a chilly Sunday morning walk

I was feeling restless and took a walk this past cold Sunday morning. This is what I saw.

Shopping Spree at Fairway

So right before my fateful date mentioned below I had to make a choice. A choice I never like making. I had just come in from Oslo and I was really really tired and really really hungry. I chose sleep. I didn't know if we were eating on our date, but I guess it didn't matter either way, because all I had in my cupboard was a Toblerone, some cookies from Switzerland, and some random cooking ingredients that you can't just eat. So I went without, all the while being scolded by Allina that I really needed to buy some groceries. Duh.

So yesterday, for the first time since living in Manhattan, I drove to Fairway. Being a Fairway virgin, I was a little overwhelmed. For awhile, I just drove my empty cart around the store. Finally I started putting the stuff on my list in there. Then I started putting random stuff that looked good in there. Smoked salmon, butternut squash soup, random cheeses. At first I thought the store was all organic. I bought 3 boxes of organic Peace cereal, which I am happily eating right now. Who doesn't want their cereal to have quotes from Mahatma Ghandi on it? And the berries in the cereal taste just like fresh berries!

$113 later, I was all checked out. I figured it's okay, thinking of how I haven't gone grocery shopping for 6 months, and thinking of all the meals I've skipped because I didn't have food around. I took 2 trips hauling it up my 4 flights of stairs and set to eating. Yum.

You don't know a thing about me...

Lately I have started feeling as though all men might be derranged. I know they're not. I know lots of wonderful guys. There are great guys in my family, at work, in my ward. Men I see on the street even appear to be well-adjusted individuals. All of these people have normal relationships with women, etc...But the ones who have been calling and contacting me lately have been doing some disturbed things. I am in a phase where I am a magnet for the weird ones and I am over it-get me out! It kind of makes it less enticing to actually make an effort to um, date.

I went on a date 2 nights ago. I was so traumatized by aforementioned date, that it has taken me a couple of days to write about it. Ever go on a date where it feels like you're on a quiz show? Question after question, and WEIRD questions too. Finally, when he had run out of questions, he asked me what else I wanted to know about him. NOTHING, I thought, I know all I need to know. But I came up with a few other questions, since that was what he was into. Finally, I just said, "what else do you want me to know about you?" He told me some more stuff, that I didn't really need to know, but whatever. Apparently he thought he was a lot more mature than he is, and he was telling me how he likes to date women older than him, lucky me, but I am thinking he should stick to girls his own age. And I should stick to guys my own age. Or older. I got to hear all about how he had been hurt in the past by some crazy girl and now he was just looking for a nice girl. He seemed to think I was that girl. But honestly, how could he know that? Anyone can be nice for a 2 hour dinner. In reality, I could be a total beotch. I'm usually not, but I could be. I just don't think it's really useful to start analyze someone's personality to them on the first, very short, date.

random sunday thoughts

This week I've really felt like a New Yorker. Like a normal person. Not that those are one and the same really. They're probably not. But I've been off for a few days, and actually felt like I've lived in the city, and that has been nice. Doing normal people things. Waking up in the morning. Going to bed at a reasonable hour. Not ordering delivery every meal. Not flying anywhere, not driving back and forth to the airport or riding the bus where the mean man checks your ID even though you're in a FLIGHT ATTENDANT UNIFORM. Now I'm back at work, going to Oslo tonight, and it's like, 'oh yeah, I have a job.' I think it will be a little hard to get into work tonight. But I'm pretty sure I'll get into it quick cause I hear that those flights are CRAZY and the people are thirsty.

On another, unrelated note, on my way to church, I was driving along, enjoying the ride (perhaps too much), listening to music, and I guess I just went into autopilot. Apparently I thought I was going to work, and I took the exit for the George Washington Bridge. There is nowhere to turn around from that point on. So there I was, going across the bridge, into New Jersey, instead of North, to church, where I really wanted to be. So I exited at the first exit, the Palisades, and all I could think of was the Billy Joel song "See the Lights go Down on Broadway," but sadly, that song offered me no clues on how to get back to Manhattan. I drove around the Palisades for a few minutes, looking for signs back to the GW bridge, and eventually found my way back. Fortunately I had $6 to get across the bridge, because that's what it costs to enter my lovely island. Where else can you get lost and it costs you $6? As soon as I was driving back across the bridge I turned my radio back on and could see a lovely view of Manhattan. This is exactly what I heard on the radio: "if you're lost you will look and you can find it, time after time..." Seriously. Uncanny.

Conan

Last night I went to see Conan O'Brien. It was awesome. The NBC people were really mean before you get into the show (have you ever taken a tour of their studios?), but once you get in there (does anyone want an extra large Conan T-shirt? Maybe I'll auction it off to the highest bidder on my blog) they are pretty nice and funny, and put on a good show. Conan is kind of a freak, but in a good way.



Jerry Seinfeld was on, he was way funny. There was a surprise visit by Larry King, who was only a few feet away from us in the audience, and somehow I felt like he was like my grandpa, or someone who I should know and should know me. Strangely, he didn't seem to recognize me...

Then Big Poppy or something like that from the Boston Red Sox (obviously I really follow baseball), but he was cool.

I love living in New York. In a couple of weeks I have Jon Stewart tickets. Yeah baby.

I don't need glass slippers, I just want some freakin' boots!

so um, i woke up at 7 am today. and actually got up. it was a total switch from 2 pm yesterday, where i was a lazy sloth. but at least i have jet lag for an excuse. anyway, i immediately turned on my computer in red-hot pursuit of beautiful flat leather boots like the ones that had been in all the window displays in every store in Switzerland. Ha! Apparently my hopes were too high. Because all they make for Amazon women like me are horrendous items like these:


or these:



when what I really want is these:


or these:


Actually, these are not exactly what I want, but the ones I want are in SWITZERLAND. And ITALY. And actual stores. Not online. But at least these are closer. And like so many times before, I was in a rage that is only reserved for George Bush and shoe shopping. And somehow I happened upon a website and found myself emailing someone who makes hand-makes shoes for cross-dressers. Yeah, that's right. Chandler's dad had to go somewhere. You know, this is a market I may have to look into. Ah, the sad similarities...

Switzerland

So D'Arcy and I went on a little fall vacae to Switzerland (I know, my life is rough). Here are some pics.

What I DID do in Switzerland:

ate fondue, rode the train, smiled at all the really hot, stylish Swiss guys, took a TON of pictures, re-enacted 007 in the rotating restaurant at the top of the Alps, bought clothes, burnt the hell out of my flat iron,

What I did NOT do in Switzerland (tragically, for the most part):

open a Swiss bank account, find a Swiss man to marry (they are all good looking and stylish) and therefore give me dual citizenship, buy really hot flat leather boots, find a Swiss man to have a fling with, learn German or French, have pretty hair


Bridge from the 1400's

Great view of Lucerne
Me, before European hair happened


They really like dogs here. As do I.


Really great lion sculpture.



Yummy swiss dinner

We happened upon a classical concert at this beautiful church




No, we didn't actually compete in the marathon.

View from the train to Murren





The Alps


I am a deep thinker
Old church that we climbed to the top of in Zurich


View from the top of the church in Zurich


For more pics and stories, go to D'Arcy's blog.