bday 2009

sometimes i post a list of stuff i want for my birthday on this blog. do you know what i want for my birthday this year? i want to spend time with the people i care about - my family and friends. let's go out to dinner, or see a concert, take a hike, or catch a movie. i have enough stuff. but i've had kind of a lonely year, and i'd really like for that to go away sometime soon. that's really all i could ask for.

Go Away, Dalai Lama

My only motivation for posting today is to get that picture of me and the Dalai Lama off my frontpage. I hope this post is enough to do it. So let's see. What have I been up to lately.

Well, about a week ago I got promoted at work. So that's kind of nice. Although it gives me that icky feeling that I somehow have everyone fooled that I give 2 cents about finance, when really I could care less. And yet I've been promoted. Seeing the disconnect here? I guess it's just about the fact that even though I don't care, I still give it my all. How I manage to do that I'll never know. I'm still waiting for inspiration to strike. Where are you my perfect job??

I've been reading quite a bit lately. I just finished Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire, also the author of the more widely read Wicked which I read last year. I really enjoyed Stepsister. As the back-story of Cinderella, it spins a dark, gritty reality that brings the fairy tale down to a relatable level. No longer is Cinderella a poor unfortunate child who was taken advantage of by her evil step-mother, but rather, a petulant self-centered child who let life take advantage of her, rather than ever attempting to chart the course of her own destiny. Her run in with the prince was constructed by one of her step-sisters in an attempt to save her from a life of ruin. I recommend it as a quick, entertaining read. Just before that I finished Life of Pi by Yann Martel, which IMHO deserves all the praise it's been getting. A fascinating examination of the implications of the food chain! :) I'm currently working on The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, which has been on my 'to read' list for ages. It was a gift at last year's Hanukkah celebration. Speaking of Hanukkah, I'll have plenty to read when I'm finished with Bees. My brother gave me several new ones on my to read list last night at our family's much-belated Hanukkah celebration. I received Neuromancer, I am Legend, and The Woman Who Walked Into Doors, by William Gibson, Richard Matheson, and Roddy Doyle respectively. I'll admit a little ashamedly one of the reasons I'm so keen to read Doyle is that J.K. Rowling cites him as her favorite author. I'm eager to see if I find any stylistic similarities in their works.

So that's reading. Let's see. I also finally gave in about 2 weeks ago and downloaded I-Tunes. The Queen of all illegal internet downloading has thrown in the towel. Tired of switching sites every few weeks as they get shut down, tired of hoping I was getting the radio edit, but actually getting the Live edit, tired of poor sound quality. These were my reasons (plus a fully exhaustive list I'll spare you) for just deciding to make the switch. I was so pumped the first week, and gleefully downloaded 37 songs. Then I looked at my playlist and thought, "Gee, even though I like all these songs were they really worth $40?", then "I can't believe I just spend $40 on something completely intangible." then "Oh man, I miss free downloading." Although it is nice to hear songs completely free of pops and clicks and to not have to fill in tons of tag information for them on my own in order to get them to sort appropriately on my mp3 player. So I guess there are pros and cons to both legal and illegal downloading. My wallet regrets the choice, but in the end it'll probably be worth it. Some of the songs I am obsessed with right now: "Take You There" by Sean Kingston, "Piece of Me" by Britney Spears, "Don't Stop the Music" by Rhianna, and "Sexy Lady" by Yung Berg. I am in a HUGE pop swing right now. I go back and forth in wide swaths of genre. I just finished about 4 months of being stuck on Q104.3 (classic rock) and being nauseated by any other music station. Now, suddenly as a lighting strike, I have an insatiable appetite for pop. Funny, eh?

OH! I don't think I ever posted about this in October, but I bought a new car. I sold the Sentra to my brother, who's car was totaled by a driver who fell asleep and hit it on the street where it was parked. I bought a Nissan Versa. It looks basically just like this:



I LOVE IT! It's so cute and tiny, but still really spacious inside. And my insurance company (USAA) hooked me up with one of their preferred dealers who gave it to me at cost + $300. So it's got all these crazy features I never would have gotten if I actually had to pay for them but are REALLY nice to have. It's got built in bluetooth, so I don't have to talk on the phone any more or even use a headset. The calls come through over my car speakers. Which, by the way, include a BOSE subwoofer. If I turn the bass up all the way it's a bit deafening. My other favorite feature is "Intelligent Key." It's that sensor in your keys where your car can tell if the key is within 3 feet of the car and it will automatically unlock if you push a button on the door handle. It makes carrying the groceries out to the car SO MUCH EASIER. I no longer have to shift all 10 bags to one hand while digging around in my purse or my pocket to find the keys. Plus, were I ever alone in some dank parking garage being pursued by a kidnapper or rapist, I wouldn't have one of those 'movie' moments where the keys fall underneath the car and I'm blindly reaching around for them while the killer pulls me back out by my ankles. So it's all good. His name (my car) is Eugene Morris Jerome. After one of my favorite plays "Brighton Beach Memoirs." When I first got the car it screamed NWM (nerdy white male) to me, but at my brother Seth's urging I waited a few months before naming him. But Eugene just stuck!

Anyway, I'm sure there's lots more I could write about everything under the sun, but I'm trying to make a 1:15 showing of "Atonement" at my local theater so I must go. It's oscar season so that mad movie seeing pace has begun. Ta-ta for now!

Some US Open Pics

Sunday I went with my family to the 3rd (for Men) and 4th (for Women) round of the US Open. My Dad's friend manages Arthur Ashe stadium. He gave us AMAZING seats. On my ticket stub (which I shall save forever) it says "courtside box." I used multiple exposure mode on my camera to take most of the pics below.

Venus Williams Serving:








Rafael Nadal serving:






Serena Williams serving:





The fam:



It was a really fun day.

John Larroquette

Taking a cue from wonderturtle, this blog decides to (ironically or not) adopt one of its favorite character actors. We had a hard time choosing, and we think in the end our selection was biased based on all the episodes of West Wing we've been watching lately. Regardless, Run Bethie Run chooses John Larroquette. John Larroquette of a long stint on Night Court, a (so far) short stint on Boston Legal, 5 emmys, and various tv show guest appearances fame. My favorite of these guest appearances is when he threatens to kill John Spencer (a.k.a. Leo) with a cricket bat in an episode of West Wing. This fabulous moment is captured here. Apparently this is many other people's favorite John Larroquette moment, as when he's google searched, it's the third result! Also, he speaks loudly and carries a big stick, and you know you can never go wrong with that bit!!

I'm going to the US Open today with my family, which I'm totally pumped about. But hopefully I'll be back later, because I have a new movie review: Dial M for Murder.

Cookies and Such

Did you know that 1 girl scout tagalong cookie is 2 points? I find this offensive. I love tagalongs. How dare they be so pricey in points! In light of this new information, the rate at which I was able to stuff these down my throat as a child now seems quite alarming. Each cookie hold 75 calories and 5(!) grams of fat. 5 grams in one cookie! Madness!

Life is going to be insanely busy in the next few weeks. I am participating in 3 swaps for craftster, and organizing a 4th. I will be making all of the Morris Knolls GSA t-shirts for AIDS walk on May 20th. I'm having a dinner party on Friday for my fellow analysts from work. My family celebrates mother's day and 2 birthdays in the month of May. Craziness!

Soooooo much

Ok, I stink. I haven't updated in a million years. And I have so much to say! I think that's why, actually, because I can't face all the updates I have to give.

Let's see, first off - Storey you can definitely yell at me this weekend. You are totally right. I suck. I just didn't know the rules with business vs. socializing when away on the company dime, plus I was super busy. We would have been diner-ing it at 2 in the morning or something (which would have been fine, which is why I suck). :-( So sorry!!!

Ummm, cooking! I have made a bunch of new recipes lately, including Chicken Tetrazzini, soy-honey-ginger steak, honey roasted asparagus, and more. But I won't bore you with those now, but (theoretically) post them at some later date (haha).

Sports! I am SO EXCITED FOR THE RANGERS!!! I have watched every minute of every playoff game so far, and am feeling like something of a Rangers expert these days. My new favorite is the youngin Ryan Callahan. Just a solid workhorse, it seems to me. And has made a few really clutch plays at unexpected moments. Though much must also be said of [relative] newcomer Avery - we really really needed someone to be the "hey-you're-not-going-to-push-us-around" guy, and he is just that. I'm actually writing this in between periods 1 and 2 of game 4 tonight. I'm sort of glad it's not turning out to be the same sort of slaughter as last night. I think the sweep will be even sweeter if we have to work for it! Btw, I love the "Bobby Granger" rangers commercials - they're hilarious!

Work has really been picking up in pace lately and it's been a bit stressful, but I'd rather be busy than bored (as I think I've said before). Getting ready to start thinking about what I'll do with myself when my analyst program is up in July. I feel like I barely have enough room in my head to even start though, let alone devote a substantial amount of meditation (which is what I really should do.) Moving on.

I've seen some pretty good movies since I last posted. Supersize Me (long overdue) was as important as people said, but not quite as 'shocking' as I was expecting from the hype. Stepford Wives premise was a little far-fetched for me (the woman turns into an ATM, and then is A-OK to become herself again, just like that?) but was still cute overall with some fun performances (especially from Bette Middler.) The Notebook - I LOVED this movie. It was sad, but also so beautiful and meaningful. The lead actor, Ryan Gosling (who when bearded is a Christian Bale clone, btw) was not so good, but I thought Rachel McAdams performance was quite feeling. The cinematography was top notch, and the early romantic scenes were much enhanced by it. All around goodness. I should read the book by Nicholas Sparks now. I also saw Big Night, which my parents have said for years is one of their favorites, but I wasn't so impressed.

Oh, news! My mom was published! Well, sort of. Indirectly. Her friend Gail Brenner wrote a book called "Women's Rites of Passage" for which my mom wrote a story about her midwife birth of my brother. Gail ended up not using the whole story verbatim, but rather, pieces of it. But she gives my mom's name in the book. So that's pretty cool for my mom. She's actually an excellent writer (clearly I missed out on that gene!) and I wish she would write more often!

I took a faboo vacation to Chicago with Keith. We went for a long weekend, Thursday to Sunday. We wanted to go to Miami (for Winter Music Conference) but it's too expensive in April (spring break and all) so we got super cheap tickets & hotel reservations for Chicago (where we had talked about going awhile ago). It was lots of fun. The museums weren't too busy (except for the Science & Industry Museum, where we missed out on tickets to go on the U-5 submarine.) There were literally maybe 20 people in the impressionist wing of the Art Institute (which has some of the best paintings of that movement.) We even got to take a Ferris Bueller esque photo by the statue of that guy with his arms crossed. We had an awesome dinner at Smith & Wollensky, though we missed out on a few jazz opportunities because of closed clubs, long lines and rain, and other things. But that was okay. We walked everywhere, and we really just loved the city so much. I think I'd like living there if it wasn't so damned cold in the winter. Just too much snow. But it was a great trip. 4 days was too short, and we'll have to go back again.

I have been devouring my latest issue of Ms. magazine (an awesome unexpected gift last birthday from my sister) and have paragraphs upon paragraphs to write about what I've read there, but I think I'll save that for the next entry too. The game is coming back on!

Crusted Honey Mustard Chicken

Had my parents over for dinner last night - grand old time. They really enjoyed seeing the apartment, and I enjoyed having some company! It was especially nice to have someone to eat with. Also nice for them to see that I really am living in a nice place. Hopefully it made them feel good to see that I am living comfortably and enjoying myself. And that it hasn't been a struggle to make it happen. I tried out a new recipe, and give it two thumbs way up!

Crusted Honey Mustard Chicken
POINTS: 7
SERVES: 4

2/3 cup lite honey mustard dressing
1/8 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dill, freshly chopped
1 medium scallion(s), finely sliced
1 cup cornflake crumbs
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4 oz pieces

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. In a small bowl, combine honey mustard dressing, salt, pepper, dill and scallions.
3. Place corn flake crumbs in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken breasts into dressing mixture, then corn flake crumbs. Place into shallow baking pan well coated with cooking spray.

4. Drizzle any remaining dressing mixture over chicken breasts.
5. Bake until chicken is golden and no longer pink, about 15 minutes.

I served this with twice baked feta-cheese potatoes, and some steamed broccoli with garlic.

Visit Picture and Else

Had a great time visiting with my cousins in Riverdale yesterday. I don't have too many cousins who are young so it's fun to play with kids every now and again. I took a bunch of pictures, but rather than subjecting you to all of them, I'll just throw one up here. That's my sister, brother, and cousins Henry and Lucy preparing for a group nap. As it turns out, the nap never happened. Henry perpetrated an alien invasion and Lucy's hand had a tug of war with my foot instead. And then chocolate chip cookies were brought out (baked by my excellent Mother) and all hope for a nap was lost. :-)

There was something else I wanted to post about today, but I can't remember what it is at the moment. Perhaps I shall post again if I remember. Somehow I think it had something to do with politics. Sigh. Mind of a sieve.

We lost

Gawd dang-it. But at least it was kind of an exciting game. Jagr's goal in the 1st period was a beaut, though I have to say that both goals scored by the Thrashers were kind of lame! One was a slow drift through Lundqvist's legs that he ended up turning around and tipping in with his stick (though it was going in anyway). The other showed an Atlanta player tap it in while deflecting it off Lundqvist's legs. There was a very exciting moment in the second period where Lundqvist had to face down a penalty shot (and did so successfully) because the ref decided Tyutin threw his stick forward to stop a Thrasher who was on a breakaway. Seth and I thought the call was dubious, though my Dad (who says he saw the replay on TV about 15 times) thinks it was definitely Tyutin's fault. Though he has some Tyutin issues anyway, and might be letting his bias get in the way. Anyway, Seth and I had a grand time despite the Rangers' loss.

More fun plans for today. My immediate fam (minus Aaron) are going into NYC to visit my cousins who just moved from Manhattan to the Bronx. It's really my Dad's first cousin, though I think of him as my cousin, and his wife and two kids. The kids (Henry and Lucy) are ADORABLE! I might have to post some pics when I get back. Actually I should be running, I'm late for my weight watchers meeting in Fairfield!!