Pretty much the best birthday ever

Today I, like so many who have gone before me, turned 28. It was pretty much the best day ever. I love being unemployed but not poor.

The day started with an 8am trip to Bryant Park for ice skating. But it turned out that the ice rink was closed to the public until 10am because they were hosting the Simpson Movie DVD Release Party there. So we sat in the park and had a lovely breakfast that Corina provided: Ben and Jerry's was handing out free ice cream to celebrate the Simpson Movie. The flavor: donut and beer. I had some (see me holding it above) but it did not taste the way that beer smells. I kind of think it was ginger-donut flavored. But there's no way to know for sure. It was an adventure.

Then we looked at the very lovely display windows at Lord and Taylors. I liked them so much, I did a little dance in front of most of them. There were photos, but they're on Alejandro's camera and he's in Monte Carlo now, so I guess I can't post them.

Then Alejandro gave us a tour of the GQ office (by which I mean GQ the magazine AKA Gentleman's Quarterly. But's it's monthly now which is why they changed the name to GQ--just some useful trivia)

(Everything I saw there is strictly confidential.)

Then we went back to the Bryant Park Ice Rink, where the skates were FREE in celebration of above mentioned Simpsons Movie DVD release party. I also got some free hot chocolate. I managed to get this picture of Corina dancing on the ice before I was told that electronic devises were not allowed on the ice:

We skated for twenty minutes and I was very good even though it had been ten years since I've been skating. I didn't fall or even wobble the whole time I was skating, and then I totally wiped
out exiting the ice area. To prove that I actually went, I took a picture of our feet in skates:

(I'm the one in blue on the left. It looks droopy because I had just had that fall and my leg was feeling under the weather)

Upon exiting the rink, I was given a free donut Homer Simpson style: (notice my hand with the donut in the foreground and Homer's matching hand in the background. we thought that was pretty artsy)

Then we were off to Moods fabric store (as seen on Project Runway) to get some swatches. On the way there, we found and bought this totally awesome new winter coat for me for only $40. It is from Esprit and was originally $300:
After Mood's I went home and took a two hour nap. Napping is pretty much my favorite thing. Then I woke up and watched some "30 Rock" "The Office" and "Pushing Daisies" on the internet. Then I got really bored for about 90 minutes and wished I had a job and couldn't muster the enthusiasm to do any of the important things on my "Things I Like to Do in the Rare Event that I have Free Time" list. Such moments in my life are rare and a pleasant reminder of how full of lovely things my life is.

Then it was time to get ready for my b-day get-together. I decided to have just a few friends over for dinner, so I (with the help of Corina, who had been at work while I was sleeping, catching up on my TV and being bored) prepared my famous potato soup and baking powder biscuits. My friends came over around 9 and we had a fun time.

My roommate Christina got me a tuba-gram. It was awesome!!! This is a picture of me dancing behind Marcus the Professional Tuba Player while he played any song I wanted, which was pretty cool. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only current New Yorker to have rung in her 28th birthday in such a manner.

As per my request, my friend Ann made me gingerbread cookies with chocolate and butterscotch chips for my birthday dessert (super yum!) and Marcus accompanied everyone on the tuba as they sang me "Happy Birthday." It was all captured on video, and I would post that here, but I lack the skills, so this will have to do: (If I had known my small, intimate birthday gather with friends would result in so many pictures, I would have changed out of my pajamas and done my hair. I guess I didn't think this through very clearly.)

So, as you can tell I had a super incredibly awesome day!!! I'm pretty sure this is going to be an awesome year! For serious.

Dry Eyes, Warm Heart? My first day of unemployment

Other titles considered for this post:
-I wore jeans
-"An experience so unique it define mere words"


It has been such a time of whirlwind adventures, I don't even know where to start. Well to simplify, I will make this blog entry in outline form (sorry the formating below is so weird--I cut and pasted from Word)
1. Goodbye party with co-workers

a. Lovely ice cream cake and very kind words from my co-workers

b. Super funny cards

i. “Don’t leave me with this people!”

ii. “Before you leave, just know…we only talk about people who aren’t here”

iii. (also very kind words in the cards)

c. pressure because I think some of my co-workers might be reading my blog now, since I made and handed out cards with my contact info (including my blog) at said party

d. I love you guys!!! I'll miss you!! Here's a picture of me waving goodbye (courtesy of Lois)

2. Celebratory Play that Evening

a. Title: The Last Jew in Europe

b. My review: This is the best I can do: it was bad. Mind-blowingly bad. I find it almost impossible to put my thoughts and feelings about this play together, which is fitting since the writer/director seemed to have the same problem. It just was weird and made no sense, but not in that intentional way. It was $23 worth of funny, but that is not what they were going for.

c. Professional review from the poster outside: “So unique it defines mere words.” I really think that about wraps it up.

3. My plea: Please do NOT go. I really don’t want to encourage them to make anything else like this.

4. Celebratory Brunch of Unemployment Freedom Thursday Morning

a. With non-traditionally employed friends who were available at 11 am on a work day

b. Made potato latkes in celebration of Chanukah

c. A good time was had by all

5. Ophthalmologist visit

a. My regular readers know this has been an on-going problem for me

b. Must use my insurance before my coverage lapses December 31st

c. Got a referral and saw a non-quack. He inspired confidence.

d. Got to do a test that involved sitting still for five minutes with two white strips attached to my bottom of my eye. It was fun--whoever knew that such a thing existed. Also, my eyes got yellow dye (different test)

e. Diagnosis: eye dryness combined with seasonal allergies produces the bumps. Also possible contact intolerance, which is what I’ve been experiencing lately. I was given a lubricating prescription

f. Interesting fact: eye dryness and mouth dryness go together.

6. Off to be trained for temp job tomorrow—only one day of unemployment!