With some really sweet hair.
Thanks to Maegan for "finding" these treasures.
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anything you say can and will be used for my entertainment...
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Really really incredibly good looking
I don't mean to brag, but with parents this stunning, it's pretty much guaranteed we're having one handsome kid.
With some really sweet hair.
Thanks to Maegan for "finding" these treasures.
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With some really sweet hair.
Thanks to Maegan for "finding" these treasures.
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Monday, September 29, 2008
Monday Lovely: Highway 6
This weekend I drove to Price. You know how sometimes when you've seen something a lot you don't realize exactly what you're looking at? Like, let's hypothetically say your laundry room needs a finished paint job or you have a small hole in your bedroom door from that one time your dogs were wrestling or, oh, I don't know, your car really really needs a good cleaning but because you see these things every. single. day. you don't really see them?
Well, this weekend on my drive, one of the dozens of trips I've taken on this highway, I suddenly realized how beautiful the canyon is, especially at this time of year. I'm glad I finally noticed.
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Friday, September 26, 2008
Flashback Friday: Chameleon
Since Parker is such a large dog, he naturally has large ears and he absolutely hates getting them cleaned. A while ago, when we were preparing to clean them, he took off running and tried to hide.
Unfortunately for him, there aren't many places where he can be incognito. He blends in here about as well as I would on stage at the New York Ballet or even in a friendly softball game or anything else that requires any kind of athleticism or coordination.
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Unfortunately for him, there aren't many places where he can be incognito. He blends in here about as well as I would on stage at the New York Ballet or even in a friendly softball game or anything else that requires any kind of athleticism or coordination.
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Thursday, September 25, 2008
Even worse than the dream where I was being chased by 4' tall detached human heads
Sorry to get political but I saw this clip and, if I thought getting to sleep before seeing it was difficult, I had another thing coming.
The fact this person could be the next vice president of the United States -- a position that is a heartbeat away from calling all the shots and requires going toe-to-toe with some of the world's most ruthless leaders; speaking quickly and succinctly on the spot; improving this country's shaky global reputation; navigating us through a horrific and astronomically costly war; and being instrumental in repairing our crumbling-by-the-second economy -- is absolutely terrifying to me. This clip also reveals exactly why the media have been kept so far away from this candidate.
Watch CBS Videos Online
Yikes.
Seriously, this was the best person who could be found to run for the job? Americans should be offended. I am.
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The fact this person could be the next vice president of the United States -- a position that is a heartbeat away from calling all the shots and requires going toe-to-toe with some of the world's most ruthless leaders; speaking quickly and succinctly on the spot; improving this country's shaky global reputation; navigating us through a horrific and astronomically costly war; and being instrumental in repairing our crumbling-by-the-second economy -- is absolutely terrifying to me. This clip also reveals exactly why the media have been kept so far away from this candidate.
Watch CBS Videos Online
Yikes.
Seriously, this was the best person who could be found to run for the job? Americans should be offended. I am.
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Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Overheard: One-track minds
Below is a transcript of several comments I heard in our open-floor-plan office. All of the comments were not part of the same conversation, but since I heard them one right after the other, it sounded like they were and made for an interesting eavesdropping moment:
Person 1: Are you really going to pee on that?
Person 2: Don't worry, I'm bringing the bag.
Person 3: I just have to tell myself: 'Remember to pass along the poo!'
In case you were wondering, or are planning to ask the health department to make a friendly stop by our marketing firm:
Person 1: Was asking our boss about a free PH-level test she found in a magazine.
Person 2: Reminding our department she is bringing the Halloween candy to the meeting.
Person 3: Talking about how she doesn't want to forget about the rubber dog poo that's on her desk and has been making its way around as the latest office prank.
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Person 1: Are you really going to pee on that?
Person 2: Don't worry, I'm bringing the bag.
Person 3: I just have to tell myself: 'Remember to pass along the poo!'
In case you were wondering, or are planning to ask the health department to make a friendly stop by our marketing firm:
Person 1: Was asking our boss about a free PH-level test she found in a magazine.
Person 2: Reminding our department she is bringing the Halloween candy to the meeting.
Person 3: Talking about how she doesn't want to forget about the rubber dog poo that's on her desk and has been making its way around as the latest office prank.
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Monday, September 22, 2008
Monday Lovely: Elephant Teapot
I picked up this little guy at the store I shop more than any other, Smith's Marketplace. (I've been known to shop there three times in one Saturday, mostly going back for items I forgot in the previous visits. Note to self: Must get better at making lists.) His simple design and sweet style reminded me of a much more affordable version of a Jonathan Adler elephant. I thought that he was so cute I grabbed one for my sister, too. I've actually never served tea out of him, instead he sits on our piano in the dining room/entry way where he's among the first to greet our guests.
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Friday, September 19, 2008
Go.
Last night Zach and I were invited to attend a preview of the "Body Worlds 3: And Stories of the Heart" exhibit at the new Leonardo in downtown Salt Lake, thanks to an invite from our good friend Alex who was instrumental in getting this exhibit to SLC. [Sidenote: The Leonardo is incredible and I'm so glad it's here!]
I have to admit, Z & I were quite squeamish about attending. In case you're not familiar with it, Body Worlds is an exhibit of actual plasticized human remains, many of which are posed in athletic situations, often activities that the person who donated their body enjoyed. The entire idea of it totally creeped me out and I was fully prepared to have to leave the exhibit early if it was too much for me, the one who is completely grossed out by a skinned knee or even hearing a Lasik commercial on the radio.
But I was blown away.
After all of those years of sitting in high school and college biology classes, I never fully understood to what extent that human life is a complete and utter miracle. Seeing the muscles, nervous system, digestive track and the heart, the heart!, up close and reading about the intricate things they do every single day, without us even realizing it, just completely floored me.
I'm sure it also struck me a little harder because I'm pregnant and like every mom-to-be, have been following the development of my baby so closely. Seeing that the heart is the very first organ to form and that it does so when a fetus is just four - six weeks old, and that it is the last organ to stop working, is amazing.
This exhibit is all that Zach and I have been able to talk about and it has also showed us in (once-) living color exactly why it's so important to take care of our bodies. Seeing a set of lungs that belonged to a smoker left 1,000 times the impact than any ad campaign, poster or lecture. They looked like a mound of coal. It was so very sad.
And looking at the obesity display was astounding. Thinking of putting the body through any unnecessary stress after all of the incredible things it does for us each and every second seems almost cruel to me now.
But for me, easily the most powerful part of the exhibit was that of the fetus. It feels so morbid typing that, but what happens in even just the first few weeks of development is a miracle. There's no other word for it. I've read and looked at illustrations of what happens after conception, so the information itself wasn't new, but seeing it in-person was. I was in awe of how quickly a fetus goes from looking exactly like a flake of instant potatoes (sorry, but it does) to having fingers--including fingerprints--and toes. In just nine weeks.
I was speechless and still can't believe that my body--the very one that bruises too easily, is clumsy and has a penchant for root beer floats and gummy worms--is a miracle in itself and is creating another one right now.
Find out more, and get your tickets here.
.
I have to admit, Z & I were quite squeamish about attending. In case you're not familiar with it, Body Worlds is an exhibit of actual plasticized human remains, many of which are posed in athletic situations, often activities that the person who donated their body enjoyed. The entire idea of it totally creeped me out and I was fully prepared to have to leave the exhibit early if it was too much for me, the one who is completely grossed out by a skinned knee or even hearing a Lasik commercial on the radio.
But I was blown away.
After all of those years of sitting in high school and college biology classes, I never fully understood to what extent that human life is a complete and utter miracle. Seeing the muscles, nervous system, digestive track and the heart, the heart!, up close and reading about the intricate things they do every single day, without us even realizing it, just completely floored me.
I'm sure it also struck me a little harder because I'm pregnant and like every mom-to-be, have been following the development of my baby so closely. Seeing that the heart is the very first organ to form and that it does so when a fetus is just four - six weeks old, and that it is the last organ to stop working, is amazing.
This exhibit is all that Zach and I have been able to talk about and it has also showed us in (once-) living color exactly why it's so important to take care of our bodies. Seeing a set of lungs that belonged to a smoker left 1,000 times the impact than any ad campaign, poster or lecture. They looked like a mound of coal. It was so very sad.
And looking at the obesity display was astounding. Thinking of putting the body through any unnecessary stress after all of the incredible things it does for us each and every second seems almost cruel to me now.
But for me, easily the most powerful part of the exhibit was that of the fetus. It feels so morbid typing that, but what happens in even just the first few weeks of development is a miracle. There's no other word for it. I've read and looked at illustrations of what happens after conception, so the information itself wasn't new, but seeing it in-person was. I was in awe of how quickly a fetus goes from looking exactly like a flake of instant potatoes (sorry, but it does) to having fingers--including fingerprints--and toes. In just nine weeks.
I was speechless and still can't believe that my body--the very one that bruises too easily, is clumsy and has a penchant for root beer floats and gummy worms--is a miracle in itself and is creating another one right now.
Find out more, and get your tickets here.
.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
So long, Big Apple. See you next time.
I've worked in New York a lot over the years but this time, as I was preparing to go last week, I realized it will be a while before I'm back as it officially marked the last of my business trips until after the baby is here. I've compiled some of the details of it so that in a few months from now when I'm wearing the previous week's dirty laundry and smelling of milk and baby wipes, I can remember it. My friend & coworker Courtney and I traveled together for a client's event and had a great time.
A list of our Big City highlights follows. We:
- Were unable to get a direct flight from SLC to JFK and had a short, but surprisingly pleasant layover at Dulles in DC. At the airport restaurant we realized we were sitting, practically at the same table because we were so close, next to Olympic Silver Medal figure skater Sasha Cohen. Fortunately, Courtney knew it was her. I kept staring at her thinking she looked familiar and wondering if it's because she vaguely resembled one of my brother's friends. I should be commended for refraining from striking up a conversation to compare her devastating 2002 medal loss to my devastating 1st grade ice skating wrist fracture.
- Stayed in a Radisson on Lexington and 48th. Lex is one of my favorite streets on which to seek shelter because it's just far enough away from Times Square that you're not constantly annoyed by the tourist from Boca who is walking s-l-o-w-l-y up the sidewalk with his head cranked heavenward, mouth agape. While wearing socks. With sandals. Combined with the shorts pulled up to his armpits and the ubiquitous camera dangling around his neck. This Radisson is actually very charming (as Radissons go), and is the recent recipient of an overhaul. I love this hotel because it's small room-number wise by NYC standards, but the rooms are not terribly tiny plus they are clean and modern. And it has a Starbucks.
- Our meeting was a success, we hosted a successful media event at this super cool hotel where we spied a painting by a high school friend of Zach's hanging in the lobby.
- Ate like champs. I've always found it fitting that New York's nickname is associated with food since if there's anything this city is known for (besides ridiculous amounts of shopping opportunities, Donald Trump and his ridiculous hair and really really ridiculous real estate prices), it's the food. For breakfast one morning I enjoyed a bowl of yogurt that was topped with fresh berries that were almost as big as my growing-by-the-minute belly. Some of my favorite eating joints we visited this trip:
Rosa Mexicano: The Lincoln Center location is great. The freshest of fresh guac made right at your table. My dining companions enjoyed what seemed to be delicious pomegranate margaritas and I loved my fresh mango juice. The food was good, too.
Bar Americain: Bobby Flay can cook some mean comfort food. We stopped into his place for chicken pot pies (for Courtney & Jeff) and a bacon/gorgonzola pizza for me. I had to try this cheesy bacon concoction so I could report back to Z, it's part of my ongoing "research" to benefit his restaurant. I'm really generous that way.
Pinkberry: Courtney and I walked for what seemed like miles to get to Pinkberry and it was definitely worth it. The frozen yogurt is extremely, uh, yogurty. Not like froyo that tastes just like ice cream, this has an extra dryness to it that is delicious, especially when topped with fresh raspberries and bananas like mine was.
- Engaged in shopping. Of course, we jetted over to my favorite NYC store of all-time, Lee's Art Shop, at our first opportunity. I picked up two sets of lovely thank-you notes here (and nearly peed my pants waiting for the bathroom to become available. It was a close one. Lots of water drinking + 5.5 months pregnant + lots of walking + few bathrooms = not a wise decision).
- Checked out Fashion Week at Bryant Park where we were short on celebrity sightings but had enough graphic PETA posters shoved in our faces that I can 100% promise I will never, ever, ever wear fur as long as they never ever, ever, make me look at another one of those hideous posters again (not that I ever wore it before. But still.). I also realized that 1. EVERYONE in the fashion industry smokes and 2. I am definitely not hip enough to pull off the plastic sunglasses-sans-lenses look I saw a few fashionista/os sporting.
- Shared a plane ride home with Natalie who was also in New York for work. Fun times and gossip magazine-sharing ensued.
- Were so happy to get home.
Also? I did just fine in my "walking shoes" thankyouverymuch.
.
A list of our Big City highlights follows. We:
- Were unable to get a direct flight from SLC to JFK and had a short, but surprisingly pleasant layover at Dulles in DC. At the airport restaurant we realized we were sitting, practically at the same table because we were so close, next to Olympic Silver Medal figure skater Sasha Cohen. Fortunately, Courtney knew it was her. I kept staring at her thinking she looked familiar and wondering if it's because she vaguely resembled one of my brother's friends. I should be commended for refraining from striking up a conversation to compare her devastating 2002 medal loss to my devastating 1st grade ice skating wrist fracture.
- Stayed in a Radisson on Lexington and 48th. Lex is one of my favorite streets on which to seek shelter because it's just far enough away from Times Square that you're not constantly annoyed by the tourist from Boca who is walking s-l-o-w-l-y up the sidewalk with his head cranked heavenward, mouth agape. While wearing socks. With sandals. Combined with the shorts pulled up to his armpits and the ubiquitous camera dangling around his neck. This Radisson is actually very charming (as Radissons go), and is the recent recipient of an overhaul. I love this hotel because it's small room-number wise by NYC standards, but the rooms are not terribly tiny plus they are clean and modern. And it has a Starbucks.
- Our meeting was a success, we hosted a successful media event at this super cool hotel where we spied a painting by a high school friend of Zach's hanging in the lobby.
- Ate like champs. I've always found it fitting that New York's nickname is associated with food since if there's anything this city is known for (besides ridiculous amounts of shopping opportunities, Donald Trump and his ridiculous hair and really really ridiculous real estate prices), it's the food. For breakfast one morning I enjoyed a bowl of yogurt that was topped with fresh berries that were almost as big as my growing-by-the-minute belly. Some of my favorite eating joints we visited this trip:
Rosa Mexicano: The Lincoln Center location is great. The freshest of fresh guac made right at your table. My dining companions enjoyed what seemed to be delicious pomegranate margaritas and I loved my fresh mango juice. The food was good, too.
Bar Americain: Bobby Flay can cook some mean comfort food. We stopped into his place for chicken pot pies (for Courtney & Jeff) and a bacon/gorgonzola pizza for me. I had to try this cheesy bacon concoction so I could report back to Z, it's part of my ongoing "research" to benefit his restaurant. I'm really generous that way.
Pinkberry: Courtney and I walked for what seemed like miles to get to Pinkberry and it was definitely worth it. The frozen yogurt is extremely, uh, yogurty. Not like froyo that tastes just like ice cream, this has an extra dryness to it that is delicious, especially when topped with fresh raspberries and bananas like mine was.
- Engaged in shopping. Of course, we jetted over to my favorite NYC store of all-time, Lee's Art Shop, at our first opportunity. I picked up two sets of lovely thank-you notes here (and nearly peed my pants waiting for the bathroom to become available. It was a close one. Lots of water drinking + 5.5 months pregnant + lots of walking + few bathrooms = not a wise decision).
Image from leesartshop.com
- Since I am a Project Runway junkie, I just HAD to make it to the designer fabric haven, Mood. Courtney won the BEST FRIEND EVER IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE AND THEN SOME award for humoring my Mood quest. We walked six blocks in the wrong direction, then back up the six blocks then up and down the fashion district's streets until we found the unmarked entrance and the button-less elevator you have to take to get into the three-story store (it actually has an elevator man who uses a crank to make the elevator go up and down! An elevator man!). I found the upholstery fabric I didn't know I had been searching for my entire life, which I shall use to recover an ottoman. This fabric is shown below on a sofa that, as I noticed a few days ago, was in the background for about .05 seconds in an episode of PR (!!!). My fabric is famous.
Image from Moodfabrics.com
- Checked out Fashion Week at Bryant Park where we were short on celebrity sightings but had enough graphic PETA posters shoved in our faces that I can 100% promise I will never, ever, ever wear fur as long as they never ever, ever, make me look at another one of those hideous posters again (not that I ever wore it before. But still.). I also realized that 1. EVERYONE in the fashion industry smokes and 2. I am definitely not hip enough to pull off the plastic sunglasses-sans-lenses look I saw a few fashionista/os sporting.
- Shared a plane ride home with Natalie who was also in New York for work. Fun times and gossip magazine-sharing ensued.
- Were so happy to get home.
Also? I did just fine in my "walking shoes" thankyouverymuch.
.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Weekend Update: It's electric!
This picture sums up how we spent our weekend. Z & I decided on the paint colors and tile for the basement bathroom and are narrowing down the color palette for our bedroom. We also bought a new mattress so my poor aching back is now a happy, non-aching back and we scored a rocking chair without having to deal with a salesman who is high on drugs. Oh happy day!
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Monday, September 15, 2008
Monday Lovely: Changing Table
Ever since I realized that we have a bun in the oven, I've been scouring craigslist, consignment shops, DI, yard sales and anywhere else that could possibly be housing the dresser/changing table of my dreams.
I'm a big fan of the European design style of combining modern furniture with older, almost country-style pieces. And since I'm loving the Amy Coe modern baby crib, I wanted to pair it (or something similar) with a used vintage-style dresser. Unfortunately, though, I haven't been able to find one. I had an idea in mind that I want a smaller dresser that sits up off the ground on legs and hopefully has some whimsical detail.
I think that this dresser obsession was started while I watched the Sex in the City movie. During the 2+ hours I stared at the big screen, I was not only completely engrossed in the girls' shenanigans, I was stopped mid-popcorn bite by the black and white striped dresser in little Lily's bedroom:
So imagine my surprise when we were in Price a few weeks ago and what did I spy just a mile down the road from my parents' home?
This little beauty.
My parents saw in my eyes (and heard in my shrieks) that it was the furniture piece I'd been dreaming of and they snapped it up quickly from the highway-side flea market (thanks, Mom and Dad!). My dad has already stripped it of its old paint and stain and discovered that it's actually an old television that has been transformed into a dresser that will soon be retrofitted into Mirando's changing table.
With a snappy new paint job and some fun knobs, maybe these or these? It's going to be the perfect addition to our nursery nook.
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I'm a big fan of the European design style of combining modern furniture with older, almost country-style pieces. And since I'm loving the Amy Coe modern baby crib, I wanted to pair it (or something similar) with a used vintage-style dresser. Unfortunately, though, I haven't been able to find one. I had an idea in mind that I want a smaller dresser that sits up off the ground on legs and hopefully has some whimsical detail.
I think that this dresser obsession was started while I watched the Sex in the City movie. During the 2+ hours I stared at the big screen, I was not only completely engrossed in the girls' shenanigans, I was stopped mid-popcorn bite by the black and white striped dresser in little Lily's bedroom:
So imagine my surprise when we were in Price a few weeks ago and what did I spy just a mile down the road from my parents' home?
This little beauty.
My parents saw in my eyes (and heard in my shrieks) that it was the furniture piece I'd been dreaming of and they snapped it up quickly from the highway-side flea market (thanks, Mom and Dad!). My dad has already stripped it of its old paint and stain and discovered that it's actually an old television that has been transformed into a dresser that will soon be retrofitted into Mirando's changing table.
With a snappy new paint job and some fun knobs, maybe these or these? It's going to be the perfect addition to our nursery nook.
.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Overheard: Potential Employee
Z & I have been on the hunt for a rocking chair that fits our "cozy modern" aesthetic and our Deseret Industries-level budget. Not an easy feat. We went to a local furniture superstore, you know, one of those with the horrible ads and endless direct mail pieces, to check out the inventory.
In the first five minutes of walking into the store we were chased, er, greeted by no fewer than five commissioned salesmen, including one nice, 50-ish white-haired gentleman who had this brief exchange with us:
Salesman: What can I help you with today?
Zach: Oh, we're fine. Just looking at rocking chairs.
Salesman: We have plenty of selection.
Z: Yes, I see that. Thanks, we'll let you know if we need any help. We're just looking today.
S: How about this wooden glider rocker?
Me: That's nice but it's not really the style of what we're looking for. Thanks anyway.
S: You know, this one is going for $425, and with the ottoman it's well over $600.
Me: Wow. Yeah, we're not interested in it. Thanks, though.
S: * Leans in and whispers * I have one in my garage. Brand new. I can sell you the whole thing for $300. But don't tell my boss.
* Awkward silence *
* We observe his glassy-eyed stare *
Z: Uh, no thanks.
S: *Whispers again * How about an exercise bike? Brand new. $200.
Z: No. We really don't need one.
* Z & I scan the store for the quickest exit *
S: What kind of work you in?
Z: I own a pizza restaurant.
S: Interesting.
* Pause *
S: Do you fire people a lot?
Z: Uh, sometimes.
S: You drug test?
.
In the first five minutes of walking into the store we were chased, er, greeted by no fewer than five commissioned salesmen, including one nice, 50-ish white-haired gentleman who had this brief exchange with us:
Salesman: What can I help you with today?
Zach: Oh, we're fine. Just looking at rocking chairs.
Salesman: We have plenty of selection.
Z: Yes, I see that. Thanks, we'll let you know if we need any help. We're just looking today.
S: How about this wooden glider rocker?
Me: That's nice but it's not really the style of what we're looking for. Thanks anyway.
S: You know, this one is going for $425, and with the ottoman it's well over $600.
Me: Wow. Yeah, we're not interested in it. Thanks, though.
S: * Leans in and whispers * I have one in my garage. Brand new. I can sell you the whole thing for $300. But don't tell my boss.
* Awkward silence *
* We observe his glassy-eyed stare *
Z: Uh, no thanks.
S: *Whispers again * How about an exercise bike? Brand new. $200.
Z: No. We really don't need one.
* Z & I scan the store for the quickest exit *
S: What kind of work you in?
Z: I own a pizza restaurant.
S: Interesting.
* Pause *
S: Do you fire people a lot?
Z: Uh, sometimes.
S: You drug test?
.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Big Appetite
I'm working in the Big Apple for a few days, so no new posts for a little bit. Have a fabulous week.
I'm off to have some cheesecake. And pizza. And street vendor hot dogs. And apparently a few extra pounds to put on.
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I'm off to have some cheesecake. And pizza. And street vendor hot dogs. And apparently a few extra pounds to put on.
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Friday, September 5, 2008
Flashback Friday: Thanks, Craigslist
A little over five years ago, I rushed out of the office to grab a quick, nutritious lunch from Wendy's. I pulled my 1993 Acura Integra (known affectionately as Teg) into the drive-thru lane and was in deep concentration while debating my Dollar Menu item selection. It was my turn to pull up to the ordering board. I put my car in gear and pressed on the gas while letting off the clutch. Teg made an awkward noise, an automobile equivalent of an old man's last breath, and lurched forward. It then died while being stuck in first gear.
I couldn't move.
There were at least five cars behind me, the line wrapping all the way around the restaurant and into the street, and eventually they started honking for me to pull forward. I couldn't start the car and I couldn't even get it in neutral to push it out of the way. I ended up leaning my seat all the way back, putting my pointy-toe-slingback clad foot up on the dash board and pulled back as hard as I could on the stick shift. I figured either I would break off the shifter or die of an embarrassment-induced heart attack. I preferred the former.
It worked and my car was suddenly able to move into neutral. I don't remember what happened next but somehow, I was able to make the car hop/lurch a few feet over to where a parking spot had miraculously just opened up. I left the car there and called Z to come and rescue me from my humiliating fast food predicament.
That week we fixed the problem--a worn-out transmission--and decided it was time to upgrade to a newer vehicle.
A few weeks later I was in New York on a media tour with a client. I was in the back of a cab, puttering along in East Village traffic when my cell phone rang. It was Zach telling me about the nice couple who replied to our Craigslist ad about the car. The couple, whose car met its own untimely demise when a girl ran a stoplight, came over to see Teg and decided he wasn't a fit for them either, but Zach liked them a lot and joked, "Then can I interest you in a house?" Our rental house next door had just come up for rent.
The couple kind of laughed at the thought of looking for a car but getting a new house and decided to humor him and take a look. They loved their Avenues apartment but since they had just adopted a friendly golden retriever named Bonnie, decided a house would be better for them.
They took it on the spot.
When I returned from my trip, I met the couple, Maegan and Gabri, and immediately liked them and the way Maegan acted like it wasn't a big deal to sign the rental contract while sitting on our couch that had a folded sleeping bag in place of where a cushion should be since our new giant dog ate it. The fact her husband had an adorable, charming Italian accent didn't hurt either.
We hit it off immediately and Burly, Idaho's Maegan soon became one of my very best friends.
They moved back to Gabri's hometown of Rome, Italy a couple of years ago. I visited her there last summer and while we were sitting in a small, sidewalk cafe as Maegan gave me a wine-infused Italian lesson, I realized how lucky I am that I never got to order my Junior Bacon Cheeseburger.
Maegan & me near Rome's Villa Borghese
I couldn't move.
There were at least five cars behind me, the line wrapping all the way around the restaurant and into the street, and eventually they started honking for me to pull forward. I couldn't start the car and I couldn't even get it in neutral to push it out of the way. I ended up leaning my seat all the way back, putting my pointy-toe-slingback clad foot up on the dash board and pulled back as hard as I could on the stick shift. I figured either I would break off the shifter or die of an embarrassment-induced heart attack. I preferred the former.
It worked and my car was suddenly able to move into neutral. I don't remember what happened next but somehow, I was able to make the car hop/lurch a few feet over to where a parking spot had miraculously just opened up. I left the car there and called Z to come and rescue me from my humiliating fast food predicament.
That week we fixed the problem--a worn-out transmission--and decided it was time to upgrade to a newer vehicle.
A few weeks later I was in New York on a media tour with a client. I was in the back of a cab, puttering along in East Village traffic when my cell phone rang. It was Zach telling me about the nice couple who replied to our Craigslist ad about the car. The couple, whose car met its own untimely demise when a girl ran a stoplight, came over to see Teg and decided he wasn't a fit for them either, but Zach liked them a lot and joked, "Then can I interest you in a house?" Our rental house next door had just come up for rent.
The couple kind of laughed at the thought of looking for a car but getting a new house and decided to humor him and take a look. They loved their Avenues apartment but since they had just adopted a friendly golden retriever named Bonnie, decided a house would be better for them.
They took it on the spot.
When I returned from my trip, I met the couple, Maegan and Gabri, and immediately liked them and the way Maegan acted like it wasn't a big deal to sign the rental contract while sitting on our couch that had a folded sleeping bag in place of where a cushion should be since our new giant dog ate it. The fact her husband had an adorable, charming Italian accent didn't hurt either.
We hit it off immediately and Burly, Idaho's Maegan soon became one of my very best friends.
They moved back to Gabri's hometown of Rome, Italy a couple of years ago. I visited her there last summer and while we were sitting in a small, sidewalk cafe as Maegan gave me a wine-infused Italian lesson, I realized how lucky I am that I never got to order my Junior Bacon Cheeseburger.
Maegan & me near Rome's Villa Borghese
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Thursday, September 4, 2008
Overheard: Their services are held next to baggage claim
Her: What's that guy wearing? Is he in that weird religion?
Me: What weird religion?
Her: You know. The airport one.
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Me: What weird religion?
Her: You know. The airport one.
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