High Rise or House with Yard?

This article in the NY Times last week struck my interest as many of our friends are looking to move out of the city.

I've seen friends move closer to family in NJ, Georgia and my own Family busted out of their 1 bedroom apartment to West Chester. I struggled with Family's move because 1) they are not just family but my closest friends 2)they were taking their adorable 1 year old daughter with them and 3) they were going to be out of walking distance for us to hang out. At first I thought I would reject their move but it didn't take long for me to embrace it and was truly happy for them. Yes, more planning would be involved to get transported to spend time together but we make it work.

Now married myself people ask us, often, when are we moving? Where are we moving to? Our answer, no where, we are staying put! Why rush to move? All of our friends are near by, it's a close commute to jobs, tons of culinary options, night life, 24 hour bodegta's, why would be leave? Just because we're married doesn't mean you have to leave the city.

This article was written for our friends (I am sure for many other of the millions of readers of the NY Times) because we are always talking about the pro's and con's about living in the suburbs v the city. If you talk to Husband and I we are all about city living, we'd give you 100 reasons to stay in the city and ways to make it happen (and I'd even offer my services to help you find space for all the stuff!)

Luggage Luggage everywhere

On my way to the train, in the train, on the train and out of the train everyone seemed to have weekend bags. Girly bags, suitcases, bags on wheels, you name it. Everyone is getting out of dodge!

This to me is an obvious sign these apartments are going to be vacant for the long holiday weekend. I remember learning something in my house, mind you I remember alot of this but in relation to this topic. If you are going to a funeral or a wedding make sure you have someone at your house to make sure there are no burglars. I know this sounds so morbid but my parents have known houses that have gotten robbed while at a family members funeral or at a wedding.

Seeing all the suitcases this morning reminded me of this lesson. All of these people are leaving their apartments, clearly going out of town and everyone call tell they will not be home. I guess this is the beauty of living in the City versues the Suburbs. Neighbors can't see if you haven't moved your car in two days or that your news paper is piling up outside of your house. Granted we cancel our papers but then the NY Times and the Post knows we aren't home.

Yes I realized I am sounding paranoid but it was meant to be more insightful in what we show people as we leave our apartments and ride the trains. What we tell the people around us. I find it entertaining to see who is a light packer and who is not. I saw a woman on 86th and Columbus with her wheely suitcase, purse and large beach chair. I have had an evolution in my own packing standards. Brothers will tell you it would take weeks for me to plan, pack, repack and REPACK again. In the last 10 years I have count down on the number of repacking. Since being married we have actually managed to pack for two in one bag. Yes a shocker to me and my family.

We usually stay home on long weekends like this. We like the City when it is quiet.

Leaving our building this morning, I saw our Super and his Wife. I wished them a nice and quiet weekend (clearly indicating that I will not be seeing them as we are going out of town.)

Tip shared from Brother #1

Some things can always be counted on: death, taxes, and bugs getting inside your home through every conceivable nook & cranny all summer long. But what to do when you're hosting a backyard party and are constantly opening & shutting your sliding doors? Pick up an Instant Sliding Door Screen from Get Organized, which will allow you to slip through easily, even when your hands are full, but will keep the pests out. Save an extra 10% on this, and everything else sitewide, with coupon code GETORGNZ. Coupon expiry now extended through 07/31/2010

A little something about me.....

I love ABC's Wipeout (sorry Husband it's not on the network that butters our bread; and I know you love the show too). It is funny to watch, it is funnier to watch with someone. I am not someone who LOL's in real life. I don't know what it is about me but my general response when I find something funny is to say, "that's funny." Take me to a comedy club and I will spend most of the night nudging your arm and nodding "that's funny"**.

But something about Wipeout makes me LAUGH OUT LOUD. I love John Henson, the co-host, when he was hosting Talk Soup on E!. I find the female co-host very entertaining, down to earth and beautiful and I think the contestants are a riot.

We first got into Wipeout in June 2009 while on vacation in Puerto Rico. We came back from vacation and found ourselves making Tuesday night Wipeout night, sitting in front of our fans (his and hers, as most of you know we do not own an AC by choice), eating our frozen blueberries (instant air conditioning) watching the contestants wipeout.

I was so excited to see the show returning this summer. It wasn't a one-hit-wonder. Clearly Husband and I are not the only two people watching it. They are back and now I want to be on Wipeout. I am not saying I can make it the Wipeout Zone, I am not even saying I'll get past the second round***. But I want to be on it. Husband said last night we should be on it. His enthusiasm has actually got me started on this post, professing my love of this show and desire to be on it.

It's not about the money, it's about the pure laughter and joy I get from seeing the participants run the course.

**If you want to go to a comedy club with me I can control the arm nudging if need be.
***I know I will get thru the first round for sure.

Coffee Lady you have a monopoly on me....

Dear Coffee Lady,

I have tweeted how I love the way you mix the coffee, milk, sugar and ice. I have become addicted to your ice coffees. It used to be a treat to get you when it was super hot out and now I look forward to you every day on my way to work. My weekend ice coffee is never as good as yours, don't feel like I am betraying you. I always come back.

Today on my way to work I was salivating at the thought of the ice coffee, particularly because it felt like 90 degrees at 8:30am. I debated about picking up my ice coffee by my old coffee guy on 87th and Broadway but thought I would 1) finish the entire drink and/or 2) the ice would melt.

So this morning on my walk to work I searched for alternate coffee stops along my way. There was 1 Starbucks outside of the subway but I am not a fan of "fourbucks" as I call it. The Mud Truck was no where to be seen. There was nothing between Christopher Street and Washington Square North.

Tomorrow I will have to mix up my route to see what else is out there. I am just becoming too dependent on you (Coffee Lady).

Be well,

Me

Grunting runners....it's you not me.

I am a novice runner by any means. I like running as a hobby but am also a seasonal runner. Meaning I only run when it's warm and not raining. I am ok with being a novice.

I recently joined the NYRR (New York Road Runners Club). Intimated completely by the runners involved and their advanced skill at running swiftly, I bit the bullet and signed up. What better motivation to starting moving than the NYRR. At first, I felt like I looked like a newbie because my running clothes consist of old t-shirts and target running shorts not designer brand workout clothes like most of the people zooming past me. I also didn't know anyone running that day (or so I thought). As I walk up to the 4000 section of runners, of what must have been 10,000+ runners, I see two Friends who happen to be in my running group, so random and so fun. Not like I could keep up with them or anyone else running. The first NYRR race I did it felt like everyone was zooming past me, not being polite and knocking their sweaty elbow's by me, spitting and grunting. Mind you my race time was pretty decent and I tried not to be mislead in the future by speedy runners and my pace.

I was put off. Have some respect please. It's not so difficult to mind your space and keep your sweaty elbows to yourself.

The next run was 1 mile longer. Granted the run was longer and it was very humid for this early in the morning I felt better knowing Friends were running again AND people weren't zooming past me as much. However the amount of grunting and outward coughing (without covering their mouth) was just gross. It made me wonder if these runners were going to pass out? pushing themselves too hard? were being over dramatic? or what?

We'll see what happens with the next race this weekend. It is the same distance as the last race and is supposed to be just as humid. Really cover your mouth if you are grunting or coughing please and also please keep your sweaty elbows to yourself.

10 Extremely Simple Tips To Eliminate Stress in Your Day

How can this title not make anyone one to see the 10 easy things to eliminate stress in your day (courtesy of The Happiness Project) .

I already seem to incorporate 8 of 10 of these into my life so I hope I am on my way to a stress free day....

check them out:
1. Keep some cash in the house. For years, I badgered my husband to get cash so we had cash in the house. Finally, light dawned: Why did I get to decide that this was his problem? Now I get cash when we need a reserve, and I feel much better.

2. Never let your car’s gas level fall into the “empty” zone. Special note to my fellow under-buyers: if you can afford it, fill the tank! Save yourself from having to return to the gas station in two days.

3. Have an over-the-counter pain reliever at hand at all times.

4. Put your keys away in the same place every day. This sounds so easy -- and it is. It will make you so happy.

5. Turn out the light as soon as you’re sleepy. Since I started my happiness project, I've become a sleep nut. Getting enough sleep makes a huge difference in my sense of energy and cheerfulness.

6. Walk around the block.

7. Take ten minutes before bed to tidy up.

8. If you have to pack a lunch for anyone, get it ready the night before.

9. Have at least one good friend who lives in the neighborhood.

10. Make your bed. This sounds trivial, I know -- but try it, it really helps!

Facebook to be renamed Babybook?

Don't get me wrong I love looking at pictures of your kids and family members and I LOVE showing off pictures of my nieces and nephews (all 9 of them) but has anyone else noticed that facebook has now become a show and tell of what your friends kids are doing? Who's taking their morning nap? Who's not sleeping through the night? Who's got their first day of pre-pre nursery school? Which parent can't wait for their significant other to return from a boys/girls weekend or business trip?

My question is what would these baby's say if they knew in 14 or 15 years their baby picture's were plastered all over the intra-web? In case you are wondering, if you'd like to see pictures of my loved one's email me. If you'd like to know who is sleeping thru the night or where they are on potty training I'd be more than happy to forward your query to the appropriate parent.

I think I might be going back to friendster....when it was about my friends and not my kids.

Keep right except to pass

I learned this mantra at an young age. My family used to travel to the midwest to visit my cousins and we "east coast" cousins would always comment how things moved so slowly in the mid-west. I remember driving on the highway and seeing a sign that said "Keep right except to pass". This sign came back to when I started driving at 17.

In the past xx years I have always had that in mind, when driving on the turnpike, walking on the sidewalk and walking up stairs in the subway.

Why, I ask, are people not remembering this mantra anymore?? Today I was walking on the sidewalk on my lunch break and a man was stopped in the middle, SMACK IN THE MIDDLE of the tree lined street. I mention the tree's because they made it MORE difficult to go around the other pedestrians and the man stopped in the middle of the sidewalk tapping into his iphone, oblivious to what was going on around him.

I turned back after I passed him to see if he had moved on and he had not moved on. I don't know why it makes me so upset right now, more so than any other time. But really I wonder what was so pressing that he had to just stop.

weather.com should be renamed wrongweather.com

I used to think meteorologist had the best jobs ever. They come to work every day, try and predict the weather. They could get the weather completely wrong and STILL come to work the next day as if they did nothing wrong. One might not like the weather person but for some reason that doesn't stop you from tuning in night after night to see what the weather forecast will be.

In recent years I have relied less on the local forecast and more on weather.com. With some advanced features as 10-day forecasts, hour-by hour it became some fun to see what will be and seem better prepared for weekend planing or traveling outside of my region. I felt empowered by weather.com to pack accordingly for my travels or my week ahead. Forget that I felt empowered to know I will be dressed accordingly for the next day.

But I learned this month that I was asking to much. I shall explain....

This past weekend I had signed up for a run (to take place outside). I looked at weather.com and it showed me a chance of rain over the weekend. Friday I checked but knowing I will check again on Saturday night to see the hour-by-hour to clarify which part of the morning the rain is anticipated. To my dismay rain was predicted from 5am thru the morning. I was preparing myself to 1) either not run because of the rain or 2)suck it up and run in the rain what an experience it could be.

Sunday morning the alarm goes off, I look outside and not a sign of rain on the ground. I prepare for the run, at the starting line still no rain. No rain all day until 5:45pm for less than 10 minutes! Weather.com you let me down big time.

Yes maybe part of me was hoping you were right and rained and I had an easy out not to run the race (I would have done it in the rain anyway).

We're over weather.com, we are through! I am going back to my local newscasters at ABC7 and WNBC(Husband that's for you). At least they are apologetic when they get the forecast wrong!