in which i freak out upon reflection

i was on a semi-crowded local subway train at the start of rush hour. i like to stand just in front of the doors and play solitaire on my phone, it's distracting, but not enough to miss what's going on around you. so, there's this guy sitting a couple feet from me, clutching a plastic bag to his chest, jittery. it's new york, big deal. but further discreet observance while sliding aces around proved disturbing. it was 19 degrees outside. he wore a flimsy knee length trench coat. sneakers that were several sizes too small, tied very tightly. no scarf or gloves. khakis and a button down. clothes that were bland-- not new, not old, and definitely not suited for the chill outside. speaking of dead-of-winter, he was sweating. a LOT. lips occasionally parting while eyeing everyone on the train, quickly and nervously.

there was something sturdy inside his plastic bag.

as we pulled into the 34th street station, the little no-nonsense voice inside me told me to get off the train, even if there wasn't another train in the station to get on. i HATE to get off a successfully moving train and wait. but this voice likes to bite me in the ass if i don't listen. lo and behold, an express pulled in. with great nonchalance i strolled across the platform, assumed my usual position inside the car, and resumed my game of solitaire. 

i glanced up CIA style, eyes only, as the recently abandoned local train prepared to pull away. as the doors slid closed, i saw the head of jittery man slowly rise. he walked to the edge of the doors, stopping an inch in front of them, and calmly stared directly at me as they slid closed. just stared. i raised my head and returned the look. we continued to stare until his train was out of sight. 

either i'm not as discreet an observer as i think, or that was one freaky freaking freak of a moment.

you must have goals

at what point in january is it time to stop enjoying rose petal tea by the light of the christmas tree?

tea and suspicious activity

some lovely ladies arrived last weekend, bearing thanks from a blogger friend.

i asked the eldest, mona, where they might like to live. she said they are the bookish sort, and would i mind if they hung around my shelves? not in the least, i replied.  she thanked me and offered me tea.

some of her friends are pretty shy, i haven't heard a peep from this one yet.  she sweetly sipped some jasmine tea, which is fairly mysterious in itself.  i expect she thinks she's hidden by all that red.

lila likes her tea black, no sugar-- but she took me up on my offer of a little irish cream. hollow leg, that one. she bounded up onto this weighty shelf.  she'll probably plow through these in one sitting.

and jezzie of the pink hair positively guzzled her oolong.  she doesn't look like it, but she was the most talkative of the bunch once she got going. i don't know what she's hiding in that little black case, but i think it's a clarinet.

i told them i had seen them before, while visiting cara carmina's blog, and was immediately reminded of the capelet giveaway i was throwing on my blog. i really thought it went with their outfits! lila tried it on (it looked great on her) but i confessed i thought it suited cara's style the best. but there were a lot of entries.  mona said not to worry, it would end up with the right person, and lila sneaked some more irish cream.

and now you know why i couldn't believe my eyes and called a do-over! 

(come to think about it, the shy one looked suspicious. i think i'm going to have to watch her.)

i have a confession to make...

i made my list and checked it twice, cut out 22 entries and put them all in a little milkglass jar. shut my eyes and picked. and then immediately called a do-over.

YES, that's right, i loved the name i picked so much, i thought no one would believe me, so i cheated and did it over again... hooray cara carmina! even a do-over couldn't stop fate! congratulations also to beth, for making me laugh very hugely out loud every time i read about her awesome mothering skillz. i'll be contacting you both shortly about your prizes.... 

now it's time to have chocolate pudding and politically incorrect sitcoms with ruggy. thanks for playing peeps!

my blue heaven

would you like to see what i did with this very awesome maxi dress that ruggy saved from his mom's bye-bye closet? OKAY! 

here's the story. ruggy knew i would love it the minute he saw it, and as always ruggy was right. i adored this dress for many summer days. then, on my last birthday, right after my wee trip to the hospital, i suddenly wanted to perform a little surgery of my own.  morph it into something with a waistline. hospital jaunts make you appreciate the things you have, and i was ready to show off my waist rather than freak out about the  daily ups and downs of my tape measure. 

balloonian mom: you may want to look away, i know how much you loved this dress. ruggian mom: i hope you don't mind the scissor job coming.

i wore it during my three day birthday-cation this past august. it amazes me that i always manage to miss posting about my birthday, snotty little princess that i am. ruggy spoiled me all over the place.

 

look mas', i haz a waist! in a sunny afternoon of cutting and eating bonbons (like you do on a three day birthday-cation) i went from a tie-top sheath maxi dress to a fifties inspired knee length with an invisible zip. i only wish i'd had a crinolin to wear with it. couldn't repeat it if i tried, i did it in a haze of birthday happiness. it's a 2010 memory i am definitely happy to keep.

what about you? any '10 memories you are happy to keep?

ps: six days left for the giveaway!

burning down the house

at 11:52, i suddenly remembered the fire ritual. i leapt up as best i could after three bottles of wine, and handed out paper and jumbo crayons. a lovely shade of crayola violet magenta was my weapon of choice.  i wasn't sure if our merrily inebriated little band would be on board, but they TORE into it! five of us wrote furiously. one of us even used the backside of the paper. two of us folded our thoughts into paper airplanes. one of us folded a little paper bomb. all of us climbed onto the fire escape at 11:59, and nearly burned down the apartment of our gracious hosts in harlem in a rush to welcome the new year with clean slates.

the best part was blowing the glowing ash off of the windowsill with ruggy.  we made every old worry disappear forever into the night.

welcome 2011!!! i'm so glad you're here!!!