Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Best and Worst Parts About Living in New York

Over a year ago, I wrote this post comparing Boston and New York. I determined that New York won, and now here I am, a year and a half later, looking at the best and worst parts of living in that "winning" city.

I thought of this topic whilst walking through Grand Central and overhearing multiple people voicing their own variations of "I hate commuting, specifically on the 6, when it's muggy and partly rainy outside and everyone is in bitchy moods because it's still only Tuesday and they haven't had coffee, yet, myself included."

Okay, who am I kidding!? New Yorkers never admit that they're in bitchy moods! I think that's because we're all jaded and are in permanent bad-moods, but that discussion is for another time.

Getting into the nitty-gritty... drumrolls please...

Top 3 Reasons Living in New York STINKS...
3. Mixing Tourists and Business-People in high-traffic areas
-  Commuting on a rainy morning, depending on the areas where one lives/works, one can run into puzzled-looking tourists with maps who don't apologize when they walk into you (it's expected that a New Yorker not apologize, but it's rude if a tourist doesn't.) ....Or wannabe golf-pro-business-men (The latter are the men who walk along 42nd street with Golf Umbrellas, because it's always necessary to walk on crowded streets with an umbrella the size of your kid's Barbie-Hummer! Duh!)
- None of this is fun, and if your curls have ever gotten twisted in the spikes of a golf umbrella, it's even more annoying.


2. There is Always Reason to Drink Celebrate
- Some people may see this as a positive thing. However, I can tell you that after a week of going out every night after work, waking up either hungover or with a severe case of dehydration- all you want to do is crawl back to the house you grew up in and morph back into a 6 year-old with chicken pox and have mom help you heal.
Example of real-life week:
Monday- going out with a friend who's in town for business for "one four drinks, to catch up!"
Tuesday- going out after work with clients to celebrate a successful website launch
Wednesday- going out after volleyball to celebrate winning
Thursday- going out with the girls because "we haven't seen each other in soooo long"
Friday- going out with old work friends because "we haven't seen each other in soooo long"
Saturday- IT'S SOMEONE'S BIRTHDAY!
Sunday- going out for brunch and having Bellinis before football

1. A Latte Costs $6.65
- Depending on which Starbucks you venture to in the city (even if they're just across the street from each other,) the prices are always different. Everyone pays the price that the barista tells us, because we have to. We'd rather fight with strangers with golf umbrellas than the guy who's in charge of our fuel for the day.
....HOWEVER- The Starbucks in the Waldorf-Astoria has the most insane prices for to-go-burned coffee-mixed-with-milk that I've ever seen. It was nearly $10 for a grande skinny vanilla latte. Did they go to Colombia to get this sugar-free liquid vanilla straight off the vanilla-tree while I waited in line? I'm confused... But, inevitably- I paid for it. (But never went or will go back.)

Top 5 Reasons Living in New York is AWESOME! (There are more than the "worst reasons" because living in New York is just as I write: awesome.)
5. Free Concerts in Central Park
- My roommate saw Ray LaMontagne there one night after work and I saw Selena Gomez (heart beats rapidly) on TV performing there for Good Morning America, too.

4. I Can Wear Whatever I Want
- And no one judges. Well, unless I was to wear skimpy cut-off daisy dukes to church on the Upper East Side... but I try to live my life as Julia-Roberts-POST-Richard-Gere, and not pre.
- For example, I own a pair of royal blue skinny jeans that I'm in LOVE with.
I am currently wearing a black faux fur vest, at work. No one is looking at me funny. Although, I think this is because they may be chilly and would want to borrow it, but are too afraid it's actually a live bear and he would bite them if they took it from me.

3. When Friends Visit, It's Always Fun
- I've had a bunch of friends come down and always have a great time going out. Going to either the Canal Room (which I held off against listing as the "Number 1 Reason Living here is Awesome",) or going to a wine bar, out to dinner- there is always a ton of things to do (and so many places to choose from.)

2. Rockefeller Center during Christmas Time on a weeknight
- This is when there are the least amount of tourists around. It's always so romantic to walk around Rock Center at night when the tree is lit. However, it's terrible to do this on a weekend evening, since you'll lose the romantic spirit due to the amount of people in the area and you'll wind up sweating in your nice dressy-coat while trying to take a photo in front of the tree, which some small child or old person will inevitably be in because they're lost or bored and wandering around. (See the guy on the left??!)

1. Because There is No Better Place Than Manhattan
- Period.
(I mean, maybe Nice or London or other "foreign lands" are cool, sexy, intriguing, and have fancy languages, but New York is NEW YORK. Even Frank Sinatra was a fan.)

And there you have it, folks!

The fact that I live and work (and breathe) Manhattan always helps me get over the fact that my hair gets tangled in golf-umbrellas or that the cost of a latte is comparable to my gas bill.

xo




Tuesday, October 11, 2011

"Women, in general, have more choices than before."

Work it, Single Ladies- WORK IT!
According to some single women in their late 30s-early 40s, the single life is something we all should want.

Or is it?

In watching this: Women Who Love Being Single- on the Today Show,  I can't help but analyze body language when these women speak about how much they enjoy being single at their ages.

The first woman interviewed, Maria, is "single by choice." She says that her "joy is not predicated on being in a relationship... I have a good identity and I have a lot of joy in my life." Which is really great. I mean, girl power! I'd high-five her if she was in front of me.

But, when she first says that she is happy, and has a lot of love in her life from her family and friends, she looks down- rather than sternly and confidently into the camera.

I'm sure she's not lying when she says that her life is full and she doesn't need someone to be there to create the joy for her. I agree with that: in being single for the better part of a year and a half (give or take some months) I've learned that being filled with joy is something that one creates within one's self. If someone relies on another person for their joy and happiness, chances are that when/if that other person goes away, so will the joy and happiness. I just think that her body language said something else when she was speaking about where she receives love from.

Before the news story ends, Maria does say that she'd love to meet a man who's gutsy and loving, and who can keep up with her. So, I'm glad her story isn't about giving up in finding love, it's about appreciating finding your own happiness and living it every day, rather than getting all Patti- The-Matchmaker about love.

The news story then jumps into a live interview of a single journalist, Kate, and a psychiatrist (ironic much?) with Ann Curry.

Kate says that "men have been declining" and women have been "ascending." She was referring to the work place and income-earning levels, but those chosen words show a little bit more than just a feminist point of view.  It seemed like it was coming from a personal, an emotional place.

She continues to say that marriage is an option for women now, rather than a necessity, as it once was.

Ann then brings up the fact that this is comparable to Kate's own life... cuing the awkward body language. Kate stutters and can't get her "I'm single, I'm 39... I always thought I'd get married because that's what people do..." out fast enough. She starts speaking with her hands and smiling awkwardly. Though, similar to Maria, she says that she has enough love from her family and friends networks.

Come the end of the news story, the three conclude with the fact that being single is really about providing your own security, rather than relying on someone else. A happy ending.

Getting to the down and dirty... and incorporating psychology into my own thoughts...

Maybe I look for uncomfortable body languages from single mid-30s women because I want to know if they're truly happy.
Maybe there is a solo opportunity for my future, one I haven't thought of for myself, that I'll be able to read through these women.
Maybe getting married and having babies by the time I'm in my early-30s isn't in my cards...

But, what if I DO want to live in the traditional role of my gender? Not "role" as in wearing an apron when my husband gets out of work and I have dinner ready on the table, but, "role" as in finding true love that will bring me to marriage before my biological clock runs out.

I think that there are parts of these women that still have that eternal hope for true love that they haven't found, yet. But, they're living their lives in the most prolific and exciting way they know how, since God hasn't given them the opportunity to marry, yet.

Maybe that's just me hoping for them. Hoping that while they fulfill their personal desires, they leave enough room for someone else to jump in and join them on the rest of their life's' explorations and adventures.

Or, maybe that's me hoping for myself. Everyday in my life is an adventure in some way:
- walking through the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple
- paying my rent from my own checking account
- presenting to clients
- traveling to visit friends everywhere.
 ----- I'm a single woman, and I'm doing this all on my own, with a smile on my face to BOOT!

I'm happy and it's because of my own self. I love my life and I wouldn't do anything to change it. Like Maria and Kate, I'm living my life according to what brings me joy and happiness, and until Mr. Right pops into my life, I'll continue living it that way... and getting happier every day.



Tuesday, October 4, 2011

I Know Your Mother Taught You...

POSSIBLE TMI WARNING!!

You know that book, "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten?" I agree with it. I haven't read it, but just based on the title, I agree with it.

Think about it. Either your mom, dad, grandparents, or teachers taught you between the ages of 3-6:
- To be kind to others
- To talk out your feelings
- To share your toys
- To wash the germs off your hands......

Bringing me to my point.

I'm not quite sure where most people on this Earth went to Kindergarten, but I think some of their teachers forgot to teach them that last point there...

At two separate times in the last month, I have been using the bathroom facility at my business to do my makeup before heading out for the night. Women come in and out, you know- doing their business- and/or doing their makeup.

During one occasion, I walked in with a coworker, and started doing my makeup. She does...whatever... and then waves bye to me as she leaves the restroom. WHAT?! UH- DIDN'T YOU FORGET TO DO SOMETHING?! Did she not think I'd catch that she did NOT wash her hands?!

On a second occasion, another woman walks in (mid-50s age) while I'm doing my makeup...and the SAME THING HAPPENS.

What is it about some people that they don't find washing their hands an integral priority after doing their business?

I came across this tweet yesterday, and agreed wholeheartedly...





Obviously, TP is important (and I can't help but think, as an advertiser, that this post was supposed to benefit Quilted Northern, if not made up by them to benefit their brand...) But, SOAP is just as essential, if not more!!

So, what is it about Quilted Northern users and my two coworkers that make them think that washing their hands is just a casual option after using the bathroom?

Am I just losing it? Isn't this how grimy diseases are spread?







 
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