New Years

I am not a fan of the hoopla that surrounds New Year's Eve, which is odd as I am a chronically social being . There was a time, when I attempted to find something fantastic to do, that necessitated being dolled up. That time has passed. Perhaps it is a casualty of living in New York, where New Year's Eve is an establishment of drunken behavior at sub-zero temperatures. Or perhaps it is the fact that I am perpetually single on New Year's Eve and don't feel the need to count myself among the ranks of women looking for "better luck," in the new year. (shudder)

Rather I find it to be a contemplative time, where I think about the past year, my accomplishments and my failures and what I would like the new year to look like. It sounds somewhat sad and pathetic, I know. But I look forward to it. It is a time of goal setting, and not the I will lose twenty pounds this year and suddenly look like Jessica Rabbit, type of goal, but the I will be happy with the person I have become at the end of two thousand and whatever. These goals are maybe less tangible than the typical New Year's resolutions, but in the end very satisfying. And after all what else is lent for if not weight loss; such thoughts should not be wasted on the New Year!

This year on New Year's Eve, I have every intention of cleaning my house to within an inch of it's life and cooking a big pot of sauerkraut and pork products otherwise known as Choucroute Garnie (french of course) which is considered good luck. I will let this year of trials and tribulations go quietly into that good night, and usher in a New Year of productivity and ease of mind. A new broom will be purchased for my cleaning endeavors, because a new broom brings a clean sweep. It is with that clean sweep that I will begin my year, happily by myself, with my thoughts and goals.

My Piano

I rent a piano. It's true, this is one of the many amazing things available in New York. I can also have someone pick up my dirty laundry and return it twenty four hours later, clean and folded. I can have groceries, dinner, or alcohol delivered to my doorstep as well. But, I digress. I began renting my piano about a year ago. A friend of mine who is beyond musically talented told me about his piano and I in a fit of covetousness decided I needed one too. I took piano lessons as a child reaching peak proficiency around the age of 15 from which point it was all down hill. I can now only play the simplest of tunes and a few memorized pieces from my halcyon days. One might ask then, why bother renting a piano?

My mother plays the piano beautifully. I can remember as a child falling asleep to the sound of her playing when my parents would have company. Sunday afternoon she would sometimes play when the aroma of a nearly ready sunday dinner had permeated the house. These memories and others like it bring me great joy and a sense of peace. Music in the house whether proficient or not, brings warmth. For this reason, I rent a piano for sixty bucks a month. A bargain by any standard.

NY Stories: You Have No Bagels?!

While in graduate school I lived in a closet of a room in Astoria, right off of Ditmars Blvd. There were many things that I loved about living there. The food shopping was easy and excellent. There were so many little specialty shops and small super makets on my eleven block walk from the train station to my house. The neighborhood was extremely safe and very family oriented, which was a nice transition for a girl from the suburbs.

An added bonus was the Dunkin Donuts that was open twenty four seven. How, one might inquire, is this an added benefit? Well I shall tell you! When one works odd retail hours one sometimes must be at work at 5am. A 5am shift with neither food nor coffee (no matter the quality of either) is not to be recommended. So Dunkin Donuts was the happenin' place to be at quarter after four in the morning! That being said, when suddenly a sign appeared on the door informing me that construction was about to occur thereby temporarily closing my early morning haven of chewy bagels and tepid, over sweet coffee, I was needles to say, unsettled. All was not lost however! A new Dunkin Donuts was opening a few blocks closer to my house but still along my path to the train. The first morning I had to go to the new Dunkin Donuts I was prepared to be required to actually order. My Dunkin Donuts guy always knew what I would order and therefore simply prepared it for this bleary eyed, early morning commuter, no questions.

So I walked in and asked for my usual, "May I have a whole wheat bagel with strawberry cream cheese and a medium coffee extra milk and two splendas." "I'm sorry we have no Bagels." Baffled by such a statement, I repeat it "You have no bagels?!" He is of course standing in front of a wall of bagels and doughnuts. "No we have no bagels." My yet to be caffeinated mind is not prepared for such a challenge. Thinking that I could possibly change the inevitable answer I attempted changing the inflection of my voice, "You have NO bagles?" "No, we have NO bagels." This went back and forth for several moments before I was able to get out, "Well what are those things behind you?!" "Ohhh, you want one of them? Toasted?"

Needless to say I got my bagel and coffee and rued the day when my Dunkin Donuts decided it needed to upgrade.

About three weeks later my Dunkin Donuts reopened. I was walking past it in the middle of the day and overheard a man say to his wife, "You know I really like the new (meaning the newly renovated) Dunkin Donuts." To which she responded, "It's not a freakin Disney World ya know!" "I know! But at least at this one the guy don't tell me he's got no bagels when he's standing in front of a freakin' wall of them!" I could barely contain my urge to turn around I shout with triumph, knowing I wasn't the only baffled Dunkin Donuts customer in Astoria!

First Blog

This being my first blog, I feel the need to set forth some parameters for myself. For instance, what do I intend to write about? Ummm, I dunno. Stuff that interests me. Check! Am I going to do it every day? Let's be honest, no. Cool. Check! Is this the step in life that will make me wildly famous and the most recent best thing since sliced bread? Please god no! Check! Ok, I think we're doing well!

So you ask...well what are the things that interest you, and if you're not going to write every day, when are you going to write, and seriously, don't you want to be famous?! Well don't be a stranger and stop by sometime and you will most likely find out the answers to some if not all those questions and probably some other stuff too.

See you soon.