Lately I’ve noticed an increase in rudeness all over the United States. We’ve all seen it with examples like Kanye West at the MTV Video Music Awards and such. When did this all happen?
I really wondered about this today after getting rammed in the calf by a shopping card at my local supermarket. Granted I know it’s crowded and New Year’s Eve and people are doing their holiday food shopping. But an ‘excuse me’ really would have cushioned the blow. Instead I have a nice contusion on my pulpy flesh.
Honestly I’m used to it, living in New York and all, especially when I undertake to gridiron tactics at this particular grocery store. But I’m not going to blame this behavior on the Big Apple. I think this is happening everywhere.
People hit you in the street as they walk by, step on your toes on the subway, the list continues. Yet no one says ‘Sorry’. And the worst part is that it seems like people think this is appropriate behavior. I read recently that the best way to stop this kind of behavior is to be nasty back. I’m not sure if I agree with that tactic. But it sure feels like you have to say something when people are such jerks.
Has anyone else noticed this? Or am I just imagining things?
Thursday, December 31, 2009
I'm Dreaming of a White New Year?
Yes, it's snowing again. As much as I love the snow, today, I'm finding it a bit annoying.
In the last month I've seen quite a bit of snow. Almost a foot was dropped here in the city about two weeks ago. Then due to the blizzard in Dallas, my flights to and from Mexico City were either cancelled or delayed. And now, I had to trudge through it carrying extremely heavy groceries in preparation for tomorrow's New Year's Day meal.
Ok ok, it's not really that bad. I'm just in a bad mood today and need to vent somewhere.
Regardless of the powder, I hope everyone has a lovely and safe New Year's Eve.
In the last month I've seen quite a bit of snow. Almost a foot was dropped here in the city about two weeks ago. Then due to the blizzard in Dallas, my flights to and from Mexico City were either cancelled or delayed. And now, I had to trudge through it carrying extremely heavy groceries in preparation for tomorrow's New Year's Day meal.
Ok ok, it's not really that bad. I'm just in a bad mood today and need to vent somewhere.
Regardless of the powder, I hope everyone has a lovely and safe New Year's Eve.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Where the Streets Have No Numbers
Traveling is so much fun for me because I get to see how people around the world live. It also shows me what they think is important and of value. I enjoy seeing those little things that are often missed on a quick tour but that say so much about the country.
At this moment, I'm writing from Mexico City as I've been spending some time with the Mexican-in-laws. Earlier this week we went to Cuernavaca, a city south of Mexico City to spend some time getting some sun and eating some wonderful Mexican home cooking.
It has been a long day before we arrived. Almost 24 hours in transit from New York, through Dallas, delayed by snow storms in the Lone Star State, only to get to my Mexican-in-laws Cuernavaca vacation home. And where do they live? None other than the "Street with No Name #10." For some reason this really felt like an excellent punctuation mark to this long day. It also told me that it doesn't matter where or what street you live on as long as there is a number involved.
At this moment, I'm writing from Mexico City as I've been spending some time with the Mexican-in-laws. Earlier this week we went to Cuernavaca, a city south of Mexico City to spend some time getting some sun and eating some wonderful Mexican home cooking.
It has been a long day before we arrived. Almost 24 hours in transit from New York, through Dallas, delayed by snow storms in the Lone Star State, only to get to my Mexican-in-laws Cuernavaca vacation home. And where do they live? None other than the "Street with No Name #10." For some reason this really felt like an excellent punctuation mark to this long day. It also told me that it doesn't matter where or what street you live on as long as there is a number involved.
The Best of 2009
Things that happened/that I enjoyed/that I'll remember about this year (in no particular order):
1)Completed my albatross
2)"Unaccustomed Earth" and "The White Tiger"
3)A broken elbow in July
4)A sprained ankle in November in Morocco
5)Pixar's 'Up' and Dug (SQUIRREL!!)
6)The Wedding in Tenerife
7)Liquid Poop
8)Callate Antonio!
9)The Cousins on the Continent - foto, please!
10)"Glee"
11) Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn on "Lost"
12)Hi-fiving my co-worker and missing
13)Brian Condon
14)Lucy Orly Toronto Cristol
15)Magnificent Morocco - a.k.a. I love olives
16) My friend's big, fat Greek wedding.
17) Billy Elliot
18) Vermont with the girls
19) Therese Raquin by Emile Zola
20) A day at the zoo in France
I'm sure I'm missing a bunch of stuff but I limited myself to 20 and I'll just have to honor the rest in their own posts.
1)Completed my albatross
2)"Unaccustomed Earth" and "The White Tiger"
3)A broken elbow in July
4)A sprained ankle in November in Morocco
5)Pixar's 'Up' and Dug (SQUIRREL!!)
6)The Wedding in Tenerife
7)Liquid Poop
8)Callate Antonio!
9)The Cousins on the Continent - foto, please!
10)"Glee"
11) Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn on "Lost"
12)Hi-fiving my co-worker and missing
13)Brian Condon
14)Lucy Orly Toronto Cristol
15)Magnificent Morocco - a.k.a. I love olives
16) My friend's big, fat Greek wedding.
17) Billy Elliot
18) Vermont with the girls
19) Therese Raquin by Emile Zola
20) A day at the zoo in France
I'm sure I'm missing a bunch of stuff but I limited myself to 20 and I'll just have to honor the rest in their own posts.
Strike a Pose
Lately, I’ve had a little time on my hands so I’ve been checking and viewing my friend’s facebook pages. Reading and viewing the pictures and commentaries has been fun since it’s provided another view into my friends’ personalities.
However something I’ve noticed in my viewing of the pictures on these pages has disturbed me a bit. I’ve noticed a lot of pictures of women in groups standing sideways towards the camera. And in this position a number of the women have one hand on their hips. Now, I know this pose. I’ve seen it before….where?? Ah….the super model pose.
I’m baffled by the use of this photographic technique for two reasons:
1) I know magazines say to use it because it makes you look thinner
2) How can it make you look thin if you aren’t a supermodel to begin?
Of course it makes models look thin. They are skeletal at birth. And I’m pretty darn sure photographers make them use this pose so it’s easier for the viewer to actually identify a person attached to the jutting angularity of an elbow. If they were just standing sideways, they would be invisible or a thin line marking the photo.
For normal people, this pose looks ridiculous because it does not make you appear thin whatsoever (especially if you have arm jelly handing in space like that). It makes you look like you are uncomfortable with your body and that you are trying to hide it. Sadly all this very unnatural pose does is point out that you have no self-confidence and that you can’t think for yourself…that you need a magazine’s ideas (or the fashion world’s ideas for that matter) to superficially mask that you don’t like how you look.
However something I’ve noticed in my viewing of the pictures on these pages has disturbed me a bit. I’ve noticed a lot of pictures of women in groups standing sideways towards the camera. And in this position a number of the women have one hand on their hips. Now, I know this pose. I’ve seen it before….where?? Ah….the super model pose.
I’m baffled by the use of this photographic technique for two reasons:
1) I know magazines say to use it because it makes you look thinner
2) How can it make you look thin if you aren’t a supermodel to begin?
Of course it makes models look thin. They are skeletal at birth. And I’m pretty darn sure photographers make them use this pose so it’s easier for the viewer to actually identify a person attached to the jutting angularity of an elbow. If they were just standing sideways, they would be invisible or a thin line marking the photo.
For normal people, this pose looks ridiculous because it does not make you appear thin whatsoever (especially if you have arm jelly handing in space like that). It makes you look like you are uncomfortable with your body and that you are trying to hide it. Sadly all this very unnatural pose does is point out that you have no self-confidence and that you can’t think for yourself…that you need a magazine’s ideas (or the fashion world’s ideas for that matter) to superficially mask that you don’t like how you look.
Pillow Talk
One think I’ve learned as I’ve grown older is to lighten my load when traveling. Bringing and packing the bare minimum because it makes things easier when you have to get to the airport and when you are in the airport too. There’s nothing more annoying than having heavy things slowing you down.
I also bring a bag that I use as my carry-on that has a change of clothing and some toiletries. After being stuck in some remote place without a toothbrush and a change of underwear, you begin to see the value of that.
Something very common that I’ve noticed over the years is people traveling with a pillow. This strikes me as odd on a number of levels. First of all because no matter how you hold a standard pillow, it’s always bulky and cumbersome. It’s an exasperating thing to carry.
Secondly it’s odd because if you are traveling alone, where do you put it when you go to the restroom? I barely want to step into some airport bathrooms with my feet covered in biologically protected footwear. Why would I want to bring an item that touches my face into an unsanitary place like that?
I know it’s tough to sleep on planes and the daily comforts that we take for granted can play a big part in making these trips easier. But I just don’t think in the long run dragging a pillow around is more of a hassle than it is worth.
I also bring a bag that I use as my carry-on that has a change of clothing and some toiletries. After being stuck in some remote place without a toothbrush and a change of underwear, you begin to see the value of that.
Something very common that I’ve noticed over the years is people traveling with a pillow. This strikes me as odd on a number of levels. First of all because no matter how you hold a standard pillow, it’s always bulky and cumbersome. It’s an exasperating thing to carry.
Secondly it’s odd because if you are traveling alone, where do you put it when you go to the restroom? I barely want to step into some airport bathrooms with my feet covered in biologically protected footwear. Why would I want to bring an item that touches my face into an unsanitary place like that?
I know it’s tough to sleep on planes and the daily comforts that we take for granted can play a big part in making these trips easier. But I just don’t think in the long run dragging a pillow around is more of a hassle than it is worth.
Monday, December 21, 2009
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...
Chrisnukah!!
What am i talking about now? Well, living in the city all of my life, I've been surrounded by the holidays of both Christmas and Hanukah. They are almost one and the same to me since almost everyone I know celebrates one or the other. So why not blend them together and make one holiday so that we can all:
Decorate a tree
Light a pretty candlebra
Sing carols
Eat pieces of chocolate gelt
Dress up in a red velvet suit and wear a white beard
Spin some dreidels
Sadly, I don't know enough about Kwanzaa but I think it would be great to have one big holiday that lasts 8 days. During this holiday everyone could practice the traditions and ideas of all these spiritual beliefs. Who's with me?
I think we could all do with some more time with friends and family. It doesn't have to be about exchanging lots of big gifts. The biggest gift can just be surrounding yourself with those you love. And I don't mean spending time with people that are related to you that annoy you. I mean spending time playing games with your dearest and closest. Isn't that what a holiday is supposed to be?
What am i talking about now? Well, living in the city all of my life, I've been surrounded by the holidays of both Christmas and Hanukah. They are almost one and the same to me since almost everyone I know celebrates one or the other. So why not blend them together and make one holiday so that we can all:
Decorate a tree
Light a pretty candlebra
Sing carols
Eat pieces of chocolate gelt
Dress up in a red velvet suit and wear a white beard
Spin some dreidels
Sadly, I don't know enough about Kwanzaa but I think it would be great to have one big holiday that lasts 8 days. During this holiday everyone could practice the traditions and ideas of all these spiritual beliefs. Who's with me?
I think we could all do with some more time with friends and family. It doesn't have to be about exchanging lots of big gifts. The biggest gift can just be surrounding yourself with those you love. And I don't mean spending time with people that are related to you that annoy you. I mean spending time playing games with your dearest and closest. Isn't that what a holiday is supposed to be?
Let It Snow
I absolutely love the first snowfall of the year. I don't really know why it is. There is something about the pristine clarity of the morning that makes me so happy to be alive. And then there are the doggies out and about enjoying the fluff. It just makes me feel like I'm a kid again.
What beautiful about this year's first snowfall is that it's close to Christmas so I want to sing. It makes me feel more in the holiday spirit. And this year, I've encountered an awful lot of grinches so it makes it lovelier to just stick it to them all.
As always Foxy was super excited to be bouncing around in the snow. She doesn't care how high the snow reaches, she jumps right in with reckless abandon. To see her doing that makes me so giddy. I get a high just from watching her happiness. I think if more people could feel that joyous about snow, we'd all be nicer people.
Yes, it slows things down. Yes, it's messy after a while. But couldn't we all use a little slowing down every so often? It's a pleasure to actually take my time to get places and enjoy the feel of the snow crunching under my boots.
It's these moments in life that we should embrace. Take a little time to enjoy nature and enjoy our lives. Snow helps us to remember the small details of life we often take for granted.
What beautiful about this year's first snowfall is that it's close to Christmas so I want to sing. It makes me feel more in the holiday spirit. And this year, I've encountered an awful lot of grinches so it makes it lovelier to just stick it to them all.
As always Foxy was super excited to be bouncing around in the snow. She doesn't care how high the snow reaches, she jumps right in with reckless abandon. To see her doing that makes me so giddy. I get a high just from watching her happiness. I think if more people could feel that joyous about snow, we'd all be nicer people.
Yes, it slows things down. Yes, it's messy after a while. But couldn't we all use a little slowing down every so often? It's a pleasure to actually take my time to get places and enjoy the feel of the snow crunching under my boots.
It's these moments in life that we should embrace. Take a little time to enjoy nature and enjoy our lives. Snow helps us to remember the small details of life we often take for granted.
Friday, December 18, 2009
The Watch
The first time I saw it
Was just after Valentine’s Day
A lovely piece that wasn’t too ostentatious
Simple leather strap with some diamond-like items
Circling the face
It was a bright red color and it looked exquisite
On her delicate wrist
She never showed it off or made a big deal about it
But every day she wore it
And it must have reminded her of the person who purchased it
Could have been her own purchase
Or a gift
The way she took it off and looked at it though
Suggested it was a gift from someone she loved very much
Through the cold and the heat, it was always there.
She would rub it during meetings
Like it was as breakable as an egg.
Imagined that she only took it off to shower
It became like a second skin
Months went by and the piece never moved from
The inside pulse point
Until one day something different took its place
A plastic band of brown that matched her clothing
It stood out though because it wasn’t dainty like the other one
It didn’t blend into her wrist as the earlier piece had
It was a replacement
To tell the time
And chronicle her moments
But not to remind her of the love that was formerly there.
Was just after Valentine’s Day
A lovely piece that wasn’t too ostentatious
Simple leather strap with some diamond-like items
Circling the face
It was a bright red color and it looked exquisite
On her delicate wrist
She never showed it off or made a big deal about it
But every day she wore it
And it must have reminded her of the person who purchased it
Could have been her own purchase
Or a gift
The way she took it off and looked at it though
Suggested it was a gift from someone she loved very much
Through the cold and the heat, it was always there.
She would rub it during meetings
Like it was as breakable as an egg.
Imagined that she only took it off to shower
It became like a second skin
Months went by and the piece never moved from
The inside pulse point
Until one day something different took its place
A plastic band of brown that matched her clothing
It stood out though because it wasn’t dainty like the other one
It didn’t blend into her wrist as the earlier piece had
It was a replacement
To tell the time
And chronicle her moments
But not to remind her of the love that was formerly there.
Guilty Pleasures #3
I watch way too much television, it’s true. Our DVR has so many shows on it, I’m not sure when I will ever see the percentage get down to the single digits again. But I can’t help watching some shows. They are schlocky and ridiculous but yet, I’m mesmerized by them and I’m not sure why.
One such show is Gossip Girl. I may not watch it religiously every week but I do marathons and I’m so hooked. It’s not as though I find any of the actors overly attractive and I can’t not watch because they are so yummy (it’s happened before…ahem ‘Smallville’) that my eyes are glued to the tv set. The plots are interesting but slightly formulaic and/or predictable (not like Lost which I confess to everyone is one of the best shows ever!!). Maybe it’s the clothes that the girls wear on the show. I wish I could fit into some of those outfits. Or maybe quite frankly it’s the fact that these people play teenagers and their skin is flawless!! When I was a teenager, please!! Bumps popped up left and right at any given moment….why don’t they have this problem??
Of course I know it’s because the actors are in their 20s so they don’t have teenage acne. But they don’t have adult acne either!! And none of these people have braces which I had in my early teens. And all of these girls know how to put makeup on well. Please, that took somewhere in my mid to late 20’s to get decent (let’s not talk about perfecting..I’m still working on it). Maybe I’m just fascinated by airbrushing…and that’s why I watch the show.
One such show is Gossip Girl. I may not watch it religiously every week but I do marathons and I’m so hooked. It’s not as though I find any of the actors overly attractive and I can’t not watch because they are so yummy (it’s happened before…ahem ‘Smallville’) that my eyes are glued to the tv set. The plots are interesting but slightly formulaic and/or predictable (not like Lost which I confess to everyone is one of the best shows ever!!). Maybe it’s the clothes that the girls wear on the show. I wish I could fit into some of those outfits. Or maybe quite frankly it’s the fact that these people play teenagers and their skin is flawless!! When I was a teenager, please!! Bumps popped up left and right at any given moment….why don’t they have this problem??
Of course I know it’s because the actors are in their 20s so they don’t have teenage acne. But they don’t have adult acne either!! And none of these people have braces which I had in my early teens. And all of these girls know how to put makeup on well. Please, that took somewhere in my mid to late 20’s to get decent (let’s not talk about perfecting..I’m still working on it). Maybe I’m just fascinated by airbrushing…and that’s why I watch the show.
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