When C stands for Chemo, Cancer and Christmas

So last Monday was my turn to hang with my mom during her 2nd Chemo treatment. The worst part was walking into the building and realizing it was the same place my Uncle Walter went to in his final months. If anyone has ever felt a flood of emotions just by walking into a room you know what I mean. After the initial choke in my throat, it was actually a pretty chill experience - my mom is a rockstar when it comes to healing, her doctor is amazing and nausea is a thing of the past with the drugs they have now.

We passed the hours in true Flaherty fashion by playing cards and talking while she was snug under her blanket made by her rowing teammates (isn't it cute?). As things were almost getting boring, the excitement was amp'd way up when the Bridgeport Sound Tigers came through!! I know the pic isn't the best but that's everyone (check out the lady in the pink/black - she was a hoot and a half). Overall, good times at the Norwalk Cancer Center :)

Then back home where another of my moms rowing buddies came over bearing gifts of dinner! Steak wrapped in bacon with some Spinach soup and fresh bread - YUMMY! My fav step-bro came over and we ate as a cute family of four (missed ya Jen). We even got to eat off of my moms Christmas plates which is always a treat!

Speaking of Christmas, I actually bought some presents so far. Not for everyone but there's still time left - gotta love the commercialism that the holidays bring... Anyways, let me not get on the commercialism rant and, in honor of the season, here's what I love about Christmas:

1. The Christmas Tree. It's like candy corn in that I just enjoy it more during the appropriate month - the smell is just yummier during December!
2. The city. I love all the lights, I love the buzzing energy in the streets and the excuses for getting together with friends and family. It's all pretty fabulous.
3. The music. I still think Mariah Carey takes it with her Christmas CD from the 90s! Plus, who doesn't love a good year-end countdown by Casey Kasem??
4. The Sing-Off. Ok, I'm a dork but I really love a show where all the groups support each other and the judges are nice. Plus they are sooo talented. Double plus, I love any TV show where people are making a dream come true (who doesn't love Extreme Home Makeover, Biggest Loser... I mean c'mon.) I just think this was a holiday treat - thank you TV land.
5. The people. My biggest goal for the New Year is to find ways to appreciate the people in my life more. There are so many amazing people to love in this world and there's gotta be a better way to do it. The journey continues...


That's about it. Happy Holidays to you all, whether you celebrate anything this month or not!!

My Life As An Elf

Packing, post office, office work, packing, packing, packing, post office...this is what my life has consisted of for the past week. The person I'm working for has a TON of orders that consistently have been coming in, especially for the Christmas season. Many times I've thought "man, being an elf sucks!" and I would imagine my ears growing into points as I lugged bags of packages from place to place.

Other than the 10-hour days I've been working, some amazing moments have been mixed in. One was today during lunch. I've been working with some Ukrainian ladies that speak in broken English and support their families by doing labor related work like cleaning homes, etc. In fact, the main person in charge of packing is a cleaning woman and has the amazing ability to organize, pack and basically just get shit done while yelling (in an excited way) all the way through it.

So back to my lunch - we barely have time to eat, but found 15min to go to the lobby and eat picnic-style the crackers, cheese and cookies that they brought. They were telling me about how educated they were back home and that it's hard even to send money back to their families because of the mafia mentality that's taken over the Ukraine, supported by their jail-bird President. Apparently, over there if you own a business or are getting money from family members in America you're tracked down and basically robbed in exchange for protection.

Anyways, non of the immigrant story is new to me but I rarely take a minute to really think of all the sacrifices that have been made for my generation and Americans in general. I have complaints like anyone else, but I have a lot of freedom, security and options provided to me. I can start a business...or not, teach...or not, have a family...or not - you get the idea. Between listening to them talk and almost push their food onto me, I ignored that guilty twinge and just really appreciated what they were saying and took a moment to thank my own ancestors who immigrated here and took a lot of crap so that their kids could do yoga and ponder the meaning of life and their own happiness ;).

Then we went back to packing, packing, packing and of course I got my elf ears on and went off to the post office to ship many Christmas presents to eager people in their safe and secure American (and some Canadian) homes. I am now ready to go to bed and hit the repeat button again at 8am tomorrow morning...after doing my yoga and pondering the meaning of life of course...

because i consider watching glee and blogging multi-tasking...

So I have a new gig - I'm helping out with recording and shipping orders from a website company (decorativethings.com)! Maybe I can pay my rent, my bills and buy food all in the same month - kidding...but really, it's nice to have a paying gig once again ;) Plus it's funny how a few opportunities that I pursued this month just didn't pan out (ok, maybe I got straight up rejected) and then this one just happened within hours of me talking to the person (and with some random family help) and seems to be pretty perfect for what I needed. Hmmm...

Actually, I feel like things are picking up in a lot of areas lately. Between this new gig, the non-profit that I'm working with, getting financing for Lango, pet-sitting/babysitting and having a social life I barely have time to watch my TV "programs" as my grandmother would call them. Although I must admit it's way more fun being busy with the whole holiday spirit in the air than at other times of the year...and it's MUCH better than sitting on my butt feeling like every bone in my body is lazy!!

In other busy news, last Saturday after a day-long meeting in Jersey I went out to celebrate my girl M's birthday and finally met one of her awesome dr. friends - can't wait to meet the rest of them during all you can eat sushi (or so I've been promised). Plus they didn't make me feel bad when I told them of my no drinking during december promise (which pretty much rocks btw). Then we wandered over in the freezing cold to meet up with some of the GCA crew for K's bday party and I just love them too. All and all, I feel pretty lucky that I have groups of people in my life who are really great/cool people - plus no hangover the next day thank you very much!



So what did I do with my non hung-over but exhausted self the next day? I went on a movie double header with my sister of course! We saw Black Swan (incredible movie...I was literally on the edge of my seat and wondering what would happen next. I have loved Natalie Portman since I saw her in the movie Beautiful Girls and this was no exception!). Then we raced down and saw The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest (I loved the books and I love seeing Noomi Rapace bring Lisbeth to life - not as good as the book, but still totally kick-ass). Then I took a big long nap and spent some QT with hulu :)

Overall, I'm amazed and grateful at the variety of social and work related opportunities that are coming my way. Life is still bumpy but unemployment somehow suits me - at least for now. Hope that everyone out there is feeling the holiday cheer - warm thoughts and wishes (with a dash of magic) to you all!

New Years Resolutions - Starting Now!

Happy Holidays to everyone reading! I had a fantastic Thanksgiving with my sister, great food and some great friends. The pictures are of the food we ate (including my sisters pie) and at the best rooftop bar I've found in the city with my FL friends :)

As the year is coming to a close, I'm really thinking about why I'm blogging. It started out as a way to track my life "off the grid" if you will. I'm also learning that it's a way for me to organize my thoughts and gain a bit of self-discipline.

Following that theme, this year I want to focus even more on self-discipline: mind, body and spirit! None of the things on my list are new to my lifestyle, but I want to officially spend a month to focus on them. Hopefully by the end of 2011 I'll have many more healthy habits to add to my thankful list!

December - No drinking. I don't do it very often so a month should be fine, but I've decided that I really don't like how I feel when I drink so out it goes.
January - Un-cluttering my Apartment. I want to have an apartment than anyone can walk into at any moment and have it be neat and clean. At the moment, I have way too much stuff.
February - Meditation. I meditate sporadically at best, but I really see the value in it and feel calmer after doing it. Plus it's really hard - talk about self-discipline!
March - Eating Well. It's hard to find good fruits/veggies this time of year. I'll try by focusing on the foods that make me feel grounded and on actually making food instead of any take-out.
April - Exercising. I run and do yoga, but I want to practice with a greater regularity than I am right now.
May - Random Acts of Kindness. I like the pay it forward idea - this might require more thought then the other me-centered months but I think it'll be worth it!
June - Directed Acts of Kindness. Same concept, but this will be for people that I know and love.
July - Vegan. I know it's a strict diet, but I think when done correctly it's one of the healthiest diets around.
August - Traveling. I don't even care where, but I want to go somewhere I've never been with people I don't know - at least not yet!
September - Raising money for Breast Cancer. Hopefully my mom will be in the clear by then :)
October - Raising money for Lupus.
November - Reflecting. Just seeing how everything in the year has gone and spending more time on a previous months focus in case I need to. Also setting/readjusting my goals.

It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell ~Buddha

I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace. ~Dalai Lama

family time and an unexpected date

Happy Thanksgiving Week Everyone!! This is shaping up to be a great Thanksgiving so far - one of my closest friends from middle school is joining me and my sister to celebrate in Brooklyn, another friend from FL is coming for cocktails on Friday and Adityas family (who all seem to have the awesome gene in spades) is having a post Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday. For someone who isn't a fan of huge gatherings, I'm really excited for all the events to come!

With the holidays upon us, it seemed like a great week to really enjoy my family. My dad came for a two day visit with his girlfriend and her cousin. Jen picked out some awesome places to go eat (the girl seriously has a gift) and I got some alone time to just hang with my pops. We've had a somewhat rocky relationship in the past and it feels so freeing to be over all that and enjoy the company of a really great person who cares about me. Love him.

To top off that awesomeness, this was THE WEEKEND where my mom, sister and I went on a yoga retreat at Kripalu. I signed up for the Vertical Revolution and it was a life-changer. Seriously. I can't even put into words how my mind shifted just a little with a startling huge result - so I'll just leave it at that. Plus, the food kicks some serious ass and it's just a relaxing time.

Now onto the present time. I have a date tonight - which is sort of surprising since I've been actively trying NOT to date. I was at Starbucks working on my laptop while waiting to meet someone (for the first time) from the non-profit organization I'm a part of. It was around the time they were supposed to be there, so I'd look up every now and then to scan the room for said person. Well, this guy was there instead, we made eye contact and he sat down at the next table. I smiled and tried to get back to my work, but he persistently made conversation despite my good ignoring skills. I'm really impressed by the ability to just go up to a stranger and ask them out, so of course I agreed to a future cup of coffee when he asked. I just hope he's an interesting character who can hold a decent conversation. Either way, I have exactly 30min to evaluate because...

My cousin Andy is coming into the city tonight and has an extra ticket for a movie screening with the main guy from Sideways. It sounds fun and Andy is a sure bet on having a good time so I couldn't pass it up. My date starts at 6:30 and this thing with Andy is across town and starts at 7:15 sharp, meaning that I'll have a busy couple of hours tonight.

Oh, and to top it all off, the date might not even happen! We set a time/date, but didn't exchange info so if any emergency comes up then we're just outta luck. That said, I'm assured of a cup of coffee and a movie screening tonight - feels kinda win win to me - was life always this much fun and I just couldn't see it before?? xoxox

stuff - it's happening

So I actually had a really social weekend recently and I got to see my AEL and GCA peeps (on different nights)!! Now that I don't hang out regularly with any group of people, I really appreciate and love hanging out with such good guys and gals and catching up. Also, I was totally called out for not blogging recently (Newville) - so I though I'd take a minute and remedy that ;)

Part of why I haven't blogged in a bit is that I feel like the world around me is shifting and I just needed a quiet internal moment to process what's going on before I could verbalize it. That said, life has happened and this amazing unexpected journey I'm on continues to be unpredictable. Here's a list of the 3 biggest highlights of the past couple months (in addition to the above party weekend)...

1) Lango
After a bumpy September (to say the least - registering an LLC costs over $1,000 FYI) things have stabilized and I've LOVED going to the Spanish classes that we have going on. The kids are progressing well, our teacher is amazing and the feedback is all positive so far :) I'm also learning so much about running a business and find it all so fascinating - I wish I did this in college!!

On the con side, it's not generating any income for me to live on and I don't know how long that will take (I'm guessing the standard 1 - 3 yrs). So what else do I do in the meantime?? Only time will tell, but already some opportunities have popped up out of the blue - just following every lead, listening to my gut and enjoying the ride.

2) Family
My mom got diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of September (stupid month). I know it's horrible and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, but part of me really feels so blessed - to be there for her, to face such a real thing as a family while staying positive - it's great. Anyways, she is the most amazing human being I know and through good or bad times there's such a beauty to being with her and being connected on an authentic level. To all those concerned: she's doing great and will start Chemo the beginning of Dec (I know, Merry Fucking Christmas ;). And thanks for the support - really.

My sister also wanted some attention so she got her wisdom teeth out. After going through that myself I knew it would be a shit experience, so I got to take care of my helpless little Jen. She's all better now and I'm a pro at caring for people after getting their wisdom teeth yanked - so feel free to call!

My step-brother and step-dad are fantastic as always. Clayton is just the coolest kid ever and showed me how to get my own honey from his bee hive - sooooo good!

3) Volunteering
I officially love volunteering!! Now I know why rich housewives make their lives about organizing events and volunteering. If I didn't have any money concerns, I could live this lifestyle for quite awhile. So what am I doing? Read on my friend...

I am a Board Member for a non-profit organization that runs a community center with the purpose of helping an impoverished community in Peru. I basically do businessy stuff for them, similar to what I'm doing anyways for Lango.

I also read to elementary kids every Monday morning and work with HS students for SAT prep every Saturday. All the kids are just so fun and they make me happy. I think that's the core to volunteering - it makes you warm and fuzzy inside - warm and fuzzy is a good thing.



So I think that's enough for the moment (even I'm getting bored!). As crazy as my life is, I have a surprising amount of faith that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be and I'm all anticipation for the future - wherever it may lead... It's exciting/calming to be on a path and to know that no matter what the bumps in the road are I have an amazing family, great friends and a solid sense of myself (thank you 30's - I'm almost there!!). Until next time...

My First...

So I'm done with my first week of my new life. I consider this the first "official" work week because I'm no longer on the DOE payroll and I'm actually following through on my plan to work at Starbucks (with the multitude of other students/business people/unemployed starving artists...) So here are my Week 1 highlights:

-Spent two FULL days at Starbucks, with people fighting over seats and trying to make phone calls that weren't overly obnoxious to people sitting nearby.

-Went to a BBQ with Cynthia and Shaant to celebrate Labor day. I love hanging with them and, until getting wasted off of flip cup (tolerance is way down from my GCA days), I had a great time!!

-Went to CT for my Aunt Catherine's 84th birthday! That lady has listened to me talk, complain, be excited/depressed/etc and loved me since I was born -- plus, she's a little magical which is always fun ;) Anyways, we had dinner as a family of about 15ppl and it was so great!

-Volunteering - I helped "transport" seniors at a long-term care facility for elderly people. Basically, I wheeled them from their rooms, down the elevator and to the auditorium for Rash Hashanah service. The first day, I thought it smelled and didn't really know what to do with myself - by the second day I was leading other volunteers around and partnered up with this really adorable, nice guy. Thank you college eye-candy!

-Started training for Kaplan SAT prep. Also volunteering, but they're training me for free so I think it's an even trade-off. Anyways, I'll be paired up with a small HS group of student for the school year - can't wait to meet them!

-Met with this great dad about tutoring his daughter. I love hearing parents talk about their kids - and this guy really cares about his! Anyways, I got home from a great talk with him, emailed him a thank you note and 5min later he emailed back saying his daughter would call me and set something up this week!! Fingers crossed that she likes me too!! ::fingers crossed::

-Hung out with A and R, who I haven't seen since my LPA days!! Speaking of firsts, A is the first boy I ever kissed, back when I was a girl (around 12 I think). I think we talked once after and it went like this: So does this mean we're going out -- No, I don't think so -- Ok. I can't remember a conversation after that, but how cute and drama-free! Anyways, it was good to see the boy who's become only a name to me...super nice guy as an adult btw! R was also so fun to hang out with, and has such a nice girlfriend. I hope we can hang out in the future, as they live in the city -- new friends, yay!

Whew, I didn't even realize how much I did this week until now!! Well, needless to say I spent about 6 hours out of my apt each day which was key. I even went running a few times...which I'm off to do again now with my friend V...gotta keep moving...

Starbucks

Only my second day at this and I have to say having a Starbucks "office" is the funniest thing ever. I got a late start yesterday by getting here at 9am and could barely find a seat - when I did, I was at the big table with a lady coughing/talking loudly on her phone and a guy sucking his teeth. NOT to make that same mistake, today it's 7:30am and I've been here for a half hour - that's right sucking-teeth guy, suck it.

On this rainy day, the guy to my right is talking on the phone, John Mayer is blasting, a lady just rushed in and claimed a seat before ordering coffee and men/women are filing in with briefcases and backpacks ready for all the free wifi they can handle. I am, of course, set up with my laptop, phone and ready to stop procrastinating (after this post of course)!!

And for those of you wondering if I got up at 5:30am yesterday to run the answer is a resounding NO...duh. But, after waking up at 8:30am, rushing over here and cursing to myself for being late (it really is like going to work) I actually did get in a full 6 hours of work, went home to eat AND went for a 20min run. All and all not bad progress :)

Good luck to all those starting their first day of teaching in NYC! I miss all my fabulous past co-workers so much! I'm sure I'll see you all when I start subbing as they can't all be Starbucks days...

ps - population just tripled over here since writing this post - better come now to get the last table - and bring a heavy purse to knock the old ladies and college kids out of the way!!

pps - Happy 84th Birthday Aunt Catherine - so much love!!

jobs, jobs, jobs...

So what am I doing with my life?? Seems to be the question of the summer... Well, I've applied to countless craigslist ads for anything in the restaurant/tutoring fields, gone on a few interviews - not so much is happening from that. Also, just signed up for volunteer activities where I'll be reading to kids from 7:30 to 8:30am and doing a Kaplan SAT test prep for high schoolers. I figure I may as well pimp up my resume while I have some time on my hands. Now how to actually make money...hmmmm....

The strangest thing is that I'm not really that anxious about it. I'm far more worried about myself - will I procrastinate? sleep in? give up? The inner battle is scarier than not getting paid at the moment....at the moment... That's why my commitment to myself is this - I will spend AT LEAST 8 hours a day OUT of my apartment starting tomorrow (since that's when I would have to report back if I were teaching, so why not). I just think that I need to keep moving, moving, moving until something finally works out!

So, here's how my life is going to look like (until Lango becomes a huge success and I'm on my yacht sailing the world):

-Morning Run in Cental Park @ 5:30am
-Starbucks to work on the computer for lango bidness @ 6:30 - 10:30am
-Phone calls in Riverside Park @ 10:30 - 12pm
-Home for lunch @ 12 - 2pm
-Starbucks to finish up any business and/or search for jobs @ 2 - 5pm
-Anything I want/tutuoring/bartending practice.

So that's more than 6 hours, so I have a little wiggle room ;) Cross your fingers for me!! Either way, the last time I felt like I was in such a "right" place in my life was my first year of teaching. I'll just keep following that and let's see where this road leads...

Hope everyone had a great labor day weekend - such gorgeous weather!!!!

Top 10 Summer Highlights

So this has been a CRAZY summer so far - to say the least! Even though it's been a rollercoaster ride, I thought I'd focus on the "Ups" and hope that the "Downs" sort themselves out in the coming months. So here it is - Top 10 Summer Highlights, Crammy Style!

1) Hanging out with Marion, who has been a good friend from the time we were 12. We had a great day exploring the city, talking and just having fun. Even more exciting, she's moving to NJ this weekend to start a medical residency program. Maybe now I'll see her more than twice a decade :) A few people make me feel like home and Marion is for sure one of them!

2) Practice Bartending! I finally got the courage to go to these practice bars associated with the school I went to last week. They're actually really fun. I'm starting to love going back behind the bar and it encourages me even more to study the drinks so I'm as prepared as possible. Plus, I'm making new friends and am getting better at my small talk game.

3) Picnics in the Park - From Prospect to Central Park, I LOVE hanging out with friends on a good day in the park! Thank you to everyone who invited me or joined me...Good times ;)

4) The Met - It's by far my favorite museum. I've been going there since I was a kid and I still love it! The Egyptian and Greek sections are always a favorite, but I love exhibits like the Armor section.

5) Support - there have been family and friends that have really helped and supported my career change. It makes all the difference in my day. Thank you.

6) Summer school - I did these two weeks at a high school for two hours a day. I felt productive but not overburdened. Plus, I got offered a job at the end of it, which is always good for the ego :)

7) Renel's birthday!! It's always a blast getting together with my math people. I just love them.

8) Elena. She's my business partner and I couldn't ask for a better one. It's nice to go through this new venture and know that someone has your back.

9) Meditation and Juicing. I've been trying to meditate for a half hour each night before I go to bed. It's something I look forward to and I love how it relaxes my brain. I'm also juicing on an almost daily basis. Yay for healthy living!!

10) My mom winning Gold in a rowing competition she was in this summer. I just love her so much and, even though it didn't involve me, I was so excited for her that it definitely feels like a highlight!


And with that, I can't believe school is already in session some places!! Good luck to all involved! Let's see what the Fall brings (I hear plaid scarves are gonna be hot)....

oh goodness...

I was just thinking the other day - what the hell did I do with my life?? I really do feel like I just took my life in my hands, threw it as hard as I could straight up in the air, and now I'm just waiting for it to land again into some semblance of normalcy. Or maybe I'm looking for blissful abnormalcy - who knows - certainly not me at the moment!!

Anyways, here's what I do know:
1- I'm committed to making this business work and failure cannot be an option. Embarrassment and uncomfortable selling situations, however, are in plenty supply!
2- I have ONE paycheck left from teaching and not so much after,
3- I have got to just buck up and walk into bars and apply for jobs. I want to, but you have to lie to get hired (i.e. they only hire people with 3+yrs of bartending experience, etc.)...and I suck at lying. Like I just get all nervous, my eyes get all big and can't think of anything on the top of my head!
4- Need to learn how to lie convincingly.

Well, that's my crazy life at the moment! On the bright side, I am so impressed with how my mom and sister are supporting my life change one billion percent - they are sooooo amazing and this would be so much harder without them!! Also, my friends who inspire me to be better...xoxox...

Time to put myself out there!!

So, I've taken my bartending class (and passed the 24 drinks in 6min test!) and done a lot of behind the scenes "stuff" for Lango Kids NYC! And now....it's time to put myself out there. I'm getting my resume together and gearing up to go out there, talk to some bars and get parents/schools to buy into paying for our classes! The time is now - wish me luck as I follow this crazy, but fantastic path :) ::fingers crossed::

some days you're the pigeon, and some days your the statue

I went to my least favorite place in the world today...the dentist. I try to go once every 3 years whether I need it or not - just for the torture. Well, today it actually wasn't that bad. I got the normal "you should really come every 6mos" and the new "you should be worried about periodental gum disease, BUT it's reversible with good home care". I put the latter advice in the good category with it being reversible and all. So, I'm kinda pumped that it's almost over and I'm not gonna lose all my teeth, when..... the Dr. tells me he's never heard of my teacher friend who recommended me. And.Then.It.Hit.Me! This is my sisters doctor!!!!!! Long story short, he doesn't deal with teachers and instead of paying $0, I pay $150! Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit! Is my broke, unemployed ass, who's been trying to get all her appts in while she's still "covered" surprised?? - nah.

Then there's my bartending class. I spilled my lunch all over the floor, knocked over my juicy fruitcup at a deli when ordering ice coffee and forgot my bartending book at the school - crap! Plus, I can make about 16 drinks in 6min, but with the test requiring 24 drinks I think I'm fairly fucked for this Friday. I keep having visions of barging into the office and refusing to take the test and demanding that they help me find a job anyways - prob not gonna happen, but let me know if Antonio Bandaras is in town with his guitar case anytime soon.

On the bright side: I had movie/shake shack night with my friend Shaant, which is always fun and relaxing (we saw the Sorcerers Apprentice - not a bad flick). Also, I'm going to a Modest Mouse concert on Friday and am hitting the beach up on Sat. But the week isn't over yet and, with my karma, I might just be on crutches by the end of it ;)

COSMOOOOO!!!

Today was Elena and my first advertising adventure - it consisted of her dressing up in a Cosmo costume and walking around the East Side park. It was hysterical walking the 3 looooong blocks from her apt to the park. We got stopped by a bunch of teenagers who took pictures with her...too funny ;) The best part - it worked! Once we got into the park, kids came up to us and we handed out all of our flyers. It was amazing the kids that came right up to Elena (uh, I mean Cosmo) and those that cried or had a look of terror on their faces. All and all, good stuff.

Then we went to a church to see if we could rent space for a Lango class - they wanted $175/hr, with a minimum of 2 hours - WTF?!?!!?!? There has to be something better...

Other than that, almost done with my first week of bartending school! It's fun, but so overwhelming to memorize all the drinks and do them at a crazy speed. I'm getting more into drinks though...had a cosmo with regular ingredients and then one with kettle one and cointreau. Gotta say, a noticeable upgrade and for and extra $1.50 well worth it!

More adventures tomorrow....

wedding parties, busted toes and bartending school, oh my!

My friend Cynthia got married in DR the past week and we partied it up last Friday to celebrate!! The food was great, my toe held up so I could dance with my fellow rock stars (more about that later) and the open bar was banging ;) Plus, they had a photo booth...OMG!!! Brought back all those memories of middle school hanging out at the mall - good times my friend, good times! Back to Cynthia and Nik - it was an amazing time and I'm so thrilled for you newlyweds. Mwah!!!

One more note about weddings: I think open-bar is essential to any great reception. I know this is going to reinforce my moms idea that I'm an alcoholic, but realllly... you either have a great time and party with your friends, or it's a shit time and you need some help getting through it. Whichever way it goes, this is my official shout out to open bars everywhere!

Speaking of alcohol, thank you vodka and tonic for getting me through that night! As it happens, I was a total dumb-ass the night before and slipped on my mom's stairs going to the basement. No real harm done, but my big toe-nail got BUSTED. I actually wish it looked worse than it does, so people could understand the nausea-inducing pain involved with toe-nail tragedy. That said, I'm sure you're all happy to know that I can finally walk at a slow, but normal, pace now - baby healing steps! I know I should see a doctor, but I called and they said if they do anything it would be TAKING OFF said nail and readjusting it...ummmmm, no thank you!! Onto the next topic...

I registered for bartending class today! It starts tomorrow and lasts for the next 2 weeks. I'm thinking graduation party?? Maybe I'll even be able to make a drink Alexis likes ;)

HEAT!

WOW...it is HOT in NYC!!! Just got home from walking around the city and had to peal my sweaty clothes off me like I was a banana. Just a few thoughts about heat when it's in the triple digits, or close to it:

- I think it's hysterical the frenzy all the news outlets go into. It's like they're all high-fiving each other about having such an awesome story on hand...I know you are Mr.G ;)

- I DON'T appreciate it when it's hot as balls outside before 9am. Period.

- There are noticeably more ambulances in central park, circling around like vultures for people when they go into heat stroke...but good vultures!

- I would prefer not to sweat. I get the importance of it, but it's like needing bugs to keep the whole food chain thing work. ugh!

- There are "cooling centers" all over NYC on hot days!! Who ever heard of such a thing?? From what I gather, they're just big rooms with chairs and A/C so old people don't die. In Florida it's just called staying home.

So that's about it. Enjoyed some air conditioned movie time with my friend Shaantayy and now I'm looking forward to group interviews (despite the despicable heat!) tomorrow. Never done group interviews before, so hopefully this won't suck...

Cold Calls and OCD tendencies...

The thing about starting your own business is that you need to convince people to give you their money!! Cold calling is hell for me. It got a little easier after the 6th or 7th call this morning, but I still HATE it. I'm not really a phone person in general, and calling someone I don't know like a telemarketer (I mean what other profession besides being a paparazzi creates so much disdain?) just isn't my gig. Plus, some people are just plain rude!! But as my grandma always would say, "tough titties"...so I guess I'll keep truckin' ;) On the bright side, out of about 20 total calls, about 6 appeared interested and I emailed them a follow up!!!

Speaking of those follow up e-mails, I think I can officially diagnose myself as having OCD. Yup, that's right. Exhibit 1: Those 6 emails took me 2 HOURS to write and send! I had to read, re-read, re-read, edit, re-read and send EACH ONE! Luckily the first one was more or less a template for all the rest, although on one I forgot to change the name, so instead of Katie getting her email, she got one that said "Hi Judy"...d'oh and FML! Exhibit 2: I always freak out thinking that I left the oven, iron or some other electrical device on that will burn down my whole apartment building with my cat in it. I have literally taken cabs a half hour back home just to check - so far my fears have been unfounded. Is that normal? I highly doubt it.

In other Lango news, we're holding our first group interviews next Wednesday in Central Park. Cross your fingers it doesn't rain!! Then Elena and I are hitting the town dressed as Cosmo the dog to get attention. Don't worry, pictures will most definitely be taken and posted promptly!!

"pressure makes diamonds"

I've spent the last 5 years of my life being an NYC DOE teacher. It's my identity, my answer to "what do you do?", my steady paycheck, my health care provider - if I was in the dictionary I'm sure that teaching would be a rather large entry in my definition. And now, as the last day of school has come and gone, I'm handing it all in for an unknown...let the freak-out begin!!

So what am I doing?? Well, the main, "follow my passion", portion of what's coming up next is a business called Lango Kids NYC, www.langokids.com, that I'm running with a good friend. From the start, doors opened up when we were exploring this option and it has that indescribable "right" feeling. That said, I have 4 steady paychecks remaining, which should make for the shortest two months of my life! In the meantime, I intend to bartend, baby-sit, dog walk and dominatrix (joking!) to make ends meet until this business makes millions ;) As scared and deer-in-the-headlights as I'm feeling at the moment, I'm also kinda stoked that I can even explore something so different than my current norm!

So that's me, at this moment, hoping all the pressure I'm feeling to make my life work out will, in fact, make future diamonds.