Party tricks

Chris and I were talking some time ago about whether we have party tricks. We decided that mine is randomly reciting snippets of poetry/Shakespeare. Also, I can cross my eyes, but that doesn't seem too interesting. Do you have a party trick?? Know anyone with a great one?

Goal explosion

A follow-up to my last post about planning for and thinking about the future...this is what's happening on my wall right now:

Everything makes more sense to me if I write it in crayon and tape it to the wall in front of my face. It's helping me make sense of everything and pin down how to get what I want (what, I can't just "have it all," just like that?!).

Vermont

Being out of the city always gives me time and mental space to think. I love it. Can you tell I was happy during our long weekend in Vermont?

Last night I started working on my long-term career plan. I've been gaining more and more experience and clarity, and the thinking space in Vermont proved very productive. I'm excited and a trifle scared. But at the end of it, I will be making that face that I'm making in the snow-tubing photo!

Photo love

Wow, I feel famous! The lovely miss Amanda has posted some photos of me on her photo blog, The Walking Conch. Check out all of her amazing photos...I'm really digging these Philadelphia details.

Priceless

My stand partner in orchestra is getting ready to welcome his third grandchild. The little girl is due to arrive next week! Her big-brother-to-be has things figured out. He wants to name her Lightning McQueen.

Family lore has it that I wanted to name my youngest brother Snow White. (Sorry, Steve.) Everyone's pretty glad I lost that argument, including me. Goodness, I love children.

[Edit: I just found out that Lightning McQueen is a character from Cars, one of the few Pixar films I haven't seen. While this is still awesome, I wish I still thought he had pulled that name from thin air!]

Groundhog Anniversary

Happy Groundhog Day, everyone! This is a fun day for me because exactly 1 year ago today, Chris and I decided to get married at City Hall here in NYC, while in the midst of planning our October bash. At the time, I said Groundhog Day was appropriate because we were going to get married again (dorky joke if you've seen the Bill Murray film). It was the day Staten Island Chuck bit Michael Bloomberg.

And it was the day these photos were taken. I made a last-minute decision on my outfit and scored $10 rings for the ceremony the day before at the Cinderella Club on 34th Street. And my parents and one of my brothers spent a whirlwind day in NY!

As we were about to get on the subway, my dad said, "Shouldn't you have some flowers?" So we ran into a flower shop under the 7 train and told the confused woman I was getting married (now) and needed flowers! The $5 white daisies lasted for AGES.
There are 6 more weeks of winter ahead. Oh, well. February 2nd will always be extra-fun for me.

Ballerina wannabe

Last week, no one was in the stretching room at the Y and I started making use of the barre as a secret ballerina. I was reminded of this ballet workout cassette tape I had as a kid, which came in a set with a tutu, hot pink leg warmers, and a pink plastic barre that my dad set up for me. I really liked doing ballet with that tape.

I started thinking...we have a Wii Fit at home. There must be a ballet workout game for that, right? There is, but it's got terrible reviews. Like most video games "for girls," someone banged this out thinking that little girls will enjoy the overall pinkness of it and that will be that. I think they're missing the boat on this one! Wii Fit seems tailor-made for a good ballet or dance game, and Wii Fit games can work so well for any age.

Seems like video game companies overall say it's tough to get girls and women into video games. I'm sure, by and large, female audiences prefer games with different themes then male audiences do ("be a vet" vs. "sniper fun" or "puzzles" over "cars with loud engines"). But female audiences aren't stupid and can recognize a sub-par game. The world within the game has to be just as cool, detailed, and complete as a game created in one of the standard genres.

Anyway, got sidetracked! I'm thinking of getting the New York City Ballet Workout on DVD. Then I can be a secret ballerina in the privacy of my home. :)

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