aaawww....

well let me just say that my mother and i have had quite a time together this past 2 months. when my friends or her friends say to me "oh you sounded just like your mother right then" i don't always LOVE it, but i think that is just because no one wants to become their mother even if they love their mother. anyway this isn't supposed to be too mushy, but i love her, and i thought i would just share a few of the very funny things we have encountered over the past 8ish weeks.

a) so there was the time when we had this conversation
she said with excitement "oh i just checked my email this morning. I had 37 new emails in my inbox."

i said "wow arent you popular when was the last time you checked it?"

nonchalantly she responds "well yesterday, and 32 of them were spam"
then we talked about all the spam she was recieving from different catalogs and such. you may not think it is funny that she was excited about 32 spam emails equating to 5 real emails, but it was funny at the time....

b) then there were all those mornings i had to wake up at 7:15 in the am to take that lady to school so i could have a car all day. you never know how fast 3:15 comes unless you are footloose and fancy free until that point. then it comes faster than you can, get back home, shower, run two errands, check your email facebook etc.., meet for lunch, see the little ones, and grab coffee on the way to pick her up from school...all in a days work. that was pre christmas.

c) then i wanted to introduce my mother to the blessed "Empire State of Mind" song by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. So i was monitoring it for her and repeating the meaningful aspects of the song, to help her better understand my love for NYC. It was working...well sort of. The radio was slightly fuzzy, and she asks me "what station is this on?" "106.1" "oh thats why it isn't working, my radio doesn't tune into the dirty stations" uuuh ya.

d) oh we started a new christmas tradition. jigsaw puzzle. fun fun fun. that was Lollie's idea. Lollie is Laurie Pattersons new name. she says oh i just love my new name. its a good thing.

*e) then on christmas morning i opened one of my "big presents" and she says "big in more ways than one" well that was in reference to a brand new over the shoulder boulder holder....i have good genes what can i say. only from a mother who has quick wit and bigger boobs than her daughter :)

f) my mom and i walked in to northpark the week of christmas, and she says "Oh i just LOVE this!" spoken as a true dallasite and last minute shopper.

g) one day we were driving to central market. i was driving of course. and i thought to my self. Oh i am on mockingbird, i need to be on Lovers to get to CM. she said "well ya, clearly you didn't grow up as a parkie, otherwise you wouldn't get those streets mixed up".... seriously. the next day...she spoke of the burger house, and i said simply "well i've never even been to burger house." response "well clearly you aren't from highland park" whoa...x2 low blow. i am so sorry that i grew up on jakes and skillman and abrams. this lady is crazy.

h) you may be getting bored, but there are more good stories to tell...

i) then the funniest moment my mother and i had was when I almost had a wreck with her in the car. oh wait. i think i was the only one laughing at that. :)

j) but when we had the christmas tree on the roof the 'buburban, and i was driving back to the house to decorate for christmas, i said "do you think we should get a peppermint mocha to get us in the decorating spirit?" mother, "oh, I was thinking something a little more like...peppermint schnapps" we proceeded to the county line since they do now live in a completely dry neighborhood.

k) we've been to the movie, to get coffee, and gone to sample house 15 times, and gotten manicures, and lunch, and driven miles and miles. we haven't cried, we haven't been in the pool, but we have had a lot of wine, and a lot of laughs, and we have even been sharing a pink bathroom this whole time. a modern day miracle.

l) then there was the time, we were driving from my aunt and uncles house outside the loop, over to the angelika theater. we were stopped at the intersection of the 635 access road and greenville headed west to get on 75 south, and we were listening to 101.1 WRR Clasical Radio (a station her radio does allow waves through) and my mom says, "Sally, I love you. I think you are a pretty sweet girl." well there was only one appropriate response that came to mind, "i love you too mom, and i think you are a pretty sweet mom."

tomorrow we are having one last hoorah before i go out of town and she is back at school next week. hopefully there will be at least one more good story. i would post a picture, but i don't have one :'( tear cry tear.



*borderline i know, but we're all friends here, and i belive 99.9% of you reading are all women. its fine.

dubai dubai dubai doobyyyy

oh my oh my oh my oh my dubai!

do you know i leave in 19 days. really. 2 of those days are holidays, and 6 of those days i will be out of town. i will be out of town one of those holidays, so if you do the math i only have 12 days available. but really i am completely booked tomorrow, so that leaves me with 11 days. this isn't healthy. i should stop thinking about this right now. i am getting more stressed out as i type. i am typing faster. are you reading faster. ooooh my. ok. whoa. whoooaa there nelly. ok. chill. breathing. anyway. the current questions you are all thinking of to ask me (because i have been asked so many times i know you are thinking the same thing) am i excited? no.* am i scared? no. am i worried? no. am i ready? h-no. there is only one thing to be right now so ask this....am i overwhelmed with the fact that i only have 11 days left to attempt to see my neicie and nephew, and see all my nearest and dearest and get quality time with all the people i love all in 11 days? YES! i am totally overwhelmed with the fact that i have only fed my 3month old nephew 5 bottles since i have been here, and put scarletta to bed ugh twice...nap time doesn't count. anyway. 11 days. this is going to fly by. it might as well be midnight on january 8th so i could be packing my five shirts and one pair of shoes....

*overwhelmed beats excitement and therefore makes excitement void until overwhelmed becomes obsolete. then excitement will reign and my life will be awesome.

oh you know

just been gettin ready for dubai. and christmas. and nyc. and houston. not in any particular order of course.

here is an interesting video. advent conspiracy.

i am not sorry

i cannot keep up with my life myself, much less write about it all so that you can attempt to drag your feet behind me. i speak in love. its just the truth. but here is a snippit and overview of the past3 weeks.

1) i am going to dubai on jan 11. leaving dallas to nyc on jan 9th

2) went to nacanowhere for t-giving. saw some family which was nice since it had been probably 1.5 yrs since the last time i had seen anyone outside my immediate family.

3) i am babysitting and such. also helping my mom get her kitchen organized and getting her house all pretty for a party for school teachers. i am around.

4) when i am not babysitting i am hanging out with kassi and scarlett and tippit. which has been a very good way to fill the time.

5) yes i am excited about dubai. yes it is overwhelming thinking about it all. yes it will be a good experience. yes i am thankful for it. yes i will be blogging more so that we can all experience it together and you will be able to keep up with me then.

6) do you want to be apart of dubai in some form or fashion? let me know.

OMy

dubai.
i am going to go to dubai for six monthsish give or take a few days.

other than that, i have no inspiration. sorry.

look at this instead. wikipedia

or this arabia

well I'll BE

home. on tuessday.

from this

to this

practically the same thing.

life changing.

food. i mean i know there are alot of things that have more valuable life changing effects, however the experiences i encountered this past weekend are notable and remarkable. therefore i am inspired and driven to share about it...

just so you know. i had a pretty hefty list to get through before i left NYC. 90% of the list has to do with eating. mmm. good food.

so i have been checking these things off my list. what can i say. 

friday dinner 1. Corner bistro delicious burgers for really cheap. in the adorable west village. it was packed. i got the recommendation from my NYC foodie friend megan who has been termed the zagat's with feet. she knows what's up when it comes to nyc wining and dining. so i didn't know what i might be encountering when i showed up to the teaming bar with a line to be seated in this tiny establishment.  the bistro burger with bacon and cheese rings up at 6.75 and is the highest priced thing on the menu. a beer for 3 or 4 dollars. i mean in these parts that is unheard of. i was slightly impressed and enjoyed my burger  throughly. glad i made that  a priority.

friday dessert little spot called milk and cookies. i love whoopie pies. pumpkin with cream cheese filling. mmm...

friday dinner 2. katz's deli. ya know the one from when harry met sally. ya that one. well i had a couple bites of a pastrami sandwich and a reuben as well. i dont normally eat such commodities, but under the circumstances it seemed all too necessary. it was pretty good, but what i enjoyed most was the company and the ambience at 2AM. 

saturday brunch Freeman's. amazing spinach and artichoke dip, and incredible mac 'n cheese. delish. i had been to freeman's before for brunch, but had not gotten these two recommended dishes, so a revisit was in order. i was blown away. never disappointed.

saturday dinner barrio chino. yum. i had a unique experience  here. in particular the beverage of choice. a jalapeño lime  margarita. ya know how usually when you eat something hot and you take a sip of something to wash it down. ya not with this one. i said "i'm from texas, i like hot things" whoa. she was not kidding that it was hot. seriously spicy. but i liked it. then i had a grapefruit marg after that. much more refreshing. the food. so good. always takes me back to the wonderful tacos from a couple of summers ago in mexico. 

oh and then saturday morning brunch. harlem. church hats. tourists. gospel music. red and yellow black and white... soul food. chicken and waffles. now i have a father that makes amazing homemade fried chicken, but i have to say. Sylvia killed hunter's fried chicken. and the waffles and biscuits were above average. 

followed by a stroll through the park enjoying the sights of the leaves changing and the various street performances. mmm love.

keyless

and homeless*

every time there has been a long silence on this blog there has been good reason. for all my TX followers i believe you will find yourself happy to know that the silence has brought me to a point where i can confidently say i am returning to dallas on november 3rd. permanently. or for an indefinite amount of time at least. permanently might be a little too strong. details unnecessary. fact and simplicity are the important things here.

cant think about leaving this place. must think about fall foliage in the Poconos this weekend. high 40 degrees. and it snowed in NJ yesterday. ridiculous. surely i can make it two weeks and 4 days.

*dont worry i am not sleeping on the streets.

boom baby boom

keating and kassi had their new little baby boy yesterday. here's the whole family.
Tippit Austin Patterson

did yall hear about the baby that weighed in at 19lbs in indonesia last week? and one of my dear friends jenny b (who barely weighs 100lbs sopping wet) gave birth to a precious 8lb baby girl- all natural. whoa. and jono of collegelife- his wife had their second baby this week. not to mention nikki's sister is in labor right now. and brooklynbookbinder is due any day now as well. so. its just a bit of a baby boom i would say. who do you know that had a baby this past week? anyone i am forgetting?

well most importantly of course is this sweet little nephew- who is how many miles away from me? *googlepause* ah yes, one thousand five hundred forty nine miles away. tear cry tear.

ILOVEYOU•TIPPIT•AUSTIN•PATTERSON!

just kickin' tires

it's only appropriate to start with a bit of alliteration.
beginning with brunch, buttons, bergdorf's, bvlgari, barney's , benny's, band bust. basically bustling 'bout.

and not to mention. a few first's St. Peter's Cathedral, 5th Ave Cartier.

Saturday's with my friend Nate Dogg are nothing short of perfection. roaming new york city for 60 blocks, 13 hours, 5 cups of coffee, 3 perfect buttons (among 18million), 2 amazing meals, 2 benny's bulldog's, 1 delish mini raspberry lemon tart- all in a days play on a saturday with absolutely no agenda.

with a summer weekends away, and mismatched schedules nathan and i hadn't had a day like yesterday in months. let me say after my days of ?ing NYC it was a much needed reminder of the glories of this city. crammed subways, empty subways. dark alleys, bright lights, from extreme extravagance to the absolutely average. our day was filled with it all. we even were tourists for a few minutes. including aching feet from walking all day. that is a typical tourist syndrome. then i popped some advil and curled up in my cozy bed for 9 hours of recuperation.

big week good week.

top five:
5)community group canceled. i'm just sayin haven't had a free tuesday in a year. it was nice.

4) boss bought delicious lunch for me today. celebrate life!

3) dinner with the spaniards last night. so enjoyable. why have i never been to spain?

2) met with brooklynbookbinder this week. good big things to come from that. lovepaperlovelife!

1) kate's paperie came to their senses. they "need" me. but not enough to financially
back up their need, but what can i say something is better than nothing. so back to 3rd avenue i go. back to people. back to gift wrap. back to the city. back to the 4.5.6train. back to cafe haba. back to UES. back to customers. and on to a new position. new learning. new experience. and they are bringing my faithful mac from NJ. i am happy about that cause we have a connection. and still approximately 9-5. woohoo.

i am so

thankful for the weddings that brought me home this summer. here are some pics from the wonderful events.


me, Rebekah Keough-now-Disch and Maggie Fitzgerald


me, Katie King and her baby Felicity, Ruth Gallagher-now-Blazek, and Rachie Keith


bridesmaid #1


me and bride#3 Meghan Washburn-now-Blaylock


me and megan staggs


me and bride#4 Monica Segui-now-McKinney


Erica and me

somedays

you just need to wear this t-shirt. its not often, but somedays.

UGh

" O God, be Thou exalted over my possessions. Nothing of earth's treasures shall seem dear unto me if only Thou art glorified in my life. Be Thou exalted over my friendships. I am determined that Thou shalt be above all, though I must stand deserted and alone in the midst of the earth. Be Thou exalted above my comforts. Though it mean the loss of bodily comforts and the carrying of heavy crosses, I shall keep my vow made this day before Thee. Be Thou exalted over my reputation. Make me ambitious to please Thee even if as a result I must sink into the obscurity and my name be forgotten as a dream. Rise, O Lord, into Thy proper place of honor, above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes, above my family, my health, and even my life itself. Let me sink that Thou mayest rise above...."
AW Tozer, Pursuit of God

too convicting not to share. and why oh why was this my reading topic on my flight home tonight. i will attempt to pray through this as a source of comfort and encouragement. although leaving today was harder than ever for some odd reason. probably because all these trips i have had return plans, but now the reality hits that i don't know when i am going back to dallas, there will be a birth i will miss out on, i am basically out of a job, and i am still here without a bff. i think that above prayer by AW touches on all those aspects....ugh i say.

thank you denton and family for encouragement. thank you Lord for hope and joy in my salvation.

Pros

because i know you are feeling a little neglected, i thought it only appropriate to share this video from a fellow blogger, who attempted to make up the lost time with this.

click here please

now more importantly. i will just let you all know that i am still alive. it is shocking, but very true. i am living under some interesting circumstances, that when i leave this place i will divulge more of the nitty gritty. however currently, it is only necessary to think of the pros and not harbor on the not so pros. so its great! awesome location, wonderful train...well kind of, but extremely convenient. now that nikki is gone, Chelsea has assumed the proper ranking of longtime friend here in nyc. well she was always the long time, but now she assumes the long time and nearest and dearest...being that we are only 5 stops away! yea! i am probably far more thrilled about this than she is, but its a big deal. she moved downtown and i moved closer in. its great. it takes me only 20 minutes to get to the city, where before 45 minutes was on a rare and lucky occasion. other pros to the new apt, are: AC, my own room, good internet, Spaniards, diversity :), friends in the neighborhood, 10 min walk to target, which also means 10 minute walk to lots of train options. all very good things that far outweigh the few cons, that i am currently adjusting to and becoming a little more resilient because of it. which in and of itself is a pro...so there ya go! pros all around.

another pro is that i am coming to TX this wknd. woooohoo. very excited about that. looking forward to seeing denton at the finest union known to the city. looking forward to seeing krista before she heads back to spain, looking forward to seeing the one and only davis family, looking forward to seeing some good ole program girls, and my sweet shanda panda. and simply HOPING and PRaYING i get to see a baby boy this weekend too. i know my hopes shouldn't be too high, because you know Kassi is probably going to go into labor when i am boarding the plane or some nonsense like that. but it would sure be a premium pro if that baby were born in the next 5 days. ya it aint happenin. but there is a baby on the way! which is still solidly pro! yippee for big sisters and little brothers!

i sound so upbeat in this post. i don't even know what do to with that, because although my finger nails are not covered in black nail polish, i still feel as though life has hit me pretty hard in the past few weeks. but i am thankful for some new people that have been rather encouraging, and i am looking forward to fall whichi will hopefully bring new beginnings and positive changes.

i will try to post some pics of this crazy place, but it is just a tad unorganized still. but i did take my computer out of the box which was a minor feat. thats all for now. see you in TX. or probably not.

black

fingernails. say it all.



kates is outsourcing their laser orders. redickyoulous i know. its a terrible idea on so many levels. mainly because it puts me in the pool with all the sharks. i hear starbucks on broadway is hiring. ha.
pray for me. and my black nail polish mood.

analogies, and also

i learned this at a bar this weekend. from a true islander...long islander that is.

Long Island : Staten Island as
Houston: Tijuana

i thought that was a useful piece of information.

also, i saw a sweet soul singing into her "my first sony" tape player on the subway. all amped up about getting used to the audience by going around and singing on the subways. she said that. then she sang the never failing classic. "lean on me"

also oddly felt uncomfortable in the subway on the way home tonight. it was weird, but i lived to tell about it, so alls well that ends well. no worries my friends.

also, i went to the beach twice this weekend, you won't recognize me the next time you see me. i am covered. well i like to tell my self that. but there are alot. of freckles that is....

also, company tomorrow night and tuesday night, three day week, dallas, austin, dallas. yippee!!

also, i am moving. again. i am thrilled about it, but ill tell you all about that when it actually happens. 9.1.09....

also, now that i have mentioned dallas, and austin, it seems only fitting, for me to share with you the sweetness it is that i am coming in town this weekend. her name is meghan washburn.
this girl has been near and dear to me since the first night of jumpstart week in 2005. casino night at the brand new cup. first event and first year i lead a community group. my sweet "washie" was there, and we met and talked and that is where it started. she went to the baseball game with nikki and i later that week, and needless to say some events from that evening bonded us forever. like no sweat. washie joined my community group. she was one of three megs in my life. megans will always hold a dear place in my life. i have 4 pretty amazing megan's in my life.

so washie was going through an off to college break up when i met her. she lived with out him for some years, went through a lot, and next friday night she is marrying that same high school sweetheart. i have laughed with and cried with and for this friend of mine. she is so dear because of the way the Lord crossed our paths and He pressed her upon my heart during many challenges He worked her through. I have learned how to love another from meghan, i have prayed for her more than most, she is creative, she has the most tender heart, and she is generous with her life. she is aware of the importance of her salvation and the gravity of the cross. she has taught me that too. probably one of the most valuable things i learned from that first community group. i learned how God's plans are far greater than mine, and i am so grateful for the work He has done to lift her out of a pit and put a new song in her heart. i am proud of her, and i love her deeply. it is more than an honor to stand with her on her wedding day. oh how i could go on about this dear one, yet i will restrain myself. so when i come in town this weekend, this is the reason. just had to get that out.

well the first year

i lived in brooklyn. i lived in crown heights for the first year.  and i worked at kate's paperie the first year. the first few months i worked in the store then i moved to the warehouse in new jersey. oh ya that first year i lived in brooklyn and worked in jersey. well that was just the first year...then i moved to clinton hill after that, still in brooklyn, but better. on some levels. my level that is. the first year i lived with dana and nikki. the first year i met new friends. i went home 4 times in the first year. my brother and sister in law came to see me that first year, and a few other friends. the first year was successful. i didn't think i was going to live to see the first year, but i did. the first year i fell in love with new york city. and brooklyn. among other things. oh the first year.....it will always hold a special place in my life. and the best is yet to come in nyc. 

hotttt

so you may think i have already forgotten about hot weather, but i just want to remind you that i have NO A/C and we walk everywhere. so every time you think it is hot down there in TX just remember you have ice cold air blowing in your face while you are sitting down with no one touching you. oh i am not complaining. i am just stating the fact that although it may look like it isn't that hot on the weatherman map, the air here is sick.

have yall forgotten about my Sax player in the subway station? so he now knows me by name and uses it frequently. he told me today that the earth is like a hot iron (i wish i could spell that word phonetically as to how he pronounces it, yet i cannot make a worthy attempt) so turn the hot iron upside down and pour a glass of cold water on it, and that is what new york city is. Burning Hot and Steamy. ya. he told me he was going to beat the heat by walking out side, setting his horn aside and then get blasted by an open fire hydrant. he told me i shouldn't do that cause there would be men linin' up with a towel to try and dry me off. yowza. at that i say have a good night JC. :)


that was a side note to my purpose of telling you that i had to come home and take a cold shower so i could sleep better. ya know a trick my mother has been using for years. so soap, shampoo, conditioner, face wash... all hot. warm. in their consistency. that doesn't seem normal to me. i guess it is similar to the stuff freezing in the window sill at the mohican house. still not normal.

1 year

my one year nyc anniversary is coming up this week. woo woo. i cannot believe it. then i will be able to say that one thing i thought i would never be able to say. ya i will say it on that day. wait for it.

in other news. have you felt neglected? wow. i have been CRAZY. whats new is probably what you are thinking. well the past month has been crazy like circus's are crazy. a whirlwind with, clowns, curveballs, juggling acts, ringmasters, flying through the sky, cannon balls, and all. even kissing dolphins. ya. thats more like sea world crazy, but you get the picture right. its been crazy on a whole different level. but i hesitantly say i think things might be calming down. not too confident, but very hopeful.

well first of all i have been to tx again. wore a bridesmaid dress, saw some friends, got some sun, ate cute corn nuggets, drove the buBurban, got my hair did right, celebrated 59, and had bad flight delays both ways.

second of all. i interviewed twice for a job and didn't get it, but over it now. and glad i didn't get it even though it would have been $$.

oh ya and i moved. yep turned in my keys from my first apartment in new york city. now i am in my second, but i don't know how long ill be here. we shall see. the Lord only knows right now.

ps i am staying, til the good Lord calls me home. (take that as you wish but don't wish me dead please)

and fifth of all. i have been running 3xs. no details about that subject. ok one....hives. :)

well that is all the craziness i can divulge at this moment in time. more later.
loves.

because i know you care

click here for some fun facts about the top 40 US cities.

woo woo

100th post!

BTW

this week has been out of control. crazy. hoping and praying for good things in the outcome.
also hoping tomorrow falls into place like a miracle of God, because that is what its gonna take.
details to follow.
cliffhanger. :) and pray.....

just a couple thoughts

so number one
Train for Thought (info provided by Colombia U on the subways): "If we could first know where we are and whither we are tending, we could better judge what to do and how to do it. " Abraham Lincoln 1858

oh if i only new where i was going....

secondly.
a couple of words from church tonight.
Jesus is most invested and most informed, so I must trust Him and His direction. He is also trustworthy because of His perfect love and infinite knowledge.

thirdly.
i had this posted a couple of weeks ago, but i am not sure that everyone got that it was a link, so i am saying it again...
do you think i am in exile.
Jeremiah 29: 7 says "But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."

i am going to pray for the city just in case. :)

fourthly.
make new friends and keep the old. one is silver and the other gold. i am feelin' the repercussions of one of my besties being out of the city. :'( don't take this the wrong way but i am callin in the Bteam.

fifthly.
i am going to dallas next wknd. yipee!!! four day week, and wedding wknd ahead. mom's bday, swimming sunday, another batch of good friend's faces. what more could i ask for starting a monday morning.

sixthly.
that reminds me.... i am considering a new hobby. dont fall out of your chair. this girl is considering going for a quick little jaunt of a jog in the AM. wish me luck. 6am. hellooo. ya i dont know what has come over me. but it could be a positive outcome. of course there is the normal outcome...

seventhly.
dana's parents are coming this wknd to move her! she signed a lease. i am not on it, but i am going to squat at her new apt for august.

eighthly.
i didn't think i had that much to say.

culture in the city

nothing like a huge patch of grass with 80,000 people covering every inch right in the middle of new york city, to say "Here's to summer." Not to mention the New York Philharmonic Symphony filling the eardrums of all. my mimi would have enjoyed it. or at least enjoyed the fact that i spent my tuesday night listening to the symphony voluntarily. her influence lingers.

image courtesy of nytimes.com

raise your hand

if you are a creature of habit.

i have been eating pb&j basically every day since i moved to nyc. specifically pepperidge farm crunchy oat bread with any brand of creamy peanut butter and raspberry preserves. i am basically a raspberry preserves connoisseur,  so i am on the search for THE best. i have found nothing better than smuckers. 

i also have worn my charcoal gray converse every single day since i started working in jersey. no exceptions. 

i also always drink my water in the morning out of a very specific Pom glass that i love. i am saddened when it gets put in the sink for its weekly cleaning. 

i also drink 16 ounces of coffee out of a small nalgene container. everyday. 

i could also wear a white tshirt with jeans everyday for the rest of my life. if i could only be a cartoon character. that would be nice. 

the finer things in life...

i once described my friend's dave and candy as being fully in tune with the finer things in life. they just really know what things make life more enjoyable. especially in the area of bed linens. a bed is a wonderful place. i mean i have always really loved my bed. lately i have not spent nearly enough time connecting with my bed, but that is changing tonight.

i spent a tiny amount of time working at dave and candy's B&B in TX, and i fell in love with tempurpedic mattresses in my time there. let me just paint a quick picture.

walk into pristine bedroom. lamp lit. arcticly cold air in the midst of TX HOTT summer. freshly vacuumed plush carpet. and a bed. the most beautiful bed. king size. over abundance of overstuffed pillows. not a wrinkle. not an unwanted crease. beauty at its finest. all wrapped up in this perfectly made bed with nothing less than ralph lauren bedding. white sheets with laundered top sheets and pillow cases. the bed is craving for you to sink into it. the bed calls your name in the middle of the day luring you in, making anyone incapable of resisting the call. the moment you see the bed, immediately shoes are off, bags are dropped and you are falling into the perfection. PLOP! HARD?! wha! no no no no no this cannot be. this is a hard bed with all this luxurious soft fluffy bedding luring you in. only to fall in and be shocked by the solid rock mattress. say it isn't so....well it is so, and let me just tell you that after the initial shock
the reality sets in, and all the perfection that you saw can be all the more experienced when you let your body seep into the mind boggling bed that is tempurpedic. my life has not been the same since that week i spent at Selah Inn, in Mt. vernon, TX.

so not that my life is complete tonight, that would be a little dramatic regarding a mattress, but i will just say my dreams will be MUCH sweeter, much. nikki gave me her bed today. :) i have coveted her bed every night that we lived together this year. now its mine, all mine. i would wish you sweet dreams, but i am keeping them all for my self tonight. sorry.

am i in exile?

what do you think??

no documentation BUT....

I couldn't make this up.

I.just.walked.home.from.thirty.forth.street.and.eighth.avenue.

that is 7 miles to home. ya know out here in the hood. here is the recap of my adventure.

well it all started when i decided to pop above ground to pick up a bridesmaid dress. i walked down a little to the one and only David's Bridal, and just decided to continue walking. walking home has been something i have been wanting to do, and tonight with no plans and a nice temperature it seemed like an opportune time.

so the walking just kept going and going. i just kept seeing subway stations pass by me right and left. i walked through the washington square park, which is a common highlight in the city. with interesting people and musicians and beautiful fountain and big bubbles it was a nice summer nite. i knew if i could make it to canal street i could make it to the bridge.

but first, i went to sephora, then i met my friend nate for in soho, as i was walking through town. he looked up how far it was on his iphone and i said if its less than 2 hours i am doing it. and it was. so i did. so we split ways. he went to work out at his new gym that he will be paying a pretty penny for and i just walked home...

so i ventured through canal street making my way to the manahattan bridge. which i had never walked across. it seemed like there was something going on as a helicopter hovered over pier 17 and photographers lined up on the bridge and the land below. however i have no info.

walking in brooklyn is always a little confusing. there is no rhyme or reason to most of the streets and because i don't know which way is north in this city (an utter conundrum to me) it is a little hard to get my bearings in new places in brooklyn. so i did have to ask someone to make sure i was on the right track. and i just kept going. walking down dean street was tempting since that is where i could have easily caught the bus. but actually it was flying by as i was coming up to it, so i just made my way to good ole st marks ave and walked the avenues home.

one funny thing about that is that in the first week of nikki and i living here, we got off 2 stops early on accident, and we walked home and thought it was soooo faaar. funny. look what can happen in 11 months. weird.

my legs feel like noodles, and i think i might have some walking blisters. but it was worth it. with short legs, distractions, detours, and pit stops it all took me 3.5 hours. what a way to spend a wednesday night. good thing i don't have a car.

look at this

i live here 

renegade cabaret

we went to dinner tonight in the west village and then walked over to the new highline, in chelsea off the west side highway.
look it up here if interested.

we got to the end up at 20th(ish) street and encountered this


yes this is a woman singing from her fire escape, with her laundry hanging over the edge, putting on a free show for the people of new york. they said that because they had lived in their apartment for 31 years enjoying privacy and loving it, and because they were being invaded upon by onlookers they would go ahead and take advantage and exploit it for all its worth.

so serenading the people of the highline is their new favorite pass time.

the next show is thursday night. don't miss it.

as my mother always says

"in light of eternity, what difference does it make?"

just thinking about this in a deeper context lately. i mean really. eternity. what would our life look like if we truly based our daily on the the eternal outcome of our decisions.

thats all. just thinkin'. maybe you should too.

As seen around NY...

badA$$


Classy


Graceful


Dead Sexy

four weddings....

and a funeral. I don't mean to be funny, but the movie title so accurately describes my life right now that it was impossible to resist.
I will be returning to big tex 4 times between now and september. for four weddings. 2 in july, 1 in august, and 1 in september. it seems as though if i didn't have all these important weddings to come home for i would be coming home for my dear grandfather's memorial service. or my family reunion in july, or for the birth of my upcoming nephew, however that is not the case.

so the good new is, my mother's father, Sandy Sanderson has been set free and is now in the presence of His Savior. he was a good grandfather, tender and giving in every way. i am saddened by his absence but thankful that he is no longer trapped in his body or feeble mind. he has been made new. praise the lord.

I wouldn't advise it but, in case you would like to plan your life around my weekends in TX here they are:
July 4th wknd
July 25th wknd
August 21st wknd (austin)
September 12th wknd
and I will remind you that all those weekends are wedding weekends, so the chances of you seeing me will be slim unless your name is, mom, dad, or scarlett...ok or keating or kassi too. or unless i get to see you at the weddings.

and if you are utterly confused by this post, don't worry you and me together are confused about what is going on in my life....questions, comments, concerns can be emailed directly please.

have you missed my face?!

this is a perfect picture showing the current wrong color of my beautiful blonde hair. if you can't see it disregard this picture. if you can then "i told you so"

the face is me looking over to coney island from the pier. egheww. (pronounce that phonetically)

M.I.A.

and staying that way for a few. sorry about that. ill be back don't you worry. and i do have some stories to tell.

notable and quotable

wouldn't you want this at the bottom of your personalized stationary?

The smallest indivisible human unit is two people, 

not one; one is a fiction.

From such nets of souls societies, the social world, human life springs.

weekend o fun

top 10

10. getting one thing on my to-do list accomplished. post office- Check!
9. weather being surprisingly delightful despite the humiditity
8. rumors on 14th street of flipped car
7. roaming around lower east side
6. dinner and ritas at benny's
5. pinstripe short suits and plaid with hot pink booties





4. kari faye and friends in town
3. katie coming to brooklyn for slumber party and pancakes
2. getting my hair done!
1. 3 hours at the Met with a decent museum buddy

**PUBLIC**SERVICE**ANNOUNCEMENT**

To the females out there who buy make up out of habit, necessity, practicality, or desperation...
Let me tell you something to be aware of when being consulted by a make up artist. Do not let their HATEFUL hurtful words sink in past the epidermis they are attacking. I am warning you out of personal experience that these women are out to get us at the core of our insecurities.

exhibit a: about a year ago i was in a store that i have a long history with that i will allow to remain nameless here, and the make up artist was helping me with some eye make up. my lovely mother was with me. the woman was putting eyeshadow on me i believe and commented something to this affect, ".... i can see that dark circles are hereditary" NO LIE.

exhibit b: this past weekend. in the SAME nameless store 2000 miles away. similar experience. looking for new eye concealer. i thought i knew what i wanted, i just needed a little direction from someone, but my quick errand was rudely interrupted by a make up artist who clearly wanted to make me scratch my eyeballs out to take the attention off my rare and atrocious circles under my eyes. she tells me this and i quote " your circles aren't necessarily large just very oddly colored, gray and ashy." then after trying one of the concealers she says "see this isn't really enough for you, because this doesn't make you really look fully rested still, you need something with more full coverage" AH i am offended. seriously. and proceeds to also tell me that the concealer i have been using for approximately 3 years and has been recommended to me numerous times- she would never use that concealer for under the eyes, it is predominantly used for covering up TATTOOS. i know this sounds like a fabrication. it is not.

exhibit c: comes from a third party encounter. my friend kat, tells her story-
" I had a lady walk up to me a couple weeks ago at Nordstrom and say out of the blue, I would love to work on your skin...blemishes can be really crippling and I could make your face look beautiful. You can imagine my reaction- I stared at her for about two seconds and walked off.

wow seriously?!

So ladies i just have to warn against these vile women who are out to get you to...
1) hate your face
2) buy their product

be careful out there.

other weekend highlights

i was in a cab saturday afternoon and the back right tire blew out. this seems to be an encounter i am becoming more and more comfortable with in my life. flat tires that is. i think most of you would have been shocked at my ability to stay composed under the circumstances.

and we were walking down the street this weekend and saw that someone decided to completely begin defacing their building without too much notice since the tenants stuff is still in the building...

the conclusion i have drawn from this situation is that it must be easier to shove the stuff into a dumpster than carry all that sh*T down the stairs... pardon me i don't know where that came from.

dear central park

i love you. i cant hold it in any longer. i know i haven't known you long, but the truth is every time i am with you or see you or think about you i am falling more in love with you. i cant help it any more. i just want to spend every waking moment with you. let me start by telling you why i love you.

i love you because you make us alive, new yorkers that is. you bring out the best in everyone that comes in contact with you. anyone who knows you is better because of their relationship with you. no one can deny the fact that you are a total source of joy in their life. with your green grass and your beautiful trees. your meadows and lawns, your bridges and paths, your lamp posts and nooks. the secret spots you keep closed off for just the right moment. the way you allow the sunlight to creep in and create the beauty of a dappled patch of grass. and then in other moments you allow the sun to beam down and fulfill our greatest need for sunshine in a place where it comes so infrequently. the way you allow anyone from dogs, to carnies, to musicians (good or bad), to preps, or paparazzi to frequent your space, it is so beautiful to see the way you love and serve the needs of all people. you are a being that is incomparable to anything i have ever seen or known. why has it taken me so long to meet you. how have i lived 25 years with out you?

i know i cant have you as my own, but i am totally ok with sharing you with the rest of the people who love and cherish you to the extent i have grown to appreciate you. i am sorry that i have to spend five days of the week in new jersey. i wish there were five days with you and two days of work. but we know this cannot be. the reality is i must settle for only 8 hours a week with you. it cant ever be enough. whether we are drinking wine or reading or conversing or watching the people you will not let me down. thank you for your kindness to me. thank you for improving my weekends. thank you for being the most vibrant color of green. in the city of black shirts and pants, thank you for being the place where vivid color and life exudes from every crevice and every wide open space. thank you for being massive and thank you for being you.
with all my love,
sally

ps this is a list of wonderful things i experienced while at the park on saturday AND sunday

1) perfect weather clouds and sunny
2) wine, cheese, grapes mmm.
3) wonderful friends
4) contortionists
5) human pyramid
6) beautiful dogs
7) frisbee tricksters
8) bright sun rays
9) jugglers/ plate spinners
10) flying airplanes and kites
11) steel guitar
12) saxophone
13) 10 dollars
14) enormous bubbles
15) hairy backs
must i go on?

things i could blog about...

the rappin' cowboy

my commute

kates paperie stress

walking around brooklyn

my love for brooklyn

scarlett cuteness

bring your sick kid to work day

bowling

standing in the pizzeria line

crazy people on subways and busses

amazing days at the park

weddings

homecoming

cellist under the arch

shake shack

walking home from the city

loving brooklyn- did i already mention that?

the amazing skype

swine

boas

impending detox

and the list goes on. 

sorry there is just so much going on lately. i cant even pick. if any of those topics look interesting let me know and i will think about expounding on the issue. 

at 12 and at 25....

you may not see it here, but an honest look in real life and let me tell you...its not pretty.


desperate times called for desperate measures. and what i didn't learn at 12 the first time, has come back to haunt me for a second whippin of consequences. here i am tonight to let everyone who is anyone who knows me know, that if ever in another 13 years i think i am so desperate that i might need to BOX DYE my hair, give me a gentle slap across the face and say remember when...
hopefully that will do the trick. and this will be the last time i have to learn this nasty hateful life lesson. to you who have had good experiences i congratulate you and hope that you offer your sympathy towards people like me in this world who have to rob a bank to up keep the golden locks. i have little more to say here tonight. i am going to attempt the sweet REM state of being, but am concerned about my ability to do so because of the acid that is currently seeping into my brain....

and to my dearest father...
Dear Daddy,
you said it when i was twelve, and i don't know if its still available, but i know you are an honorable man, good for your word, so does the offer still stand???
love,
your littlest princess
---gag cough cough

vitamin d is good for the soul

nyc is so happy(most days) and the females are showin leg and shoulder and cleves and the rest of it. and the men are soaking it up for everything its worth. and i am just talking about ONE weekend so far. let me tell you my fully clothed experiences.

1) the 70ish year old saxophone player who is always there when i am walking to the sub from work decided to stop me to talk me on friday afternoon. (right after ridin in a crazy bus to get across the bridge, and getting cussed out by a dirty jersey guy)
so JC the sax player says "i've been watching you, whats your name, i need a special song for you..." i say "oh really, sally" he thinks i say dolly and proceeds to sing hello dolly to me. i say no no no...mustang sally. he gets it and tells me how he lost his phone number and i finish his line for him. he is left heartbroken and numberless. we talk for some moments and he renewed for my hope for a good weekend from the previous experiences on friday afternoon.

2)i was walking home to my apartment friday night with my pizza for the first quiet night at home in a few weeks and this guy says mmm delicious (speaking of the pizza) and asks if he can have a piece. NO and then asks for my number. i gave him the number but not he pizza....

3)there are more, but i wouldn't want to brag.

4)then i went to THE park, central park that is this past weekend. and it was incredible. amazing. glorious. positively the most positive experience i have had in a LONG time. walking into the park i was a little overwhelmed by the masses. i knew there would be a lot of people, but i didn't know there would be 3 million people there. (i would say literally, but i dont know stats.) but thankfully with a little patience and walking, my friend nathan and i found the perfect spot in an unpopulated area near a trumpet player with a 4 song repertoire. our friend amelia came and met us as well and we just sat and talked and read and watched people and soaked up the much needed vitamin d.

other than that i just stepped out of the subway this evening and there were approximately 38 NYPD cops standing around "overseeing" a two car wreck. ya know there is always something. so i am sure more stories are in the near future.

Spring: love hate relationship

basically it all comes down to this.

i am loving the days where the only source of outerwear i need is this- on sale banana republic little jacket i picked up last weekend in a silvery/gray color:




and i am hating the days where i am stuck wearing these hunter rain boots grr:



nikki did make a valid point last night that you know spring has sprung in the hood by:
A) the kids jumping rope
B) the white tees are back on the street aka dealers, no not the casino kind, drug dealers.

i made the point that you know spring has sprung in new york by:
A) all the beautiful tulips popping up everywhere
B) the lawns at every park are FULL of people! yeah!

dont worry....the hood hasn't killed me yet.

if i may say so myself i have been going pretty well for the 7 months that i have been here. i really didnt know how long i would last with this blog. i have come to my first official lull. i am sorry for the lack of blogging in the past few weeks. things have been a little hectic. i wish i could tell you all the little stories i have in my head that have made up my last 3 weeks, but alas that is too big a task to take on.

not that the weather is a suitable topic of conversation but i would like to inform everyone that in the past three weeks it has been the longest amount of time that i have gone with out wearing my awesome puffer warm winter coat since the day i bought it on december what 18th i believe. i am feeling good about that. spring in new york is going to be great. i am looking forward to it.

in other news i have finished one book in my commuting and i am now reading a book with my friend kat in dallas. we are reading and will discuss "Reading Lolita in Tehran" good book so far. I really like memoirs. real life. real experiences. real culture. its good.

well with that i have to end and just say i am glad to be back in the game. you know what they say though "you gotta live to blog; not blog to live"

when was the last time..

you thought to your self, "i cannot believe i live in dallas" or denton... i mean really where are you right now? and how long have you been there? and when was the last time you thought what am i doing here. how did i get here. i cant believe this is where i am.

call me crazy because i think this often. maybe it is because i have been in this place for such a short time. maybe it is because this place is so bazaar. really i just think it is rather amazing, that i can live in a place with so much going on all the time. i think this place is sensory overload, and it is hard for me to believe I LiVE HERe.

deep thought for saturday.
(setting) riding the bus across brooklyn with roommates going from brunch to park for nice saturday. looking out the window seeing places i have never seen before and taking it all in.
(thought) i cannot believe i live here. it seems like this would be a place where i would have come a year ago and been "out of my comfort zone" on a mission trip. in transit not really knowing where we are going just hoping to end up at the right place. now i live here and i do this everyday. and it is comfortable. in a good way. a safe, knowledgeable, trusting God kind of way.

so with that said, let me tell you why i currently live in the best place ON earth.
I live in brooklyn. urban america. culture teeming. along with people. but quaint. but loud. and ironically quiet at the same time. there are trees and cute light posts. it is wonderful. and right across the east river is a really big city. it is so big. so many things i could learn 100 things a day for the rest of my life and not master this city. the world's mecca for culture. fashion, theater, advertising, design, art, finance, education. the list clearly could go on. living here it is true that you have everything at your disposal. if you cant find it in new york city it doesnt exist. does that sound extreme? then just across the hudson to englewood new jersey, my next spot which i will become closely acquainted. the good thing about this is that it is the opportunity to get out of the hub bub and out into the burbs. daily. today i really liked this little place. i am sure there will be even more to enjoy as i get the chance to see the little town eventually. but so far there is a cute little grocery just around the corner. Jerry's is a small little specialty grocery with prepped food, deli, gourmet, beer/wine, health and beauty, cheap produce, good cheese (out for testers), chocolate, and diet coke. and all CHEAPER than the city. bonus. all in all quite the gem that reminded me very much of my beloved Cupboard in good ole denton. so here i am taking all three of these places in as much as i can. urban, burban, and the big poppa city.

BUT, it is still too far away. so although it is the best place on earth it could never be perfect.

i cant believe i live here....

my middle name is drama

i just want come clean to all people who read this because there is a high chance that there is something that is very vital to my identity that i have been hiding for the greater part of 25 years now. i wouldn't normally make a point to bring this issue out into the broad daylight, but because the issue has been surfacing more and more in the past 6 months i think the time has come to let go and come to grips with the fact that in all actuality...

my. name. is. not. sally.

well not technically.
now if you have known me for a long time and find yourself in a state of shock, please do not feel alone in this. you are not the only one. even if you are a member of my family and finding this out for the first time, don't worry i am not surprised this deep dark secret was hidden from you.

now that it is out there i would like to take a moment to give the full story and background of my name.

my full and legal name is Sara Glover Patterson. it is on my birth certificate, social security card, insurance, bank account, passport, drivers license, and diploma. that's my name and don't wear it out. (seriously)

bear with me. i will answer all the questions that are running through your head right now, because i have been asked everyone of them at some point in my life.

1) where does sally come from?
well sally is actually a nickname for sara, not short for sara in this case, but it is in the same catagory as hank and henry, jack and john, peggy and margaret. and if you find your self in disbelief of these derivatives, google it.

2) why the sally and sara?
well here is the story. my mother. maybe you know her. LOVED the name sally. SO MUCH that she named my sister's baby doll sally. basically i made my mothers dreams come true. she had a high school friend named sally who she also loved, and just always LOVED that name. or so she says. However, she also has one near and dear sister named Sara Elizabeth, and more commonly known as Sarabeth. She is my dear Auntie who i was named after. only to be called something different from birth-on, but that doesn't affect our bond. (right auntie?)

3) has anyone ever called you sara?
no. except my dearest mimi. and teachers on the first day of school. and one christmas break i gift wrapped at dilliards and i didn't want to have to go through this long explaination for people i would know for only two weeks.

4) what about the glover?
good question.

so i bring this information to you only for my own good i do believe. my name has been a sore subject for most of my life. i grew up never really liking my middle name, and tried to avoid the subject in all circumstances. i didn't want the issue of my middle name to come up because then i would have to go into my first name. i mean really sally glover? no. this is probably why you are finding this out somewhat late in life. some of you i may have turned down various bribes or endured threats regarding this information that today i give freely.

ok seriously. think about it. if you are reading this and know me. do i seem like a sara? no. no. no. no. no. therefore please do not take this post as permission to call me sara. it may not be my name, but it is more my identity than my social security card, PLEASE IF YOU LOVE ME CALL ME SALLY! :)

one hour of work left

i have an hour of work left today and no work to do.

my level headed father reminded me in my boredom to be thankful that they are paying me. yes i am thankful.

so here is the low down.

1) moving date. march 6thish. we are shutting down thursday the 5th. packing moving on the sixth. then showing up in jersey on monday the 9th. then setting up all day and hoping to be in bizness on tuesday. we will see how that goes.

2) work is good. Mr. Hans Parrado stopped by today. the head honcho. Very nice man. interested in how things are going. predominately becuase he wants to know how much work we have, because he wants sales UP and for everyone to be busy because the company would then be doing well. the fact is. bizness is down. so we are slow. so i am not busy. i am blogging.
what a sad state to be in. oh but we got projects to start on as soon as we move. that should be good. an opportunity and something to do when we are slow. yea.

3) i like my boss still. i think it will be interesting how much this job changes once i get out to jersey. it will be different. the store is very social. i am social. working with one person is relational which is good, because i am relational, but i am also social. is there going to be a coffee pot? a window? i am so intrigued. i have never worked in an office before. oh well i did in high school. anyway. it will be weird. one more week in Soho and civilization.

4) did you know that i have been working for almost 4 weeks straight. impressive.

unspoken rule

so i have recently realized that there is a definite unspoken rule that has been established between our nook of apartments on the first floor. we are on the corner and in the middle of two apts. Dedon is to the right and Sara on the left. sara and dedon are a couple. we are between them.

the rule is: play music as loud as you want and as late or early as pleases your lifestyle.

i think it is a good unspoken rule honestly. i am totally ok with them blasting their music at 1am even if i am going to sleep. (because i sleep through ANYTHING) and that means that when i wake up in the am and no one is asleep in our apt we can play our music loud enough to hear in the shower. or saturday mornings making pancakes (a common occurrence)
they play reggae. we play country. good thing we don't live by a baby.

this is a random thought.

book suggestions

novels specifically.
please post or email me with your novel suggestions. some books i have read and enjoyed in the past are:
"the year of magical thinking" joan didion
"the glass castle" jeanette walls
"the kite runner" Khaled Hosseini
"the hiding place" corrie ten boom
"redeeming love" francine rivers

i have never been much of a reader. i am only 1/5 of the way through "a tree grows in brooklyn" i had high hopes for that book, and i just cant get into it.

so do you know of a book that will catch my attention? please respond to help me as i embark upon my new life as a commuting reader.

thanks.

fabulous friday fashion frenzy

its funny that my last blog was about cultural experiences. i knew last friday night would be blog worthy. i took my camera not for my sake, but for the sake of my readers.

We were at the African Collective for 2009 hosted by Arise magazine. There were some famous models there, one guy model Tyson Beckford, and Grace Jones some crazy superstar. and i got an awesome compliment on my vintage red coat from the photographer I sat next to. not surprising.

if you find yourself wondering what this was really like, all you need to know is it is just like the movies and the magazines. it was awesome.

there aren't enough words to do this experience any real justice. here are the pictures. i might have more and better pictures coming later.










oh and the after party was at the plaza hotel. have you been there before? i hadn't. it was thrilling.

culture darling

so today i experienced culture overload. i walked through the heart of soho around 4:30 this afternoon. people of all kinds walking around. especially the weird kinds. the kind of people who would stick out like a sore thumb in texas. also there are models walking all around with fashion week coming up. so i am walking to the train taking it all in. oh and it is beautiful weather. just my little red cotton jacket. everyone was talking about how great today's weather was. really just a perfect day in the city. walking through soho is truly the place where all the fashion happens. everything that is hip is in soho. people that are hip are in soho. it is where you walk around realizing wow i really do live in the fashion capital of the world. so i was walking through all this today. then i got on the train, and i come up. i come up to Nostrand. off the C train. i enter a different world. I could have come up in another country and not known the difference. compared to soho it really is a different world getting up from the train and entering into my "hood". jamaicans, haitians, and all the other carribean islanders fill the streets. here i stand out not because of my lack of fashionista, but because of my dishwater blond locks, and ultra pasty skin. so i walk home through the dirty streets, past the old men with dreads standing around talking the day away, and past the tables of carribean goods and incense. it is a real cultural experience. ya know i have lived here for six months this week, and there is still so much to see and learn about where i am living.

today i was invited into my neighbors apartment to smoke trees and do her dishes. i declined the trees, but helped her with the dishes. it was a small milestone in building a relationship with our Sara the girl next door. she is a vegan so it is kinda hard to have her over for dinner. i am working on that. another cultural difference. nikki and i had a burger for dinner. mmmm...red meat. :)

blast from the past...

whew! this week is taking me back to the '50's. poodle skirts, saddle shoes, white tees. oh wait. fifty degrees is a little different than the nineteen fifties. ;) but these fifties are just as nice as the good ole days. dont worry i know my puffer isn't back in the closet for good, but at least for this week. so nice.

we had community group at our house tonight. it was so fun to have our friends in our home. it actually worked out nicely, because it was my week for snacks. since hospitality is one of my fortes, it was very nice to get to bless some friends with some yummy food and good coffee. if you are close by or far away remember you are always welcome in my home.

this week

so after my strenuous first week of work, my roommate Nikki just had to get out of the city and to the mall for a weekend gettaway in Jersey. ironic.

but here we are peanut M&Ms in hand, in a hotel just across the street from a big mall, AMC movie theater, and the one and only Chili's Bar and Grill (the classic american restaurant nowhere to be found in NYC). we are vegging out watching trashy tv and sleeping late in the morning.

well i didnt have to start working in jersey yet. basically what is happening is that i am getting this job because they are moving this laser printing dept to Jersey from the Soho store. so the offices are not actually finished with all the construction so that we can move. sometime within the next 2-3 weeks they will actually be doing the move and then we will get to set up our new office out in jersey. this should be interesting.

i did meet my immediate upper this week. her name is michelle, she is 40, divorced, 3 kids, 11 yr old boy, 9 and 7 yr old girls. She is very nice with alot of design experience, and she lives in jersey. i am really looking forward to working with her. they have not hired another person yet, because things are so slow right now after the holidays, and they are wanting to get us settled out there. so thats that.

things have been going well. i have had a very easy week working about 10:30-3 with an hour lunch. so not much more work this week, but maybe next week. i have been able to jump right into to InDesign the program we use, and printing invitations and stationary has begun. i am excited about the job now that it has started, so now i am just wondering how this commute is really going to work out.

well thats all i got for now i have to get back to my relaxing friday night.

quality quotes

gladys said, "well honey i just have to be honest with ya, I love Jesus, but I do drink a little."

patti said, "being a matchmaker is basically like working for god."

these were my top laughs of the week. thought i would share.

good news, bad news

the good news is I GOT THE JOB!
the bad news is i got the job...you all know I have never had a real job before right? the kind of job where you go to work everyday. you see the same people everyday. you sit in the same spot everyday. you go EVERYDAY! so now i am facing the real world. i know some of you are thinking "its about time", and i would agree, but can we just see one little tear, for mourning the death of my lengthy childhood. i wonder if i have to wear work clothes? gross. oh how i will miss you jeans and t-shirt.

clarification

just so you know, i didn't actually get this full time position in jersey YET. i am waiting to hear back from the lady to see if i get the job. it is promising, but not for sure yet. so the test commute last week, was just to see if i would even be willing to take the job. so yes i would take the job even though it is far away, and i am really hoping to get this job. not only because i need a job, but also because i am getting excited about the opportunity of this job. so thats that.... i will keep you posted.

musings

i was thinking as i usually do. and i came to the conclusion that i have entered into the phase of life that i actually do have to plan and put effort into a social life. this is something new and different to me. I have never had to actually plan to have friends. or work at establishing friendships. i have always just been friends with people i am around and there have always been a million and one people around to eat with, get coffee with, go to the movie, you name it, and there was someone available and ready to get together.

now that there are 11million people here to get together with it really complicates things and i am having to plan around all their schedules. funny how that works huh. well really it is kinda like i only know about 50ish people and so i have to make effort to get out of this apartment and not hide behind the computer screen or excuses that its too cold to go out. it is far too easy in this big city to become isolated in an extreme way. all you have to do is go to work come home eat by yourself and go to bed. then do it again the next day. so i will not be doing that. out to dinner every night with friends please...:) ok maybe every other night.

i had three dinner engagements this week one out to eat and one at my house and one at another friends house. that is fun. so i will continue to make plans even when a little more complicated than previous life experience. i.e. eating in the dorm, or living in a house with 4 other girls and having neighbors always home. those were busy days with people all over the place all the time....not anymore. if you live in nyc and you are reading this, lets get together.

uncharted territory...

here is the story... i have nothing to write about. well i do, but nothing i really want to write about. so i guess i will just tell you what is going on.

i had an interview with the laser printing department at Kate's. it is a full time job, working in an office, printing custom invitations, stationary, business cards, and the like. it is the kate's way, to have these print orders fulfilled in 2-3 days, so that is what i would do. it is a little graphic design, but mainly filling in text to a template and then printing, packaging, and shipping. woot woot. so this is a good opportunity. the reason this opportunity has come open when kate's seems to be downsizing is they are moving the laser printing dept out to the warehouse. yes. in. NEW. JERSEY. thats right. i came to new york city and i am going to go to jersey every day. there's is always a draw back to great situations...so the girls who have this position now aren't making the move. i guess you could say it works out for me.

ya know the thing about the commute is there are two ways to look at it. you can dread it and hate your life everyday, or you can embrace it and make the best of it. now maybe you cant do that so easily driving through the DFW metroplex, but here in nYC it is matter of factly a fact of life. so the three hours spent in transit daily should be a boost for my spiritual life in the morning and perfect decompress time on the way home. i made the commute yesterday actually, and it is a perfect blog topic. how could i forget...



lets just say it is not a slight exaggeration that when i stepped off the bus in Englewood-one-stop-light- Jersey...I trudged through some uncharted territory covered in 12 feet of snow. ok maybe not 12 feet probably more like 12 inches. and if you are in to technicalities and truth then i will say it was literally no less than 6 inches of fresh powdery snow. and since this snow was also covering the side walk its a sure good thing that my mother taught this city girl how to stop, look, listen, and look again, before crossing the street. over all the commute was great. it took 45 minutes to fly up the west side of manhattan all the way to 175 st. then hop on the 171 NJ transit bus, for just two stops til Grand ave in Englewood, right over the george washington bridge to cross the husdon river. take that for simplicity. honestly it is far less complicated than the route i currently have to take to the city. so although it is far, it is generally stress free. i can even watch to see if the bus is there from inside on a video monitor. how do you feel sitting in your car all alone??? transit, my friend, is fighting for first as the biggest difference between nYC and texas.

all i have to do is sit down and type "i have nothing to write about" to get my juices flowing...

High 22* 90% chance of snow accumilating 1-2 inches

well. there's the update. the weather update that is. its cold. do you know we live in new york city with no heat. well we have heat. but it doesnt exactly work correctly. so i am sitting in my room with tights, sweats, hoodie, hat, and yes uggs on my feet, all to keep at a generally still cold temperature. i will admit my toes are toasty. so nice...not really the topic i am here to discuss so I shall move on.

the j-o-b. well it is there, but in a minimal existence. I am just hoping they keep the part timers long enough for me to find something new. I know many who have been without a job for months at a time, but that is not exactly how i like to handle things. so please continue to pray for a job for me. thank you for already praying, as i know many of you have been. i am thankful, and have seen the Lord already answering prayers. now we can pray for me to get called back on some of the openings i have applied for.

PLEASE PRAY FOR ME!

Would you please pray for me? I have come back to work with very few hours that has put me in a little bit of a financial bind. I know you all know that the economy is in a terrible place right now and it is really hurting my favorite paper store! So i am going to get a new job. I applied for a job on Monday, and i am trying to find out about substitute teaching in the public schools, and starting over on craigslist. the thing is everyone is looking for a job right now, because did you know that the unemployment rate is already the highest it has been in 30 years, and this is just the beginning. So if you find yourself thinking "i hate my job" send those thoughts out the door and say a prayer of thanksgiving for the job God has placed you in this day. and then pray for me! because i need something to supplement or replace ASAP!. thanks!

gift wrap rap

a window to my world.

i resolve

well not really but it seems like a good title for the first post of the new year. i am sure it is so original as well.

it has been quite some time since i have blogged. have you been worrying about me yet? you should have been, because times have been a little hectic since we last met. i wont go into great depth of the craziness that has occurred since i returned to nyc, but i will give you a few tidbits.

1. i had a horrible travel day. it started by having a bag that was too late and too heavy which led me to missing my flight. i mean i could blame it on the bag, but in reality i guess it is about time that i start taking responsibility for my actions and say its my own fault i missed my flight. so yeah there it is. i did get onto the next flight thankfully, but then it got delayed and delayed and delayed more. it was terrible. i should have been happily in my home no later than 1pm last tuesday. however i barely made it home by 7pm. not only did i have air traffic issues, coming into the city at 4:30 made for a rough ground commute. therefore my car service was an hour later than expected and i then sat in traffic for an hour and a half. it was a horrible travel day. i was hungry tired and not ready to face the company that then arrived BEFORE me. but i did. and it was fun.

2. then we had company. lots of fun people. two in particular. my friend megan staggs came and we had fun fun fun. such a good visit because she had no plans for coming other than to hang out. loved that. and then my friend jennifer firmin. so fun to see her because we have hardly seen each other in the past year. so it was really good to catch up and have some good conversations. then generally we had a fun group here. good group of people very laid back and fun. we all went to the free saturday night at the brooklyn museum. it was amazing. we were only there for about an hour and a half, but it was such an interesting conglomeration of cultures and people. urban mixed with artsy mixed with hipster mixed with classy mixed with nyc crazy. a very brooklyn art experience i would say. in one area they had a string quartet and ballroom dancing and another area they had a dj with all kinds of get down dancing. oh yeah.

3. after 12 house guests in the last 20ish days (8 that don't count cause i was in dallas) it is good to say things could be calming down a little. dont get me wrong i loved it, but we all like a little routine at some point. and it has really cut into my blogging time. so dont worry its not that i have to make a resolution to blog more its just i have been a little preoccupied in the past 3 weeks. i am sure you all have been too. so its back to work and back to checking blogs! i have much to mull over in this brain of mine and i am sure you all are looking forward to hearing about it. more to come soon.