|
|
30May | change
In the last week or so Jaymie's been looking at apartments because her lease is up this summer, and she's been sending me listings to get my opinion and I actually went with her to look at a couple in Brooklyn Heights (15-20 minute walk from my place). She's been wanting to live alone for a while now, so was hunting for studios at what is a staggeringly high price for me, but on the very low end for studios in most nicer areas of Brooklyn. (Depressing. Wholly depressing.) We saw one today that is really, really charming and a wonderful deal for the asking price. She actually saw it in the afternoon and came back to work undecided, so I went back to see it again with her after work and helped solidify her decision to get it. She's moving in end of June/mid-July (a trip to Africa in between). And while I was looking at her listings, I started to look at listings for studios in my old haunts in Williamsburg. It's so crazy but lately I've really started to miss it there. Not that there aren't tons of things that Park Slope/Boerum Hill/Cobble Hill/etc have to offer, but it's a completely different feel out there. I didn't live in the heart of hipsterville, but rather on the outskirts, among various Italian, Polish, and Hispanic families. I felt safe out there. Young and lost, but safe. Obviously I'm not going anywhere soon - I'm on my lease until next February, and my rent is ridiculously low for the space that I have. But I wonder sometimes if that's enough. But I also wonder if New York City is worth it for me in the next few years, I wonder what my priorities are, I wonder wonder wonder. Sometimes, lately, my head really hurts from wondering. I love the way my life is now. I'm more structured, I feel invigorated, I'm taking care of myself, and I'm not getting caught up in distractions that used to bring down my morale (namely, drinking and dating). But all this momentum is sort of just pushing me along and making me project toward the 'what's next!' and it's exciting, but also overwhelming. I'm coming up on a year at Digitas. What a year it's been. Isn't that true of every anniversary?
30May | guess. what.
This little darling will soon be mine.
I'm counting down the days until June 8th...
28May | blast from the past
Today (well, yesterday/Sunday) was the Monk marathon on USA and I've had it on for most of the day (when I wasn't out running all the errands I haven't had time to run in the past three weeks... including two trips to Target...) and I saw a commercial for The 4400's fourth season. I became a huge 4400 fan (read: closet sci-fi geek... oh well) in the summer of 2005, when I was hopelessly unemployed and thus spent all of my time watching various television shows on DVD, such as Sex and the City, Fat Actress, and The 4400. Last year's Memorial Day weekend, I zipped through the second season (along with the first two seasons of House) in marathon viewing sessions, eagerly awaiting the summer premiere of season three. And - it SUCKED. I was sorely disappointed at how melodramatic, convoluted and poorly written it became, and most of all they seemed to have written off my favorite character, Kyle Baldwin (played by Chad Faust) and thus I stopped watching and all but forgot that the show existed. Except in the commercials, not only is Kyle back, but he has a new haircut, and after one of the montage commercials he winks at the camera. And in a completely classic teenybopper moment, the first time I saw it, I almost fainted. And then quickly logged into Netflix to put season three on my queue so I can be prepared for the season four premiere on June 17th. That's really what I'm going to do all summer, people. Is watch TV. Lots of it.
26May | hi again
Hi. It's been a really long time - I know. I wish I could express to you how dire my computer situation is. Hm. Put it this way: a. my wrists often almost burn from resting on the hot keyboard console Luckily, I appealed to my parents and explained the situation, as well as the fact that I am hoping to launch pink pomelo design soon and thus will need a faster computer that will allow me to do a lot of website and design stuff, and they graciously agreed to help me out with a loan. I have some money saved up, but not enough to get a new computer on my own right now, but I'm hoping that through getting said new computer I will be able to bring in some more dough on the side to help pay back the loan more quickly. SO! I will soon be joining the Mac brigade with my very own Macbook. I'm nervous and excited and very much looking forward to naming her! In terms of life updates, I went to my older brother's grad school graduation last weekend and spent a good deal of quality time with my family. I also started to feel like maybe I need to rethink my life and career trajectory. I don't know. My life and my priorities have changed so much in 2007 that I'm now just trying to catch up with my thoughts. (My wrists! Burning! Agh I'll type faster) I also sat down and worked out the main design for pink pomelo tonight - want a preview? I knew you would.
I'm not sure when it will launch - hopefully within the next couple of weeks. And finally - here are some pictures from the craft fair as well as last weekend with the fam. Hopefully you're friends with me on Facebook or at least in the New York network so you can see them ;) Good night!
25May | SWEET
rhiannon: ACK
23May | i tried, i really tried
So, I wrote a new entry. It was long and informative and even had pictures. And then my computer froze, as it likes to do lately, and I lost the whole thing. Now it is being slow and bothersome and making jet-engine-like noises so I really need to turn it off before it melts into my desk. So I will try to recreate said lost entry at work.
12May | the best end to the most stressful week
So, as you know I haven't been sleeping for like three weeks now - especially this week, leading up to the craft fair at work. Thursday night I clocked in about three hours' sleep (so technically, Friday morning from around 3:30-6:30am...) and got to work at around 8:20, delirious but totally caffeined up - did some work and then set up for the craft fair!!! I have to take a moment and say that I have really not felt as much a part of a group as I have recently at work. As much as it can drive me a little bats working with a large group of opinionated women, they're so giving and caring, and most of all, supportive of me and of each other. They came and helped me set up, wished me luck, and Jaymie took like a bazillion pictures of my display as well as a totally cheesy one of me sitting with my display table that I will post as soon as it's uploaded. I did pretty well in sales - there wasn't as much traffic as there was at the holiday craft fair this past winter, but I generated a good amount of interest and made a good chunk of change. And I got my business card out there! So next up I have to build the website and get it up so people can start sending in orders. And then all you non-NY peeps can see what I've been doing! So then I spent the rest of the day in a daze from lack of sleep, too much caffeine, and a good dose of sugar from a delicious pistachio cupcake I had after lunch. AND THEN! I left work around 5:30 and walked to Penn Station to catch a train home to Jersey for the weekend. As I'm coming up on the intersection of 32nd Street and Broadway I pass the entrance to the Radisson Hotel and who crosses my path literally a foot in front of me but ZAC AND KATE HANSON!!!!! The funniest thing is that I recognized her first - she was walking in front of him and I thought to myself, "Hey, that girl kinda looks like Kate... OMG ZAC" and then I stopped, blinked and gasped, and mouthed "Oh my God" as they walked into the hotel. Then I dropped my bags and called Allison. I thought about going inside to stalk them, but part of me felt like it seemed better to just leave them be. If I had wanted to say anything, it should have been right as I saw them and something like "Hi Zac - I've been listening to the new music on Hanson.net on repeat for the past week and a half. I love it. Bye!" But now it was kinda past the moment... too bad. But still! I saw him! On the street! I've dreamed about a moment like that for (you know it's coming) TEN YEARS!!!! :) :) :)
10May | i'm delirious
i feel like i'm in college again trying to make a deadline and unable to suppress my perfectionism. to all whom i owe phone calls - i'm sorry i'm a bum and a bad friend. next week i'll have loads more free time, as the craft fair for which i have been fervently preparing is on friday and after that i'll be making cards on an order basis and not trying to guess the demand. i have been sleeping so poorly lately that i've become one of those people who is thisclose to leaning on the shoulder of the person next to me on the subway in my deep, oblivious slumber. yet i have not once missed my stop! falling into bed to wake up in about 4 hours...
09May | first step
I am pleased to announce the imminent debut of
 (click to see splash)
The site isn't actually up yet but I couldn't hold it in any longer. Haha!
05May | thanks for all your input
I thought about your feedback, as well as made a list of all the fruits that I like to eat... And I've come up with a name. But I don't want to give it away yet. HAHA! Well not publicly anyway. ;) (Brian, and by transition, Jueli... SHH!)
05May | poll time!
Thanks to a largely entertaining brainstorming session with some of my team members at work, I now have a small list of potential names for my card business. I am only laying out the ones that are currently available as .coms with no hyphenation: a. petite pamplemousse (little grapefruit) Okay - I find myself still thinking as I go along, which means I should probably put myself to bed and think about it in the morning. I really like the fruit theme. So I think I might stick along those lines. Votes? Suggestions? :) Oh ps I sold some cards today. And by some I mean a lot. Like $170 worth. I'm gonna be rich!!!! Or should I say, je serai riche!!!!
04May | my new life
I've been averaging about five and a half hours of sleep a night due to 1. staying up late to work on my cards and 2. waking up early to make breakfast and lunch and it's been quite naturally affecting my alertness during the day - it's 1:08am now and I could crawl into bed and probably fall asleep in an instant but I wanted to write a little more, and listen to a little Hanson before turning in for the night. :) Now, the reason I've been making breakfast and lunch every morning is because three weeks ago I took the plunge and joined Weight Watchers. I'd been talking about it half-heartedly for a while but never got around to finding out how to sign up, and also didn't think that I had enough money to spare every month - which was probably true at the time, but I'm doing much better with my finances lately so I decided it was time to just go for it. People have asked me why I thought I needed to join - which is nice, because it means that they don't think I need to lose weight. But my reasoning is, I think, good and rational... I wasn't happy with my weight, both around the holidays last year and also while I was training for the half-marathon (if you could have seen the size of my legs... it was extremely alarming), and I really haven't maintained healthy eating habits for the past I don't know how many years. I've gone through two significant weight losses in my late teens/early twenties, but neither time has been due to a good balance of diet, exercise, and most importantly, nutrition. What I've learned through Weight Watchers - after being on it just three weeks - is the appropriate portion size for me, what it's like to actually feel hungry, and most importantly what it's like to eat foods that are good for me, to enjoy both "good" and "guilty" foods (a cookie tastes about ten times more decadent if you only have one a week). I eat more fresh food and prepare actual meals, and am not plagued with all sorts of negative feelings that I used to feel about what I put into my body. It's not all frills and flowers though - the first few days I felt like I was starving every minute of the day, and last week my team at work went out for a big lunch and I wanted to crawl under the table where I couldn't see what - and how much - everyone else was eating. I realized that I was going through food withdrawal, and generally feeling a bit alienated from everyone else because of the way my eating habits had changed. It's a complete mindset change... the program calls it a "lifestyle" and I truly believe that it is. You obviously have to want it, though - if you don't want to spend your time thinking about caloric intake versus fiber and fat content, then obviously you don't have to. I mean - I'm forking over the monthly fee for this. I'm choosing to do this. I've lost ten pounds in the past three weeks. It shows in my face (I noticed it a little bit, but other people have noticed too which is nice) and in the way my clothes fit, and obviously I'm happy about that. But I'm actually happier about the way I've been able to work it into my life - I'm still learning of course but it has felt great and natural to stock up the fridge with fresh food, to think of new healthy recipes, to decide when to indulge and have it really feel like an indulgence... the list goes on. A couple people have asked me what my goal is. I don't really know. The first goal for all new members is 10% of their body weight - I'm more than halfway there already. I can't really decide if I want to set a goal in terms of pounds or clothing size, because something tells me that my body holds weight differently than I've previously thought. Who knows. I could go on and on about this - but perhaps I'll save it for my next 'zine. ;) Don't hold your breath though, I don't know when that will be.
03May | you know what makes me happy and sad all at the same time
is when really senior level people make commonplace grammatical mistakes. I mean I guess it doesn't say much about how far I'll get in life by knowing when to use "I" versus "me" (as in, "you and I" or "you and me") when probably 85% of the people I speak with use it incorrectly... But that's what's so sad about it. Someone can make 250k a year or whatever and have improper grammar and well, who cares? They make 250k a year. Why did I even bother studying English? Ugh. Stay tuned, I might write more tonight. Haha.
01May | now i know it's really spring
Hanson.net has the entire new album up in streaming media. The disc officially drops in three weeks, and I can feel my blood rushing just thinking about it... in the past I haven't really wanted to listen to the new music until I'm holding the CD case in my hands, smelling the new CD smell that I only experience once every three or four years (I really only spend money on their albums), but this time I just couldn't wait anymore. A few weeks ago my manager told me that she'd never met anyone who loved a band as much as I do, and that they are very lucky. I don't think she realizes how much that statement meant to me. In the past four months I've spent a lot of time in introspection, pulling my heart back into myself in instinctual preservation, but when I think about the history that I have with this band I realize that I really have not forgotten how to deeply love - whether it's them, the idea of them, the experience of them, or just plainly the music and the way it can reach through the air and envelope my heart with just one opening note. I can't sit still as I play the new music - with every beat I can feel their excruciating passion and it literally moves me. They are the epitome of it, of that shameless passion... as I've been continually mellowing out this year, feeling myself numb to simply human things like love and intrinsic emotion, they continue to lay their hearts out in the face of oppression from both the industry and the public. The funny thing is that I feel my anger rise when people dismiss them, but they don't even get angry anymore. Not in the same way. Their anger is channeled into their art, and communicated so eloquently - and they just push on with the belief that the music speaks for itself. And does it. It shouts and screams. Ten years' worth.
01May | i'm all about anniversaries
Today is the one year anniversary of my last day at Oasis. Aka the best worst day of my life. Yay for May!
|
