I am currently reading the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and it is SUCH a great book. This should be required reading for 9th graders so they can know what to look for in their life and take opportunity's that knock.
I also finally re-subscribed to Creativity Magazine, which I love. I always look forward to getting that in the mail.
The other magazines I read are New York Magazine, Time Out New York, Ready Made and anything the comes from the One Club or the Art Directors Club. All critical reading.
Online, I always check Fanionista, Media Post, BBC and CNN as well as twitter scan, flicker, and Facebook.
I update netflix every week too.
And now that The Wire is over, I found I am completely addicted to Mad Men. Season 2 is even better and I finished that on Christmas!
NYC,
I love you in so many ways. Even when that kid was rapping Ice Cube lyrics LOUDLY next to me this morning on the packed train - I kinda loved you more just then.
And I will miss all the wonderful moments that you have intoxicated me with. The random stars I see on my lunch break in Soho, the fun Brooklyn weekends relaxing with my friends and wandering the neighborhoods, the graffiti hunts that you and I go on together, the great one-week-only pop up stores by great designers, the crazy people, the good food, the AMAZING community in NYC and BROOKLYN like NO WHERE ELSE ON EARTH. The museums, the yelling loud people the ARE MY PEOPLE.
With you - it didn't matter that I was loud. You loved me anyway. In fact, you only cheered me on.
Coney Island, the Bronx Zoo, 5 Pointz, the Guggenheim, mid town, soho, greenpoint, williamsburg, all of it.
I will miss you. And I will be back.
I just have to take this job in Colorado for a bit.
I won't forget you.
As much as you change - you never really do.
xoxo
L
Turn the sound up on this - I made it for you
that's bush league.
...up in my junk..
I have no horses in this race...
back the fuck up a minute.. you said what again?
swear to g.
I wrote this for a little kid I used to take care.
They wiggle and wobble
and creep and crawl
they hide in the cracks
and under the wall
These creatures live in hard to get places
they slip under steps
and leave without traces
They are silent and mighty
and quiet and slow
but they run very fast
if they see your big toe
I used to be scared
and I used to scream and run
at the very sight
of just one little one
But now I know better
that these creatures are our friends
and all of that screaming
just scared them
These spiders are animals
and not something to fear
they bring good luck
from what I hear
They won't hurt you
if you leave them alone
they are minding their own business
peacefully on their own
They weave webs out of silk
something I cannot do
that glisten after rain
and in the morning dew
So next time you see a spider
just say hello
keep doing what you are doing
and just let it go
I always mean to write down things I saw, or thought or heard on here and for reason, I always forget what it was that I was going to write. But the sunset over NYC tonight was so incredible, it inspired me to write.
I have been researching a ton of graffiti artists - cause I do that anyway - but this time it's work related. The cool thing about where I work is that we always want to incorporate the coolest designers, artists, and illustrators into our work and we look all over the Burroughs for it. And it's my job to find them, talk to them, make friends with them. This part of my job I love. Cause I do get to meet all kinds of people and see crazy studios that most people don't get to see.
I signed up for grad school this fall - I am starting online classes again September 17th. I am super excited about this.
Walking down the street in my neighborhood the other day I saw this elderly woman open her apartment door that opens directly onto the sidewalk about 20 yards in front of me. She looked both ways. She was carrying a large bucket of water, one that I couldn't believe she could hold in one hand, and a small cooking pot in the other. I thought to myself "This is going to be interesting..." As I was still moving towards her, she brought it out and then I realized what she was doing. She was watering the flowers around a sidewalk tree. Then I noticed she had built up the sides of the small garden with wood around the tree so that dogs couldn't tear it up. They were a good three feet up off the sidewalk and all the way around.
The city doesn't pay her to do that. In fact, both trees in front of her building have that. And her building is a pretty run down building, around the corner from a very old polish church that I love in a very polish neighborhood.
Something about that and seeing her do that, made me really happy. That there are people doing small little things to make their neighborhood, their life and the lives of all who walk by and see it.... just a little bit better, a little bit happier.
I have been thinking a lot lately about trying to always leave people, places and things just a little bit better than when you found them so the next person who comes along can enjoy it just that much more and how important that concept is to me. I think about when I stay at people's houses and I clean up before I leave. When I talk to people on the phone I want to make sure that I make them laugh at least one good laugh and that I talk to whomever waits on me at restaurants.
A few weeks ago a friend of mine died. Two weeks yesterday.
Now I know that when people die, people wax poetic about how special they were. And this is not going to be any different. But I will say this - the world is less wonderful because he is gone and for those of you who didn't get the fun, silly, happy, goofy, hilarious, loved, tender, pleasure filled experience of meeting him - it's your loss too. And for that, I am sorry for your loss also.
So it has made me think about a few things in my grieving process.
One - I want to be more like him to carry his life on somehow. And by that I mean, I need to reach out more and make better friends with people I meet. Cause that was who he was. He put people at ease immediately.
Two - I need to spend more time concentrating on the living.
I am starting to feel like my head is once again attached to my body and I am starting to think clearly again. But I am so sad that we can't go get him back. I know he is doing fine though, on some wonderful adventure enjoying himself and completely free of human pain.
So today, I watered my plants, I sent packages out to some friends, and I cleaned my house. I am dropping off my laundry and then going to see a movie. This is the first weekend I have been home in a month and the mental downtime was more than needed.
Deep breath. Deep breath.
This photo is from my mom's porch from last summer. She grew these.
Ames,
I can't believe I moved to Nova Scotia! I didn't think it was possible to work in advertising and still live near the ocean in this way. Halifax is like a little Boston, with parts that have cobblestone walks and lots of tiny shops. Filled with tons of Mc's and it's cool because if you drive far enough away from the city, you can hear people speak gaelic (grrrrrrrr)
The place I am working for is owned by a major world-wide agency and I know I could go anywhere but this is really the best place for me. Thanks for making me look that up. It's cool - we work on major accounts for Canada. Really different from NYC but I like it a lot more.
The winters are crazy on this Island I hear. There are parts where boats have to go and bring food to them during the winter but that is a good 10 hours away from me, at least. I have met so many awesome people up here and I really love it. I miss being able to see my parents whenever I want though. They are driving up here in a few weeks to visit. There are a ton of Irish pubs up here and the fish and chips flow like water :)
We just got a dog! His name is Connor. He is a brown lab and he is the cutest thing ever. He is still learning to pee outside but he will figure it out. I also got a used kayak so that is cool. There are so many cool things to see here. It feels so far away though and I have to figure out how I can go back and fourth on the airlines. I hate those little planes.
I am almost done with my masters! Two classes left. That is cool. It's nice to know that I completed it. Expensive but worth it. I have been gardening a lot too. And collecting sea glass. I will never catch up to Andrea though. She has all the luck when it comes to that. Wilcox should be visiting me soon. I hope. I want her to move here. She will love it when she comes here.
My truck is in tough shape. I wish I could get a little car but the winters would kill it. I am going to get a old beater pick up so we can go kayaking, camping, or swimming whenever we want.
It's kinda strange to be with only white people again. There are some people on this island that have never been off it! Can you believe that? I don't know ames.... we might buy a house here.
I think my mom is trying to convince my dad that they should move here. If we get a house I might have them move in on the first floor, at least for a month or so in the summer. I think they could use the break.
The farmers markets here are cool. I wish everyone would move here! Dave and Mark might come up this summer too. Dave says hi btw. He finished his degree and is actually thinking about getting his teaching certificate to teach high school students.
Well - I love you and hope you are doing awesome. Thanks for the quilt in the mail - I LOVE IT! I am going to take these glass blowing classes as soon as I am done with these last few classes this semester and send you something awesome.
Come visit! Move here!
xoxo
L
ps - I need some gardening tips - can you recommend a book of things that will grow for someone that only waters once a week and plants everything in sand? The strawberry pots look awesome though :)
Things I need to write down to remember for future posts.
Was looking at puppies in window today - looked over and Seth Green was standing next to me looking at the same puppies with me for a few minutes. Just me and Seth, picking out our new puppy.
Yesterday I was worried that I was going to lose my job b/c I thought we lost a client. Turns out that we just won a different division of the clients work. You never know in this field.
I applied for a one year contract position in Singapore. It's a long shot - but nice to think about and worth sending my resume in for.
The dry cleaners have lost my favorite rug. It was not cheap and I loved it. It really pulled the room together. They are calling me when found.
Last night, my friend Mark and I went for walk in the park. We were sitting on the bench when we heard the slight sound of the Mr. Softie Ice Cream truck. We walked to the end of the park and we both thought it was in opposite directions so we waited. And it would start and stop here and there. Then we saw it. It was ALL the way on the other side of the park - this park is like the size of two big blocks - it's pretty huge. So we hustle to the other side but he had already taken a right down the road. So we start start fast walking/slow jogging. Then we see he is taking a left half way down the block. There is a elder couple standing on the sidewalk. I say "Let's circle back and cut him off on the next block" so we do and catch him half way in the middle of the block. I got and strawberry sundae that I only ate half of. It was worth it.
I went on a press check this afternoon for a presentation we are putting together of 50 books. I have to go back tomorrow so they can correct all of my edits.
I got a manicure the other day. I love it. French style. A little je ne sais quio goes a long way, na mean?
My truck is broken and is being fixed. No power steering fluid. Have to pay for that so I have to save up again to get my car registered and stuff. Sigh. Stupid scratch.
I have a coffee date on Saturday with a guy named Ken. He is a photographer and traveler. I hope that we will AT LEAST become friends.
Mark and I were walking and talking last night when he said "The key to life is to just keep laughing" we turned the corner and there was a man SO drunk, leaning against the wall, looking down, with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. He had peed ALL over himself and looked like he might stay there and pee on himself for a very long time. Mark turned towards him and said "Just keep laughing buddy". That is when we decided it doesn't work for everything.
Can I just say that almost everyday, at least once, I just stop and think, 'Holy shit.. I am living in New York City and I am doing it all on my own" It is amazing to me the things I am propelled to do.
Today I have been thinking a lot about having a child and what that would mean and if/where I would have to move. I also have been thinking lately that I need to have some 5 year goals again. This is pretty huge for me because I feel like I haven't had any real goals for a few years now. I also have been thinking about different guys that have said they have loved me in the past and a few that wanted to have children with me and what I said and what I didn't say and why I made some choices that I did. A big reflection time for me I guess. Which is nice because the last 8 months have been all about moving forward as fast as I can to get to this moment of calm.
Sometimes I miss old dreams that I had - like buying a house in western mass and raising a family there. I am not sure that is still a dream for me or just a dream that I once had. Now I feel like there are so may other avenues that I have gone down and I wanted to try those all so much that I just couldn't commit to that so far in my life.
Anyway - I really want to get my masters and I have one class down - but I can't really afford it right now and I am SOO focused on paying down my credit card - that is really all I can think about as far as goals. I am hoping to be out of debt in about a year and a half if I hustle. So that is what I am doing. And I clean a lot. Cleaning somwhow makes me feel better about my life.
Sometimes there are things that you find out about a person while you are sleeping with them that you didn't know before hand. And there is nothing you can do about it because they are so awesome and loving and so much fun to be around.
And if you know me - then you KNOW I was AMAZED, slightly pissed, laughing and but still happy at the sheer ridiculousness of it all to find out the facts below. ....And he is not changing his or MY views on this stuff.. much to our shigrins..
Here is a short list.
1) Yankee Fan - HUGE and for life.
2) Republican.....go ahead....Read that again.
3) Thinks Bush did a good job.
4) Thinks we won.. (this made me laugh extra hard)
5) Thinks Michael Moore is a jackass
6) Can't BELIEVE I am voting for Obama
Surprising Middle ground:
1) Loves to run and exercise (inspiring to me)
2) Eats mostly whole organic foods and knows a fair amount about holistic medicine
3) Enjoys easy going Saturdays and busy Sundays
....yea. there is more but they are private but awesome and amazing still.
Sigh.... Just for the record, he CAN'T BELIEVE that his awesome idea of a photo of me in a yankee's shirt and him in a red sox shirt makes me go stubbornly into silence and that I flat out refuse to put it on. I did try to give him a sox shirt to wear home but when he saw the number - and even though it was a drop kick murphy's shirt and didn't even SAY red sox anywhere on it - he saw the number and said "Oh no.. sorry... any number but Shill's.. I can't wear that guys number..." ....Damnit! SO CLOSE! He is on to me.
