2010 - New Years Resolution in Review

At the end of 2009, I set a new years resolution for myself:

Do something each month that I've always wanted to do but have never done before.

I've succeeded!

Here are the 12 new things I've done in 2010:

January - I shot a gun
February - I saw I psychic
March - I went speed dating
April - I got a spray tan
May - I shopped at Dash Boutique in Miami (the Kardashian's retail store)
June - I had a taste of Korean BBQ
July - I tried my hand at hookah
August - I learned how to Belly Dance
September - I began practicing Bikram Yoga
October - I took a self defense class
November - I went to a New York Knicks game
December - I bought a real Christmas tree

2010 was a fun and exciting year. A lot has been going on in my busy life. I completed 3 sessions of grad school, continued to play in a bunch of orchestras, got a promotion, got a boyfriend, and managed to have a social life in this madness.

2011 is just days away and I am thinking of interesting and fun ideas for my 2011 new years resolution.

There are some concrete, set resolutions:
Graduate from The New School.
Take the next step in my career.

But I think it's very important to keep the surprise factor alive. It makes my life more interesting and forces me to step outside of my comfort zone. I'm confident that I'll cook up some fun goals for myself to work toward in 2011.

City Sidewalks, Busy Sidewalks, Dressed in Holiday Style

The past few weeks haven't been easy for Dennis and I. My busy schedule has made it hard for us to see each other and he's been celebrating the holidays like a college frat boy. We had our very first fight. Not too bad for 6 months together. In the end, we didn't end up screaming at each other or breaking up. We worked things out and compromised. We were sensitive and kind to each other. His first instinct is to become defensive and mine is to throw in the towel. These are things we both need to work on. It was a tough experience but I also think it was kind of beautiful - we're becoming stronger as a unit. After we made up and set things straight, he had a beautiful arrangement of flowers in a very classy vase sent to my office. It was a nice gesture and a great way of showing me that he is invested in our relationship. I am confident that fights in the future will result in a similar fashion. Now that everything is back to being great again, we decided it was time for us to celebrate Christmas.

This weekend Dennis and I exchanged presents and made a little night out of it.

I got him a bottle of his favorite bourbon, whiskey stones, a North Face hat (which fit him perfectly), North Face gloves (which were way too small - how does a large not fit his hands?), and I made him a huge homemade batch of "ninja-bread man cookies" aka gingerbread cookies in the shape of ninjas. Dennis got me a DVD player (how did I not own one of these?) and a book about Dennis Brain - my favorite horn player of all time. He also got us box seat tickets to the New York Philharmonic for the first weekend in January and a gift certificate for dinner at super delicious restaurant, Ed's Chowder House, for before the show.

After exchanging gifts we decorated our ninja bread men and giggled at how silly they looked. Any broken limbs or heads were decorated with bloody red frosting. We coated their feet in chocolate and painted white masks and belts onto our little men. It was a lot of fun!

We went for drinks at a dive bar on the Lower East Side with great beer and then to dinner at The Meatball Shop. It was delicious - we were both stuffed but could not stop eating the delicious food. It was a fun dining experience - you pick your meatball, your sauce, and how you want it served to you and they bring out the most scrumptious arrangement of meatballs. For dessert, you choose your ice cream and your cookies and they build you an ice cream sandwich. Brilliant.

Then we headed to Blockbuster to rent the Muppet Christmas Carol so I could try out my newly installed DVD player.

Only one semester left...

Fall semester is officially over! This has been one of the most challenging semesters of my graduate school career but I am confident I will come out of this with some good grades. Although I thoroughly enjoyed my classes, I welcome the short holiday break (3 whole weeks!).

Next semester I will be working on my PDR (professional decision report) aka Master's Thesis. The prospect is a bit scary - I've already contacted my thesis adviser with some preliminary thoughts and am happy to get an early start to this project. Still, the idea of writing such a huge piece and the amount of work that will be required is a big frightening.

I have had a wonderful time studying Nonprofit Management. I have grown as a person, as a writer, and as a student. My opinions are more developed on hot topic political issues. I'm a more aware individual (both globally aware and self aware). It's been time consuming and stressful and I'm ready to be finished. I am ready and prepared to tackle next semester head on.

So, I approach my final semester at The New School with ferocity - Bring it on!

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

December - I bought my very first REAL CHRISTMAS TREE!!!!

Yesterday was the first day where it felt freezing in New York City. The wind was whipping and there were patches of ice on the streets. On my way home from work I was exhausted and overwhelmed with the finals I have coming up. I knew just what would cheer me up - a little Christmas spirit.

Like in many other places around Manhattan, a Christmas tree vendor set up shop on 71st and 1st complete with trees, stands, and a trailer full of Christmas stuff. Right around my corner. Perfection!

I browsed the trees and smelled all of the wintry goodness. There was a line-up of tiny little trees that would fit just right into my studio. I picked out the smallest, cutest tree and the vendors helped me put it onto its stand.

Now, my naked little Christmas tree needs to be decorated. I couldn't be more excited for lights, a star, tinsel, ornaments, sparkles, glitter, candy canes, strung popcorn...then again my tree is only a 3-footer so maybe I'll keep it simple.

Oh Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah come light the menorah

This year I'd forgotten all about Hanukkah. Between school and work and orchestra gigs, celebrating the festival of lights fell off of my radar. Last night after a hard day of work (the application deadline was yesterday) and after a really interesting but long class (we ran over by about 15 minutes), I was wiped. I looked at my planner and realized it was the first night of Hanukkah and my heart dropped.

Since I didn't want the night to be a total wash, I decided to be productive. I sat down to do some school work when I heard a key in my door. There was Dennis with a beautiful menorah, Hanukkah candles, gelt, and a present. Dennis's aunt and uncle sent a care package to Dennis with all of the trimmings for an awesome Hanukkah - complete with a banner and blue stockings full of goodies.

What a wonderful Hanukkah surprise!

We lit the candles and I said all of the prayers. I opened my present - a beautiful coach purse. As we watched the candles burn out, we chatted about holiday family traditions and ate some gelt. I was extremely touched that Dennis's family did something so incredibly nice for me. This was Dennis's first time celebrating Hanukkah and it was so special. I know we'll both never forget it.

The start of the season...

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Partly because of all of the delicious food. Partly because it's officially socially acceptable to turn on the holiday tunes. But mainly because I get to spend time with my family. I cook all day with my mom while watching the parade (followed by whatever cheesy Christmas movie is on tv). It's really special to me - especially since I don't live at home. This is the time when me and my mom talk about all of the important stuff - my future, the family, life's ups and downs. I'm very much looking forward to some time at home this year.

Not only do I love listening to holiday music, but also I absolutely LOVE playing holiday music! Next weekend will be full of the Nutcracker with performances Friday, 3 December 2010 at 8 PM, Saturday, 4 December 2010 at 5 PM, and Sunday, 5 December 2010 at 4 PM.

The semester is winding to an end and my schedule is as busy as ever but I think it's important to take a few minutes to think about all of the things that I'm thankful for (in no particular order):

-A fabulous apartment all to myself.
-Wonderful friends.
-A supportive and caring family.
-Good health.
-A boyfriend who treats me right and who I love very much.
-A job that allows for me to also be in graduate school.
-My graduate school education.
-The opportunity to be an actively playing musician.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Nothing but Net

November - I went to my very first New York Knicks game!

Emily, my close friend and sorority sister, invited me to join her and her aunt and uncle to a Knicks game and I jumped at the opportunity. I've always wanted to see some basketball live at MSG!!!!

We got there nice and early and had awesome seats! The players are so huge and make everything look so easy. It was Asian heritage night so we got a nice half-time show.

Emily "caught" a tee shirt. (I have to say "caught" because it fell into her lap, rolled onto the floor, and a security guard handed it to her...I guess we're not the most peppy fans).

The place was filled with celebrities but I only spotted 3 - Kim Kardashian, Edie Falco, and Danielle Staub from The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

I now have a new respect and appreciation for basketball. I also have a little crush on Danilo Gallinari.

The game was SO much fun - even though we lost to the Rockets.

Midterms

Midterms for school are over and I am so ready to register for classes for the very last time. Only about 6 months left until I'm a master.

Midterm elections were also yesterday so I had to trek back to Long Island to put in my vote. Thank goodness Carl Palladino didn't make the cut - anyone who has such a creepy, skewed view on the gay pride parade is a no-go in my book.

Dennis's birthday was the 30th and to celebrate we went out for a delicious dinner in SoHo and saw a midnight showing of Poltergeist. For Halloween, I dressed up like my boyfriend and he dressed up like Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger force. Some ridiculous/horrendous pictures are posted on Facebook.

On a musical note - I have a performance coming up on November 20th that should be really great - It doesn't get much better than Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony! http://www.sssymphony.org/

It's autumn. The leaves are changing and so am I.

Due to some scheduling conflicts, I haven't been playing much this season. My first performance of the season is on Sunday, October 24 at the Tilles Center. It's a benefit concert for the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County. I'll be playing some fun tunes with the Nassau Pops - http://www.npso.org/schedule.cfm.

The research assistantship that I'd started working on this fall has been canceled. My professor had forgotten to write unpaid interns into her grant. During a site visit from the foundation that is funding her research, she was told she had to give us up. At first, I was pretty bummed out but since my classes are so time consuming this semester, maybe it's a blessing in disguise.

I kicked off the fall with a case of pneumonia! Eek - It's been rough the past few weeks but in 3 weeks, I should be back to 100%.

Since I wasn't having more fun as a blond, I decided to go back to my roots as a brunette again. (Pneumonia, a lack of orchestra gigs, and a canceled assistantship - it was time for a change). I'm really happy with my new 'do! AND my luck has certainly improved.

This past weekend I joined a bunch of my girlfriends for "pumpkin picking" (at the farmer's market in Union Square). We took our goods, went to one of the girl's apartments and carved our pumpkins. It was an autumn extravaganza! We made caramel apples, ate some pumpkin soup and pumpkin cheesecake, toasted our pumpkin seeds, and had some quality girl time.

I'm no target

October - I took a self defense class.

I always thought it was important as a woman living in a big city to be prepared for the worst case scenario - the man lurking behind a dark corner, the nicely dressed guy at the bar who may put something in your drink, the punk teenager looking for a rush while you're riding the subway home at night. These people are out there and their looking for a target.

After a scary experience a few weeks ago with one of my girlfriends, I decided it was time to take action. I had the illusion of safety before this class - carrying pepper spray in my bag (which I had never tried and didn't know how to use properly), thinking that living in a safe neighborhood made me off limits (even though I often spend my evenings outside of my safe bubble on the Upper East Side). It was time to be realistic and get my head out of the sand.

The course was held in a studio in Chelsea and was lead by a female instructor with 22 years of martial arts experience. In 2 hours, I learned tons of tricks, tips, and skills to prepare myself for an attack. I feel so empowered and safe.

Here are some of my favorite take-aways:

-A woman's strongest weapon is her voice. Don't be afraid to use it.

-Never take your keys out - it's like saying to everyone "Hi, I live somewhere close by. Want to follow me home?"

-Practice Practice Practice the moves you learn - if you think you feel uncomfortable doing them now, imagine how you'll feel when you're actually forced to use them.

I would recommend a self defense class to any one of my female friends. I guarantee that after the class you will feel stronger than ever.

Feeling the Heat

September - I took up Bikram Yoga (aka hot yoga)!!!

Brace yourself - it's HOT. 106 - 115 degrees to be exact. (the humidity is kept at 30%).

Things to bring to Bikram - a yoga mat (obviously), a change of clothes, water (and lots of it), towels (both for your yoga mat and for showering), toiletries for shower time, a power bar (for after class), extra hair ties, and a positive attitude and open mind.

Nothing can prepare you for the amount of sweat that will pour from your body. I was sweating in places I didn't realize there were sweat glands. We move through 26 postures repeating each. It's a 90 minute class - the first hour is standing postures and the last half hour is on the floor. I find the floor portion to be the most challenging. Class begins and ends with breathing exercises.

Since that first class in August, I've been going regularly. Sometimes with some of my girlfriends. Sometimes by myself. And sometimes Dennis joins me - he's decided to take up Bikram and I'm so proud of him for it. (He's actually pretty good!)

Bikram has done wonders for my body both physically and mentally - cleansing my body of toxins, stretching my muscles, burning tons of calories, clearing my head. It's a great workout with serious health benefits.

Labor Day means Back to School

I'm in the home stretch - this is my third and final year of graduate school. Last week was my first week of classes. This semester I'm taking Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations and Leadership - two required classes. The finance class will be challenging but our professor is friendly, very knowledgeable, and he makes the material interesting. Leadership should be fairly easy and it's co-taught by two really wonderful professors. Overall, I'm very satisfied with my class schedule for the semester.

My research assistantship is a ton of work already. So far, I'm researching Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in New York City and their involvement in arts and culture. While it is extremely interesting, I'm already starting to feel the pressure from the added workload.

This past Labor Day, I decided to not do any work at all. I went with Dennis to a Yankees game. Even though the Yankees lost to the Orioles, we had a great time. We took a water taxi to the Bronx and had hot dogs, beer, and garlic fries (which smelled way better than they tasted). I met his twin sister who is sweet, easy going, and very warm and friendly. The weather was beautiful and my skin is nice and tan.

It's so important to take a little time to relax and put work on the back burner every once in a while. This was such a great way to ease into a hectic fall semester.

STAYCATION!

The last week in August, Dennis and I decided to take the week off and have a STAYCATION. We mapped out what we wanted to do and followed through with all of it without a hitch.

Monday - Unfortunately, Dennis had to work. Boo! So I slaved over a hot stove during the day cooking him dinner - shrimp cocktail and bacon wrapped scallops as an appetizer, shrimp fra diavolo over whole wheat pasta served with garlic bread and a spinach salad, with vanilla ice cream with berries for dessert. It was an overwhelming success! We topped off the night by staying in and watching a movie.

Tuesday - TKTS line at the South Street Seaport to wait for American Idiot tickets, lunch at a fancy taco stand in SOHO, dinner at Mermaid Oyster Bar in the West Village, and then American Idiot on broadway - it was really great. I would highly recommend it to any Green Day fans.

Wednesday - Dennis came to Bikram Yoga with me (more will be posted about my hot yoga adventures in a later blog). It took us a few hours to recover aka shower, eat, rest, and cool off. Then we stayed in and watched a movie on this rainy day. Once the weather cleared, we headed out to an outstanding southern restaurant in midtown.

Thursday - Went to the Met to check out some art work and spent an extra long time at the Musical Instrument section looking at the evolution of the French horn. Checked out the Big Bambu exhibit on the roof - 45 feet above the roof of the Met, we walked through a sculpture of ocean waves made entirely from bamboo and nylon ropes. Enjoyed some lemonade on the roof deck and took in the view. Headed to Union Square for marshmallow milkshakes and burgers at The Stand. Spent time in the Union Square Park. Took the Staten Island Ferry to a minor league baseball game and lucked out with a double hitter(SUPER FUN and SUPER CHEAP = win!).

Friday - Brunch on the Upper East Side then Pizza for dinner in Little Italy followed by a viewing of The Godfather II on a school rooftop (we brought our own canollis and a bottle of wine).

Saturday - Tour of the Brooklyn Brewery followed by an entire day of drinking and Scategories. Called it an early night with some Pinkberry and a lovely evening walk on the Upper East Side.

Sunday - A quick and uneventful trip to the ER where I was checked in and released in 2 hours (a table got dropped on my foot at the Brooklyn Brewery - and I had to make sure nothing was broken before I iced/taped up my toes and loaded up on Advil). Made breakfast together and congratulated ourselves on a successful fun-filled Staycation :)

Concrete Jungle where dreams are made of...

This morning I walked out of my apartment to a line of trailers, a full lighting crew, and racks of (probably really expensive) clothing and accessories all along 72nd Street. My street. A bit annoyed, i headed to the bus stop to wait for the crosstown bus.

Upon arriving to work, trucks, party vans, and a huge red carpet filled 65th Street. Right in front of my office. I scoffed and quickly walked into Juilliard.

As I sat at my desk to start the day, I wondered how many New Yorkers walk by movie sets, TV shows that are filming on the streets of the city, red carpet events, etc. and just pass them by. In our bubbles, on our way to wherever we're in a hurry to go, we just miss these interesting happenings. We don't think about the dreams that are coming true just feet away from us.

Have I become a jaded New Yorker? Am I just busy and can't be bothered? Am I immune to the glitter and smoke of the industry?

I think it's that I've become a true New Yorker - used to amazing things happening all over the place. Dreams come true every day. And while I might stop by a red carpet event to peer at the stars or take an extra long time waiting for a light to change to watch a movie being filled, I will try my hardest not to look like a cheesy tourist. Not to get sucked into the crush of people milling around the streets. I wouldn't want to give myself away.

Just Dance

August - I learned how to Belly Dance!

After seeing a belly dancer shimmy around the restaurant on Andrea's birthday, we were inspired to try our hand at belly dancing.

We signed up to take a class and off we went. Me, Andrea, and Melissa (Andrea's roommate), met in Columbus Circle and headed up to Serena's Studios. It was a strange space with an eccentric woman sitting at the front desk. Middle-aged, crazy hair, too much make-up, the body of a former dancer - she was exactly the type of person I expected to see. She took our $12 fee and we headed into the studio.

The class demographic was mixed. There were a few trained dancers, a sprinkling of 30 somethings, 1 or 2 heavy weights, but most of the class were in shape 20 somethings looking for a new, fun workout. We took off our shoes and warmed up.

Our instructor had long hair, a flat stomach, and a great attitude - very funny. She was a great instructor. The class could keep up with her and she made us feel like the room was a safe space - This was a good thing since I felt quite foolish learning some of the moves! Some of the moves we learned - snake arms, the belly roll, chest pushes, and hip swivels. Obviously, these are not the actual names of the moves but you get the idea.

Melissa was struggling at first but did a great job of keeping up - she had not taken dance before so I'm sure it was a bit of a challenge. Me and Andrea managed to hold our own. The three of us will definitely take another stab at belly dancing. It was a lot of fun and a great work out! (Plus our goal is to work our way up to the intermediate class where they show us how to use hand cymbals!).

So long sweet summer

I've had a very busy summer!

Here are some of my highlights:

I took a class entitled Grantsmanship where I honed my grant writing skills (I got an A!!!).

I sat principal chair in the Nassau Pops Symphony Orchestra during their first summer series of concerts.

I landed a research assistantship to work with one of my professors on her dissertation.

I got a promotion at work which means more money (yay!) and more work (boo!).

This has been a wonderful and hectic summer. I plan on enjoying what's left of it and I'm sad to see it come to an end.

Hookah

July - I tried my hand at hookah!

I had always been curious about the hookah bar craze. I am certainly not a cigarette smoker - in fact I'm totally against smoking. Hookah is not as harmful, it's not something I'll be doing everyday, and it looks like fun!

My close NYC friend Andrea planned a birthday celebration at a Middle Eastern restaurant on the Lower East Side complete with falafels and a belly dancer. Our waitress handed us 3 menus - drinks, food, and hookah flavors. We chose "Sex on the Beach." It was delicious! We passed around the hose and enjoyed the experience with our dinner and martinis. The evening inspired us to sign up for a belly dancing class (I'm not sure if I'll be any good at it but it looks like a great workout!)

On a side note, we were seated next to MTV VJ Sway!!!

Fireworks

Fourth of July was wonderful this year. I traveled to Long Beach Island with the guy I'd been seeing for about two months for his friend's engagement party. By the end of the weekend, he was my boyfriend.

A little bit about him: His name is Dennis. He's 27 and originally from Connecticut. He's an attorney. He loves comic books and Dashboard Confessional. He's funny and adventurous. He makes me very happy. I could gush over how wonderful he is for pages and pages but instead I'll tell you that he treats me well, he's always thoughtful and sweet, and he has a great smile. I'm excited to see where things go.

Meet Cute

Soon after the blind blind date debacle, I met an adorable guy on the subway. He was friendly and smart and charming. We were the only two sober people taking the F train back into Manhattan from Brooklyn at 1am on a Saturday night. With our hour long wait, we had a lovely conversation. I gave him my number expecting not to hear from him and much to my surprise, he called and asked me to lunch!

He took me on a lovely date and we tried a cuisine I've been itching to try...

June - I had my first taste of Korean BBQ

He took me to a very crowded restaurant in Korea town and ordered our meal in Korean (I was very impressed considering he is not Korean!). The food was delicious. Our waitress cooked up our lunch right on the table. We had some kind of marinated meat, cabbage and noodles and rice, a seafood pancake, and fish. My favorite part about the experience was that the meal came with little ramekins filled with small tastes of delicious Korean dishes. Although I don't know that anything further will develop between me and subway guy, I really enjoyed our delicious outing.

Komapsumnida! (That's thank you in Korean in case you were wondering)

Blind Date

A little over a month ago, I went on quite an interesting date...

I met him on Ok Cupid dot com (an internet dating site). He seemed great - an engineer, 5'10" with dark brown hair, lives close by. We talked on the phone and it went great. He was witty and intelligent and funny. So, he asks me to meet him for drinks to watch a Yankees game. I agree. I'm to meet him at Penn Station and we will walk to the bar together.

I get there and I can't find him anywhere so I call his phone. Then I notice a short, dark man tripping around on the street. I think to myself: This cannot be my date.... but it is. He was 5'6" at best and sloppy looking with his purple shirt half tucked into his wrinkled khaki pants. He looked nothing like his pictures...but that was not the part that made this date the most awkward date of my life thus far: He left out one VERY important detail - he's BLIND!

So, I decide to be a good sport and stick it out. We walk (stumble) to a nearby watering hole and take seats at the bar. The Yankees game is on but of course he can't see it. There are four other TVs playing 4 other different stations. So I'm stuck give him a play-by-play the entire time. After falling off of his bar stool 4 times, missing his mouth with his chicken finger twice, and spilling a bit of beer on me, I knew this was not the man for me. His eyes wandered all over the place and I could barely pay attention. At first I felt bad, but I was duped! I should have been prepped for this! We were seated next to one of the bar's bouncers who could not stop laughing the entire time. At the end of our chicken fingers and beer dinner (very classy by the way), this guy tried to make an inappropriate advance. I was shocked - what could I have possibly done to lead him into thinking that would be ok? I told him I was not interested and he did not take this well. He asked what he did wrong and I tried to let him down as easy as possible. After he accepted that I would not be dating him again, he asked if I had any friends I could set him up with....

I would like to dedicate this date to the weather in Minnesota - thanks so much for raining so this date could be cut short.

Here's the clincher - Nicole (my college roommate) met this same guy on Match dot com 2 years ago!

Will you accept this rose?

As many of you know, I had thought about auditioning for ABC's reality show The Bachelor. (25 women vie for the affection of one eligible bachelor. They go on dates, live in a mansion in Hollywood, and some girls get eliminated each week. In the end, one girl walks away with a boyfriend or, if they're very lucky, a fiance). I had submitted an online application and talked to a representative. I thought: I'm single, I'm young, this looks like fun, why not?

After much consideration, I decided to head to an open casting call and check out the scene. I took the short walk across the street from Lincoln Center to ABC studios. But, after taking one look at the scandalously dressed, over tanned, heavily made up, wanna-be actress-type women lined up around the block, I did an about-face and walked the other way. While it seemed like a good idea, I don't think it was for me. I definitely don't want to live in a house full of women with tons of drama, fight over a guy who I don't even know, and be on a reality TV show with my life exposed to the nation. So, while I won't be accepting any roses from the bachelor, I'll be out in NYC meeting tons of eligible bachelors, dating, and enjoying my time as a single girl living in the best city in the world.

To a certain group of people, status is everything...

And this leads me to the continuation of my New Years Resolution (do something each month that I've never done before but have always wanted to do)...

May - I shopped at Dash Boutique in Miami!!!

Ever since Keeping up with the Kardashians became a staple in my TV line-up (shortly followed by Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami), I have been craving a shopping trip to Dash. Nicole, Meg, and I dressed up in our cutest outfits and giggled about how unlikely it would be for us to run into Kourtney, Khloe, or Kim during our trip. We were surprised to see that the location of the store was not on the main strip where all of the retail stores are located. Instead it was on a street filled with pizza shops and trashy discount clothing stores. This didn't stop us.

The boutique is adorably decorated. The clothes and accessories are absolutely my style. BUT the prices are exorbitant - $114 for a plain black tee shirt?! $298 for a pair of shorts?! $429 for a plain cotton sun dress?! Sadly, the Kardashian taste is too rich for my blood. We snapped a cute picture in front of the shop but we walked away empty handed.

Perhaps in a few years we'll be rich enough for a shopping spree with the celebrities...

I'm in Miami, Trick

This past week, my college roommate and bff Nicole and her bff from high school, Meg, took a FANTASTIC trip to South Beach. Our hotel was where the party was at - the Clevelander. Great service, good eats, a pool, a roof terrace with cabana beds, a second roof deck with lounge chairs, a sister hotel with a calmer pool, access to the beach, and nonstop music blasting.

Some highlights from the trip include a day of sunbathing and brunch at Nikki Beach, after dinner cocktails at the Delano, shopping on Lincoln Road, checking out the club scene at Set... I learned that I'm not as into clubbing as I used to be (the scene in South Beach was a bit rowdy/drug infested for us). Of course we spent tons of time lounging by the pool, soaking up sun on the beach, and getting dolled up for our adventures.

An awesome fact about South Beach- the food is amazing! Our dining adventures include Japanese/Peruvian fusion cuisine at Sushi Samba, comforting Italian at Carnivale, a night of fine dining at Emril's Miami, authentic Mexican at El Scorpion, a serious steakhouse experience at the Meat Market, and possibly the hottest server ever at the Atlantic Grill.

It was a great girly get-away and a perfect way to end the most stressful semester I've ever experienced.

Fake and Bake

April - I got my first spray tan!

As you all know, I am a very fair skinned girl. With summer approaching, I decided that for once I didn't want to start bathing suit season looking like Casper the friendly ghost. So, I decided it was time to check out this spray tan fad that all the celebrities are into.

I found a chic salon in my neighborhood and made my appointment. When I arrived, I set up my package (10 sessions - 5 of spray tan, 5 of heat lamps to seal my fake tan). An attendant sat with me and explained the process, we discussed skin care, my goal shade, and how smart it was for me to choose spray tanning instead of frying my skin in a cancer box - she took this stuff very seriously. (I was too ashamed to admit that I'd been addicted to these "cancer boxes" a few years ago, so I patiently listened as she explained disgustedly how atrocious these "skin suicide" machines were).

The attendant loaded in my shade and gave me my equipment - nose plugs, foot adhesives, a shower cap, eye stickers, body lotion, and lotion for my finger and toe nails. After a 5 minute prep session - disrobing, slathering on lotion, making sure all of my hair was securely tucked away - I entered the booth and waved my hand over the sensor to begin my session. A soothing voice directed me through the positions and I was sprayed from many different angles with a delicious white mist that smelled like a tropical cocktail. Then I stood under a heating lamp (no UV rays obviously) and waited to dry. The entire process took about 20 minutes. I toweled off, dressed, and waited 4-6 hours for my results.

I'm very happy with my new, tan, non-orange glow. Two weeks from now I'll be bronzed, wearing a bikini and soaking in the real sun in South Beach... nobody will suspect that this impressively even tan is covering my white pasty skin.

Quarter Century

For my 25th birthday, I threw myself a party where I acted 21. The night was great - Mexican for dinner (complete with strong margaritas); pre-gaming at my apartment and dancing to Justin Bieber, LFO, and other ridiculous tunes; and then to the bar, where everyone would eventually stop by throughout the night. I had tons of drinks with great friends, danced (in my fabulous 5 inch gray platform pumps) until my feet were sore, and lost my voice from singing so loudly. My college roommate, Nicole, was in town which was such a treat since we both lead busy lives in different cities. It was a perfect way to leave my early 20's behind and enter into my (gulp) mid 20's.

In grad school news - Another semester is winding down or should I say coming to a crashing end - deadlines, due dates, final projects, presentations, and of course tons of reading. Stressful, yes! But I've really been enjoying my course work and professors this semester.

In music news - May 2nd at 7:30 pm I'll be performing with the South Shore Symphony at St. Agnes Cathedral. It's shaping up to be quite a performance! Saint-Saens Organ Symphony No. 3 and some beautiful choral pieces. For more info: http://www.sssymphony.org/

50 First Dates

March - I went speed dating!!

Yassmeen, Meghan, and I decided to go to a speed dating event - 50 dates in 2 hours (that's 2 minutes per date with a short break at the half way point). We met up an hour before the event at a posh restaurant in TriBeCa to mentally prepare ourselves and grab some drinks and fancy pizza; we definitely would need energy for the night.

The venue was huge - a big bar with little lounge areas around it. Name tags and score cards were distributed as everyone headed straight to the bar for our free drinks. After a short mix and mingle, we took our seats and started the event. Each girl was posted at a seat with a number on it as the guys rotated around the room every two minutes. A bell would signal the end of the mini-date and we would have about 5 seconds to write down the guy's name, something about them, and circle yes, no, or maybe. At the half way point, Meghan, Yassmeen, and I got together to compare notes and giggled about some of the creepy guys we'd met. We fixed our makeup and went right back to our dating extravaganza. After another 25 dates, we were exhausted but still giggling. We quickly compared our score cards and then decided to call it a night.

The crowd was a bit mixed - there were some old guys (one was definitely in his 50's and one compared me to his 15 year old daughter), a lot of Indian guys (I'm guessing it's a way for them to break into the American dating scene), one really forward guy (he wrote his number on my score card in an effort to "cut to the chase" - ew), a few creepy guys (one that made a racial slur, another who rambled on for a minute about his ex girlfriend), but there were also a few really cute, sweet guys who I thought had some potential.

At the end of the event, after we've all gotten a chance to digest the experience, we each signed into the speed dating Web site to enter the guys we thought were possible matches. If any of the guys that I had chosen as a potential match also put me down as a potential match, we are sent each others e-mails. It was a really fun experience and although I would go speed dating again, I think I might do a less intense evening (under 30 dates would be a lot more manageable!!).

Hopefully, some good dates will come out of this :)

A glimpse into the future

February - I saw I psychic!!

It took me over a month to make an appointment with this guy. My close friend Andrea had highly recommended him so I was confident in my decision to go but also nervous as to what I would hear. I walked into this beautiful elevator building in the West Village and buzzed up to the office. After taking the elevator up and ringing the doorbell my heart started racing - what had I gotten myself into??

I entered into a beautiful apartment with a huge waiting room (wrap around couches and a huge TV playing Entertainment Tonight). To my relief, there were 4 other people (all young professionals) waiting to see Ray. We got to talking and realized that we'd all been recommended there by friends. Suddenly I wasn't nervous anymore - if all of these people's friends had had good experiences, then so would I. One by one, they went upstairs (his office is a duplex and a very beautifully decorated one at that). And one by one they came down satisfied with their experience. Eventually, I was left alone with Carlos (the man with whom I'd made the appointment) as the last person waiting ascended the stairs into his office. His assistant, a fabulously flamboyant gay Latino regaled me with stories of his teenage love affairs as I waited downstairs.

After an hour and a half wait (he was running late), it was my turn to go upstairs to his office.

I'm open to the idea that some people can see into other people and give advice and thoughts about their future but this guy knew my entire life's story after a two second look into my eyes. Ray sat behind a large wooden desk, wearing office casual attire and a smile. When I told him my name (which he did not know as I had not provided it in my phone call therefore no research could be done about me), it was as if he knew me already. His method is looking into people's eyes: "Your eyes are the windows to your soul." I pulled out my laptop to show him pictures of select people in my life and he looked at the eyes of the people I showed him, and talked about them. He told me things about myself that I had not told a soul. He predicted events that would happen in my future. He told me about my past (right down to the names and professions of people I had relationships/friendships/interactions with). He gave me insight into my career, my love life, my friendships, my family, and my relationship with myself. It was overall a beautiful experience and one that I would recommend to any friend.

The advice that had particular resonance with me was: "Keep your mouth shut about your personal life - very few understand you and very few will give you good advice." This is why the nitty gritty details of my visit will stay private. But I will tell you this: he told me to come back in 4 years - by then I will be ready for a new reading and a new outlook into my future and myself. In 4 years, I will be back with new pictures, new people in my life, and a new reading from Ray.

February to be continued...

Continuing on with my new years resolution (Do something each month that I've always wanted to do but have never done before)....

February - I will be going to a psychic!!!

Unfortunately, I called to book my appointment with one of the top rated psychic's in Manhattan early in February and was unable to schedule anything until March 10th! I had no idea he was in such high demand.

I'm sure this will be an adventure. So, February will be a few weeks late but it will still happen!!

Past the Halfway Mark...

Spring 2010 means that I'm over half way done with my Master's which is so exciting!! The semester has started again and I'm taking 2 really interesting classes: Social Entrepreneurship and Creative Arts, Cultural Workers & the Vitality of Cities. One is about how to be innovative and make significant global impact, and the other is about looking at the arts in cities through an archeological lens. I'm looking forward to learning more despite crazy amounts of work.

2 new updates in musical news:

I'm sharing the first chair position in the South Shore Symphony for our upcoming concert SATURDAY MARCH 20, 2010 8PM (http://www.sssymphony.org/). Our program has amazing horn parts and I've been practicing my tail off for the concert. It's so gratifying to play pieces that I studied during my time as an undergraduate. I finally feel like a "real musician" in my own amateur, semi-professional way.

It's Complicated (the movie starring Alec Baldwin/Meryl Streep/Steve Martin) was out this holiday season and I waited on the edge of my seat to see if the footage of me (playing in a wind ensemble) made it to the final cut -- it didn't! We're on the screen for a brief second and that's it. The movie is great regardless and I recommend it with two thumbs up. When it comes out on DVD I will pause and zoom in to see myself up close on the "big screen."

A few weeks ago, I went with my dad to see West Side Story on Broadway - we went out for drinks and dinner and then to the show. It was my holiday present to my dad and something I was really looking forward to. Growing up, every Saturday was a "daddy date" - a day where me and my dad would head off and do fun things (like go to a museum, amusement park, movie, etc.) and run errands. My mom would have the day off to relax. Those were some of my favorite childhood memories. I didn't know it at the time but those "dates" were the reason my dad and I are so close. I can talk to my dad about anything and I value his honest opinions, life experience, stories, and advice. Having an adult daddy date was really special - we talked about college, work, dating, growing up, and life in general. I am so lucky to have such a great relationship with my dad and I think that now we will make more of an effort to keep the "daddy date" tradition alive.

Starting off 2010 with a bang!

My 2010 New Year's Resolution: Do something each month that I've always wanted to do but have never done before.

January - I shot a gun!

John took me to a shooting range in Delaware and I shot a 45 caliber semi automatic Smith and Wesson. At first, I was terrified. For some reason, I didn't realize I would be surrounded by people shooting extremely loud killing machines. I also had no idea that the gun would have such a big kick back (it's a powerful weapon!). When we got to the shooting range, I had to sign a bunch of paperwork (safety instructions, proper gun use, a waiver of my rights to sue the range if I am careless and hurt or kill myself). It was a bit intimidating. I put on my protective glasses and ear muffs and entered the range. We were in a booth next to a guy shooting a scary rifle that let out a huge bang every few minutes. I was a bit spooked and decided to let John have at it while I got used to the environment. Finally, I felt comfortable enough to step up to the plate.

The first time I shot the gun I took a deep breath, gripped the gun for dear life (with my thumb safely tucked behind the gun so that it didn't get blown off), put my finger on the trigger, closed my eyes, and shot. It was empowering, scary, and semi-successful (I actually shot a gun!! - although I came no where near the target). John and I took turns in our booth with John doing the majority of the shooting. As we kept going, I improved. I had better aim, I was less afraid of the noises around me, I was more focused, and, surprisingly, I was enjoying myself! I'm glad John was there to guide me, talk me through it, and position my hands. He was supportive and encouraging which was just what I needed. I even saved one of the targets as a souvenir.

In academic news, I'm half way finished with my master's degree!!! It's amazing how fast the time has flown by - it feels like I just began. I have a few weeks off before my classes start up again which is a nice break after a busy fall semester.