Friday, November 21, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The Silver Lining
I'm headed out on holiday to Hawaii today. There are a few silver linings to this giant hurricane cloud of economic doom hanging over us (aside from the sweet, sweet taste of schadenfreude) and one is that Hawaii is affordable. I'll try to post some pix of us at a volcano or making juvenile jokes about leis.
I watched our President-elect's press conference yday and noticed one of his advisors is the chairman of the board of my company. I have met him (the chairman) several times, including one memorable time in Davos when we were invited to dance with him, and he is quite possibly one of the coolest humans alive. He is a Republican, but apparently pulled a Joe Lieberman on McCain and supported O. Anyway, the 2 of them together in an administration might exceed nationally-recognized coolness limits - seriously I think if you took their body temperatures together they would not add up to 98.6.
The man has his own vineyard.
I rest my case.
I watched our President-elect's press conference yday and noticed one of his advisors is the chairman of the board of my company. I have met him (the chairman) several times, including one memorable time in Davos when we were invited to dance with him, and he is quite possibly one of the coolest humans alive. He is a Republican, but apparently pulled a Joe Lieberman on McCain and supported O. Anyway, the 2 of them together in an administration might exceed nationally-recognized coolness limits - seriously I think if you took their body temperatures together they would not add up to 98.6.
The man has his own vineyard.
I rest my case.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Guest blogger: Laura the Badmother
A new feature: my sister is guest-blogging today while I recover from the election. Ladies and Gents, put your hands together for Laura the Badmother.
Yes - I am recovering from the Disney orgy otherwise known as Disney on Ice. After watching an ice skating performance no better than when Rachel used to ice skate, and people literally throwing up money to purchase piece of crap plastic toys that light up, I wondered where did I go wrong as a parent that I am actually paying money for my daughter to be corrupted even further by Disney princesses. Although watching a five year old high as a kite on $10 cotton candy (yes, you get a crap crown with ears too)saying, "How do they balance like that?" is a plus. On the car ride home, I began to ponder where my downward spiral into horrible mother began. Driving in the rain I began to plan my redemption. I was going to take Soph out of public school, enroll her in Waldorf, sign her up to volunteer in a soup kitchen, and god forbid, join a church. My plans were interrupted by a voice from the 2nd row seat of the minivan. Sophia then said that if she were one of the Incredibles and she was able to have a super power she would pick the power "to make people's boo-boos go away."
Well - I must be doing something right. Good - I can't afford Waldorf anyway.
Yes - I am recovering from the Disney orgy otherwise known as Disney on Ice. After watching an ice skating performance no better than when Rachel used to ice skate, and people literally throwing up money to purchase piece of crap plastic toys that light up, I wondered where did I go wrong as a parent that I am actually paying money for my daughter to be corrupted even further by Disney princesses. Although watching a five year old high as a kite on $10 cotton candy (yes, you get a crap crown with ears too)saying, "How do they balance like that?" is a plus. On the car ride home, I began to ponder where my downward spiral into horrible mother began. Driving in the rain I began to plan my redemption. I was going to take Soph out of public school, enroll her in Waldorf, sign her up to volunteer in a soup kitchen, and god forbid, join a church. My plans were interrupted by a voice from the 2nd row seat of the minivan. Sophia then said that if she were one of the Incredibles and she was able to have a super power she would pick the power "to make people's boo-boos go away."
Well - I must be doing something right. Good - I can't afford Waldorf anyway.
Friday, October 31, 2008
OMG OMG Election Fever!
I'm about to hyperventilate. I cant believe its almost over. I mailed my ballot yday and almost teared up. I need a holiday.
Anyway
Just got back from work trip to NYC. The election night set is gigantasaurus. I thought at first that it must be bigger than my apartment, but OF COURSE it is bigger than my apartment. Actually, it is so large, it is bigger than my last 3 apartments combined. If I liked the red white and blue color scheme more, I might ask to live there in lieu of my dwinding 401k. I could sleep under the exit poll desk, and put the kitchen in under the magic map. Wolf & Anderson would drop by every 2 years between the hours of 5p and 10p for a drink and a chat about politics.
I had a lovely dinner with my mom who happened to be in town. We ate a grownup restaurant called Dovetail on the Upper West Side. I was so broke the entire time I lived in NYC, but I imagined that people with real jobs who made real money ate at places like this. All tasteful neutrals on the walls and truffles on the plate. We ordered the tasting menu. Most of the food was very good (mmm brussell sprout, apple, pancetta & manchego salad and house smoked salmon wrapped around wasabi panna cotta amuse bouche) and some weak (grilled lobster and grapefruit appetizer and prime rib). Didnt rock my world, but a really nice dinner.
Other non-work distractions: I had coffee w Q (he's ok), and tromped out to Brooklyn in the pouring rain to meet the brand new Ben Kafka (he's cute). I guessed that the neighborhood has changed somewhat since I lived there, but WOW has it changed. There's a WINE BAR for chrissakes.
Anyway
Just got back from work trip to NYC. The election night set is gigantasaurus. I thought at first that it must be bigger than my apartment, but OF COURSE it is bigger than my apartment. Actually, it is so large, it is bigger than my last 3 apartments combined. If I liked the red white and blue color scheme more, I might ask to live there in lieu of my dwinding 401k. I could sleep under the exit poll desk, and put the kitchen in under the magic map. Wolf & Anderson would drop by every 2 years between the hours of 5p and 10p for a drink and a chat about politics.
I had a lovely dinner with my mom who happened to be in town. We ate a grownup restaurant called Dovetail on the Upper West Side. I was so broke the entire time I lived in NYC, but I imagined that people with real jobs who made real money ate at places like this. All tasteful neutrals on the walls and truffles on the plate. We ordered the tasting menu. Most of the food was very good (mmm brussell sprout, apple, pancetta & manchego salad and house smoked salmon wrapped around wasabi panna cotta amuse bouche) and some weak (grilled lobster and grapefruit appetizer and prime rib). Didnt rock my world, but a really nice dinner.
Other non-work distractions: I had coffee w Q (he's ok), and tromped out to Brooklyn in the pouring rain to meet the brand new Ben Kafka (he's cute). I guessed that the neighborhood has changed somewhat since I lived there, but WOW has it changed. There's a WINE BAR for chrissakes.
NY can sometimes feel like a Wes Anderson movie. Driving in from JFK, I had a Haitian cab driver listening to a radio show featuring Quebecois sea shanties. Seriously.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Rachel's Rules for Debt-Free Living
As of today, I am officially free of credit card debt. I still have a Kirsti-Alley-on-a weeklong-donut-binge-size mortgage on my flat in London, but still. I consider paying off my credit cards a major achievement. Forget Suze Orman, or any of those other money witch doctors: here are a couple of the crucial rules that helped free me of my credit card debt.
1. Dont buy shit. Dont buy "shit" as in crappy crap that you dont need and "shit" in the sense of dont buy anything at all, ever. Its hard, but you get used to it.
2. Marry a husband that can live off air and the flesh of small insects if the need arises. It helps that he (occasionally) has a job, but the fact that he doesnt seem to have any material desires whatsoever is helpful.
3. Make your parents pay for college. I did, and it works. It helped that I didnt get into any of the horrifyingly expensive private colleges I applied to and was forced to go to a state school, but now I'm just quibbling. They paid, and I came out of college able to wait long enough to get a job I actually like and pays me a fair amount of money. Which brings me to number 4.
4. Get a job that pays you a fair amount of money. Its nice to be a community organizer, but Obama was a community organizer and he's never been able to live it down. Become a banker. At least when you get laid off, you'll get a golden parachute.
1. Dont buy shit. Dont buy "shit" as in crappy crap that you dont need and "shit" in the sense of dont buy anything at all, ever. Its hard, but you get used to it.
2. Marry a husband that can live off air and the flesh of small insects if the need arises. It helps that he (occasionally) has a job, but the fact that he doesnt seem to have any material desires whatsoever is helpful.
3. Make your parents pay for college. I did, and it works. It helped that I didnt get into any of the horrifyingly expensive private colleges I applied to and was forced to go to a state school, but now I'm just quibbling. They paid, and I came out of college able to wait long enough to get a job I actually like and pays me a fair amount of money. Which brings me to number 4.
4. Get a job that pays you a fair amount of money. Its nice to be a community organizer, but Obama was a community organizer and he's never been able to live it down. Become a banker. At least when you get laid off, you'll get a golden parachute.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Bob
I wish I had a dog. A French Bulldog. I would name him Robert Downey Jr. and we would call him Bob for short.
These are funny (click here)
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