A Secret

Trey Givens is back

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Science Experiment Fail

Yesterday, I took my laundry out for a wash, but it won't be ready for pick up until today, so I had a legitimate reason to sleep on my sofa last night.

So, I decided to try to sleep on the chaise portion of my sofa, which is oriented north-south like my bed.  Unfortunately, it's not nearly long enough, so I could not stretch out and I ended up spending another fairly sleepless night until I shifted over to the east-west side of the sofa.

So, I still don't really know if the whole north-south/east-west thing is a factor.

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Why Can't I Sleep?

I really haven't had a good night's sleep in my new apartment -- unless I sleep on my couch.

I don't know what's wrong.  I can usually sleep soundly pretty much anywhere, but for nearly a month now my own bed has felt like some alien place that isn't right for sleeping.  It's the same mattress I've slept on for nearly 8 years now.

There aren't too many things that I can think of that might affect my sleep.  It is darker and quieter in my room than it's even been in the past three years, but that should make it EASIER to sleep, not harder.  Also, I sleep just fine on my sofa.

There are two differences between my sofa and my bed that I can think of, but neither of them seem to me to be things that would affect my sleep.

First, my bed is way up off of the ground.  I put it on risers so I could store things under there.  I used to sleep in a loft in college and had no problems with that, but it's been many years since then and perhaps I'm just not used to it.

Second, and I know this sounds like crazy talk, my bed isn't oriented the way I'm used to it being oriented.  For the past six or seven years, my bed has always been oriented east-west.  It wasn't by design, it's just how things worked out.  And now my bed is oriented north-south.  As far as I know, this should have no affect on my sleeping, but maybe?

I don't know, but I cannot sleep on my sofa all the time.  It's just not civilized.

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I Heart Kids

Yesterday, I attended L'Italiana's bridal shower/BBQ and had a lot of fun.  One of the most fun things I got to do was play with the kids.  There was a set of triplets who were about two and a half and then a 3 year old who generally refuses to talk to me.

The triplets are fascinating because not only are they at a really cool age developmentally speaking, they're triplets, so they share a lot of the same experiences and their individual development plays off of the others. 

For example, they're already demonstrating "twin speak" where they have what sounds like a foreign language that they understand, but no one else really does.  What's neat, though, is they also realize that no one else speaks that language and the modify how they speak when they address other people.  I don't know if they do it consciously because at two and a half they still have quite a ways to go in terms of basic language development.

They're super-cute, though.  It's super fun to see them playing and exploring and learning.

The most adorable thing was when I loaded them into their car seats to go home, I said, "Thank you for playing with me!"  They said, "You're welcome!"  Such good manners!

AND because I was playing with the triplets, the three year old decided that she was allowed to talk to me, too.  So, she and I played a little, too.

It was a fun day and it just reminds me how much I want kids of my own some day.  I don't know if it will really ever work out, but I hope so.  My "biological clock" just seems to be ticking loudly these days.

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Could More Happen to Me Right Now?

My schedule has been absolutely out of control recently and the next 6 days are going to be among the most intense of my adult life.

On Friday, I am going to pick up the keys to my new apartment and take some measurements of the interior space.  Then, I am getting on a train and heading out to spend the weekend with L'Italiana.  This weekend with her isn't optional -- otherwise, I would move on Saturday to get it over with -- because it's her bridal shower.  (She's doing a coed party thing.)

Also on Friday, I start calling into jury duty.

On Tuesday, I have to go on a business trip because on Wednesday I am doing a major presentation for one of my clients that could make or break our business.

I'll fly back on Wednesday night because at 9am on Thursday, the movers will be here to pack and move me into Manhattan.

There are a million things I need to do to prepare for these things and I've already been running at full speed for a couple of weeks now.

Which brings me to a bit of a dilemma I have right now.  I work on two major accounts at work.  They're both extremely demanding.  I enjoy the diversity of demands that I get to confront in a day, but there is a limit to the amount of things I can get done in a day and there are times when I can't get everything done that is asked of me. I try not to over-commit, but even the basic expectations are hard to meet. Like right now.

So, I was a little disappointed when an executive I trust and respect told me that he thought I should give up one of my accounts.  It wasn't because I hadn't met some expectation, but because he knows how busy I am and it was his opinion that the two accounts were simply too much.

Right now, it is too much.  But I don't think it will stay like this.  But what if it does?  I'm kind of worried about that right now and I don't have any real way to hand off one of the accounts.  If I ask to have one of them reassigned, I will make my boss's life more difficult and I run the risk of creating a perception of being the sort of person who cuts and runs when the going gets tough.  Is that better or worse than someone who actually just fails?

Anyway, I'll work it out.  It's just crrrrazy right now!

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Flibbert is Moving on Up. To the Midtown West Side!

I made the decision to move from my current apartment a while back, but because of the way the NY apartment market works, I could not begin hunting for an apartment until the first of the month before my target move date.  Because my target move date was June 1, I was able to start hunting for apartments this weekend.

An apartment hunt in NYC in my price range does not take long.  There are a number of apartments available at any given time.  The challenge is just finding them and getting in to see them.  But once in, you don't have long to make a decision.

When I first moved to NYC, I went apartment hunting and I had one day to find a place.  By the end of the day, I saw two apartments I liked and my favorite, which had entered the market that morning, was already signed before I could submit my application that afternoon, so I had to go with my second choice.

So, anyway, my hunt began in earnest yesterday.  First thing in the morning, I called around and lined up three places to see on my own.  While I was walking around to the first one, I lined up a fourth.

The first apartment I saw was AWFUL.  It was shown by the current resident.  It was TINY with a railroad bedroom.

The second place I was going to see was the fourth one I arranged and I realized it was in the same building with the same floor plan but on a lower floor.  So, I skipped it.

On my way to the third place, I called my broker and arranged to come by his office and see some apartments with him.

The third place I saw was really great.  The bedroom was spacious as was the bathroom.  The living room and kitchen were combined in a nice, entertainment-friendly space.  Hardwood floors everywhere except in the bathroom.  The whole place looked like it had been recently renovated.  AND it was rent stabilized.

Rent stabilized apartments have the annual rate of increase from lease to lease capped at, according to my real estate agent, 3%.

This apartment had two big things working against it.  First, it was in a bad location.  Even though it was within Hell's Kitchen, the neighborhood I preferred, it was far to the west and not in line with an express subway stop.  The second thing was that it was on the ground floor.  Ground floor apartments are creepy.  If there's anyone in the backyard, they can see in.  And rats could easily get in if you have the windows open.  That thought really creeps me out since I leave my windows open a lot.

The third apartment I arranged to see wasn't available for viewing until 7pm, so I went to meet up with my broker.

My broker was an ass.  Both this time and the previous time that I came to the office, he knew I was coming, but when I got there he was not available and had someone else help me.

Fortunately, the someone else was a very nice and helpful lady.  She lined up a half dozen places for me to see that afternoon.

After traipsing about a bit, we landed upon another apartment that I liked.  It was larger than the other apartment I liked, but the layout was really strange and included a TINY bathroom.  The location, though, is insanely good.  It's a block and a half from Times Square and five blocks from where I work.  It has huge windows and is on the fifth floor.

After some consideration, I decided to go with the larger apartment, so I skipped the appointment at 7 (the location on that one was like the other one -- not ideal) and decided to put in an application.

This morning, I got the good news!  My application was accepted and I signed the lease just a couple of hours ago.

Woohoo!

The challenge now, however, is that I ended up signing a lease that starts May 15th.  I don't HAAVVE to move on the 15th, of course, but it would be nice, wouldn't it?

The more I think about it, though, the more I think I will have to move the weekend of the 22nd or sometime in the preceding week at the earliest.

The reason is because L'Italiana's bridal shower/party is on the 16th.  If I move on the 15th, I won't even be unpacked before I will head out of town for the weekend.

Tomorrow, when I'm at work, I will look at my work calendar and decide.  And then I will have to start arranging appointments with utility companies and everything.  And changing addresses.  And all that stuff.  EXCITING!

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Sweet Dreams

I had one of the most pleasant dreams I can remember the night before last.

There wasn't much "plot" to it that I can remember but just a couple of flashes.  In the first flash, I was holding my infant daughter while she slept. She couldn't have been but a month or two old and she was just sleeping peacefully in my arms, so warm and soft and tiny.  She had wispy dark hair and was a little pink and cream all over, the most beautiful baby I've ever seen.

And in the second flash, I had cleared away a little spot for her next to me on my bed and I was watching her sleep and I looked up because my husband was coming into the room.  I can't remember what he looked like -- probably because I don't have a husband -- but I remember how the baby smelled.

It was that warm, sweet, clean baby smell.

And the whole dream was just full of a sense of happiness and satisfaction.  My heart was full to breaking with the joy of life with my daughter sleeping next to me and my husband there taking care of us.

I do remember a fleeting question about if I was feeling how mothers feel or if I was feeling what fathers feel.  And I remember the thought passing as quickly as it came because it just didn't matter in light of how perfectly I felt it.

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Risk-Aversion and the Measure of Success

Did you know that the guy who designed the interface for Twitter is just 21?  Want more inspiration?  Look at this list of young, rich entrepreneurs:

01) Mark Zuckerberg | Facebook | 23 years old | $700M

02) Andrew Gower | Runescape | 28 years old | $650M

03) Blake Ross and David Hyatt | Mozilla | 22 years old | $120M

04) Chad Hurley | Youtube | 30 years old | $85M

05) Angelo Sotira | Deviant ART | 26 years old | $75M

Incredible!!

I'm amazed by people like these kids.  They come up with some clever idea and they just run with it.  I'm sure they second-guess sometimes, but they push forward, adjust tactics when appropriate, and they work through it.  And it pays off!

I'm also sure there are zillions of people with not-so-clever ideas, people who second-guess themselves into defeat, people who blind themselves with pig-headedness.

I think I'm in the second category -- if I had any clever ideas for a business.  I am admittedly extremely risk averse.

If you have a plan that requires an endurance, then I'm there.  I plan things out for the long term and I can carry out the repetitive, day-in-day out required to get it done.  All I require is the knowledge that progress toward the goal is being made. But I do not like taking a chance to lose what has already been gained.

This is not exactly the entrepreneurial spirit, which requires taking risks on a big idea.  It requires pursuing an objective far more aggressively than just sitting back and plodding along  toward some objective.

I'm not beating myself up about my approach because pushing for long-term goals requires persistence.  My financial goals are a prime example of how I've used my strengths to work toward success.

I also know that some people consider my move to New York and approach for breaking into the world of marketing somewhat aggressive or risky. But, again, I planned this out, so to me it was just a very plain-jane approach.

But when I see these young whippersnappers being wildly successful, I find myself awed, inspired, and really just shocked into action.

Some people get depressed or frustrated when they see someone younger than themselves being wildly successful.  I can sort of understand this, but after careful consideration it seems inappropriate to dwell on that comparison.  You aren't them.  You did not have their ideas.  You don't even have their goals.  It would be nice to have their successes, but I think I would miserable if I were in their same position because I just don't want their life.

But it shows that intelligence, creativity, and a willingness to pursue goals can pay off.  That kind of gives me a kick in the butt.

I think my risk aversion is less about putting something on the line than about an inability to see the path from point A to point B.  Making such a path, though, is a strength for me.  My boss describes me saying that I "bring order to chaos."I also know that I'm smart and creative.

So, what's next?

The goal.  I need a long term objective.  Once that goal is set, I can divide it up into smaller goals and hit them one by one.

I think a lot of progress for people is stalled by the mere fact of lacking a goal.  If you ask people where they want to go in their careers, many just don't have a good answer.

I want to be a chief marketing officer of a major brand and direct brand strategy from a high level.

But I think people might have in their minds several goals.  They want to write a book.  They want to raise kids.  They want to travel around the world.  They want to be rich.  But I think having all of these goals create static in a person's mind and then they get up in the morning, go to their 9 to 5, ho-hum their way through the day, and come home and wonder why they aren't any closer to their goals or being happy.  It's because some of these goals contradict one another.

I'm not saying you can't have multiple goals in your life, but the fewer goals you have the more you can focus on each.  If having a career is one of your goals and having a load of children is another, then you should expect your career to move more slowly than you might prefer and to sometimes miss spending time with your children.  Some people might manage to have wild success at both ventures at the same time, but that is exceedingly unlikely.

I sometimes have this problem myself.  I want children, three of them, if I can. I'd like to have this career.  I'd like to travel.  I'd like to learn to write well. Perhaps I can do some of these things all at once, but I don't think I can do all of them.  So, I have to focus.

I suspect that other people never get to the point of focusing on a single or a minimal few goals in life as part of this notion that a person can have it all.  Another part is the notion that having it all should be easy, but that's a topic for another day.

Also, it's perfectly acceptable to not earn a fortune to rival the Hilton estate.  Some people get upset because they aren't absolutely WILDLY SUCCESSFUL in their career.  Again, I question the propriety of comparing one's life to that of a gold medalist or Sergei Brinn or Warren Buffet.  But in order to be happy at one's station in life, one must decide if one is achieving one's life goals there.

Ok.  This post has turned into a full-blown ramble.  I started out just wanting to discuss ambition and those kids who see huge successes early in life and about how it inspires me to check back in with my own goals and what I need to do to achieve them.

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Step Two is Complete. Step Three on Deck

Last night, I spoke with one of my roommates and let him know that I would be moving out.  The conversation went well although I was reminded of many of the things I've enjoyed about living where I live.  There wasn't any drama to it.  I mean, it is evident to anyone who lives with me that I very much enjoy my own space and being alone. 

On the other hand, I enjoy knowing that other people are around for me to socialize with if I so desire.  Yes, I am rarely bothered by a loud party outside my bedroom because I actually enjoy the thought that, if I wanted to, I could go out there and enjoy the party, too.  But I rarely ever really want to.

But I gave him two month's notice in order to find a new roommate.  Amazingly, The Blogless Fourth Axiom who reads this blog is on the market for a cheaper place, so he is going to take a look.  So, it may be that they needn't search at all -- assuming they like him and he likes them and the room.

Also, I spoke with a broker yesterday who often has apartments in one of my favorite neighborhoods, Hell's Kitchen, and he said I should definitely start looking at the end of April and beginning of May in order to find a rent stabilized apartment in my price range in that area.

Then, my boss came by and she used to work for a moving truck company and she told me that Memorial Day is the largest moving day of the year and so there will probably be a large number of apartments coming available right when I want them.  Of course, I will also be fighting with students over the cheapest, choicest place.

So, anyway, I'm circulating the word around that I am on the market for an apartment for June 1.  And so far the process is going well!

The next thing I may try to do is to go ahead and pay the rest of my rent off so that that's out of the way.

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Playlist!

At the Objectivist Group, we've been doing music presentations.  The requirements are very loose.  We were just presenting music that was in some way important to us.  Here's the playlist from my presentation!

My idea was to tell a sort of story involved with having and losing a romance.  It's a readily accessible topic and is flexible enough to present a wide range of possible arrangements.

In retrospect, I would move "Ventura" to the second part, remove "Opium" and change the order a bit.

This playlist represents 56 minutes of music without the bonus track and I did a fair amount of chatting explaining what appeals to me in particular songs and how the songs are connected.  I also gave some brief analysis and history of the music I've chosen.  But all in all, I think it was a pretty good presentation even though I ran well over the 1 hour limit. 

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The Move-Out Plan Details

Ok.  So, now that it is resolved that I am going to move out in the first part of June, I have lots of things I have to do:

1. Set an exact date.
2. Tell my roommates.
3. Find an apartment.
4. Pay last bit of rent here.
5. Pay first part of rent there along with all those other fees.
6. Move my stuff!
7. Unpack everything.

I'll set a date when I get to work this morning when I put in my request for time off.  I'm going to time my move around my mom's visit in June.  I'm not sure if I will move before or after her visit, though, because I can't remember the dates of her trip.

And once I have a date, I will notify my roommates very soon after.  I'd like to tell them in person, but I so rarely actually see them in person that I may have to text or email, but one way or another, I will tell them this week, because I don't want them to have to find a new roommate at the last minute or to be stuck without someone paying their part of the rent for the month.  The exact date of the move will determine how much of the month's rent I will agree to pay for the month of June.

So, look for an update this morning regarding the date!

Update: I'm going to move the first week of June.  June 1 is a Monday and my mom is coming in on Thursday. 

That means I can spend the weekend packing things up and getting ready and rent a truck on Monday to do most of my moving on my own.  Then, on Tuesday, I could have movers bring the remainder of my furniture over.  Of course, I may also just pack on the weekend and have the movers come on Monday and move everything, although that is more costly. We'll see.

And Wednesday could be for unpacking and everything.  Hopefully, the cable company will be able to come in during the first part of the week, too.

That's a LOT of doing stuff in a very short period of time.  I'm going to have to make sure I have everything in place

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The New Apartment Plan

Today, I've been trying to figure out when I think I will be able to move to a new apartment -- and what I want out of said apartment.

It would be nice to move back to Manhattan.  It needs to be away from street noise and has to have good windows.  Wood floors are so common here that I almost don't have to say that I want those.  The key consideration, aside from location, is price.

The challenge around price isn't so much the monthly rent, but the expenses associated with finding and moving into a new place.  Broker fees often run 15% of annual rent.  Moving -- if I pay for some muscle, which I will -- will run around $500 depending on how much I pack up and move on my own.

So, while I would be happy to pay as much as $1,500 a month for a good location in Manhattan, I would need about $6,200 to cover all of the initial fees and things that would go into the endeavor.

Fortunately, I have my annual incentive bonus payout coming up in May.  I don't know how much it will be, but I'm hoping it will be sufficient for this.  The downside, of course, is that I was hoping to use my bonus to make a big, extra payment against my student loans.  Even without it, though, I should be able to meet my June goal of paying those loans off.

I also did a bit of digging on Craigslist and found that there are lots of rent stabilized apartments in the city.  Rent stabilization is state intervention in the amount that and landlord can increase your rent from month to month.  I am categorically against such interventionism and would attribute much of the high prices for apartments to this sort of activity.  Nevertheless, as a consumer, it would be idiotic for me not to take advantage of it.

I think I will be able to get a place in either Hell's Kitchen or in lower Harlem in my price range for Manhattan.

Adding to my conundrum is the fact that there are also some nice places available here in Queens.  The benefit of Queens is that I can either get a bigger apartment for the same price that I'd pay in Manhattan, or I can get an equivalent size apartment for less.

There are pros and cons to living in any particular borough.  So, I have a lot to think about, and I need to make up my mind about it by the end of April when my apartment hunt begins in earnest!

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State of my Cold

About four days ago, I noticed that my throat was starting to get scratchy.  Two days ago, I had a full-fledged cold.

Monica recommended that I take a super dose of Vitamin D.  I usually take a 1,000UI dose of Vitamin D daily, but she recommended 50,000UI.

I didn't have that many, but I did take about 25,000UI or so throughout the day.  (I staggered it between two doses.)  I felt a bit better, but not full speed. And then I had to make a business trip.  I spent the trip hopped up on Dayquil, but I didn't get enough sleep for two nights in a row.  Then, Friday morning, I took another 12,000 UI or so and a couple doses of Dayquil.

And Friday evening, I took some Nyquil.

I'm saying all of this because as of yesterday, I was really almost back to 100%.  I'm still congested a little, but nothing like I was on Wednesday and Thursday and I don't have the headache and just plain yucky feeling either.

I do attribute this rather speedy recovery to the vitamin D I took.  I wish I had known about this when I felt the sore throat starting up.  I don't get colds very often, but I'm going to keep this in mind.

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Not so Many Mes

I found this nifty thingie doodle over at Rational Jenn's bloggy blog. I tried my legal name, the name I use every day, and my internet pseudonym and I got the same result every time.

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Triennial in NYC

I forgot to mention it but the 15th marked my third complete year here in NYC.  It's kind of hard to believe that I've been here this long, but at the same time I feel like I've been away from Georgia for ever.

I do miss living in Georgia.  I had a lot of space because I lived in my own three bedroom/two bathroom house with a giant yard all by myself.  I now live in a three bedroom/one bathroom apartment with roof access and two roommates now.  And I feel like I had a lot of time, too.  I think it's because I drove everywhere, but I could get to work in 20 minutes or so.  Also, I didn't have my television plugged in or anything.

I've lived in two different apartments since I moved up.  I've made lots of fun friends.  I've been to more concerts and live performances in the last three years than I'd been to in my entire life. 

I've seen several celebrities including Madonna, Nathan Lane, Cillian Murphy, Aaron Grey, and Kevin Bacon.  I've seen lots of movie shoots and generally regarded them as nuisances to my life as a pedestrian.

I've seen more snowfall than I've ever seen in my whole life, but not nearly as much as I would have liked to see while living here.

I've had two promotions at my job and three different bosses.  I've made six trips for business.

As much as I love New York, I have a very strong desire to experience life in other places around the country and around the world.  The result is that I sometimes get a trapped feeling here in the city, particularly when I notice how not-free the city is and how it's paying for it politically and economically.  Even so, I think it's probable that I will live in New York for quite some time to come.

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Bromance

Now, even though I just got done talking about how I'm a big girl and all that, I will tell you I'm super excited about this movie with Paul Rudd called I Love You, Man.

First of all, Paul Rudd is ADORABLE.  He's totally allowed to ask me out any time, but he should be aware that I will rapidly take over the relationship and dominate him like a lovey-dovey tsunami.  I'm just saying. I really think I could take him and there are just some guys (like him) that I know if I dated them would end up being the girl although I would never tell them that.

Second of all, I am absolutely mesmerized by inter-male friendships. Yes, I'm sure it's partly a gay thing, but I love watching straight guys be friends with one another. And when guys are nice to me in a platonic way it's like cocaine to me. I just love it.

I totally understand women being friends with each other.  I understand gay guys being friends, kinda.  But straight guys being friends is like ice-cream and puppies from heaven or something.  I don't know.  I love it.

My love for bromances is really only second only to my love for, well, sodomy romance... sodomance?  Gay.

I can't remember where I was going with this.  Paul Rudd, I think.

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UNPLEASANT

I'm a young 31!

hat tip: Noodlefood

Created by Train Horns

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This is How I Feel About Most Monkeys, Too

From Thrillist

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How Irish Am I?

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

As you may or may not know, my parents, my father specifically, are very into genealogy.  They like to attend these HUGE family reunions in which people from all over the country all meet up and chat about stuff.  There's this green book on their shelf that outlines the family history since we came to America, although a lot of it is apocryphal and undocumented family lore.  They're working on updating it, though.

At the risk of revealing my top secret identity (a fact that I believe is going to come out in the next three or four months anyway), I'll just go ahead and tell you that I am patrilinearly descended from a brother of one Alexander Peden of the Ayrshire Pedens which were a sept of the clan McDonald.  Ayrshire being a place in south west Scotland and McDonald being a fairly large clan whose farmers have inspired much eeaieeaiohing.

Our tartan is apparently black and purple.  I think it's hideous, but highland festivals are pretty boring anyway, so I can't imagine needing it for any reason.

Peden, by the way, was pronounced "pay-dn" back then, but since the move to America half of the family, the half I'm in, has taken to pronouncing it "pee-dn."

Because Alexander Peden was a freaky Protestant "prophet" who went around wearing a really hideous leather mask, the Catholic government of Scotland back in the mid to late 1600's was not very happy and so they chased him and his family around the countryside.

Eventually, they decided to just up and move to the hinterlands of Ireland where they ran amok for about 100 years until another Alexander (if I recall correctly) picked his family up and moved to America just before the American Revolution.  They sailed into Charleston, SC and then started making babies and spreading all over the place.

At those giant family reunions, people identify their lineage by refering to which of the first generation American Pedens they descended from.  I'm from the house of Samuel, the first born.  I think that was roughly 10 generations ago.

My legal name, which I will leave unspoken here, actually reflects some of this ancestry.  My legal first name is actually my great-great-great-great-grandmother's maiden name and my legal middle name appears to be my great-great-great-grandmothers' maiden name.

A while back, my father got a Y-Chromosome genetic mapping done.  Y-Chromosome because it remains largely unchanged from generation to generation of male offspring.  The results showed that we're share the most markers with the Scottish, Irish, and English with a fair bit of German and other northern Europeans.  There's also a minor amount of similarity between us and the Ashkenazi.

So, basically, I get to celebrate every holiday EVER.

Posted by: Flibbertigibbet at 11:20 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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ARG! Broken Washers!

I am doing my laundry this morning because I have no clothes for my trip to Georgia.  I had planned on doing my laundry after work one night this week, but I had to work late every night to finish some things before my trip and I didn't make it to the laundr-o-mat.

So, this morning, I got up, got dressed, and went to the place and put my clothes in the washer.  Plenty of time to wash, dry, and then pack. YAY!

I went back to my apartment to pack what I could while the clothes were in the washer.  But when I returned to the laundromat, I found that one of the washers broke mid-cycle and my clothes never got to spin dry.

So, I had to put my clothes in for another complete cycle!!!

Now I'm totally freaked out because the time is wasting away while my clothes wash AGAIN and I have to leave for the airport soon.

I'm hoping that by splitting them into smaller loads, they will dry faster, though.

I know I'm compulsively early for things, especially the airport, so I should just relax knowing I've allotted more than enough time to get to Newark, but part of what makes me early is the fact that I can't relax like that.  So, I'm totally freaking out right now.

AIIIEEEE!!!

Posted by: Flibbertigibbet at 08:28 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Was I Sleepwalking?

Last night, I went out with some friends of mine for dinner and drinks.  We had a very nice time and I came home.  I was tipsy, but not so drunk that I don't remember my evening.

I came in to my room, put my stuff down and got ready for bed.  I sleep in my underwear, so I stripped down to my underwear, climbed in to bed, and watched a few minutes of television.  Then, I decided I was too sleepy to stay up longer, so I turned off the television, put my remote in the usual place next to my bed and went to sleep.

This morning, I woke up and I was completely naked.  Stranger than that, my television remote control was on the opposite side of my bed on my dresser as if it had been thrown there.  The batteries were on the floor, but the battery cover was still on the remote.

I still have no idea what happened.  All I can think is that I must have sleepwalked a little.  So strange!

Posted by: Flibbertigibbet at 11:39 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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This is My Job

This video is hilarious.


Sadly, at my job, I'm not the good guy in this video.  I'm one of those yahoos saying, "Maybe a starburst that says 'NEW.' You know, if it's not too busy."

Posted by: Flibbertigibbet at 10:28 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Bibliophile vs Geek

The Kindle 2 is available now and I am really torn about it.  On one hand, it would allow me to buy books more cheaply.  And it takes up less space than pretty much every book I have.

But it's still not a book.

I like books.  I like the pages and the heft of them.  I like the smell.  I like how they look all crammed onto my shelves.

But the Kindle looks really neat. 

I wish I could get a Kindle, an iPod, and my blackberry all in one SMALL device. 

I think the iPhone does have some support for digital books, but my company doesn't support iPhones and I don't want to pay for two phones nor do I want to carry two phones.  Also, the iPhone doesn't currently offer enough memory for my needs.  Maybe in a year or so.

Posted by: Flibbertigibbet at 10:08 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Movies I'd like to See

There are several movies out right now that I'd like to see and I don't think I have the time, patience, or money to run out and see them all!

• The International
• Taken
• Confessions of a Shopaholic
• Push
• Slumdog Millionaire
• Coraline
• He's Just Not that into You

I think I will go see one of them this afternoon.  Maybe.  I do have other things I need to do...  We'll see!

Posted by: Flibbertigibbet at 12:13 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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A Visit from Mom

My mom came to visit me last Thursday and we had a pretty good time.  She didn't get here until mid-afternoon, so we just hung out in my apartment for a couple of hours before heading into the city and meeting up with L'Italiana for dinner.

On Friday, we went to the Met and did a little shopping in Midtown.  Then, we went to dinner at Blue Fin in Times Square before going to see August: Osage County.

August is a horrible play.  It's well-acted, well-produced, well-directed... As far as execution is concerned, it's really good.  It's even well-written, but the story reminds me of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying.  It's a southern tragedy full of horrible, horrible people behaving horribly.

On Saturday, we did some shopping in SoHo and then went to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, which was interesting, but we had a bad tour guide, so it wasn't as good as I think it might have been.  After that, we made our way down to Chinatown for more shopping.  Eventually, we made our way to Jane on Houston for dinner before retiring for the night.

And, finally, on Sunday we had brunch in Astoria and then we caught a matinee show of Wicked.  It was a very nice musical.  I got bored watching it, but I think it was pretty close to what a musical should be.  So, if you are looking for a musical to see on Broadway, I would recommend this one to you.

For our last dinner out, we went to the upper west side and ate at Isabella's.

It was nice hanging out with my mom without my dad and sister around.  I found that she and I agree on a lot of things as far as politics goes, although she supports government intervention and unions in some strange areas -- particularly those areas that she, as a postal worker, personally benefits from.

I am excited to see how it will be to travel with her.  We discussed getting together for the holidays and we tossed around the idea of going to Europe or to Montreal.  I suggested staying on this continent just out of consideration for the costs because I want to buy an apartment some time.

Posted by: Flibbertigibbet at 08:47 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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