modern idiot.

I have a relatively high propensity for jackassery. Marriage has slowed me down a bit since I'm out fewer late nights, and I drink, um, differently (read: slower and in a less concentrated manner).

I also enjoy others with the same tendency. As an example, the first story I ever heard about my husband, from my coworker who was also his roommate, was about his misguided Christmas shopping trip to the Macy's in Herald Square. To effectively erase the horror of that trip through the 7th circle of hell, he'd gotten drunk and fallen asleep right outside the door of his 6th floor walk-up apartment. With his key in the lock. I thought he sounded like he might be fun.

Fueled by a tiny bit of whiskey, and a reasonable amount of wintertime cabin fever, I had a little dance party last night to the music in my headphones. On the street corner. In my neighborhood. In front of my grocery store.

In return, I woke up this morning with perfect Jenny Lewis hair. The lesson I've learned? Assery begets awesomeness.

newish year.

I vehemently dislike New Year's resolutions and I firmly believe that most people have no intention of sticking to them even if they do make some annual edicts for themselves.

This year though, has been exceptionally hard. I'd like to think that I've learned an awful lot, and have come out the other side with some more concrete knowledge of myself, but at the very least I do have a list of things that I know could use some work.

1. money. I love stuff. The mister and I are on the low end of being reasonably well-paid, but after mortgage payments, maintenance, bills and dog stuff, we don't have a ton of disposable income. So I'm going to work on only buying things that I need and/or love desperately. Also, I need to stop ordering in so damned often and cook the stuff sitting in my fridge.

2. write some stuff. I have been procrastinating lots over the last year - to the point of total embarrassment. I have put off my 50-page thesis for longer than is comfortable to say and need to finish that (not to mention that it's costing me money the longer I wait, see #1). Also, I have a blog, I guess I should actually, you know, update it?

3. remove foot from mouth. I am impulsive. I do things quickly and say things quickly and haven't always considered the implications (or all of the actual facts) beforehand. I think a lot angst could be saved by pausing for a moment for consideration before I open my fat gob.

I make no promises, but at least I'm trying.

w(h)iteout.

How is it that no matter how dreadful the aftermath, snow is always so magical when it's falling? Another 2-4 inches predicted today. Happy my snowboots finally arrived last week.

Wrapping it up.

I've been thinking about wrapping things up a lot lately, both literally and figuratively. It's the holidays, so there has been a bit of actual wrapping going on, but I'm mostly thinking about things coming to an end. The year is drawing to a close, and so many things have changed over the last 12 months, I don't know that I've been able to process them all. We've been seeing people move on with their lives and worked on moving on with our own. It is my hope that this next year will be a little calmer, with a bit more time to think all of these changes through and less scrambling from one adjustment to another.

In that vein, I'm confronting my writer's block head on. It's about time that I finish a project that I've been working on for over a year now, and I'd be delighted if any of you who might still be listening would help me out. I have a little survey that I've put together, if you don't mind answering a few questions, that would be wonderful. If you'd be willing to pass it on, even better.

I'll have my head in the sand working on deciphering all of this data and getting through the holidays and then I'll be back, hopefully newly inspired, and ready to work on the next 12 months.

Expats.

I am utterly confounded by people whom, having no citizenship rights, and therefore no real ability to MAKE MONEY, in their adopted new home, manage to relocate to a new country. Can someone please tell me if a trust fund is the key to a new location in life? Is it simply being creative (and successful enough to make a living out of said creativity) that allows people to work from anywhere in the world? I'd like to know, because sometimes I think I could use a serious change.

Heartbroken.

On Thursday morning we lost our sweet pup Arlo to a horrible accident. I can't even begin to describe how sad we are or how much we miss her. I don't know where we'll go from here, but I'm just trying to take it day by day.

I woke up this morning...

...and decided that I want to learn to play blues harmonica. Either I've lost my mind or it's brilliant.

This weekend I made:

A zucchini ricotta galette, a french tomato tart, a three-layer carrot cake, a hat, a giant pot of minestrone soup and a total mess.

Get up to get down.

One of my favorite ladies got engaged last night. I helped pick out the ring THREE MONTHS AGO and the secret's been killing me. Now on to the planning -- this is going to be one Motown belting, wine-soaked, crazy stylish wedding. Eff yes.

The Big Chill.

It's going to be over 90 degrees today kicking off another East Coast heatwave. All I want to do is stay inside, watch movies in French and shop for raincoats. I'm ready for fall.

1. concave hooded raincoat - zero + maria cornejo, 2. army style anorak - green envelope, 3. hooded rain jacket - weatherproof, 4. inside out rain jacket - gargyle

Video killed the radio star.

I don't understand people who renounce television. I generally love tv. Lately I've been completely addicted to both Gangland and Who Do You Think You Are? and have watched them for hours on end.

Chortle.

This gave me a good laugh to pull me out of my morning slump. (Thanks Samantha!)

Mondays.

Sometimes sitting in my cubicle at the beginning of the week makes me feel like a trained monkey.

(Sketch by me.)

Fancy girl.

I have a dog named Arlo. She has a raincoat. Arlo is an 18 lb Manchester Terrier. She has long spindly legs and enormous pivoting, telescoping ears that clap behind her head when she yawns. She is not, in fact, a vicious miniature pinscher thankyouverymuchconcernedBrooklynparents.

But she has a raincoat. It's navy with yellow piping and if it didn't mean that we'd match, I'd wish that I had one like it. I swore that I would never be one of those people that dressed their pets in cutesy little outfits, but she won't go out in the rain without it. My dog, fierce appearance and butch name aside, is kind-of a wuss. And I have become that lady, walking past the hipsters smoking outside the bar at 8:30 on a Sunday, with a dog in a jacket.

Saddle up.

I've had a case of writer's block for over a year now. I think the only way to get rid of it is to just start with something, anything to get back in the habit, and to remember that the worst circumstances make for the best songs.

We interrupt your regularly scheduled program with the following musical interlude...

If I were good

I'd post every day, or at least every other. Instead I get sick, move out of and then back into my apartment, have surgery and take weeks to recover, all while neglecting this little vanity project of mine. Oops. I suppose if I were good I'd feel worse about it too.

Housekeeping.

Eloise can keep the Plaza. After living in a hotel (albeit one of New York's swankier establishments) for over a week all I wanted was the familiarity of home. Room service is effing tiring after a while, you know?

Now we're moved back in. And though everything smells like paint and polyurethane, it's good to be back where I belong.

dear valentine's day,

i kind of think you're full of crap. just wanted to let you know.

Sartorial prediction.

I think monocles are going to be the new ironic mustache.