Things that make me smile-Pt. 2

Back again! Did you miss me?

With no further ado...

21) Target. I love Target. I could go to target pretty much every day and never tire of its wide aisles or discount racks filled with maternity clothes (I guess pregnant ladies don't shop at Target?)



22) FREE CONE DAY. This wasn't on the "smile list" that I originally formulated but...today's free cone day at Ben & Jerry's and I'm definitely smiling.

(weird picture, right?)

23) FREE things, in general. This came up on the way back from free cone day. Free things, especially, as Debbie pointed out, GOOD QUALITY free things, are amazing and make me really happy.

24) Putting on perfume. It makes me feel clean and pretty, despite the fact that I don't shower and have a hunch back and a partially grown wing. It's really nice.

25) Taking off my shoes. When I was younger, taking off my shoes after school or rehearsal or after-school clubs was a mission. I had to take off my shoes STAT or else the world would fall apart. I don't feel so dramatically about it now, but shoes are kind of lame. So taking them off makes me smile.


26) Air conditioning. So, it's not really warm today...but when it IS warm outside, and I get all hot and bothered on the streets, it makes me smile to walk inside and be refreshed by cold wind that an air conditioner creates. MMM


27) Going to concerts where I a) know all of the bands and b) know all of the songs that the bands play. Sure, I tolerate listening to new music. But mostly, I like to stick to what I know. A concert that I'm familiar with makes me smile.

28) My friends. Since I know all of you are waiting for your names to appear here. I'm not doing individuals because even though you all make smile, you don't make me smile that much.

JK JK JK JK.

Loveeeeee You!



29)Dancing in public. As it was pointed out to me recently, I'm really white. And as a white, Jewish, girl from Connecticut I might not be the best dancer. And yet, every time I'm dancing in public, at a club, at a bar, I find myself smiling in a really big way.

30) Dancing in private. I thought these two should go together. Dancing in private, with your arms up, flailing around, eyes closed, music poppin' is awesome. Makes me smile every time.
I mean...not that I dance like a weirdo in my room, when I'm alone, or anything.
Shiz.


31) Cruises. I've been on three cruises in my life, and they were all some of the happiest times of my life. Well, that might be an exageration. I mean, they were REALLY fun, and the weather WAS beautiful, and I did get AWESOME t-shirts in port...so smiley!

32) A good quotation, or, while we're at it, many. I really like words. I talk a lot, so I guess that makes sense. Anyway, if I see a nice quotation in a book, or hear a nice play on words on TV, or just come across something that's worded really well, I smile.

33) Fresh laundry. I don't like doing laundry, but I like having all my clothes clean and at my fingertips. Seeing my closet and drawers full of fresh, clean, clothes makes me smile.


34) Cheese. Do I really need to explain myself?

35) Sunsets. There are great sunsets at The Cape, and in DC, and in NYC. Seeing the sun set, the building's light up, the colors that the sky becomes...I love it <3

36) Jeff Van Vonderen. He's an interventionist on the TV show "Intervention" (read: favesies) You know, I just love Jeff like crazy, and I wanta fight to get him back. 37) My bed. It's just so comfortable, and my sheets are so soft...ahhhh. I would invite you over but, it wouldn't make a difference. I make my guests sleep on an air mattress :p

38) Public pools. I don't care what you say, I'm GOING!

39) My co-workers. I won't mention any names...but some of the people I work with are out-of-control, in a funny, good way. And they make me smile, a lot. Like, every day, for example.

40) Harry Potter. Ain't nothin' wrong with that.

Things that make me smile

Hello, everyone!

I know. I've been neglecting you for a little while. I mean not REALLY neglecting...I still know all three of your names, and I still remember...kind of...what you look like. Tallish with brown hair and brown eyes, right? Sort of average looking?

Debbie (see? I mentioned you. So you should have at least read this far) suggested a good blog series to me. A series that will take place all this week...

Things that make me smile.

I'm going to come up with a list for this week, and update every day. So keep posted!

In no particular order, things that make me smile:

1) Smiles. I know that seems obvious, but isn't a smile contagious? I see other people smiling and I can't help myself.
2) Sunshine. If a sunny day isn't nice, then I don't know what is. No seriously, tell me.

3) Presents. I'm a sucker for presents. All the shiny paper, the smiles as people hand boxes/bags over to you, the anticipation of a great surprise, the realization that someone else has spent money on you so you don't have to go and spend more money on yourself after doing too much online shopping and paying for immunizations to go to Honduras. It's great.

4) Popeyes Chicken. I'm a sucker for food. Not necessarily good food, or healthy food, or expensive gourmet food. Salty, cheap, tasty-that's what I'm after. Popeyes is all of those things and more. Not to mention, the atmosphere :)

5) Looking at old photographs. We all know that I have a big ego when it comes to old photographs of myself. I, without a doubt, was one of the cutest and SWEETEST little kids ever. But besides me, moi, myself, moi-meme, I like looking at old pictures of other people too. I try to guess what they were thinking, what it was like outside that day...different little things. It makes me smile to look at old pictures and wonder about things.
***THIS IS THE HUG PILLOW I WAS TELLING SOME OF YOU ABOUT***


6) Warm cookies. Cookies, in general, are amazing. Chewy, sweet with little surprises inside. What's not to like? Warm cookies, though, are even better. It's like being in the womb again. Too far?

7) Soda. I've been craving soda a lot lately. ESP. after lunch. Well, when I can lay my hands on a can of diet coke or sprite zero...it really makes me smile. Especially if I get it for free from work.

8) South Park. I used to watch South Park a lot when I was younger. Apparently in 1998 I was a teenage boy with acne and braces who couldn't get girls. Anyway, I weaned myself off of it for a while but now my love is back.


Awww butters <3 style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005T7I2.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" alt="" border="0">10) Listening to the song "I believe in a thing called love". Just listen to the rhythmofmyheartttttt...

11) Driving places with no traffic. I hate traffic.

12) LoL Catz. Can you believe that at Halloween last year I didn't know what an LoL Cat was? I can't either. Time flies when you're having fun.

(This is my computer background right now-hehe)

13) Corny jokes.

14) Giggling. I giggle a lot and I usually smile when I do it. It's fun. I like listening to other people giggle too...it makes me smile.
NOT in a creepy way.

15) Warm summer breezes. I get hot really easily so any relief from the heat is greatly appreciated and makes me smile.

16) The phantom ice cream truck. So, there's a phantom ice cream truck by my apartment that plays its "doo dee doododo daa doo dee dooo" music at 9:40 every night. It's funny.


17) Old people who smile at me. I mean, it'd be rude to not smile back, right? They're so old.

18) Stickers. I love stickers!

19) Smack talk. I apparently find smack talk really funny. Maybe because it's so ridiculous and I can't do it?
(This is more my style)

20) Online shopping with sales. Online shopping is great but if something's on sale? A. MAZ. ING.

Things I like about The earth

So, today, for those of you who are even slower than me/who haven't read my last entry/haven't left your house today/don't know anything/are stupid/am I making myself clear?, is Earth Day.

What a wonderful holiday!


Anyway, it's pretty sweet. I mean, we all LIVE on the earth, for instance. And the earth, unlike our landlords, doesn't even charge us rent. And, the earth is really pretty and gives us things like trees and flowers and cats. And, unlike your mom, mother Earth doesn't even GUILT you for all of those gifts!

The earth, not that I have any base for comparison, is really swell. What a great place to live!

Things I like about The earth:

1) Blue and green brown and white (from a satelite). Blue and Green are two of my favorite colors. My sheets are green. My curtains are green too. My eyes are blue. The smurfs are blue (not that I like the Smurfs or anything. No really, I don't. But, I DO like gummy candy and in France there are these pretty fun Smurf gummy's that are delicious...so indirectly YAY for Blue Smurfs and YAY for Blue Earth!). Brown is the color of "chocolate and nice clothes" as the great poet/philosopher Debbie once said, and I can't argue with that. I LOVE CHOCOLATE! Finally, If you added up all of the beautiful colors in the world you'd come up with White. And I like colors a lot...

So...YAY for Blue, Green, Brown, White Earth! You're lookin' fly girl.
oops! I mean

2) My house. So, I technically live in an apartment in Astoria, Queens. And technically Queens is part of New York City, which is part of New York state. And New York state is on the East Coast of the United States, and the United States is in the Northern hemisphere...
But when you get past all of those details, The earth is my home. And I like my home. So I like the earth.

3) Water. The earth is the only planet in the solar system that has water on it, I think. I mean, there's ice on other planets but not liquid water, right? I should really write about what I know. Anyway, I really like water. I shower in it. I swim in it. I drink it. It helps to grow flowers which I like because they're pretty. It makes trees grow, and life as we know it, exist. That's pretty great. I like life as we know...apart from the wars, and global warming, and diseases running around, and babies screaming below me in my apartment. Though to be fair, none of those things are The earth's fault. She's aight.

4) Animals. I really like animals, and without the earth there would be no animals. And actually, I wouldn't exist either to notice whether or not there were animals. But, alas. Animals are fun, and colorful. Some have feathers, which are pretty sassy. Others make cool noises, like CATS which PURRRR. Others are just really pretty, like PEACOCKS (though maybe they should go under feathers...hmmm.). Some swim (blue whales), others run (cheetahs), others slither (cobra snakes)...
FUN!

5) Reliable. Jenny suggested this to me and I really liked her idea. Yay Jenny! She said the earth's reliable because it's...well...always there. I mean, you can't really argue with that can you?

*Jenny's disclaimer- "Well i guess for some parts of the world it's not reliable at all

for example, tsunamis, earth quakes, etc".

6) Chocolate. Chocolate grows in/on (not sure which) the earth and I really like chocolate. I just had some chocolate covered matzah as I started to write this. Nothing better than covering the symbol of Jewish slavery in chocolate is what I say.
7) Interesting places. There are a lot of interesting, and I really mean INTERESTING, places in the world. Paris, for example and the River Seine. Cape Cod, with beautiful sand dune beaches and salt water that cleans even the dirtiest cuts. New York with towering buildings and lots of shopping and culture. The Grand Canyon...with a big hole in the ground...??? I haven't been there, but I hear it's neat. Honduras, where I'm going in a few months!!!, is on the earth and I hear it's beautiful.

There's a lot to do on planet Earth.


I dig!

I have to end this now because I can't think of anything else. I come up with broad topics and then my follow through...

Memories Pt. 2

Hey there *[your name]*! Long time no see. What's that? We haven't talked because I haven't blogged in a while? Well I didn't realize our relationship was so one-sided. I mean, you could initiate contact with me too!

Anyway, So, how's it going? How's everything with you? Good? Good. Oh really?

Things are going fine over here. It's Passover AND Earth Day... I mean you can't really get better than NOT eating bread and ACTUALLY hugging trees on the same day. And I'm at work too...
It's all about multi-tasking.
So, I've been thinking a lot about DC lately...for a few reasons.

1) I'm going there in a few weeks.

2) I'm REALLY excited about going there in a few weeks!

3) It's Passover, and last year I did some Passover things in DC (like hosted my own Seder, had a little K-for-P picnic on the National Mall)

4) It's Cherry Blossom season and DC has a lot of pretty Cherry Blossoms and I wish I could be there to walk around and look at them (preferably at night, while drunk and when no one is around. Don't call me creepy! Seriously, I can hear you, ok?! It hurts my feelings. I bruise like a peach, on the inside and out)

So, I guess for this section of my 'Memories' series is going to be about DC, because DC's on my mind.


I wish there was song about DC called 'DC On My Mind' like the song 'Georgia On My Mind'. I only know TWO songs about DC

1) The District Sleeps Alone Tonight-debbie downer (sorry Deb)
2) East Coast Anthem (sorry everyone else for mentioning Good Charlotte in here. Though, to be fair, I actually do really like that song.)

So, since I already mentioned it, and this is getting long, let's talk about Passover in DC last year.

Last year, in DC, for Passover (too repetitive?), I had a fun time celebrating. I decided that since I couldn't go home for the holiday (it was on a week day and I was finishing up my senior year, last semester) that I would make a little Seder for me and a few friends.

First, I needed Hagaddahs. As it turns out, the people I babysat for last year were Jewish (probably still are) so I was able to get a plethra of Hagaddahs from them (I probably got 15-20 Hagaddahs from Alan. Apparently he thought I had a lot of friends). Then, I had to look up recipes online and go shopping for ingredients. But I hated cooking...


I set up shop in Kristyn and Julia's apartment, since my kitchen was REALLY small, and cooked the afternoon away. Kristyn peeped in every now and then to help me (How long does it take to hard boil eggs? What about cooking chicken? How do people do that? Wait Kristyn, are you busy? Can you stay with me and talk?) and as the hours passed on a meal presented itself. Noodle Kugel (which I didn't think was great, but which Kristyn is apparently craving right now), Chicken (really dry), Broccoli (mmm), Matzah Ball Soup (mmm), Matzah (eh).

We ran through a little seder, ate the food...had some grape juice. I felt really proud that I had pulled a whole meal together and what with the grape juice and everything, it was a good night.

The next day, Kristyn and I had some free time (I don't remember why. Was it a Wednesday?) so we took the bus down to the National Mall. Saving the environment one bus ride at a time...

Anyway. It was beautiful out. It was like everything you would imagine is beautiful-birds, sun, cherry blossoms, kids, kites, me, Kristyn, unicorns, rainbows, wizards, matzah, egg salad...AMAZING. I really love picnicking/all those other things. And I had a lot of fun.


I don't want to write anymore and I don't think anyone wants to read anymore either. SO...

peace in the middle east/happy earth day/Chag Sameach

Memories Pt. 1

So, my friend Rebecca gave me an idea for a blog series.

Well, she didn't say that I should make a series. Actually, I don't remember how this idea came up...but she said that maybe, JUST MAYBE, I should blog about memories I have of certain places. And not just any memories-my FAVORITE memories. Like, my favorite memories of Connecticut (or Fun-necticut as I'd like people to start calling it. Seriously. Start calling it that. It'll be a grass roots kind of thing...), and DC, and Paris, and NYC, and Cape Cod and...other places I've been to a lot.

Well, I think it sounds like a great idea (thanks Becca!) and I'm going to give it a try.


But what to start with? And how can I have a favorite memory of a place? Fun-necticut? Going to the beach? "The district"? Having drinks with my friends? I guess I'll start with Fun-necticut and I'll try to conjure up some type of positive memory.


I remember, growing up in Fun-necticut. But it wasn't how you might think it was. And that sentence didn't come out how I had planned it to. Anyway, contrary to popular opinion, Fun-necticut is not just rich people. Actually, there are a lot of disadvantaged people in Fun-necticut, and a lot of middle-class, hard-working people. It's not all multi-plaid blazers, and sailing, and pearls, and piles of ca$h, and discrimination, and snobbery, and did I say pearls already? It's actually alright. I mean I'M from there so it can't be all bad right?

One thing I used to like to do in Fun-necticut, was feed the geese at the local nature center. It was a lot of fun. The local nature center is a bit of "a ways" from my house, but sometimes, if I was "good" or my caretaker (mom, nana, mom's friends, dad) didn't know what else to do with me, they would take me there. We'd pack up bags of bread (for the geese-duh!), put on our sunscreen (I don't remember this for sure but I feel like my family's pretty safe about sunscreen. We wear it when we're out in the sun. Well, actually...I don't but my mom does. And if my mom was taking me outside she probably put some sunscreen on...is this boring?), hop into the car (depending on who I was with the car was either a Subaru station wagon or a Toyota camry...brown hatchback kind of deal), and we were off.

I really enjoyed feeding the geese even though I was afraid of them. They would honk, and chase me up onto the picnic tables as my caretakers watched on with smiles on their faces.

"Don't be afraid, Becky. They're not going to hurt you." I wasn't so sure. BIG, HUNGRY, HONKING geese vs. little, cute, Becky. Who would win? Probably the geese. Did I mention that they were Canadian geese, eh? It's lucky that I made it to adulthood. Anyway...

So there I was, geese making noise and cornering me for my bread. Putting one foot forward in front of the other and heading towards the pond.

"F U geese! Don't pressure me into feeding you! I'm going to give ALL MY BREAD to the ducks!" I said. And I did. The little ducks would glide along in the water, as I walked along the water's edge dropping bits of old bagels and english muffins into the water. It was like we were walking together and like we were friends, except we weren't. Because I was walking, alone, in the air, and they were gliding along, in the water, using me for my food. But it's fine. I'm over it.
Then, when we were done with the ducks, we'd cross the little bridge, over the pond, at the nature center (yes, I'm still talking about the nature center), and visit the other animals. There were sheep (I love sheep! One time I got to see some men sheering the sheep! It was so cool! That's the kind of thing I'd like to take my daughter, Jewish, to do), and cows (you know what rhymes with moo? BOOO! jk...I don't have BEEF with cows. Oh my gosh. I really should stop...), and...horses? I think there were horses?

My memory's getting a little hazy. Maybe I should

Point is, I really liked going to the nature center when I was younger. I liked the animals, and the fresh outdoors (Con...I mean Fun-necticut, has a lot of great outdoors! and apple picking! and mountainy hill-things! and ponds!), and memories from when I was little, it's nice for me to remember that when I'm stuck inside (for 8 hours out of the day, because we did take a 1 hour-ish long cookie walk today) all day even though it's 73 degrees and sunny.

(Don't judge my hair)
Fin.

Things I like about being a mother

For those of you who don't know (and if you don't know, why not?), I've recently become a mother. Before you inhale sharply and ask yourself 'Where did Becky go wrong?', let me finish.

I've recently become a mother on facebook. a FAKE mother using the application 'Make A Baby'. Are you relieved? Gosh! Did you really think I could have somehow managed to become pregnant and hide a pregnancy and birthed a child without telling YOU? Whoever YOU are? I don't think so.
Anyway, my baby's super cute. And her name is 'Jewish' (if you don't know why I named my kid 'Jewish' then...you must not know me that well/you should ask me).
And she kind of has an attitude problem/is a little b-i-t-c-h-y (esp. to Deb-sorry Deb! You saw that I yelled at her, right? right? didn't you? are you listening to me?).


But, she's brought me a lot of joy and I like her a lot. Motherhood has definitely changed me for the better.

So I bring you: Things I like about being a mother

1) Something to talk about. The best thing about being a mother, I've found, is that it gives me something to talk about. People who talk to me on a daily basis know that I tend to repeat myself and talk about the same boring/weird things. I mean, they're not boring to ME but...
So now that I'm a mother, and I have Jewish to care for/accessorize/give things to, I have HER and MOTHERHOOD to talk about. It's really nice.

2) Entertaining at work. I mean, not that I play with her at work or anything....and not that my friends do either. We're very professional. But hypothetically, she's very entertaining Monday-Friday, 9-5. I can dress her, which takes up 10 or 15 minutes, and then every few hours she needs to be hugged and cuddled and put down for a nap and changed...occupies me very well!

3) Dressing her. I really like dressing Jewish. First of all, she looks good in everything that I put on her (unlike other people I have to dress...read: me). Second of all, she has so many clothing options. Skirts,
pants (chinos, corduroys OR jeans), overalls, dresses, costumes,
flip flops, boots, flats etc. etc. She has the best wardrobe ever!!

And, it doesn't cost money to get new clothes for Jewish-it's all part of the application, baby!! (see how I put 'baby' there? see why that's funny? because I meant it as an exclamation but it also makes sense since Jewish is a baby and part of the 'Make A Baby' application).

4) Makes me a better person/gives me purpose. Instead of just thinking about myself all the time...now I think about my child. I think about how many hugs I can give her without seeming creepy when people read my baby mini-feed, and I think about what she'll want for lunch and dinner. I think about how I can enrich her life-with tickets to a children's museum (actually, I already know she thinks that's "lame")? with a trip to Hawaii? with ballet lessons? What'll affect her life in the most positive way? What can I do to help her grow up to be a smart, confident woman?

I wake up in the morning now, trying to put my best foot forward for HER. And trying to be a good role model for HER. I used to steal candy from babies, and now I'm buying it, for my baby in the 'Make A Baby' marketplace. It's all about Jewish.
5) I have to stop this now because even I'm getting creeped out.

Have a good day!

Things I'm thinking or thinking about

I haven't been very interested in writing a new blog entry for the past few days.

Incase anyone noticed...
awkward.

But, since Erin just wrote a really cute entry in her blog, and it's been 5 days since my last post, I'm taking initiative and writing an entry.

You might say "But Becky, is it REALLY 'initiative' if you're writing in your OWN blog, and not actually doing something useful for society?'.

My response: 'My blog is useful for society'.
Things I'm thinking or thinking about

1) Where is my carmex lip gloss/cold sore/why are my lips falling apart tube that I bought this morning? No seriously, where is it? I'm turning around in my desk chair (so comfortable. but that's besides the point), reaching down to the ground to look in my purse and it's nowhere to be found. Not to mention the fact that when I reach down to the ground (rhyme) for my purse, all the blood in my body rushes to my head and I end up getting flushed. I don't like getting flushed. Gross.

2) I don't like wide screen computer monitors. A few weeks ago, if you recall, I was given a flat screen, W I D E monitor at work. Overall, this has been a good experience for me. The flat screen monitor allows me more desk space, and is better for my eyes (or so I thought when I first got it). GREAT. Except, it's so...W I D E. It stretches everything and makes it look...W I D E. And, if you try to fix this, and make things less wide, or "normal" looking, the computer smushes everything in and makes it smaller. And then you have to, according to Ira, press 'control and +' at the same time to make your icons/font bigger. But then I just tried that and it didn't work. So now my eyes actually HURT more than when I had the big, carbon emitting, bus-size monitor. But I can't wear my glasses right now because I'm wearing a headband.

And when I wear my headband with my classes they smush together and hurt my head. And it might seem more important for me to wear my glasses...
But that's not my style.

3) I have to pee. In fact, I'm feeling so ADD and so PEE-y right now that I'm considering forwarding my calls for a minute and going to the ladies. But, if I get up to go to the bathroom, then I'll want to get some water too, and I'll probably open facebook and play another round in Scramble...

4) Well, I just went to the bathroom. I really had to go! I guess the only person who really loses is me....

5) What should I get at Trader Joes? Actually, are we even going to Trader Joes? Debbie? Are you reading this? Trader Joes? Well, if we go, or WHEN we go (let me be optimistic here),
I wonder what I should get....

Maybe something like:
frozen mango, edamame (if they have it again), cheese, crackers, frozen pizza, chicken nuggets, something Indian.

6) Why is it taking me so long to write this? I am SO distracted! I'm listening to people talk, eating Pez, getting water, making corny jokes...
STOP.
7) Maybe I should do a sudoku. Ugh. (see above)

8) Maybe I should move to Union Square. I feel like I'm there EVERY DAY. Sunday I was. Monday I was. Today I'm going (see above-Trader Joes). Might just make sense for me to move there.

I'm going to end this on a more thoughtful note. SERIOUSLY I AM!

8) So, Saturday night, when I was hanging out with Kate, she mentioned this um...article or...um...book she read. I'm a really great listener. Anyway...
In the...um...article/book/poem/blog/e-mail, the author mentions the fact that poverty is a world issue. And how if WE, like...YOU and ME...gave up some of our disposable income we could fix poverty. So, if I didn't go to the movies this weekend (I'm actually not planning on going to the movies this weekend. It's just an example), and gave my $10 to the UN or to the entire continent of Africa, or Asia, or Latin America or North America etc. then I could help eliminate poverty. Or, if I really just lived on the bare necessities, and didn't shop on the weekends, or go out to dinner, or for drinks, or to concerts, I could hand over ALL my excess money to fight poverty and the world would be a better place.


Is it my responsibility to do that? Maybe not. But why do I deserve to have money and be comfortable when other people are starving? I know the world isn't fair but...
On the other hand, I really like shopping.
I might be a horrible person.

BYE!