French Part Deux

Bon jour!  I enrolled in a second French class.  Of course, I feel as if everyone in the class speaks complete fluent French and I can only count to ten.  I am like a deer in headlights when I have to speak.  It is absolutely ridiculous.  I have to get over this.

Of course the only way to get over it is to do it.  So I am.  Just keep going.  Keep speaking it.  Keep feeling as if I am making a fool of myself.  Or maybe it's the latter I need to drop. . .

Bridgette is at my mom's.  My mom and stepdad, Lou are watching her for the weekend while I head to a wedding in Lake George.  I miss her already!  She has only been gone for an hour. . .

Dogs Have Feelings, Too

It's Monday.  Wednesday it will be three weeks since Bridgette and I moved from mid-town to downtown. This weekend was the first time she has eaten normally.  I am pretty sure she has not been sick.  I am quite sure she has been unsettled, nervous and trying to figure out what the heck has been going on.

I first noticed her "sensitive" behavior when I quit my job.  About a week before I quit, she was really sick.  I was talking to another woman about it and she told me her dog was really sick when she was going through an upheaval.  I wasn't so sure.

Next time I noticed it, Bridgette stayed at my mom's for about a week while I was away.  She wouldn't eat, she was so nervous.  My mom was feeding her out of her hand, kibble by kibble.  Eventually, several days in, she began eating more and more (in my mind, I was telling Bridgette not to get used to that treatment --  there was no way she was coming home and eating out of my hand. . .)

Then the move.  She is a voracious eater.  She eats her breakfast and dinner like I have not fed her in weeks.  She eats it so fast, then looks at me as if I have given her but a pauper's meal.  Meanwhile, the vet told me she is gaining too much weight.

We got to the new apartment and she wouldn't touch her food.  I bought her new food.  Wouldn't touch that either.  She also wouldn't chew on her flossies which she loves.  So I bought her a smaller flossie, thinking the other one was too large (mind you, it was the same size she always chewed on).  I wasn't too worried about the food.  I figured she would eventually eat when she got hungry.  But it went on for more than a few days.  She ate a couple of kibble here and there, but it kept on going.  So I fed her cookies, which she liked.  But I was worried she wouldn't go back to eating her food.

Then the doorman started giving her cookies.  Afraid she would never eat her food again.  But then over the weekend, poof, she started eating normally again.  And back to chewing the flossies!  She started prancing around with it in her mouth, she even took it outside on our walk this morning.  Ahhh, back to normal.  Apparently, according to Bridgette, we are officially settled in.  These pictures are not very good, but it captures the essence of the flossie.

A Beautiful Ride

Near My Apartment

This is a block away from my apartment.  A beautiful view for a neighborhood.

I rode on my bike up north on this path earlier today.  The day was cool and the clouds were out.  No sun in my eyes.  The wind was in my face, so it was a bit of work to ride, but good work.

At about 95th street, I looked down at my tires and they looked flat or very out of air.  Being a novice, I did not know which.  I did know that if the tire was flat and I continued to ride, I could very well ruin the wheels.  So I got off my bike and walked it to 106th Street and Columbus where I bought my bike.  Luckily, the tires only needed air.  They fixed my gears, too, which needed tweaking.  Luckily, I have service for life at the bike shop.

I, of course, would have turned back around and hopped on the path back down the Hudson.  But the woman I know at the shop suggested I head east to Central Park, ride through the park and cut back to the Hudson over 59th Street.  I am so glad I did.  I do miss the park now that I have moved downtown.  It was wonderful to be in the city's largest green oasis.  Lots of people out and about.  Truly like you are not in the city.

We have been super lucky with the weather lately.  It won't be long before the cold sets in.  I am glad I have gotten some good rides in on my bike.  I am proud that I finally purchased the thing.  I wanted to buy one for so long and finally, I did it.

The Secret To Being Organized

Do you wish your home or apartment to be organized?  Do you long for the day you will pick up after yourself immediately?  Do you dream that instead of dropping your bag on the floor when you walk in the door, you would put it in the closet or put your shoes away?  

Here's the secret:  move into an apartment the size of a postage stamp.  It will force you to put everything in its place.  If you live in a space where there is no extra space, you cannot afford not to put something in its home lest you feel like you are in a tornado.  If I leave my toothbrush out, I feel like I need to declutter immediately.

Don't get me wrong.  I absolutely love my new apartment.  I am not even complaining that it is small.  It is just that I can't afford to leave anything out of its particular place unless I want to live in a cyclone.  I am actually pleasantly surprised with this unintended benefit of my new apartment:  forced neatness and organization.  

Who knew?   

Funny Bone

I wish I could be reminded more often how great it is to laugh.  I was going to write about schedules, and how I don't have one yet since I moved and I feel off balance and blah, blah, blah.

Then I read my friend Stephanie's latest post (if you do not like meat, or have an aversion to hearing how it might wind up on your table, do not link to the post).  As I have mentioned on my blog before, Stephanie is a New York friend in Senegal for six months helping to build a hospital.  Lucky for us, she will be home in few weeks.

I read her post and laughed out loud.  It completely and immediately got me out of whatever I was in.  The chuckle was was brief.  It was a few seconds.  But it was transformative.  Not in a dramatic way.  In a more subtle, yet obvious way.  I felt better.  Lighter.  More receptive.  A bit less tense.

Do I just need to keep my mind open to see the humor in things?  Can I attempt to be more funny?  Making others laugh makes ourselves laugh.  But then again, if you're not funny, you're just not funny.

What makes me think something is funny but not you?  What makes a stand up comedian flop or have people rolling on the floor (I can think of nothing, worse, by the way than trying to get up on stage and trying to make people laugh)?

I am not sure, but I do know that when I laugh, it changes things for the better and I want to laugh more.

It's What I Bargained For

I have a habit of adopting older dogs.  I am not sure why.  Perhaps because they are more difficult to adopt out.

In any event, I was told Bridgette was seven years old when I adopted her last year.  She should be eight years old now.  It seems as if she has aged six years over night.  It looks like she has arthritis.  She struggles to get up in the morning -- she has a very difficult time getting up off her hind legs.  It breaks my heart to see so soon.  But it's what I bargained for adopting an older dog.  

Also, she used to be a voracious eater.  I feed her twice a day.  When I used to feed her, she would act like I hadn't fed her in about a month.  Now, she eats a little bit of what I put in front of her.  But, she still has a penchant for treats.

I guess if I think back, she started walking slowly a couple of months ago.  What came over night was her inability to get up off her back legs.  It was strange.  I took her to the vet, he put her on an anti-inflammatory -- doggie Advil, essentially -- and it seems to make her feel much better.

It really doesn't matter if she is eight years old or fifteen years old.  She is what she is.  She still has the same sweet, loving personality and is as cute as ever.

See Ya Later, Maggie

In the beginning of August, I gave up sugar.  A couple of days later, I began eating a raw diet.  I continued to eat a primarily raw diet for a few weeks.

Someone recently asked me, "Are you still on that crazy diet?  Do you still not eat X, Y and Z?"  How it has panned out for me is this:  Eating raw was great and I loved what I learned about it.  I bought into the concept that uncooked food contains healthy enzymes and nutrients which are not destroyed because they are not cooked.  After doing it for a few weeks, I definitely felt better.  But it just wasn't realistic for me to eat like that all the time.  I like to eat out at restaurants with friends and family.  Sometimes I just want to eat something cooked.

What eating raw did do for me is to get my body used to and craving, yes, craving vegetables and fruit (before this, I rarely ate a piece of fruit).  I eat often throughout the day and it is usually vegetables, fruit and nuts during the day (ever had a Lara Bar?  take a look at the ingredients).  Absurd amounts of fruit.  I eat other things I want to eat, but what winds up happening is that I don't choose to deprive myself of certain things.  Instead, I eat things that I want and make me feel good.  At dinner, I eat cooked food, veggies, fish, chicken and I have had less and less cravings for meat (I rarely ate meat before, but I loved a good burger).

Basically, right now, I am eating what my body tells me to eat.  I went to Le Pain Quotidien the other day and had a decaf soy latte, fruit, smoked salmon and bread.  That's what I wanted so that's what I ate.

One thing I do resist is sugar.  Being off it, though, I don't really need to "resist" it.  Usually, I find I want it more out of habit than anything else.  Despite my earlier aversion to agave, I eat it now.  Couple that with cacao powder, coconut, dates and nuts, there are some pretty good brownies out there, believe it or not.

So, in my old neighborhood, I started walking by my favorite cupcake shop, Crumbs, without too much pain.  Now, it's Magnolia.  Maggie for short.  See ya later, Maggie.    

Unitasking

We live in a world of multi-tasking.  It is a necessity (I think) in this day and age.  The technology we have developed has created a sense of immediate urgency.  The ability -- and expectation -- to respond, sometimes before we even think through our response.

When I was working, I was doing what felt like 10 things at one time.  Usually winding up sitting in my office at some point not able to focus on a single thing.  I would jump from one thing to another.  I would start one task, I would be reminded of another, start that, leave the other hanging, be reminded of yet another, leave the second task, and so on.

In essence, I was not really multi-tasking.  I was serially uni-tasking.  Very inefficiently.  I just don't think I am very good at multi-tasking.

What I have had the opportunity to do since I quit my job is have time to uni-task and actually get things done without getting distracted and leaving strings hanging.  Taking class, moving apartments (and putting things away in neat, organized manner rather than throwing things in closets), taking Bridgette for her training, etc.  This luxury will soon and quickly come to an end, but I am grateful for the time to experience it.

In considering my future career, I think it might be worth thinking about work habits.  Not seeking out a job/career that pulls me in five thousand directions and asks me to pay attention to 15 projects.  One big project with many parts is one thing, but 15 projects with many moving parts is another.

Just another thing I am learning about myself during this time off. . .

The Sun

It is 7:37 a.m.  The desk in my apartment faces east and the sun is just coming up over the building two blocks east from my building.  It is gorgeous.  An amazing morning.  I never got to see the sun in my other apartment.  I had a building immediately outside my building.  Despite the seven windows in my apartment, I never saw the sun shine or the blue sky.

Spending the morning with sunshine in my apartment literally changes my mood.  My day.  I realize that we have the capability to "think" our way into our behavior.  But their are external factors as well.  Sunshine is one of them.

How can you describe that your spirit is lifted?  How can you describe that you feel lighter?  That you breathe easier?

Now that I am unpacked and we are settling in (Bridgette is still sleeping on the bottom shelf of my bookshelf), I am loving my apartment as well as my West Village neighborhood. . .

The Day

The day is already passed.  Today, it is a a day to remember.  For me, this year, I went to a party for my aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary (how very inspiring -- they are truly happy!).  We celebrated life, love and the future.

Nine years ago, it was the world cracked open before me.  The day did not simply pass.  September 11 was an event like no other I had ever experienced.  I, as many others on the planet, remember precisely where they were when they heard the news.  I was coming out of a doctor's appointment in Union Square at exactly 8:50 a.m.  Normally, I would have headed to my office on Maiden Lane a couple of blocks from the towers.  That morning, I woke up late and had to return home to shower.  I obviously never made it into the office.

I remember the next few days like it was yesterday.  I did not sleep the entire night, watching the news.  The same footage over and over.  There was a bomb scare the next day at the Empire State building and I was having dinner near by.  We were told to evacuate and leave immediately.  To run -- run! -- from the area.  I felt like I was running for my life.  I felt out of control; there was true fear in the air.

For weeks and months, the subways, dedicated walls and fences were papered with pictures of loved ones who were lost.  It was the most horrifying, sad and devastating event to walk past those pictures.  I could never imagine the pain. . .

I am so grateful to have made it through that day safely.  To be here today to remember that day -- for better or for worse -- and to know that life is short.  It can so quickly turn on a dime.  To realize that what I think are "problems" are usually things created in my head.  I so often merely need some perspective.  

New Home

My computer has been on the fritz, I didn't have cable in my apartment and no time to hang out in Starbucks, so it's been a few days since I have posted to my blog.  But now that I have a new computer, the cable man came today, and I am getting settled, I am back in business.  

Bridgette and I have moved into our new home.  New apartment in the West Village.  We have given up space, but are so happy in a neighborhood which is actually a neighborhood.  There are cobblestone streets and tree lined streets.  It is quiet and there are terrific coffee spot, restaurants and shopping.

The river walk is amazing.  Bridgette and I went for a walk the other night and it was gorgeous -- seagulls; the Erie Lackawana sign and the W Hotel on the Jersey side; people riding their bikes, running and walking their dogs.  I went running the first morning I woke up and am looking forward to a bike ride.

On the space issue, in addition to unloading a lot of stuff, some furniture and strategically placing every little item in every nook and cranny, Bridgette is finding her own way.  I had to put her kennel that she like to sleep in in storage.  So Bridgette is making use of nooks and crannies herself.  The bottom shelf of my bookcase, to be exact:

  

Labor Day

Labor Day seems to kick off a new year more than New Year's Day.  The weather is changing, kids are going back to school, the season will change from summer to fall.  On New Year's Day, there is nothing different.  It's still cold.  Kids are still in school.  It never seemed like a big deal to me.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous this weekend.  Blue sky.  Warm in the sun.  Cool in the shade.  No humidity.  The weather is indeed changing.

What better time to be moving into a new home.  It truly feels as if a new year is about to begin.  On September 7th rather than January 1.  A new year can start any day you choose.  

Expand to Fill My Space

Yep, still packing.  I will be until Tuesday evening.  I move on Wednesday.  I am actually taking the time to go through boxes, containers and handbags that have slid by the "do I really need it?" check.  There are several containers that have been through multiple moves with me.  I just don't know what to do with the stuff.  So I quickly put the top back on, throw it into the moving box and on to the next apartment it goes on to the back of the shelf.

I don't have the luxury of a back of a shelf in my new apartment because of the size.  So I am forcing myself to go through it all.  I cannot believe how much junk I have.  For someone who considers herself not a saver, I have accumulated a bunch of whatever in the five years I have been in this apartment (plus the multiple-move indecision containers).

I have accumulated because I had the space.  I expanded to fill my space.  I had 6 closets.  Pretty rare for a cookie cutter one bedroom apartment in New York.  And they weren't dinky.  I just kept filling them.  Not even with good stuff.  It's not like I am making tough decisions getting rid of this stuff.

Anyway, I am completely thrilled to be moving.  What I am not thrilled about is the fact that Apple still has my computer. . .

Stuff

Before I quit my job, I dreamed of having the time to clean out my closets.  Then when I quit, it never seemed like an appealing thing to do.  I waited for the urge to strike.  I cleaned out a drawer or two, but I never did make a dent.

Today, my Mom came and helped me pack (thank goodness for Moms).  Obviously, I am forced to clean out my closets now that I am moving.  What's more, I have to get rid of stuff because my new place is much smaller.  It was not, however, a forced effort.  It was glorious.  Getting rid of stuff.  Stuff I didn't use. Stuff I accumulated.  Stuff I had stuffed on the bottom of my closets, the backs of my closets and on the shelves of my closets.  It was such a great feeling.

I have to say, despite the quick turnaround, this is the best move so far.  I am so happy to move.  Even though my place is smaller, I am going to a neighborhood I want to be in, an apartment with fabulous light and a place away from the first floor of noise.  We'll see what I have to say when I actually land in my apartment with way too much furniture and way too many boxes. . .

Enjoy the weekend!

French Test and Packing

My last French class was last night.  We had a test!  I cannot believe how stressed out I was over a language class test which I took voluntarily for fun.  I just hear the word "test" and go into this weird mode.  I studied like crazy, putting my packing off for a day.  Luckily, it paid off.

I really enjoyed my class.  But I must say, it is tough.  I am looking forward to a new class.

I started packing for my move to the West Village today.  My favorite part of moving is cleaning out my drawers, closets and papers!  It is a fabulous feeling.  I went through all of my papers today and got them in order, filed the unfiled and threw away what was no longer useful.  That took me a good part of the day since I had to review everything.  But I went through everything.  I also got a few drawers cleaned out and am heading to my dresser this evening.  Aaaahhhhh.

I just hope I can finish by Tuesday night. . .

It's Official

Hurrah!  I signed the lease for my new apartment.  I move next week.  Yikes.  I have a lot to do.  But not before I take my French test tonight.  My last day of class.  I can't believe it's over.  I feel I don't know anything, but I definitely know more than when I started.

The situation with my apartment I am in that I have never been in is downsizing -- I have a lot of furniture to sell.  A lot to make happen in one week. . .

Potential New Home

So after nearly two weeks of a full time job of looking for a new apartment, I believe I have found one.  Well, I have found one.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well with the lease signing.  I am approved.  I just need for nothing to go awry between now and lease signing.

For anyone who has ever looked for an apartment in NY has been through the frenzy of looking.  Get a broker.  Pay an exorbitant broker's fee -- usually 15% of one year's rent.  Or look like crazy on Craigslist.  Still usually wind up paying a broker's fee.   Go see a thousand crappy apartments.  Find one.  Oops.  Apartment is gone in a flash.  Find another.  Oops.  They don't like the way you look.  Find another one. Oops.  There is something in your credit history they don't like, like you missed a credit card payment 21 years ago.  Then you finally find one, you get approved and you wait to sign the lease.  Hopefully, nothing weird will happen until then.

All that being said, I love "my" new apartment.  It is smaller than my current apartment, but in a wonderful neighborhood, the West Village.  Fingers crossed. . .