A Little Vacay

If you've been following this blog, I think you know that I've taken a long vacation from blogging. I've got no apologies for my absence, I wasn't doing anything fun and there certainly wasn't anything going on that I should have blogged about, but I'm feeling more like myself again.  So I'll be back to infrequently blogging. :)

On Friday I went down to D.C. for my high school's Alumni Reception. I won't spend much time on it, except to say that it was a good event.  There were current teachers and alumni spanning many decades there.  The food was delicious, I mingled and circulated, and had some good conversations.

After the reception, I just went back to my hotel and chilled.  Per usual, I dozed to T.V. I talked to Maya and she said that I seemed to like these weekend vacations and you know, I do!  I find that on these weekend trips I'm able to explore a city and do whatever I want.  So my D.C. mini-vacay on Saturday went like this:

• Went the fitness center...used the hotel's complimentary headphones (which I saved for later use at my own gym), ate complimentary fruit that was left for fitness center users
• Showered and didn't have to worry about strategically placing towels on the floor because the tiles were heated
• Got a complimentary cup of tea from the lobby
• Took the Metro and then enjoyed a walk to see the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

The memorial is cool, though not as large as I expected.  However, the strength of the memorial is the quotations from King that line the walls that surround it.

• Hopped on the metro again and went to get some cupcakes (and macaroons) from Food Network's Cupcake Wars Winner, The Sweet Lobby. 

By this point it was getting close to 12pm (check out time) and I was feeling hungry. So I...

• Got back on the Metro to return to the hotel to check out and enjoy some complimentary brunch...I got a voucher!
• Checked my bags, had some tea, potato leek soup, a salad and some bread at the hotel's restaurant.
• Jumped back on the Metro do to some shopping, my ideal Saturday activity...checked out Anthro and bought a shirt (see below) and a belt. I looked at Macy's and Ann Taylor Loft too, but didn't find anything.

• Hopped back on the Metro to pick up my bags from the hotel then I went to Union station.
• With 30 minutes to spare, I got a snack for the train from Potbelly sandwiches and then ignored the long line of people waiting to get on the train and merged in and got a seat in the quiet car.
• The train left on time and for the 4 hour ride, I napped and read and napped and ultimately finished the latest book in the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley, I Am Half Sick of Shadows.
• I arrived in New Ro on time and daddy was there to greet me with two slices of pizza for dinner!

That was my mini-vacation...a day of doing the things that I enjoy most...exploring, eating and shopping, followed by naps. I find that lately my weekends are spent, working or volunteering, so a weekend away doing "nothing" is really exciting.

Balance

It's Saturday night, I'm at home and I'm thinking about playing the Wii. The last time I played I seriously spent over 35 minutes playing a Wii Fit balance game called Balance Bubble Plus.  Unless you've played one of these games, you have no idea what it's like to see yourself as a Mii, a digital avatar, hang your head in shame after you lose. Even though my astrological sign is Libra, representing scales and balance, each time I play a balance game, I realize that this sign apparently means NOTHING for my physical capabilities. 

In Bubble Plus, my Mii is in a Bubble going down a waterway and there are crags to avoid and bees that could come down and pop my bubble. I can't even count the number of times I had to start, lose and restart the game.  I would go few yards, hit an edge of a rock and pop my bubble.  Then the sad music would play, I would see my rank, and yardage. Often my results would be so poor that I would be un-ranked, then I'm called "Unbalanced" and get one star.  And what did I do then? Play again and again and again...because I was determined to get to the end without popping the bubble.  So 35 minutes later...I finally made it to the end.  I believe I got two stars and was called an "Amateur." YES! No longer unbalanced. 

If only I got rewarded for my other pursuits and was so easily excited by simple recognition.  I think the use of gold stars needs to be brought back as a merit system for adults.  Going on a second date...three gold stars - professional. Remembered your boss's birthday...two gold stars - amateur. Bought a card for the boss...three gold stars - professional. Made Dinner...four stars - ?? I've never gotten four stars on Wii...I don't know what you're called then. Ahahaha anyway, I might just start giving myself gold stars. It's clearly a motivator for me.  

Thanksgiving Cupcake Disaster

It's Thanksgiving and I'm at my parents place.  I just took the Mac and Cheese out of the oven and we're going to sit down to our family Thanksgiving meal at 2pm.

But I was up and at it early this morning.  I woke early because after reading through recipes, I decided last night that I was going to make Almond Cupcakes.  I love almond-flavored items.  In fact, my favorite drink is the amaretto sour.  So I took myself to Fairway last night, which surprisingly wasn't very crowded because I needed to get ground almonds/almond flour/almond meal and I just wasn't sure that Stop and Shop would have it.  Let me just say, almond meal is crazy expensive.  I paid close to $10 for a 16 oz. bag of the stuff.  As I saw it ring up, I thought, these cupcakes better be good.

Back to today...the butter was soft, my baking utensils were prepped and ready, the muffin pan was lined and the oven was pre-heated.  I followed the directions to the letter...cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs, add cream and almond extract. By the way, Fairway doesn't have regular extracts i.e. McCormick, so I had to get some organic and all-natural extract.  You would think that would mean the extract would be at its strongest because it's without impurities etc. But it simply smelled less potent.  Give me unnatural and inorganic extract! ahaha Then I sifted in the flour and folded in the almond meal.  After doing this final step, I could see and feel that the batter was very heavy.  Usually when I spoon batter into a pan, it's more liquid, but this batter had a more solid quality.  Then when I tasted it, it wasn't particularly sweet.  But I thought, it'll all work out, I'm sure it'll be fine.

Well, it wasn't fine.  I'll admit, I'm not quite in sync with my oven...it's big, it's old, it's gas powered and I think it gets and stays hotter than any other oven I've ever used.  So I had already decided not to leave the cupcakes in the oven for as long as the recipe stated, but even taking them out early couldn't save this batch of cupcakes.  They were hard, dry and damn near flavorless.

I called my mom and said, "these cupcakes are bad, I can't bring them over to have as dessert."  Thankfully, mommy said not to worry about it, because she had pie.

So on this Thanksgiving, I'm thankful that mommy has been cooking and making desserts much longer than I and that mommy and daddy did enjoy my dinner contribution.  Happy Thanksgiving!

DONE!

Since I'm 31 there are few things that I'm checking off as being done with:

DONE with Thongs
Last week I thought I was packing a certain pair of undies in my gym bag.  After working out, I took my shower and then got the rudest shock when I realized that I had packed a thong.  ARGH!  I don't need to walk around all day with a wedgie for the sake of have no panty lines.  If I have on something super tight, which happens rarely, I will wear seamless undies or a g-string. G-strings, which according to wikipedia are a type of thong, use an elastic string, instead of a piece of fabric that is 3/4" wide and gets stuck in my booty.  So I'm done...

DONE with Tattoos
These days it seems like tattoos are all the rage.  Men (and women) are covering themselves with tattoos.  Well-known folks like Lil Wayne and Kat Von D, chefs on Top Chef and Hell's Kitchen, a lot of basketball players, and so on, are covered nearly head to toe with tattoos. Average men and women are doing the same thing. I appreciate the craft and skill shown by the tattoo artist, but more often than not, if someone has more than one visible tattoo, it's distracting.  So I'm done...  I'm going on record as saying that I don't find excessive tattoos cool or beautiful, and if you have a lot of tattoos and I'm having a hard time staying focused when talking to you, or if I'm looking away, now you know why.

DONE with Miss Maude's Spoonbread Too
Miss Maude's is a soul food restaurant up the street from where I work.  I've eaten there a few times and the food, when they have what is on menu, is pretty good. But my issue with the establishment is that they DO NOT always have menu items, namely the chicken salad sandwich, available. I've had their chicken salad sandwich twice in the two years since I've worked in Harlem, and I like it because it tastes like my mom's. The sandwich when paired with some fresh french fries...yum!...really is a lovely lunch. I've called the restaurant about 8 other times to order the sandwich for lunch and they NEVER have it. Here is the dialogue:

Me: Hi! Do you have the chicken salad sandwich today?
Spoonbread Lady Behind the Counter: No. We do not.
Me: [sigh] Ok...bye.   

There are two things that bother me:

1. Why doesn't Spoonbread have chicken salad? Fried chicken, BBQ Chicken, Smothered Chicken, Jerk Chicken...all kinds of chicken...are on the menu. Cole slaw is served as a side, which means they have mayo. So why can't the chef chop up some of the chicken, add mayo and MAKE CHICKEN SALAD?!? 
2. Why is chicken salad sandwich a menu item? Spoonbread rarely has it, so just take it off the menu. Make it a chalkboard special!

So I'm done with Miss Maude's Spoonbread Too...there are no shortage of soul food restaurants, I'll go somewhere else and I'll make my own chicken salad or ask mommy to make some for me.  :)

I'm 31!...Recap of my birthday festivities

Well my friends, I'm 31!  On Friday night, October 21st, I went out with a small group of friends on my birthday eve.  There's Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, so I thought, I will have a Birthday Eve.  It's Monday now and I can't keep stop thinking about how much fun I had.

The evening started at B.B. Kings with a concert by one of my favorite groups from the 90s...En Vogue.  Yes, EN VOGUE.  All four of them performed...Dawn, Cindy, Terry and Maxine...Nicole helped me remember their names.  Four of my friends came with me...Nic, Court, Marsha and James. Nic, Court and James and I stood semi-close to the stage on the main floor and we JAMMED!  En Vogue still had that great sound.  All four of the women can sing, or shall I say...sang.  They did their hits, a medley of oldies and ended with some more of their hits.

I loved how well En Vogue performed, but what I loved most was being around my friends as we collectively rocked and sang along to the music. Courtney got down to "Don't Let Go", Nicole and I relived our college days through "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" and  I even heard James singing along throughout the night. He has made it very clear that he won't sing when we do karaoke and even though he sings in his church choir, he claims he isn't good.  So it was a shock to actually HEAR him.

After the concert we went to Katwalk Bar & Lounge where we were later joined by Mia, Maya, Danielle, Jinyoung and Jeanette.  It was free to get in, the music was pretty good and best of all, I had my friends with me. One of the things I love about my friends is that, for the most part, they don't have difficulty getting along with each other. I don't have to spend time making the rounds to drum up conversation between everyone...it just happens organically.

So we talked, didn't get food because the kitchen was closed (grrrrr), danced, complained about a throw up smell that was emanating from a certain section, purchased and got drinks for others using power hour (all the well drinks you can get from 10 - 11pm) bracelets and of course, we took pictures.  I was already having a fantastic time, but then James surprised me with a bottle of champagne for a Ladies Night, which sadly meant that he was leaving, but the gesture was really sweet and hanging with my girls was nice.  The drinks continued and we danced the rest of the night away.  I stayed out until 1, which is a big deal for me.  I usually put myself on a train and go home, but this time I took the last train out of NYC back to Mt. V and was happy I made that decision.

Nicole said that there is something about the 31st birthday that leads to a good time. Don't get me wrong, I loved my 30th birthday because it was my chance to celebrate with so many friends from all stages of my life and to treat them to good food and dessert.  But for my 31st, all "pressure" was gone. I kept it small, didn't worry about having the perfect outfit and partied the Shay Shay way.  Much love to everyone who celebrated with me and wished me well.  I'm looking forward to 32!

What can you do on a Saturday night, alone?

"So what can you do on a Saturday night, alone?

Who needs a view on a Saturday night, alone?

If it's a Saturday night and you are single,

You sit with a paper and fight the urge to mingle.

And home is a place where you gotta go back, alone.

Home is a place where the future looks black, alone.

I like the Sunday Times all right, but not in bed.

Alive and alone on a Saturday night is dead!"

It's Sunday morning right now, but as I was driving back home last night from the gym, this song popped into my head.  I first heard it on a compilation CD called "Marry Me A Little." The CD featured songs Stephen Sondheim musicals, some of which been cut out of musicals.  The lyrics were were written in the 1950s, but the plight of single people is clearly timeless.

Usually my Saturday daytime is packed with activity.  I'm either working the front desk at MTC, volunteering at Dress for Success or doing something else.  So yesterday, a day with nothing scheduled, was a rare treat for me.  I slept late, did some shopping, napped, then went to the gym.  But whether I'm busy during the day or not, my Saturday nights are usually pretty "dead."

I don't really have friends in Westchester and really don't know of any "spots" to frequent.  I do know the City well enough, but after I've been downtown five days of the week, my interest in hanging out down there in the evening is low. I'm young and single...shouldn't I be out mingling? The fact is, I'm not bothered by staying in on Saturday nights.  I like my new house and after a week of seemingly endless work, errands and responsibilities, a night at home is nice...so what that it's on a Saturday.  But I do like activity and probably would enjoy being out on Saturday night, if, I was out and about with someone.  So that means I have to find someone, other than my friends to go out with, which means, drum roll please...I'm going to online date again.  Maya and I have discussed this and Matthew says I just need to go out more, and both of them are right. but I think, if I online date, I'll go out more...both problems solved!

So stay tuned...I've done Match and OkCupid before, so this time I think I'm going to sign up for How About We, since their focus seems to be about going ON the date.  Let me know if you recommend any other online dating sites, and I'm sure I'll start having some dating stories to share.

Wigs and Braids and Weaves...Oh My!

School is back in session and a smile came to my face a few days ago as I saw two little girls sitting on the bus with their mothers.  Yes, it was sweet to see them eager to head to school, but I was smiling because of their hair.  They had cornrows without extensions  and it reminded me of how my mother would do my hair.  The pattern wasn't too elaborate, but it wasn't going straight back and the ends had been curled. Sure, their hair wasn't long, nor was it super full, but it was nice nonetheless.  I've grown tired of seeing little black girls with yarn-like or plasticky extensions, looking ridiculous on their little heads and necks, tightly pulling their hair and likely setting them up for a lifetime with thin or bald edges that they'll spend all their life trying to grown in by using braids and weaves -- it's a vicious cycle.

Working up in Harlem, I am in awe of the array of hairstyles on the women and men on the street.  I'm assaulted by the African ladies who scream "BRAID?!? Braid Miss?" and I'm enticed by the Asian-owned black hair supply stores selling creams, gels and human hair on practically every block.  Hair, hair and more hair.

The one thing I find most crazy when I'm in Harlem (or any primarily black neighborhood) is the number of people walking around with bad weaves.  What is a bad weave?  A bad weave looks like a wig, or like plastic hair, or it's too long or ratty or it doesn't blend with the person's real hair.  Every time I see someone walking around with a bad weave I think, "Do you want long hair so badly that you would rather walk around looking how you look, rather than show your own hair?"  It fascinates me.

I saw Chris Rock's movie, Good Hair which skimmed this issue. I know it was a comedic documentary, but I wish that he had just interviewed women wearing wigs, (which doesn't really bother me), and with weaves and just said..."Why? Why?"

People should do what they want with their hair whether keeping it natural, relaxing it, braiding it, wigging it, locking it or weaving it, and if these women with bad weaves think their hair looks good, we all would be better to have their confidence.  Let's just say I'll take an order of extreme confidence, hold the bad weave.

Save the Date - Shayla's Birthday

It's one month away from my birthday!

Save the Date - Shayla's Birthday

Pizza Tour and Cupcakes

Yesterday I went on a food tour.  For those of you who know me, I've been going on food tours for the past three or fours years.  These tours involve trips around the city going to different restaurants to taste a particular food. My favorite tours have been Bronx Pizza Tour, Brooklyn Pizza Tour and Hot Dogs, which is no surprise because these are some of my favorite foods. So when DT (the friend who organizes the tour) said he was doing a pizza tour...I was in. Originally it was 5 boroughs, but going to and fro from Staten Island is a time suck, so that borough was scrapped and it became a 4 borough tour.  But by the time the tour was fully under way, it was clear that the MTA's weekend track work and schedule changes meant that the Bronx had to be cut, so it was a 3 borough tour with 2 stops in Manhattan.

We had a pepperoni pizza at Sac's in Queens...good crust and cheese, a lot sauce, but I think it needed something. Basil? Oregano?  I can't place what was needed.  But it was a good solid pie.

Then we were off to Franny's in Brooklyn...I didn't get the best vibe from the staff here.  The bartender took FOREVER to take a fellow food tourist's espresso order and the place was FAR from packed.  Then this place had one of those, "is your whole party here?" rules, which I hate.  If I have a party of 4 and 3 of us are here, just seat us.  If we said we were three you would seat us at the same table, so why are you wasting our time by having us wait.  Hell, we probably would order more if you let us sit down!  Anyway, despite that, this place had what I thought were the best of the tour. I liked the pizza with Prosciutto Cotto, Caciocavallo, Onions and Marinated Peppers.  I was shocked because I normally don't go for prosciutto, but this was a thicker, a more ham-like cut.  DELICIOUS!

The last stop for me, before I took myself back to Mt. V to do the Wii, was Keste in the West Village.  Unlike Sac's and Franny's, this place considers itself a pizzeria, where the other two were Italian restaurants offering pasta and other entrees.  We ordered the Keste and Salume pizzas.  The Keste had prosciutto, arugula and gran cru cheese, in addition to tomato sauce and buffalo mozzarella cheese.  The Salume had salami.  This place had the best crust, but otherwise I wasn't wowed.  I didn't like the prosciutto and the salami was fine, but not outstanding.  However, I don't think I've ever had a salami pizza.

In between Franny's and Keste, we took a little break to see if anyone else was going to be going us and it was during this break that I spotted Molly's Cupcakes on Bleeker Street. While hot dogs and pizza are some of my favorite foods, cupcakes are definitely a favorite dessert, so I knew I was going to sample them.  DT asked if I wanted to check any yelp reviews before my purchase, but I said, no.  I don't need to read reviews to try cupcakes...if I see it, I'll try it. In I went and I saw they had special cupcakes like Pumpkin Spice, Creme Brulee, and Peach Cobbler, and the "normal" cupcakes where you choose your cake and frosting.  I decided to get three make my own cupcakes and one special cupcake.  My three normal were carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, red velvet cake with butter cream frosting, and vanilla cake with vanilla (sugar) frosting.  For the special cupcake I chose the Birthday Cake.  I didn't really notice a description, but I clearly saw the price tag...$3.75!  I thought "This cupcake better be good."

So after doing my Wii for an hour I decided to sample the cupcakes, starting with the Birthday Cake.  I noticed that the cupcake felt really heavy...not necessarily a bad thing, but usually means that it's a bit dense. Then I took the wrapper off and saw what looked like batter in the bottom of it. Ummm...what?!?  Is this thing not cooked?  I realized that what makes Birthday Cake special is that the cupcake is filled with Cake Batter.  I didn't know how to feel about that because raw cake batter can make you sick and I don't mind licking it off the spoon, but filling a cupcake with it?  Well, the verdict is, I don't really like it.  I only ate half of the cupcake and I didn't think the batter added much to the flavor of the cake on the whole, plus it was too runny. Cake batter in a cupcake doesn't work... I don't need to be reminded about what it tastes like and it does not make me think BIRTHDAY! On my birthdays I liked a basic yellow cake with sweet sugary frosting...usually chocolate, not butter cream.  On a basic level, the cake was moist, and while the texture of the frosting was nice, the flavor was bland and not at all what I would expect for a birthday cake.

Next up was Vanilla cake with Vanilla frosting.  Again, the cake was moist, but I think it was a little rich and yet not flavorful.  I think my stomach even felt a little queasy afterwards...it probably was that damn cake batter.

Tonight I decided to try the last two flavors...Carrot cake with Cream Cheese frosting and Red Velvet with Butter cream frosting.

The carrot cake, like the others, was moist.  I think it's safe to say that Molly's doesn't produce a dry cupcake.  But the flecks of carrot were barely noticeable and didn't taste better than a box.  The frosting gave you that true cream cheese flavor, but a good frosting isn't going to make a mediocre cake better.

And finally the "It" cupcake...Red Velvet.  I'm not on the Red Velvet bandwagon, but when I'm trying a new cupcake place I get a red velvet.  Shockingly, the red velvet cupcake and the frosting were the best.  I was a little nervous, because the red was a little light -- I'm accustomed to darker.  But the hint of cocoa was there and the cake was sweet.  I think when I said the cakes were bland, I think I meant that they weren't sweet enough.  And because the red velvet was sweet (as a cupcake should be), a light butter cream was the perfect compliment.

When I try four cupcakes and only one, my least favorite kind of cupcake, gets high marks, I know that I don't need to make a special trip to Molly's. But I will gladly go back to any of the pizza places...who's treating?

Let Go

For three days I've been bruised and sore from a night of fighting...fighting with the pole.  That's right, I've started taking pole dancing lessons.

I took my first class a few years ago at S Factor.  They were all about loving your body, feeling sexy and having a positive body image.  At one point an instructor said, "We love our asses, don't we Shayla?!?"  And I wanted to laugh because I'm not lacking in body confidence and hearing that while doing hip circles and sticking out our butts was too much.  So that wasn't the place for me.

Then I did an intro class at New York Pole Dancing a few months ago for my friend Marsha's 30th Birthday. This was a fun class where we learned a routine, with a spin and climbing sequence. Check out our video, I'm closest to the window in the front row.

We also learned how to give a lap dance.  My "boyfriend" will certainly be happy with the skills that I picked up in lap dance area. :) I would take classes at New York Pole, but classes don't come cheap, so when LivingSocial offered a deal ($35 for 5 Intro Classes) at Le Femme Suite in Harlem, Marsha and I signed up.

We took our first class two weeks ago and I was all bruised from that class too.  Just as those bruises were healing, we took our second class on Wednesday. Since Marsha and I had been with this instructor before,  she showed us a new spin and I was eager to attempt it.  I can't really describe it, except to say that I had to kind of fall backwards with my right leg lifted and then my left leg ends up around the pole and I spin.  Well, I really wasn't getting it and the idea of falling backwards scared me. Marsha and the instructor would be encouraging as I was close to doing it correctly, but then I would stop myself because it didn't feel right. The instructor said I needed to just "Let Go."

Let Go.

This isn't the first time that I have heard that I just need to stop thinking and let go.  Everyone from a foot masseuse to the chiropractor to my swim instructor have said some version of "let go." Relax. Release the tension. Breathe.

When it comes to activities, I need to learn and feel comfortable before I do something. It's true, I don't just throw myself head first into anything, especially something that could hurt me.  But what I realize is that I don't hesitate to try.  I might not get it right away, but try I will.  And if I end up bruised and sore from things that do feel comfortable, why should I be so eager to do something that could have worse consequences?  I'm not interesting in really being hurt all for the sake of letting go.

However, I'll accept that bruises, soreness and some hurt are apart of pole dancing and life.  Yep, I'm making a connection to life. Lately I've been feeling bruised and sore from situations at work, in the past I've felt hurt from dating and friendships. And truthfully, things do resolve once I let go. This isn't to say that I don't think about the situation, sometimes for weeks, days or maybe even for a few minutes. But eventually I let go...stop taking things personally, stop caring, stop thinking about it and just do my own thing.  The key is that I do all of this on my own time...when I'm ready.

So I watched people giggling and laughing as they tried the new spin and I would laugh as I would stop myself and my hands went awry and I was lifting the wrong leg.  But after I had thoroughly failed, I grabbed the pole, fell backwards and sure enough, I was spinning.

It's April...err...September

I thought showers were supposed to happen in April, not September.  Between Hurricane Irene and apparently left over rain from Hurricane Lee? (no one really mentioned it on the news) September has been a really rainy month.  I know it's only the 8th, but three days of rain is really a bit much for me to handle.  The only thing that has been good is the fact that I got rain boots!

I've noticed recently how rain boots are fashionable again.  I remember having a pair of galoshes when I was in kindergarten. They were low and there was a band that hooked over a button.  I think there was a button and a band because they went over my shoes, where as the ones that most people are wearing these days are not worn over shoes but are the shoe.  Anyway, I had been searching for a pair for a while.  What I noticed was that my big legs could not tolerate the high boots...the ones that go over the calf.  And lower boots weren't in high supply.  Also rain boots, even though they are just rubber, can be pretty expensive.  So when I found this pair at Macy's for 11 bucks on Monday I grabbed them! Who knew that they would come in handy so soon?

I just love looking down at my feet.  The day may be rainy and dreary, but seeing this cute pattern, feeling the freedom of my calves and knowing I got the boots I had been searching for a steal makes me happy!

Shoes and other things...

I was walking around work today in shoes and thought, I'm going to blog about shoes.  Lately I've gotten into a very bad habit of wearing my sneakers all day.  The attire at my job is business casual, so sneakers shouldn't be apart of my wardrobe equation. But  I workout right before work, and then have a bit of a walk/train/bus ride, so wearing shoes doesn't make sense to me.  I feel like I'm still commuting and in my mind, commuting means sneakers.  Yet, when I get to work, I just haven't felt motivated to change my shoes.  So I could have on a lovely dress and when you look at my feet...sneakers!

It was today that I decided to wear with my outfit one of the three pairs of shoes that I keep at my desk.  I had on a black button-down shirt with ruffles, dark denim-like pants and for my shoes I chose my red and black flats with black piping.  My outfit was rather smart, if I do say so myself..simple and classic with, as everyone seems to say these days, "a pop of color." My hair was freshly done and flowing and I really felt I looked nice. I began to think, how could I not wear shoes every day? I will wear shoes and not sneakers from now on at work!

Anyway, I was feeling good and I decided to do another thing that I rarely do...leave my desk for lunch. I grabbed my bag, brought my book and took a quick ride down to 96th to browse Home Goods and Modell's.  Strolling outside, the glow of the sun made my outfit even better. Really...it did.  I caught my reflection in the window and thought, "Nice...very nice."  Then, confirmation. This man in Home Goods said shook my had and said, "You look very nice Miss."  I thanked him and thought, "I knew it!"

On my way home, I changed back into my sneakers and left the shoes under my desk because I was in commuter mode once again.  I stood on the platform and noticed this man looking at me, so I immediately diverted my attention because I didn't want to talk.  But I turned in his direction to see if the train was coming and he took his opportunity to say hello, asked my about the book I'm reading, (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks btw) and then he did what I call "The Run Down."  "What do you do?" "Do you have a husband?" "Do you have a boyfriend?" My answers... "Fundraising." "No" "Yes."  He followed up and said, that I was a nice-looking lady and that if my BF isn't acting right, that I should call him. I did my obligatory chuckle and made sure we didn't get in the same car when the subway came.

As I rode my one stop, I thought about all the times when I've said I had a boyfriend and didn't. And I know all women have made one up, but just when is this boyfriend that I'm pretending to have going to materialize? And the other thing I thought was, sneakers or shoes, I looked really nice today.  :)

Blogging and Blogs

If you're one of the few people who check my blog periodically, you probably notice that I don't really blog that much, and that may have deterred you from checking more regularly. But for some reason August has been a banner month for me.  I don't know why. I guess I've felt I had the time to write something (or finish old posts), and that I've had something to say. I've gotten away from needing to have an elaborate or funny story to tell...though I do have an old story that I've been asked to share, and will.  I've also always thought my posts needed to be long but they don't.  Freedom from these self-imposed restrictions has got me blogging a little bit more.

Anyway, I was talking with Maya yesterday and she said she was looking for some good blogs to read...we're both taking a break from Facebook until September, so I guess you could say we have a little more time on our hands for other internet pursuits.  I asked her about how she finds blogs and said that was part of the problem, searching for them.  I don't really follow blogs and those that I do browse are usually by people I know, but I looked at my blogger dashboard and realized that I did actually decide to follow one random blog a few months ago.

Stuff by Nicole by Nicole Alesi

Nicole is an illustrator and when I sent my 30th birthday evite via pingg, I chose one of her designs because I felt it totally captured my vibe and spirit.  Here is a picture of the girl who was on the e-card. It's retro me!  Purple dress...cake...yes!

I think her stuff is cool.  It's modern, but she also has a retro vibe and I love that the people in her illustrations are diverse. Her blog features pieces and series that she's working on and highlights new items in her store on etsy.  Check her out!  And if anyone wants to commission her to do a triptych of Shayla illustrations, please feel free. Don't forget, I've got a new place with lots of empty walls. :)

Realizations

So it's Sunday and I have just survived Hurricane Irene. I decided to go over to my parents' place, rather than be along in mine should the worst happen, but honestly, with the exception of the constant TV news footage blaring in the background and infiltrating my dreams, this just felt like a normal storm.  Anyway, it was before and during this storm that I had a bunch of realizations.

It's almost September.
I got my train pass in the mail and couldn't believe that September is a few days away.  I'm no longer in school, but September always feels like the "start." It also means that I need to get my fall vacation plans in the works.

Cooking is not so bad.
I do like trying recipes...shocking. Forcing myself to cook every week made cooking easier.  I'm experimenting and cooking (not just baking) for others. I've made dinner for daddy a few times and earlier this month I made a balsamic marinade, which I used on chicken breast that I then grilled and prepared a BLT pasta salad for a picnic date...yes, a date DATE.

I like watching food shows, but I think I'm tired of celebrity chefs.
The way that people talk about celebrity chefs is really too much.  I watch shows on Fox, Food Network, Bravo and I think the amateur/not known chefs and contestants are talking about how great these celebrity chefs are and know they haven't tasted their food.  And let me say, I've been to a few restaurants owned by celebrity chefs and rarely have been WOWed.

I think wearing thongs/g-strings with jeans is ridiculous.
I saw a woman at the gym and she was slipping on her jeans over a thong. Why do women do that?  Denim is the one fabric that is so tough that you don't even really need to worry about panty lines.  Denim is so tough that if you have a wedgie it's hard to pull out. BTW, I think g-strings and thongs basically should be called wedgies because that's how they feel.  And denim is so tough, that stitchings create bumps that could cause friction. Friction is not good and a little ol' thong provides no barrier, and may cause some other issues...ladies, I think you get my drift.

I feel embarrassed for the people who have to stand behind public officials during press conferences and briefings.
With the additional conferences from mayors, governors and other elected officials about the Hurricane, I've been noticing the people who stand behind them. For some reason, I just feel embarrassed for them.  I don't know why I feel embarrassed, but I do. I just imagine myself having to stand there and look interested and not scratch an itch or cough, knowing that I'm not going to say anything. I also imagine that they feel excited to be on TV and then I feel bad that they are excited by that. Sometimes it's clear who they are, for example the fire commissioner and the police commissioner. But who are are the other people? Why are they there?  Who tells them where to stand?  And if there are more than two or three standing back there, why? Do ten people need to stand huddled close together behind the public official? The official needs that much back up? Embarrassing.

So there you have it...five realizations courtesy of Hurricane Irene and only one semi-related to the great Hurricane.

Amateur Bakers' Code of Ethics***

One of the custodians at work was going around the office selling his cupcakes for a dollar. And I must say, as someone who bakes and brings in my goodies as a treat for my co-workers, I was turned off by his impromptu bake sale. 

First he started off by giving us a sample. Not a whole cupcake or a mini cupcake, but a 1/4 of a cupcake...Carrot/Apple Cake with a Maple Cream Cheese frosting.  I'm not one to pass up a free sample, but it didn't wow me. The cake was fine, but the frosting was too thin and I couldn't taste the maple flavoring, and I gave him this feedback.  He informed us that from now on, Friday would be "CUPCAKE FRIDAY"!

Friday rolls around, he comes up to my floor and starts bellowing, "Cupcake Friday...get your cupcakes!"And people bought them!  I was shocked.  I couldn't believe that people would just pay a dollar for this man's baked goods.  A dollar that wasn't benefiting a charity or his daughter's school, but was just going into his pocket. The next week he brought cupcakes on Thursday, in addition to Friday. This time the cupcakes were strawberry and people raved, said the frosting tasted like ice cream. Then on Friday he made blueberry ones that weren't baked very well and he knew it AND he said it, so he reduced the price to 75 cents. And my co-workers STILL bought them.  They complained about the taste and everything...so I had to say, "Why did you buy them?!? He said they didn't come out the way he intended."  No response from my co-workers.  I think Cupcake Friday carried on for a few more weeks and then it fizzled without a peep, probably because his sales weren't more than his expenses.

Here's what I feel.  I think Amateur bakers should not, on the whole, charge for their treats.  It's one thing if someone asks you to make a cake for a special event or bake a pie for a holiday, but charging for a cupcake (or any small baked good) is just inappropriate and ridiculous to me.  Bake and share because you you were experimenting and want feedback.  Bake and share because you have more than you need to eat.  Bake and share because you just want to give your colleagues a sugar boost.  But please fellow amateur bakers, don't just charge to make a quick buck off your colleagues.

***I started this post in April and am just finishing in August. Better late than never!

Reasons Why I Go to the Gym...***

As many of you know, I'm a gym-goer.  Sure I workout a bit in my house because I got a Wii fit, but typically five days of the week before work I hit the treadmills and pump iron at New York Sports Club.  Going to the gym is part of my routine and for the most part I go to stay fit and for general well-being. 

But I'll admit, at times my motivation for staying fit has shifted. I saw one of the Bourne movies and Matt Damon was running.  I think he was running across the beach and I thought, "Yeah, I should be able to run like that in case someone was after me."  Why I would think someone would be after me or that I should have the physical capabilities of trained assassin didn't factor in to my reasoning, I just thought I should be able to run.  Well, even though I have been working out consistently, I still can't run for too long and kind of hate jogging.  But when I'm short on time and need to dash through Grand Central or across 125th in order to catch my train...I can do it!

But I've learned that my going to the gym is all about being strong enough and having enough endurance to do random stuff...like walk from Pier 1 Store to Union Square subway station through the station and down the stairs to the 6 train to up the stairs through Grand Central to get on the New Haven Line train to Mount Vernon with a heavy mirrored dining room table base.  Or to walk across 125th in the rain with a 5x7 wool rug. As you can tell, in both instances I was carrying two items that are needed for my (still primarily empty) home.

So being able to do a 5K, a pull up, push ups and all that stuff is great, but being about to save some dough on cabs and movers because I'm fit (and frugal) enough is even better.

***I started this post in May and am just finishing in August. ahahahaha

I'm cookin'!

As I mentioned a few months ago, I bought a place for myself and I'm living on my own.  This is the first time in six years that I've been by myself.   Being by myself isn't a problem.  I'm an only child...I know how to amuse myself and not feel lonely.  But for six years I didn't have to cook!  My mom made dinner most of the time.  The only thing I handled was my lunch and meager breakfast.  If I wanted to cook I could, but honestly the motivation wasn't there.  Occasionally I would put together a meal and I had no problem baking, but when I came home from work, there usually was something in the house for me to eat and the most I had to do was warm it up.

So I find myself in my new place and I have to cook.  I'll be honest, the first few weeks I started staying here, I ate my meals at my parents' place.  I didn't even want to plug in the refrigerator or stove because if I wasn't planning to cook, then those appliances didn't need to be sucking up electricity.  Eventually, the time did come for me to make a meal and I made quesadillas and guacamole. GUACAMOLE!! Yes, I made an item on my Resolution list.  Admittedly, it wasn't the best.  I didn't have anything to properly mash up the avocados, but the flavor was there and I ate it. ha!

Since then I've really been impressing myself.  I made coconut curried chicken with pineapple served over rice that was DA BOMB!  I tasted it and was shocked by how good it was...it was restaurant quality y'all!  And again, this was an item on my Resolution list.   

But I've noticed that even the scraps that I've been throwing together taste pretty good. Just today I had a very simple meal that consisted of a salad, a piece of Texas toast and something that I'll just call turkey stuff. LOL  It was crumbled ground turkey breast with onions, garlic and red peppers, then I added some tomato sauce. The meal was simple and yet so flavorful and satisfying! 

I'm no one's Top Chef, but I can hold my own in the kitchen and the more I do cook, the better I get. Soon I'll invite y'all over for dinner.  ;-)

Ok...I've got a Resolution

So I've been thinking about my New Year's Resolution, or rather I've been trying to come up with a resolution for 2011.  Last year my resolution was to make a new dish each month, and up until October, I did!  My items included a Pepper Steak, Spinach Stuffed Zucchini, Black Beans and Rice, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Two Pasta Dishes, and Mashed Potatoes.  Even though I didn't make something for the final three months of 2010, overall, I did cook more.  I actually make Black Beans and Rice on a pretty regular basis now.  So with that I mind, I've decided to focus on food again for 2011. 

This year, I will learn to cook dishes that I love to eat, but obviously, don't know how to make.  I'm not going to force myself to cook one of these each month, but the overall goal, before 2012 rolls in, is to cook all of the following:

1. Creamed Spinach
2. Pulled Pork
3. Guacamole
4. Macaroons
5. Tres Leches Cake
6. Coconut Curried Chicken
7. Enchilada Suiza
8. Tiramisu
9. Carmine Pizza (I'm determined to figure out a version of Bertucci's pizza that I can make for myself)
10. Baked Potato Soup

If you've got any recipes for any of these delectable items...send them my way!

I'm working out regularly again...but it's not my New Year's Resolution

We're at the very beginning of the New Year and you know what that means...RESOLUTIONS! This is the time when many people resolve to lose weight, watch what they eat and get back in shape. I haven't made weight loss my resolution for the New Year, but I am on the "Special K (lose up to 6 lbs) Challenge" for two weeks, and I'm getting back in to my gym routine again, after taking a few weeks off to rest my left hip.  I was getting physical therapy on my hip...apparently I have/had hip bursitis and a pelvis that was misaligned.

Anyway, in recognition of all these people who are bombarding the gym right now and will likely fall off by March, if not sooner, I'm going to list a few helpful hints that will make you the ideal gym-goer.  The gym regulars, like myself, will encourage and motivate, but only if you take my advice.

Locker Room Etiquette

1. Do not choose a locker that is immediately next to, above or below a locker that is already occupied. Why would you want to be that close to someone? You don't want to be standing next to or below someone who's sweaty and smelly after a long workout, do you? Create a buffer zone. 
2. Don't parade around completely naked. Towels are available (usually)...so use them! This goes for whether you are fit and toned or fat and mushy...cover up!
3. If, after you leave the shower, you notice lots of hair around the drain that wasn't there before...NEWSFLASH...it's your hair!  Get a paper towel, pick it up and take it away.  There is something about seeing someone else's wet hair around a drain that is really gross and it totally freaks me out.  Don't make others freak out, just wipe up your shed hair and keep it moving.
4. Connected to #2...don't squat and towel down facing people. Turn toward the locker, or, here's a novel idea, dry off right by the shower! No one wants to look at you naked in the first place and certainly not while you are bending and squatting to dry off your private areas. ICK!!

Gym Floor Etiquette

1. Wipe down the machines...  I don't like my own sweat, so I definitely don't like your sweat.  Wipe it away before you go to another machine.  Plus, don't you want to stop the spread of those nasty super germs that live and grow at the gym??
2. Similar to L.R.E. #1, if the gym is not busy, do not choose the treadmill, elliptical or bike that is immediately next to someone else unless there is something wrong with a machine that is a spot or two away.   This isn't the starting line of the NYC Marathon, there is no need to be on top of someone, and or spying on their speed and time to see if it's worse (or better) than yours.  Spread out...do your own thing!
3. In the stretching area, don't be the person who stretches out perpendicular to everyone else, thereby taking up 2/3 more space than you need.  You mess up the parallel pattern and make everyone nervous.
4. If you're not a trainer, don't tell someone they are exercising incorrectly.  **MEN, please take note of this**  It's creepy to think that you are watching someone so closely that you now think you can school them on their exercise moves. If the person isn't harming his or her body while doing the exercise, MIND YOUR BUSINESS or ask a trainer to give some advice. 

There might be few more "rules" that will come up, but this should be good to get your started and surely, if you ever work out with me, I won't be annoyed by you. :)  Happy Working Out!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

New Year, new blog, very short post! More to come but I couldn't start 2011 without posting something.

Get ready for the continuation of my saga...