Ways to Charm Me

Snow falling outside my window.

Thinking

Remember growing pains? I do. And I think I have fully re-cuperated from a serious grown up case. December was awful. My first holiday without my family, familiar decorations, traditions and foods. A city that slowly emptied itself of all of my favorite people (off to their homes and families-most in sunny places) and a move, just to finish the month in complete chaos. My visit to California came at a perfect time and the sunshine and familiar faces helped restore my sense of self and a bit of my sanity. It's good to know California is there, when I need it. But, I am back. And I feel different. I can't explain how much I have grown in the past nine months but I can feel myself shedding a layer of skin (a daring thing in the middle of winter) and embracing whatever comes next.

Image: S Toppin, via Flickr http://flickr.com/photos/stoppin/327649317/

Thinking

Slush is gross. Pulling a winebag through slush is miserable.
I'm calling it a snow day!

Slush Puppies on the other hand are delicious.

Thinking

I never thought there would come a time in my life where I felt that 40 degrees was warm. Oh but it is. Almost flip flop weather.

Home

I caught myself, towards the end of my visit, referring to New York City as home. As in "I go home on Sunday" or "I can't wait to get home." It wasn't until the plane started to make it's descent, as I looked out over Rockaway Beach (where there was snow-on the beach, snow on the beach people!) that I realized I have made NYC my home. Is home really where your heart is? Or, for creatures of comfort like me, is home where your bed and favorite pillows are? I think I am lucky to have many homes and a heart big enough to encompass them all. And I am even luckier to have many people in my life who make me feel at home by their very presence. California was a roller coaster of emotions but what I have taken back with me is the love and laughter I shared with old friends, the ones you reconnect with instantly and skip over a few missed months (or years) in a heartbeat. Those friends are home.

Reading

Read Willa Cather's Song of the Lark on the flight west and Elizabeth Crook's The Night Journal on the flight east. These beautiful books both took place in the Southwest and filled my mind with images and memories of New Mexico. Watch out Aunt Elizabeth, you are high on my list of places to visit!!

The Return

This morning I woke up early and decided to take a bike ride down to visit the mighty Pacific Ocean.  Heading down the hill the sight of palm trees took my breath away.  I have missed those tall trees and had forgotten how lovely they look against a bright blue sky.  How could I have forgotten about palm trees?  How could I have forgotten the simple pleasure of riding a bike?  Riding through familiar neighborhoods, past places where I have lived and loved and laughed and cried was strange.  Returning is strange.  And it got even stranger as I made my way along the boardwalk.  A surfer coming out of the water-I recognized the guy (despite the fact that everyone looks the same in wetsuits).  As I pedaled closer I became even more certain that this was someone I knew.  I recognized his gait, the funny little half run he does in the sand, and I was flooded with memories.  How fitting that the first person I run into is someone I never really got to say goodbye to and someone who continues to drift in and out of my thoughts.  Our eyes met and we exchanged pleasantries and news of our families over the sea wall.  And then we moved on.  As people do.  As life does.

California Bound

Woke up to snow flurries. Hope to fall asleep tonight with a stomach full of real Mexican food and the sound of my lovelies laughter fresh in my mind.

A Very Rochester Evening

(ie: Dive Bars, Genny Lite, the Liberty Pole and Garbage Plates)

A Very Rochester Christmas

Thinking

This is the longest I've ever been away from home. The longest I've ever gone without a hug from my dad. No wonder every time I think of landing in San Diego and flying in over the purple jacaranda treese, or driving through Napa and hitting that first stretch of the Silverado Trail tears start to well up. Lovelies, this is your warning, I'm going to be a wreck. California, I'm coming home and I have missed you.

Total Chaos

I interupt this blog to bring you Christmas (and an 8 hour delay in Newark International), New Years (spent with one of my favorite people in the whole world who is thankfully back from her Califonia hiatus) and a move. That's right, I'm writing to you from my new digs in Brooklyn. Take that economic downturn, Brooklyn equals more space and less rent, thus allowing me to continue to live the fabulous life in NYC (ha!). Regular posting will resume, as soon as I crawl out from under the mountains of clothes and shoes I have to somehow fit into a new closet. Oh, I will be in various locations throughtout California January 8th-17th and I hope to see you all. HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR!