Ahhhh

I’m aware that I haven’t been giving you much of “MAM’s reason why” and more “MAM’s activity updates”, but I’m just having so much fun and want to tell someone! I promise that I have some interesting pieces coming to you after the New Year. In the meantime, this is my new post.

Well they had a white Christmas in Missouri, but the snow arrived in New York a day late. It sure made up for its late appearance by piling 18” of the white stuff on Manhattan. I was happy to have the day off work to play in it, but being stuck in two different cabs with no option but to walk in the frigid weather…not so much. I wanted to capture its beauty while it still has a “blanket” effect on the city. As we all know it will turn to a salty, muddy mess by tomorrow and we’ll be seeing the remnants of the black plowed frozen snow-gunk on side of the streets for a LONG time (those piles never seem to melt).

                   F baby in Rockafeller for Sunday Snowy Fun Day

Of course we made a stop in Godiva for gigantic chocolate covered strawberries- YUM!

           My street walking home from Sunday Funday

         And my patio the next day. I think you can call this "snowed in"

              I think he might need a nice ice scraper. Don't you?

   Enjoying my day off in Central Park. I have a photo in the same spot from last summer. Love the contrast!

WOW

What an absolutely amazing, exhausting, action-packed week I've had! My dad came in to visit and it was his first trip to bustling NYC from rural Missouri. I think he was a little uneasy dealing with the masses of people at first, but he no doubt acclimated himself very quickly. He’s not a shy one and actually had a blast talking to everyone he could on the subway…and embarrassing me with this most of the time!  The trip couldn't have come at a better time either. It was my birthday weekend so he was able to meet a lot of my peeps AND there’s nothing better than the holidays in New York.

Then, I had my birthday dinner last night and it suddenly dawned on me that I am SO darn blessed! My crew is the coolest...seriously. My 27^th was one of the best yet!

With all the action the past two weeks, I’m several hours behind on sleep so I think I’ll hibernate the rest of the week. We’ll see if that sticks though. Gotta be rested for the MO besties flying in next week for NYE!

FIRST WEEKEND OF DECEMBER

What a wonderful weekend I had!

Friday night was filled with fun, friends, F’s 30^th birthday party, ear-splitting music, and free flowing booze.

Saturday entailed relaxation, spending time with nature, visiting with my (not mine but the animal in general) beloved horses, indoor swimming/tennis, and having super enlightening conversations with one of the most incredibly successful financiers and notable philanthropists, George Soros at his estate in Westchester County. Mr. Soros’s political views, for the most part, differ from mine; but I’ve come to realize that while I have my beliefs, they are better demonstrated when I actually listen carefully to those who have opposite perspectives. I have been guilty of finding more pleasure in conversations with those who are like-minded to my viewpoint because we could fire back and forth about how right we are and how wrong they are. However, it also made me ignorant to the other side’s point and therefore making me less able to competently debate my side. So, I didn’t do a lot of talking for once. I did do a lot of listening. Mr. Soros is a brilliant man. He’s 80 years old and is an avid tennis player and his mind is as sharp as they come. While there has been a bout of recent controversy regarding his philanthropy in the middle east vs. Israel, it would be unfair to say he has ill-intentions. Stepping back and looking at the big picture, I can see both sides. Being that I don’t fancy political warfare, I’ll just leave that…at that.

Sunday was low-key as I prefer my Sundays to be. I spent most of the day throwing out worthless papers I’d accumulated over the years, brainstorming decorating ideas for my apartment, and grabbing some grub in my new hood with Greerface.

I’d say that’s a good weekend…indeed. 

SMALLTOWN, USA

I've said this more than once and questioned it on numerous occasions, but how can Manhattan feel so similar to a small town all the time? I had a conversation on this topic last night and several others said they feel the same way, so that confirmed that it isn’t just my mind making something out of nothing. Seriously, passing friends on the street, going to a party and finding that “6 degrees of separation” is really like 2 here, etc.

I was invited to a birthday party last night and upon walking in, I was pretty astonished to see my own friends there. Not just friends that all knew each other, but ones that I knew and they didn’t know each other. When I was introduced to the birthday girl, we both realized that we actually knew each other too. We met at a dinner party a couple months prior and had a deep conversation on love and life, got distracted talking to others across the room, and one of us must have parted before exchanging information.

Missed connections have better odds of uniting again in Manhattan than in, say Missouri or a real Smalltown, USA. We Manhattanites also randomly run into our peeps on this 23 square mile island in which +1.6 million people call home. That’s weird though. Cool…but weird. 

NEW TWITTA ACCOUNT

User Name: MAMS00


FOLLA!

THANKSGIVING 2010

‘Tis the season to give thanks. I especially felt the need to give a shout out of my thanks this year,  because God knows I have SO much to be thankful for. Even though I found myself toughing out many struggles recently, I am truly blessed that with those struggles, I found more strength within myself than I knew I ever had. My attitude had become self-defeating. As of late,  I wanted to accomplish certain objectives on my own, but lost the confidence that I actually could do them alone. I’d always considered myself a strong woman, but after months of emotional wreckage, the only strong part left was the exterior; leaving the inside a little broken and scrawny.

But funny how life throws you a sucker punch, and those ever-instilled fight or….’er fight responses kick in. The flight response doesn’t really apply to most situations we deal with. What are you going to run from? Whether you stay or leave, the world keeps turning and your existence still exist, with or without your willingness to participate. An analogy for life would be that it’s a game that you are taught to play. The only thing is that there are no forfeits or time-outs. Hopefully the coach was thorough enough to show you how to win and not to just “run the bases”. My point is, every time I find myself in a predicament with no choice but to fight, I also find this amazing strength within. A strength so powerful that I sometimes look back a few days later and think, “Wow, I accomplished all that on my own?”

I guess this further proves that the saying “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” really is true. I’ve never been fond of people saying that to me when I felt the shadows of walls closing in on me, but then there’s the good ole’ “sometimes the truth hurts”.

In closing, even as I chop down these mental barriers I actually built myself, I wont pretend (or do I want to) that I don’t have one of the best support teams a girl could ask for. God has blessed me with an extraordinary group of friends and a family that has shown me that no matter what the circumstances are, I can look over and they will still be standing on my side in the end.

For Thanksgiving, I give thanks to those friends for being in my life. Each and every one of you bring something unique and special to the table and I can only hope that I can do the same for you. I give thanks to my loving family. Mom, for listening to the long phone calls when I feel in despair and the times of joy I’m glad I can share with you. Dad, for your words of encouragement, making me promise you I will actually learn from my mistakes this time (I promise you again!), and for booking a ticket to come see me in a time I need you the most. Matt, for being such a protective big brother and listening to me when I am terribly upset and when I am able to share stories of elation, and for making me laugh when I come home by making fun of my newly adopted mechanisms (that weird drunken New York accent, saying “right?” in response to comments, etc). My sister Melissa, for your straight forward approach in getting me to open up and feel comfortable telling it as it really is, for your heart-felt messages to me, and for consistently showing me how much you care. Nick, for making me smile every time I speak to you on the phone because of your very 9-year old southern accent and reminding me how much you are a Dad Jr. when you intentionally say things that you think will annoy me. To the grandparents and extended family, I am thankful for you all!  Last, I cant leave out my employer as they recently helped me accomplish a goal I’d been set out to do for a while.

THANKS TO GOD, FAMILY,  AND FRIENDS FOR BEING THE BEST DAMN CREW ANYONE COULD ASK FOR. I LOVE YOU ALL.

DUST YOUR SHOULDERS OFF

Hello to all of my “followers who lead”!

Upon recent moments of clarity, new beginnings, fresh outlooks, and great ideas; I decided to take up unfinished projects and devote more time to the ones I’ve somewhat abandoned….one of those is the neglected MAMSREASONWHY blogspot! I have a lot to say, entertaining experiences to share, and most “notes to self” will be “notes to you”.

Stay tuned to see what I mean!

Rest in Peace Lovely

Another friend was lost Halloween night and the reason she is gone could have been prevented. Please be conscious that we are not invincible friends! We all are in this life to have a good stay and good times. There's always a limit.
May you rest in peace Gina Sachi Cody. You were so young, an insanely talented photographer, one of the most free-spirited women I've met, and highly respected by so many people. You are already sorely missed. You have your wings now Angel and you are free...xx

MAM's BUCKET LIST OF TRAVELS

After a few brief moments of pondering, I’ve come up with a list of feasible trips I’d like to conquer before moving on from “Earthling” status. It looks a little something like this: 

• Ski the slopes in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (it just sounds way more exciting than Colorado right?) 
• Take surfing lessons in Costa Rica 
• Forget my worries and find my inner Zen in Bali, Indonesia 
• Visit the wineries in the mountains of Chile 
• Raft the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon 
• Snorkel the coral reefs off the Australian coast 
• Do the tango in Argentina 
• Try new and exotic tapas plates in Barcelona, Spain 
• Iceland is listed the most peaceful place in the world. The US is ranked in the bottom third. I want to go to Iceland too.

* This list is in no particular order.

Not appropriate

Clipping your fingernails on the subway is absolutely unacceptable.

 Whats that you say? That's a no-brainer? Well, I just had my THIRD encounter of observing a straphanger clipping their claws, while listening to that 'busting through thick nails' click, and watching them fall into the floor. If I've witnessed this three times, it has to be more common than one would think. Yow!

I was getting ready this morning while listening to my beloved CMT Music videos. And while I've heard the song before, I never really listened to the words. I love the lyrics. Its by Lee Brice and its called "Love Like Crazy". I  He may have something here!

just ask him how he did it
he'll say pull up a seat
it'll only take a minute
to tell you everything

be a best friend
tell the truth
and over use i love you
and go to work
do your best
don't out smart your common sense
never let your praying knees get lazy
and love like crazy

MISSOURI TRIP...BOOKED!

Hey, Long Island City ain't so bad eh?

I TOOK THESE SHOTS LAST WEDNESDAY. I THINK I'LL BE SPENDING A LITTLE MORE TIME OVER HERE NOW THAT I'VE DISCOVERED THE HIDDEN BEAUTY...RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM MY OFFICE. 

There are many times in life when you find yourself at a crossroads. Funny how these crossroads approach at the damnedest times. You can go left or right. Neither road indicates the final destination and there’s a 50/50 chance one could lead to ultimate bliss or ultimate hell. How do you choose? Can you turn around if you’ve chosen the wrong path? Just choose the road to follow your heart…and here’s why:

You and I can seek out all the advice in the world, from both younger advisors who probably have never been in your shoes but will help you out with what “seems” most logical, and more mature advisors who can help with stories of the tried and true. However, the situation is yours. It’s YOU that will deal with the final resting place of that decision and while its smart to take into consideration all of these suggestions, you gotta be willing to go against the grain if that’s what your intuition is urging you to do. I don’t know about you, but I have found myself in a position (and more than a few times) where it’s a battle of Brain vs. Heart. The Brain is the player of logic and reason. The Heart is the player of passion and feeling. I don’t know where the saying originated, but we've often been told when trying to make a tough decision to “follow your heart”. Regardless of its origination, I choose to believe that the Heart won’t steer you wrong. While the Brain he seems to have more common sense, he fails to recognize empathy and emotion. Being that we’re human, those factors just can’t be dismissed.

I decided to get a penny for my thoughts on this today, because I’ve found myself at a fork in the road. The odds are stacked against me, but something deep inside is telling me that I’ve come to the right conclusion. Out of all of this, I’ve found the strength to move forward and the confidence in myself to back it up.

Nevermind the nay-say’ers group. Believe in yourself and then others will follow. 

Thanks to my mother for her support, God knows I need it

Here are two lovely prayers that pretty much sum it up for me:

The Serenity Prayer  God grant me the serenity  to accept the things I cannot change;  courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.  Living one day at a time;  Enjoying one moment at a time;  Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;  Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;  Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life  and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen.

If someone asked me to show them a beautiful person, inside and out, I would bring them Sabrina. Her smile, her laugh, her voice, her advice and dating stories, Thursday happy hours, dancing to the music of our mutual love Britney Spears, and her never-faulting genuine friendship will be forever cherished. Words cannot not express how much emptier my world is without Sabrina (AKA Sabs, Sabarina).  I love you Sabrina…always.

Last weekend, the girls got together for dinner to wish Ms. CRF farewell as she is movin' on up to RI.We will all most definitely miss her dearly here in NYC! Although, I cannot tell a lie and I am SIKED to have such a good reason to frequent Newport this summer. Hello to gorgeous, New England summer weekends!

 

Love this!

We cant go on together...

I heart Springtime

I used to live in Battery Park and in the warmer months, I think it’s the most tranquil and beautiful neighborhood of Manhattan. I was once told that when you take personal pictures without people in them, they are only looked at once. However, I can’t help but to take pictures just like that everytime I find myself strolling the BP hood. Here are some I captured last weekend…and I know that you will only care to look at them once!

I came home on Wednesday to find a Fed Ex package with my name on it. It was from a ‘Phil Biacct’ in PA…no clue who that is. I wasn’t expecting a package and of course, I was cautious in opening it. Anthrax? An early April Fools stunt? After slowly opening the box and peering in to spot the contents, I was shocked to find a brand new digital camera! Who in the hell was this from?! Well, in the bottom of the box was a small note on Bloomingdale’s letterhead that read, “Congratulations on winning Bloomingdale’s Smile Photo Contest! Enclosed you will find one (1) FUJI FILM Z270 Digital Camera. Enjoy!”

Holy cannoli! What a FABULOUS surprise. About a month ago, I was online and saw an advertisement to win a camera by submitting a photo of myself smiling with someone or something that made me happy. So I did…and won! Precious Zoey who is back in Missouri gets 60% of the credit though because she’s in it!

VERY INSPIRING...THANKS BRO FOR SHARING :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA&feature=youtube_gdata

A list for the right love...according to "them"

Dating Trait #1: He listens to you

The best way to know if Mr. Next is interested in (and worthyof) being a candidate for Mr. Right? He listens to you. You'll know he's listening when he shows genuine concern, consistently remembers things you've told him (your birthday, favorite food, best friend's name, etc.), and offers emotional support in honest and thoughtful ways.

Dating Trait #2: He connects with you easily

We've all been in those relationships that take W-O-R-K (and suck the life force out of us in the process). When a relationship works on its own, it feels effortless, easy, and fluid. You don't have to force anything, forgive anyone, or turn a blind eye to red flags or gut-twisters. Instead, you communicate and collaborate with comfort, compatibility, and undeniable chemistry. If and when you experience this kind of interaction, you are on to something really special.

Dating Trait #3: He wants the real you

So often, women feel the need to sacrifice some part of themselves to make a relationship work. In the right relationship, there's no need. You don't have to hide, tone down, or apologize for any aspect of you or your fabulous life. With the right partner, you're not only able to be yourself, but you're better able to be the best version of your most authentic self -- no compromises needed.

Dating Trait #4: He's trustworthy

A relationship without trust is doomed from the start. But a relationship with abundant trust? A fabulous foundation for real and lasting love! Built over time, trust is based on the simple belief system that your partner has your best interests at heart and will never intentionally hurt you (and vice versa). If and when you discover that Mr. Next is 100 percent trustworthy, you'll have no trouble giving your heart to him. In return, he'll most likely give you his heart and pave the way for a lasting, loving relationship to unfold.

Dating Trait #5: He enriches your life

In the wrong relationship, your partner tears you to emotional shreds, brings you down, and in general drains your energy. In the right relationship, he enriches your life, inspires you to be your best self, and brings a sense of peace and possibility to you. You'll know Mr. Next is enriching your life if and when he encourages and supports you professionally, personally, and spiritually. And when he does, he may just be Mr. Right!

Does your Mr. Next possess all five qualities? If so, congratulations! You have done your homework, chosen wisely, and are now well positioned for relationship success.

If not, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back into the dating pool with a clearer understanding of who you want to date. Remember, finding your life partner isn't always easy, but by being clear, honoring yourself, and acting accordingly, you'll cut down on wasted time with Mr. Wrong and Mr. Next, and ultimately make room for Mr. Right.

Courtesy of Candy Thompson

In case you didn't know: Women are Angels. And when someone breaks our wings, we simply continue to fly...on a broomstick! After all, we ARE flexible...

 haha- I love that!

Amen Sister!

“The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.”

Maureen Dowd

Ahhh daydreaming of Missouri summers....

Esta verdad? Si.

"Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence." - H.L. Mencken

Yes sir, we have goat cheese, feta, and human cheese

Listen, I'm a cheese fanatic and I would be inclined to try a variety of exotic or bizarre cheeses available. BUT, I will draw the line at cheese made from human breast milk. No, Chef Daniel Angerer,  I will not eat your wife's breast milk cheese! It will never happen.

I wonder which wine they will suggest to compliment this one.

Check out the story happening right here in NYC.

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2010/03/klees_daniel_angerer_invites_y.html?e=grubstreet--20100302

Gotta love it...