Why health insurance is so nice to have...

I just tried to get a Rx filled from my dermatologist for a cream... Now that I don't have insurance, it would cost me $237 to fill it! Forget it. I literally laughed out loud when the pharmacist told me. She gave me the sassy "uh huh, sister" eyes and handed my prescription back to me.

I miss having health insurance.

Another Monday...Why is summer passing so fast?

I did not end up going to the party last night. Instead, I stayed in and chatted /caught up with my roommate, who has been back in the city after a 4-week absence for three days and we have hardly seen each other. I made some dinner, read some more of my friend’s recent draft of her novel, and then read myself to sleep. It was a nice, low-key, no stress Sunday.

Last night: another nightmare with the same theme and characters as the one the night before. Guess I can go a few nights and be fine, and then just fall back into the bad dreams. Maybe if I anticipate the dreams they won’t happen. Maybe I need to just work more on my writing, because clearly my mind is working overtime. I mean, if I’m going to have dreams, can’t I at least dream about things I like, or things that I’m excited about? Or at least have dreams that can turn into story ideas? No no. They’re all just lame nightmares that I can’t do anything with except struggle to shake off for the rest of the day. Actually, today is better than yesterday. Yesterday I woke up shaking and upset and couldn’t shake it off until well past noon. Today I’m doing better. Trying to stay positive and send positive energy out into the world.

Tonight: the gym. For sure.

It’s going to be a very tight two weeks until the next paycheck, so I’m aiming to spend as little money as possible (my other motivation for skipping the party last night). So far only one night planned this week....would like to keep it that way if at all possible.

Oh, to top everything else off: I love my outfit today, but I got to work, went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, only to find that you can totally see my underwear through my dress. Couldn't see it at home! But in the glaring daylight and the fluorescent light, you betcha! There is no solution.

Sunday Roast...I mean Post

Well, it's been a productive weekend. I slept in until 9:30 on Saturday morning. After dragging myself out of bed, I made a pot of coffee, a bowl of cereal, and set out to finish my latest short story. I knew I was near the end, but didn't know exactly how near. I wound up finishing it in six pages. It was incredibly satisfying, but also a little sad. To work so pointedly on something for three or four straight weeks only to come to the end of the story arc, with everything wrapped up in a neat little bow. That, of course, was my whole goal in this project: to create a finished story that I couldn't decide to make into a novel. I must say, I have succeeded. I started typing the story later, and oh-my-God the prose needs a lot of work, as does the pacing, but those are all nuts-and-bolts changes. As far as plot goes, it's done.

Later in the afternoon, I went to Costco with my friend D. She and I are now partners-in-Costco-membership. I gave up my card connected to Steve's account, and D and I are splitting a standard membership. It was so funny to watch her excitement whenever she found something she wanted to buy: Robitussin, A1 sauce, trail mix....she was in heaven. Who doesn't love Costco? We managed to get everything back to her apartment, and then split up the paper towels, Kleenex, and cereal that we purchased jointly. I don't think I've ever been in and out of Costco so fast in my life. We didn't linger because we knew we'd buy more than we could carry home with us if we did. All we had was D's small wheely cart and my one little shopping bag to get everything home. Anyway, the trip was a major success for both of us (I really managed to keep my spending in check, and I found a box of vegan non-dairy snack bars, which delights me to no end).

The rest of the afternoon/evening was spent baking cupcakes and eating pie, she worked on her freelancing and I typed my story, and then we made spaghetti and watchd a bootleg DVD of "The Hangover" that her boyfriend snagged for us. When I arrived home later that evening, my roommate was just heading out (as is usual for us -- we have the most opposite schedules ever), so I wound up in bed early with my book and got some much needed sleep.

Today, Sunday, has been a very mellow one. I typed more of my story this morning (so far I'm only on page 26 of 66 total) and made French Toast. Afternoon errands included a trip to Gracious Home for lavender linen water (sprayed on sheets, followed by iron = lovely scented bed), and a walk up the Upper East Side: Duane Reade, Ricky's, Essentials, and PetCo. Now I'm lying on my bed, with my laptop on my lap, in my very clean apartment, debating whether I actually feel like going to my UCB class party tonight at 7:00 or not. I really don't feel like being social, but after a bad steve-mare last night, I think social is the first thing I ought to be.

I didn't go running at all this weekend and I feel like a lard-ass. I really need to hit the gym this week and pick one day to go for a run after work. There just aren't enough energized hours in the day.

untitled

I believe in love.

Obama: Baby Got Barack

Oh my gosh --- this picture just cracked me up at the end of this long, exhausting day.

Obama: Baby Got Barack

Shared via AddThis

I'M NEVER MOVING! Costco coming to my hood

So I thought they were building a Coscto in Harlem, on the west side. It turns out that this big bare construction patch around E. 116 St near FDR is actually going to house a bevy of chain stores....one of which is perennial favorite COSTCO!!! It's going to be between E. 116 St and E 119 St. Do you realize that that means within WALKING DISTANCE of my apartment? No more expensive Zipcar or cab rides from Queens when I need toilet paper and Kleenex. Damn, I think the value of my apt just shot up. (Kidding, kidding.)

My heart fluttered when I saw it. I'm so excited.

I'm actually going to Costco with D this weekend. It will be a strange experience without the ex-bf (it still feels weird calling him that), and I'm going to try to separate my membership from his while I'm there. Otherwise I'll have to get a whole new membership for myself, but I'm glad D is willing to split paper products with me (yes, it's silly. But we are single and no one needs THAT many rolls of paper towels).

I love the Costco.

Here's the article that just made my pathetic little day: CLICK HERE to read it

UPDATE: There is also going to be a TARGET near the COSTCO!!! This is excellent news because there are Targets in Brooklyn (too far) and the Bronx (too far!), and I've never gone to either of them because I've always heard they're so picked through it's not even worth it. Man, it's a good thing I'm working off my debt now. These stores are rumored to be opening by the end of the year. I won't hold my breath for that deadline (this is Manhattan after all...nothing ever seems to open on time), but I'm excited nonetheless.

I Love Food.

I’m forcing myself to blog this morning. I’ve arrived early to work, even though I slept in. Amazing how that happens sometimes.

Last night I treated myself to a new culinary experience (at least for me): Soul Food.

I was lamenting the absence of S’MAC from my life due to my dairy allergy (that’s a fantastic mac-n-cheese restaurant in the East Village for those of you who don’t know it), and we launched into a discussion of great comfort food around the city. One coworker, J, suggested Mama’s Food Shop, and another, T, suggested Amy Ruth’s in Harlem — it is right near me on 116 and Lenox. I’ll have to try Mama’s another time, but since Amy Ruth’s is right near me, I thought I’d give it a go.

I had my very first Chicken N Waffles experience, and it was GOOD. I wasn’t in the mood for greasy food, but my other options for the night were either Mexican or something boring from my own kitchen (dang, come to think of it, I should have taken out some chicken to thaw this morning before I left...). Amy Ruth’s names all the meals after famous African Americans. The chicken n waffles is called The Rev. Al Sharpton. The man himself is a bit terrifying, but the meal was pretty tasty. And I ordered my chicken “smothered” -- aka dripping with brown gravy. Yum! I know my step-dad would LOVE it. I will have to bring him there next time he visits. As for my next time, I’ll try the Ludicris (fried chicken), and the potato salad. Sadly, I can’t eat a lot of what they have to offer—the buttered corn, for example—but that’s alright. My waistline will thank me...so will my pocketbook.

After my Soul Food, I put my pajamas on and wrote at the kitchen table for a while. I’m up well over 55 pages now on my new short story and the month is quickly disappearing. I have just over 20 days to finish the arc and type up the first draft for my volunteer reader at the end of the month (SIDE NOTE: If you’d like to be a First Draft Volunteer Reader on August 1, let me know please! I always love feedback). I wrote one day over the holiday weekend, but was working on a scene for another story, but I’m determined to finish the short story first.

Well, on with the day.

My 89 Year Old Heroine!

I want to be this woman....when I'm 89, that is. :-)

3:18 and all's well (so far as I can tell)

Well it's past 3:00. I'm officially on my way to crashing. I give myself until 4:00 until I completely crash; by 7:00 I know I'll be done for.

I just went through the running-on-fumes hyper mode post-World's Best Salad. I took a lovely stroll in the sun to the bank around 1:30, and was asked out by a very handsome stranger who works somewhere around here. (I don't know if I'll go. I may just screen the call and ignore; as you all know, I'm still not ready to date.) He struck up a conversation as we were both leaving the bank by making awe-struck comments about my arm muscles, which made me laugh because I just watched "Terminator 2" for the first time yesterday (hello Linda Hamilton's arms!). Sleep deprivation must look good on me because I started to notice a lot of other men on the street checking me out too--including the hot, young postman and another guy who looked like he just stepped out of an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog. Hmm. I rarely have days like this. I blame my hot muscular arms (lol! they're really not that muscular, which makes me laugh even more). I even got the salad bar guys (one of whom adores me) to get me salmon from the deli for my salad. Lucky me! Maybe I should have gone to the coffee shop, where the coffee guy always tells me how beautiful I am--it could have been a free coffee day! Guess I'll never know now.

Okay, break time's over. Back to the work. 3-1/2 hours (minimum) and counting till I get to go home.

Running on a 3-hour charge; crash imminent

I have been awake since 2am, got out of bed at 4am, got to the airport at 5am, caught a 6am flight in Rochester, landed at JFK at 7am, was on the subway by 7:45, finally got to my neighborhood at 8:45, and was out the door again at 9:15 and on my way to work.

Now it’s 10:24. I was only five minutes late to work, which is pretty good all things considered. Emmy the Cat was so excited to see me when I got home, and then flattened herself out on the floor looking utterly depressed when I left again. Everyone at work seems really stressed out and rushed this morning, which isn’t good for me considering my current running-on-fumes state. (I had some cereal and coffee so hopefully that will get me through to lunch, when I’m going to treat myself to the World’s Best Salad at Bazzini.) I guess that’s what happens when you check your work email over the weekend (which is why I choose not to).

The weekend was fantastic. Aside from the blip that I stayed up too late on Thursday night and my alarm didn’t go off on Friday morning (the phone call from my car service woke me up—the car was already downstairs), the entire trip was smooth and pretty perfect. My flights were on time, and though security lines were long, I didn’t feel stressed (except for this morning because the Rochester airport was CROWDED and I didn’t leave much time). The only thing that went wrong travel-wise was that the JetBlue flight attendants were handing out coffee that was already pre-milked. Completely disappointing to dairy allergic me. But one of them was sweet enough to bring me a black coffee (not the one originally handing them out; she was just hating life today so I didn’t even ask for fear of having my head made into her breakfast).

I arrived in Rochester at 8am on Friday morning — 20 minutes early! I also brought Eileen’s bag to her that I’d brought back from Ukraine in March, and even that made it undamaged. The three-day weekend held movies, puzzles, copious amounts of wine (no surprise there for those of you who know Eileen and I when we get together), amazing barbecued food every night, fresh air, sunshine, and overall rejuvenation.

I know I’m going to crash later this afternoon. There’s no way I’m going to make it past 3pm, but I’ll have to. I won’t be leaving work until 7pm at the earliest. I have an invite to some free Shakespeare tonight in Battery Park, but I don’t know if I’ll be able make it. I may be dead by then. Right now I’m on ten-second delay with my responses to everyone and everything, so it’s only a matter of time (hours?) until I crash like a Dell PC.

Ciao!