This cow was one of the few willing to smile for the camera. She probably thought I was one those crazy yankees who had never seen a live animal before.


The bride and her mom putting centerpieces together at Texas A&M

It was a group project.

The Bride and Groom leaving the Houston Temple. I think Callie was the only one of the two who realized that I was taking a picture at that moment.

My Texas relatives

Dancing to their song...some country number. It was hard for my brit-rock/indie ears.

Doing the motions for the Texas A&M fight song.

City Mouse, Country Mouse

The first week in June I decided to get out of the city and head to College Station, Texas to have some fun in the country, and also to attend my cousin Callie's wedding. It was so nice to get away from the yellow taxi cabs, smelly subways, and uninteresting work. Plus I kinda have a crush on Texas. I'm not fond of the Lubbock area, but for the most part I really have a crush on the state. If it wasn't so blazing hot, Austin would be ranked higher on my places to live list. That is why I only have a crush on Texas. We tend to only crush on things we don't get to have. Who knows, maybe someday this crush will turn into full blown love.

My aunt and uncle live outside of College Station in a new development that helped me live the true meaning of vacation. I had no cell phone coverage, and due to the dial-up internet connection I couldn't check my email without wanting to hurt something...so I was unplugged from the world and didn't think about work at all. (The last time I took a "vacation" I worked during the majority of it.) Instead of monitoring the hundreds of google alerts that come into my inbox, I walked one of my aunt's dogs (Samantha, who became my best friend until I wouldn't let her share my bed. She totally hogged the bed), visited my grandma, baked goodies, and helped as much as I could with the wedding. I didn't do anything touristy, but I had a really great time.

College Station does not have that many tourist attractions. It has Texas A&M and the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library. The library was closed, but I did get to see part of the campus. My uncle is the head of the horticulture department, and we used one of the flower labs to put the flower arrangements together. I also saw a lot of cows. One of my cousins, Trevor, is a rancher of sorts. He is studying something to do with feeding cows at A&M (I am sure there is a more technical way of stating what he studies, however I don't recall asking what it was.) For some hands on experience, and reduced rent, he and his wife live in a 100 year old farm house while he looks after some cattle. One evening we took a trip out to see the cows (which weren't very friendly; they didn't let me touch them). I was pretty impressed with my cousin--he ropes cows and has a garden and eats the produce. That shouldn't be an amazing concept; it's just that I don't know that many people from my generation that has a garden and eats the produce.

The wedding was a lot of fun. The ceremony took place in Houston, and it was so hot and humid I thought I was going to melt away. I was wearing light clothes, and I really felt sorry for everyone in the tuxes and wedding dress. If I ever get married in Houston in the summer, I will probably have as few layers as possible. And I think a knee-lengthed dress will be an option. it would definitely be a draftier option. The reception was at the College Station Hilton with good food (i.e. steak--this is Texas), dancing and the Texas A&M fight song. Oh yes, I was told that the song is played at all Aggie functions...including weddings. My cousin, Lance, also informed me that the song is played on the radio as well. This a town that loves their university and its traditions.

I caught the bouquet. My relatives were pretty clear that I had to catch it, and despite my protesting, they enticed me to try to catch the bouquet. Part of the prize for winning was a gift card to Target. At first Callie just wanted to put a $5 Target gift card, but I said that $5 would not get me to the Bronx for my closest Target (the only Target in the world that I dislike as much as Wal-Mart). I did say that with a $5 iTunes card, I would probably give a few people a black eye. Then I had to explain the beauty of iTunes. I guess in a world of cars with radios, the genius of the MP3 player is not as important. My Uncle Tim put in a $20 Target card (and would not tell me how much), and I was dragged out to try my luck. I stood in the back, and Callie totally chucked the thing, and it landed on the floor a few steps away from me. So I got the Target card and a wishful promise of being the next bride. Either way it's a win-win situation.

The best part of the trip was seeing all of my cousin's on my dad's side of the family and meeting their spouses. I only have three cousins (Lance, Trevor and Callie), but since we haven't always lived near each other we have not been able to bond with them like we have with the cousins on my mom's side of the family. I particularly enjoyed noticing the family resemblances. Many people have thought that Callie and I looked like each other with our freckles and fair skin. Callie has always had red hair, and mine just gets red highlights. (We always liked it when people thought that we were sisters.) However, I noticed that from her engaglement photos that Callie looks a lot like our Grandma--they have the same eyes. I was surprised to see how much Trevor looks like my dad...except for the hairline and the nose. I think Lance takes after the other side of his family.

I was a little sad to leave Texas and my family down there. If I had only known that I was going to lose my job upon my return to New York, I would have stayed longer.

Graphics during "A Bad Dream"


Tim and Richard (well, it is hard to see the drummer).


Trim and red-cheeked

Tim dancing and playing

I've got some time on my hands, so I will try to YouTube my clips from the concerts

A Glorious Keane and an Evil Usurper

May 30th was the day of the long-awaited Keane concert. Since I am a huge fan, I was pretty impatient with the band, and their concert delay nearly caused them to lose their Favorite Band For Life status. (Especially since Travis was such a nice show, and will be again on July 14th in NYC!) But the concert once again reminded me of how much I enjoy Keane's music.

First of all, I like them because not a lot of people are familiar with their tunes; they don't get huge amounts of airtime. This means that I will not spend extraordinary amounts of money to sit in the back row of a large arena just to see them. I like more intimate concerts where I can get close to the stage and actually feel like I am watching them live and not on TV. This particular concert was at Rumsey Field in Central Park. Since I was not sure if that was a large or small venue, I decided to take a day off work so I could scope out the park and get good seats for my friends that would be showing up later.

I was at the park by three o'clock in order to find the field. I have not been a frequent visitor to Central Park. Lame, huh? Prior to the concert I had been there once, maybe twice, but obviously hadn't seen anything of interest. (FYI, I was there today, and saw a little bit more, but there is still a lot of park to cover.) I found the venue rather quickly and noticed that there was already a line fifty people deep of concert-goers. That ruined my park exploration plans; instead I plopped my stuff down as concert-goer fifty-one, grabbed my book and waited the 2.5 hours for the doors to open. That sounds like a waste of a couple of good hours for a good place to stand at a show, but I was able to listen to Keane's sound check.

Finally, the doors open, and I found a place for my friends to watch the show. We were about five people from the stage. That's a good distance. Soon my friends arrived, and we waited and waited for the show to begin. The opening band was Rocco DeLuca and the Burden. I must say that the band was very good for an opener. I thought it interesting that they were chosen because the music was very bluesy, a stark contrast to Keane's more pop-sounding introspective anthems. Nonetheless Mr. DeLuca played his heart out. During their set, I was hoping for a Keifer Sutherland sighting. Apparently, Keifer helped produce their CD, so I thought it would be fitting if he were hanging out in the sidelines. Alas, no such luck. However the audience did get a celebrity sighting--one that nearly ruined my concert experience.

Richard mentioned that he saw Blake Lewis, of American Idol, buying a hot dog near the venue. Big freaking deal...although he had his fans surrounding him. After eating his hot dog Blake decided to show up at the Keane concert during Rocco DeLuca's last song. Rocco was playing his little fingers off when multitudes of heads and cameras were turned to the right of the stage where Blake Lewis was shaking hands and having his picture taken with fans...during someone else's performance. It was really obnoxious and interruptive. A real celebrity with any class would have snuck around back and not stolen anyone's thunder. We all wondered why he had shown up, and Alejandro reminded us that Blake sang a Keane song on the show. He suggested that perhaps Blake was going to sing with the band. Digusting. I vowed that I would Boo very loudly if that usurper took the stage. Fortunately, he didn't. It was all Keane.

Keane concerts are five hundred times better than listening to them on CD and the radio. Recorded music has not yet been able to capture the energy and passion that goes into a live show. I remember seeing Keane in September of 2004 at the Showbox in Seattle. They had some lights, but no special effects or audio/visual enhancements, but it was the best concert I had ever attended. I was smitten with the band ever since. My fourth Keane concert did not disappoint either. By this time, I expected that the art-loving musicians would add artsy a/v effects, and I was correct in that assumption. In some songs they used the incredible graphics from their album covers, and an interesting ballroom dance video for "A Bad Dream" that added an eeriness to the song. Brilliant.

Tom Chaplin's voice and performance ability was not lacking. He is in much better shape than he had been in past shows. It looks like rehab treated him well, and he is continuing to take care of himself. He showed off more of his talents by picking up an accoustic guitar for "Your Eyes Open." The other members, Tim Rice-Oxley and Richard Hughes did not disappoint. Tim moves around so much when he plays, I am always amazed that the songs still sound right. During the audience-interaction moments the band was very honest with the issues they have struggled through recently: near break-up, rehab...but they seem to be very focused on remaining friends, and remaining a band. yeah! According to the blog, they are starting to work on album number three. double yeah! Plus, as usual, the band showed immense appreciation for the fans. That always helps.

It was great, and they better darn well not take too long coming back to the city!!!

Standing outside of Magnolia enjoying a good dose of sugar!

I don't mean to brag, but...

This winter my roommate made an important discovery: The Barefoot Contessa baking mixes. If you have ever seen her on the Food Network, you will remember her for her significant use of butter, sugar and cream...but minus the Southern accent. (That would be Paula Dean.) Ina Garten a.k.a. The Barefoot Contessa makes some scrumptious-looking food on her show, and that quality goes into her baking mixes. I should warn you, however, that they are not cheap. I think Angie bought some at Crate and Barrel at around ten bucks a box. Are they worth it? It depends.

The first ones I tried (meaning, ate--my roommate did the actual baking) were her coconut cupcakes. They were delicious and stayed moist for ten days. Yes, I am just as surprised as you that they lasted ten whole days. The other cupcakes we tried were these yummy chocolate ones with fabulous frosting. I can tell when a frosting came from a can, and hers had no such flavor. Oh yes, despite the low yield (about 1 dozen per mix), the price was worth it.

The rate of $10 for a baking mix does not reflect NYC price gauging (completely), and so please don't think that a box of Betty Crocker costs $8.00. I compare the Barefoot Contessa cupcakes to the finer ones purchased at various bakeries in town. Cupcakes are quite the hip treat, and not because all that frosting goes to the hips. (Though that is entirely true.) I have become a fan of the cupcake since I have been here. Everyone has their preferred cupcake place. And I am pretty sure that one can gain cupcake love street-cred if one fancies a cupcake at a bakery besides Magnolia. My friend Stephanie wants to throw a cupcake taste-testing party so we can make a good assessment of the best bakeries in the city. I fully intend to participate in that shindig. Maybe I will get my little cakes from Billy's or maybe I will whip up a batch of The Barefoot Contessa. Since I have tried the cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery, Crumbs and Buttercup Bakery, I think Ina's mixes can stand up to ones purchased already made.

Or maybe I will make my own...from scratch.

Tonight my roommate and I made her chocolate chip cookie mix. Well, Angie bought it and I stirred. For a mix the cookies were very good. But mine are better. Don't mean to brag, but it's true. Watch out Ina for the High-Heeled Contessa!

A New Year, A New Ward, in New Amsterdam

Believe it or not I have lived in New York for one full year! What a year too. I think I have now settled myself into the routine of city-living. I have my favorite places, restaurants, people, but I still have lots to explore. Many people who have lived here longer than me have recounted that there are neighborhoods that they never visit. Crazy, huh? But soon everyone gets stuck in the rut of everyday living, the city is no longer new, and we stop looking for little adventures because by golly, we have errands to run.

That is how I have felt during the cold months. In Seattle when the weather was icky my friends and I would go shopping. Here when the weather is icky, I stay home and start to hate the city. Someone told me that no one likes New York in the winter. It is grey, freezing, and miserable going outsie. Now that it has started to warm up I plan to explore new portions of the city. I have only been to Central Park once (and it really doesn't count because I only walked through it), I have not yet seen the Brooklyn Bridge, and I have not even set one foot in Bloomingdales. Oh yes, I've got a lot of livin' to do here still. I'm certain year two will be better than year one. That's the plan.

There are a few things that need to be tweaked in order for me to truly love NYC again. I am now 31 years old. For some people that is not an issue. But as a female Mormon it means that I can no longer attend church with the young single people; I have to go to church with the married people ad the old people. I thought I was prepared for this day, but in actuality I ended up crying all afternoon. Even though the Inwood 3rd ward has not been my favorite young single adult congregation, it was full of amazingly talented people. Apparently that congregation had the highest concentration of professional musicians and performers in the city. Our special musical numbers were really special. One time a guy sang a rearranged version of the hymn, "I know that my redeemer lives," and I nearly had to wipe away a tear or two. (Trust me, for that's showing a lot of emotion at church.) The ward also had a talented chef and pastry chef who coordinated a lucheon that blew every after-church potluck completely out of the water.

The family ward has talented opera singers and other performers, so I won't miss out on that fun experience, and I imagine that in a month or two I will like the screaming kids. But it is a transition that I really wanted to avoid--or a transition I was hoping to face with a spouse. I don't want the friends I made to forget me since they don't see me on Sunday. I will just have to be proactive and beg them to be my friend.

The other thing I need to tweak is my job. I loved PR last summer. I worked hard, was given challenging assignments, and people valued my effort. Then everyone I worked with left the company, and the replacements saw my job title and I was not given the same opportunities as before. I spoke up often and offered my services time and again. I did get work to do, but as one client put it, I am the dumpster who gets all the crap assignments. So it is time to move on. I hate searching for a new job, but I also hate being under-appreciated.

I try to tell myself that these two issues shouldn't affect my feelings for New York, but bad jobs and loneliness can bring anyone down--even if they live in Topeka, Austin or Seattle.

So, let's hope that Year Two kicks Year One's little patootie!

So, I'm not very computer literate.

I'm trying to put some of my concert videos on my blog and it is not working. Kate, I even downloaded my videos to that Vimeo site you told me about, and when I go to the site to see my videos I get a blank screen. I'm rather frustrated and I need help. For all those who know how I am supposed to get these things to work, please help me out. I have some Travis and Snow Patrol videos that want to be published on m blog.

Yes, this really old college ID is me

Today I took the Delta Shuttle for a day of training in our Washington, D.C. office. It was great to board a plane without any luggage; I felt a little glamorous. Whoops, wrong word. Now I am going to have that infernal song stuck in my head.

Anyway, today's flight taught me a valuable lesson: when you feel prompted to grab your passport, do it. I didn't because last I checked Washington, D.C. was not a foreign country. I should have grabbed it because at some point my drivers license fell out of my wallet (or was removed for some reason that escapes me...) and I was at the airport without official identification. I panicked because I didn't really want to go to work all embarrassed about not making the flight. I called one of my coworkers and he suggested that I just ask nicely and show every bit of plastic left in my wallet. I was nice and sweet, and I made my flight after going through extra security. I am not going to tell you which choice piece of plastic got me through the gates because I am certain the Department of Homeland Security would probably not want that information leaked.

Laguardia's extra security was not as extra as Washington's security. I nearly had to find alternate means of transportation, like walking. But since Delta let me come to D.C., they decided I should also go home. But I got to have a little stay in an enclosed area--locked up--and got a complete pat-down. Plus when I boarded the plane the airline person didn't scan my ticket. Probably in case if the plane went down there would be no record of the person with dubious ID.

None of this would have happened if I had grabbed my passport. I would have had a nice, normal, uninteresting trip to Washington, D.C.

Earth Day Thoughts

Recently Al Gore thought he'd do the earth a favor and create a concert event to promote "green" causes. You should all know that I like concerts and decided to check out the line up. These events are going on all around the world, and wouldn't you know it, the best bands will be playing in the UK. Not very fair. I was amazed that there were a handful of USA bands playing across the pond. It makes me wonder about their travel plans. Wouldn't we be limiting our carbon footprint on the earth if the bands and all their gear weren't traveling all around the world? What about all the electricity for the sound and lights? Or will this event be solar-powered? Did Al Gore think about that?

I also wonder if the paper beer cups and plastic water bottles will be recycled...after event staff has to pick up the the litter from the ground. Oh wait, I'm sure only the very earth-conscious will be attending, and they will probably pick up their trash. I would pay to see that marvel. Seriously, after the Austin City Limits concert I felt very bad for the park workers. After the Coldplay show the park was a sea of empty beverage containers.

The guitar player whose name I do not know because it is not as cool as Lightbody


Gary Lightbody--who needed someone to sing with.

I am not a photographer when it gets dark. I just point, shoot and hope for the best.

I took some video with my camera. I couldn't figure out how to post it on my blog. Please help! I don't really want to get a YouTube account.

Yes, I am a chicken

I am sure you recall that I was really excited about the Snow Patrol concert. Maybe you may even recall the post where I went to see the band at Good Morning America, and didn't say anything to the band when I had a chance. I haven't learned a thing.

The morning of the Snow Patrol concert my coworker said that the band was picking people from the audience to sing "Set the Fire to the 3rd Bar" with Gary Lightbody. "3rd Bar" is a beautiful song that Gary sings with Martha Wainright on the CD. (When I listen to the song in private, he sings with me...) Anyway, in order to get picked, my coworker said that the willing participant would have to make a sign requesting to be chosen.

I thought about it all day...long and hard. It would be cool to be picked...except for that forcing people to listen to me sing part. Plus, loads of people have probably heard about the sign thing so the chances of me getting chosen are slim to none...especially since my General Admission seats were probably at the back of the theatre....and lastly Martha Wainright is from New York...she'll probably show up for the New York shows....

That's exactly what went through my head at work that day, so yes, I headed over to the Madison Square Garden Theater without my sign for Gary Lightbody. I told my friend Connie the story and she was mad at me. As well she should have been.

Connie and I arrived early enough to the concert to claim our General Admission seats 10 feet from the stage. (So yeah, he would see my sign). She was amazed that I knew how to get close to the stage. It's called concert sacrifice. You get there unfashionably early and score a good location. Connie was amazed mostly because I look too innocent to go to rock concerts. Yeah, I get that a lot.

The first band was so-so. I don't even remember the name. The second band was a little group called OK Go. All I knew about them was their very famous treadmill video on YouTube. (Please check it out if haven't already!!) Their performance was great--I need to buy some of their songs.

Finally, Snow Patrol came out!!!! They sounded so much better than when I saw them May 4th 2005. The whole show was fabulous. The lights, the music, Gary's infectuous showmanship. I enjoyed myself immensely. Except for when it came time for Gary Lightbody to choose his singer for the duet. It wasn't a hard for him to choose. Only one person had a sign. I KNOW!!! I am so lame. All the excuses I gave myself were for nothing! I would have had a 50% chance of singing with him, but a 100% chance that he would have at least had to talk to me. All my rock and roll fantasies died the minute that girl from Glasgow took the stage. She sang well, but I am way cuter. Yes, that is jealousy talking. She got a smooch from Gary, and not me because I talked myself out of the sign.

I was riddled with regret for over 24 hours. Luckily I had a good yoga class that helped me purge the negative energy. I'm tyring to think good rock and roll thoughts, and the good news is that I get to see Travis in San Francisco during a business trip out there. Oh yes, I rock.

The Reasons to Take a Book on the Subway

1. It is a great way to pass the time
2. How else am I going read all the books in the New York Library
3. It's a long subway ride
4. Weirdos won't talk me when I'm reading...well, not always
5. Reading at home cuts into important TV watching time
6. It makes me look smart
7. Having a book to look at is better than looking at the homeless man with no underwear and a very large hole in his pants.

Very smart indeed.

YEAH!! YIPPEE!! BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!!

No, I don't have a date with a boy. But I do have a date marked on my calendar to see KEANE!!!! SO it's kind of like having a date with 3 boys.

I guess their publicists do read blogs!

The link that I am going to mention in the following post:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x16rGcxDvIo

I've probably looked at this 12,000 times.

Now it is time to go to sleep.

Some Good Music News

The following two posts are kind of sad. OK, one is sad, the other is mildly pathetic. So before you read those I thought I would share some fun music news. First of all, I am going to see Snow Patrol on Monday at the Madison Square Garden Theater. Yeah!! My friend Connie is coming with me and I think she loves Snow Patrol more than me. But a couple of weeks ago I had a dream that my mom and I were making the band dinner and I made a few song requests for the show. I'll let you know if they play "Cartwheels." Just so you know, they probably won't since it is not technically a Snow Patrol song. Gary Lightbody, the lead singer, wrote it for a side project called Reindeer Section. So, um, Gary, if your publicists check blogs and you come across mine please play "Cartwheels" on March 26th!!!!

Aqualung just released a new CD entitled Memory Man. The last CD was kind of low-fi and sleepy, although it has the best crush song ever ("Strange and Beautiful"). This new project is ore high-fi, with more energy and emotion. Check it out.

Saturday night I was trying to make a playlist for my roommate's St. Patrick's Day party and I thought I had enough Irish bands for the party. It turns out that I don't. My collection is heavy on music from the British Isles, but I was surprised that I had so many Scottish bands (Snow Patrol, Reindeer Section, Franz Ferdinand, Camera Obscura...). But the one I want to mention is Travis. I first heard this group when I lived in France, and I was very impressed. I just have a collection of top singles, but I have a huge list of must-buy songs that grows every time I hear another one on Accuradio. Then I heard some good news. On Sunday a girl at church told me that they are releasing a new album in May. Yippee. I checked out the website and found a link for the music video on YouTube. I am attempting to post it. If it worked you will have found it by now. Click on it, and hear the song. If not, I will attempt to post the link again. I know it's possible; people do it all the time. The best part of the new album is the eventual tour. Travis has not had huge U.S. success (which I am totally ok about), but they should make an appearance in NYC. Everyone comes here.

Except Keane. They did a small tour on the West Coast--my cousin Stephanie saw them and loved them--and they are headed to South America, Central America, and Mexico. But do they have plans to come visit me? No! Their Favorite Band For Life status is becoming a little tarnished. Keane, if your publicists are monitoring blogs: COME TO NYC!!!

He was a good dog

The sad thing about living so far away is that bad things happen like our dogs being put to sleep. And although dogs are important members of the family, we don't exactly get bereavement days for them. So I guess it is a good thing that my parents didn't call to tell me that our dog, Rime, was put down. I didn't want to be informed of the news at work. But I didn't want to be told via my parent's blog a week later.

Anyway, it will be sad when I go home next and won't have my little Rimey greet me excitedly as he used to. I think I was his favorite. Actually he was excited to see everyone. But Rime and I had a special bond; we would go on walks together. In full disclosure I must admit that I didn't want to take him on walks, but I didn't really have a choice. One day he literally demanded that I take him with me. So I did, and then everytime I went to walk he came with me. There was no hiding my intent to go outside. Rime knew which shoes and exercise clothes I used. As soon as he heard the swish of my pants his tail would start wagging, and he would also start barking if he thought I was taking too long to get ready. I couldn't even say the work walk or spell it. Although I didn't want to take him on walks at first, it became one of my favorite things to do.

I will miss my large, furry, white puppy.

The color the bag used to be


The broken joint

In Memoriam--My favorite bag

Every girl has a favorite bag...the go-to bag, if you will. Sometimes it is a fancy schmancy designer bag, and sometimes it is a knock-off. Nonetheless it is bag that carries everything. Trust me, girls carry everything in their bags--makeup, wallets, books, gum, new and used tissue, snacks... I had a similar bag up until March 10th, and then it died.

I purchased my favorite bag at Urban Outfitters a few weeks before I travelled to Austin, Texas for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. I needed a good solid bag for that event so that I could carry water bottles, sunscreen, camera, and other essentials for the coolest live music event ever. This bag was certainly the right size and it had plenty of pockets. I am a sucker for pockets. But what really sold me was the plastic coating. I realize that "plastic coating" does not equal classy, but I wasn't going for classy, I wanted hip and I wanted something that wouldn't get destroyed if some miscreant dropped their stinky beer on me. This bag had it, and we had a good time together. At the festival we saw some of our favorite groups: Keane, Aqualung, Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand, Death Cab for Cutie, Jet, and Oasis. The bag did so well that I took it to other concerts later on.

I also took it to work. It carried everything I needed: lunch, wallet, reading material. It was also my church bag; it fit my scriptures, Relief Society manual, etc. The bag was the perfect carry on bag for flights, so there was no doubt that it would go with me to New York. It came with me on job interviews because it was tall enough to not mush my resumes. I took it everywhere because, like I said, it carried everything I needed.

After a while I decided not to fill it up so much because my shoulders and back were hurting, but I didn't even realize that my little/big bag needed a rest. I didn't rest it enough, and it finally gave out on March 10th. That day I did tax it with a heavy burden. I needed to take some personal care items from the gym to my home for church the next day. It had a couple of brushes, hairspray, hair goo/pomade, a book, wallet, water bottle, gloves, hat, and scarf. Not only was it stuffed, I thought it would be fun to carry it all forty-some blocks from Union Square to Rockefeller center. I was tired, but I didn't know that I had done some damage to the bag. Later that night I swung the nearly empty bag over my shoulder and it came crashing down. Somehow the weight had stretched out the metal clasp and it no longer fit in its socket. I could put it back together, but it wouldn't stay--it was irreparably damaged...especially since I have no metallurgy skills. I am very sad and am without a favorite, go-to bag. Big sigh. I am currently using my computer bag for Sunday and days when I have to carry more, but it isn't the same. My computer bag isn't even as cute. It's like the red-headed step-child of go-to bags. Oh, I hope I didn't hurt its feelings. Soon after my mourning period is over I may go back to Urban Outfitters to see if they have more, and I may have to take it to Austin to have a real bonding moment.

Rest In Peace, little bag!

The View From My Window at WORK


This is not my, window...just my cubicle wall

NYC Rooftops

There are lots of water towers in the city

Cars lined up on 18th street between 5th and Broadway

Another thought and then I swear I will get back to work!

At the office we have a big TV that airs CNN all day long, and at my new desk I can get a better view. Today the channel has been covering a horrific bus accident in Georgia (the home state of CNN, fyi). All I have to say is, although this is a highly morbid thought, I am actually grateful for the bus accident coverage because it has entirely pre-empted any Anna Nicole Smith coverage.

I see the victims of this tragic accident as holy angels for saving us from further mind-numbing drama of crazy, drugged-up, faux celebrities.

Yes, I am fully aware that I will be struck by lightening at some point today.

Shhh...I'm supposed to be working

I need to remember to take my camera to work. Last Friday I changed desks to one with a window seat, and let me tell you, I have a pretty amazing view. No, I don't see the Empire State Building or any other cliche city landmark, instead it feels like I can see the whole city from my perch on the 16th floor. I can even see all the way to New Jersey--if you call that an amazing site.

I must say, I get a little thrill when I see the yellow cabs racing around the streets. Someday I will remember to bring in a camera to show you the view.

Good, lunch has arrived and now I can stop pretending to work. I hate pitching...especially now since I am recovering from a cold. Everytime I talk I have a coughing fit.