Recycling

I admit that my costume ideas are a little bit lamespice this year. It's all an attempt at being green. Reduce Reuse Recycle = my Halloween motto.

Idea 1- Redo the Facebook costume from 2 years ago.

here we are "updating my profile"

Idea 2- Steal slash recycle my friends' costume idea from 2 years ago and dress as a NYC tourist.

I heart NY t-shirt is a must, plus fanny pack and map. Add sneakers to complete the look.

If I can get some others to join me, we can be a tour group complete with a big red umbrella.

Idea 3- Get inspired by you for a new plan.

I have no picture for this idea. So probs it won't be happening. That's how I roll. Also it's not green to do something new. Everybody knows that.

As evidenced by last year's Halloween posting, I'm kind of a lazy costumer. This is supposed to be a kiddie holiday anyway, right?

Not in NY. Here it is all about the grown-ups getting into some late night tricks and treats.

Do adults dress up where you're from or do you let the kids have all the fun? Do you have a go-to costume?

random

This has absolutely nothing to do with anything.

But I saw it and I thought of you. And that is meaningful, right?

I may now have my costume idea. It would be the scariest costume I've worn in years. Maybe ever. Spooky Snooki has quite a ring to it.

Thoughts on this brilliance?

Safety 1st

Crossing the street can be a very dangerous thing to do.

During my morning commute last week, I witnessed a man walking across the street while a turning SUV sped up as if to hit the pedestrian. It was a very near miss, and the pedestrian was angry. I was angry too. This is New York and there are pedestrians everywhere, so drivers need to pay attention lest they hit one. And on the Upper Eastside, I do not tolerate this sort of behavior. Obvi.

Generally though, when a near-miss happens, Mr. Driver realizes that he nearly killed someone and takes a second to apologize or look embarrassed, or at least has the decency to drive off quickly.

Not this time.

This time, Mr. Driver slowed down to yell at the pedestrian! And as the shocked witness, I can tell you that it was clearly the driver's fault in this instance.

This time, Mr. Driver even pulled over and parked. He was clearly looking for a fight but the victim of his recklessness had already escaped, thank God. Fighting on the UES is base and therefore not tolerated. Unless previously contracted and agreed upon by yours truly, or outside of a bar on 2nd Avenue past 11pm.

As the solid citizen that I am, I noted this A$$hole's license plate so that he can be banned from further UES maniacal antics and banished to Midtown where he belongs. Get this... it was a vanity plate!

It read:

RUDE1

I die.

This is so perfect.

And now you know, if someone has a NY plate that says RUDE1, you should egg his black SUV whilst keeping in mind that Mr. Driver is looking for fights and will most likely try to kill you.

delight

I stumbled upon this photo in my incredible phone (pun intended- it is a Droid Incredible). I snapped it when in NJ with my Mom and sister over Labor Day weekend.

What a warm memory of pretty coffee in a quaint cafe with loving ladies. Simple and simply delightful.

And in 2 weeks I'll be flying to Mexico with these wonder women to sip some more cafe and maybe even a tequila sunrise tambien. I feel carefree just thinking about it, like anything could happen.

What are you looking forward to? Also, I just realized that my last post is about "living in the present" and already my mind is in the future. See how that happens?

This

I've never been a huge country music fan. Admittedly, I get into the poppy sounding stuff. But, for the most part I have no clue what's out there in country-music-ville.

Did you know that Darius Rucker has a new album? Never thinking it was a country sound, I've loved Hootie and the Blowfish for always and forever. Even won tickets from a radio contest to see them in a private(ish) concert a few years ago.

Anywho, I downloaded Darius' new song "This" today and listened to it multiple times.... I'm not saying it is the best song ever or anything, but it spoke to me. And that's what counts.

It has such a message. It hit me and I got the magnitude like woah. Moral of the story: the lyrics are all about how whatever went right in life or wrong in life is what led to this point. I like that.

I'm a huge opponent of the phrase "everything happens for a reason". It is a statement that drives me cra-zy. B-A-N-A-N-A-S. Someday I'll tell you all about it. And I apologize ahead of time for that day. :)

This song, however, is what I think people are trying to say with "everything happens for a reason". That when life happens and things go wrong and big huge moments don't go as planned, hoped, and longed for, we have an opportunity. To grow. To change. To learn and move and pick ourselves up to face another day. And when we do, our lives take a new direction for better or worse. And those new directions lead to this. The now.

I was upset recently because I'd really like to be in a relationship and it just doesn't seem to be working out, nor does it ever work out as planned in my very smart brain. I get so sick of first dates: that nervous uncomfortable feeling, the way I make every goodbye awkward, and how I generally turn out to not like the guy anyway!

I confess that I had a pity-party where I mourned the past and doomed the future. I spilled my guts and my tears with my roomies who helped baby-step me back to reality of life and love, and the life I love.
[aside: maybe I took too many baby-steps, because today I can think of a zillion reasons why I'm happy to be single and not in a relationship. Happy to be in the here and now with me, myself, and I.]

Living in the present moment is practically impossible. I've attempted to do it all my life and still can't seem to stay in today for more than an instant. When I do though, I can be nothing but grateful.

Grateful for my mother.
Grateful for my family and my friends. Who they are and who they have helped me to be.
Grateful for my health and my life.
Grateful for getting past all those terrible days and for the path I took to pass each one by. Whether it be a family emergency, a break-up, a bad haircut, or a pity-party. I'm glad I'm in today rather than those days!

And I know those days will come again. Suffering comes to all.
But for right now I'm grateful.

Pieces of lyrics I liked from "This":
"Maybe it didn't turn out like I planned
Maybe that's why I'm such a lucky man
...
All the doors that I had to close,
All the things I knew but I didn't know
Thank God for all I missed
Cause it led me here to this"

Monday Subway Story

I suppose a lot of you fellow commuters have the day off for Columbus Day. However, I (like Christopher Columbus) came into work today. And the strangest thing happened on the subway. Eerie, really.

Instead of yearning for my bed and wallowing in self-pity slash jealousy on this national holiday, I'm rejoicing in the fact that NO ONE TOUCHED ME on the subway! I mean, there was no butt on butt action, no one's arm against my arm or purse strategically resting on my leg. You could say it was a miracle. You could definitely say that.

[An empty subway car is Urban Legend. This is an optical illusion created for the purposes of exaggeration only. Do not be disturbed. A middle-aged drunk man in a suit is no doubt sleeping under one of the seats.]

Granted, there were enough laborers en route to fill the seats and leave standing-room-only, but that is A-ok with this Uptown Girl. Namely because if I sit for too long during Morning-Commute-StageII of The Sleep Cycle, I'll surely seep back into REM.

It's science. Simple science.

With that in mind, please enjoy this holiday. I thank you for the breathing room this morning. It was special.

photo documentation

Here we have photographic evidence of the events described in the post below. Next time you should come join us in some fabulously fun flirty escapades...

rbar

(aside: rbar is not a fave spot of this Uptown Girl. Great tunes, but there are poles. Poles! How tacky.)

Atlantic Grill

good friends + good food = great times

brush that dirt off my shoulder

I may have told you this before... I'm kind of a big deal you know. Lately I've been busy busy busy with fun, active, and glamorous life pursuits.

More active than ever before in my life:

- hot yoga classes -
- kickball team -
- rollerblading -
- dating -
- running -
- indoor soccer team -

And, of course, dancing. No, not dance classes. Ok I did rock 1 hot Zumba class and will return when my schedule allows. My dance has been in posh bars with my best besties. Rocking out to all sorts of tunes. Last weekend I think I heard Ace of Base played 3-4 times between RBar and Lit Lounge. If you ever go to Lit Lounge, please be advised that they have a great DJ yet hot as Hades temperatures. And I'm not saying hot people. I'm saying sweaty people. Picture that.
Delightful.

All this action has been exhausting. And rewarding. It may be all the endorphins typing, but I'm happier and more at peace than I was in my former sedentary days. Don't worry, I still find the time to sit on the couch and watch DVR'd tv for hours and for going out to eat. Often.

In the glamour department: I ate delish shellfish at Atlantic Grill on Monday night with my roomies and Jenny May of Swede Records (fellow bridesmaid in Liza's upcoming wedding). She was here for the weekend and if I get my way, Jenny and her Swede will be moving to the Upper Eastside come springtime.
Aside: do you know that Jenny has 978 followers. Un-be-liev-a-ble.

Does anyone have a picture of this blogathering?

What have you been up to blogland? I'm so behind at my blog reading!

subway horror story

I stepped onto the subway this morning to a horrifying (yet not uncommon) sight. Picture this. A teenage boy and girl in an intimate embrace. Holding onto each other rather than the bar. And then they made out. Like teenagers in a dark movie theater. Except they were on the train with a myriad of commuters and an Uptown Girl. Hi.

This behavior is not ok.

It is a Monday morning. Were you aware?

I now realize why, when I was in high school, adults on the train hated my friends and me(!). At the time I thought "they" were ageist freaks! Now I know that it is the other way around: teenagers are little psychopaths trying to ruin my Monday. Technically I already knew this tried and true fact, but it seems like fresh information right now.

I will not let this ruin my day. I will move on and forget the inappropriate PDA that started my work-week. I will get a lot of work done. I will persevere. I will pledge to end the week with some PDA of my own.

Why should the teens get to have all the fun?

Look Out Ladies

There's nothing like the Onion News to kick off this lovely Friday. And by lovely I mean there is a full-blown monsoon outside. Sam Champion, please remedy this and show us some sunshine this weekend.

Obama Releases 500,000 Men From U.S. Strategic Bachelor Reserve

I think I speak for all the singles ladies (move over Beyonce) when I say that this report is a dream come true. Who knew Obama was so thoughtful!?