Happy Halloween!

I'm recycling my past costumes since no one here in NY has seen them. Later today I will be dressed as a vampire, complete with teeth, and I'm going to the NY Halloween Parade!

Recharged

Children are such great role models for unconditional love.

I spent a few days in the happy home of my sister and brother-in-law and their kids, Anna (6) and Colin (4). The kids clamored for my attention and to hold my hand or sit beside me. It's nice being the Auntie.

I enjoyed seeing Anna's snaggletooth smile. She is missing both top front teeth and does a mean impression of a vampire, "I vant to suck your Blooooood!"

Everyone enjoyed the authentic bagels I brought, and I enjoyed filling my suitcase with TexMex staples. The kids loved their NY gifts. Anna exclaimed, "NY clothes!" and Colin loved the miniature replication of the 4 subway train that I take to and from work, "It's my number!" (He lays claim to the number of his age.)

It's starting to feel more like "home" when I come back to my apartment in the City. It was great to get to see family and friends over a long weekend, but I was glad to come home to my lonely kitty, too.

Lost in Transit

This is Anna's depiction of what happened to my luggage on the way to Austin.

I made it to Austin from Dallas just fine, but when I boarded the plane, they said the overhead bins were full and they HAD to check my bag. In addition to all my clothes and makeup, it held all my gifts for Anna & Colin and bagels for Jenn. (Anna has drawn wrapped presents with an arrow to show they were inside the bag.)

After many calls to Baggage Services over a 24-hour period, it seemed it was lost for good. I relented and bought some clothes and makeup and told the kids I would send them a care package from NY.

Then, just after midnight last night, they called! Seems my bag went to Los Angeles. So, the bagels from the East coast travelled all the way to the West coast before being eaten in Austin.

Rain, Rain, go away...

Yesterday, today and for the next couple days, the forecast is rain. I don't mind it, but NY in the rain is SO gray. Everything is gray. The buildings, the pavement, the sky. Most NYers carry black umbrellas and wear black or gray raincoats. Several people have rubber rain boots in bright colors, though. I don't have rain boots yet, but I have a lavender umbrella that I like to think brightens the streets a bit.

I'm also not too concerned about the forecast because I'm headed to Texas tomorrow! First to Dallas and then on to Austin. I really can't wait to see everyone, especially my beautiful niece and nephew. I'm hoping to stock up on snuggles, hugs and kisses.

Painting the Town

It's been warmer lately. They call it "Indian Summer." I was thankful there wasn't rain last Saturday, and grateful for the breeze as I joined thousands of other volunteers across the city in NY Cares Day.

I was assigned to a school in Brooklyn. I followed the directions and took the subway lines suggested, and I was surprised and delighted to find it was in a nice neighborhood. Although I was disappointed that we weren't painting anything as interesting as a mural, it was a beautiful day to spend outside, and I enjoyed talking to the other volunteers.





We scraped and painted the black iron fence around the building. Although you can't tell much by these pictures, it made a big difference in the appearance of the school. The assistant principal was on hand to thank us and feed us pizza for lunch.

And I made a new friend. :-) She's originally from Mexico, and she's sending me information about a cultural event next week celebrating the Day of the Dead. She told me there would be authentic Mexican food. Mmmm...

Hot, Sweaty but Looking Svelte

(I can't believe my Ben Affleck post - below - got no comments! Where are you guys?)

Ugh. The subway was disgustingly hot, steamy and crowded this morning. After all my primping in the bathroom, fixing my hair and makeup, I sweated like Niagara Falls on the subway ride. I was sandwiched between three people, so close our bodies were pressed up against each other, and not in a good way. I kept trying to tell myself, "it's only 3 stops...it's only 2 more stops..." When I only had one more stop to go, a seat opened up, and usually the closest person to it grabs it. The guy who was closest to the seat took pity on me and offered me the chance to sit. That helped a bit, as I could pull a makeshift fan out of my bag to create a small breeze for myself instead of having to focus on my balance.

Walking the couple blocks to work should help, but it's a muggy, gray day here around 72*.

On a different note, I love SPANX. If you are a woman and aren't familiar with this product, you should check it out. Besides the fact that it was created by a woman for women, it really works and is quite comfortable.

SPANX is a line of products designed to control the various bulge, jiggle or extra curve you don't want to showcase. I have tried almost all their products, with my favorites being the Power Panty, the Bod-a-Bing pants and the Bod-a-Bing shirt.

I'm also trying Weight Watchers again. Bring on the veggies! But until I reach a weight I'm more comfortable in, I'm glad I have SPANX!

Actor, Screenwriter & Director

So last night I met Ben Affleck. Ok, maybe that's overstating it. I attended a NY Times Talk event watching him be interviewed on stage by a overzealous journalist. But I was in the second row, and it was awesome.

The journalist was, as my colleague described, "prickly" to say the least. She hammered him on mistakes he's made in his career, how he might have learned from choosing those kinds of projects and how he's grown after being a "Kick Me" target by the media.

Ben was a really good sport, and he was quite funny. He never got ruffled by her questions, although sometimes he tried so hard to be politically correct in choosing his words, he got a bit tongue tied.

He was most eloquent when speaking about his new project, Gone Baby Gone, in which he wrote the screenplay based on a novel and directed. He was obviously more comfortable talking about his work rather than himself.


I was impressed. He seems like an intelligent guy, a normal guy, and his new movie definitely piqued my interest.

These types of events are so common in NY and make me really glad I can take advantage of them!

What Famous Leader Are You?

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

ha ha ha!

Focusing on Me

After my visit to Dallas a couple weekends ago, I realized that just as life has gone on for my friends there, I must move on with my life here and not spend as much time pining away for what I left in Dallas. I still miss them, but I decided that I can either focus on grieving or I can focus on what's my new reality.

I had a busy weekend. I went shopping on Saturday. The stores here are having boot sales, and after wearing my favorite black ankle-boots on Thursday in a downpour, I discovered the right shoe was no longer waterproof. I also had another pair of ankle-boots (in brown) that are quite shabby and need retiring, and I found great deals on some comfortable new pairs.

I also went to the farmer's market at Union Square. It's great, bustling with people and lots of fresh fruits and veggies. There's also a local winery (I haven't yet tried it) and honey, jam, cheese and farm-fresh lamb!

My big excursion this weekend, though, was with a new friend - L. My boss casually mentioned a few weeks ago that one of his old colleagues -- also a single thirty-something -- had moved to the City when I did and was also finding it hard to make friends. I insisted he introduce us right away! We hit it off, and we actually have quite a bit in common, not the least of which is being new to NYC. L and I met an acquaintance of hers and had a nice Italian dinner, followed by bar-hopping in a somewhat gay neighborhood with a gay friend of hers. There was lots of laughter and a good time was had by all.

L and I also spontaneously stopped in to a neighborhood psychic and had our palms read! It was interesting. I was told that I need to focus my energies on me right now, that I'm a little too scattered. :-) There was also the hope of a "soul mate" maybe next year and the possibility of two kids. I was also told I will have a long life and die of natural causes.

Explanation for Why NY-ers Seem Unfriendly

Read online:

Dr. Hallowell says that in a 1970 paper called "The Experience of Living in Cities," the psychologist Stanley Milgram foreshadowed what many of us are now experiencing. Intrigued by the 1964 murder of a New York City woman named Kitty Genovese, who was stabbed to death as 38 people watched from their apartments and didn't call the police, Milgram was able to show that the more data we process, the more we're forced to screen out. It's why people who live in small towns tend to make eye contact and say hello when they pass each other on the sidewalk, while people who live in cities pass each other blankly. Milgram said people's "span of sympathy" decreases as the amount of data they have to process increases.

full article: Crazy at Work?

Fall is in the Air

It's finally getting cooler and hopefully staying cooler this time. The shops in NY have great fall fashions and cute boots. People are already starting to bundle up, wearing jackets and scarves.

Yesterday, a couple coworkers were advising me to buy heavy jackets and multiple scarves, hats and gloves. And fuzzy boots that are waterproof. Everyone keeps warning me of the impending winter, but I am looking forward to it a bit. They said it's usually nice until January, and then gets gray, cold and miserable Jan-March. A good time to plan a beach vacation!

I was introduced to a great burger place last night, PJ Clarke's. Supposedly, it was Jackie O's favorite burger restaurant. It was yummy.

Quick Trip to Dallas

It was great being in Dallas again, if only for a couple days. It was nice to look around and know where things are. My BF picked me up at the airport, and we went straight to my favorite restaurant, Mi Cocina! Yum. It was almost surreal, though. The food tasted so familiar, it was like no time had passed.

On Saturday, I met up with Wendy and Lauren and Lauren's newest daughter, Ellie! Wendy and I had fun getting lots of snuggles from Ellie, who was 12 days old on Saturday. We had a good brunch...I had a chile relleno breakfast. So good.
















Then I had a massage, which I needed so much. The Chinese massage thing here in NYC is different and interesting, but I still like the deep tissue Swedish massage style best.

On Sunday, I got to meet another new little baby girl. My friends Ian and Lori had their second child, Nora, just two days after Lauren had Ellie. I also had fun playing with their son Jonah, who is 13 months.

BF and I had lunch one more time at Mi Cocina before she took me to the airport. I cried on the plane again, but not sobbing like I did when I moved here. It's weird, but I now don't feel like I belong there in Dallas and not quite yet here in NYC.

Just Another Day in NYC

I'm a little down today. Could be hormones. Could be that I'm in a lot of pain (my hip and back have been bothering me from the scoliosis...the chiropractor I found up here is not as good as the one I left in Dallas). I found myself a little claustrophobic this morning with the crowds in the subway and on the street walking to work. I thought of my uncle Lee's comment last week and all the wide open space they enjoy in Texas.

I find myself so jealous of other people and their social lives, even the small things you take for granted like having someone to eat meals with.

I continue to throw myself out there in attempts to make friends. Last night, I volunteered at a transitional housing unit, reading books and doing crafts with kids. A girl of 10 chose me, and she was a very good reader. She told me all about her family -- she kept interrupting her reading to talk to me -- and we had a good time painting pumpkin cut-outs.

I have been counting two things in my time here in NY: rat sightings and celebrity sightings. I'm currently at 4 rats, 2 celebs. The rats are gross but somehow fascinating to me, and the celebrity sightings always give me a thrill. (The first was Mario Cantone, second was Danny Devito)

Football, Cadet-Style

As I mentioned, I was invited to join my aunt, uncle and cousins at a West Point football game last weekend. It was beautiful weather and the campus was really striking.
All the cadets were in uniform and looked so smart. They were very spirited throughout the game, which was almost comical due to all the errors on both sides. But, the Black Knights pulled it off, beating Temple. (Army is ranked 115/117 in their division, and Temple is the 117th)

After the game, the Texas parents hosted a Tamale Cookoff. We had Shiner beer, imported from Texas, real tamales with beans and rice, and Blue Bell ice cream, also imported. It was heavenly!



Beverly and Robert posed for me outside the hall where we ate. In the background you can see the Hudson River.

Busy Week

Sorry I have not posted. It has been such a busy week, both at work and personally! I had two back-to-back client presentations yesterday, which was the cause of the work busy-ness, and I've had two family visits, which has been really great.

On Monday, my sister Steph and my lovely niece Evelyn came up to visit. I hadn't seen Evie since her birth-day, and she's so sweet and cute! She's very much a Mommy's girl right now, but she let me hold her without fussing for a few minutes. Steph took me to dinner at Gramercy Tavern, which I had heard about but not tried. We had a five course dinner of uniquely paired ingredients artfully placed on the plate. While five courses sounds obscenely filling, they were each very small, and I did not feel stuffed at the conclusion.

I got to see Steph and Evie again the next day for lunch in Soho. It was a warm day, and Evie looked very bohemian in the outfit Steph had dressed her in. It seemed so natural to meet them for lunch, but I didn't want to let them go!

Last night, I met my aunt Cinda, uncle Lee and their daughter Beverly for dinner. They came up to the apartment and ooh-ed and ah-ed over the view, then we headed to Midtown for dinner to be closer to Grand Central, where they were taking a train later. Their son Rob, who's at West Point, told them about the Indian food restaurant I had taken him to. I could tell by their less than enthusiastic responses and facial expressions that they weren't too sure about it, but they each tried everything I ordered and were surprised to find they liked it! At the end of the meal, they thanked me for introducing them to a new cuisine, and we hurried them back to Grand Central.

Lee was a bit flustered that we got to the train station 10 minutes before the train was to depart, but I knew we were close and they would make it. He doesn't travel much, and I think he's most comfortable in his rural setting. I was very proud of him for stepping outside his comfort zone, not only in coming to the Big City but also to try Indian food! (He had seconds of his favorite dishes.) He asked me as we were walking to the restaurant, "Are you used to this, Emily?" referring to the busy streets and people everywhere. I explained that I've always been a City Girl, so I'm comfortable with it. He seemed surprised!

Tomorrow, I will take the train up to West Point to see them again and watch Army play football. It wasn't too sad saying goodbye since I know I'll see them again soon.

The View from Here

Last week, I had dinner with a potential vendor. I had met her while I was at my last company, and I think their product is very interesting so I invited her to present to my new team. She discovered that we both went to the same university, and now that I'm in NYC, she says we Texan girls have to stick together. (She lives in Connecticut, but works for a company in the city.) I told her my biggest challenge has been meeting friends, and she said she wanted to introduce me to a guy from her company -- not as a date, but she said he's a widower and is also looking to meet new friends.

So, she brought him along to dinner. I'm a big believer in chemistry, and right away, I could tell there wasn't any. However, I do need friends, so I just approached it with that in mind. We had a nice dinner, mostly talking about business. This guy lives very near me, and when he said his apartment has a view of Ground Zero like mine (his from the south side, mine from the north), we joked that we would have to compare to see who had the better view.

He and I shared a cab home, since we live so close, and he walked me to the door of my building. It felt strange -- I felt like he wanted me to ask him up, so I said, with doubt in my voice, "did you want to see the view now?" He agreed, so I quietly sighed and led the way.

Fortunately I had recently straightened up, so everything looked pretty good. He agreed my view is better (ha!) and showed me which building was his. That done, I was ready to usher him out, (It was late, and I had work the next day...) when he suddenly said, "Can I kiss you?"

Uh, no! The first thing out of my mouth was, "How 'bout a hug?" which he took.

Then he kept commenting how pretty I am, while I'm trying to smile and guide him to the door. Ok, bye-bye now!

I wrote him an email the next day and told him I was sorry if I gave the wrong impression but I'm just looking for friends. He wrote back with "Ditto!"

Why does it seem that the guys I like don't like me and the guys I'm not interested in are very interested in me?

What I Need

Meme from my sister Steph: Google your name and then the word "needs" and see what you get. Well, what I get is a lot of other bloggers named Emily who have already done this meme!

Here's quotes other than those from blogs:

Emily needs to be told "No, there are certain things that just are NOT allowed"
Emily needs to rely on this system so that she can learn through experience.
Emily needs a new computer.
Emily needs "further tests"
Emily needs to get help.
Emily needs our help picking out undergarments for the dress.

Maybe...or Maybe Not

So, I met a guy last week...we exchanged cards. I was busy with friends all weekend, so we decided to meet for a drink Monday night after the Ishmael Beah talk.

He works in the financial district, near where I live. He seems very smart and well travelled. We had a nice conversation, but I think he's too into me. Or he's too agressive. Or maybe I'm just not that into him.

We met at a cute French bistro in Soho. It was warm in the restaurant, though, and I mentioned, "I'm hot," as I took off my suit jacket. He smiled and said, "Yeah, you are!" Huh. Not so cool, dude.

I also felt like he was evaluating me like a piece of meat. You know those restaurants where you can pick out your steak before they cook it? Yep, I know how those slabs of beef feel now.

The final straw? He admitted he's not quite divorced...just separated, but on the way to a divorce. Yeah. Call me later, when it's finalized. Or you know? Maybe not. Let's just be friends.

A NY Opportunity

Months ago, Starbuck's promoted a book titled A Long Way Gone, Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah. I was intrigued not only by the content but by the author's glowing, hopeful face on the back cover. I bought the book and was amazed by this young man's positive outlook despite the incredible tragedies and adversity he has experienced.

After sharing the book with my sister Jennifer, she asked if I wanted it back before moving to NYC. (We usually pass books along through all the women in my immediate family, and I was down-sizing for NYC.) I told her I definitely did, since the book remarked that the author now lives in NYC and I might have a chance to meet him someday.

Last Monday, volunteering at the Reading for the Blind organization, I picked up a YMCA catalog of events and Ishmael Beah's name jumped out at me. For a small price, I was able to hear him speak last night. He was amazing. His optimism and wisdom belie his young age (26). He signed my book, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to talk to him, if only for a moment, and to hear him speak.

Familiar Faces

When I am walking along the streets in NYC, I often see someone who reminds me of someone I know back in Dallas.

This past weekend, however, I got to see two friends from "back home." On Thursday and Friday night, I had the pleasure of seeing my friend Renee, who was my manager during some of my time at my old company. She was in town for business, and we went out to dinner each night. The first night, we ate at Nobu, which has fantastic sushi. On Friday, we found a little Italian place tucked in the Village, and after a great dinner, we enjoyed wandering around the unique shops.

On Saturday, I had brunch with some of the girls from work and went to the farmers' market. Exhausted from several hours of walking, I had just arrived home and was considering a nap when my phone rang. A friend (and previous massage therapist) was in town visiting her daughter who lives here, and they invited me out for an early dinner.

It was so great to see her! My brain must hunger for familiar faces. It just feels like a little piece of home getting to see each of these women, and it was nice to talk to someone who already knows me.