great trip, but I'm happy to be back, too. All the regular stuff will be back tomorrow. Later.

Reunion of Sorts

Physical haggardness precludes any fun time. So spent a lot of last week just trying to restore the body. Had been drinking obscene amounts of Diet Sunkist and it just doesn't do a body good. So I am really trying to nourish it because if this machine clunks, I really don't have the ability to do things. I admit to put a lot of undue stress to myself because I really like to run/spin/do anything hard. Wednesday, I made a terrible boo boo and went spinning again because I missed the big endorphin rush. But, boy did I pay for it. I could not move any part of my body and I was running on five hours of sleep so it really didn't have a chance to repair itself. So I was walking around not being able to bend. I looked like a zombie. It hurt to even kneel down to pick things up. Later in the day, I had a migraine so decided to stretch some. Aah..much better! Will ease things up. Lesson learned.
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Went to an advanced screening of In Her Shoes. I loved it! Even better than the book!!
Shirley Maclaine and Toni Collette gave an all star performance and even giggly Cameron Diaz stepped up to the plate. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me laugh again. What I love about Jennifer Weiner's books is that they are real. The movie had a lot of raw emotion. The human condition. A beautiful experience.
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Geezus. I am literally book-logged. I get so library card happy. Borrowed four books and I really do not have time to read it. Egad!!
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Katie Holmes to have Tom's baby. One of the comments posted "hope she doesn't get post partum depression). Ha!
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Saw Aaron yesterday! Haven't seen him in five years. Crazy huh? Glad he will be back on blog to be the executive art director again (only he has the capability of posting pictures).
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Really excited about the weekend!! Hurry up and come already!!
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Triva of the day: Which Hollywood couple is rumored to be in the outs?
Yesterday's answer: William Faulkner.

Product Mania

Barnes&Noble. Life&Style. In Touch. Star. People. Us Weekly.
I cannot keep up. White Flag.
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Yoga. Healing.
Liking it. Avuryedic calls to eat better. Cut out diary. Use Aromatherapy to destress.
When did I become such a hippie? Omm...
--
Drinking loads of water. Feeling better but wherever I went, I panicked before I found out where the bathroom is. Needing to go to the powder room frequently is not fun.
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Love dumplings. Prefer homemade ones. Made a point to text message my sister (hint hint hint) about my penchant for them. My family made me a bagful of them and the act makes me so sentimental. The thought is sublime and makes me remember what is real. Stuff is just background noise. No need to want . But I still would like the Ipod Nano (playing around with it today while at Tekserve).
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Trivia of the day: Who wrote _The Sound and Fury_?
(Yesterday's answer: Nicholas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga)

Odd Jobs

The good thing about gym in the morning-->VH1's Jump Start.
Bon Jovi's "Have a Nice Day" was on!! Egad...I helped out on it. That woman who asks him to sign the autograph in the beginning is the wardrobe coordinator!!
She was from LA and had the nicest outfits!!

What I remember about the shoot:

1) Bon Jovi and the guys requested health food only.
2) Also requested Santa Ana Pinot Grigio.
3) The ending was suppose to be with John Edwards but Jon didn't like him so they tried to find Hilary Clinton but she was away in Africa. Al Sharpton was to sub.
4) Jon didn't like John so I had to white out the "h's" in the treatment.
5) Jon was picked up from the Hamptons.

I thought the concept was lame. I found myself digging the video tho. Self-reflexively cool.
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Other videos I enjoyed:

1) Cool (Gwen Stefani)-- Love Italy. Love her brunette and blonde. That dude looks like Matthew Williamson.
2) That new Ricky Martin Song-- I don't remember him being so damn hot. The sultriness of the video is making me like the song!! Keep on doing close-ups of his face and maybe I will even buy an album.
3) Shake it Off (Mariah Carey)-- Though she has this annoying habit of showing one side of her face, I am bopping to the video. My favorite part is when this young overweight girl dances next to the phone booth. She can really dance!!

I love boy rock. The Killers have new songs I am digging. Green Day has a really great new album. Why oh why do I like the music of men who wear eye makeup?
The White Stripes, Franz Ferdinand, The Strokes...what happened to me? I am even listening to Rolling Stones!!

Speaking of music, I am officially a market research assistant for Carnegie Hall. Another odd job to add to my list.
First up: Boston Symphony Orchestra. Coolz.

Ok...this is enough for now. I am running on empty. I think I did more today than many days combined.

'Tis the Season

Between the end of summer and daylight savings lies the period of brisk temperature that is absolutely lovely.
But it is also around this time mucuous strikes.
Is it a cold?
Is it a flu?
Is it allergies?

No clue but I am sick.
So ill that I am substituting diet soda for water.
I promise to stop nuking everything I eat.
I promise to stop eating all those candies.
I promise to be kinder and gentler to myself.

Just let me get better. Pleease?

But with sickness comes good ol' bed-ridden reading. Vogue finally came and it was glorious. Dug the cover story.
Instyle this month takes the cake. Amazing stories. Wow.
OK British edition is a lot better than the American one. Lots of Brits I don't know. It makes me realize that celebrity is kinda meaningless in and of itself.

Gonna take a chill pill and snooze.
Yah...water lots of water.
--
Trivia of the day: What is Gwyneth Paltrow's favorite designer?
(Yesterday's answer: Rocquefort)

Notice

I'm going out of (my) town for a couple days, so there are probably going to be no COTDs, AMCs, Tea Corners (like I really write many of those anyway), or anything else from me for a while. I'd tell you not to miss me, but I know you would anyway.

Cookies n' Cheese

My host mom is going on this cookie diet. Seven vitamin fortified cookies as a meal replacement. She is not pleased.

To combat her carbo intake, I bought some quality Danish blue cheese at Whole Foods. Reading up on the cheese, I think I will most enjoy the blue veined cheeses. The taste is a bit sharp, tart but goes down smooth and rich. Quite lovely.

Unfortunately, being that I am an all or nothing person, I need to stop further cheese reviews. I can forsee me buying lots of cheeses in a quest to find the perfect one only to have studio reek and welcome mice.
Must put the cheese down!

As for K, more cookies please!
--
Trivia of the Day: What is the most famous blue cheese?
(Yesterday's answer: dates, butter, coconut and nuts)

A Laundress Among Us

Mighty tired. Woke up but didn't go to yoga. Instead of going back to sleep, went to do laundry. Fifth floor walk up necessitates a grandma cart for laundry. To do old school like that, gotta go all the way. So I bought the Jaguar of all carts-- a black, sleek one from the Container Store that set me back fifty bucks.

But it breaks down often. I carry my dirty laundry down the stairs only to realize that one of the wheels popped off.

Go to the laundromat to find that I have no mo' detergent. I have a queen size 52 loads worth of Tide and now 'tis all gone. I am one dirty lady.

Turns out that the laundry lady's birthday is tomorrow. Clean queen.

Go to Whole Foods, organic market. Come back dry clothes, fold clothes. Down to a science. Hip hooray.

Except I have yet another load waiting for me at home. Maybe I will do it tomorrow. In honor of the cleaning lady's b-day.
--
Completely happy M called me. Told her about the reunion on Tuesday. Wish you were here!
I just want to take this time to reflect. This summer has been an individual constructional phase but now I hope I am new and improved. Back in action. But the friendships I have rekindled and maintained I am so happy for. The others are part of the past. All the people I truly care about are still in my life. I am so blessed!
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Trivia of the day: What are date rolls made out of?
(Yesterday's answer: LVMH)