Central Park Path

Wise words

You've got to face facts, act fast on your own

Preparation, perspiration, dynamite determination

Pack snacks, make tracks all alone.

Don't be cute. Time to scoot. Head out to your destination.

Chase the future, face the great unknown.

-Gobo Fraggle

First snow

The first snow in Central Park. (I know, all of my posts are becoming tied to Central Park. But it's keeping me sane. I'm thinking of living there. Couldn't I just build a little tiny cottage, like the Sarah Lawrence Teahaus, and go about my business? I wouldn't bother anybody, promise.)

Dad gifts

Wow, golden autumn has come and gone. Central Park is now nearly empty in the mornings. I love it at this time, and my big sleeping bag coat makes me nearly invincible to the cold. I'm powering through a few stressful work weeks (at least I knew they were coming and could prepare), then I have a bunch of vacation time. Woo!

I'm braving rain today to finish up some holiday shopping. Every year, I get stuck on The Dad Gift. Does this happen to anyone else? I love Internet gift guides because they're fun to look at and inspiring, but they never quite hit the nail on the head for dad gifts—for my dad, anyway. What's with the cufflinks and wine? Is everyone else's dad James Bond? On the flip side, you have grill tools, power tools, etc. That's not quite right, either. (Being a maintenance professional, my dad has about 2 of every tool and I wouldn't know the right kind to get, anyway!) My dad falls somewhere between...a handy poet-raconteur who doesn't wear suits, drinks black coffee, and loves french vanilla ice cream. Anyone know where I can find the gift guide for that? :)

Golden autumn

This blessed, golden season is bringing me back to my self again. It's rained less than usual. And it's been warmer than usual. Weather really can lift my mood.

I'm trying to snap out of a cycle of self-defeat. I keep shooting down possibilities before I try them, and keep convincing myself that I can't do things that maybe I *could* do. Just dealing with uncertainty is enough without this kind of thinking—the combination prevents the thrill of possibility from creeping up behind the uncertainty and just creates a scary void. I had lots of unstructured time today to just think, catch up on my to-do list, and exercise. It was glorious. I though a lot about how much I love learning things, and I'm craving a new learning experience in a big way.

View from a sick day

Well, it started about here:Lunchtime on Wednesday, after lots of editing in front of a screen. I started feeling a bit shaky and weird, and decided that I must just be overtired/hungry/computered-out. So I bundled up and decided to try for one of the last outdoor lunches of the season. I parked myself outside of Juilliard, had my sandwich, and felt no better. By 4pm, I had to leave work with various shakes and aches.

And it is ending here:
Sitting around on the couch, being completely useless. In the arsenal: microwaveable hot pack, honey throat drops, Puffs lotionized tissues, Sudafed (the real sh*t, that they make you sign for so they can make sure you're not running a meth lab), ibuprofen, eucalyptus salve, cold water with lemon, hot tea. Oh, and AppleTV, a fleece blanket, and a down blanket.

My fever's finally down, hence the blogging. So happy I'm starting to recover!

Cappuccino

Caffeine's been getting me through these days. Thanks to an inherited countertop espresso doodad and a milk frother thingamagig, I've been whipping up some fancy cappuccinos and lattés. Anything made with warm milk tends to make me happy. These little white cups we got as wedding gifts make me happy, too.

And, after experimenting with various recipes from the Web, I learned that you can get the yumminess of a latté even if you haven't happened upon any equipment! I tried this "autumn spice" experiment one day when I wasn't getting the right consistency of milk out of my frother jug. I was craving the Starbucks pumpkin spice latté, but I liked this even better, since it didn't have the syrupy-sweetness. Give it a shot:

-One shot of espresso, or double-strength brewed coffee

-About one cup of milk

-Sugar (I use about 1/4 tsp., but sweeten to your taste)

-Cinnamon

-Allspice

-Nutmeg (optional; I don't love this 'cause it never seems to dissolve enough in the milk)

In a small pot on the stove, heat up the milk, sugar, and spices. Whisk continually, so you get a little bit of "foam" on top. (It won't be mega-foamy, like Starbucks, but it's yummy all the same.) Combine coffee and milk; top with whipped cream or a dash of cinnamon, if you like.

Stay warm, friends.