Life Is Not Linear: Part Two

I know it's been months since Riva's visit, but she sent me pictures for my birthday and my internet is horrible at home most of the time, so I haven't been able to upload photos until now. I'm stealing amazing internet service thanks to the clear weather. It's just like photoblog week. (That was so much fun! I still miss it.) So here you go:Best bagel place in New York.
Riva turns into Challah when she gets in touch with her Jewish roots.
Who loves the camera?
Facials at 3:30 a.m.

Organization Is Key

After throwing an amazing temper tantrum of which I am very proud, Aimee gave me a handmade wall calendar. It’s hard to see in the pictures how life changing this will be, but now I am finally going to see the forest along with the trees. I’ve filled in May and June already. Thanks for changing my life, Aimee. Now I will never have to wake up and say, “What’s today?” All I have to do is roll out of bed and walk over to my office and read away. It’s all there for me to see.

Friday, I left work early and wandered around the West Village with Joe. We found the perfect dog, Marvin. That puppy place is dangerous. They’ll get you if you’re not careful.

The juicer was christened with kale, celery, carrots, ginseng, bananas (we found out later, when we read up on “what not to do” that bananas are never supposed to be juiced), and parsley. The juice was disgusting but we drank all of it and it did give us a rush for about half an hour. There was some sprinting upstairs thanks to kale. Incidentally, my entire kitchen was covered in kale, which stains. (Here’s a beautiful picture of one of the nice designs that kale made on my counter.) Thanks, mom and dad for the juicer. More updates on my juicing life later.

Joe and I took the Staten Island Ferry, which was perfect. No idea why, but there was a beautiful fireworks display over the Statue of Liberty. Very romantic, almost silly how romantic.


Tonight Ellen was in town. Aimee, Ellen, David, and I met up for dinner at good old Skylight Diner. Except Skylight was totally weird. They took forever to seat us, refused to bring us water, and then refused to bring us water some more. Just goes to show that everything in New York is changing all the time. Even good old Skylight. Then Aimee and I went over to Ellen's apartment for our traditional raid the closet-athon. We both ended up with a healthy dose of new clothes and I got a great new tropical welcome mat and set of Alaskan shot glasses. Thanks, Ellen!!!!

After leaving Ellen, David, and Aimee, I headed over to Chinatown to have my very first bath since moving to the city (not counting the baths I've taken at Kimberley's in Boston). Alyssa let me borrow her tub and I was in heaven. I forget how my ADD really subsides when I'm soaking in the tub. I read some more of Drown and managed to release some of the tension in my shoulders. Then Alyssa and I had ice cream and watched a few episodes of Gilmore Girls.

Tomorrow my big plans are to get writing done, do my usual Monday things (Trader Joes/library/etc) and maybe see Aimee and/or Maggie in the evening. I know I've been slacking on the blog and I'm going to try to write more often.

It's all about the wall calendar.

Kismet Cake

For my birthday, my parents got me a gift certificate to a "fancy" ice cream cake shop in Soho. Unfortunately, twenty dollars only covers the tiniest cake in the world. Alyssa and I couldn't stop laughing when we opened the box. We had three dollars in credit left and so we purchased a chocolate covered banana. It was so bland! Anyway, thanks Mom and Dad for the GC. Next year, we'll find a better place. Alyssa, Kim, and I went to dinner and then sat on my stoop and ate the cake. (Don't worry, Aimee, we saved you a piece.) It wasn't a bad-tasting cake and we were all a little forlorn when it ended. Turns out Kim knows my weirdest neighbors. She's marginally acquaintances with sex guy (the guy who lives above me and has sex with his curtains open). I decided not to stick around to officially meet him and his friends.

My doctor's visit was so negative that I don't really want to write about it on my blog. On the upside, I'm going to go see someone else. Everything else is on the downside except it's very, very likely that I don't have cancer.

Not-Morris is not gone. My circle just got smaller and he may be even closer than two blocks away. This is funny enough that I'm not stressing about it; amazed by the coincidence, but not stressing.

I've been getting more sleep lately and I think I like the way it feels. I encourage everyone to try it.

Focusing On The Goodness

I feel like I’m always growing up. I’m learning that people think I’m confident and I am, but I also don’t know a lot and need a lot of support and love. Aimee’s been really amazing lately about all the weird things that have been happening in my life. She’s been under a ton of pressure and stress and she’s still completely able to come through for me. Her post from yesterday was so beautiful.

She came to my work yesterday afternoon and we had lunch together. She walked me to my date and even though I made her promise to not blab on to the boy for a million hours, she couldn’t help herself. It was really cute to watch her tell him all her swimming anecdotes that I am now quite familiar with.

I read the most amazing graphic novel yesterday. It’s my second favorite ever. This one is by Miss Lasko-Gross, a woman I had never heard of, and told the story of a girl, growing up Jewish, rebellious, artsy, and out of place in a beautiful, funny, and honest way. The book is called Escape From Special.

It’s been so warm and these past couple of days. I wore my new dress-- that Alyssa found and helped me pick out-- to celebrate the weather and all the good that’s been happening in my life.

Tonight I’m going to hang out with Alyssa and her sister, Hannah, who I’ve already met and adore. When it comes to anyone related to Alyssa, what’s not to love?

Tomorrow my very own sister will be coming to visit from Boston. This weekend promises to be action-packed and full goodness.

Reading Age of Grief by Jane Smiley. So far her characters feel very honest.

Sad, But Good Things

-Drizzly weather
-Watching Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants with Alyssa
-Don't Go Where I Can't Follow by Anders Nilsen
-Knowing Alyssa is leaving in less than a month
-Biopsy preparations for Monday
-Aimee getting fired (this is more good than sad, but still)
-Not having a brilliant idea for a new story
-Not having any idea for a new story (not sure if this is good at all, though I guess there's lots of room for creativity in the absence of ideas. not sure I really believe that.)

Saturn Has Returned

According To Kim, I Am Responsibly Impulsive

Paulette Doesn't Believe Me,

But love DOES save the day.

Yesterday, in multiple moments of panic:

1. Kim told me to go for a power-walk
2. Aimee met me for tea and talked me out of my brain for as long as I could manage
3. Alyssa and I browsed through The Strand, then ate at Souen, and then watched three hours of Northern Exposure on DVD.

I'm so lucky to have support even when I'm being incredibly ridiculous.

I asked for an extension for school. I spent most of yesterday morning sitting in Tompkins Square Park, working on my story. It's taken a good turn except I accidentally created more work for myself because one of my main characters happens to read Frankenstein and I haven't read that since high school. I'll get a copy later today.

song: I'll Be Yr Bird by M. Ward

My Life As A Walking (Or Lying Down) Soap Opera

Alyssa brought me to the E.R. at 10:30 am on Wednesday. Such a good friend to wait with me for two and a half hours. We've decided that our friendship moved up another notch on the closeness scale after this shared experience. The nurses and the doctors were all very nice to me and the whole thing wasn't as stressful as I had anticipated. The only strange thing was when the lights started flashing and the words, "CODE RED" were blasted from the loudspeaker for about a minute and a half. Nobody panicked so neither did we.
Diagnosis: It's not clear what's wrong with my back and it's going to be a couple of weeks before I know more.

In other news, life is busy, busy, busy. All my submissions are due Monday. I'm completely behind. I'm enjoying Grace Paley's Later The Same Day more than Riva and mom did though it took me a while to get into it.

Tonight: Aveda Institute for a brow waxing.
Tomrrow night: Low show (Duluth, Mormon band) with Maggie
Saturday night: date night!

(Doesn't the photo of Alyssa look just like Riva? Also, this is supposed to be Alyssa's author picture for the back of her first book.)

Another Famous Guy At Work

Keanu Reeves is hanging out at the cafe right now. That's the full report. He's reading alone. Looking scruffy.

Feeling a lot better. My funk is almost over and I'm catching up on writing.

Tomorrow I'm going to the ER to get my lump on my back checked out. Don't worry, it's probably just a fracture. Good times.

Also, Cornelius has developed a strange limp in the past 24 hours. Any clues?

Song of the second: 9 to 5 by Dolly

Structural Collapse

I've been so busy lately and also not prioritizing my writing at all. My submissions are due in a week and I've got very little to show for myself.

Saturday, I bought a sandwich at lunch right next door to the building in the picture. Then I walked home. When I came back, the building had collapsed. I'm pretty sure nobody was hurt. I feel kind of like this building right now. I'm having a lot of fun seeing friends and running around creating adventures, but I'm beginning to collapse.

Yesterday was good fun. Kim and I took the 6 train up to 110th and walked from the top of Central Park back to my home. Then Alyssa came over and the three of us (mostly me) caused a little bit of trouble for myself over at Angelica's Kitchen (just the juice bar, not ready for the restaurant yet).

So I guess this is a happy post, but underneath all the good stuff, I'm overwhelmed, overstimulated, and needing to shut down. Otherwise, I may completely collapse.

Plans for today:
*work on writing, read, clean house, get myself together, brief hang out with Alyssa and longer hang out with Aimee.

Music for getting a grip:
*Aphex Twin

Happy Pesach!