it's the little things

Today while travelling to grab some lunch I passed by a gentleman walking while singing and playing a ukulele.

Because that is something I'm sure everyone sees all the time.

This city constantly sup rises and delights me to this day. Not that living here nine years is forever, but still.

My god, nine years and I'm still working for the man. Really, I've got to do something about that. Not that it isn't on my radar, I've been using the Lululemon Goal Site to keep track of where I go next.

Of course first on the list is to do a handstand without a wall. So we'll see how that whole non-corporate life thing measures up...

so sad

Yes he was reclusive, eccentric, and clouded in mystery. But all the same I find myself greatly saddened by the untimely death of Michael Jackson.

Like many of you I have been glued to my TV for the past several hours, shocked by his death. I don't know why. Maybe because in spite of all his oddities his gifts of music and dance have permeated our culture to such a point that we can't imagine the world without him.

In memoriam a re post of my brush with his greatness back in early 2001. R.I.P Michael Jackson.

_______________________________________

I got to meet Michael Jackson once. I spent two hours with him, as a matter of fact. As his waitress.

Fresh off the metaphorical boat to NYC, I was working two jobs, publishing assistant by day and server at a swanky restaurant by night. The wait staff had a mix of experience, newbies like me who had been on the island for five months, and a score of actors who had been slinging drinks in between gigs for years. Imagine my surprise when I go into work and found out that I was to be the lucky person to wait on MJ and his production crew. They were in town to record his last album.

They were late; they had to lose the paparazzi on the way to the restaurant. He came in, his foot in a cast and wearing the facemask. Once in the banquet room the mask came off and the party of six relaxed a bit.

Michael Jackson was very pleasant, polite, and subdued. He ordered vegetable broth and orange soda. The rest of his party ate and drank like kings - on his dime. They whole meal they pandered for his attention, trying to engage him in conversation. I have to admit, he did his best to comply.

There was definitely something off about him. It was like there was a heavy fog surrounding him, emitting this weird "please, just let me be" vibe. You could sense that he was so tired of always having to give something to everyone. Really, every single person who met him wanted to be acknowledged, noticed, touched. I realized the greatest service I could give to him was to let him alone as much as possible.

I felt profoundly sorry for him. You could just tell that fame had scarred him so deeply there was probably no recourse. He would have to be completely un-famous for at least twenty years to even regain a semblance of normality. This man did not just give the world music, dance, and culture. He gave the world his life and his sanity. Was it worth it?

proof of age

Oh, I've got one for ya.

On occasion after a tough day I'll have a beverage at home before I hit the hay. It doesn't have to be much, and for a nightcap I'm not going to be picky.

Often I've done various mixed drink variations, If there is vodka on hand I'll make do with lime juice, soda water, some kind of drink mix. Several things will work to make straight liquor a cocktail.

Tonight? Well to mix with vodka I had my orange flavor Metamucil on hand as well as some soda water.

Everyone can use a little fiber, right?

Right?

Dude.

Oh...

Dude.

But really, is it so wrong to ask for intoxication and regularity at the same time?

**Question you will never hear posed by a 20-something**

BTW - Tasted pretty good. Note for retirement parties....

rollover

So I signed up for rollover minutes with my cell phone plan.

I don't talk on the phone much.

Guess how many anytime minutes I have.

4,507. That's 75 hours. Three days uninterrupted. Who wants to guess how quickly I burn through these in April once my yogi plan goes live? Ha.

c'mon

This morning I think the NYT is having a joke on me.

In the article that states that we are just steps away from the cure to a common cold, the picture of the nasty rhinovirus is posted...



Dude, its a soccer ball. With stars on it.

Gotta be a prank, I swear...

pushing yourself

Howdy readers! Sorry for the radio silence. You know when I started this thing I couldn't wait to write another post. I would think about it all the time, obsessed with coming up with good material and getting it on the World Wide Web. But now? Not so much.

Hmmm. Wonder why.

Anyhoo the other day I was in a yoga class and I discovered something. I can lower myself from plank position and hover halfway down (known as Chaturanga Dandasana) for days on end. That wasn't the discovery; I've been building that strength for months.

The discovery was that the teacher asked us to reverse the flow and come up from the hover I couldn't do it. Not even one.

My god. I have become a freak of nature with built triceps and no biceps at all.

Fortunately I am not one to resign myself to my fates. In discussing my revelation with friends last night a game plan was hatched. In the form of a challenge. My friend Ctina had told me a while ago about a website that has a program to reach 100 push-ups in just six weeks.

(At the bar I was remembering incorrectly that it was 100 push-ups in 100 days, but 42 days is even more impressive!)

Luckily I'm not the only person I know who likes to set crazy fitness goals and work with elaborate training plans. My buddy Squirrel heard the idea and was sold.

Thus this Monday starts THE CHALLENGE. I don't recall if there was any kind of wager as to completing said gauntlet, but I'm pretty sure when I kick Squirrel's ass I'll be able to tease him mercilessly for months. Years even.

You know, I'm willing to bet that we can get quite a good group together on this one. I'm totally tagging Ctina, Seattle Girl, my sister and her husband, Spaghetti, Colorado Dman, GM Paul, and Vegas Dawn. One because I think they would enjoy joining in our little adventure, two because I will love torturing them should they fall short of the goal.

Who's in??

torn

So besides loving destination NYE (which I still will post about!!) I also adore destination birthdays. And being that my birthday is four days after Vday if I can be gone then too it is a major bonus.

Of course now that I am a proud owner and user of a Passport I am itching to get some more stamps.

One idea I had was to go to a week long yoga retreat in Costa Rica. All inclusive vegetarian meals and two classes a day. Problem was that it was two grand before airfare. Ouch.

Today I received an email with London airfare sales. Total round trip with two free nights in a hotel for five hundred bucks. This I could do in more of a long weekend, four or five nights.

Then on a whim I checked the yoga retreat and they are having a recession special - it is down to nineteen hundred bucks WITH the airfare.

I'm torn. Right now I'm leaning toward London because it is shorter and cheaper. But on the other hand Costa Rica is warm and sunny this time of year. And yoga is good for you.

Decisions, decisions.

soooo cold

Okay, so this morning I woke up to no heat.

Again.

Second time this week, maybe the fifth or sixth time since I've been here. Always on the really cold days. And when there is no heat there is no hot water either, so I can't even warm up in the shower.

Aren't there laws about this???

During the week my saving grace has been this amazing invention, Ojon Rub-Out Dry Cleanser.

This stuff is AMAZING. Sadly my hair gets visibly greasy in a mere 24 hours. Thus the need to wash my hair daily. Which is torture in a cold shower when my apartment has no heat. But with this product a mere spray, rub, and brush later my hair looks fantastic. Good as new. And fullness and body?? Gorgeous.

Methinks with curly or already too-full hair this might be a bit much, but if you have those problems do you really have to wash your hair everyday anyway?

Anyhoo, this stuff rocks my world. So much that if you are getting gifts from me this year you already know it will be one of those wrapped items.

Now if my heat would be just as reliable as this hair product...

what to do when it is cloudy

Day two in the canaries we woke up to overcast skies somewhere just shy of noon. After a short walk we were able to find a place that served English breakfast (baked beans anyone?) and hit the beach.

It was cold without sun.

Luckily that's when TJ and Chris showed up. TJ is a friend of Kzoo Jen's from Kellogg and Chris is his boyfriend. They had already been in the islands for a week, and wanted to head up to the coast to see the cliffs. We were game, so we headed up to Los Gigantes.

Do you see that spec just a little bit left and below the first cliff? That's an entire pirate ship. (or what looked like one.) The cliffs were big indeed. Driving to them was reminiscent of driving highway 1 in California, and Kzoo Jen felt a little bubbly in the tummy so we headed next for some soda. Warm soda of course, since they don't really try hard to chill beverages on Tenerife.

Los Gigantes itself was nestled in the valley of some cliffs, complete with tiny winding one way roads that snaked over and around each other all the way to the water.

That would be an unsuspecting TJ in the bottom left corner.

The next day was overcast as well, so we all spent the most of our time eating, sleeping, and drinking the night away. We pretty much spent the most of our time in an Irish pub.
Yes, I know. We travelled across the world and I still ended up in an Irish pub. But you don't understand!!! There was a live band!! And even ten year old kids were dancing on the tables!! Just look at that crowd!

We danced with the Irish, the English, and even some locals. Oh, and I suppose it was a bonus everyone automatically spoke our language. Didn't notice that at the time.

We also got to help celebrate TJ's birthday, which was the 30th. Here is a picture of TJ and Chris in front of the birthday dessert feast that Chris put together to celebrate. Note everything is chocolate. Joy!!

world traveller

The rest of the holiday in Dtown was good if not downright uneventful. Exchanged some gifts, ate some food, watched children run around. For fun I handed my iphone to my five-year-old nephew who then took a few pics....

And then off to the Canary Islands with Kzoo Jen!! We saw each other briefly at DTW and then traveled our separate airlines to Madrid, Spain. We flew into Tenerife without incident, and were able to navigate the bus system to make it from the north to the south part of the island without too much pain.

Although I did learn that a handy translator on the iphone is neat, but if you don't understand answers to your questions you kind of are screwed anyway. Mental note - before traveling to another foreign speaking country I am reviewing my number translations. Anything in Spanish over ten just confused me.

Our first night on the town of Las Playas de Americas I discovered something amazing. Callers were paid a euro for each person they were able to solicit into coming into a bar, and we were given free shots and two for one drinks for being that new customer.

Free shots people!!

Okay, they weren't quite an ounce and most of the time they were more like a juice drink, but free booze is free booze.

Which can have an unfortunate side effect. On our way out of the second to last bar of the evening some guys were playing this punching bag game. It was one of those teardrop shaped bags, and the challenge was to hit it as hard as you could and find out how forceful your blow was.

These gents encouraged myself and Kzoo Jen to give it a whirl. I stood in front of the game, drew back my hand, and threw all my weight into my blow.

Unfortunately the floor was wet beneath me. And I have no idea how to throw a punch. My feet flew out from underneath me and I fell forward.

On my face.

Yeah, not kidding. My face hit first, hands never had a chance to catch up.

My first worry? My veneers!! I just got the damn things! Luckily they seemed secure. But then my lip swelled up. Because that is sexy. Oh yeah.

But don't worry, that didn't spoil my fun. We went to another bar so I could get a nice cold beer to ice my lip. Who says I don't know anything about first aid??

happy holidays! (much belated)

My holidays were just great, thank you very much!

Yeah, it has taken me a week to get around to blogging. Proof positive that it still rates high on my list, I'm doing this but I haven't gotten around to unpacking yet.

Thus you get a glimpse into how my priorities are structured.

Christmas itself was a lot of fun. For me. My sister and brother in law were hella sick. Katie had a super painful sinus infection and Scho had a dry hacking cough. They were real troopers though; they were amazing hosts in spite of their pain.

We did our second annual trip to Sidetracks in Ypsi for the FANTASTIC beer battered pickles. (mmmmmm) And of course we played a little Rock Band. Hell, feeling a little better they let me teach them some yoga on Christmas morning.

Katie really did go above and beyond. On Christmas Eve day we wanted to go into A2 for some Indian food but her head was throbbing, so she allowed me to give her on of my post-op vicodin. By the time we got to the restaurant the pain had gone down a bit, so she acquiesced to a second pill.

She didn't eat very much of the buffet though, complaining of a slight upset stomach. She mentioned that she thought it might be the drugs. Which I can understand, after my abdominal wall reconstruction both vicodin and percoset made me nauseous.

Sis powered through the meal, and we decided to check out the brand spanking new Whole Foods that just opened on the west side of Ann Arbor. We needed to eat something that night, and I wanted to pick up some healthy snacks for my impending travels.

Happily the parking lot was not too full, and we ventured into the world of overpriced healthy stuff. Sweet bounty of all things wholesome and natural, we slowly browsed the aisles of sweet, sweet nutrition packed opulence. And joy of joys, we found Katie's favorite beer in stock in the back of the restaurant! We had been searching for this Bell's seasonal beer in the pink box for the past 24 hours, to no avail. Sold out everywhere else, we celebrated our bounty.

Then we moved towards the prepared foods section to select our dinner. Sis then turned to me and said,

"I think I'm going to throw up"

Well we immediately pinpointed an employee and asked the location of the restrooms. Front of store. With a sense of urgency belying our calm, we started to move past the open buffets.

Then it happened. Katie slowed down, and cupped her mouth with her hands. She held it together for a second, a breath. Then her stomach contracted and liquid shot out from between her fingers, jet propelled in all directions.

At this point she had to drop her hands as she heaved again, albeit just straight down - to minimize the radius of expulsion.

You would think we would have caused a stir. But no. It was over in less than ten seconds. One employee did witness the last relief and handed her his towel. She then was able to make a break for the bathroom. I stood there with the employee for a minute, wondering if I should baby-sit the mess until it got cleaned up. Then I decided my sister was more important and joined her in the front of the store.

We didn't end up buying the beer. Or any dinner. We can however sleep easy now knowing that she will never have a problem with addiction to painkillers.

More about the holidays to come...

never a dull...body

Just a quick update on the knee. Had a follow up appt with my doc, and he told me it wasn't my meniscus that was messed up. It was a much more rare injury, a break in my articular cartilage the size of a quarter.

Which means the coating on my femur that makes movement smooth had a big rough spot. Therefore my doc smoothed it back out.

Good news is that it is an even faster recovery time. Two more weeks and I can start jogging again.

Bad news is that if this was a genetic origin then I may need partial knee replacement down the line.

BUT that will happen with or without running. So I am going to use my handy dandy bright side disease and believe that the pseudogout caused the wear and tear and now everything is hunkey dorey.

So I'll try to get one more post in before my holiday travels. Because with all this busy stuff happening I've had an adventure or two,

That's right people, I actually have things to blog about again. Stay tuned.

pretty snow!!

It is about frickin' time it really snowed here in NYC. How the heck do you get in the holiday spirit without snow??

Okay, yes I work around the corner from the Rockefeller Center tree. I guess that helps.

So as many of you know yesterday was my arthroscopic knee surgery to correct my torn meniscus. All went fine and dandy, my health is okay and my joint outlook is rosy.

My surgery was scheduled for noon, which really meant two to three hours of me sitting around repeating my birth date and what part of me was to be operated upon to about ten people. Guess they were worried about cutting the wrong piece of me up. Which is good to know, that they care I mean. Not that there is probably a reason for their paranoia.

Much to my relief they did the whole procedure with me under general anesthesia, which means I was knocked the heck out. The original anesthesia doc suggested I get a spinal, which made me nervous. As much as you would think to the contrary I really have no desire to be awake when someone is rooting around in my body. Hell, a sonogram of my heart beating almost made me hyperventilate.

Maybe an hour after being knocked out I awoke in the operating room - groggy with my knee trussed up in padding and ace bandages. The surgeon long gone to his next patient.

The recovery room nurses let me know that yes indeedy I could put weight on my leg and all I would need to walk would be a cane. I was given a prescription for some vicodin, and then when I proved I could walk to the bathroom without collapsing they let Thighs accompany me back home. (Thanks again Thighs!)

Frankly there was no pain leaving the hospital, my leg felt totally fine. Which was nice. I filled my painkiller prescription, popped a couple, and was promptly asleep by 10:00.

And of all the stuff they gave me and I gave myself wore off somewhere around 6:00 am. Holy crap it was hard to miss.

Dude, painkillers really work. The pain for real was a bitch. Which reflecting upon it makes sense - the literally rotor-rooted my knee, scraping out a bunch of bad padding. That should make a mark!!

Today I got my booty back to work, taking a cab in the am and dosing on my meds. It is better that I keep a little active; I have to move around at least every hour to prevent a stroke. (Good times) Besides, the more I keep my leg strength up, the quicker I recover and can get back to RUNNING!!

Doc said I can jog in four weeks. That was pre-surgery, so I'll hear for sure in my follow up appt on Thursday. Fingers crossed!!

little gains

Tonight, as a reward for completing my yoga teacher training, I decided to treat myself to a spa treatment.

Being that I lost a few pounds I figured I would enhance the effect by getting the quadruple thighpass. Which incorporates, and I quote:

A serious anti-cellulite treatment for those with "thigh" anxiety. An "all points attack" on orange-peel leaning legs. With a custom-blended microcirculation-stimulating essential oil, sluggish lymph gland handling, and two types of thigh-smoothing, toxin-purging massage. After 6 sessions, you'll be looking absolutely fabu-legs.

Ummmmmmmmmm

Yeah. It involved a pump machine with high suction. And a suction cup. That pulled my forearm skin (no fat there) up an inch. To test so I would be prepared.

Do you have ANY idea what it did to fattier tissue?

Ouch.

Oh wait.

Right, ouch.

Treat? What treat?

Damn you spas and your so-called beauty regimens. Torture to look pretty I say.

But really what do we ever do to look good that feels good as well? Yeah, nada. Waxing? Plucking? Shaving?

Dammit, being pretty is painful.

transitions

Lord I'm so glad we are in December. Why you may ask?

First of all I'm just about done with the yoga teacher training course. One more day and I'm yoga alliance certified to teach!

It has been a lot of fun and a great journey, but let me tell you 200 hours over three months really eats into your free time. By no means was it horrible, but I definitely got lazy once I stopped working two jobs.

Secondly some serious time off is approaching. I fly out of NYC on the 23rd and I'm not back until Jan 2nd.

Yes I'll be in Dtown for the actual xmas holiday, but only for four nights. Thank god. It is fun to see my sis and whatnot, but too much time (as my loyal readers know) in my hometown drives me BONKERS.

The real impending joy is the week after xmas. The week I'll be spending in the Canary Islands with Kzoo Jen. OH MY GOD THIS IS GOING TO BE GREAT. Time on the beach, maybe a little surfing. Or wind surfing. Or kite surfing. Who knows? Endless possibilities.

Finally, the biggest reason I am thrilled to be in this month is what next year holds for me. By getting my certification I can go ahead and make my future my own. Sure the idea of a business plan seems monumental, and the idea of being my own boss is kind of scary.

Scary like a roller coaster though. Or white water rafting. Next year I am going to live my life getting to capitalize on the real me, not the corporate clone life that I have boxed myself into.

The real work is about to begin, but it will be such a relief to be passionate about my life again. Hooray!!

oh my

Sis just informed me that my brother and sister in law are expecting their fifth child.

Jeez. Guess that rhythm method REALLY works.

As a happy distraction from my sibling repopulating the earth, experience the joy of sci fi...and tell me why do I now have a crush on Spock? That's a new one.

old habits

Tonight I went to my first yoga party. The 7th anniversary of the yoga studio I am affiliated with.

Frankly I was kind of worried. Would the people be uber spiritual? Would it be entirely vegan and clean living?

Four glasses of wine and a conversation about piercing genitals later, I realized that a party is a party is a party. And me? I love them all.

Tomorrow morning I may not feel the same way...

transformation

Earlier this week I was catching up with Kzoo Jen, talking about our upcoming trip to the Canary Islands and our lives and whatnot when she asked if all this yoga was making me more spiritual.

Funny, I hadn't really given it much thought. But to my own surprise I actually responded 'yes'.

It is kind of hard not to feel a little more centered and enlightened after spending hours a week meditating and focusing on chakras and energy. Sure, sometimes the stuff we discuss is a little out there and woo-woo. Every now and then I find myself thinking to myself 'you gotta be kidding me' when we are told to flow with the energy in the room.

But it isn't just the meditation. The actual physical practice not only has made me physically stronger, more flexible, and improved my balance, but also has a way of clearing my head. Something about asana moves all the fluids around in a way that makes me think better.

That sounds kind of weird and is hard to describe, obviously. Yet it is so true. So the new found clarity combined with some age old wisdom found in the sutras really has helped me to grow.

So three weeks away from my certification am I almost a yogi? Maybe, just maybe, I am. Shanti shanti shanit, namaste.

Ohm. :)

jack of all trades

Soooo....anyone notice the newest item on sale at the Gap?

Anyone?

A bike. Adult bicycle for $500. Which as I recall from the five minutes I went bike shopping is actually a good price. And it even comes in argyle.

Whaddya think, never ride the subway again? Do you think they sell the matching helmet?

hope revisited

Today I went and saw my new orthopedic surgeon. All it took was five minutes of me detailing my saga and review of my MRI report. The doc asked a couple questions, tested out my knee, and then immediately jumped into what would should I choose to have my knee scoped.

I am now officially scheduled for an Anthroscopy on Dec 15th to repair my knee.

Hooray!! This doctor rocks, he told me everything that could be found and gave me hope. I may be able to be fixed! At some point I may run again!! (Would I take on another marathon? Ooh, I don't know about that one.)

It is an outpatient surgery, two little holes in my knee with a couple of stitches each. A couple weeks of light activity and I'm quite possibly back in business.

God, it was such a relief to hear positivity. I've been so used to doctors telling me what I can't do, and that I just need to accept my fate. It has been crazy hard for me to just give up!

It sounds loony with my medical history, but this is the first time I have ever done the whole second opinion thing. I highly recommend it.

dream world

Last night I had one of those really good conscious dreams. You know, one where you know you are dreaming and can change some things. Steer them your way.

In my dream I was on a stage with Anderson Cooper and he was flirting with me.

Now as we *sort of* know I am in real life not quite his type. Being that I am missing a Y chromosome. (I would hope.)

Since I was kind of aware in my dream every time the silver fox would bat his pretty eyelashes at me I would be confused, kind of backing away. It seemed I had to be mistaken, my perception seemed to be flawed. But the more I pulled away, the more Mr Cooper came on to me.

So I finally just stopped resisting. And it was great! My response to his attentions made Anderson so happy that he then felt motivated to introduce the both of us to Bono. Who did not by any means appreciate our attention.

Ah well. Guess you can't win them all over.

So here I am left in the cold light of day, trying to figure out who these people symbolize in my life. And why it had to be on a stage?

Who out there wants to be Bono? :)

try, try again

Today I decided I'm not going to give up on my knee just yet. Heck, I'm a healthy 30-something woman, something should be able to be done.

So I scheduled an appt with a new Orthopedic doctor. Hopefully one that would like to help me run again. Because I still miss a good jog in central park.

And yes, the marathon helped me make the decision to keep trying. That and a Fred Lebow documentary.

Oh, and the concept of making very good use of my health care...

insight

Entire conversation via email:

Me: Did you ever keep a diary? Just wondering...

Mom's reply: No, never did.
.
.
.

Yup, that was it. Direct response, no explanation and no expounding upon the inquiry.
.
.
.
If you have ever questioned my family ethic, just ponder this interaction for a moment.

Yeah.

just a thought

So as much as I am loathe to admit it, primetime TV just gave me some insight.

Tonight I was watching Grey's Anatomy, and this will not be a spoiler but more diaries from Meredith’s mother were discovered.

Being a normal human being I thought to my mother. The piece of rock whom only offers insight by act of supposition. The woman who I avoid and don't understand.

Damn the TV show, it occurred to me that my mother just never opened up to anyone. Which seems tragic. Then I wonder if I open up to anyone.

Oh, hello readers! So maybe I do.

Did my mother have an outlet though? What kind of doubts did she have at my age? Would she even remember? At my age she had three kids - hell I was six already.

So I just emailed to ask if she ever kept a diary. Frankly I doubt she remembers all her thoughts from 30 years ago. I'm shocked to read mine from just half a decade before now.

If you have children, I think the kindest thing you can give them is a record of your thoughts through life. Why not let them know that they are not alone? Hell, we all have to struggle. Understanding your parents went through something similar can only help.

One would think.

over the top

For the first ten seconds it seemed to have potential.

But then it got too geeky. And for a dork like me, that is a lot of geek.