nyc

I think New York City is one of those places that can be strikingly different each time you visit it, and I have yet to disprove this theory wrong. NYC is beautiful and ugly; black, white and all kinds of shades of gray. I love it and I hate it. It's everything in the world all squashed and mashed together into a giant children's finger painting. This past weekend I found a new New York City.

Lesson learned on this visit: it's important to pack casual-wear on business trips. Otherwise you'll have to resort to the gift shop next to the hotel to supply your weekend-wear (see photo to the right). Playing the role of Tammy tourist, I got to visit: the Empire State building, see Avenue Q on Broadway, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Brooklyn Bridge, SoHo, Chinatown, and (to appease my sister) Serendipity. Other highlights included the best meal of my life compliments of Mary and the Aqua Grill and Asian invasion night with Naerim.

But aside from the typical tourist attractions, you're bound to stumble upon a secret little nook. And the one we happened to find was Joe's Shanghai on Pell St. in Chinatown. It's noisy, confusing, has community-style seating and is cash only. Ask for the dumplings.

who invited the nerd?

Right now I'm currently shipped out in Valhalla, NY for work. If you're not familiar with this area of upstate New York, don't worry, you're not missing much. Think trees, winding roads, and truckers firmly set in the belief that sleeves are in fact optional.

I've been sent out here to interact more closely with our business clients and to represent my team back in Chicago. It's a task that's both flattering and over-whelming.

During this time I've tried to bring my A game - that's right, business pants with creases so sharp I just might take an eye out.

On Wednesday my business professional facade came tumbling down around me. During a system demonstration in front of about 10 clients, I single handedly managed to launch a client's cream and broccoli soup across the room (to seep into the carpeting), and disconnect everyone's Internet connection - Did I mention this all happened simultaneously?

Ummm... my bad?

cut on a diagonal

Whenever my step-father made me a sandwich he would cut it on a diagonal and said that this meant it was made with love. My step-father and I didn't exchange 'I love you's' very often unless it was in sandwich form, and we didn't need to.

I wish more things in life were cut on a diagonal - strange and special and secret and filled with all kinds of meaning.

stella

This morning I woke up disheveled, disoriented and fully clothed on the hard wood floor of my living room. I was covered in granola bar wrappers. No pillow. No blanket.

Stumbling through my morning routine I gradually began to piece together the night. I had a total of 4 Stellas at Elephant and Castle, a quantity I could easily crush for breakfast on any given day. But last night was unlike any other encounter I've had with beer, or the 'death juice' as it will now be referred to. Granted I only had 5 chicken wings for dinner last night, I've been a faithful drinker since I was about 16 years old.

After leaving the bar I took the brown line through downtown and headed north toward home. Thank God for phone records. Without fail, I can usually dig into my cell phone and find calls or texts that refresh the blurred events of the night before.

Me: Night. don't forget you still stole my backpack.
C: You mean my traveling back pack :)
Me: OMG! I was just dreaming on the brown line. I don't know where I am.
C: Haha, dreaming of [censored]'s tender touch?
Me: Oh god. Just fell asleep for the second time. C I don't know if im going to make it off the loop. Wake me up again in 30.
C: Wake up N. (angry cow)

It was that last text that eventually woke me up to find I had missed my El stop but fortunately I managed to stagger off the train a mere two stops after my intended destination. So I peeled my forehead from the grease smear I had created on the train's window, and from there I continued my hazy journey home on foot. Along the way I decided it would be a good idea to stop into Walgreen's for the bare necessities:

• 6 packages of Ramen noodles
• 2 Cup-o-Noodles
• 2 boxes of granola bars
• a gallon jug of iced tea

My Dear Stella,

You were a bad girl last night. You took me down. You took me down hard. let's play nice again soon.

I love you more than I can say,
mn