All Hallows' Eve...

Halloween is creeping up right around the corner. Which means as I write this I have a bag of Candy Corn on my desk and I'm happily munching away. I'm really excited for dressing up this year. Unfortunately it's only a couple of days away and not surprisingly I'm still totally indecisive about my outfit for the festivities. Last year I went as Smurfette, complete with blonde hair, blue skin and a cute white dress - which was awesome until it rained.

So I've been going back and forth trying to find the best costume for a variety of events - our company party this Thursday (going to fuerza bruta at the Daryl Roth Theatre in Union Square), a house party in Brooklyn on Saturday night and then of course the big parade in the Village on Halloween night. The shortlist below...

Couples' Costumes:

• Juno & Paulie Bleeker
• Super Mario & The Princess
• Mary Ann & Gilligan
• Johnny and Baby (from Dirty Dancing)
• Jessica & Roger Rabbit
• Waldo & Wenda (from Where's Waldo)
  

Just for me Costumes:

• A bunch of Grapes
  
• Magenta from Rocky Horror
• Pippi Longstocking
• Nancy Kerrigan
• Sailor girl
• Flapper chic
• Madonna in the 80's
• Jem (from Jem and the Holograms
• Christine O'Donnell
  

As of 6pm today, I think I'm going as Grapes to my work party and Juno for the weekend when my very wonderful boyfriend is going to be in town showing off his short shorts! Teehee :)

Need More Cowbell!

So I’ve decided to take on another physical challenge this summer. On July 23rd, I’ll be participating in the Tri-State Trek bike race - which helps raise money to end ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). This will be is even more extreme than the Bike MS: City to Shore ride that I participated in last October (77 miles from Cherry Hill, NJ to Ocean City, MD.) This new race starts off in Newton, MA at 6AM on Friday and goes all the way to UConn on the first day. Craaaazy!

Although it's a 3 day ride ending down in Westchester County, New York, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to survive the entire event so I just signed up for the one day race - "Velo de Virden". Hopefully we will have ideal weather conditions of approximately 100 degrees and I'll be able to sweat off about 15 lbs. Just keep your fingers crossed that it won't rain horrendously that day and I won't be able to race.

No pressure, but I would VERY MUCH appreciate your support if you can manage it. My fundraising page - trying to meet a goal of $250: http://www.als.net/tw/?p=1183

Also in case you’re interested in joining me on this crazy adventure, here are the event details: http://www.tristatetrek.com/html/ride_overview.php

Wish me luck -I'm going to need it! :)

Workin? On my fitness!

I recently started going to a personal trainer in downtown Manhattan at this new fitness club called Work. So far I've been about 4 times and I've learned quite a few valuable life lessons from my trainer friend - let's call him "G".

G's Rules to Live By (and my snarky comments below):

1. No eating anything after 7pm
- Not so realistic in my line of work, when I typically leave the office around 7

2. To lose weight, workouts won't really help you. You have to 'deprive yourself'.
- Which I translated to: start developing an eating disorder.

3. Oatmeal for breakfast and tuna salad for lunch everyday
- Eating that healthy sounds boring and very monotonous. Plus no sweets?

4. You can only eat grapefruit (or any other fruit that has squeezable juice), absolutely never allowed to eat a fatty fruit like bananas
- F U. I like bananas, they are full of potassium and goodness.

5. One must go to the gym only in the morning time, otherwise it's a waste to workout at night because you are just burning off the day's food intake
- I hate the mornings, full stop. Plus I have only 3 channels on my TV so I have to go to the gym at night to watch something other than C-SPAN.

6. Go tanning (he's especially insistent on me lying face down?)
- Too bad skin cancer runs in my family and I'm not too keen on melanoma.

7. Have your nails polished & pretty
- He's seriously obsessed with my nails and likes to comment on them each time he sees me.

8. Fight like a boy in the ring
- I actually like this rule. Boxing is fun :)

9. Don't workout the same muscles two days in a row
- I guess this makes sense but I really just want to get toned arms and flat abs damnit!


Given that these individual sessions are quite costly, plus I think G is bordering on being mentally abusive it's probably a good idea for me to just go back to walking on the treadmill and watching my favorite reality shows at night.

Who's with me??

My new "HOOD"

I should have known better and probably less naive as to the way things were going to be...

But I signed my year lease and now officially live in the affluent, polo shirt wearing, small dog carrying, Starbucks on every other block, preppy overly-white Upper East Side of Manhattan. I was honestly still shocked by how goddamn expensive everything is from groceries to the closest Chinese take-away spot. I mean it's the same MSG filled (and delicious) broccoli with garlic dish that they make in Brooklyn for about half as much - right??

That being said, I'm not about to learn how to cook a week's worth of meals for one. I was perusing the magical interweb at work today and found a useful list of UES restaurants to check out:


American (new, regional):

• Alice's Tea Cup Chapter II (soups, sandwiches, tea house)
• Central Park Boathouse: Don't come here with high food expectations, but do come here for the unbelievable scenery~grab a drink at the bar while you watch lovebirds canoeing in the pond
• Post House: They call it a steakhouse, but I'm not so sure that I'd eat a hunk of beef in this uber fancy environment~lovely setting for brunch~perfect for quiet conversation
• Swifty's: The ultimate Upper East Side brunch joint~eat your eggs in intimate quarters surrounded by professional ladies-who-lunch and their Wall Street hubbies
• The Wright at the Guggenheim Museum (New American)

Bagel:

• Pick-a-Bagel: Grab your warm, homemade bagel with a hefty slab of schmear and walk over to Central Park to enjoy it at a park bench

Bakery:

• Two Little Red Hens (bakery)

Chinese:

• China Fun: Perfect food for a hangover, breakup or girls-night-in-pig-out~greasy and heavy, but super delicious

French/bistro:

• Bistro Chat Noir: French served in a beautiful, bright atmosphere~grab brunch then head over to Central Park, which is just up the street
• L'Absinthe: Gorgeous French serving tasty bistro fare
• Sel & Poivre: French fare served in a homey atmosphere~great prix fixe dinner special!

Indian:

• Tamarind: Delicious Indian served in a casual setting with wonderful outdoor seating in the warmer months

Italian:

• Serafina Fabulous Grill: Decent and reliable Italian with a vast menu of familiar favorites~warm and charming atmosphere
• Uva: Great place for small bites and wine or a full meal~Italian food served in a charming atmosphere~make sure to try the cheese with black truffles!

Mediterranean:

• Beyoglu: Fantastic Turkish/Med served in a pleasant bi-level space~hummus, Greek salad and mezzes to die for

Mexican:

• Burger One (burgers, Mexican food)
• El Paso Taqueria (Mexican)
• Maya: Haute Mexican served in a cool atmosphere
• Mustang Grill: A great summer hangout...grab a table outside and sip on tasty frozen 'ritas and chomp on chips and salsa
• Taco Taco: Mexican that's just about as authentic as it can get in NYC~charming, festive and small space

Middle Eastern:

• Ravagh (delivery): Delicious Persian cuisine serving wonderful grilled meats, dumplings, breads & dipping sauces

Pizza:

• Mimi's Pizza Kitchen (delivery): Some of the city's best pizza by-the-slice
• Totonno's (delivery): Dishing out some of the city's best pizza pies~great penne a la vodka, chicken/eggplant/meatball parmesan sandwiches, house salad & homemade tiramisu

Sandwiches/salad/soup:

• E.A.T: Truly delicious food-to-go made with the highest quality ingredients~something for everyone to enjoy
• Le Pain Quotidien: Belgian bakery/cafe serving great sandwiches, salads, soups & pastries~eat-in or take-out

Sushi:

• Sushi of Gari: Definitely listed in The Lunch Belle's top-five sushi restaurants in NYC~fantastic rolls served in a no-frills atmosphere

Vegetarian:

• Candle 79: The Belle's pick for some of the best vegetarian cuisine in town~make sure to try the polenta fries~chic atmosphere

Now I just need a dinner companion! Any single, good-looking, interested men folk with wicked awesome Boston accents willing to come down for a good meal? :)

Things we leave behind...

So I'm pretty much all moved into my new studio apartment in the trendy UES and luckily for me the last tenant left behind quite a bit of random stuff...

* 35 cents under the mini-stove

* Shiny maroon shower curtain & super tiny bathroom trash can

* Pantry items: Canned soup, olive oil, sauces

* Dishes made circa 1980s and other random kitchen stuff - a few utensils, cooking pot, bowls

* 7 pairs of size 12 men's shoes in the cupboard

* Ginormous wood framed mirror with matching nightstand & fold-out kitchen table

* Bar of christmas chocolate left in the fridge

* Cleaning supplies & step ladder

* Take-out menus, dry cleaner card, lighter

* By far my most bizarre find was located under the sink in a Strand shopping bag - a frame with an envelope of pictures & a sentimental note attached to the back. (Out of respect I will not post what this girl wrote but trust me it was entertaining) To my surprise these pictures were of a half-naked chick who had decided to artfully pose with a piece of plaster painted on her torso. So thoughtful? Apparently this dude who lived here didn't think so because he left it behind. Now I'm not sure what to do because it seems wrong to throw it in the trash after so much love went into the present but I very much doubt that Salvation Army would enjoy receiving that particular donation.

Thoughts?

Volunteer Abroad

Direct flight from New York to Costa Rica: $325.42

Weekly fee for the IVHQ reconstruction program in San Jose: $285.00

Spanish classes at Máximo Nivel: $85

Ray-Ban sunglasses from the mall in San Pedro: ₡89,150

Spinning class taught all in Spanish: ₡1,500

Movie ticket to see the Informant with Spanish subtitles: ₡1,000



Being called a gringa while walking down the street............... PRICELESS!

My Buried List

Because I’m a 14 year old girl at heart, I still watch quality MTV shows like Real World, Jersey Shore, and True Life. Most recently I saw the first episode of The Buried Life with these 4 tan cuties who have big hearts and ambition to live their lives to the fullest. I would love to be on that bus traveling across North America and not have to sit in an office all day in front of my computer (ah, to dream). I just looked up their Buried list online and cherry picked the ones that I want to do before I kick the bucket (which hopefully won’t be for a long while):

3. Get a tattoo

4. Start a dance in a public place

6. Be in a Hollywood movie

7. Plant a tree

8. Ride a bull

9. Destroy a computer (I would love to do that right now!!)

13. Help someone build a house

19. Write a book

23. Learn how to play an instrument (besides the recorder)

25. Drive across North America

27. Give a stranger a $100 bill

28. Send a message in a bottle

30. Make a big donation to a charity

32. Get something named after you

34. Pay for someone’s groceries

44. Catch something and eat it

48. Skydive (actually I’m too chicken to do this but I might bungee jump and pee my pants)

51. Climb a large mountain

52. Go on a blind date

56. Write an article for a major publication

57. Spend a week in silence

61. Draw a mural

62. Be in a protest

68. Swim with sharks

75. Be a contestant on a gameshow

78. Fall in love (with a non-douchebag)

84. Run a marathon

88. Jump off a waterfall

92. Learn how to surf

93. Ride through the desert in a dune-buggy

97. Be in a boxing match


I better get started soon...

To Dos for 2010

See ya later 2009 - you sucked a big one! I'm looking ahead to bigger and better things in the teens decade. I just started making a list of things I want to accomplish in the beginning third of this new year:

• Quit drinking booze until March (or maybe just stop doing shots on weekdays)

• Attend a cooking class or two at the Brooklyn Kitchen, so I can pretend to cook something other than pasta

• Learn a little Spanish - hopefully I won't embarrass myself too much while traveling abroad

• Go to Costa Rica in February to volunteer in San Jose for a week - still need to pay for it

• Officially give up eating dirty fast food like McDonalds and Burger King (Chinese food and pizza are still ok though)

• Ween myself off my pricey morning addiction to Starbucks - I don't need a latte a day

• Lose 10lbs so my mom's Wii Fit doesn't say my age should really be 47 years old

• Actually finish one of the many books I've started writing
  

• Run my first half-marathon on March 20th at the National Marathon in DC

More to come...

Help ME, Help YOU!

So I've been thinking lately that I need to fix my karma by doing some good in the world in 2010. I have four travel options right now that I'm mulling over:

Option 1:
Go on a volunteer trip to India with an organization called International Volunteer HQ, the program's web page: IVHQ.

My friend Jenn from Boston went on a trip with IVHQ before and has already booked her trip to Palampur to work with street kids for 2 weeks in late February. You typically stay with host families and works the entire day in an orphanages, teaching English or in day care centers with street children.

My only concern with traveling to India is that I've talked to several people who have had very bad experiences traveling there (especially going to Delhi) and are recommending strongly against it. Also the flight and program costs will be about 2 grand - big dent in my savings account!

Option 2:
Travel to South Africa, with a company called OverlandingAfrica.com on a 14 day camping trip from Cape Town to Durban. According to the website, you can "make a REAL difference" by helping the people of Africa with family planning, environmental projects,
building infrastructure, etc.

Downsides of this trip would traveling alone, which is slightly concerning given that South Africa seems to have a bad reputation for crime. Also I would be camping for 2 weeks in a tent and it costs $1,055 per person for the tour, food and volunteer experience. That doesn't factor in the cost of a flight which would be over a grand.

Option 3:
Take some personal time off to visit my friend Sara from London who will be working in Hong Kong sometime next March.

The obvious negatives are that the flight would be horrendously expensive and take a long time to get there. Plus I wouldn't really be doing any good stuff to help other people, although I would be eating delicious food and exploring China which sounds pretty amazing.

Option 4:
Go on a fun beachy trip with girlfriends in late January to relax and sip fruity cocktails with little pink umbrellas.

Again the negative would be that this trip is completely self-serving and not helping to fix my karma in the slightest. On the other side it would help drastically improve my skin tone. Plus it's a cheap holiday which would be good fun with the girls.

Ughhh too many choices and so little vacation time!

All I Want for Christmas...

Here's my list in case anyone wants to buy me a few prezzies this year:


- North Face black backpack

- Rollerblades (ladies size 9)

- Mini food processor

- Hunter rain boots (in black or green)

- Granny cart

- Ray-Ban sunglasses (aviator style)

- Ikea MALM dresser (med. brown color)

- New job

- Tropical vacation in January

- A puppy


I don't think I'm asking for too much :)


**Update - A new cute boyfriend is going on the list too!

Celebrity Sightings

Since I moved to the big city in June '09, I've seen quite a few famous people milling around the streets of Manhattan. Here's my list starting from the most recent sighting (yesterday morning)...

* Brooke Shields walking her big white dog in front of my Crunch gym on Lafayette st.

* Jude Law attending a premiere on Chrystie street in the Lower East Side (he's gorgeous although a tad short)

* Some guy in a band - 3Oh!3 - at a downtown bar

* Larry David walking his scruffy dog on Broadway early in the morning

* I saw Claire Danes twice! Waiting in line at Cafe Cafe in SoHo and walking up Broadway

* The attractive slightly older newscaster, Dan Abrams, walking down Broadway

* While they were filming 'Date Night' (coming out in 2010), we saw Tina Fey get out of a car

* Robert Pattinson at Gemma restaurant (technically I didn't see his adorableness because Tim forgot to mention that he walked by)

I might have to check out Bar Pitti in the West Village because that seems to be a good celebrity hotspot. Maybe I will finally see one of the Olsen girls and prove to my boss that they really do exist!

Hot Tropical Getaway to...

Next weekend, Tim & I are going to take advantage of the long Labor Day weekend and travel down to the southernmost point of the United States. For those not so keen on geography that's Key West baby!

We are scheduled to fly into Fort Lauderdale airport (FLL) courtesy of JetBlue airlines on Saturday Sept. 5th. Hopefully we land in one piece in the afternoon and then head over to the car rental agency to pick up our economical car which will transport us magically to our tropical island. Thanks to Hotwire.com we already booked 2 nights at the not-so-super premium Holiday Inn Key West. Honestly I'm a little disappointed because when we used this discount travel website in the past we have gotten nicer hotels and better locations. This particular hotel has received horrendous reviews on TripAdvisor but does boast a restaurant, an outdoor pool, a spa tub, and a bar/lounge, so that should be all we need to survive. I plan on doing a little bike riding around the island, reading my books on the beach, trying not to get a sunburn, making Timmy eat conch, and going snorkeling with the fishies out by the reef. I'm actually a little trepidatious to book our boat trip beforehand because of the recent weather (read: hurricanes). I just looked on weather.com and the 10 day outlook isn't so good:

Then the road trip continues on Monday, when we head back towards the mainland with a quick stop in Key Largo for one night only. We booked a room at the Marriott Key Largo Bay Beach Resort. I have no idea what there is to do in Key Largo but the hotel is on the waterfront so if the weather is nice we can just sit out and enjoy.

The trip finishes in FLL on Tuesday night when we fly back on JetBlue and are scheduled to arrive in New York by 11pm. Back to normal life on Wednesday Sept. 9th, hopefully with a lot of fun memories, embarrassing pictures and a bit of a sun tan. :)

The Pros & Cons

Things that I like about NYC...

- My Crunch gym in BK is a few blocks away & offers awesome classes
- Being able to bike into work (only takes 30 minutes)
- The variety of things to good things eat
- My neighborhood: Park Slope, Brooklyn
- Living nearby from Prospect Park
- Rooftop dinners and beautiful city views
- Celebrity sightings (like Claire Danes!)
- Walking from Manhattan to Brooklyn
- Timmy

Things not so good about NYC...

- Having to carry groceries/luggage/laundry
- Hot & sweaty subways. Waiting for trains on the weekends
- Working with only 3 other people
- Getting stuck behind slow-ass tourists on Broadway
- Fast pace city life
- Comparing myself daily to super skinny models walking through SoHo
- Expensive meals & drinks in the city
- Feeling the need to constantly buy new clothes to fit in
- Not having a big friend network here
- No Whole Foods in Brooklyn

Should I be living in NYC?

Only until you age out.

Sorry to say it, but you're a temporary New Yorker. Sure, this city is awesome for running around and enjoying your youth, but you came here to work and play hard and plan on jetting at the first signs of crow's feet or when your parents stop financing that party lifestyle of yours. Plus, if you ever decide to settle down and have kids, there's no way you're bringing them up in a studio. Click here for suggestions about how to really enjoy NYC.

This TimeOut quiz knows me well... :)

Gonna Be A Bear

This random sheet of paper is posted on the wall of the ladies room, 4th floor, in my new SoHo office:

In this life I'm a woman. In my next life, I'd Like to come back as a bear. When your a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, your suppose to eat yourself stupid. I could deal with that too.

When your a girl bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while your sleeping and wake up to partially grown, cute, cuddly cubs. I could definatley deal with that.

If your a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. you swat away anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too. I could deal with that.

If your a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.

YUP, GONNA BE A BEAR

King of Prussia

• Where the main attraction is an oversized mall



• Driveways contain a Minivan, Pickup Truck or a SUV



• Prices are reasonable in grocery stores called Acme



• People are friendly & far more diverse than one might expect



• Everyone seems to drive everywhere, even if you are only going 2 doors down



• Cars left unattended at night with windows rolled down



• Front yards that are well manicured with children scattered over the lawn



• Residential areas are sparse or hidden



• A place filled with dying strip malls and disappearing sidewalks



• Not an exotic/royal locale as the name suggests

A sad farewell...

My last day at the eD - Lexington office was on Friday May, 29th.

There were a few hugs and emotional goodbyes as I went around the office.

I left around noon time, my hands full with a snack and beverage costing a mere 50 cents.

As I walked out into the parking lot Dave shouts out, "You better NOT turn into a Yankees fan!"

Good advice, friend. I'm going to miss the people but a new adventure awaits...

Hot salvation

I went to see the new Terminator blockbuster movie last weekend with my brother and Tim in downtown Silver Spring, MD. About half-way through I looked to my right and saw Tim sound asleep so I promptly jabbed him in the side. He probably had the right idea though because it was a pretty boring action movie & very predictable plot. Why do they still make prequels??

Honestly the only redeemable part about this 4th film is the new lead actor - Sam Worthington - who made me want to drool on myself. He's a total hottie even with a mechanical arm! Born in Western Australia, ginger(ish), 33 years old - we already have so much in common! I told Tim right away that the robot guy was going on my 'List'.

Apartment Hunting in NYC

After many weeks of fruitless apartment searching, finally I have found two places that I would want to call home in Brooklyn. Along the way I’ve met many crazy people and seen some dreadful apartments (especially in Manhattan). If nothing else at least I found out that I have no desire to live with 7 foreign people above busy Canal Street, in a railroad apartment - where you walk through the other girl’s bedrooms to get to the kitchen & bathroom, an industrial loft in a shady area of Brooklyn, in a tiny twin-bed room sharing with a creepy older British guy who talks in monotone, in a laid-off lawyer’s bedroom while he slept in the living room, down in the dirty basement with a future sex therapist and some messy guy in his 40’s, with a girl who’s extremely anal about cleaning and doesn’t tolerate any dirty dishes in the sink, or another girl who’s a macrobiotic marathon runner and wouldn’t let me use chemical cleaning products, in a upstairs room with a big hole in the ceiling which probably leaks water when it rains or with an environmentalist guy who tells me up front that the TV belongs in the closet. I really wish I had brought along a video camera to film my experience of looking at these New York City homes.

Here are the two that I liked the best and have put in offers for:

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Rent: $830 / 3 bedroom & 1 bath apartment, on the 4th floor of a fantastic marble building literally a block from the Grand Entrance to Prospect Park. Lots of house plants, natural light throughout the apartment. TV and comfy common room furniture, a bit messy overall (could be due to the moving out situation). The area seems very safe and nice. Bonus is that it's a sublet for just the summer and I could move-in starting this week.

Super convenient transportation, within walking distance to the 2, 3 and the B, Q train lines. So my daily commute into SoHo would probably be under 20 minutes and easy to visit Tim as well.

Living with 2 girls – One of them is a French student who’s leaving at the end of June, the other is a chill social worker in Brooklyn who has lived there for 3 years.

Smaller sized bedroom but will fit my current bed and a dresser. Big closet and storage nook.

Butler Place at Plaza Street (google map)

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Rent: $1000 / 2 bedroom apartment, on the 2nd floor of a new renovated building in South Park Slope area. Not such a pretty street to look at but close by to the park and 7th Ave (with all the boutique shops and restaurants). Available 6/1, taking over the leaving girl's 6 month lease.

Living with another girl, Pascale, an artist who also works for Helmut Lang. She wasn’t home to meet because she works crazy fashion hours and travels a lot.

The amenities in the apartment are amazing – new kitchen appliances, dishwasher, air conditioner, FREE washer/dryer (in the hallway). Another big plus is that I would get my own full bathroom. Nicely furnished living room with a small flat screen TV and a decent sized bedroom with all white furniture & a big sliding door closet.

Prospect Avenue at 8th Avenue (google map)

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I’m heavily leaning towards the marble building right by the park and living with the cool social worker lady because I think I would get along well with her. I really need to make my final decision today because I have to hand over lots of rent money on Thursday night!

Never Ever Again!

Even though the bars taste sooo good, the after effects of that much fiber is completely undesirable :(