dear sally, you have to meet noel!

Living in New York City definitely has its perks—pretty reliable public transportation, delectable restaurants that can fit any budget, culture galore, diversity that makes the heart sing, and convenience at every corner.  Another perk for us common folk is the saturation of movie/television/music stars that live in or visit the city on a regular basis.  I’d like to say that I am not the type to get star struck, but let’s face it—my ability to crush on just about any type of good looking man makes New York City—a city crawling with beautiful faces and recognizable personalities—a perfect breeding ground for stars in my eyes and butterflies in my stomach.

A couple of months ago I had yet another stop-me-in-my-tracks moment.  I LOVE THIS CITY!!!

For those of you who know me, you might recall my deep love for the now decade old television series, Felicity.  (I actually blogged about my Ben vs. Noel dilemma awhile ago.)  Please note that I faithfully watch this 4-season series every year.  I don’t know why, but I love it.  And if I’m going to put it all out there…it’s part of the reason I wanted to move to New York.  Yes, I know it’s cliché.

Back to the story…I was out with my friends—Tami, Christian, and Scott.  We had decided to catch a movie after dinner at Momofuku’s one night (the Ginger Scallion Noodles were to die for) and found ourselves at the AMC theatre on 19^th and 5^th Ave.  I bought my ticket and was the first to enter the theater and then from across the room, I saw him by the concession stand.  I stopped.  I couldn’t breathe.  I couldn’t take my eyes off of this beautiful man.  His casual look and clean-cut hairstyle got me going in less than two seconds.  And though he wasn’t facing me dead on, I knew the second I laid eyes on his neck, shoulders, and back, that it was him.  Pathetic, but true.  In an effort to subtly tell Tami who I had just spied, I found myself getting that nervous/excited/throw-up feeling at the pit of my stomach, quickly working it’s way up.  Don’t worry, I didn’t hurl.  All I could say was, “It’s Noel, Noel.  It’s Noel.”  The room was loud as it was bustling with people for some premiere so it made it difficult to hear my sputterings.  Finally, I was able to link my brain to my words and I nodded towards where he stood and was able to articulate that Scott Foley was there.  Scott and Christian didn’t bat an eye.  Tami quickly rose to my level of excitement.  (In the picture below, he is one centimeter left of the stream of light coming from the center of the ceiling.  Brown hair, black shirt.  Kind of like Heaven parting and saying, "Here he is!")

Long story short, we weren’t in the same theatre—obviously—and I didn’t actually dream that we would see him again.  I convinced myself that the one time spotting was as good as it gets.  We left, as the credits began to roll in our theatre, and to my astonishment, the premiere crowd had just recently excited theirs as well.  Stars were lining up to for photo opps in front of the step and repeat and there didn’t seem to be any sort of security.  The famous and layman were all mixed in there together. 

My eyes, of course, were fixed upon only one person from the premiere, however.  He wasn’t in the movie, clearly just there for the screening, so he headed for the door pretty quickly.  We dutifully followed a few paces behind.  He ended up near some telephone booths right outside the theatre.  And the best part about this was that he was all alone.  Perfect opportunity for us to approach him.  In that instant, I turned shy.  I didn’t want to be one of those fans that annoyingly seek out and approach actors.  I was above that and I wanted to respect his privacy and attempt at a normal life.  One could argue, I suppose, that by going into this type of work, you automatically forfeit that right to normalcy, but hey, I like the guy so I wanted to give him a break.

Luckily, I was with Scott, who wasn’t as taken with him as I was and he stepped in for me.  (THANK YOU, SCOTT!!!) (Don’t be confused, we’ve got two Scotts in this story.)

“Hi Scott, this is my friend Malia (points towards me, Scott Foley looks in my direction and smiles).  She’s a huge fan.  Can she get her picture taken with you?”

I inched my way closer to Scott Foley.  “Of course, sweetheart.”  He smiled his crooked grin and stuck out his hand for me to take.  He looked deep into my eyes and in the sweetest Noel voice you can possibly imagine, he said, “My name is Scott.  Nice to meet you.”  “Hi, I’m Malia,” was my reply.  At this he put his arm around me while Tami readied her phone to take a picture.  I couldn’t get over how beautiful he was in person.  I mean, I knew he was gorgeous.  I’ve studied every inch of his face for years, but in person, he was beyond DREAMY! 

She snapped the picture.  I was ready to say thanks and give Tami her turn, but Scott asked me if I wanted to check the picture.  I was surprised by how thoughtful he was.  Again, I was starting to feel guilty impeding on his personal time, but I guess that comes with the territory.  Still the same, I was impressed that his kindness was genuine.  I took a look at the picture and quickly decided that I needed another attempt.  After all, this was a historic event and compared to him, I looked like I had just spent a night on the streets.

“Can we take just one more?” (I purposely turned to look up into those beautiful green eyes again.  I needed one more peek while I was this close.)  “Sure, sweetie,” was his once again melt-me-in-my-tracks reply.  A did a mental cha-ching in my head.  I got TWO terms of endearment!  Sigh.  Again, he put is arm around me.  I wanted to just nestle into him but decided against it.  He is a married man, after all. 

We snapped the picture and then Tami took her turn.  I still wasn't that pleased with the final product, but I'll take it.  I seem to always look like frump girl when I want to be opposite of frump girl.  Que sera, sera.  We thanked him whole-heartedly and walked away, in the opposite direction, giving off the air of “No big deal”, all the while DYING inside.  The Noel/Scott Foley high lasted quite a while and even now, if I think about it, it makes me grin from ear to ear.  Scott Foley, you are a dreamboat.  You made my night and you warmed my little heart.  Thank you!

waiting for superman

A few months ago, I saw the thought provoking film, "Waiting for Superman". It's a documentary directed by Davis Guggenheim ("An Inconvenient Truth") about the state of public and charter schools. Before you jump to any conclusions or automatically dismiss the film as propaganda, you have to admit that education in the United States needs some work.  If you can't agree to at least that, stop reading and go play your mindless video games.

Having been raised by two public school educators, I learned early on the value of a good education and have also gained some insight into the complexities of this system. My profession as a social worker has also provided me with insider knowledge about the failings or gains within the system. And thankfully, I have been the beneficiary of a positive school experience and higher education.

That being said, this film was scary, depressing, and a bit overwhelming. Clearly, it was slanted in favor of the privatization of schools. It highlighted the blockage of progress through bureaucracy, lack of resources, unions, and "bad" teachers. It made public education out to be the devil and worse yet, it inferred that public school educators were lazy, uncaring, sub-par in relation to performance, and unwilling to do what is best for their students.  Granted, there are those in the field who have legitimately checked out, those that are tired, those that are lazy, and those that are just plain bad.  But I would argue that they didn't start out that way.  I would assert that most people who go into education start with a passion for learning and have a sincere desire to make a difference in the life of a student.  How those few bad teachers get from point A to point B is another story.

I guess my frustration with the system is that it really isn't about education anymore.  It is about which political party can come up with the most ridiculous legislation and get it passed as law.  Teachers are being asked to do more with less.  They are being forced to teach to a test in order to keep their jobs.  They are being asked to take on more and more and are not being compensated nor respected.  It drives me nuts.  In other countries, educators are revered...in the US, for some reason, they are criticized.  I know that there are bad teachers, but I think that we forget about the good ones...and that to me is quite tragic.

reality check

I subscribe to a housing list serve because people are always asking me about places to live in NYC and let’s face it, it’s sometimes fun to see what is available and who’s moving in and out of the city.  I have to laugh, however, at the poor souls who have not a clue about the nightmare that is moving to and renting in NYC.  I feel sorry for the poor suckers who list things like this:

“Hi!  I’m looking for a really affordable apartment--$600 to $800. Doesn’t need furniture or anything else really.  But I would like a washer and dryer, one or two bedrooms, an elevator is preferred, and I also have a cat.”

I sometimes have to resist the urge to write to them despite not having any info on an apartment just to give them a dose of reality. 

Dear You Wish,

Most apartments in NYC are not affordable—furnished or unfurnished. Finding a one bedroom apartment for less than $1200 is nothing short of a miracle—don’t even think about getting a two bedroom for that. Washers and dryers IN the apartment?  Don’t count on it.  And your cat? You might actually have luck with that one.  For a budget of $600 to $800 anticipate sharing a bedroom and living in Inwood, Washington Heights, or in Harlem…hopefully your new roommie isn’t allergic to cats. If this is not affordable to you, you might want to consider living in an affordable city.

Best of luck,
Reality Check

never forgotten. forever grateful.

All eyes have been on the city this weekend.  And rightly so.  Ten year anniversaries are monumental.  I vividly remember September 11, 2001 and the deep sadness that I felt as the events of the day unfolded. Having just returned from New York City exactly one week prior to the attacks, I felt a tie to the city.  And having lost my father just one year before the attacks, I felt a tie to those who had now tragically lost loved ones.  I remember feeling, once again, a deep, deep sadness and intimately knew the pain and tears of those thousands of families left behind.  I knew that their story was different than mine, but the loss and heartache that came with that loss was the same.

I moved to the city less than 2 years later and have called New York City my home ever since.  My love for the city and my love for the people who reside here grows each year.  As I watch coverage of then and now, those feelings of sadness still well up.  But along with these sad memories, a sense of pride for those that willingly risked their lives on behalf of others also stirs and gratitude for the many miracles that took place & lives that were saved also surfaces.  I hope that this anniversary will remind us of what is really important--that we rededicate ourselves to love that knows no boundaries, to kindness withheld from no one, and a renewed and abiding faith in God.

men who carry badges

I recently discovered a new category of men that—I’m not going to lie—kind of floats my boat…Men Who Carry Badges.  Now, granted, not every man that carries a badge will make me want to flirt shamelessly and have his babies, but the one I met last night certainly did.  I suppose it didn’t hurt that he was 6’ 2”, EXTREMELY easy on the eyes, quite the gentleman and HI-LARIOUS. 

We met last night through a mutual friend.  All four of us-- Mr. Badge, me, said friend, and another one of her friends all attended a taping of the Colbert Report.  Needless to say we had so much fun.  By the end of the evening my face hurt because I couldn’t stop laughing and at one point, I almost threw up because I was laughing so hard.  Good times.

Here’s a recap of one of my favorite parts:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
5/16/11 in :60 Seconds
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

Anyway, afterward, we all went to dinner and I got to examine his badge.  I don’t know what came over me, but in that moment, he was the hottest thing on the planet.  (Oh, I will just DIE a thousand deaths if he ever finds this…)  Now, before you all get excited, nothing happened.  Too bad for him.  J But like I said, I’ve added a new category…or maybe it was just him.  J

late night with jimmy fallon!

I just may have attended the taping of Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, May 12, 2011.  And I just may have been selected to be on stage during Lauryn Hill's performances.  And if you look real closely, you just may see me and my friends (me, Matt Osmond, Courtney Young, and Betsy McPherson) on the right hand side of the stage, jamming, just as we were instructed....I mean, jamming as we were feeling the music. (But really, we were.  Lauryn Hill was pretty amazing and it was fun to watch the band.  We were right above the drummer.)

We also saw Maya Rudolph of SNL & Bridesmaids and Nick Offerman of Parks & Rec.

Best part of the taping, however, was Jimmy Fallon.  He's hilarious and very, very easy on the eyes...

Thanks, Courtney, for scoring tickets!!!

oh.......my........OH.......MY.....OH MY!!!!!

There are few times in my life where I can say that I have actually been stopped dead in my tracks, where my breath has caught in my chest and my brain function was impaired for a short moment.  The most recent occasion happened last Friday night (March 11, 2011--gotta remember this date, after all.).

Christian and I had just finished a phenomenal Peruvian dinner at Panca in the West Village.  We had stopped to buy mangoes, poked our heads into a cafe for a kitchen sink cookie at Amy's Bread and then decided to go back to that first market for some pomegranate seeds.  Arm in arm, we walked down the semi-crowded sidewalk.  A trio of men, walking in the opposite direction, approached us.  As they drew closer, my brain registered something incredibly familiar.  I knew that beautiful face, that chiseled jawline, and those piercing blue eyes behind black-framed glasses...

MATTHEW BOMER!!! 

 

Now for those of you who know ANYTHING about me, you would know how much I love this man!  Matthew Bomer plays the sexy conman turned FBI consultant on USA's White Collar.  I fell in love with him the moment he showed up on the screen.  I loved him then.  I love him now.  And I'm pretty sure that I will love him always.  Every time I watch the show, see a commercial or even see an ad on a bus, it feels like he is flashing that come hither smile just for me.   That's some serious star power.

Now, I usually don't get star struck, but I will admit, I was a little with him.  OK, fine.  Maybe I was a little more than just a little star struck.  Maybe I got so excited I almost threw up.  Maybe I made Christian turn around so that we could follow him for a few blocks...OK, more than a few blocks.  :)  Common sense got the best of me, however, and I finally decided to stop the stalking the poor man.  My one regret is that I didn't have any sort of interaction with him.  He was out with friends.  I didn't want to be that annoying fan that never lets a star have a personal life.  So close but so far away!!!  But oh my!  In the words of my mother upon telling her the news, "That must have been thrilling for you."  Yes....yes, it was.

brian boyle=love

Just wanted to post a few pictures of my new boyfriend.  Here he is...Brian Boyle of the NY Rangers.

Number: 22

Height: 6' 7"

Weight: 244

Shoots: Left

Born: Dec 18, 1984  (Age 26)

Birthplace: Hingham, MA, United States

According to one round of MASH, Brian and I will marry, honeymoon in New Zealand, have 4 kids, live in a Mansion in New York, and I will spend my days as a chef.  We're very happy.  Thank you, Children's Aid for the free tickets and for introducing me to my new love.

o-oh, livin' on a prayer!

There are quite a few strains of music that make my heart want to leap out of my chest, but even fewer that make me want to leap out of my seat.  On Thursday, February 24th 2011 at MSG, I learned that Bon Jovi's music does both for me.

I've always been a fan of Bon Jovi.  In fact, I remember the exact moment that I first heard his music and fell in love with it.  We were taking an extended family trip down to Mesquite, NV to visit my Aunt Susan and her family that lived down there.  For reasons I cannot remember, I rode with my cousins instead of my family.  The drive was a good 5 or 6 hours back then (read:  parents driving.  no speeding.)  and I recall that Aunt Brenda and Uncle Dan let the kids rotate music.  Greg, one of my older cousins had a Bon Jovi album (I think it was a cassette tape) and my younger cousin Diane, had Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl".  For some reason, I only remember those two being played.  But from the first strains of "Livin' On A Prayer" to the last, I knew that my life would never be the same.  (See the video here.)

So on the night of the Bon Jovi concert, when my ears heard the words, "Shot through the heart", my heart kicked me to my feet.  I wanted to scream louder than my body would actually allow me to but I did manage to get out a scream that showcased my approval and excitement. 

Now Bon Jovi puts on a great show.  He is keenly aware of his audience and what they want to hear.  He played for nearly three hours and took a measly five minute break.  And can I just say, that for a rock star who is in his late 40's he was looking really good! :)

My favorite part of the show, however, was his last encore number--"Livin' On A Prayer".  Everyone was on their feet, fist pumping, singing, clapping, and grinning wildly...or maybe that was just me.  It was as if a life long dream had been fulfilled.  For that one moment, I was a part of something universal and the world was a happy place.  Thanks, Tami, for wanting to experience the power of Bon Jovi with me.  It was all I ever hoped for and dreamed of....well, almost.  Had he sung "Always" it would have been perfect perfect as opposed to just perfect.

If interested, you'll find the set list below:

Last Man Standing

You Give Love A Bad Name

Born To Be My Baby

We Weren't Born To Follow

Lost Highway

When We Were Beautiful

It's My Life

Runaway

Superman Tonight

The More Things Change

Bad Medicine/Pretty Woman

Lay Your Hands On Me (Richie vox)

Make A Memory

I'll Be There For You (duet)

Something For The Pain

Someday I'll Be Saturday Night

Who Says You Can't Go Home                                                    

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead/Start Me Up

No Apologies

Have A Nice Day

Keep The Faith

In These Arms

Wanted Dead Or Alive
Livin' On A Prayer

You say goodbye....(to 2010)

Dear Blog,

I have neglected you.  For that I am truly sorry.  I have been busy, too tired, too traveled, and haven't felt the creative juices flowing like they have in the past.  Though I've failed to capture some great experiences as they have happened, it's never too late to go back in time to highlight some of the best.  So here they are...in no particular order.

1.  Caldwell Family Reunion--It had been years since my family last had a family reunion that wasn't related to a death or the less-frequent marriage.  Talks about a family reunion had circulated for a while but nothing had come to fruition.  Since I was on a pretty heavy streak of event planning at work, I figured that it wouldn't take that much more effort to start the ball rolling for the family.  Emails were exchanged, dates were set, activities were planned, assignments were made and it all worked out.  We had a great turn out and had a lot of fun.  Some of our family was very much missed but it was good to be together.  I love my family.  I am grateful that I was able to spend some quality time with them this summer (reunion) and also at Christmas.

2.  Summer Lovin'--It was a summer of scandal and intrigue....well, not really.  I wish.  But I did receive innumerable inquiries from curious friends about this new man friend that graced nearly every Facebook album posted this summer.  Unfortunately, my summer was not as scandalous or love-filled as I would have liked it to have been.  (Can't say I didn't try though!)  Christian Ward, one of my closest friends, interned this summer at Amex.  We went to high school together but our friendship didn't really flourish until we moved to the city in August of 2003, literally 3 days apart.  We noticed each other at church on our first Sunday and became instant friends.  Despite the distance and the time apart, we have managed to stay pretty close and make every effort to see each other when I am in Utah or he is in NYC.  And if I can speak for both of us, we both love spending time together.  We lived it up this summer.  We went to the ballet, went out to fine restaurants, traveled to CT, hung out in Central Park, played Frisbee, shopped at Whole Foods, did Broadway, met random strangers, took walks, saw Maroon 5, made dinner together, went to the beach, laughed our heads off, you name it.  We had an fantastic time together and I must confess that as I sent him to the airport in a black gypsy cab, I did have a few tears well in my eyes.  Christian is one of my most favorite people in the world, one of my best friends, and he was part of one of my best summers to date.  It's a zen thing, like how many babies can fit in a tire--you know, that old joke.

3.  New York, NY--I have always prided myself in the fact that I have made the most out of living in one of the greatest cities in the world.  I have played both tourist and tour guide and I have, for the most part, enjoyed every moment of it.  But as life goes on, the novelty of living in a big city may wear off and those fun, touristy things of yester-year take a back seat to real life.  This last year, however, I revisited my habits of a newbie and took advantage of some of the city's most excellent offerings--including, but not limited to:  Palmyra road trip, Saturdays in Central Park, Movie on the Intrepid, US Open,  Jersey Boys, Procession of the Ghouls, Thanksgiving Day Parade, Christmas windows/tree/Santa Land.

4.  End of Apartment Nightmares--Hallelujah!  Oh blessed day!  I finally moved out of my hell-hole of an apartment.  After four years of inconsiderate neighbors, elevator floors covered in urine, blood stained walls, hallways that reeked of garbage and smoke, and a neighborhood that came straight out of an episode of CSI, I am finally free!  I'm in my new place.  It is lovely.  I am so happy.

5.  Raw--If any of you know me, you will know that for the last two years and change I have been exploring new ways of eating.  I have developed a keen interest in nutrition and have made concerted efforts to change my eating patterns to include more fresh vegetables, to eliminate processed foods, to avoid refined sugar (I do slip occasionally!  Don't judge!) and to be the one who makes my own food.  I've always had a passion for good food and have always been intrigued with the culinary arts.  There is nothing more satisfying than creating a perfectly balanced and creative meal from start to finish.  This year, however, I started to explore another facet of the healthy eating movement: Raw.  I had come upon such amazing information about raw eating that I wanted to explore it further.  Now I am far from living a raw lifestyle.  I still enjoy cooking and I will, occasionally eat meat.  But I have also dabbled quite a bit in raw cuisine.  Add to that an amazing and inspirational friend (The Raw Model--Anthony Anderson) that I made over the summer and you've got some good motivation to continue to dabble. 

6.  Work--For the most part, I really like my job.  Sure I have my bad days and deal with politics at varying levels that make life a little more difficult, but who doesn't have to deal with that?  I think what really gets me through is the people.  I have some really great co-workers and colleagues....people that I have come to trust and enjoy.  I also get to work with fantastic volunteers.  People who are busy and important but who still find the time to give back.  My heart is constantly warmed by the generosity and kindness of my volunteers.  And to top it all off, I really do get to participate in some fun events....things that I normally wouldn't participate in.   For example, I got to meet Elmo.  Not the fake Elmo or the giant sized walk around Elmo that you can find anywhere...the real, live muppet Elmo.  I swear I was more excited than the kids.  I could hardly contain myself but I managed to stay somewhat professional and allowed the young preschoolers an opportunity to hug him first.   Other highlights:  Manthropy (a bachelor auction), Toy Drive Party at Gallery Bar, free tickets to various sporting events and concerts, and innumerable volunteer projects throughout the year.  I'm grateful for my job and the wonderful people I have met because of it.

7.  Concerts--Despite my love for music, I haven't been much of a concert-goer.  It's not that I haven't ever wanted to be, it's just that my cash flow hasn't ever really allowed me to be.  I've been to a few--mostly boy bands, but nothing consistent or out of the pop genre.  (I am not counting symphonic or orchestral events here.)  This year, however, I was able to fulfill a life long dream of mine.  One day, my good friend Jane and I were walking in Times Square, looked up, saw that Harry Connick, Jr. was coming to the city for a short stint, and we decided to go.  I cannot tell you how excited I was to be seeing Harry.  I have loved him for more than half of my lifetime.  He instilled in the beginnings of my deep love for jazz.  Anyway, the concert was amazing.  Harry was amazing.  Not only is he a talented performer, but he is a talented musician.  He put on the best show ever.  And bonus!  Jane and I were happily seated in our seats about 15 minutes before the show was scheduled to start.  We were probably 5 rows from the top.  Then the house manager approached us and asked us if we wanted to move further down.  "Sure!"   I thought we would get bumped down a little further, but not much.  Imagine my surprise, however, when we were moved to Row J--ten rows from the stage.  We were dead center.  I was in heaven.  My face literally ached from smiling so much that night.  And double bonus:  sweet Jane waited with me to see Harry exit the theatre after the show.  I got some pretty great pictures of him.  Harry, I love you, baby!   Oh, and I also saw Maroon 5 (with Christian) at Beacon Theater, Dierks Bentley at a small venue in Brooklyn (with Dustin, Rustin, & Aubrey) and Usher at MSG (with Tami & the girls at work).  

8.  Cooking--Did I mention that I love cooking?  I think for a while there I was making at least 2 new recipes a week.  It was quite the adventure.  I also developed a slight crush on two chefs over the past year:  Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver.  Don't worry, still love Bobby, too!

9.  Glee & White Collar--Obsessed!  Love Glee.  Love White Collar.  I can't stop visiting iTunes after each episode of Glee and I can't help but feel that Matthew Bomer's piercing blue eyes are staring deep into my soul each time his image flashes on the screen.  Love, love, love!

10.  Friends & Family--I have amazing friends and family!  I feel so blessed to have the friends that I do.  They've helped me to learn about the world and myself.  They've been supportive and loving.  They've offered great advice or have lent a listening ear.  Again, I'm truly grateful for these wonderful people!

these are a few of my favorite things...

1. CW—One of my closest friends, Christian Ward, has been in the city for a summer internship with Amex.  We've been friends since high school (He claims we were high school sweethearts.  I don't seem to remember it that way.)  and became really close when we both moved to NYC the same week.  Through the years we've stayed in touch (he has since moved back to Utah).  Right now I am basically having the best time of my life. I haven’t had so much fun or laughed so hard in a really long time. I am so glad that he is here. I am going to bawl my eyes out when he leaves. But CW is definitely one of my favorite things right now.

 

2. AC—my next favorite is a blessed, little thing called Air Conditioning. I don’t know how anyone in this city can survive without it. There is nothing better then stepping out of a stifling heat into a blast of cool air.

3. Eclipse—I feel like a bad fan, but despite the fact that I have only seen Eclipse once (opening night of course), I still feel perfectly justified in adding this to my favorite things list. I loved the movie. I clapped and giggled and swooned with the rest of them.  Best of the three so far. And RP? Stunning!

4. Lady Antebellum—two of my music friends (and by music friends I mean people who recommend music to me) both gave me the thumbs up for Lady Antebellum. It’s a country group that has successfully crossed over into the pop pool. Personally, I don’t care what pool they reside in. All I know is that I love it.

5. The Color Blue—No, it’s not a sequel to The Color Purple but rather just the color. For some reason, I am obsessed with the color blue. I find myself mostly buying blue things right now—especially clothing. Oh well.

6. Glee—like a lot of popular trends that come and go, I tried to resist this one. I really tried. But then I randomly saw Mr. Shuester and his darling curls (Matthew Morrison) perform and I was hooked. How could I not? Guys that can sing and play some sort of instrument are just dreamy. Can’t wait for the season to start up once again.

7. Cooking—still an obsession that I love to watch, research, and do. I think it always will be.

8. Pride & Prejudice—Confession: I have never read Pride & Prejudice. Yes, I am hanging my head in shame. BUT we're reading it for book club and I am loving it. I don’t know if it’s because I know the story so well or if my love for Mr. Darcy (the BBC version of Mr. Darcy) transcends all time and place, but this book is so clever. I love getting lost in its pages and the fact that I am still hanging on every word, wondering what will happen next.

Notice the print at the bottom.  It says IBM--Ideal Breeding Material.  :)

9. Watermelon—I am constantly craving fresh watermelon. Thank goodness it’s in season.

10. My Mac—I’m still in love with my laptop. The more I learn about its functionality, the more I’m in love with it.

that don't impress me much

Tonight after I finished with the gym I entered my building, closely followed by another tenant.  He was young, probably in his early twenties, and upon seeing me his face lit up as if he had just had the most brilliant idea pop into his head.  I fumbled around for my keys but wasn't quick enough to prevent the show.

"Have you heard of the Incredible Hulk?" he said with a smile.

"I'm sorry, what?" 

"Have you heard of the Incredible Hulk?" he repeated.

"The Incredible Hulk?  Yes."

He then proceeded to forcefully yank the door open without the use of the front entrance key.  The door popped open with a loud click.  Clearly it wasn't made to do that.  He seemed proud of his latest feat and was surprised, I'm sure, by my response.

"You shouldn't do that.  That breaks the door.  That's why the super won't fix this place up.  It's because people keep breaking things."

He was silent as I continued on.   He looked at me with wide, vulnerable eyes as I proceeded to kindly "berate" him for damaging property and essentially contributing to the dilapidated state of the building.  I think he was dumbfounded, to tell you the truth.  His plan to wow me or come to my rescue completely backfired.  When I could see that he was finally starting to make the connection between his actions and the effect that it has on the rest of us living here, I started to ease up on him.  I ended the conversation civilly and then casually and got off the elevator.  

Who knows if my calling him out will have a lasting effect on him.  I hope it does.  Or it may just mean that there is yet another person that I should avoid in this crappy building, but oh well.  I'm glad that I said something.  Hopefully the next time he wants to make an impression on a girl he won't try to use vandalism as a means to do so.  Because...that don't impress me much.

1 part bobby + 2 parts flay = crushing, happy, smiling girl

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Start with Friday, April 16, 2010.

2.  Add in 6:45pm.

3.  Combine with 23rd Street & 6th Avenue, New York, NY (heading East).

4.  Combine with Bobby Flay + wife (optional)

5.  Mix in a completely discombobulated, blushing, having-trouble-breathing, so close you could reach out and touch him, crushing fan (me).

THE RESULT:

crushing, happy, smiling girl!

(Make sure to watch the video above from :15 to :25.  This is how I felt when Bobby crossed my path.)




P.S.  While I do have a huge crush on Mr. Flay, I'm not as crazy as I might seem right now.  Promise!  (Don't worry, Bobby.  I won't be stalking you or your lovely wife.) 

flaaames on the side of my face...

As a child I grew up on the both the game and movie Clue.  We loved the game and spent hours fighting and figuring out "who dunnit" and yes, sometimes there were casualties other than Mr. Peabody as a result of those ever-changing mysteries.  Still the same, we loved the game and as such, we loved the movie as well.  Many, many classic lines can be pulled from its archives but one that finds its way into my brain more often than you can find Obama addressing the nation on public television, was uttered by the "prudent" Mrs. White played by Madeline Kahn:


"It...it...the...fee..it...Flame. Flames!  Flaaaames, on the side of my face, breathing-breathle heaving breaths..."

Now very recently, I found myself living this expression a little more often than I'm accustomed to.  These were moments when I could actually feel the rage swirling within me, churning in my gut and surging upwards towards my face and through my eyeballs.

What caused these imaginary but all too real flames to ignite the sides of my face?  Well, it was the MTA, of course. 

Four times--count 'em--FOUR times within the last few weeks, I have been kicked off the train and forced to seek other modes of transportation.  At the height of morning rush hour or after a long day's work, a signal malfunction, a sick passenger, or a fire on the tracks have all interfered with my travel. 

Four Reasons Why I Rage:

1.  Other modes of transportation:  Let me clarify, other modes of transportation means walking or finding a bus or making your way across town to take another functioning train.  But mostly it means that you just have to walk.  If you have the money and the luck, you could also hail a cab.  The problem here, however, is that once you empty out an entire train load of passengers, every cab--yellow or otherwise--is immediately snatched up.  So not only are you terribly late for work and left in a most inconvenient spot, but also you are fighting hundreds of other passengers for that same overpriced ride. 

2.  Sick passengers:  I get the reason for caution when there is a malfunctioning train signal.  But I do NOT understand why the MTA insists on taking a train out of service when there is ONE sick passenger.  Wouldn't it make more sense to simply remove the passenger from the train, take them to safe and secure location, and assign a train personnel to stay with them until help arrives?  For the life of me, I cannot understand why they have to empty the entire train so that the passenger can be attended to more quickly.  You would think that it would be easier for an emergency response team to navigate an empty platform as opposed to one that is full of disgruntled passengers. 

3.  Out of service buses:  When a train is pulled out of service they sometimes set up shuttle buses as an alternative.  On one of these most recent episodes, the shuttle bus announcement was made.  Obediently, passengers filed out of the subway station and headed in both directions to find the nearest bus stop to wait in the rain.  The buses came, but not like you would expect.  Empty Bus #1:  Out of Service.  Empty Bus #2:  Out of Service.  Empty Bus #3:  Out of Service.  Empty Bus #4:  Out of Service.  Empty Bus #5:  Out of Service.  Jam-Packed Bus #6:  too full to let any new passengers on.  Empty Bus #7:  Out of Service.  I kid you not, out of 12 buses that passed us, only three stopped for passengers.  Two of them were too full to really allow anyone on.  

4.  Twice in one day:  On one lucky day, this happened to me on the way to work and on my travels home.  Yeah, I was not a happy commuter.


Yes there are positives to the MTA.  Sure I no longer have to look for parking.  Sure traveling here is much more inexpensive than owning my own car.  Sure I can read or close my eyes or just zone out if I want in the middle of my travels.  Sure its the greener way.  But sometimes MTA hell makes me want pack my bags and flee to a car friendly part of the world.