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...