The Weather

The weather here is seriously depressing. For the past 2 weeks, literally 2 weeks, it's been raining, nonstop, except for on weekends. And while it's nice to have nice weather on the weekends, the rain during the week is just becoming so dreary. I hate talking about the weather, it's always my fall-back conversation with people I don't know that well, but today weather talk is warranted.

I've actually always liked the rain and thunderstorms, especially on a weekend when I have nothing to do, it's a nice excuse to stay inside and relax. However, normally if it's going to rain I prefer it rain during the week so my weekends are nice. But I don't know if it's living in NYC and having to walk through the rain holding all my bags and my umbrella while dodging other umbrellas and puddles or what, but rain just isn't as fun. Plus to makes the subways all wonky.

When I woke up this morning it was pouring, really, really pouring. That's the other thing, I just don't want to get out of bed with the rain. Normally I wake up at 5:45 and workout, but with the rain I just want to stay in bed. Anyway, I left my apartment and it was misting, I got about halfway to the subway and it was a downpour. I got out of the subway in Manhattan and it was sunny. Then it was sunny all day until around 5pm when it was like world-ending rain.

But, good news, tomorrow and Wednesday look ok:



But then, bad news:



I want to wear skirts! I want to wear sandals! I want to not sweat in my not-breathable rain jacket! I want to remember what the sun looks like!

Family Outing

The weird event I hinted at yesterday was the joint celebration (is that the right word?) of my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary and a memorial service for my grandfather's sister who died a month or so ago. Now I thought this was odd when I got the birthday card from my grandmother that explained her plans. And other people agree, so I know it wasn't just me. But we went to the 12:30 mass which was celebrated (again, it seems odd to use that word) in honor of my dead great-aunt and my grandparents. My immediate family is not a big church going family. We were raised as Episcopalians and we went to church pretty much weekly when I was younger, but then we stopped. My father's family is very Catholic, but my mother isn't such a fan of the Catholic church and my father is an atheist. So we stay away. But it made church very odd.

After the service we went out for a meal, about 18 of us, it was very nice, I think being around family is always good. And finally, even though I'm not in the habit of posting pictures of my family online, here are my grandparents with their cake:

Before I Collapse

My 5 hours of sleep last night were not really sufficient. Actually it's even less than that because it took me a long time to actually fall asleep. I had wanted to nap on the train, but my neck was killing me in those seats. Then I wanted to nap at my parents' house but my mother wanted me to go to the farmer's market with her. Then I just sat around most of the afternoon. Then we had to go out to dinner for my mother's birthday, we came home we did cake and presents, and then I met my high school friend, LM, for a drink. So now it's almost midnight and I'm finally getting to go to sleep. And I can't even sleep late because I have this thing to go to, but more on that tomorrow.

Last summer I spent a lot of time out at my parents' house, last summer was hard though. The whole summer I was just really depressed and confused, it was strange and not very like me. I think I came out here to escape my life in the city. But now I have almost no desire to come out here, it's a total interruption to my life in the city. And that's a good feeling to have.

A Fun Night

Before I get started on today's post it occured to me that I never fully explained last night's post. I got this calendar for free, I've always been bad a page-a-day calendars, but this one has kept my interest. It sits on my desk (sometimes the pictures/info is inappropriate for the office) and I trade my poo facts with a guy I work with's useless information calendar. So, to be clear, I don't have some type of weird fetish.

Onward.

Since it's 2:50am some random thoughts:

- Half-day Fridays at work are nice, but stressful.
- Work in general is stresful and filled with too much drama.
- The Gap's clothes are really crappy.
- Running two days in a row gives you (and by you I mean me) a stiff knee.
- I had a pretty perfect dinner with 2 friends.
- Then we went to a really fun birthday party where I met this guy I liked and he might have liked me. I don't know, we'll see what happens.

AND THE SUN FINALLY CAME OUT!

Birthday

I had a whole post written, about something funny/inappropriate that happened at work yesterday. But new information came out today and I've decided that it's not ok to post it, so on to other things.

Today is my mom's birthday, happy birthday, mom! I have this calendar, I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but it's a page-a-day and it's called "What Is Your Poo Telling You?" and it has all these facts about poop. This was today's:

June 11, 1857, marks the birth date of the nineteenth-century French “fartisite,” Joseph Pujol. Better known by his stage name, “Le Petomane,” or “fart maniac,” Pujol had the remarkable talent of being able to fart at will. His tricks included playing the flute with his anus and farting to blow out candles stationed several yards away. He also had the ability to re-create animal sounds and typically opened acts with his own, very special rendition of the French national anthem.

Tenement Museum

I've been given a few of my own accounts at work, something I have mixed feelings about, but one of them is the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side. I'd never been there before and the opportunity came up for me to attend this young professionals cocktail reception and tour tonight with a friend from work. So tonight E and I went down there and I just have to say it's so remarkable. I love history, so it makes sense that I would love a history museum, but I never expected to enjoy it so much.

They've restored this old tenement building to be like the apartments of actual people that lived there in different points in history. The building was built in 1863 and 7,000 lived there over its lifetime. We toured an apartment from a Prussian Jewish family with a really amazing, tragic story. I think half of us were crying when he finished talking, it was so sad. Then we toured a Sicilian family's apartment that had come to the States within a few years of my grandfather's family, so I felt a connection to that.

It was just so interesting. I highly recommend it. I want to go back and go on the other tours they offer.

An Update of Sorts

I got my haircut today. Again at the Aveda Institute. You might remember the last time I went I had the very nervous student. Well, luck of lucks, I get her again today. And she's still nervous and kind of weird. But again I think she did a good job so I can't really complain. I really hope I get someone different next time though.

You might also remember the custom Vans I ordered back in April for the Vans book we're doing for work. Well today there was a party for the book a powerHouse books in Dumbo. It was a cool party, Tony Alva and Steve Callabrarera (that is not how you spell his last name) were there and there was a question and answer section and it was cool to hear their stories. And a lot of interesting people to watch, many of whom embody this mold.

But I got to wear:



MY VANS!! (Please note that I do not have cankles and my legs are smooth and not lumpy, I don't know what's wrong with this picture but it's not good. Also the faint blue area on my shoes are from where my dark jeans bled in the rain last week! And don't we have nice wood floors?)

A Epidemic of the Pregnants

There are a lot of pregnant people around. I've counted every day since last week, when I first noticed this phenomena, and there are a lot of them. Today I saw either 9 or 10 pregnant women (#10 might have been a man, or a fat woman, not sure). I have some theories:

1. Now that it's nice out and people aren't wearing big coats and layers and it's easier to see who's pregnant.
2. My friend thinks they're all New Years babies, but these women are really pregnant. Someone who got pregnant on New Years (or around the holidays) would only be 6 months pregnant and these women are definitely more than 5-6 months.
3. Therefore they could be Halloween babies or election night babies. I like the idea of election night babies.

Then there's this one woman, I noticed her once getting on the train in Union Square with her stroller, she's very pregnant. Then I noticed her (a few times a week) walking down 18th st. towards Union Square in the mornings (no stroller) as I'm walking away from Union Square. Then I saw her on the train in the morning with me (with stroller). Then this past weekend she was 2 blocks away from my apartment (with stroller and a man who I suppose is her husband). And then today, on my commute home, she was on the same subway care with me (and stroller and this man). I kind of feel like she's stalking me.

Recommitting

I am recommitting to my life. Last week, as I've said, was a bad week. I didn't eat right, I didn't exercise like I should, and I didn't write on here. So this is a new start.

We did the first workout of week 4 of the Couch to 5k, it involved two segments of 5 min. jogging. And I did it! It was hard, especially the end of the 2nd one, but I committed and I did it. I think part of the problem was doubting myself and now that I know I can do it it will be fine.

In other good news we found a new roommate. I can't remember if I wrote about this, but last weekend my roommate J told me she was moving out July 1. I was sad not only because I really like her, but looking for another roommate is a huge hassle. We did it this past winter and we were luck to find E, who is amazing. But the posting on Craigslist, scheduling time, meeting people--it's exhausting. So E's friend A was looking for a place and she came over today and she's in. So it's really nice not to have to worry about that. Plus I get to move to the bigger room when J moves out. It will be really nice to have a room I can move around in and to have 2 windows. Expect decorating posts!

A Bad Week

This has been a bad week. I am not a fan. Nothing horrible has happened (knock on wood) but everything just kind of sucks. The week feels like it's gone on forever, the days at work feel like they've gone on forever, and it's exhausting. And I've had nice evenings after work with friends so it's not like I should feel stressed or anything.

My whole body hurts, it's odd. My ankles, my knee, my shoulders, my arms, my wrists; it's depressing. And I've been eating like crap, which I'm sure isn't helping. But I've been getting lots of sleep. Oh and I've been drinking a lot. Probably not good either.

And our softball game was canceled due to poor field conditions. It's been raining here for days. Maybe that's part of my general malaise.

Softball

This guy at work decided to organize a softball team, just for one game, to play in, what I think is, a trial game to see if it will be a full-time thing. But I'm not really clear. Somehow I ended up on said team, not really clear, I think one of my friends signed me up. Our game is on Thursday (at 5:30 so I get to leave work early!) and today we had batting practice in the batting cages at Chelsea Piers. It was maybe 8-10 guys and 3 girls and out of the 3 girls I was the only one who could hit with any consistency. I think I made contact with all but maybe 1 or 2 of the 40 or so balls I got a chance to hit. I didn't hit them really hard or really far and who knows if I would have succeeded in getting on base, but I did far better than the other 2 girls who could barely hit the ball. And a bunch of the guys were really good. Anyway, I felt like a winner.

Except when one of the balls hit me in the foot. My toe really hurts. I'm hoping it doesn't impede my ability to run as tomorrow is supposed to be workout #3 from week 2 of the Couch to 5k.

I'm Really Not Dead...

...just lazy and exhausted.

I realize I still need to do a full reunion post. But, in the meantime, as I build up my stamina and reserves of energy, here's what's been going on the past week.

Tuesday: eye doctor, Met to see Bacon exhibit (LOVED IT!), coffee with AF's friends who were in from Cambridge (UK, not Harvard), dinner at Pequena (amazing!), nothingness

Wednesday: took AF to the train station, went running, got my medicine for my eyes, grocery shopping, tennis watching, perfect nothingness

Thursday: work, 2 BEA parties after work, one where I saw Colson Whitehead

Friday: BEA all day, running, Dram Shop for burgers

Saturday: BEA all day, in bed by 9pm

Sunday: slept until 11am, running, weights, grocery shopping, cooking, tennis (WTF, Nadal?), Italian ices, bad movies with roommates

Monday: work, dinner with JC

See, don't you feel like I posted every day this week?