Turkey Day

Our first Thanksgiving as a married couple was a huge success.


My aunt Carla was in town, so she and I got up at 4:45am to go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. The parade was amazing - my experience was so much better than last year, where I got stuck at the back of the crowd on a side street by myself. This year, we were right in front, on the side where the sun wasn't in our eyes, right up against the rail. We were able to high five people in the parade.
Plus, Kermit was there!It's actually very weird for me to see Muppets in real life because I really do feel like they're real and I feel like I'm seeing an actual celebrity in real life.

Anyhow, after the parade Carla and I headed home to nap and cook. When we got there, JP had already moved the living room furniture around and set the table and it was GORGEOUS. (Side note: That brown tablecloth? Yeah...it's a bed sheet. How awesome is that?) This is the first time we used our wedding china, which was so exciting. (Of course, several jokes were made about the episode of Friends when Monica is such a freak about her wedding china.) JP was also already working on the turkey. We arranged the flowers we'd gotten and set out the chocolate Thanksgiving-themed lollipops straight from Jacques Torres.

Our friends brought delicious food to go with our turkey, dressing, and roasted green beans. Molly brought squash casserole, her sister Katie brought sweet potato casserole, and Harper brought apple dumplings and pumpkin pie. It was all so delicious.

The whole day was far more perfect than I could have imagined. It really made me realize how thankful I truly am for the friends I have here and the life I have with my husband. I had a defining moment during dinner (I describe it as my movie moment). JP and I were sitting at the head and foot of the table (another first!) and at one point everyone at the table was laughing really hard about something. So there we are surrounded by friends who love us and the sound of their laughter and JP catches my eye across the table and gives me a little wink. Now JP will probably read this and roll his eyes at my sentimentality, but for me...it was just one of those awesome moments when you feel such a rush of happiness and contentment with your life.

I hope your Thanksgiving brought you happiness as well. Now on to the Christmas season!

Internet Etiquette

I was recently accused of poor etiquette on the internet. By a stranger, no less. Now I'm not perfect and I'm aware that my negative Slytherin attributes do show up every once in a while. However, I also know a lot about etiquette on the internet. Here are some things that are just plain annoying to come across.


Whining that you don't have time to post...in a post. You had time to post that you don't have time to post. If you really don't have time to post on your blog, then just stay off your computer.

Along the same lines...if you post fiction in a public forum, please don't introduce it by talking about how crappy it is. Don't whine and say you're such an awful writer and your stories are crappy, etc. Just put it out there and let it speak for itself. Especially if it's mostly your friends reading it anyway.

Going by a fake name. Don't get me wrong, I understand using a pseudonym for professional reasons. But using a "nickname" that you've given yourself (when no one in real life uses it for you, well, because it doesn't even fit you as a nickname) in conjunction with your real name (so it's not exactly to protect your identity, right?) is just juvenile.
Acting like you care about someone online then ditching them in real life. This just looks like you're more active online than in the real world.

Posting something you read in a forwarded email as though it's fact. Come on, people. Don't be stupid.

What about you? Any crazy stuff you've seen that's just really irritating here on the world wide web?

Stuck in my head.

Do you get songs stuck in your head? I find it fascinating that this happens. I don't know if it's the same for you, but I tend to hear really random songs that I haven't listened to in forever. Some days I'll have just one or two songs that hang out in my head. Other days...it's like someone made a playlist for a 10 hour road trip and pieces of every single song are played in my head. I don't get it.

So here's what I did. I decided to start making note of which songs showed up throughout the day. I did it a few of days of this week. A couple of days I only wrote down 2-4 songs. No big deal. But other days I had a whole list. So I picked the longest list to share with you. Oh and the list ALWAYS starts in the shower. I've never taken a shower without humming a song. I give you the songs in my head on October 4.


1. At This Moment - Michael Buble
Michael usually shows up on every list. I probably listen to him more often than any other band or singer (with Harry Connick, Jr, being a close second.

2. Fancy - Reba McEntire
Truthfully, I have NO idea where this came from. I couldn't tell you the last time I actually heard this song.

3. The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia - Reba McEntire
For some reason, this song and Fancy always seem to go hand in hand in my brain. I can't think of one without thinking about the other.

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Theme Song
Um, yeah. Not a clue.

5. I'm Coming Home - Michael Buble
See? More Michael.

6. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd
I'm guessing this was hovering around because I'd been watching The Office in the last week or so and there's an episode where Andy is in Sweeney Todd. But I'd watched it days before this day.

7. Beautiful - Christina Aguilera
???? I don't own ANY of her music and again, can't remember the last time I heard this song.

8. My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion
Ok here's one I can explain. I still reminisce about my awesome honeymoon most days. It was a cruise to Alaska. There were some bad weather days, and also icebergs/chunks of ice in the water (because it's Alaska), so we talked about Titanic a lot. So NOW whenever I think about my honeymoon, this song inevitably gets stuck in my head. It showed up on lists from other days.

9. Never Fully Dressed without a Smile - from the musical Annie
Don't know.

10. A song from the movie The Holiday. I don't know which song it was, but it was definitely one that was part of the score, not a song with words.


So there you have it. These all came while I was at work, because of lot of my work days are filled with me doing tests where I don't have to think a lot and so my mind is free to wander. The days with shorter lists were the days where I worked in the clinic, which meant I was actually talking to people the whole time (my brain was too focused on talking and writing, etc.). Once I leave work, I read my kindle on the way home, then usually watch tv and talk to JP before going to bed.

Oh and I'd also like to point out that sometimes I have two songs try to mesh together when they definitely shouldn't. For example, on this day, these lyrics were stuck in my head at some point: "Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down...when the evil Shredder attacks, them turtle boys don't cut him no slack!"

So what songs get stuck in YOUR head?

Kayaking? In NYC?

Yes, that's right. Today I went kayaking in NYC. My friend Molly has been wanting to go so we went. JP and I were running a little late (of course) so by the time we got to the pier Molly and my other friend Katie had already gone out once. I was a little turned off to the idea by how soaked they were from the waist down, but I ended up doing it anyway since I did drag myself out of the apartment just for that reason.

So there are 3 (I believe) piers along the Hudson River where free kayaking is offered. We went to Riverside Park on 72nd St. Also, there's a long pier nearby for people to go hang out on that I'm really glad to know is there. It's a pretty gorgeous place to just chill and enjoy being next to the water. And there's a cafe that serves snacks, meals, beer, coffee...pretty great. But I digress. Back to free kayaking...

All you have to do is sign a waiver that will last you the year (you don't have to sign one every time you go), put on a life jacket, and you're good to go. If you have stuff you don't want getting wet (i.e. your purse, your phone, your wallet), they have lockers you can use that are also free. The kayaks aren't legit kayaks, because they're open. You're not tucking your legs inside something, so it's a lot safer if you've never gotten into a real kayak before.

Now, you'll definitely get your backside wet. There's no escaping it. I'd recommend wearing something besides denim - something that will dry quickly. But unless you're purposely slinging water everywhere because you think it's fun (and as long as you don't try really hard to flip your kayak), you can probably tuck your phone or camera into the front of your life jacket so you can take pictures...or text people to make them jealous.

So if you're bored and broke on a nice day, this can be something fun to do. I did have fun, but I must admit I got kind of bored with it. You have to stay within the set boundaries so that you don't end up down the river and out into the ocean. I'm used to being on a fast moving river where the scenery is constantly changing. Here, I just rode around in circles and got excited the couple of times waves came in. Otherwise...eh.

Ultimately, I'd go again. It's something different to do, especially if you're wanting to escape being in the city. And once again...it's FREE. That's a major draw. And when you're with good people, it will always be fun.

Naturally disastrous.

I've had a lot of people ask me about the earthquake and Hurricane Irene, so I thought I'd go through some details now.

Yes, I was home on Tuesday and yes, I felt the earthquake. JP and I were sitting on the couch and I snapped at him to please stop jiggling his foot because it was making the whole couch shake. He pointed out that he wasn't moving at all. That's when we noticed the liquid in our drinks sloshing, the blinds swaying, and our tall floor fan was wobbling back and forth. Because an earthquake was the furthest thing from my mind, I automatically assumed it had something to do with the fact that DirecTV had been drilling into our building that morning. But since JP is smart, he immediately said, no I think that might have been an earthquake. Yeah, he's the smart one in this relationship.

So now everyone is in a tizzy about Hurricane Irene. Lots of people have asked me if we're evacuating and/or what are we doing to prepare. The answer is no, we're not evacuating. We live in the middle of Queens, and according to the maps that show all the different zones (Zone A being the most at risk for flooding and other damage), we're not actually listed in any of the zones. So we have plenty of water, our stove is gas so we should be able to cook soup, etc., and if the wind ends up looking like it could shatter windows, we can hunker down in our windowless kitchen and hallway. We have flashlights and candles. Also, we'll fill our tub with water, so we'll be able to flush no matter what.

I personally don't think it's gonna be quite as bad as everyone here is thinking. I started following @NYCMayorsOffice on Twitter and I swear its sole purpose is to freak everyone out. For example, this was a picture they posted this morning and I'm posting it with the original tweet that accompanied it.

These are the kinds of boats used in Katrina. You don't want to end up in one. If you need to evacuate, do so now.

Also, the MTA has shut down all the subways and buses as of noon today. So now we just wait. Looking out the window, it's definitely getting darker and the sky is getting grayer. I'm very curious to see how it's all gonna go down. I'll try to keep everyone updated via Facebook.

Love you all - don't worry about us!

Pink is still my favorite color.

Last Wednesday I asked a doctor at work to take a look at my eye. My left eye had been sore since the night before and I wanted to make sure it wasn't a chalazion (a bump that forms on your eyelid, as a result of clogged oil glands). Here's how the conversation went:

Doc: Hmm...yeah...that's conjunctivitis [pink eye].
Me: What?! Really?
Doc: Yep. And it's in both eyes. Your right eye hasn't been bothering you?
Me: No! Not at all. So...I guess this means I need to go home, right?
Doc: Uh...yeah. You need to go home for a week.

Conjunctivitis is extremely contagious, and since I work in an eye care facility, they take extreme precautions. So, I got to stay at home for a week. It's actually been pretty great spending time with JP. Lots of time spent on Tumblr, watching Law & Order: SVU and NCIS, and watching some movies here and there. Good times. But back to work tomorrow.

The Blanks at Highline Ballroom

My most recent escapade in NYC involved seeing a band called The Blanks. Have you ever watched the show Scrubs? Remember Ted's a cappella band? They are a real band and they've existed since before Scrubs. Oh yeah, and also, they're amazing.

Me with Sam Lloyd (Ted, from Scrubs)

The concert was at Highline Ballroom. If you're ever in NYC (or you live in NYC and enjoy going to events here) you should definitely try to attend something at this venue. There are two levels, the bottom level easily converted to a dance floor. But for this night, there were tables set up downstairs, just like upstairs. We were in close quarters with other tables (and in some instances, strangers were seated together), but it somehow still felt intimate.

JP and me with The Blanks

The menu definitely has some pricey items, but luckily they also have some cheaper stuff to choose from. We went with a bunch of "small bites," small portions of food for $5 apiece. Two chicken tacos, a cheese plate, coconut shrimp, and spring rolls. And all DELICIOUS.  Beware though...if you want water, specify you don't want it in a bottle. And if you order a Coke, refills are not free. There IS a full bar though.

And now I leave with a video. It's The Blanks singing Superman, by Lazlo Bane, theme from Scrubs. For more videos from the concert, visit my YouTube channel.