dude, where's my car?

left the apartment at 8:40 AM even though i had a bridal event and could come to work later. . . street cleaning starts at 9AM and i wasn't chancing another ticket! as i started walking, i tried to remember where i parked on sunday night. . seemed like eons ago. . i know that it was an odd numbered street since it was one way headed west.

as i walked west on the street i thought i had parked on, i started to have a mini panic attack as i realized i didn't see my car in sight. .

was i late. . has my car been towed? damnit, where did i park my car???

finally, i remembered feeling relieved to have found a parking spot so close to my apartment after driving around in circles for half an hour on . . .so i walked up a couple streets and found it!

would've been a great excuse not to go into work right?

so yea um, i can't make it in today because i can't find my car. . .

awkward locker room moments

so gym locker rooms are a funny thing. especially for modest girls like me (yes, i may show a bit of skin when i'm going out, but full nudity is a weird weird thing). growing up i always felt shy undressing in front of other girls. i had mastered the technique of changing and not showing any, eh-hem, private parts. most women probably have this skill, along with the taking off the bra without taking your shirt off. . .

in any case, i've become more comfortable showering & changing in the locker rooms out of necessity and don't really care as long as its strangers. just try to do things quickly, mind my own business, and avert my eyes.

this morning, VK and i went to NYSC and did a total body conditioning class. . loads of fun. we decided to shower at the gym rather than her place to save time. i showered with lightning speed and rushed to get dressed as to avoid the awkwardness of having VK see me naked.

perhaps even more modest than i, VK comes out of the shower room carefully covered up with two towels, one wrapped around her top and one wrapped around her waist. . .seriously, can they make the towels just a little bit smaller???

as i put on my makeup, VK discreetly got dressed. in the middle of blowdrying her hair, we heard a woman make a noise.

large woman wrapped up in two towels, but her ample left breast hung out from the towel.

LW: i can't open my locker. i need help.

VK and i exchange slightly bewildered looks.

VK: is your lock stuck?

LW: it's brand new. i can't open it.

VK: i'll help.

i go back to blow drying my hair as VK successfully opened her locker. later at UTDT, we discuss how weird using public lockers are and how we both were trying not to stare at the woman's huge breast. . .but it was just so massive, it was hard to look away. . . hmm. . i think i sound like a man. . .

housewarming partay

Spent the better part of Friday running around buying groceries and bits and pieces for the apartment.

Oh wait, I forgot the cornstarch.

Darn, TJ's doesn't have pitted dates.

Oh wait, I don't have a hammer or nails.

You get the point. . but it all came together. The food was mostly prepared by the time everyone arrived and I was actually able to relax and enjoy myself.

Menu: 3 cheese (emmentel, gruyere, and brie) & champagne fondue served with bread cubes, broccoli, and carrots, bacon wrapped dates stuffed with parmesan reggiano cheese, and fresh fruit. plenty of bubbly and red wine.

It was a wonderful gathering. There was just enough food (perhaps a little too much fondue) and more than enough alcohol. Everyone loosened up and stayed til 1:30 talking and catching up.

peak time

just got back from the gym. apparently, saturday morning is a peak workout time.

the downside- every cardio machine was taken and the weight room was packed

the upside- the weight room was packed with quite a bit of eye candy of the male variety.

yum yum.

too bad i work most saturday mornings. . .

deja vu friend

have you ever found yourself drawn to a person b/c they remind you of someone you knew?

mfem is a woman i met through my night class. we ended up as partners on a class project since we live a few blocks apart. interesting woman- moved to israel recently with her husband for his work. surprisingly independent, curious about life, and extremely direct. we clicked immediately.

after a couple classes, i realized why i felt so comfortable around her. she reminded me- both in appearance and in personality of a woman who i had been good friends with in california. it's happened to me a number of times now- similarities between old & new friends. mikey & ahern. bj and nels.

in any case, i'm a sucker for making new friends. we grabbed dinner after class at a local italian restaurant. food was decent but the conversation was wonderful. a great end to a very long work week and a promising start to a new friendship!

running running running

feel like i'm always on the go these days.

Q2 pointed out that i always have the habit of overextending myself- especially when i'm not in a steady relationship. work. gym. class. planning my high school reunion. squeeze in dinner or drinks with friends when possible. entertain out of town guests.

my days off are no better, try to catch up on my errands- dry cleaners, go to a real grocery store rather than the corner deli, spend quality time with my friends, decorate my apartment, etc.

it's not a complaint, just an observation that i really don't know how to relax. . .hmm. . maybe the "type A" V is coming back???

restless

it's been awhile since i've had such restless sleep.

woke up around 3:30AM thinking that it was probably 6AM. . damn, there goes my attempt to get 8 hours of sleep!!! stayed snuggled under the covers for half an hour contemplating whether or not i should get up or try to fall back asleep.

neighbors arguing very loudly outside the door. she sounded tearful and angry. . . he sounded just angry. dog barking.

by 4, my mind is racing with all the things i need to do for the week and so sleep eluded me.

in the meanwhile, i've done a load of laundry, changed my sheets, written a couple emails, and worked on my to-do list.

will hit the gym shortly and hopefully that'll give me a second burst of energy. . have a late shift at work today and have a feeling that it will be a very long day. . .

debunking MSG myth

i always thought MSG got a bad rap! our people have been eating it for years with no problems- it's in canned soups, potato chips, etc yet chinese food gets the negative rep. . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/18/opinion/18dunlop.html?em&ex=1171947600&en=6ddb397afad82409&ei=5087%0A

Happy New Year!!!

Year of pig. . . hmm. . . doesn't sound so peachy

The Year of the Pig starts Sunday and Chinese fortune-tellers say it will be a good time to have a baby but also warn there will be an upsurge in epidemics, disasters and violent conflicts around the world.

Oh wait, sounds kinda like 2006. . .

bad day

woke up and realized i had to move my car for street cleaning. spent an hour and a half looking to no avail. broke down and shelled out $13 to park my car in a garage. had to cut my gym session short since i spent an hour and a half looking for parking. no time to go to the grocery store.

got to work on time but managed to knock my side rear view mirror b/c i was blindsighted by the glare on my dirty windshield.

had a pbj sandwich for an early dinner at 4:45pm and was starving by the time work was over.

left work after 10pm and had to shell out $4 for a snack. missed my exit b/c i was lost in thoughts. ended up having to pay $4.50 for the midtown tunnel toll.

greek goddess

decided to pop into benjamin moore after my workout to look for supplies for my little apartment craft projects. i actually love hardware stores and was content to wander the aisles (maybe i just love shopping?) but seconds later an employee in a bright orange jacket (BOJ) asked me what i was looking for.

V: glue sticks

BOJ: what for

V: for a hot glue gun

BOJ: right here

V: great! perfect!

BOJ: what do you need them for?

V: for a craft project at home.

BOJ: goin to the gym?

V: just got back

BOJ: why didn't you tell me, i woudla gone with you? i look blankly at him and laugh awkwardly. need anything else?

V: craft paint

BOJ: i'll show you. leads me to the paint area. what's your name?

V: V

BOJ: that's my grandmother's name!!! it's greek for *******. V is the goddess of fertility.

V: ha ha. great, thanks for all your help.

BOJ wanders away. In the background I hear. . .

BOJ: V is my grandmother's name. I'm going to marry that girl!

blizzard?

momma V called twice on tue to warn me of the pending snowstorm. .

momma V: i heard on the news that there is a big snowstorm heading to new york. don't forget to get gas and make sure you have groceries!

flashback to 1999

momma V: 2000 is coming!!! make sure you have gas in your car and plenty of food and water.

because the end of the world is coming and i would drive where????

in any case, there's been just a dusting of snow so far and the night has been good. found a great parking spot just a block away. class is cancelled for tomorrow so i can actually relax at home tomorrow, watch dvd's, and not spend the day rushing around to get everything done!

celebrating the little things

still am adjusting to life on the UES . . . never thought i'd end up here, but i fell in love with the apartment and the rest is history. in any case, the perks- proximity to my friends, the river, the highway, the gym, and a pleasant walk to central park (weather permitting).

i'm learning to use the buses more (theng's influence, and b/c damnit, avenues are really long!) and figuring out street parking.

i've yet to settle on a drycleaner, wine shop, butcher, etc.

a small victory tonight. on my way home from the gym, i decided to venture a little further west and happened upon a speciality grocery store. . i was a bit wary- suspecting astronomical prices. . .i was pleasantly surprised, nice selection of organic/healthy producs, regular groceries (read: non-organic), produce, and asian products. . the best part, prices are reasonable!!! not like lee's grocery on the corner that charges $3 for the smallest carton of milk!!!!

while it's no tops (i will still have to go elsewhere for meat products) and not 24 hours like sunac, it'll do just fine.

Before Photos

Before shots . . . luckily i'm working with what is an already gorgeous apartment!

training in the city

probably the highlight of my job thus far. central (headquarters of my company) organized a 4 day long training in manhattan for all the associates sharing my position in all of our branches. everyone was flown in and put up in the doubletree in midtown. unfortunately or fortunately for me, this coincided with my move and i have been so damn eager to start staying in my new place that i opted out of the free hotel stay (no warm cookies, soft bed, and free cleaning for me!).

it was a busy four days- we strategized, visited show rooms, and met with one vendor after another. who knew there was so much to learn about luxury products- the difference between baccarat and waterford crystal or berneadeaux and gien or kitchenaid and cuisinart. for the most part they are all fine products and a lot of the difference is stylistic or perception.

highlights-

1. forming some solid connections/friendships

2. freebie's!!! a waterford hostess set, caphalon cooking utensil set, martini shaker, and tapas pans, all clad saucier, towels, a faberge clock, etc.

while this seems extravagant, it makes a great deal of sense from the vendor's perspective. i can pitch a product that i've owned and used a lot better than one i only see on display!

3. night culinary activities at both ICE and the French Culinary Institute- cooking demos and scrumptious dinners that would please any fellow foodie! i had the exceptional opportunity to speak with a former top chef finalist that i'm a huge fan of. she was extremely gracious and i even got a photo and signature! not to mention she's an excellent chef!

now i'm back to the grind, but it doesn't feel like a grind. i feel invigorated, see so many challenges and areas for business development, and more confident in my role. so i guess training was an unexpected success!

home sweet home!

sorry for the absence! i've been in the process of moving, had house guests, etc. my laptop has been sitting at Q2's place for over a week and i can't believe i've gone without email for that long! a record for me.

in any case, internet should hopefully be set up tomorrow at the new pad and pics and an update will follow.

family visit

my parents and brother decided to drive up and visit me afterall. . mom was wavering b/c she was concerned about the weather but in the end, her need to see her babygirl conquered all! they arrived friday night and despite working a late shift i managed to beat my folks to the apartment. perhaps because my dad is surprisingly bad with directions and always gets lost (this is both annoying and endearing- perhaps b/c i have his terrible sense of direction?).

they arrived armed with a small carryon, some bags, and a box of random stuff. they toured the apartment and fell in love with it. then it was time to turn in. i insisted they stay on the futon and i slept on the airmatress which i realized in the middle of the night does not retain air as i felt the hard wood floors pressing against my back.

the next morning we all rose early. i made coffee for the folks and we headed down to chinatown for dim sum. great morning meal and i was glad to see my folks eat well (a sign for my mom that she's happy) and they actually enjoyed the dim sum. next up was a lot of window shopping, or shall i say chandelier shopping, at lighting stores in chinatown. got some odds and ends at pearl river mart and a chinese grocery store. by mid afternoon my dad needed a nap so we dropped him off at home and moms and i headed back out. after a few hours we were exhausted and cold so we headed home to relax for a bit. by 6 my parents were starving so we ventured out (a whole block away b/c it was too cold and my folks aren't used to it) to a local restaurant and had a feast.

after dinner, we went back home and my dad proceeded to watch the news while i cleaned and hung out with my mom. my brother arrived around midnight with his wifey and we watched saturday night live for a bit before going to sleep. five people. 400 square feet. i was sleeping on my old rug. bro & wife slept on the airmatress. my parents on the futon. you get the picture. . .in spite of the close quarters, i was able to get a good nights rest curled up in a ball wedged between the bed and my big closet.

folks left around 6AM to head home. i left for work around 9 and got home by 8 to meet up with my brother and his wife for dinner. went to a sushi restaurant a couple blocks away.

all in all, a delightful weekend with the family.

settling in

the move went surprisingly well but that was probably due to the help of my three male friends!!!

it was actually a 2 day proccess. i started with the help of R on the night of the 27th, getting the remaining items out of my car and moved inside. i cleaned and threw out a few items left by the previous tenant. sunday i met up with mikey at the apartment and blondie at the storage unit. R met us back at the apartment. the storage unit was cleared out in two trips. after stacking up all the boxes, bags, and general clutter in the apartment, i took the boys out for supper.

went to a great israeli restaurant and had the best swamara i've ever had! the rest of the night i spent unpacking and it's been a slow proccess of settling in. i want to refurbish a few things- get a black chandelier, repaint, change some fixtures- all in due time. i'd rather do it right then rush to finish it all now. i have much less space then before but luckily was able to have my parents and brother bring some items back to VA. it's starting to shape up and i'm hoping to be quasi-ready for my housewarming party by the end of the month!