Monday, December 23, 2013

On Something You Must See


Seriously, Watch This Link.

Christmas trees with interfaith (Jewish star) toppers, stockings from "Santa", and trips back east to visit family and friends alike, this holiday season is filled with good cheer and serious contemplation over next year's new year's resolutions.   To floss for real this time or not to floss (outlook not so good); to send more snail mail back east..; to eat more kale and kidney beans..; to put the towel back after each use...Bring on 2014 and all it has to offer.  Enjoy and see you (online) in the new year!

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Friday, December 20, 2013

On Walking Away


Knowing When to Quit.

During the first six months following my college graduation, I couldn't hold a desk job for more than five days.  The truth was I'd never had a desk job before because I was one of those 'camp people' who spent summers and holiday breaks frolicking in grassy fields and telling ghost stories around campfires.  Dragging myself out of bed each morning to waste the majority of my waking life filing medical paperwork and answering phones for temp jobs, I couldn't stand the monotony and, so, I would quit.  And quit.  And quit again...and again...and again.  Enjoy!

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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

On Being Sick

After two days home sick, I do hope this blog resumes tomorrow, Dec 19, 2013.

Monday, December 16, 2013

On Apartment Living


Neighborly Love.

Be it the busy streets of New York City or the quieter neighborhoods of Denver, Colorado, apartment living requires a patience and stamina that can turn a blind eye to other people's stereo systems and, in rare cases, neighborly internal quarrel. Apartment living isn't for everyone, either, though the majority of us have no choice - twenty and thirty-somethings scraping by to pay bills in a complex meant for two but filled with four.  And so we grin and bear it, turn up our televisions, and cross our fingers that the bartender in apartment 12 gets a day job.  Enjoy!  

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Friday, December 13, 2013

On a Half Day

Leavin' work early on account of the holiday season, this blog will resume on Monday, December 16th.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

On Pure Embarrassment


Reading Aloud.

A writer at heart, an English major in college, a moderate devotee to all things literary fiction, and a blogger going on four years, I was never an expert at nailing the pro-nunc-iat-ion of words. In grade school, I refused to volunteer to read passages aloud in front of the entire class (oh, the horror!), and my heart pounded when the teacher picked on me anyway. When gifted classmates seemingly mastered the longer soliloquies, I followed closely with envy.  Today, it's still not my fav, and even in the privacy of my own living room during the occasional dictation between my very own roommate and myself, I nervously stumble through vocabulary that even a third grader could conquer.  Enjoy!

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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

On Staying an Einstein


Maiden & Married Alike.

For me, it wasn't a decision based on going against the grain.  And, in fact, it wasn't a terribly easy decision either.  The truth is, my last name has been my entree into the external world, my icebreaker to all strange people and things, the inside joke I've always had with you, me, and everyone we know.  For better or worse, in sickness and in health, I couldn't turn my back on this unique opportunity to chuckle over scientific facts in the midst of a mundane conversation (about credit card confirmations or changes of address).  My old (and new) last name brings spice to otherwise bland interactions, of which there are (too) many on an (unfair) regular basis.  Enjoy!

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Tuesday, December 10, 2013

On 80s SItcoms


"Designing Women."

With a recent and unexpected bout of mild insomnia, I've decide to stop fighting my need to sleep and, instead, succumb to 3 am reruns of 80s sitcoms.  Most recently, I indulged in a riveting episode of Who's the Boss? in which Tony decided to join the volunteer firefighting squad, only to discover his fellow firefighters spend the majority of their time smoking cigarettes and drinking beer.  I was immediately hooked and quickly forgot about my inability to snooze, completely immersed in the story line, their clothes, and to Mona's one-liners I clearly missed as a single-digit. Enjoy!

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Monday, December 9, 2013

On Because It's Important (to You)...


The Things We Do.

Because it's important to him, I watch football games with half an eye, go to rock concerts verging on punk, and eat chicken wings on school nights. Because it's important to me, he watches musicals (once a year), takes the tree down in February, and hangs Christmas lights when we car camp.  I stay up late, he comes to yoga; I put the ottoman away, he buys me flowers; I get excited when he comes home, and he gets excited, too.  Enjoy!

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Friday, December 6, 2013

On the Prices We'll Pay


The "Cost" of Happiness.

They say money can't buy happiness but then, all of a sudden in the middle of November right when your winter wardrobe is starting to look a lil' shabby, you're staring Black Friday deals right in the face.  Unfortunately, it's also two weeks away from your very first house closing (woohoo!) and, low and behold, dresses from Anthropologie are a whole 20% off (which, for them, is a steal!) and the extra special 40% off (not one but) two items from Banana sure are giving "happiness" a new meaning.  So you maintain self-control, save the credit cards for broken sewers, and imagine that life with a tiny bit more money would, in fact, probably buy at least a week's-worth-of-new-outfits-kind-of-happiness. Enjoy!

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Thursday, December 5, 2013

On Many Partners


Friends Included.

Taking an inventory of intimate companionships - friends and otherwise, the people who end up sticking it out aren't always who you'd expect.  Still, life can be funny like that, eliminating the relationships you once had eternal faith in in exchange for unwarranted devotion and lifelong companionship. Enjoy!

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Wednesday, December 4, 2013

On My Love for Dawson Leery


Star-Struck (sigh).

The first time I stumbled upon Dawson Leery (aka James Van Der Beek) in person was on a spring break trip to Wilmington, North Carolina (circa March 1999 smack in the middle of season 3), where I happened to be vacationing with six other college-aged girls ten minutes from the Dawson's Creek studios.  Unbeknownst to me, this was the very small, quiet seaside town where DC was filmed on a daily basis, and - according to locals - could easily be stumbled upon in the downtown metro area.  And stumble upon we did, multiple days in a row, to catch glimpses of (the real-life stunning) Joey Potter whining to her sister about her love quarrel with Dawson; to watch Jack confide in Jen Lindley (who, btw, is excruciating tiny in real life) about this love interest or that; and to watch Dawson Leery be the over-analytical adolescent superstar that he was, qualifying my sophomore year spring break as one of the best vacations to date.  Enjoy!

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Monday, December 2, 2013

Oops! (Two More Days..)

This blog will actually return on Wednesday, December 4th after my two-day work training.  See you then!

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

On Thanksgiving 2013

Happy Thanksgiving, all!  I am thankful that people read these words.
This blog will resume on Monday, December 2nd.  (Where did the time go?)

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

On Naked Neighbor Guy


Shadeless Windows.

Admit it.  It's impossible to look away when you accidentally stumble upon a neighbor across the way, parading around the "privacy of his/her own home" without pants on-or worse! Joining the shameless contingent of gawking bystanders, you fill moments of disbelief with casual references to Friends followed by harmless debate over which character you would be in real life (always wishing for Rachel but knowing you're really a Monica or Phoebe.) Circling back to naked neighbor guy, you goggle for another minute or two only to quickly lose interest and move on to real entertainment-TV.  Enjoy!

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Monday, November 25, 2013

On Business Partners


Inside the Home.

Fantasizing what it would be like to go into business with my husband, rather than focus on the obvious pros (Lunchtime together everyday, and Casual Jean Fridays!), the real question is whether we'd make compatible co-workers or not.  He's good with the numbers but I can hold my own.  Socializing is my specialty but he can network like a pro.  He thinks on his feet, makes decisions quickly, and moves on, while I mull things over, anticipate multiple perspectives and plan for the long-term.  All in all, I'd say we'd be a huge success with the best part being bonus season, where we'd exchange gifts rather than pensions, preferably multiple times per year.  Enjoy!

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Friday, November 22, 2013

On Medical Advice


Annual Checkups.

I'll confess off the bat that I'm every doctor's unfavorable dream (-nightmare sounded too harsh), ready at a moment's checkup to ask a plethora of questions they'd rather leave at medical school and, in one of my finer moments, hunched over an actual sketch of the human thyroid trying to understand this semi-relevant organ's necessity (I totally gave brownie points the doctor who drew for me).  But I'm also a healthy patient, all too keenly aware of what can go wrong with the human body (in a freaked out "Woody Allen-esque" kind of fashion), motivated to ensure those annual checkups (booked before they can blink) are filled with positive news and small talk.  Enjoy!

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Thursday, November 21, 2013

On (Our) Wedding Guest Postcards


Every Monday...

Every Monday, my mother drops another postcard at the Brooklyn post office with our names on it.  Wedding guest sentiments, scrawled drunkenly at our "guest book" table on August 31st, arrive on our doorstep week after week, reminding us of the good friendships (near and far) who celebrated our matrimonial declaration well into the night.  Each message reflects the senses of humor, sentimentality, and character that draws us to all these people in the first place. And so we take a moment together to privately appreciate those who means so much, and hope ears are burning constantly.  Enjoy!

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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

On (Not) Wanting Children


Being Upfront.

As friends navigate the dating world in their semi-optimistic search for a long-term significant other, being honest about wanting - or not wanting - children is a must.  Once the preferences are shared, having the stamina to pick up and move on is a completely other story - one that requires stamina, confidence, and the strong will to recognize that compromise will never be an option.  Enjoy!

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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

On Our Ex's Leftovers


Craigslist Garage Sale.

When you build a relationship with someone, you inevitably collect things that - if and when you part ways - end up sticking around for a while thereafter.  That recycled framed art he gave you for Christmas 2003; those bed sheets you picked out together the summer Ikea first opened in Red Hook; the kitchen table he surprised you with when you got back from overseas; the crystal from his first engagement.  And with each new beginning, you debate over what to keep and what to toss, based on good and bad memories, price tag comparisons, and how you define new beginnings. Enjoy!  


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Monday, November 18, 2013

On the Suburbs?!?!?!?


YIKES.

More and more these days, as friends settle down and begin the pre-stages of family planning, emails pop up with lines like, I never thought I'd say this BUT- and I bit the bullet and moved to [insert suburban sprawl.]  And so it has begun, the once-lifelong New Yorkers seriously reconsidering their much sought after urban streets, now dominated by relocating twenty-somethings, in exchange for peace, quiet, and New Jersey (no offense).  Enjoy!

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Friday, November 15, 2013

On a Coloradan Conference

Spending the day with Coloradan colleagues at a work conference.  This blog will resume on Monday, November 18th!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

On Unexpected Mail


Pleasant Surprises.

While the joy experienced from snail mailing a gift is frequently one-sided, given that you can't actually see the reaction of the person discovering-and then opening-the carefully selected item, the concept of receiving unexpected postal mail must be a near universal happiness. And it's with this hope and understanding that I excitedly prepare birthday and holiday gifts alike, each fall, winter, and spring, for the few friends (and family members) whose joy I can distinctly imagine.  Enjoy!

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Wednesday, November 13, 2013

On(line) RSVPing...Ugh.


The Pressure!

The evite is sent and the pressure is on, with the online RSVP system inviting ridicule and judgment from everyone included.  Gone are the days when the decision-to attend or not to attend-is anonymously licked and sent, followed by a three day lag on account of postal service snail mail, just enough time for the immediate guilt to wear off.  Today, we are forced to make a public choice way too prematurely to comfortably commit, in addition to concocting a series of thoughtful sentiments (Soooooo sorry to miss this - out of town for my cousin's mother's step-sister's talent show!) in response to an impersonal invitation, that will inevitably be read (and reacted to) by family members and strangers alike.  Unless, of course, we take the RSVP-less way out, leaving the invitation hosts (who insist that a facebook invite actually counts; does it though?) potentially wondering if you'll show up in the first place. Enjoy!

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Tuesday, November 12, 2013

On Courting Friends


"Girl Crushes."

I've definitely had my fair share of "girl crushes" over the last decade (you know who you are), those far and few between seemingly highly compatible girlfriends who you met through mutual companions during which you immediately hit it off and leave the evening making six months worth of mutually exclusive plans (cooking club! book club! any excuse for a club!).  Before you know it, you're finishing each other's sentences, delighted to discover new commonalities (favorite book! favorite show! favorite character!). Nothing draws attention to this courtship more than relocating to a new City and State, where you're forced to court everyone within a certain age bracket for fear you'll end up alone on Friday nights...too many consecutive weeks worth counting.  And so, new acquaintance after new acquaintance, the cheese get sliced, the wine gets poured, and hopes are ignited that this will be the one - the new friend in your life where conversations will flow effortlessly and reminiscing will be mindlessly replaced by the exchange of  facts about pasts unknown.  Enjoy!

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Friday, November 8, 2013

On My Home State

Due to a 48-hour trip to New York, this blog will resume on Tuesday, November 12th.  Happy weekend and happy birthday to my dad!

Thursday, November 7, 2013

On My Grandmother and I


Glimpsing the Past.

The few old photographs framed around my apartment bring glimpses of the past on a regular basis, however hazy the details.  In this one picture in particular, tucked in between earrings and necklaces in my red velvet jewelry box, is a picture from the mid 90s of my grandmother and I.  We're sitting in the pews of a synagogue during a Jewish holiday, no doubt, and I look miserable and sullen, as most pre-teens during obligatory family gatherings do, in my over-sized t-shirt and homemade, knee-length, cutoff jeans.  She's leaning forward nudging me to force a smile, and while I don't remember this exact moment in time, I easily recall the feeling of being cranky from adolescence but happy amongst family, and most definitely counting down until dinner time where I would inevitably consume my grandmother's famous matzah ball soup.  Enjoy!  

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Wednesday, November 6, 2013

On Our First Date


Near Effortlessness.

From the moment we first met, it has been near effortlessness-laughing at a moment's notice during uneventful household chores, holding hands on our 20-minute morning commute, and complementing each other's perspectives when hard decisions need to be made.  But four and a half years ago, when he gchatted me at work to ask if I wanted to split a turkey club at a nearby sandwich shop after work - "like a real date or something"- the exchange was far from smooth.  Eager to formalize our two-month "non-relationship," I dabbed on faded blush and a thin layer of lipstick to make my end-of-work-day glow appear ever-so-slightly polished and nervously headed down 5th avenue in the West Village towards Grey Dog on University Place, purposely late to avoid being the one to wait.  The minute we awkwardly united, the usual ease instantaneously resumed, and almost five years later-married and co-habitating in Colorado-turkey clubs are still a favorite date or something. Enjoy!

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Tuesday, November 5, 2013

On the Open Road


Windows Down.

The longest road trip I've been on was a ten day excursion during the summer of 1999, when my sister relocated from New York City to California, a few short weeks before I returned for another summer at sleep away camp (my real joy) and her and I parted cities for the foreseeable decades to come.  First stop, Amish country (aka Pennsylvania), where we were in bed by 5pm watching reruns of daytime soaps.  A few days later, we broke into Boys Town to spy on the students described so eloquently in a Neil Diamond song we'd just played on repeat on the uninspiring highway.  We eventually made it to Estes Park, camping out (in cabins) at the YMCA, where we joined traveling families for arts and crafts and hot cocoa. And our last stop, ironically, was Denver, a city I spent less than an hour in eating lunch with a college friend, wishing my sister luck on her new adventure, and excitedly returning to the east coast.  Enjoy!
 
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Monday, November 4, 2013

On Being a Blogger...

 
...is to write...

...day after day, whether the words flow effortlessly or against all realms of gravity, creating incoherent thoughts about coherent experiences that the majority of us relate to in the most private moments of our miniscule lives.  Our thoughts are the same even when they're different, as we navigate the same walls of the same relationships on same earth, that are also unlike any other in existence and yet all alike simultaneously.  These articles (posted here on this particular blog) ring true, in part, because we are collectively humbled, troubled and inspired by people, music, and magnificent stories that describe the way we we feel, live, and breathe, read and (enjoy).  

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Friday, November 1, 2013

On a Beautiful City


Right Angles Galore.

I love those moments when you’re walking in your neighborhood and suddenly nothing is familiar. In a good way...You become a visitor to your own home, taking in details of strange buildings and people with a newness and excitement that only exists in a moment that is first discovered.  Enjoy!

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Thursday, October 31, 2013

On Hurtful Decisions


Knee-Deep Impact.

We can't please everyone, or so the saying goes, and the decisions we make throughout our lives will impact people in moderately different ways.  And so we do our best to weigh the positives with the negatives, analyze the consequences of our fruitful endeavors, knowing-and hopefully never forgetting-that the world will keep spinning in spite of highly scrutinized choices, and our loved ones (etc) will almost always bounce back.  Enjoy!  

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Wednesday, October 30, 2013

On Sophomore Year


Confident & (In)secure.

Strutting into familiar classrooms with the confidence of a second-year and the sass of one who knows things, aged by experience of being the New Kid on the Block through trials and tribulations, luck and disgrace, the envy of upper-class-men slightly subsides.  Neither a leader nor a follower, this in-between place embodies solace in acquaintance without the fear and awareness of what lies ahead...just around the crooked corner.  Enjoy!

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Tuesday, October 29, 2013

On Being Grumpy


Too Many Layers.


This morning on my drive to work, I became increasingly aware of how peaceful Colorado can be at times, particularly in comparison to that anonymous city on the east coast I so often miss. At least for now, gone are (my) days of cramming onto a packed subway car, morning after night after morning, bundled in too many layers for the size of the crowds and irregularity of the NYC Transit ventilation system. Dodging grumpy looks from uncomfortable Manhattan patrons, desperately hoping to strategically snag the next available seat (yeah right!), the commute never seemed short enough and spring so far away. And yet, in spite of this morning's 20-minutes of (sub)urban scenery, fresh coffee, and mediocre tunes, I found myself simultaneously nostalgic for the space I didn't have then and grateful for the space I have now. Enjoy!

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Monday, October 28, 2013

On Haunted Houses


Boo!

This past weekend, over wine and girl talk with my lady friends, we brainstormed ways to scare the daylights out of our respective partners in an R(+) rated, adults-only haunted house.  Google is an ingenious weapon, with recipes for dismembered hands, rotting brains, and regurgitated eyeballs.  The lady friends claimed their husbands wouldn't wince at the chance but with blindfolds on and the mood just right, I'm confident the evening would end in tears.  Enjoy!

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Friday, October 25, 2013

On Baby-mania


Crafts Galore!

As far as I'm concerned, the influx of children 12 months and younger is just another excuse to shop for adult things in miniature sizes.  Polka dotted onesies, multi-colored knit caps, and tasteful bedroom mobiles are just the tip of the iceberg, as tiny hands and toes are protected by pastel blankets and farm animal sheets that really should come large enough for queen-sized mattresses.  Enjoy!  

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Thursday, October 24, 2013

On a Happy Brain


Ancestry 101.

There is a motif, in fiction and in life, of people having wonderful things happen to them, but still ending up unhappy. We can adapt to anything, it seems—you can get your dream job, marry a wonderful human, finally get 1 million dollars or Twitter followers—eventually we acclimate and find new things to complain about.

If you want to look at it on a micro level, take an average day. You go to work; make some money; eat some food; interact with friends, family or co-workers; go home; and watch some TV. Nothing particularly bad happens, but you still can’t shake a feeling of stress, or worry, or inadequacy, or loneliness...

(See article to to continue reading!)

 

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

On a Bag of Doritos

 
Crunch.

The night of our wedding, we threw an after party in our 1200 sq ft Denver apartment with fifty of our nearest and dearest from all over the country.  The dining room table was covered with high school party throwbacks - popcorn, potato chips, doritos, and coca cola - as fellow guests reminisced the good ol' days when counting calories and thinking about good health was far from our minds.  And so it goes with getting older, the salty goodness of our youth showing up far and few between but always a reminder of the time when doritos were a regular after school snack.  Enjoy!

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Tuesday, October 22, 2013

On Reminiscent Smells


For Me? Drakkar.

While I haven't smelled this scent in years, I imagined I'd be immediately transported back to 1993,  standing on a street corner during lunch time with my 7th (and 8th) grade boyfriend, who much preferred spending his one free hour of the day playing video games in the local pizza shop than staring into my hazel-ish, blue-ish pre-teen eyes.  Or maybe to the 8th grade dance, when we slow danced to Creep by Radiohead that he specifically requested (for me!), as the rest of the middle-schoolers cleared the floor and I - awkward and embarrassed but also secretly thrilled - clutched his scrawny shoulders, one foot apart, but still able to inhale the abundance of Drakkar.  Enjoy!

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Monday, October 21, 2013

On Selfie-Indulgance


Self-Shot.

We turn, adjust, and capture; thousands of selfies exchanged on a daily basis via text, facebook post, and email.  We no longer exist without the need to capture then share, to heighten our own awareness of how we look, feel, and interact at almost any moment of any day.  Being means over-analyzing means living in the moment while knowing we're in the moment rather than just actually experiencing and living life as we once knew it.  Enjoy!

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Friday, October 18, 2013

On a "Work Thing"

Due to a work thing on Friday (aka a conference), this blog will resume on Monday, October 21st.  Happy weekend!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

On Television Brain


Enough is Enough

...is Enough?  In the aftermath of the Breaking Bad series finale (and my own personal consequential television binge), I've had conversations with mutual fans, who are less than two weeks behind my own overwhelming immersion and bulldozing through the last fifteen (or so) episodes, wondering how they're gonna sleep at night.  The reality is that BB isn't like any other series.  Tony Soprano (four seasons in one summer!) didn't show up in my REM sleep, face covered in the blood, the way Jesse Pinkman did just to ask if I wanted a cup of coffee.  While a girl can only dream, Coach Taylor (Friday Night Lights) greeted me on the football field and nowhere else. Even Jack Bauer (24 - remember that show?) stayed put where he was meant to, always on the run in the same out-of-breath sequence but never gasping for words off-screen in unexpected places (though, I have to confess, I found my own self breathing a bit heavier during that binge).  BB is a different beast, but a welcomed one that's literally impossible to turn away from.  Enjoy!

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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

On Vintage Memories


Our Time Will Come...

...when we, too, are vintage, and our children's children's children look at wilting photographs of selfies takes with our old-school gadgets (the iphone), our knee-high leather boots matched with gigantic feather earrings, our J.Crew baby clothes (severely overpriced but equally irresistable), and our stylish, multi-colored jeggings.  We, too, will age past our prime, reflect on the good ol' days, and pass sleepless nights watching reruns of that show with the Italian Guy (The Sopranos) while eating multi-grain popcorn like we did in the olden days (the 2000s).  Enjoy! 

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Tuesday, October 15, 2013

On Mismatched Romance


Opposite Alignment.

We meet, we romance, we fall in love, but the key to a successful relationship is whether the myriad of factors, from religion to recycling, actually align.  And so we navigate the early waters, weighing this pro with that con, wanting - and, at times, needing - to know how our fairytale will turn out, as our patience grows in multiple directions and our heart wants what the heart wants.  Enjoy!

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Monday, October 14, 2013

On(line) Privacy


Shared Experiences.

We received our first glimpse of wedding photographs this past Friday (via our photographer's blog), the day before our annual celebration of being engaged for 365 full days (if married/engaged days are allowed to overlap?), and the first place I almost went was facebook.  But then flashes of intimate moments on display for the whole world to see (my world, anyway) transformed the 80-something private gathering into an internet spectacle, and I immediately decided against it.  While part of me (of course) wants to share our marital joy and visual documentation with all of you who visit this blog semi-regularly, tolerate my occasional fb television quips (by the way, "Masters of Sex" on Showtime is totally awesome), and actually consider cooking my rare but relevant (boastful) recipes - not to mention, I do love me some wedding photography perusals - I also realized that somewhere between our actual lives and the ones we put forth on the internet, there must be some boundaries.  Enjoy!

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Friday, October 11, 2013

On Animal Lovers


Much Love to Give.

I'm a dog and cat lover at heart and, really, love and cherish anything cuddly and sweet (babies included!). But my inherited animal allergies dictate the minimal distance from which I must maintain a seemingly unfair relationship to all things ridiculously cute. And so, as friends and colleagues and sidewalk strangers show off their furry friends with pride and adoration, I admire from the sidelines, debating over whether a single exchange is worth the potential hours of itchy, burning, teary eyes and (at times) inconsolable congestion, the majority of which I usually answer yes.  Enjoy!

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Thursday, October 10, 2013

On Actually Answering


Ring, ring, ring...

Living across the country from two-thirds of my family and friends, actual phone time spent physically speaking with by means of exchanging spoken words followed by actively listening and then conjuring up a response with underused vocal chords, is next to null.  Even my own mother (are you reading this, mom?!) has gotten in the habit of (get this) one word - and sometimes one-letter! - texts rather than actually dialing.  And yet there are the few and far between calls that, when they actually make it from New York to Colorado, I don't hesitate to pick up -- my parents, for one; my twenty-something brother (via the modern-day facetime technology); and the long-distance best friends who have since become favorite pen pals and occasional phone-chat buddies.  Enjoy! 

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Wednesday, October 9, 2013

On Hate-Reading


We All Do It.

“I don’t know why it infuriates me. She’ll often describe, say, how her favorite ice cream flavor makes her happy all day. I feel like she’s lying. I get upset watching people post pictures of a rainbow that says ‘I believe in magic’ — upset that they’re projecting that image and thinking others are falling for it, or that they’re falling for it themselves. Maybe I’m just jealous.”
-excerpt from attached article

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Tuesday, October 8, 2013

On Phone Silence


48-Hours & Counting.

Forty-eight hours ago (and counting), I've gone ahead and committed myself to trading in my nagging cell phone for a chapter or two (or three) of an actual novel on an evening basis.  It happened when a package from my mother arrived - an old, antiquated copy of How Green Is My Valley - with mint green pages and a post-it attached exclaiming,  "this was first 'adult' novel and I still remember it," a gesture encouraging me to find my own next great read as I file through one disappointing book after another (The Paris Wife - don't bother).  So that very night I hopped into bed in spite of my usual fall television commitments finally filling my DVR cue (The New Girl, Grey's, Nashville, Homeland, and so on) and found myself not necessarily captivated but easily engaged by Huw Morgan and the details of his vast, loving, Welsh family, a rare but welcomed quiet moment amidst a daily routine of unrelenting noise.  Enjoy!

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Monday, October 7, 2013

On a Clean Kitchen


Two Tabletops.

I fall into the camp of folks who crave neatness, spending free time cleaning up after anyone who passes through, straightening bookshelves and pantry clutter, and finding solace in stacked canned goods of vegetables and pre-made soups.  But a clean kitchen (and such) isn't always reasonable to come by, and sharing a home, a life, and a future with another human being, who may or may not demand the same degree of neat-freakish-ness that my own neurosis dictates, requires patience and flexibility, and a blind eye to piles of magazines, folded laundry, and groceries alike.  Enjoy!  

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Friday, October 4, 2013

On Parenting Styles


And So It Begins.

Not a mom yet over here but definitely privy to friends and family having kiddos of their own and, as such, acutely aware that this is yet another industry (tacked onto career decisions, wedding planning, if and when and where to settle down) in which everyone and their mothers (pun intended!) have an opinion that they absolutely must, must share.  Be it facebook walls, (new) dinner conversation, or walks in the park, weighing pros and cons, morals and values over infants who don't even have vocal chords yet is in constant and ever-present motion.  Enjoy!

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