Channeling My Inner Martha Stewart

I am so proud to tell you that I successfully channeled my inner Martha Stewart and updated my pantry organization! Inspiration came to me while browsing the Houzz app. If you don't have it, download now. It's like Pinterest for your house - I know Pinterest already exists for homes but Houzz is way better. You can search for all sorts of specific or general topics and view pictures. Houzz has a larger selection and more breathtaking amazing renos. After scrolling through a bunch of awesome pantry renovations with neat ways of organization, I figured I could do something small to improve mine. 

                                  

Like most people, I don't automatically think to save my jars. I tend to rinse and recycle, aka losing some pretty useful storage options. Slowly, I've been saving my jars. Using one for coffee beans, whole flaxseed, and oats. I'm lazy and keep the old labels on. You could always buy new jars and what I've seen done is fill them with granola or jam and give as gifts. Now, I've being selfish and keeping my old jars and using them for my stuff! 

Before using jars, I saved everything in big ziploc bags. Yes they are a life saver and are hard to beat. For marinating, yeah, I'm going to aim for ziploc bags. For keeping things fresh and neat in the pantry, ziploc bags really don't cut it. I have two big plastic bowls holding ziploc bags of granola ingredients: almonds, walnuts, raisins, chocolate chips, coconut. Now in my moment of inspiration I whirlwinded through my pantry, replaced all of the ugly ziploc bags and carefully loaded up my jars. Here is where your type A or non type A personality can come out. I wanted to make sure all of the jars were filled to the max level and didn't waste any space, added labels, and organized the pantry by function rather than alphabetical, or like others by sheer chaos. Below is a picture of part of my pantry masterpiece. Voila! 

Next after this great success I feasted my eyes on my spices in ugly plastic containers. Since I cook so much, I have a ton of random spices. Indian, Italian, American,  you name it. From my accumulation I've messily stuck some big bags of spices like turmeric and cardamom in hilshire farms containers. Yeah not too sophisticated. Well, now I have jars and it was easy, cathartic really! Now in my functional space I have a section for my exotic spices (turmeric, curry powder, chili pepper), most frequently used spices (pepper, paprika, garlic powder), Italian/European blend (tarragon, basil, parsley, rosemary), and the infrequently used (celery salt, cream tartar, poultry seasoning)...I told you I had a lot. Here's an example of what the spices look like in my cool jars. I even retrofitted an old thai curry paste one to hold some dried peppers! 

At this point I've rolled through the majority of my pantry. I'm feeling good and everything is getting a facelift. While staring at a couple small empty white jars, I felt the need to fill them. My mantra is not "a place for everything and everything in its place," instead it's organized chaos. There's a method to my madness of organization and it fits my functionality. When I'm cooking a pasta dish, I'm looking for the italian seasoning, parsley, basil; I want to grab them all at the same time and not tornado through my pantry looking for these spices. It would be silly to put the thai curry paste next to the paprika or the curry powder next to the tarragon. Maybe alphabetical works best for the grocery store but definitely not for my pantry. Anyways, back to those remaining containers. They're so small, what could fit in there? In a moment of genius, I emptied a bag of pine nuts and they fit perfectly in mini container 1! With one left, what to put in there. My eyes landed on a random baggie of carraway seed. Before I knew it, I was putting labels on the containers and bam, all my jars were full. It was too easy! I can't wait to finish my jam jar to plan what I'll be storing in there! 

 

Hopefully this inspires you to give your pantry a facelift. Really it's easier than you think and you most likely have the majority of what you think! Share your pictures or let me know if you need help. Organizing = de-stressing :) 

Cook Plenty, Cook Often

Yes, I know it has been a while. What have I been doing with my time? I have been cooking, cooking, and...cooking. I love it! Before I started college I could barely boil and cook pasta. My sister can attest to this. Now, I'm giving out recommendations and talking sauces, stir fries, curries, ratatouille, you name it. I will give credit to my college roommates among others who have helped me find one of my passions!

For starters, you need some inspiration for cooking right? Well, here is mine. I think snacking while I cook prevents me from making stupid decisions because I'm hungry.

Being a Type A person you would think I would be pretty regimented in how I cook, but I'm not. My goto for recipes is Allrecipes.com and like most cooks, I don't have all the ingredients. I supplement :) Or as I say, I make it my own. Don't have a tomato, used canned tomatoes or throw in some red bell pepper! Oh, and adding garlic powder and paprika will make everything taste better, I promise. 

A typical question, what do you like to cook? I love cooking everything, except I don't like taking apart a big roasted chicken. Not a fan. My favorite things to cook are chili, ratatouille, lamb, Indian curries, desserts and anything that I can add wine to! Believe it or not there's a lot that you can add wine to, think of any sauce and even veggies like cabbage. Something super awesome that I've made is this dish called mansaf, a traditional Jordanian dish. There's a great Mediterranean shop nearby that had jameed, found it finally!, so lo and behold this amazing dish with some expensive pine nuts on top! Jameed is like liquid delicious thick yogurt. Wow I'm almost embarrassed to say that I could eat this on its own, but no not really embarrassed. There's some leftover in the freezer, yum. 

No you don't cook desserts but they're included in this post. They're made in the kitchen so they should are included. Dates are amazing to bake with - think of the best granola bar and then add some nuts on top and a sweet date layer aka date squares! And you can eat them by themselves. Dates stuffed with blue cheese, almond, pistachio...oh wait there's a company that already does most of that. It's called Bateel and they're like Godiva for dates. Unfortunately, there aren't any locations in the US but I'm hoping I can change that one day! Here's a pic so you can understand the scrumptiousness that I'm talking about. 

Yes, now I hope you understand. I'm keeping this short and sweet but there will be more to come! 

Adventures in the Desert

Just getting over the jetlag from my two week trip to Dubai! Thank goodness for 22 hours of sleep in two days, probably more sleep than I got in about 4 days during busy season. Unfortunately, I wasn't very good at taking notes and writing about my travels while I was in Dubai, so we'll see how good my short-term memory is.

Day 1: Flight at 6 pm from IAD to Amsterdam on KLM. I was all excited for the famously young, blonde flight crew, but I encountered a much older set of flight attendants. No worries, I just watched The Fighter and focused on the little 6 inch screen barely 2 feet from my face. I love the passengers who move their seats all the way back right after the seatbelt sign goes off. I know you're probably larger than me, but, hey, I like my super small airplane personal space as well. I was pretty surprised by the food - it was somewhere in between delicious and not awful. The best part, I got a small airplane bottle of wine and cheese and crackers. Did I mention nobody asked for my ID? That's a big step up from people asking me what I plan on majoring in when I get to college. Thank you Europe.

Day 1 1/2 and 2: Hanging out in the Amsterdam airport cursing myself for not getting a direct flight. I landed in Schippol at around 1 am East Coast time but it was about about 6 am over there. The only way I could handle this was to head straight to the nearest non-Starbucks stand. No, I don't hate Starbucks, but I mean there are options other than Starbucks out there - too bad they haven't made it to the US. I walked around until my feet hurt, trying to make the 6 hour layover go by faster than 6 hours. The Dutch being the Dutch had a small art museum in the airport with replicas of Rembrandt and a few others. They were pretty gorgeous! Ven, so sorry I forgot to take pictures. Hung out in the numerous "See Blue Fly " stores and picked up the delicious stroopwaffels. Did I mention they're delicious? Oh, and they have similar ones in Trader Joe's.

Day 2: Finally land in Dubai, the land of bigger and taller and more expensive is better. Texas, take notes. Landed in DXB airport at 11:30 pm Dubai time (completely lost all sense of east coast time and pretty much dazed), and followed the crowds of European tourists to PASSPORT CONTROL. Oh goodie. I stood in line for about an hour. I have no idea what took so long other than the fact that the people working at passport control are incredibly (hmm what's a good euphemism for lazy)...laid back. Fortunately, I didn't have to pay to get in like the Dominican, but trust me, I will pay later.

Day 3: Woke up at 1:30 pm Dubai time and ready to do the tourist thing. Thank goodness I have a semi-almost native with me to show me around. Since the weather in Dubai is perfect all the time, except for scorching heat and humidity in the summer months, I didn't have to check the weather. Major Stop #1: Mall of the Emirates. This place is enormous! I will no longer be in awe of Tysons Mall (1 or 2) after visiting this place. To warm my heart, there were coffee shops all around: Costa, Gloria Jean's, El Monde, Second Cup, etc. And I've never tried any of them before. Before I left Dubai, my goal was to try all of these places, and more. After wandering around the Emirates Mall, I had to get to the beach. That's why I came right? The water was amazingly warm for April and we managed to catch a beautiful sunset. One difference: you know when you see those spectacular sunsets with all those shades of red and orange, well I didn't see that here, just pure yellow. Then went to dinner at the Noodle House in Wafi mall. This mall is decorated and designed with an Egyptian theme. Not really sure what our equivalent would be in Virginia, maybe something British-esque? Took lots of pictures, then finally got to looking at the menu, and tried not to let my eyes bulge out of my head. Right, those prices are in dirhams, not dollars. This was a mantra I said to myself for the whole trip. At this time the dollar was worth about 3.65 dirhams. Prices were pretty equivalent to the US (note this excludes the old markets and Karama areas), as long as you divided by 3.65. 

Day 4: Woke up at a more reasonable hour, and started my Brooke Bond tea bag morning ritual. I could not leave the house with at least 1 cup of Brooke Bond tea. I really can't keep counting the days and remember exactly what I did, so I will have to default to large paragraphs where the days blend together. Now that I've done a few touristy things, I sought out to achieve goal #1: get tan. We went to Nassimi Beach, the one next to the new Atlantis on the Palm. This place was gorgeous! White couches, beds, and bean bags to lay out on, good drinks, and mezzes of hummus (yum!). I had my first taste of mortabel here, which tasted like a more garlicky version of baba ganoush. There was a DJ area for the evening beach parties that I knew would get pretty routy later. Darn my aggressive tourist itinerary. To kick off the eating binge of my vacation, we ate at Ijaza, a cafeteria near a mosque. Never would I think to eat a place like this, but oh is it popular. If you want good, cheap, local food then this is the place. Sadly, the shawarmas weren't around at 3 pm, but there was so much else on the menu that I didn't care. I ate the chicken burger that had a couple french fries on top of the bottom bun. What an unusual thing to add, but I definitely like it better than pickles! Another delicious difference: fresh squeeze fruit juice. Any juice you want, you can get it juiced, and it's not loaded with spoonfuls of sugar. Can we import this to the US please? They also are famous for the milkshakes. Curiously, the menu just lists the obscure name of the milkshake, and no description of what it was. There are about 20 options, all looked splendid, but I had no idea what was in them! We picked the "Georgio Armani" because of a recommendation. No idea why it's called that, but it was really good. No idea what was in it either, but I don't mind. 

We made good use of the metro system while we were there, mostly because the place we were at was a 5 minute walk from the metro. It was so well planned and designed, I can't help feel a bit jealous when I think of the DC one and all it's ineffectiveness. The metro in Dubai came about every 5 minutes, the stations are all superbly clean, they have bathrooms in each station (!), and they are electronically/remotely run, so you don't get those awkward brake slamming, head jerking stops. The only negatives are: you can easily get confused and get the wrong ticket and have to pay for an extra expensive ("punishment") exit ticket, there are police officers manning each station which made me nervous at first, and there's not too much seating so you're most likely going to be standing most of the way. All in all, I'm really glad it was there. It saved from relying on taxi cabs but at least the taxis aren't too expensive.

Since I was on vacation, clearly I ate a lot. One night we ate at Asha's, a gorgeously decorated Indian restaurant that is dedicated to the old-time Indian singer. I'm not really sure if her meals are related to her, but the decor and music were. The food, a little pricey but it was in a nice location, was really authentic, not that you can't get a ton of that in DC, but it was a really good experience. I could smell all the hints of cinnamon, masala, and cardamom, and my glass of white wine. 

You can't visit Dubai without getting some gold! You can literally get it everywhere and anywhere. My best bet was to go to the gold souk over in old Deira and try to haggle my way to a better deal. My bargaining skills were quite tested here, especially since I don't really know the true price/cost of the items they sell, but it's quite a new experience. We walked around and there are stores and stores lined with gold, silver, precious gem jewelry. There were necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelets galore. I can't even imagine the prices of some of these items when I was only looking at small earrings, but the shops were decently crowded. I bought a Mother's Day present of earrings for my mom and felt so successful after haggling the price down by 30 dirhams. It's barely 10 USD, but it's all in the experience of bargaining. I don't understand the purpose of getting a receipt for my purchase though. It's not like I'm going to come back from the US and return my purchase 30 days later - is that even possible?  Probably not. Anyways, it'll be a good souvenir for 20 years from now when gold will cost double what it is today.

Time to wrap up this post before it's obscenely long. My introduction to Dubai was amazing! There are so many tourists and foreign people living there that you get a good cosmopolitan feel. You can get almost any cuisine you want there: Japanese, Chinese, Indian (South or North - you choose), Lebanese, Moroccan, American fast food, Arabic, Iranian, Italian, Thai, Afghan, the rare Mexican, and British pub. You can find some really cheap, really expensive, and everything in between. Great weather (except the summer), beaches, hotels, bars, MALLS, and activities can keep anyone pretty busy. To excite the accountant in me, there is even no income or sales tax over there. The price you see is the price you get. There weren't too many Americans over there, but that's a new experience in itself. 

To be continued in the next post...

Dryer Sheets No More

Sorry for the delinquency. Unfortunately, I haven't had enough time to pursue my evening pastime of writing my random feelings and thoughts. I have encountered a most unusual and annoying experience and feel that it is appropriate to share it with you.

I am not someone who is usually allergic to things. No peanut allergies except for that one year when I was younger and my doctor performed the prick test on my arms and found out that I could possibly be allergic to almonds which turned out to just being allergic to the change in seasons. I'm okay around dogs and cats, I sneeze like all normal people when the flowers bloom and the weather turns to spring. I'm pretty sure I had some diaper rash (which self-respecting baby didn't?), and I might have had an adverse reaction or two to bath bubbles. They're all chemicals, as my mom likes to say. Speaking of which, how about those dryer sheets?

All of a sudden, one random day around Thanksgiving, an itchy, rashy looking group of bumps appeared on my hands. I felt like a leper. I was scared someone would look at my hands and think, hmm this person better not be spreading some ridiculous itchy bump disease. They were oddly concentrated only on the outside of them, between my knuckles and my wrists. I couldn't think of any reason why they came up. Did I douse my hands in something that spurred some 20 year dormant allergy? Definitely not. Did I eat something that could have specifically decided to cause an allergic reaction on my hands only? Probably not. I eat pretty much everything and not even super spicy Indian food can conquer me.

Perhaps it was those acrylic gloves that I've been wearing for the past 5 years that caused this unsightly set of itchy bumps. And so, I tested it. I rubbed one hand with the acrylic glove for a few minutes, then wore it on that same hand for about 30 minutes. Nothing. Well, not nothing. The itchy bumps were still there, demanding that I desperately scratch my hands until I could find another bottle of cortizone. Cortizone is pretty useless by the way, unless you have a mosquito bite, which I definitely did not have. No, to the acrylic, no to the almonds/other non-existent food allergies. What else? I had to Web-MD it.

Again, no help except that I started to think that I had a form of cancer that began as itchy bumps on your hands. Mind you, this has been several days of flaringly itchy bumps on my hands that didn't seem to die down. The lone acrylic experiment didn't work, Web-MD failed to diagnose me, and I was starting to think I had a unique case of a new hand disease. Benadryl helped sometimes, but I didn't want to be drugged up all day at work and nodding my head in drowsiness.

Finally, I talked to my parents about it. Granted one is a dentist and prides herself on her excellent medical awareness and research abilities, I probably should have talked to them earlier. They boiled it down to soap and feminine lotions that are too much for my delicate sensitive hands or dryer sheets. More experiments underway, including countless loads in the washing machine and new bars of ivory soap. At long last, we figured it out, and I had to part ways with my dryer sheets. The culprit was hiding behind that veneer of a promise to de-static and perfume my clothing. I felt so betrayed!

Dryer sheets and I had gotten along pretty well over the years, especially after I had learned to do my own laundry. However, my skin and my sanity were my priority. The chemical residue reaction that were the itchy bumps on my hand started to fade after each load of laundry sans dryer sheet and I could finally feel relieved. I have been itch-free ever since, minus the one flare up when I wore a friend's sweater that reeked of dryer sheets (of course I noticed this after I was wearing it for a while).

I have looked into alternatives like "natural" dryer sheets and feel a little cautious as to trying them. One wrong step and I could be five ways to Benadryl-Cortizone land. I hope the old washcloth and conditioner remedy works like the housewives say they do. Maybe they've all encountered the same scenario as me, forgot to write about it in Web-MD, and discovered a magical solution. I'm crossing my fingers and praying it comes in a bottle labeled 7th generation or Sun & Earth.

In the meantime, I have sworn off an old friend. Goodbye dryer sheets!

Tis The Night Before Work

Finally, it has come. Folding and putting away the jeans and bringing out the newly ironed black work pants. I feel old. Making sure I'm pressed and debating whether to wear panty hose. The waiting seemed almost interminable. Everyone else had started and gotten into their work groove, had their busy nights, and paychecks. I was left behind in the dust with my late start date and studying, spending away my savings, and not making any money. It's bittersweet to leave the freedom and free time and gain a new lifestyle. Am I ready to start as a grundoon and think only of manager's wishes? We'll see.

In the mean time, I'm prepping. I got my work stilettos, the clothing, even the the map/directions for the first day of work. I'm getting in the mindset, made some extra leftovers to bring for lunch, and got a gym membership nearby the office. I'm excited to go to happy hours with an actual work outfit and having just left the office like a real working person rather than leaving my house after just changing from PJ's. And I know my bank account is excited for deposits and hopefully less withdrawals.

My aunt even got me a new professional black work bag, so I don't look like I'm too much of a newb. Adults and friends alike have given me advice on the working world and even told me to update my LinkedIn account. I've made sure to keep everyone's comments and suggestions at the forefront of my mind. Yes, I've gotten the list of happy hours. Yes, I have my coffee mug for those days when one cup every hour seems to be the standard. Yes, I know which days I plan to take off because I've already bought a plane ticket.

My dad reminded me that the tradition in his family is the first paycheck you get from your first job is spent taking out the family to a nice dinner. I would say Chipotle should be included in this category. Then I reminded my dad that I am just starting to pay back my student loans. Thank you. We have come to an agreement that I will visit my house once a week after work. I'll stay over at home and hang out with the empty nesters in return for a free meal and some old-school "allowance." Old habits die hard.

I'm excited to start working and have that lifestyle where TGIF really means something. Friday is really payday and rush hour is something I have to drive through and not avoid. I won't completely retire the old days. I'll live up the weekends, eat some Ramen like I'm a first-year, and call my parents asking them to put more money into my account for rent.  Tis the night before the first day of work, and I'm hoping my three alarms don't fail me. Here's to joining the world of the Man in the Gray Flannel Suit.

Dear Cheese, I Like You

It's probably a love-hate relationship, like coconut. You either really love cheese or you don't. No room for ambivalence. If so, you've probably never experienced real cheese, just Kraft or some other fake processed stuff. This is an homage to the true delicious gourmet cheese that everyone should try.

Living in the U.S., you probably don't have a gourmet cheese shop right next door like, say France, for example. However, there is a precious gem in East Falls Church aptly named Red, White, and Bleu. We discovered this place after searching randomly and brusquely on our friends for something nearby. Little did we realize that we walked into one of our favorite shops! The outside of the store doesn't do it any justice. Don't judge the shop by it's storefront, just walk in. It's a small place but it's full of wine, gourmet cheeses, charcuterie (sliced meat for those antipasti appetizers), and knick-knacks like water crackers and jam. We were lucky enough to get a free wine tasting and lots of samples of cheese. Of course I couldn't help myself and bought about 2 lbs. worth when I left the store, but well worth it.

From my first expensive purchase I was able to really start appreciating cheese. I mostly had those fake gourmet slices of cheese for sandwiches, but never really knew the wide range of flavors cheese could offer. The most commonly tasted, brie, is creamy and salty, good with apples and honey (thank you roommate for that addictive combination). Another, cheddar has a more variable flavor and texture. It can be aged for a long time and be very flaky and sharp. On the other hand sometimes I crave that more mild sharp and creamy, less aged cheddar that is still that classic orange-y color. I don't think I've had a bad experience with cheddar. It tastes good with everything, especially wine. Red wine, stronger whites and any type of cracker. Then there's Beemster, the gouda masters. Beemster has a few types just like cheddar where there's the super aged, smelly, flaky and the less hard more soft cheese. I definitely prefer the hard, aged, flaky kind, mostly because the taste is so much stronger. Beemster XO is the best for that. However, just cutting it produces about forty flakes, so it can get a little messy.

So those are just three cheeses. There's so much more! What a world cheese can open you into. With crackers, apples, figs, fruity spread, jam, and crackers/bread. Did I mention that I try to add cheese to almost anything I cook? The grater is my best friend, after the cheese slicer. They are precious utensils in my kitchen. I feel like every cook has that easy wow you factor like add a pinch of paprika or pepper. Mine is a few ounces of grated cheese. I like to think that when I add cheese to something, it add its own cheesey flavor but also enhances and brings out the tastes of what it accompanies. Think about creamy jarlsberg wrapped around sauteed asparagus. Yes, I'm drooling too. Sometimes I secretly favor the recipes on allrecipes.com that feature some amount of cheese. I know it's bias, but we all have it when it comes to food. Mine just happens to be odd and about cheese.

Isn't it exciting to try new cheeses and pair them with wines and fruit? It's a great present to bring to a potluck or friendly dinner date. It's the go-to. I don't understand how anyone could not like wine. I hope this blog helps you, encourage you to try more wine. Go to your nearest shop and grab the weirdest cheese and wine. It'll be a great time.

Do other people feel the same as I do for cheese? If not, is it for something else? Meat, olives, prunes? I guess there are lots of types of meat but you have to prepare it and cook it with things. It's too complicated to be that easy wow factor to add with almost anything. I will say, meat is pretty great too. Actually, all food come to think of it, but I'm trying to heighten my relationship with my tastebuds. They tell me they like cheese and I give it to them. It's a great system. Now, let me get back to my wine and new cheese with chives and onions. So exotic!

Pet Peeves

I've spent a little while talking about things I enjoy, notably donuts, coffee, and reading, but in the honor of Kingsley, I'll broaden the spectrum of what I share. So pet peeves are those silly little details that really shouldn't bother us but they do. Some more than others affect us and they affect each of us in different ways. I don't know why but so many of these pet peeves occur while I'm at Starbucks. I'll limit myself to a few in my top 10. They are in no special order.

Pet Peeve #1: this might be more female-specific, but one of my biggest pet peeves is the absence of a hanger on the back of the bathroom door. No hanger in any part of the bathroom is a big deal. Where do I put my purse/jacket/whatever else that I'm carrying because more likely than not, I'm carrying something? Even if it's freezing outside, both guys and girls are probably wearing big heavy coats and would like a place to set them on a hanger. It's pretty silly to not have a hanger, but even more so, it's my pet peeve. Luckily, I don't own a $2,000 Louis Vuitton because if there was no hanger and I had to put that on the floor, I would be mad enough to punch the manager.

Pet Peeve #2: blasting the A/C when completely unneeded. First, it's a waste. Secondly, and more importantly, it makes me tremble which is incredibly distracting for myself and others. This happens at Starbucks so often. Maybe it helps the hot latte sales. I don't even know how because all that coffee and lattes they churn out should give the place a soothing warmth. Unfortunately, not. A little while ago I was at dinner with a friend at Sandia, and it was so cold inside, mind you it was about 80 degrees outside, that my teeth were chattering. For eating a nice dinner at a restaurant, that is not comfortable at all, and I probably won't go back there, ever, unless I'm wearing a parka. I couldn't even concentrate on conversation or eat my delicious handmade guacamole, I only thought about getting outside of that freezing igloo. I guess my body is comfortable with a very specific narrow temperature range because I also tend to break out if I sweat too much in high heat and humidity, thinking back to spring break in the Caribbean.

Pet Peeve #3: bad drivers. Yes, I've grown up in NOVA, so I really should be used to bad driving right? Since my New Yorker dad taught me to drive, I feel like I have a leg up over the majority of DMV people. I'm okay with people going slow too, except if you're in the left lane and going at or below the speed limit. Do those people not see those signs that say: slow people should not be in the left lane? No, because they don't pay attention to signs. I don't speed too much, but you should have the courtesy to not hold back the rest of traffic behind you since SO many in the DC area have a penchant for tailgating. Another thing I also hate. Although a friend has told me that I tailgate, that is mostly for a few seconds to let the person know that they are going too slow and need to move and I really don't get too close to the bumper - too dangerous. Should I perhaps turn on my left blinker (that they wouldn't notice) or my brights (wouldn't notice in daylight too well) and patiently wait? No. I don't ride people's bumpers. It's too dangerous and reckless for my Type A self to handle. I don't even get too close because I'm afraid the bad driver in front of me will stop short for some silly reason. The best bad drivers are those who feel like they are important enough to go through a red light at any time. I have a special angst against them because they are the kind of people who total good drivers' cars like myself. There's no warning and no time to react.

Pet Peeve #4: people who don't respond to e-mails. Really? Do you live under a rock? How do you function if you don't check your e-mail and respond? Most likely you've read it and are too lazy or too busy to write back. Please go to AT&T and pick up an iPhone so you can respond back in a timely fashion. I'm not saying you need to write back immediately after a Facebook comment - that's silly. Rather, I would like you to respond, so I know you're alive. If not, I'll have to go back to snail mail.

Pet Peeve #5: Dell computers. Yes, Michael Dell I'm talking to you. Your computers are so unreliable that I now associate Dell with the blue screen of death, the black screen of death, and all the other acronyms like P.O.S. That was my college computer's endearing name: P.O.S. My Dell was a pretty nice computer for about the first 8 months that I had it. Then, the battery refused to charge, ever. I had to buy a new charger. After having this pain in the neck machine for 15 months, it crashed, without any notice. I took it to the school computer people, who are as unuseful and unhelpful as Dells themselves, and they blamed me saying that I downloaded viruses. No, I had about 4 applications to block, prevent, and fix those problems. It was not my fault - they refused to acknowledge that my computer had faulty hardware. I actually considered all the ways I wanted to truly destroy it such as: driving it over, throwing it against the wall, and dropping it out the window.  About 5 months later after I had recuperated from the shock and stress of a computer crash, it crashed again! Dell refused to accept responsibility, so I gave up and just relied on a back-up hard drive. Oh, and I now own a HP.

I'm sure I've probably listed several of you in these pet peeve categories. By all means that doesn't mean I dislike you, just some of your actions peeve me. Most importantly, please don't blast your A/C. I have a mental list of all the places I despise because of over-A/C-ing: grocery stores, badly managed Starbucks, people who like to overspend on electricity bills, and pretentiously cold restaurants.

Being an Alumna

I remembered all the comments and facts people told me about their lives once they became an alumnus, a corporate robot, a person of the real world as we were driving down to UVA for homecoming, and then again for Rotunda Dinner III. I guess it didn't really feel that different, except things have already changed. Dunkin Donuts has opened (still upset that it had to come AFTER I graduated), Nuddhist has opened, and the coffee shops names/owners have rotated, again. Oh wait, they finally added a Starbucks. I suppose it's delayed opening has probably saved my bank account a couple thousand dollars a year.

Some people I still know are there, thank god, or else I don't know who I would visit. The 3rd years last year are not 4th years and partying their brains out now that they have job offers. The once new 1st years are more enlightened 2nd years working hard and praying to get into the Comm School/declare their major. People have moved around from dorms to apartments with all the trimmings of a wet bar and outside bbq. The Lawn is the same, except for the fact that there's a new South Lawn that nobody really uses. My old apartment is still there, however, new people occupy it. My favorite restaurants are still intact: Mas, Orzo, El Dente, Shebeen, Al Hamraa, The Nook, and of course the late night pizza places.

Somehow when I looked around I wasn't running into people from class or former hallmates. This is the sad part and this is how you know you're an alumna. It actually happens when the alumni all pile back in for their semester events: homecoming football game (but it's really not about the football) and then Foxfields. But of course coming back and seeing old friends, new friends who could have been old friends if you knew them better in college, and just people in general is a lot of fun. How great is it to come back and do all your favorite activities at school without the actual worries of studying, class, and group meetings?

I could go to Pancakes for Parkinson's without having to bring a backpack and then staking out a spot in the library for the next few hours. I went to the football game didn't worry about the homework I neglected to do that day. I made as many plans with friends that could possibly fit in a 24 hour day without giving a second thought to the midterm I had the next week. These are the trade-offs of college and the working world. The brief respite when visiting your alma mater for homecoming weekend then bracing for reality when you head back on the road waving goodbye to old friends.

Getting Tuned In

For those of you coffeeholics you probably already know that Starbucks has just introduced its digital network (SDN - see CNN story). It sounds amazing. For those of you not in the loop, Starbucks is not only offering free WiFi to its patrons but also a whole integrated network of news, entertainment, music, and local tidbits provided through the WiFi service. All those newspapers that Starbucks sells are now available online for free through the SDN: USA Today, WSJ minus a few pieces, and the NY Times.

Starbucks is aiming to amp up its "local atmosphere" experience. I don't know how much of a local atmosphere that Starbucks currently provides because it's such a nationalized chain, but this SDN seems like it's a step toward that experience. I mostly use the Washington Post, Washingtonian, and the coupon websites for local information, but a more streamlined, online grouping of neighborhood news will be much more convenient. Look out Washington Post! A free WSJ and NY Times I don't know if it would be worth getting it delivered anymore.

I can't wait to try the SDN. I'm a pretty big fan of Starbucks. I love coffee, therefore I love Starbucks. The local cafes are great too, and I prefer them because there is so much more effort and heart that goes into them. However, if you're seen the Arlington Rap video, you will understand that finding a unique, local cafe  is a little difficult compared to the Starbucks on every corner. Getting the free WiFi is pretty handy. Starbucks is perfect to hang out with friends, but even better, a good location to study, if you can find a seat. Music, business, news, etc would help with procrastination too! If people don't hang out at Starbucks  now, then they definitely will after the SDN introduction. Unfortunately, I don't know how many people know about this network. I was scrolling through headlines and caught this, so it was pretty random.

For some reason Starbucks is using Yahoo as the provider - I guess Google is too busy with their Androids? We'll see how it works. I'll write more on the SDN once I test it out. I'm looking forward to the music that Starbucks plans to share on its network. A good idea for Starbucks would be the more you use the SDN, the more free lattes you get. Do you hear that Starbucks?

Can't Visit Charlottesville Without Wine Tasting

The visit for UVA's alumni homecoming weekend was pretty busy but incredibly fun. Even though I've been an alumna for about 6 months, it still felt weird to return to grounds and getting accustomed to the changes. Dunkin' Donuts on the Corner, the South Lawn Project is done, finally, and there's a Starbucks so close to the Comm School that I could cry out of jealousy.

The Young Alumni event was awesome seeing so many drunk people dancing on stage and they rewarded us with a vat of Arch's. Halfway through losing, not unusual, the football game we left for a Charlottesville dinner at a restaurant that few other cities can compare to. Zinc uses herbs from its garden that is about two yards outside from where you dine, gets local meat, and orders the best quality seafood from around the globe. Needless to say, the roasted quail, butternut squash soup, and the Monastrell wine were like introducing a future musician to the songs of Mozart. My stomach was producing symphonies. On the last day and on our way out, there was no way we could renege on our most recent favorite pastime: wine tasting.

It was quite a burden to find out that UVA is in the heart of the Monticello Wine Trail. With only less than two years of being legal to wine taste, how could I possibly visit all those vineyards before I graduated? Being content with defeat I vowed to complete the trail at some future point in time. Nearing the end of our trip we decided to visit a vineyard on our way home. So many options! Within several miles of each other off Rte. 20 there's Barboursville (always a fantastic visit), Burnley, and Horton. Having no cell phone reception and only a vague idea of where Horton was on the map, we tracked over to the vineyard. It was gorgeous! It was like driving up to an estate with a massive building in the distance and beautifully manicured grapevines lined in rows.

The wine inside was just as promising as the view driving in. It had the usual wine tasting ambiance with a large tasting room, wines lining the walls, and the sounds of people tasting wine. Horton had a great variety of whites and reds. The whites included viognier, vidal blanc, and this unusual Russian grape called rkatsiteli. Definitely recommend the rkatsiteli. The reds included the Virginia native Norton and some non-native grapes like malbec, nebbiolo, tannat, and Touriga Nacional. My favorite white was a French-style blend called Stonecastle White that tasted like vanilla and nutmeg according to the wine description. The Touriga and nebbiolo were fantastic. 

Surprisingly, all the grapes are grown on the vineyard which is pretty unique among vineyards who import the grapes and outsource some of the wine making process. The whites and reds were great to try, and even better, they had a large selection of port wines as well. There were two types that tasted like chocolate: one white and one red. What could taste better than chocolate and wine? A wine that tasted like chocolate! I couldn't help myself and I ended up buying a bottle of the chocolatey wine port for only $16. Compared to ordering a glass at a restaurant, what a steal. At a rock bottom price of $0 for tasting and about thirty to forty wines to try, we definitely plan to visit again!

Fall Munchkins

I don't know how you do your errands, but I always make sure I find time for a treat while I do mine. A treat can be one of the new pumpkin spiced lattes at Starbucks or a cookie from a small cafe. Yesterday while doing the usual errand run, I treated myself to my favorite: donuts. I'm pretty sure every person has a love affair with a specific dessert/snack that started way back in the day. Here's my story.

When I just started playing soccer when I was a wee one, my dad encouraged me by offering me donuts for every goal I scored. There is no motivation better than sugar and fried dough. I remember after I scored a goal I would look at my dad in the stands with that face that said, "we're going to Dunkin' Donuts right after this game." Of course getting a little girl hooked on donuts is not the healthiest decision, but this was before the Atkins-no carbs-0 calorie Splenda-vegan diet days. Later as my dad knew that I didn't need donuts to motivate me in my soccer games, he turned it into a weekend tradition. The night before my dad would ask me which donuts to pick up, I always picked two: one classic chocolate covered donut and the other I rotated the specialties. Of course this obsession with donuts translated to other desserts like pies, cakes, pastries, etc, but donuts were my first love. And my dad did a good job of reconciling the two of us everytime I came back home from school breaks. Sadly, the nearest Dunkin' was about 25 miles away near Ruckersville (!), so coming home to a half-dozen of my favorite chocolate tire wheels, chocolate covered, marble frosted, and the specialty sprinkles (red and blue for 4th of July, red and green for Christmas, etc.) was the best "surprise" I could get. I knew that when I came home there would be a bunch of untouched, fresh donuts on the kitchen table for me, but each time I was still surprised to see them and the fact that my dad remembered to get them.

Keep this story in the back of your mind. Now, imagine my excitement when I realized that right next to the Fed Ex office store that there was a Dunkin' right next to it. I felt like some of heaven fell on earth and beckoned me using the splendid smell of sugary donuts. Heck, it was destiny. In my purse I had a free latte coupon for Dunkin' Donuts from my mom. I walked inside and was greeted by the same, unchanging, comforting display of jellies, kruellers, creme filled, and munchkin donuts. My mind raced as I forced myself to choose from the numerous options and, finally, decided on the seasonal fall munchkins. You really can't say no to sprinkles, especially when they match the season (or should be). I don't see any orange leaves yet, but I'm sure that buying those fall munchkins encouraged all those leaves out there to follow suit.

Just thinking of my delicious snack is making me want to drive to a Dunkin' right now. I know there are a lot of haters and naysayers out there who think donuts are not worth the hype. If it's Homer Simpson's favorite dessert snack and Dunkin' has created an empire off such a simple item, it's definitely worth it. Peeps, on the other hand, not so much. 

Taking a bite out of those munchkins threw me back to my childhood where almost anything can be forgotten or made better just by tasting this delicious donut. I can't believe this dessert has so much influence over me. Then I looked around at the other people in the store and realized that everyone munching on their donuts was making the same face of true satisfaction as I was. It was nice to be in such good company for those few moments. Like all yummy, small desserts, these two munchkins were gone way too fast. After my flavorful snack, I was all geared up to finish my errands and get back to studying. Donuts can be a great pick-me-up.

There are few foods that are so scrumptious that the taste stays with you. So few meals or snacks that when you think about them, make you want to re-experience the taste so bad that your stomach already starts to make room so it could eat more. Chocolate lava cake and paella are some examples, but these are definitely not things you can eat all the time. Donuts, though, are a more frequent dose of tastebud heaven, especially when they have seasonal sprinkles! 

The Basic Ingredient

When my sister told me that her bus was scheduled to arrive at 7 pm on Thursday, I knew the pie had to be ready by then. Cooking or baking a recipe for someone is a special thing to do, but it's even better when you make that person something she really likes. For example, my dad is not the biggest fan of chocolate desserts, but he loves chicken and pasta. Naturally, I'm inclined to make him a snazzy version of chicken and pasta that he hasn't had yet. I know he would appreciate a chocolatey dessert all the same, but it means even more when you make something he likes. It shows that you remember what types of tastes he likes and doesn't like. My mom doesn't even make me guess what her basic ingredient is. She suggests the same Thai dish every time. Funny thing is, I make it a little different every time. As for my sister, she loves dessert. Maybe not as much as me, but it's definitely a top preference.

I learned this lesson the best after I made an overload of desserts for someone and he couldn't finish. He didn't want to waste them even though he knew one of the desserts might have expired but ate it anyways to make me happy. I was upset that the dessert wasn't gobbled up within a few days thinking that my baking was way beyond sub-par and that he didn't appreciate it. I was wrong! Unfortunately, he got a little sick (please don't judge my cooking/baking from this one instance) from one the cakes, and ended up throwing the rest out. Feeling guilty, upset that the rest of the dessert DID go to waste anyways, and frustrated that what I made wasn't the "it" dessert present, I realized I shouldn't overload on the baked presents. A simple meal with that basic ingredient that person likes is the key. For him at least, that's usually meat, not tons of sugar.

I put my lesson to use when my grandpa visited from NYC, and my mom asked to make a home-cooked meal for his short stay. Instead of baking a ton of sweets, I made chicken stuffed with goat cheese (he loves goat cheese), orzo with sun-dried tomatoes and kalamata olives, and green beans lightly covered in a mustard vinaigrette. Now, if you think you know someone who eats healthy, you have not met my grandfather. The health guru himself was the one who introduced us to the heavenly Trader Joe's, almond butter, Pirate's Booty, and the wonders of dark chocolate bars. Who was it that warned me that the french fries and pasta on my plate held too many carbohydrates and I should add more veggies instead? My grandpa. When I was younger, I thought it was a little excessive to read the labels' ingredients of everything you buy, but his habits have proved to be quite smart. He doesn't buy the whole organic bit, but he does pick the healthy options, on his own. He has a more clever notion of just reading what's actually inside the box, and not becoming a victim of excellent advertising.

To make the most appealing meals to my grandpa's own tastebuds and include the basic ingredient that he likes, I enlisted my mom for some help. She told me: goat cheese, olives, and veggies! Hence, the 3 dishes, and I found them all at Cooking Light magazine's website. Cooking Light has some delicious recipes but finding the same recipe after searching for the second time is nearly impossible. Although I am a sworn loyal fan of allrecipes.com, my stray did lead me to some great options. My default option is to choose allrecipes.com before visiting any other websites, and 90% of the time, it works well. Food Network's website is way too complicated, and not enough people rate the recipes. The search feature is a little antiquated and it's the only comprehensible way to get around that website. You would think that since cooking is the name of the game for Food Network they would take greater pains to perfect their recipe searching functions. Unfortunately, it's pretty unnavigable.

With all this racing in my head, I thought about making five different dishes for my sister, but I decided on one well-made item: apple pie, not pumpkin pie because she hates the texture. I made the pie crust a day ahead of time, so I wouldn't get stressed out while chopping up the apples and thinking that I had the rest of the pie AND the crust to make. Way less stress to split up the steps. With the extra time I was able to make a lattice top (see picture one at the top) without worrying the whole thing would be ruined if the crust didn't work out. The pie turned out great, the house smelled like cinnamon apples, and my sister loved the dessert! Usually my baking doesn't turn out too hot, but in this case I consulted my favorite site. Another successful allrecipes.com recipe!

It's Kingsley Bitch

In the words of McDonald's, I'm lovin' it. Kingsley is wonderful. So many of my thoughts rolling out of his mouth. Thanks Emily for introducing him into my life. Take a step back, calm down, and enjoy his entertainment, raving comments, and rants. Every video I watched I couldn't stop laughing and agreed with most of what he said, except for Glee. Plus, anyone who likes Britney as much as him is good in my books. Just look at his username.

I don't know how people get famous or who chooses which YouTube videos to get popular, but he is definitely one of them. Emily doesn't know how she came across him, but once I hear about it, I'm pretty sure the rest of the world must have by now too. I even can't wait for the imitators because if they're even half as good as Kingsley, they'll be funny too. So my college roommate had Perez, maybe I can have Kingsley. He's like the gay friend I never had.

Everyone has that friend that rants. Just like the friend that has hilarious arguments with her sister, you need all of these people in your life. Where do you go when you want your pet peeves and anger validated? Your friend that rants. Everything that ever bothered you all rolled up into that rant with all those hand gestures. Yes, this friend is essential. I have one in real life, but the Kingsley online version is almost just as fun.

Yoga Before Bed

Yes, quite cliche but I have become a fan of yoga. No, it hasn't gotten me a rock hard six-pack (yet), but it is an amazing de-stresser. I discovered the wonders of how helpful yoga can be for the mind near the end of college, but didn't really have time for it in between finishing two majors, hanging out with friends, and trying each bar's daily happy hour specials. After graduating and trying to find a new stress reliever from the intensity of the post-grad exams, I found another Women's Health yoga workout in my e-mail inbox. Who wouldn't try it? So, the other night before I went to bed, I practiced a few of the poses, and before I knew it, I was all stretched out and relaxed enough to hit the sack. I woke up feeling more flexible and in a pretty happy mood after all my ohm-ing the night before. Overall, I approve of the yoga de-stress/before bed workouts (Click on the hyperlinks).

Some people like to meditate and not think about anything while they are yoga-ing. Well for me, I like to think about all the things I did that day, what went well, what was fun, and what annoyed me. I think about it, and then try to let go of them, so I can start the next day without the worries and distracting thoughts from the day before. All you insomniacs and people who go to bed stressing/reviewing and can't fall asleep, please do the yoga bedtime routine. Yes, I've recommended it to my dad, but he doesn't believe in exercise, so my suggestion fell on deaf ears. Going about my routine, my last thought was the annoying lady at Victoria Secret's badgering me to sign up for the amazing store credit card. Yes, I would love to save 20% off my free pair of cotton hip hugger panties. Bring over that application! Absolutely not. After 3 years of working at American Eagle and the Loft, the most valuable thing I have learned was never to sign up for one of those. Bad for your credit score and bad for your bank account!

Back to the yoga. Some of the de-stress positions look simple, but they actually require some amount of balance. Chances are that you have better balance than me. I like to blame my lack of flexibility and balance on my soccer career, but really I think it was because I quit ballet too early. I suppose at the age of 5, I believed I was either going to be a precocious Anna Pavlova or bust. I chose bust and finally picked up soccer, which at least for me, didn't require as much balance. After about a week of doing these poses and workouts, I definitely felt more relaxed, flexible, and balanced. You won't be able to bend over into a bridge like a gymnast, but you'll notice improvement, especially the bow and the crane poses which feel pretty ridiculous on the first try.

A lot of the poses are simply extended stretching, but somehow it just feels really good. I suppose compared to sitting in a desk chair for hours all day, anything feels better. If you're creative, unlike myself, add a couple more fun poses to the workout. I feel like a yoga instructor when I can come up with a pose that feels like stretching that I can incorporate into the routine. Regardless, don't overdo the ab cruncher ones. If I do too many that work the stomach, I can feel my back crying out as if it's saying, "don't forget about me!" That's what's so great about these workout poses - they work pretty much everything and you don't have to do a mental checklist: thighs, calves, arms, back, abs. It's a pretty inclusive routine hence part of the stress relief. Of course my Type A self would get stressed out making sure I stretched out everything through all of the poses. Another plus is a few of the de-stress poses helped stretch out my back. I felt the cracks up my spine as I twisted and bended. Even easier than getting someone to squeeze, lift, and crack your back for you, but always helpful if it's from a friend.

The most important thing is that the poses make you relax and de-stress. Yoga won't give you a cardio workout, won't give you the same strength training as dumbbells, but it will give you a great stretch, some tone, and a less stressful day! Yes, I'm trying all the fad exercises, but I would definitely choose yoga in my room over an early morning rowing session or biking in the cold weather.

The Big City

Sorry for the lag everyone. Now, back to business. So, the big city, quite the place to visit for two days. Not a minute to lose and always something to do. The problem is deciding what to do and how much to spend. There's Bobby Flay's restaurant across the street that's at least $50 just for the entrée or the adorable old French bistro down the block that's $20 for the entrée which means more to spend on wine, appetizers, and dessert. Oh the decisions!

Paying homage to the city I was born in but actually only lived in for three months sounded like an excellent idea when I bought my Bolt Bus ticket, knowing I'd have to fight the crowd just to get a seat on the bus that is packed but not overcrowded. My mom, the NYC guru, who grew up in the Bronx and lived in Queens reminded me several times not to leave Manhattan and make sure I don't venture to the other side of Central Park. These reminders were similar to the, "don't go anywhere 'east' in DC" warnings that my mom always gave me when I told her whenever I ventured into DC. Armed with my iPhone and Google Maps, I was pretty sure I wouldn't end up in an unusual area.

Taking the bus in at night surely beats coming during the day - all the lights and the number of people walking around/bar hopping at midnight. So different from DC! I made mental comparisons throughout the trip. For some reason I thought that it would be way less crowded at midnight, but nope, just as busy. Penn Station was full of people, the Sbarro and the Little Italy Eatery across the street were bustling with customers, and nobody looked phased that it was late at night.

The next morning, ready to explore, we headed to a recommended place for brunch: Elmo's in Chelsea. Delicious! Now, if you've been to Kramerbooks and Afterwords, here's the better version in NYC. Smaller portions (which is definitely okay considering the amount you get at Kramerbooks) and less expensive, the modern decor and the friendly service was a great way to start the NYC gastronomy tour. We tried their bagel and cream cheese as a side just to see what the hubbub was about with NYC bagels. Manhattan bagel and NY-style bagels all over the DC area were cues enough that we had to try them. And were they good. The toastedness on the outside with a light crunch and the soft middle makes me think if I can ever achieve this perfection with my own toaster. We'll see.

After brunch we did some exploring of the Chelsea area. A dog park here and there, lots of unique shops, and plenty of places to eat and not just the very expensive type. There's something for everyone including those delicious falafel stands. Gotta try one of those while you're there. One of my favorite things to do in every city I visit is check out the local coffee shops. No, that does not mean the local Starbucks. It means a coffee shop, maybe a local chain even, that you can only find in that city. They tend to exhibit the qualities of the town, like the one I went to called Guy & Gallard which has at least six or seven different flavors of coffee on hotplates that you can grab and add whatever milk/soymilk/cream-and-sugar blend you desire. Going with the NY tradition, there are plenty of desserts, including NY cheesecake. How can you resist? We walked to Central Park with our sustenance in hand: coffee and a peanut butter cup/chocolate chip muffin and sat watching people watching us watching the horse-drawn carriages.

A couple hours in Central Park did us good - saw a live performance by the Afrobats comedy/dance team by the big fountain, walked around, took pictures, and met some other tourists. We entered back into the hustle and bustle that is The City and headed toward the Apple store which is quite the landmark in itself. For every one person that leaves the store, there are about five more pushing down the frosted glass staircase to get in and buy another iPod to add to their collection. Lacking oxygen and some personal space we managed to escape the store without having bought a new iPod, iPad, or iBook. As for next time, I might not be as lucky.

We raced back to check into the hotel in the Times Square area to get as much time as possible to find a place for dinner. Scrolling through New York Times The Scoop app, the NY Guide, and OpenTable, we came across Maison, a quaint, small French bistro. Similar to Bistro Francais in Georgetown, it too is open 24/7. Why a nice French restaurant stays open 24 hours a day is beyond me. However, their entrees were French classics: steak frites, moule frites, duck confit, bouillabaisse, escargots, charcuterie, fromage, etc. Julia Child's memoir book prompted me to try the bouillabaisse to see if I can pick out the combination of flavors. It was a winner! Monkfish, mussels, shrimp, potato, saffron, fennel seed, fish stock, and green onions made the dish exquisite and not too heavy. The toasted bread with melted Gruyère cheese was the cherry on top and the four more servings in the massive pot was an encore. Definitely will be going back.

With full stomachs we walked to Times Square. Thank goodness - all that famous American fast food beckoning with neon lights and billboards of tasty food, I'm glad I finished that bouillabaisse first. Btw, Times Square is not a square, it has a radius of about 3 blocks. It's quite massive with a massive Barclay's blue building lit to help you find your way. The M&M signature store is there where you can even monogram your M&M plush backpack. A Dallas BBQ restaurant line stretching for a couple blocks, billboards advertising tv shows, movies, and anything else you can spend your money lining the streets, and crowds of people blinded by the lights grazing around the streets causing traffic jams at all times of night make this scene pretty unforgettable.

The scenes, food, people, pace and landmarks make this city so fun. It's not as expensive as you would think - just don't blindly walk into a restaurant or store without checking the prices. Make sure to have your Google Maps app and you will never have a problem with the subway or numbered streets. Don't dilly dally when people are pacing in front and behind you, and remember that almost every cab is probably full, so be vigilant! Eat all the NY bagels, pizza, and deli sandwiches you can find because I guarantee the ones outside of the city don't compare. Take tons of pictures, even if you are "that silly tourist taking photos of everything" because no one else is going to photo document your trip but you. Last of all, watch out for all the parades!

Crunches on a Stability Ball with a Medicine Ball in My Hands

Oh you think you've made it through high school and college and have mastered the art of multitasking. Have you tried using an exercise stability ball? I thought I got a pretty good overview of the exercise realm basics between track and soccer through the years, but I was blissfully unaware of the wonders of the exercise ball. Sit-ups, wall sits, crunches, leg abductions and the rest with increased difficulty while sitting, posing with, leaning on, and/or squeezing an exercise ball. I don't even think my mind can focus that many muscles on all those activities at one time.

Breathe in and out through your nose, suck your belly button to your back, lower your pelvis, squeeze your glutes, keep your chin up, and, which exercise was I doing again. I was so busy preparing for my body for the set of lounges with a weight bar on my neck that I got lost. I try to be adventurous and creative when it comes to working out but it seems like I have to be a limber, multi-tasking, pilates guru to even make it through one set. Instead, I do my regular routine of pushups, crunches on the ball, and back extensions because the familiarity of the exercises make it too easy to drop the more difficult one I found on the internet.

There is no dearth of tips, routines, manuals, guides, videos, and iPod downloads on using an exercise ball. The real difficulty is unearthing all that advice and information into a coherent mental understanding of what your body and the ball are supposed to be achieving: strength, flexibility, tone, maybe even relaxation. If you're doing a one-legged wall sit with a medicine ball in your hand and your back pushing against a stability ball, then which, if any, of those goals are you achieving? I would much rather leave it to the experts to tell me that, but it is my body, and I'm the only one that can feel which muscles are supposedly doing their thing.

I do glimpse at others at the gym, trying to gauge whether or not their exercise activity is worth imitating or avoiding. I do get a kick out of those guys who do 10 pushups in 10 seconds and pick up their bag and leave. Yes, if only women could get abs like that. Then again, we would lose entire industries. What would we do without Women's Health Magazine, Denise Austin, or Jillian Michaels? I do enjoy watching trainers helping their clients at the gym with new routines. Heck, I get a free personal workout just listening and watching them. "Pull the weight like this and flex...," as the trainer guides his trainee and his unsuspecting fan. A few minutes later I follow along and perform the same activity and determine if this trainer is worth my time.

For all the trainers out there, why don't you point out and give some advice for some of us awkwardly looking at the machine's directions when we both know that even after reading them I won't utilize the machine to its max? I'm sure it's painful to watch us doing crunches wrong or missing a step or two in total body workout. Just watching someone curl a free weight like it's a gallon of milk makes me turn my head. Plus, the free advice will no doubt make us warm up to the idea of having a trainer. Look at Costco and all those freebie samples. Trainers, take a cue, and share your wealth of knowledge with us lowly gym infrequenters. Perhaps we'll take a liking to you and actually want you to do the job you're being paid to do.

In the mean time I'll be downloading, e-mail forwarding, and magazine-ripping all those exercise ball routines that don't contradict themselves too much. I'll add them to my jumble of a folder of exercise tips that I'll play with for a few days, and then get back to the real world. Once I figure out how to set aside time to work on my core strength, which has most likely dissipated since the last time I've gone to the gym, I'm back at square one and climbing back up the exercise ladder again.

Dealing with Defeat

I suppose I've been pretty lucky over my years. Not encountering failure too many times and finding another path when another seemed to wither away. What do you do when you fail? How do you deal with defeat? The classic story of Abraham Lincoln overcoming his numerous upsets should be inspirational to us all, but it's hard to translate a presidential story to yourself. How do you stay upbeat, rebound with a more robust attitude, and stay determined for success?

Getting a bad grade on an exam or in a class is not the type of defeat I'm talking about. I'm talking about something so important that this one event affects your future. This enormous amount of stress on your shoulders coupled with people rooting for you makes it so hard to believe the fact that you have felt defeat. Rising up to the challenge to work that much harder only makes the defeat hurt even more. What do you say to someone who has done nothing but encourage you and hope for the best? Even worse, how do you lift up yourself knowing there's another chance you could face defeat?

Perhaps every person encounters this stressful time, once, twice, many times, but there must be some internal characteristic about us that makes us push. Money, fame, satisfaction, revenge, competition, and personal ambition all can be that oomph factor that pushes even harder. I'm not sure which one mine is right now. In high school it was personal ambition mixed with competition. On my own after college it's certainly changed, but I don't know what is pushing me. Is it that bonus check once I turn in my document of success? Is it that party I'm going to throw when I pass all four parts? Is it the internal celebration that only I experience when I have accomplished a goal?

I'm trying to figure out my own way of dealing with defeat. It's hard to tell myself that I not only need to do better, but I also have to realize that I'm not going to do well 100% every try. Giving myself a day to relax and watch the marathon of America's Next Top Model episodes is helping cope with defeat and failure. I'm sure that busying myself as I usually do is essential for this post-relaxation pause. In reality, the world won't stop and politely wait for me to get back on the horse. I have to push myself and I know I'm not the only person   coping with an instance of failure. This is the breaking moment of every person where she knows she must rise up or look back with regret. So much in me wants to stop and give up because it's so hard and there are easier options. But I know that it'll be worth it, I just don't know how long it'll take. Nobody does. There is no timestamp on a dream.

Shutting out the what-if's, worries, and growing disappointment make me feel like I might not make it. What if all that I've been working for will disappear in front of me? How do I come back stronger? I'll be working on that forever probably. In this case I'll just keep working and moving toward that goal. If there are bumps, I won't wish them away, but try to deal with it. Yes, crying is acceptable, but can't let it consume me. That's silly. Wallowing in myself won't get me anywhere. I need to take the disappointment and make it useful.

My way of dealing with defeat includes frustration, anxiety, uncertainty, and embarrassment, but I know that giving up after one shot is certainly not admirable or reasonable. I will try again, and who knows, I might discover an even better way of motivating myself.

The Caffeine Battle

Coffee v. tea. I always have this mental debate in the morning. Green tea with antioxidants that fight against different cancers and jumpstart metabolism that will maybe help me reduce my 5 yawns per minute to 3. Or, the Colombian roast vanilla flavored coffee from the Fresh Market that will reduce my yawns to 0 if I add enough International Delight creamer. Undoubtedly, I end up with a few cups of coffee in my stomach and I wonder if I will ever pick tea over coffee in the endless caffeine battle.

Unless you have a tea addicted family like myself or a frequent visitor to Teavana, you might not even consider tea as a duly respectable player in the caffeine battle. No, green tea comes nowhere close to roasted coffee beans, but there are some other options. Chai tea, either from the carton mix, bag, or Indian-style using Brooke Bond tea grounds is an excellent alternative to the daily coffee grind. It's fun to mix it up. After reading the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I definitely discovered that there are people out there who drink more coffee than myself, but we should excite our taste buds every now and then. People like surprises and presents, so why not do the same for your taste buds?

Although Wal-Mart has a surprisingly collection of tea offerings, Teavana is definitely my favorite. Yes, the samples are pretty delicious. Plus, there are so many people trying the free tea that you don't have that guilty feeling in your stomach when the salesperson looks at you with judging eyes because you'e the only person taking advantage of free samples. Mattes, blends, and combinations of teas you have and haven't heard before with all sort of redeeming qualities that help with digestion, weight, and energy. Not all of these teas will taste like their description, but the caffeine in some of them are definitely there.

A good lead-in tea that's so great that I took the box with me to the store to make sure I grabbed the right one is this fasting dieting tea from Yogi. Yogi fasting tea helps with dieting and fasting, but that's not why I liked it so much. It tasted so delicious, and I've had my fair share of teas. Reading some of the comments on the tea, I see that other people have noticed the same thing. If you're not much of a tea drinker or dubious as to its ability to taste good, well this is heaven-sent. I've only had the tea a couple times, so I can't remark on the ability to cut down on my desire to eat (which I'm not too keen on reducing because I love food so much), but it does taste great. It's a good gateway tea which can lead you into those specialty caffeine explosion ones at Teavana and other specialty stores.

As for the caffeine battle tea might not be the resounding winner, but it's an important player. Some specialty teas come with the same or more caffeine than coffee, but you really have to be quite the avid tea fan. If you're looking to become a tea junkie, I would go for teas packed with flavor so you don't feel like you're forcing yourself to drink hot water. But don't forget about the old favorite: plain coffee. Always getting criticism but having a few healthful qualities like possibly preventing diabetes and other diseases, I can claim that while drinking coffee I'm doing good for myself. But really, I wouldn't drink coffee or tea just because of its immune boosters or newest healthy benefit. Do it for the caffeine.

Mangia!

They say, "don't eat your feelings." Sooo what would happen to that comforting, buttery, fattening, fried southern food? Where would all those chocolate bars and ice cream pints go? Don't eat your feelings. If only I didn't feel, I could probably follow that mantra. When I'm hot, I want a cold salad or tuna fish sandwich. When I'm cold, I want a latte and soup. When I have wine, I want delectable creamy French cheese. If I'm drunk, I want pizza. When I get a bad grade/get into a fight/heartbreak/insert any situation here, I want chocolate.That's the joy of being able to pick and choose the food you eat: it matches how you feel at that very moment. When I pass a vent that smells like lard (all those who've been on a college campus can relate to this), then I want some McDonald's french fries. If you're feeling light, by all means, get that salad or uber healthy edamame bean mix.

Translating all those unfair moments in life when you can't make a decision for yourself or unlucky stuff happens to you, choosing what you eat seems like a breath of justice. Yes, the metro was 15 minutes late today because of service delays and there was street cleaning that I didn't know about and got a ticket, but yes, I, me, get to choose what I eat for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner. Even if you get wined and dined by corporate, YOU get to choose that expensive meal that is too big to eat in one sitting but too inappropriate to bring back leftovers. There are so few decisions we get to make. Yes, I would like that Banana Republic sale to last all year, yes I would like a size smaller than XXL available, but no, I can't make those decisions. A slice of key lime pie is heavenly not just because of the lime zest, lime juice, and excessive amount of sugar, but also because I chose to eat that delicious dessert over all the other mouthwatering waistline expanding treats. 

Harking back to that moment when your parents finally let you dress yourself, that same exhilaration of controlling your near distant future exists when you get to choose what you eat. Yes, you should have that nagging feeling if you've eaten at KFC five times that week, but that has no bearing on the fact that you had the power to decide to eat there each time. Just as you have no power or decision during those 40+ hours you spend at work, all those hours outside of work is at the mercy of your decision making. Nothing makes my Type A self happier than writing in my Moleskine planner with my bright gel plan the plans that I have made for the week. If I write down buy Georgetown cupcakes on Friday evening, a kernel of excitement is released in my brain because I have chosen to eat my feelings. No, I'm not hurting or upset be cause I'm eating cupcakes. I'm TGIF-ing and cupcakes is a perfect way to celebrate. 

If I decided to follow the mantra, "don't eat your feelings." I would probably bore myself with healthy steel-cut oats for breakfast, three-bean salad for lunch, and lemon-caper salmon for dinner every day of the week. While good for you and taste bud sparking, there is no way I could eat these meals all the time, especially if I was feeling in a certain mood. You know when you see that bottle of red wine and remember you have some dark chocolate cake in the fridge, no amount of juicy salmon could compare. Then and there, a distinct click has been made in my head and I know that before the end of the night I will stop all that I'm doing and break out the wine and chocolate cake. Think of all those endorphins you just released! Why would you deprive yourself of satisfying your feelings? Nope the suggestion to "not eat your feelings" is not only foolish but also emotionally damaging. Can you deny yourself happiness at every meal every day? Certainly not. Yes, I can make myself wait and look forward to those every-now-and-then meals like chicken parmesan, but ignoring my feelings would just make me focus more on the fact that I'm torturing myself. It's much better to listen to your body and, in moderation, "eat your feelings." 

I will have my key lime pie, my cupcakes, my cake and eat them all. Thank you Marie Antoinette. There's nothing like manifesting your power in the decision to eat all the desserts, fried food, and bean salad that you want.