On Out-of-Towner(s)

While my (favorite) brother visits Colorado (for the first time ever), this blog will take a hiatus and return on Wednesday, August 1st.  (When did August sneak up on us?) Until then!

On Elusive Illusions

A Magic(al) Quest.

Mystified by the majestic, I'll willingly fork over a five-dollar bill to street magicians who pull quarters from audience members' ears.  Under the trance of the magical wand, I'm a sucker for anything out of the ordinary, including card tricks inevitably based on probability and (elusive) optical illusions, and will ooh and aah along with the crowd that simply cannot get enough.  Enjoy!

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On Shying Away

From Conversation.

Regardless of whether we consider ourselves shy introverts or outgoing extroverts, walking into a room full of unfamiliar faces can give anyone humbling butterflies.  Stomachs drop, conversations stumble, and introductions stifle first impressions.  Enjoy! 

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On Comparing Ourselves

To Other People.
 
Self-comparisons to the supposed smarter, more-attractive, healthier people around us (as we tend to unfairly diagnose) is a recipe for simply feeling worse about ourselves.  Rather than crediting our own accomplishments and successes (however small or large they may be), we tend to praise the greener grass of gardeners we (often) know very little about.  Enjoy!

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On Scraps of Memories

Wallet-Size or Smaller.

Amongst a small handful of credit cards and paper scraps that travel with me on a regular basis, I carry (in my wallet) a well-worn post-it reminder outlining (in step-by-step detail) how and when to feed my (late) cat, Bungee, while my parents enjoy a three-day vacation.  In this semi-brief message, my father promises that Bungee (the cat) will be appreciative and - as such - shower me with affection when, in reality, we all knew he would much more likely claw my eyes out, with the best (or, perhaps, worst - depending who you asked) of intentions.  In spite of his (the cat's) unpredictably scruffy disposition, we loved him as much as anyone loves their (family member) pet and it is in his (Bungee's) honor that I carry this (fairly) fond memory closely.  Enjoy! 

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(Goin') On a Conference

in Colorado!  This blog will resume on Monday, July 23rd.

On Birthday Blues

Another Year Older.
 
While driving to work yesterday, the radio host was celebrating his 40th birthday, which spawned a conversation (between co-hosts) over which birthdays are worth celebrating and which are worth lamenting. The host concluded that 30 and 50 are worthy of pre-planned gatherings of family and friends but that 40 was better left to ignorance. As I debated what my own eventual milestones will bring (-would I really forfeit my week-long-birthday-mentality because the number didn’t suit me?), I ran through the long list of celebratory invitations I’ve received over the last few years – (mostly via email from close friends and occasional acquaintances) – acknowledging our transitions from late twenties to early thirties (a youthful age in comparison), in which nearly everyone - even then - used subject headings that denigrated their special day.  Enjoy!

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On Facebook Facades

Other People's Albums.

The funny thing about facebook is how deceivingly glorified other people's lives become. For instance, multiple friends and acquaintances have often commented on my very own Costa Rica photo album (circa winter 2009) - a trip that appears (and, at times, actually was) flawlessly romantic while, in reality, we (my travel companion and I) got sick on day four (out of ten) and the frequently-commented-on snapshot of us on the four-wheeler was a transportation choice out of necessity rather than joy. Most recently (as in this past weekend), I perused fb pages out of shear boredom looking for anything out of the ordinary (-I already know you work out 6 days/wk; tell me something new!), and what I found was an exhorbitant number of people my age (and younger!) with babies.  My own (NYC) friends cover the gamit of single to expecting but to see so many mini-me's got me thinking harder than my usual perusal, as I painted multiple rosy complexions on the lives of people I once knew.  Enjoy!

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On the Allure of Travel

A Quote from the Experts:

For the most fortunate among us, our travels are now routine, devoted mainly to entertainment and personal enrichment. We have turned travel into something ordinary, deprived it of allegorical grandeur. We have made it a business: the business of being on the move. Whatever impels us to travel, it is no longer the oracle, the pilgrimage or the gods. It is the compulsion to be elsewhere, anywhere but here. (Enjoy!)

-Excerpt (from the attached article) by Stavans and Ellison

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On (Wanting) the Best

No Matter What.

In spite of wanting the best for the people we love, there are times when we have to take a step back and let them fall and get up on their own.  And as they stumble down their path of trials and tribulations, we can lend them a helping hand, an open ear, and a cushioned shoulder to soften the occasional blows.  Enjoy!

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On Being Distracted

Glued to Technology.

Ever since I started taking the bus on a regular basis (during the summer, to and from work), I've become increasingly aware of my technology addiction.  Red light - email check, green light - Words with Friends, yellow light - email check, traffic - email, text, video game, anything but look outside.  And I truly wonder what the actual allure is: to emails from east coast friends? (Seems reasonable); work emails that I'll answer the next day? a cumbersome and monotonous (and ever-losing) scrabble score?  None seem worth the tradeoff (except pen pal-ship, which are far and few between) and yet this manic dependency is impossible to break.  (Any suggestions?)  Enjoy!

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On Unsustainable Romance

Summer Lovin'.

Bright summer sun and strange new lands make a perfect recipe for temporary romance and inevitable heartbreak, as we pass the months in between real-world responsibilities with fantasies of unsustainable lust. Hands are held and promises exchanged as if the inevitable end exists in someone else’s fairy tale. Enjoy!


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On Another Notch

Taking It Eas(ier).

Even in my new digs (Denver, Colorado) where folks drive leisurely to work, leave early for evening hikes, and cook festive meals in kitchens twice the size of my previous New York City apartment, I consistently tell myself to take life down a notch and skip to the drum of the (mid?) west beat.  Transplanting from a city (and childhood) naturally on overdrive, I'm reminded of the saying, "You can take the girl out of Brooklyn but you can't take Brooklyn out of the girl." Enjoy!

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On Making Believe

Once Upon a Time...

Every once in a while when I'm at work and asked to sign a series of papers (usually never more than three at a time, for computer clearance or time sheets), I'm reminded of (one of) my favorite childhood make believe games - "(the) Office."  Various version of these unpaid hours of entertainment always consisted of the same stack of post-it notepads requiring my very important signature (before I learned cursive, of course), as (imaginary) clients waited in a (nonexistent) room while I cleared my (fictionally) busy schedule to (not) meet them in person.  Enjoy!     

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On Planning the Toast

Nostalgia, Humor, and Brevity.

The semi-anticipated wedding toast can make or break the attention span of the crowd.  Drunken groomsmen recall inappropriate childhood details, as tipsy maids-of-honor struggle for linear coherence.  And then every once in a while, the public-speaker nails it, combining nostalgia, humor, and brevity with an astute poignancy unique to a memorably articulate salute.  Enjoy!

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On Infinite Quests

Forgot Password?

Following this past New Years Holiday, I bit the bullet and changed the majority of my online passwords. Inspired by the thrillionth article claiming my life would fall to ruin (and my identity stolen) if these passwords were left to minor variations of the same secret code, I decided to come up with completely random and varied references. Only when it came time to come up with actual ideas, I spent twenty minute increments identifying and weighing the importance of seemingly insignificant yet memorable moments in my life, wondering how mind-jogging this event or that person might still be to me (or a year from now, or two!), questioning not only my virtual persona but my real-life identity, as well.  Enjoy!

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On the Marrying Kind

Meant to Be.

While marriage isn't for everyone, there are some couples you know will last forever.  This past weekend, during the first of a handful of summer 2012 matrimonial ceremonies, I saw one such couple tie the knot, and it was one of the best weddings I've ever been to.  When asked what made it so great (by others), I mentally run through the usual nuptial protocol -- a 45-minute church ceremony, a cocktail hour (to die for), formal DJ introductions of the usual suspects, dancing, dinner, making out, after party hotel extravaganza -- and keep coming back to one thing: these newlyweds are meant to be and we (the carefully-selected bystanders) can feel it.  Bearing witness to such serendipitous compatibility makes the world feel sensible and romantic, which is a rare but possible moment, that we should all hope to strive for on a much more regular basis, and, minimally, on the dance floor.  Enjoy! 

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On July 4th, 2012

Happy 4th!  This blog will resume on Thursday, July 5th, 2012.

On Never Looking Back

December 2006.
 
I quit smoking cigarettes on December 1st, 2006 after five years of wavering between post-break-up justifications and an actual (undeniable) habit. Unlike The Patch-battlers, hypnosis-seekers, and on-and-off-again dabblers, quitting wasn’t hard for me. I made the decision in a specific moment on a specific day (another blog post for another time) and never looked back. But I do still appreciate (and occasionally miss) the social and psychological appeal -- the "water-cooler" companionship, the coffee & cigarette conversation, and the ten-plus-minute break from our typical daily doldrums. Enjoy!

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