Officially Old

I thought it would happen when I got my own couch. It didn't.
I thought it would happen when I got my first unexplained body ache. It didn't.
I thought it would happen when I started paying for my own insurance and utilities. It didn't.
I thought it would happen when I decided that one of my favorite activities is an evening at home alone. It didn't.
I thought it had happened when I did an entire blog post about how old I'm getting, but apparently it did not.

This is the moment I passed the proverbial threshold into old age: one of the attorneys brought his son to work today. We were chatting and I told him I used to like to hang out at my dad's office when I was younger because I could play in the computer labs and (quote) "When i was your age, people didn't have computers."

Just hand me over a rocking chair, and start calling me granny.

If someone tells you you're one in a million, that means there's a thousand of you in China

It turns out I have another celebrity look-a-like.

Of course most of you know that I'm a dead ringer for Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe on 24)
The above picture I think captures the likeness the best, but I like the one below better



Although I look the most like Mary Lynn and have been mistaken for her a few times (most recently by a nice orthodox man in the elevator at work), I have been told recently that I look like Emily Watson (not the girl from Harry Potter, the lady from Miss Potter. Which now that I think about it is kind of a fun similar movie name coincidence):

Not to be cocky or anything, but I do tend to think I'm a better-looking version of either of these two. But perhaps I am getting too big of a head--just last month someone in my ward was so excited because I looked just like Princess Nuala from Hellboy II. At first I was excited because "Princess" anybody sounds like a compliment, but then I looked her up:


I am not currently claiming her as a celebrity look-a-like.

Four Options

The problem of a perfectly wonderful life with no change on the horizon which I mentioned in my last blog still hangs heavily over my head. Thus far, I have come up with three "escape plans" from my perfect life as listed below:

Option 1: Join the Air Force
I mean, the reasons here are countless. I came up with 10 just off the top of my head last night when my roommate asked what I was thinking. But I will spare you the details. I think it would be a fun and unexpected adventure. I could be an officer you know. Plus, the pay is pretty good, I'd qualify for veteran benefits, I could use the GI bill when I get out to perhaps live my dream of being a full-time student for the rest of my life, and the Air Force is very family friendly. The perks go on and on.

Option 2: Move to Asia
I was originally thinking of Korea because I have a friend who just moved there and she has a four bedroom house all to herself. But then my Korean roommate told me that Korea is pretty much just like New York City. Now I'm thinking maybe China or Taiwan. If worse came to worse, I could teach English but I feel optimistic about some expat needing me. Or maybe a job in the hospitality industry.

Option 3: --gag-- Move to Salt Lake City
Because ALL of my sisters live in Utah. And if I lived downtown, I could pretend it was a big city.

Option 4: Suck it up and keep on loving my life
Because REALLY what's not to love about my current life? Why am I obsessed with the need for change? Am I somehow just sabotaging my life? Why this fear of things going so well? Maybe I should just take up a new hobby. Yoga, perhaps. Or I could write a novel (loosely based on my own life, of course.) Now would be the perfect time to finally learn reiki!! Or, as my roommate said yesterday "Maybe now is a good time to take that pole dancing class you're always talking about."

Please feel free to share your opinion on the survey to the right.

Happy Anniversary!

This week marks my one year in blogging! Yipee! To celebrate, I've decided to do a year in review post.

Some highlights of the last 12 months:

I started a new job.

I became vegan (three months and going strong).

I started biking.

I saw 15 Broadway shows (2 or 3 were technically off-Broadway).

I got a lease with only my name on it. (I like to think this is the Manhattan equivalent of buying a house, but I know it isn't actually.)

I bought my first ever CD player (crazy, but I've never actually owned my own before).

I started my food storage.

I started and completed my first-ever home decorating project.

I finally went to Boston in the fall.

I took up and gave up jogging.

I became assistant shift coordinator at the temple.

I discovered the beauty that is the Manhattan bagel.

I switched from being an extrovert to being an introvert with extrovert-like qualities.


Things I have not done:
had an international trip (I'm thinking Costa Rica in early December)
played tennis (why did I bother learning?)

My life experience has pretty much been that just about every year gets even better than the last one. That has definitely been true this year, but in a very different way. Normally a good year is filled with non-stop fun and adventures, staying out late every night, going all the time, doing everything that life has to offer, etc. This year I went through a social cleansing, followed by a period of intense antisocialness (using the vernacular definition and not the clinical one) which I have come to think of as an emotional cocoon period. I came out a more peaceful person. I have always felt so blessed to have so much happiness and peace in my life, but I feel like I have reached a whole new level of internal peace this year. I know that I disappointed some people during my antisocial stage and that makes me very sad, but I am so happy for the experience. It's hard to say how I changed during that period and I am of the opinion that things close to your heart don't belong on your blog, but I'd say I'm just more centered now. Also I really really value having time to spend with myself now.

So this is my current life stage: deciding what to do when life is so close to perfect. I am a person who likes change, so what happens when I can't tell how the external elements of my life could be improved upon? I am having a big need for some sort of something different in my life, but what would I change? My job? I love my job. My apartment? I love my apartment. My hair? I really like my hair right now. Leave New York all together? I super love New York. But I do want a big change. Any thoughts?

Sans Computer: Day Two

Yesterday morning I had a dream that I had developed the psychic ability to surf the internet in my mind.

It's weird not to be able to check the weather in the morning.

This is not a good week to prepare a sacrament meeting talk. But for some random reason, I was chosen by a high councilman to be his touring speaker. It should be fun, but darn it if the internet isn't a nice resource for speech-giving. It's almost like I'm in high school again before this "internet" thing really took off.

I don't mind not have a computer so much since I bought myself on of these bad boys: Now I might not have the internet but at least I have music.

Life is good.

The good news is the warranty is good for another week

The bad news is that I will be without my laptop for an unknown length of time as I send it to Texas to get fixed.

Sigh. I am already so far behind in my blogging. So many wonderful stories to tell. Sigh.

Report on Vacation--Just the facts

Yipee for vacation! Yipee for extended family reunions!!

My week in Michigan was everything a vacation should be: relaxing, beautiful scenery, bonding with wonderful family, fun activities.

This is the beach of Lake Huron. I have officially changed my position to liking the great lakes better than the ocean--the freshwater is a refreshing change and there are NO jellyfish. There are enough waves to keep it interesting, but not enough that they require any energy at all. Why oh why did I not appreciate Michigan more when I lived there?

I got to go canoeing. It was super fun. I have included here a picture of my niece because she is way cuter in a canoe than I am. I will spare you the story about how cute she was at first and how cranky she got at the end (but if you want to hear the story, I am happy to tell you if you ask). The fellow in the back is my awesome brother-in-law Josh.

Here is a small, random sample of the extended family with whom I bonded.

And yes, there were even education opportunities. This is me and some cousins and an aunt by a wanigan at the Lumberman Monument State Park. In case you're wondering, a wanigan is a floating cafeteria for the lumbermen who worked the river--camp was too far so they'd eat at the wanigan and sleep on the ground on the bank of the river.

After the official extended family reunion, I got to spend a day in Saginaw with part of my immediate family and part of my extended family on the other side.

Joy of joy of joys I got to go blueberry picking!!! The local place is a berry farm/ used book store/ travel agency. Seriously. And it is awesome.

























Our family rule growing up was "No pick-y, no eat-y." Now as an adult-ish person, I am beginning to understand the beauty and wonder of picking and eating your own food. Another highlight of the vacation was watering Mom's container garden on the back patio (not pictured). There is just something about the smell of water coming out of a hose that is so intriguingly different from the smell of rain--perhaps part of the memory of summer recreation as a child.

And because no one other than me cares, I will skip over the account of me finding and buying a skirt that I'm fairly sure I recognize from the premortal existence.

Have a nice weekend!....What? It's not the last day of your work week?

Tomorrow morning I take off for my vacation at Lake Huron (which is not as pretty as Lake Michigan but is still very pretty, as you can see below)

It's a good thing I will be wearing flip flops the rest of the week because my feet are swollen to the point of not fitting into my ultra comfortable ballet flats. (My instinct is to make some sort of a pregnancy scare joke here, but I just can't figure out how to pull that off, so I'll skip it.)

(I know this doesn't really fit in here, but I just want to say regarding my sunburn-- that I WAS wearing sunscreen (spf 50) which I reapplied throughout the day.)

Another shout-out to Michigan--everyone there has air conditioning. Yipee!!

Also my niece Ellie (who I'm sure you'll be happy to know talks in complete sentences) will be there

Family reunions are pretty much the best.

Things to be thankful for

1. I got to go to my favorite beach today.
2. The many, many, many, many, many, many jellyfish that were there did not sting.
3. I chose to leave the beach when I did.
4. Ibprofen.
5. That my roommate has an air-conditioned room where I can hang out so my sunburn doesn't hurt as much.




























6. That my lower back and upper thighs escaped the sun's wrath.
7. That I have not been this badly sunburned since 2004.

Reason 70,000 that I love my life

Subtitle: the new sink strainer

The strainer in our kitchen sink broke a few months ago and has not been doing its job properly. I've been waiting for the super to bring us a new one. All my my hopes and dreams were realized when this morning he gave me this little bit of brilliance:
Yes, that is a rainbow-colored hot air balloon. Yes, the name of the product is "Strainer Art Decorative Sink Drainer." Yes, that is Mona Lisa as their spokesperson. And yes, you read correctly, the price was a mere 99 cents (reduced from $4.99).

I can't say that I love the strainer, but I can say that I love that this is the strainer they gave us.