chapter XVII

Really Good Movie

Looking for a really good movie?  Of course you are.  Well boot up that Netflix or Blockbuster account and add Ali Zaoua, Prince De La Rue.  It's part City of God (amazing movie) and part Hook (an unusual combination, I admit, but it really works).  It's a wonderful, sad, incredible story.  The only thing I want to know, is what happened to the boys in real life.  Anyone know?

I Love eBates

Just a little recommendation.  I started using eBates not too long ago and think it's one of the best tools out there.  I could blast all my friends with their Tell A Friend message, but that might be a tad obnoxious.  I am a fan of free money, and eBates is FREE MONEY.  Woo hoo!

It only adds one step to the process of online shopping.  Example: rather than starting at www.saks.com start at www.ebates.com.  From there go to Saks, shop as you normally would and lo and behold, a check arrives at your house a few months later with cash back from your purchase.  Oh yeah, and it has a nifty little pop up (I normally hate pop ups - this one is actually useful) that lists other promo codes for the store where you are shopping.  Badabing. 

And no, I am not getting paid for this!  I am simply recommending a cool service.  There is a lot of crap out there, and when I see something really great, I want to talk about it.

Count To Ten

Whatever you are doing right now, stop.  Close your eyes, focus on and count your next ten breaths.  That is all you have to do - focus on and count your next ten breaths. 

How many can you get to before your mind wanders to something else?

I do this occasionally throughout the day.  It's hard to get to ten.  But I always feel a little refreshed afterwards.

Act Your Age

We have had a pretty interesting weekend so far.  And thank goodness, since it's President's Day.  It would be depressing not to have a good weekend on President's Day.  Quick summary:

Dinner and drinks last night at The Stanton Social.  I need to link to this stuff since I tend to forget places I like and this is a good way to remember, so when friends come to town and ask "where should we go?" I now have a resource for creating an itinerary...and sounding cooler than I really am :-). 

After dinner/drinks we went for more drinks "vodka soda please" at The Back Room which is the old Lansky Lounge.  Fun place...would recommend.

Of course at this point (2:30AM) we were feeling peckish.   Nothing a Spicy Redneck cannot solve.  What, pretell, is a Spicy Redneck?  You can get one here.  We have a special fondness for this place because the Crif Dogs hot dogs were our first meal together as an engaged couple (we got engaged, had a bottle of champagne, got hungry and made a run for DAWGS).  If you are in NYC, and you like bacon and hot dogs...and in particular BACON WRAPPED HOT DOGS (indeed), do not hesitate.  Just go.  That is an order.  But don't tell.  And oh yeah, order the tater tots. 

And then we went to bed.  At something like 3AM.  Maybe later. 

And then I woke up (damn cats) and felt like I needed to shave my tongue.  God, I am too old for this (I said to my self as I sat up in bed, and I am SURE I heard God reply back "Yes dear, you are too old for this.").  But then the Big H made me an egg sandwich and a cup of tea (I normally drink coffee, but he made me tea.  Bless his heart...I know when to pick my battles and when to let things go.) and I was feeling human again.

So now we get to Saturday.   And on this particular Saturday we got a car!  We got a 2007 VW Touareg and we love it!  Now after a night of childish debauchery we feel like adults again.  It's one degree away from a station wagon, big enough to "haul" stuff and hold a dog (even though we don't have a dog.  but if we did, we could haul him).  This car rocks and we had a great time beating up the salespeople.  Best negotiation of my life so far I think.  There was blood on the floor by the time we left and it was not ours.  I think the manager may have actually cried.  Now we are feeling most sensible, smart and practical. 

So at the risk of feeling adult like for too long, we immediately took our new car home and got ready to go out (are you really still reading this?  it has to be incredibly dull for others...but I am liking this weekend so far and want to remember even the tiny details.  OK, if you insist...)

Saturday night 8:30PM we meet friends at Death & Co. for pre-dinner drinks.  I order something called a Company Hub and immediately know this is the kind of drink that puts hair on your chest.  Perfect.  I was looking for a new accessory. 

Off to dinner now to E.U. which was great (better than the review suggests).  The Big H knows the chef so he sent out a few extras that were terrific. 

We ended with a cheese plate.  And ice cream.  And fried dough with chocolate.  And Moscato.  One might say we gilded the lilly.

Then the crowd moved to a club/bar.  At this point, I was beginning to fade...my pumpkin had arrived.  I smooched the H goodbye, and hopped in a cab.  And here I am, recounting the weekend thus far.  He is still out with the crowd (someone has to represent the family) and I am happily now ensconced at home at 1:30 AM.

A good weekend thus far, I would say.  Wonder what tomorrow will hold... 

God willing...

God willing I am able to have a child, I would like to buy all relevant newspapers and magazines on his/her birthday and present them to said child on the 18th birthday.

I would also like to write update letters to said child, maybe monthly, capturing observations about said child's growth and development.