Describing Why Some Place Feels Like Home

One of the hardest types of essay questions I have in this application process is the "why is this place the right fit for you?" question. It's particularly difficult because I really just want to write, "Because it just feels right." and leave it at that. Unfortunately, of course, you're not supposed to write something so short, non-descript, non-explanatory, etc., etc., etc.... Total. Bummer.

Pick me, pick me!!

I am wrapping up my applications for business school. (Finally!) Keep your fingers crossed for me in a couple weeks, as the lovely people in four offices of admissions will be reviewing my materials then...

Holiday Traditions

I love the holidays and all the things that go along with them. In no particular order, here's a taste of what I love the very most:

- annual family cut-down-the-Christmas-tree event (see a scene from this year's event on the right; yep, that's a saw)

- hot chocolate from scratch for the aforementioned tree-cutting-down event

- excuses to try new recipes

- finding that perfect present

- bundling up in warm scarves and slippers at home

- fires in the fireplace

- seeing other knitters frantically trying to finish their projects on the subway

- time to be with friends and family

Health Scare

Dear reader(s), in case you've never met me or have developed sudden and severe amnesia, you should know that Guster is my dog. My trusty sidekick. My pal. You should also know that he's old. Very very old.

Over the weekend he had some sort of episode. He was shaking, shivering, panting heavily, unable to lie or sit down, and his heart was racing. This went on for over an hour. It had happened once before for about 15 minutes or so while I was at work, but this time I was there for the whole terrifying thing. Guster seems to have gotten over it, but it made me suddenly face his mortality in a way that I haven't before. Sure, he's got lumps all over and some may be cancerous, but this felt like an immediate danger.

I love my dog and I don't want to lose him. Not yet. On the other hand, he seemed so rattled by the experience that I began to worry about his comfort level. I want to do the best and most humane thing for him when the time comes. I hugged him and told him I love him, which in the end is probably the only thing I'll be able to do. Thank goodness that time wasn't this past weekend... a fact he underscored by jumping in the bathtub (the cat's litter box is there) later that day. For once, I gave him a big "Good dog!" for that.

A Little Spice in My Life

After making pumpkin muffins this morning with one of the small pumpkins we didn't use for Thanksgiving, I'm left with a cup or so of seeds that are aching for some seasoning. I toyed with the idea of making some very boring salted/roasted pumpkin seeds, but decided that the chile-lime flavored seeds Mom and I made a few years ago would be well worth the extra effort of walking the two blocks to the grocery store for a couple limes.

I also bought some cranberries at the farmers market last weekend and am looking forward to the finished cranberry sauce. Yes, I know Thanksgiving already happened -- it's just that I really like cranberry sauce on turkey sandwiches. I might try my hand at New England Cranberry Duff (think: buttery upside down cake with toasted pecans and cranberries) and cranberry ginger jelly.

And now for the completely unrelated news portion of this post... I'm very relieved after having taken my car into the shop yesterday and learning that I don't actually need new brake pads. Long story short: I got new brakes in April and since then my car has made a funny noise when the brakes are applied. Finally, spooked enough by the possibility that my car might not actually be safe to drive, I took the car in yesterday. Turns out it's not a safety issue at all and that the noise comes from the type of brake pads they used in April. The auto repair guys explained that they were trying to compete with lower prices from other brake shops in the area and so they used a different kind of brake pad. They're switching the pads and rotars free of charge at my earliest convenience. That's $400 that I don't have to worry about... What a relief!

Practice-Test Induced Depression

I just took a full-length practice test for the first time since I took the actual GMAT, and I did miserably--worse than when I took the test itself. I'm frustrated beyond belief and am trying to keep perspective. I think the plan at this point is to just keep taking full-length practice tests from now until Doomsday. Ugh.

Promise me this is gonna be worth it.

Test-Induced Anxiety

I'm a horrible test-taker. Horrible. And now I'm faced with something more than terrifying -- retaking the GMAT. By now I've figured out the methods behind the actual math part, but it's the time management piece that I just don't have. So, the vast majority of my spare time now revolves around practice tests and stop watches. Lucky me. On second thought, strike that. Wish me luck.

In other news, I'm reading a really wonderful book -- The Angel's Game. I highly recommend it. I don't want to tell you, dear reader(s), what it's about, but I assure that the author's ability to weave together a story is truly remarkable. Speaking of books, I'm back on the fence about getting an e-reader. There is some definite appeal when it comes to the size of the thing, especially in comparison to the heft of The Angel's Game. I'm also thrilled that the particular e-reader I want (the Sony PRS300) has a partnership with the New York Public Library. If there's one thing you should know about me, it's my love affair with libraries.

Well, back to my set of data sufficiency questions...

Worst. Blogger. Ever.

I think I win some kind of award for blog negligence. But all that is about to change, my friends. I have been blog-spying on my college buddies and the guilt has finally caught up with me. I also recently purchased a new camera and the guilt surrounding that has also caught up with me. (Although, to be fair, it must be noted that the camera is tiny and red. Who could resist?!)

Since we last left off, dear readers, I have acquired a new pet in addition to our fearless hero, Guster the dog. The new pet is an orangish cat named Georgie, who has a penchant for swatting knick-knacks off shelves, tables, desks, etc. He also licks things. He licks things like my books. Yes, you read that correctly, my ridiculous cat licks my books.

The other HUGE news is that tomorrow I'm taking the GMATs. I've also been reading a book on stress. I'll let you make the appropriate assumptions about my present state of mind.

Two in Blue

Oona and JJ and I have been doing a little bit of a photo scavenger hunt, but I have only two photos to contribute. And they're mediocre. At best. So, I recommend that you go check out their photos and stay tuned for our next hunt...

Citizens Bank Park



It would appear that watched pots do boil.

American Gladiator NYC Tryouts

Yesterday I accompanied a friend to tryouts for NBC's upcoming revival of American Gladiator. I think these pictures tell the story better than I can:





Number 26!
















Menacing!






















Some of the competition (or a plant?) being interviewed for Best Week Ever.




























This man is enormous. If he does not make it on the show, there is no hope for anyone.















Number 26 running back to her adoring fans after finishing the tryout.











Nap-time.

Bad Dog!

I'm on vacation. Yesterday I received an email from my mother -- who is caring for my dog while I'm away -- saying that my darling little dog devoured 3/4 of a lemon pound cake and six (6!!!!) cupcakes in the span of 10-15 minutes when nobody was home. BAD DOG.

Below is my artistic rendering of the carnage:

Rant: Casual Fridays

I have some beef with Casual Friday. My office is pretty casual normally, so we're always toeing a particularly faint line between business and casual attire, but Casual Friday comes along and whaps me in the face every single Thursday night. And, remarkably, every single Thursday night all the remotely acceptable casual clothes disappear from my closets. Which brings us to tonight's dilemma...

It's Thursday night. I have no clothes. I desperately want to wear jeans, but all appropriate buttondowns have already been worn this week. Wearing my beloved pirate t-shirt is not allowed. Tomorrow's going to be seasonably warm (it's been unseasonably cool for the past few days), which complicates things further. Oh, Casual Friday, why do you taunt me with your denim-acceptability policy?

I'd rather just have Casual Everyday or Casual Never. Bah-humbug.

Legomania

There is a slight... OK, not so slight... chance that I need to go to Legoland. Behold: LEGOLAND

I have rekindled my love of Legos because of one guy: Nathan Sawaya. He's hilarious and builds stuff all out of Legos. While this is not even close to one of his best sculptures, it's got a terribly funny story along with it, which I have shamelessly stolen from Nathan's website:

There once was a very young boy,
Who came up with an ingenious ploy:
He made a wish
For his name and a fish,
To be made from his favorite toy.

Unfortunately, his name was Steven.

So you do get an idea of his awesome work -- in addition to his brilliant sense of humor, I've shamelessly swiped another image from his site. Here it is, my gift... ahem, Nathan's gift... to you:

Coming Zune?

So, I've gotten myself a brand-spanking-new computer and am re-sold on PCs (sorry, Apple empire). I had been considering a MacBook for a while, but eventually decided that with the new features of Vista being so similar to those of OSX and the compatibility of PC accessories, a Mac just wasn't the right choice for me.

And what a choice I made! I love my computer (thanks for the tip, JJ) and have had such a good experience with Vista, that I'm feeling very pro-Microsoft. So much so that I'm considering trading in my iPod for a Zune. But the thing that finally pushed me over the edge was not the wifi capability, nor was it the brown/green color, not even the prospect of no longer dealing with iTunes. Instead, the final push was this.

Stay tuned...

Singing Costco's Praises

Note the beatific light shining down from the heavens in this photo (shamelessly "borrowed" from the Costco.co.uk):

If you know me, you know my love for Costco. It's true. I do. I was just listening to NPR's Car Talk and the hosts (Click and Clack, the Tappet brothers) were talking about the quality of gasoline from Costco... which got me thinkin'.

I started to make a mental list of all the things I use on a regular basis from my parents' local Costco. The list is staggering and shockingly incomplete, but also slightly amusing, so I thought I'd share.

- iHome alarm clock
- coffee beans and/or Senseo coffee maker (depending on the day)
- VHS/DVD combo player
- stereo
- various books in my bookcases
- my car (no joke)
- most flattering pair of designer jeans
- Guster's dog food
- Guster's bed and blanket
- ski jacket
- super-mega-deluxe AeroBed (for guests)
- sheets
- favorite sweater
- knife set
- digital camera
- hiking boots

And so on... I should also mention that Costco's per hour wage is significantly higher than its counterparts and the benefits package that full-time employees get is built around the philosophy that workers will stay if you keep them happy. Doesn't sound like the philosophies of a certain competitor. (Wal-Mart, ahem.)

I sound like an evangelist of sorts, but I'm truly impressed by the breadth and quality of Costco's offerings. And, while I try to buy locally wherever and whenever I can, for "big box" items, Costco seems hard to beat.

A Brief Brief on Bad TV (Briefly)

I admit that I have dreadful taste in both television shows and movies. A good portion of the weekends in my adult life (thus far) has been spent watching embarrassingly dreadful programming on the tube. And now, now that I have done something horrible and unknown to my back, I am spending even more time watching bad weekend television. It's pathetic. So pathetic, in fact, that I am hoping by posting this, I will be so shamed by my poor taste that I will turn to some more wholesome and yet still passive alternative... like reading... or finding a synonym for brief.

Foyer Photo

In my new apartment I have lots of blank walls because I'm not big on cluttering a space with pictures, but I do need more than what I have. So, I've decided that for the foyer (which is not nearly as big as "foyer" makes it sound, but I like saying "foyer") I need a picture and I want to print and frame a photo of Guster. He's a good-looking dog and deserves some space on my wall.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to help me pick out a picture. I've listed a few here and will post some more after this weekend -- provided I get some good shots.


(a) Run, Guster, run! -- needs to be cropped one the sides a little bit, too much grass.
















(b) Sleepy puppy










(c) Big yawn
















(d) Ennui
















(e) Slurrrrp! (The color's a little weird on this one, but maybe that doesn't matter. You tell me.)

Turning Light Green

So. I've been doing a lot of reading and a lot of thinking lately about carbon footprints, pet-safe household products, the caves the Hudson River glacier left across the street from my new apartment, recycling, and making fiscally-responsible choices. It feels like I'm discovering all of this information around the same time and taking it as an opportunity to reassess my life.

Now, if you know me well, you know that I used to shudder at the mere mention of the word "organic". No more! Thanks to Bark magazine, I learned that when it comes to household cleaners, paint, and flooring choices, organic means it's probably safer for my spoiled puppy. (I should mention that as I write this he is curled up in a doggie donut on the sofa next to me.) Which, in Bekah-speak, translates to "the word 'organic' is now a very good thing." After reading why organic is good for the dog, I started to read more to figure out why it's good for people. Besides those delicious pastries I get on Saturday mornings from the bread guy at the greenmarket a block over are organic and, boy, are they good!

Oversimplified, everything comes down to CO2 emissions -- the so-called carbon footprints we leave behind. Remember that hole in the ozone that in the 80's we were told not to widen by using hairspray? Yeah, that one. Now it's not just aerosol cans, it's a lot of things, but basically wasting energy or using products that require a lot of energy to produce leave a bigger footprint than if you use only what you need. The bigger carbon footprint you leave, the bigger you make the hole. Get it? OK. Moving along...

I already do my part to reuse: those blue New York Times bags come in very handy on walks with Guster, most of my cookware came from my mom's cupboards, my "new" year-old laptop is a hand-me-down from my dad, and I use cut-up tee-shirts instead of Swiffer rags. And I already do my part to reduce: I use CFL lightbulbs, I read the paper online instead of getting it delivered, I use Tupperware instead of baggies, I use a Brita pitcher instead of bottled water, and I am pretty good about bringing coffee from home in the mornings. As far as the third "R" goes, I've been horrible about seeking out the recycling barrels in the City, but, if you broaden the definition just a little, Guster is a recycled dog! All that is to say that I have been doing my part, but here's the catch: I was doing all that to save money. Hmm.

Once I started reading, I found that I could make a few more changes without sacrificing the stuff that I enjoy. 'Cause I'm not giving up showering to save water, that's for sure! For example, rather than using paper napkins at the office during lunch, I use a cloth napkin I bring from home. On the days that I wake up too late to make a pot of coffee, I know that if I bring my travel mug to Starbucks I'll save at least one cup, one cup sleeve, and two paper napkins. Still Starbucks, just in my mug! And on Saturdays, if I take a second to grab a couple canvas totes or a backpack, I can avoid getting extra plastic bags at the greenmarket. (Besides tasting better, the produce at the market is way cheaper than any grocery store in the neighborhood!) Those are the little things.

I'm not planning on making huge changes, like giving up my car -- which, by the way, gets amazingly good MPG for a non-hybrid. I'm not perfect and I'm not taking the full leap into becoming a model citizen in ecological terms, but I'm trying to be better without giving up many of my creature comforts. At the risk of sounding like a true hippie (the horror!), the bottom line is this: I've finally moved to a beautiful and remarkably green part of the City and I don't want ruin it.

PS -- If you haven't already, you should sign up for the daily tip emails at www.idealbite.com.

Added By Popular Demand

A couple friends have suggested I add this photo, so here you go:

New Bedspread

A few months ago my roommate and I realized that we had bedbugs. Fortunately I didn't get too many bites and was able to get rid of them. (Knock on wood they won't come back!) To be sure, I washed all my bedding and ended up getting a new summertime comforter from IKEA. Guster prefers the bright new duvet cover to his dog bed. Go fig.