Oh My Gac

gemdot: gpoy on board the plane…. me: i’ve also got...

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:43:04 -0400

gpoy on board the plane….

me: i’ve also got twingles…..i meannnnn….twizzlers or pringles.

or the time (tonight) i randomly said “Hello!” to a passenger as she was exiting the aircraft.

Or the time I left the office Monday night and told the security guard “Have a good weekend!”

Cheese 101 @murrayscheese. #saturday #nyc

Sun, 19 May 2013 01:54:20 -0400

Cheese 101 @murrayscheese. #saturday #nyc

Cheese 101 prep! @murrayscheese #instayum

Sat, 18 May 2013 17:27:03 -0400

Cheese 101 prep! @murrayscheese #instayum

Don't Work Too Hard: 7 Secret Sins at Work - ABC News

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:56:51 -0400

Don't Work Too Hard: 7 Secret Sins at Work - ABC News

"Let me live, love and say it well in good sentences."

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:49:44 -0400

““Let me live, love and say it well in good sentences.””

- Sylvia Plath - The Bell Jar

(via o-p-i-a)

“The Great Gatsby” Reviewed : The New Yorker

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:29:28 -0400

“The Great Gatsby” Reviewed : The New Yorker

Oysters and quality time with an old friend, highlighted by some...

Wed, 15 May 2013 22:33:00 -0400

Oysters and quality time with an old friend, highlighted by some delicious and unique dishes from Jeffrey’s Grocery.

"New York is a friendly town."

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:03:00 -0400

“New York is a friendly town.”

- unknown, but from a postcard I found in SoHo a million years ago that I’ve framed and hung in all of my various apartments here.

This morning, running late and schlepping copious baggage, I stopped at the nearby coffee cart to get a large iced coffee. As the cheerful vendor man continued to assemble it, I realized my wallet was bone dry with the exception of those rogue pennies that always end up in the small dusty crevices. I shouted into his cart, “Wait wait! I don’t have any cash, sorry! Never mind! Stop!” Instead he calmly handed me my drink, pierced it with a new straw and said, “Are you kidding me sweetheart? I’m sure you’ll be back, and if not, no worries. Enjoy.”

The Art of Being Happily Single | Tiny Buddha

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:43:00 -0400

The Art of Being Happily Single | Tiny Buddha:

It is possible to be happily single. Here are 10 important reminders to help you appreciate and enjoy your single status.

There’s nothing earth-shattering here, but there are some nice reminders in it for me. I am a person who’s had my heart broken twice in the past year and a half since I started this here blog, and I’m still struggling to find my way: through the frustration, anger, self-doubt, insecurity and over-thinking.

I’m an only child and already do a lot of things on my own. So it’s not that I don’t know how to be alone and enjoy my own company. I got that down pat, yo. I try new things often, I venture into “extra curriculars” with great exuberance and minimal fear. I guess I do the same for relationships. The only difference being that I pick my classes/activities based on what I want, whereas with dates, I usually just go with whomever shows interest in me and then attempt to make it work. A few talks with a shrink and dear girlfriends helped me realize that in fact, I have an active choice in the matter. It sounds really simple but it’s taken me this long to really conceptualize.

I suppose when we were younger it was easier or safer to date so haphazardly, at least for me. I never thought about anything too much or tried to make a square peg fit into a circle. In fact, there were no circles. It didn’t occur to me that my success as a woman or in my career might intimidate a man, or that my place in life might cause him pause to reflect on his own and pursue his personal success, without me.

Since last summer, when I saw the last guy I was dating on my birthday (never to see him again), I’ve had this huge, ugly chip on my shoulder. I can admit that now. I’ve felt like everyone’s trying to screw me, no one respects me, God’s decided I won’t ever have what everyone else has, no one understands my plight and struggle because I’ve been alone since birth. Drama. Friends offered interventions and lectures on how wonderful and confident I used to be, how what I was currently doing wasn’t good for me, how they want so much more for me and I should for myself. I couldn’t hear it or receive it without thinking “Oh, it’s so easy for everyone else to say.” My thoughts remained hardened and self-pitying. I saw my emotional deteriorations manifest themselves into physical and mental ones. For the first time in my life, I had high cholesterol, more adult acne than is acceptable for a 31 year old, and have topped off at my highest weight ever. I quit and joined at least 3 to 4 different work out/gym programs over the course of the winter, never making full use of what I paid for. And most detrimental of all, I rekindled with an ex that was never available in the first place.

Things changed at work too, to the point that my not-so-observant boss mentioned that I am working so independently that he has no idea what I’m doing most of the time. He looked me in the eye and urged me to use him as a resource and remember that’s what he’s there for. (this totally creeped me out & continues to make me uncomfortable since he’s usually not so encouraging)

And so here we are, in the midst of spring and I have to say I am feeling slightly better. Doing small things to help improve myself - taking a more challenging writing course, watching a lot of Oprah’s Lifeclasses about living your best life (*insert snort here), taking a break from drinking too much, not pushing myself socially and learning to say No, spending time with the friends who nourish me, following a healthier food plan (when birthdays and visits to wineries don’t take precedence!), and last but not least, calling my parents more often.

I took that imaginary timeline off of my calendar. The one that dictated when I should be getting married, or what I should or shouldn’t have done by this age. Instead I am enjoying each day as best I can, counting my blessings and making the most of my situation. Because I have to admit that whatever/whoever I am, I’m a pretty damn good one!

"The thing that’s important to know is that you never know. You’re always sort of feeling your way."

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:59:00 -0400

“The thing that’s important to know is that you never know. You’re always sort of feeling your way.”

- Diane Arbus (via womenorgnow)

My Mom once said something similar to this. She’s the wisest woman I know but she also don’t bullshit. I missed her yesterday, but can’t wait to see her in a few weeks!

hellogiggles: Eartha Kitt, dropping some self love...

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400

hellogiggles:

Eartha Kitt, dropping some self love realness.

Legit.

I'm curious...

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:45:00 -0400

What advice and coping methods do they offer and suggest to people who work in professions that deal with victims of extremely harrowing and traumatic events? I.e. for the counselors and nurses and doctors that are caring for the three women who escaped from Ariel Castro’s home. For the DA that’s been assigned to represent this monster in court.

I work for ABC News and I am forced to monitor and watch how we cover things like this. I do it minimally, especially with hard, and awful news like this, because it does really get to me.

I know that in this case, it is a blessing these women are alive and back home, but as a very empathetic person, I stayed up pretty late last night thinking about the years he took away from them, these young, beautiful women: the experience of having their first child with a man they love, the celebrations of holidays with their families, the mere freedom of living for and by their own devices, going to college, working at their first job, moving out of their parents homes, celebrating 10 birthdays however the f they want to. Not enslaved by a cruel man who takes their dignity and respect as women in any way possible.

Sometimes my thoughts get away from me and I find it debilitating, worrying about these women, how they are healing, how they will learn to love again, trust men again, feel safe again. And I have to remind myself that these cases are rare, and that true humanity is good. We can and must have faith that it will always overpower evil. And most of all, damn we as women are resilient as hell. Strong. A force to be reckoned with.

I should ask my mother who worked as a visiting nurse in low income communities for years, and has been a professor teaching nursing at the graduate and undergraduate level for almost 25 years now. How do we help people that face and deal with such trauma? Let alone the actual victims. What can we do to help them heal?

I can send myself into a tizzy sometimes, wondering why God had forsaken them and how criminals can hold such cruelty in their souls. But I do remind myself too, that despite living this harried life in a city that literally never sleeps, working with content day to day that is often unbecoming of us as humans, I have not been desensitized to any of it. I have not lost my sense of feeling, or ability to empathize even when things feel jaded and despairing, and that’s just one other thing to be thankful for.

"Why do all the ladies who wear less makeup look better than the ones who wear too much?"

Fri, 10 May 2013 09:48:00 -0400

“Why do all the ladies who wear less makeup look better than the ones who wear too much?”

- My coffee cart guy. How dare he ask such profound questions before I’ve even had my first cup.

(and I don’t know, but I hope he was saying that to me because I am the former and not the latter.)

#funsies #kids #poetry One of my good friends is the chef at...

Thu, 09 May 2013 18:32:00 -0400

#funsies #kids #poetry

One of my good friends is the chef at East Harlem School and I feel so lucky to be invited to his school’s annual Poetry slam and fundraiser. The kids are middle schoolers from low income homes and they have some of the most moving pieces of writing I’ve ever heard! Always a bit of a tear-jerker!

thedailywhat: Touche of the Day: Mrs. Doubtfire’s Dress vs. Kim...

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:31:04 -0400

thedailywhat:

Touche of the Day: Mrs. Doubtfire’s Dress vs. Kim Kardashian’s Dress

Comedian Robin Williams chimed in on Kim Kardashian’s custom-designed Riccardo Tisci evening gown by comparing it to the floral dress he wore in the 1993 comedy film Mrs. Doubtfire. The socialite’s attire became quite a hit during Monday’s Met Gala, spawning a series of photoshopped images poking fun at the reality star’s “sofa slipcover”-like dress.

For those of you who care (and those of you who don’t),...

Tue, 07 May 2013 10:05:00 -0400

For those of you who care (and those of you who don’t), last night we celebrated yet another dear friend’s birthday at Empellon Taqueria in the West Village (formerly Chow Bar). Since they discourage cell phone use, I didn’t really get any good pics of the food, especially because it was constantly flowing and insanely delicious and unique.

We started with guac, which was accompanied by warm chips and two very different salsas - cashew and chile de arbol. Then an octopus ceviche, three different queso fundidos - shishito pepper, black trumpet mushroom and green chorizo, which I didn’t expect to like, but I did! Pictured here, the amazing poached quail egg sopes with refried beans. But oof I’m tired… we basically ordered everything on this menu except for the sweetbreads and pork tongue tacos, which was slightly disappointing to me, but I know I tend to be a much more adventurous eater, and it wasn’t my birthday anyway ;)

All in all good times and great! great! great! food. I always love a perfectly composed taco, but dear God my diet’s pretty much gone to sh!t. *sigh

Summer, here we come.

And deliver us from evil. Amen.

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:23:40 -0400

And deliver us from evil. Amen.

Has anyone ever died from seasonal allergies? Don’t answer that, but please know I’m...

Thu, 02 May 2013 10:56:00 -0400

Has anyone ever died from seasonal allergies?

Don’t answer that, but please know I’m dying here. If only I could shove ice cubes up my nostrils or scratch the inside of my head, or live in a bubble…

More highlights from the weekend. The weather was gorgeous and I...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:34:00 -0400

More highlights from the weekend. The weather was gorgeous and I wanted to capture the quaintness of the entire place.

A lovely weekend in the beautiful Catskills. Delicious food,...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 12:00:28 -0400

A lovely weekend in the beautiful Catskills. Delicious food, quality girltime, bonfires, gluten free beer (oh yes) and bike riding along a babbling brook and rolling mountains.