Small Successes

Yesterday was a day of accomplishments. A huge project at work met a major milestone, and it was such a relief! Naturally, some projects are tougher than others, but this one really was trying at times! I also finished one of my two classes. My group gave our final presentation in market research. For the last 15 weeks we've studied Whole Foods, and last night we shared our findings, insights, and recommendations. I'm very happy to say that the whole thing came off swimmingly.

It's Friday, I'm getting my haircut this afternoon, and I'm off to see my mom and sister for a quick pre-Christmas visit tomorrow. All in all, things are pretty good.

Grateful a Day Early

For the second night in a row, Todd cooked me dinner. What a treat to do nothing whatsoever and have the man I love treat me so well! Last night he made portabello mushroom sandwiches, and tonight he treated me salmon. We have a pre-New Year's resolution to cook at home more and eat out less, so I'll have lots of opportunity to return the favor.

Evolution of a Friendship

Caryn came into the city yesterday, bringing her wonderful family with her. It's been months and months since we've seen each other, which felt especially long since she had an adorable new baby in September. I can't believe I haven't seen him until now!

Todd, Dylan, Sofia, and I met them in Chelsea where we went out for a leisurely brunch and catching up. Following that, we made our way to the nearby Chelsea Market for some sweet treats (mostly Fat Witch brownies but some opted for cookies instead). After that we were off to an indoor playground in the neighborhood. We had four kids with us, after all, and that seemed like the best way for them to have fun while we chatted.

Half way through the playing, Caryn voiced something I had been thinking, too.

Caryn and I have been friends for almost 15 years. We met on our first days at Ithaca College and spent freshman year going to the under age–friendly bars in town. Ithaca gets, as you probably know, freezing during the winter, but we usually left our coats at home. All the better to show off our best going out outfits. We didn't want to be saddled with a parka all night! We'd dance at Semesters, dubbed Cheese-mesters because it was so god awfully cheesy.

Our lives have changed so much since then. We tired pretty quickly of the bar scene, but there were still plenty of years that were all about us. We traveled Europe together — twice — leaving behind all our cares to backpack for a few weeks. For a long time, every one of Caryn's NYC visits included a Broadway show.

Now we chase little kids around and make funny faces and pretend to be the tickle monster.

Us with new baby Drew

Friday Favorites: Peggle

iPhone users, this post is for you. A few months ago Todd and I were in the Apple store downtown. I really don't know what to do in the Apple store, because they only have a handful of products. Their stuff is awesome, yes, but I don't need to play with the ipod there. I know what it does.

So while Todd was looking at earbuds, I started checking out the apps they'd loaded on the iPhones. I started playing Peggle and was instantly hooked. I downloaded it as soon as we left the store. It cost $4.99, which is $4 more than I've ever paid for an app before. But believe me: I got my money's worth. I have played this game endlessly ever since.

A full description can be found on the iPhone Blog. Try it and get addicted.

Welcome, Beatrix

Check out the cuteness that is my sister's new puppy! She and her husband adopted Beatrix over the weekend, and I think she's super cute.

I'm sometimes tempted to get a dog, but I know I can't do it right now. I'm way too busy to give a dog, or especially a puppy, the time and attention it would need. Also, Todd has a nefarious plan to wait until Dylan is old enough to walk a dog on his own before we adopt, thus making it a little bit easier on ourselves.

So for now, I'm living vicariously through Veronica.

Lovely Weekend

I'm just coming off a really nice weekend, and I wish I had one more day before the week started up again. Friday night after work I met Todd and Dylan for dinner around Union Square. We ate fully healthy vegetarian fare, and then counteracted every bite with a trip to Veneiro's. So good! If we lived closer, I'd have cannolis everyday.

Treats in tow, we made our way to the movies to watch Nine. I hadn't expected the movie to be as dark as it was. Afterward, Todd and I talked about the ending and how we both thought it was heading someplace different — and better. It had the feeling of an ending-by-committee. I think our ideas would have made for a more original movie that left viewers with much more to think about after the credits rolled. Also, did you ever have a writing teacher tell you that if your story includes a shotgun mounted on the wall, the gun has to go off at some point in the story? The idea, of course, is that if you give a detail like that, it should be there for a reason. Well, Nine had a shotgun on the wall and it never went off. Again, I think the detail had a purpose in an earlier version and got workshopped out to make people happy. I liked the movie, but I think anyone interested is just as well served waiting for the DVD.

Saturday the three of us went to a newly found brunch place in Harlem. It was really good and has a nice vibe. It's the kind of place where you could bring a book or laptop and settle in for a few hours, I think. Dylan went off to a friend's birthday shortly after brunch, and I requested that Todd and I spend the afternoon with a bottle of wine and a viewing of the latest Project Runway. He indulged me, and it was just what I needed. I've been feeling pretty stressed out lately, and the laziness and relaxation of our afternoon was perfect. We tried to go shoe shopping after PR, but we got sidelined by the new Whole Foods in our neighborhood and did grocery shopping instead. The evening ended with sushi in bed while we watched District 9. It was good, but very different and less political than I expected.

And yesterday started out with hours of homework (boo) followed by brunch downtown with Ben and Lorraina. Apologies in advance to Ben if you read this: I sometimes get a little negative about all the time I have to devote to school and the way it limits the fun things I can do. I know that going to school is an enormous opportunity, but it's still hard not to feel disappointed about all the social things I miss. Ben got his MBA a year ago and now has a job that would make me want to jump out a window. I can't believe the hours he works, the travel he has to do, and the way his employers expect him to be available at their whim. On the subway I had a moment of schedenfreude and said to Todd, "If anything can make me feel better about my situation, it's brunch with Ben!" Brunch was wonderful, and not because someone else's schedule sucks harder than mine. Instead, it was just a treat to catch up with friends I don't see often enough.

Todd and I did shoe shopping along 8th Street after we ate, and I came home with two new pairs of boots. Hooray! Poor Todd got no shoes and instead luggeed my boxes. He's the sweetest.

Keep Your Pants On

On Thursday I will spend the evening moderating a focus group for my market research class and going to another class that will remain nameless since it's my least favorite ever and I don't want to talk about it.

What will Todd do? He and his new BFF, also named Todd and the fiance of my friend from school (who, by the way will be with me in school all night), are going to a Keith Urban concert. Todd (Kirsten's, not mine) is in the music biz and not only got tickets but also set up a meet and greet.

Todd's big announcement today? If Nicole Kidman, aka Keith Urban's wife, hits on him, he's going for it. I had to break the news to him. Nicole Kidman didn't make his list! Thank god I blogged about our celebrity crushes for just this occasion. When the Todds go to a David Bowie or Seal concert I'll have something to worry about.

On My Own

It's funny how quickly a person can get used to something. I lived alone for almost a decade; well, alone with Camilla, that is. Todd and I have lived together for only a few months and already I feel out of sorts now that he's out of town. He left earlier today for luxurious Dayton, Ohio for work, and I feel like I'm rattling around here on my own.

After he left for LaGuardia, I read A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge, a graphic novel Todd bought recently. I watched disc one of the second season of Mad Men. And now I'm watching my first ever episode of Hoarders on A&E, which I keep hearing about but hadn't seen until tonight. Camilla and I are hanging out as we did many nights on our own over the years, but now it's not as much fun.

I'm looking forward to Todd's return.

The End of Summer

We have closed summer with a bang over here. The weather has been sublime (unlike 98% of summer), and we made the most of it.

Yesterday Todd, Dylan, Sofia, and I went out to Coney Island where we rode everything from the Wonder Wheel to the Thunder Bolt to the Cyclone. The Thunder Bolt made me a little dizzy and gave me a headache, but I loved the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone. We also feasted. Everyone but me ate at Nathan's Hot Dogs for lunch; I'm not a hot dog person, so I was able to resist the calorie fest, but I made up for it later with an ice cream cone on the beach.

Today we took the bike out for a ride; it was one of the few rides this whole summer. Between busy schedules and terrible weather, we didn't really cycle as much as I'd have liked, so it was especially good to ride around again before the weather gets too cold. We went down through Central Park and back up through Riverside. The weather was beautiful, and we all loved it. Well...for the most part: Dylan really out grew his bike this summer and made quite a fuss about it being too small for him. We'll definitely need to upgrade before next summer rolls around.

Now the summer is over and work begins in earnest. This Thursday is my first night of back-to-back classes, and one professor gave pre-homework, which I think is a drag. It's neither surprising nor uncommon, but I still wish profs would let us enjoy the final week of break. Alas.

Things I Love About Todd

• That he makes me laugh even when I don't want to.
• How he notices small things that I like and surprises me with them.
• That he appreciates the efforts I make, even when they don't pan out.
• That he just watched 5 episodes of Battlestar Galactica with me.
• His geek chic-ness.
• His love of hermit crabs.

I think I ate a bug

How gross is that? Last night I was reading while Todd was getting ready for bed. I did what I often do and drifted off with the book next to me, waking up again when Todd came into the room. We were chatting about how he was feeling achy, when all of a sudden I made the whole night revolve around me. Nice right? He’s sore and uncomfortable and I talk about myself. :)

Seriously, though, my top lip was feeling all tingly and swelling up; I could feel it getting bigger and bigger as we were talking. I thought at first it could be a food allergy, but I hadn’t eaten anything in hours, and it was really isolated to just the left side of my top lip. I wouldn’t expect a food allergy to be that localized.

After some research, all signs pointed to an insect bite or sting. Which means that some creepy crawly was creeping and crawling across my face. Gross! And bit or stung my lip. GROSS! The swelling/tingling has pretty much gone away, but now I’m paranoid and itchy, thinking that any slight breeze is really another bug on me.

Books and Bargains

Mom and I suffered through way too much traffic on our way up to Veronica's yesterday, but now that we've actually arrived we've had a lot of fun catching up with Veronica. Mike had an old friend in town last night, so we did a girls' night of pizza, What Not To Wear, and chit chat. Veronica tested my love of used books today by taking Mom and me to a cute used bookstore in her neighborhood. My resolve to not buy books until I make a dent in my to-be-read pile proved absolutely beyond weak. I walked out with The Sportswriter, Arthur & George, and Truth & Beauty: A Friendship. I've showed a lot less restraint in used bookstores in the past, so it wasn't too bad, right?

Then went to do a little clothes shopping and I found an adorably cute pink dress that has a '50s cocktail dress vibe. It had no tag whatsoever, so after I tried it on and fell in love, I still had no idea whether this was something I could actually buy. When the cashier told me it was on sale for $18 — down from $90! — I snatched it up and wished there were others in other colors. There weren't, but I still felt pretty lucky.

Scooting

We're still not quite ready to give up our dream of personal transportation. The idea of buying a car is still alive and well, but the reality of paying for a car in the city — especially including parking — dims our prospects.

Also in the running is the option of either a motorcycle or a scooter. They aren't as useful: in the winter we'd basically have to retire it. We can pack a whole lot less in saddle bags than in a trunk. No back seat, meaning it's only ever just the two of us traveling. And we simply can't go as far on a Vespa than we could in a car.

Still, something about this idea is compelling. There is ideal scooter parking only a few blocks from us, so we'd be set on that difficult front. Many of the trips we want to take are spontaneous day or overnight trips in the northeast, so we wouldn't need to pack much or drive for excessively long stretches. We could scoot our way around the city, making farther-flung neighborhoods more accessible all while avoiding the subways which are more crowded than ever these days.

We'd need to get our motorcycle licenses for the highway-rated Vespa, so that's the first obstacle to overcome. Maybe we can do that this fall, save up all winter, and then be scooting by first thaw. What do you all think?

Domestic Goddess

I usually drink at least one cup of tea per day while I’m at work; often, it’s more. I have an Ithaca College mug that I use, proudly displaying my love for the academy and my alma mater. Unfortunately, the inside of the mug is white, and over time it had gotten rather tea stained. I washed it vigorously in our pantry sink, but the dish soap and sponge method just wasn’t cutting it. I had heard soaking it overnight in vinegar might help, but I’m a 21st century kind of girl and wanted instant satisfaction. A quick internet search turned up this tidbit: use Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. I already had these at home, so I brought my mug home last night and gave it a whirl. Seriously, those things aren’t called “magic” for nothing. I don’t ever want to hear it if they are bad for the environment or going to eventually give me cancer. I just wiped out the inside of my mug and the stains were gone. I know I sound like a Mr. Clean shill, but they’re not even compensating me for writing this. I’m just really happy that my coworkers won’t think I’m some gross-ass who never washes out her mug.

Anyone else have helpful hints to share? I hate cleaning, so shortcuts are very welcome. :)

Adjustments

You’d think that after two semesters of school I’d have reconciled myself to what I’m giving up as well as what I’m gaining. In reflecting more on what I wrote yesterday, I realized that part of my frustration rests squarely on my shoulders. I love being in school now and am excited that I’m learning a lot and setting myself up for new opportunities down the road. But it means some less wonderful things, too: it’s harder than ever visit friends out of town. I’ve now completed two semesters and did the same thing both times; I felt so busy during the term that I promised everyone I know a visit once I had a break. This August I’m going to Massachusetts to see my sister, the Berkshires to see Rena, and Vermont to see some old friends and meet one of Todd’s oldest friends. Broken promises include a visit to Colorado to see Laura and Nate and meet baby Piper and a visit to London to see Tina. I wish I could come in the fall instead, but I know once my semester starts up again the opportunity to travel will disappear.

And I’ve talked a lot lately about being a little sick of New York and wanting to get out of here, and I think some of that has to do with school, too. Ironically, I have to stay in New York during this program, but it’s also the time when I can least enjoy the city. There just isn’t the time to see Broadway shows, visit galleries, lounge in the park, etc.

All that said, a lot of this is just the sad circumstance in living in a city abandoned by my peeps. A couple of weeks ago, Todd and I met up by his office, which is near Madison Square Park. We wanted to get a drink and after walking a few blocks south found ourselves at the one and only No Idea Bar. We went in, mostly to indulge my nostalgia. The place was completely the same, except that now the music seemed way too loud. I suspect that says more about how I’ve changed than how the bar has. It took me back to our weekly gatherings and the days when I really had a circle of friends in New York. This was around the same time a group of us all went to the movies together; I think we saw The Talented Mr. Ripley. Outside the theater after the movie we all pulled out our cell phones and Michael said something like, “Who was going to call you? Everyone you know is right here at the movies with you.” Those days of having all my friends together in one place are long gone.

Todd got word the other night that another of his friends is now leaving the city, too. I am meeting new people and making new friends at school, and maybe at some point those still new friendships will solidify to the same extent as my other friendships. For now, though, I’ll continue to miss you guys and days when visits didn’t require so much planning.

NYC: Ghost Town

One of the reasons New York has ceased to be the cat's pajamas for me is that so many of my friends are no longer here. Your cross-country scatter is great when I'm looking for a get-away in the mountains, by the sea, in another city, or in a small town. It's not so great when I want a spontaneous brunch on a Sunday morning.

I can now count Columbus, Ohio as another place where I have an ex-New Yorker friend. On Saturday, Anne will be U-Hauling on out of the city and into a three-year stint in the state that's tall in the middle and round on both ends. I know everyone is making the choices that are best for them individually, but cumulatively, it's more than a little sad.

LOL

Tori: Hey, guess what? This place gives Columbia students a 10% discount!

Todd: Cool. So something that costs $8.00 really only costs $7.00.

Tori: No. Something that costs $10.00 only costs us $9.00.

Todd: Oh. Right. I guess it's obvious I don't go to Columbia.

Getting Out of New York

I have never felt so trapped in Manhattan. I’m still blaming our rainy June for my current level of apathy about life in New York, but the truth remains: I’m a little sick of being here. And I think I might want a car. One of the things I’ve always loved about living in New York City was how unnecessary a car is, but I’m starting to covet one nonetheless. There’s still no need to have one to get around the city itself, but it feels so impossible to get out of the city that I’d like one for the weekends. Rental cars and zip cars in the city are really expensive, and they book up so far in advance that you can forget about anything resembling a spontaneous weekend getaway. And I’m frankly sick of public transportation. I feel guilty saying it, because public transport is good for the environment, but I’m still sick of it. I’m sick of spending half an hour just to get to Penn Station, standing around for another 10 minutes waiting to find out what track I’m on, feeling like herded cattle as I and a zillion other people shuffle onto the platform, and then listening to someone’s cell phone conversation for the length of the trip.

The problem, of course, is that like everything else, cars are more expensive in New York than they are anywhere else. Unless I want to spend half my life looking for parking, I need to account for an expensive parking spot in a garage somewhere, which just makes the cost of the car that much more outrageous. I haven’t compared the cost of insurance in the city with that of other locations, but I can just imagine that it’s a lot, lot more, too.

I know I’m not leaving New York. Even if I wanted to, there are too many reasons to stay right now. But I’m sick of it anyway.

Weekend Update

Todd and I are off to see Bruno tonight. I suspect it will be hilarious and offensive, much like Borat. That magical blend is Sacha Baron Cohen’s specialty, and given the clips I’ve seen it seems like he holds nothing back. The rest of the weekend will be a mix of fun and work. I have a draft written of my final solo assignment for the semester, due Tuesday, though I should probably go through it again and see where I can strengthen it. I also have some reading and a group meeting on Sunday for my final presentation. The final is all about how to market New York City, so if anyone has strong feelings about what makes you come here for a visit, please let me know.

In between all of that brain activity, Todd and I are meeting up with friends for brunch tomorrow and dinner tomorrow night. It’ll be a day all about food! If the weather holds out, we might make the evening meal a picnic in the park, which would be lovely. I haven’t had a picnic since April when I joined my college friends for a mini reunion in Sheep Meadow.

Babies

I feel like it’s been a baby-centric couple of days. First of all, many and huge congratulations to Laura and Nate! I cannot wait to see more pictures of Piper and the whole family, and I’m even more excited to see you guys in person again (whenever that will be, I do not know).

Home last weekend, I got to see Caryn and her family, too. Joey is growing faster than I can stand, but that’s the way of babies and toddlers, I guess. She’s such a happy girl that it was so fun to be around her: lots of giggles and spinning around, not to mention a surprising amount of talking for someone who is not yet two. And it’s hard to believe that in only two months, Caryn and Larry will be welcoming a second baby into their home!

Then last night I had a dream that I was pregnant! I know I’m not, but all the recent baby excitement was apparently enough for my subconscious to get in on the action, too.