a month of thanks, day three (on day four...oops)

is there a way to back-track a blog post? cuz i'd sure love to pretend i didn't forget to blog yesterday but wait, i did.
yesterday and today and every day, i'm thankful for: my job.

yup, i said it... it has its tough moments, challenges, politics, gossip, morons, white trash, smelly people, stress, gray hairs and days where i sometimes think i'd rather be anywhere else. but the truth of the matter... the really big picture... is that i'm blessed to be doing something i love, advocating for children (albeit indirectly) and getting to use my creative license to make things happen for over 400 charities across the country. i've had experiences in the last 5 (eeeeek!) years that some will never have in a lifetime, and i'm grateful for that. when i move on from this place, i know i'll appreciate the person it has made me.
phew. that was kinda tough.

a month of thanks, day two

today i'm thankful for: pandora.

i can't imagine a better way to get through the work day than to have a customized playlist of songs - new, old, and never-before-heard - streaming for eight solid hours. you can bookmark your favorite artists, check out other listeners' playlists, and give songs a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" that clues the station in to whether or not you want to hear it again. you can even mix it up and select various types of music to hear throughout the day.

deargodthankyou.
in case you missed it, i'm blogging a month of thanks. check out my first post here.

a month of thanks

nine days in to the month, i was inspired by several other blogs to celebrate the season by blogging every day during this "month of thanks". every day i stop and think about things i'm thankful for, so why limit that to my own thoughts? i'm going to try and share it with the interwebs and if i inspire just one other person to reflect in this way, my job is dunzo.

today i'm thankful for: water.

why water?

...why not?

don't ever underestimate its power! one billion people in this world don't have water. that's one in six of us.

one of my favorite charities in the world is called charity: water. they have a simple mission - to bring clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. what they've done in a few short years is astounding and at the center of it all, they're providing one of the most basic human needs to the most desperate of people. the photos and stories that come out of charity: water are incredible.

so go have a glass and enjoy every last sip of it... because you can.

keep your chin up, darlin'...

I read this quote last night and loved it, so forgive the sarcastic image that accompanies it... but sometimes you just need a good laugh.

When your faith endures many conflicts and your spirit sinks low, do not condemn yourself. There is a reason for your season of heaviness. Great soldiers are not made without war. Skillful sailors are not trained on the shore. It appears that if you are to become a great believer you will be greatly tested. If you are to be a great helper to others, you must pass through their trials. The uncut diamond has little brilliance, the unthreshed corn feeds no one, and the untried believer is of little use or beauty. There are great benefits to come from your trials. -charles spurgeon

giving sushi a shot

the month of september really knocked the wind right out of me. my blog suffered just as much as my sanity did. it was my fifth (FIFTH! time flies...) festival of children so i was on-call for a month, aside from spending a few days in new york for a fundraiser we hosted in central park. add that to visits from granny, cousin myrna, the jewish high holy days and life... and it was time for some respite come the first weekend in october.

and that's precisely what i did.

this past weekend, todd and i paid a visit to his family's cabin in lake arrowhead. we stayed in our pajamas from morning til night, until we had to face civilization for sunday lunch in the village before heading home.

on saturday, after some pomegranete peach pancakes, and in between watching 2 movies, 6 episodes of super nanny and 25 repetitions of the same infomercial (shout out to bling string! the styling sensation that's sweeping the nation!) we made our first attempt at homemade sushi. it tasted delicious (crab rolls, shrimp rolls, and tuna oh my!) and was perfectly complemented by a bottle of nigori sake, our personal favorite.

a work in progress...

the finished product (gjmme a break, i was a sushi chef virgin!)

oktoberfest at the village (small towns have my heart):

a beautiful day on the lake (view from woody's family restaurant!)

goodbye lake arrowhead. you were so good to us. til november...

Lessons from Leviticus

When I was living in London in 2005, my adventurous (albeit small) group of friends there would occasionally trek out to the Comedy Café on Wednesday nights somewhere in the dorpies of North London for free stand-up comedy and drink specials. I had friends living in all areas of the city, so I usually made the journey home alone on the last metro ride through Kings Cross station, where I’d pick up the night bus that would bring me nearly to my doorstep. On March 23rd, I hopped off the metro and found myself in a dimly lit, nearly vacant metro station with not a person in sight, merely echoes of footsteps coming off subways on other platforms throughout the massive station.

As I turned the corner to approach the exit and continue my journey home, I witnessed something that not even the best digital technology, makeup, and actors on Grey’s Anatomy could replicate. Warning: things are about to get gory. A blindingly drunk man who appeared to be in his thirties had obviously tripped or fallen, and was tumbling down an escalator backwards, each razor-sharp step cutting up his body while his head limply followed suit. If he had been lucky enough, the escalator, moving at somewhat of a rapid speed, would eventually drop him off safely at the bottom and he would be treated for scrapes and bruises. Maybe a concussion. And definitely for a brutal hangover. But this man wasn’t so lucky. The elevator happened to be going UP while he was going DOWN.

In the millisecond that it took me to realize that gravity wasn’t working in his favor – that he might never make it to the bottom - my heart sank in to my stomach, I felt my face turn white as a ghost, and I proceeded to find the emergency stop button on the escalator. I pressed it as I prayed for a smooth and controlled halt. The man somersaulted slowly to the ground, blood squirting out of his wounds as he whimpered, helplessly. I couldn’t bare the sight for another moment and ran screaming through the station to find security, relay what I saw, and direct them to the scene of the accident. I promptly left the building, traumatized and hoping for the best.

To this day, I wonder if that man made it out of the station alive. I wonder how he fell, where he was coming from, if he had children, and why I was chosen to be the one lone ranger to witness his gruesome plunge that night. While the experience haunts me, I am humbled by the lesson I learned that night. Life is fragile, and when your character and strength are being tested, do not stand idly by.

And today, I remembered that night. I hurried through Target on my lunchtime escape, carefully watching the clock to make sure I kept my break under an hour. I made my silly purchases - you know, vitamin water, a pack of "New" Orbit gum, a birthday card and a t-shirt - and approached the exit, when I noticed a young boy hunched over in fetal position sitting against the cement wall, alone. He appeared to have spilled his Icee and was throwing an uncontrollable tantrum.

I watched not one, not two, but five people turn, give a puzzled look and continue on their way. They probably had to get back to work as I did, or home to watch Oprah.

“Did you spill your drink?” I asked the boy. No response. “Did you spill your drink” I asked again. He shook his head no. “Did you fall?” I asked. No answer. “Did you fall?” He shook his head yes. “Is your mommy or daddy here?” He shook his head no. “Are they inside the store?” He shook his head no. Keeping one eye on him, and with one foot inside the store, I flagged down the nearest Target employee in a red shirt. Ironically, she was filling up an Icee at the machine. “I’m sorry to bother you – it looks like you’re on your lunch break too – but there’s a kid outside, and I think he’s in trouble.” She confirmed that she was actually a store manager so in her mind, there’s really no such thing as a lunch break anyway. She followed me to the boy and within 30 seconds, between the two of us, we learned seven things.

The boy’s name is Xavier. He didn’t spill his drink. He fainted, hit his head hard on the cement wall, and threw up the entire Icee as a result. His family apparently saw this happen, and walked away. The manager politely thanked me for alerting her to the situation and gave me the “Can I ask you to walk away now? I've got it under control” nod. I slowly walked to my car, turning back often to check on Xavier. I didn’t feel like my work was done, but at the same time, I know he was left in good hands. I’ll never know what really happened, how serious his injury was, and if his parents actually had the audacity to walk away from the situation. Maybe we were just lost in translation somewhere.

I sat in my car for a few minutes and when I pulled out of the parking lot, Costa Mesa police (who had obviously been contacted by store security) came zooming in. I felt at ease either way.

I'm not trying to make myself sound heroic here. If anything, in retrospect, I could have waited around a little longer in both situations to ensure that Xavier and the anonymous metro station man were going to be okay. I could have offered my phone number in case anyone needed a witness. But I didn't, which is why I merely wanted to reiterate the underlying lesson that those five others at Target might have missed. Life is fragile, and when your character and strength are being tested, do not hesitate to follow your heart. Do not stand idly by.

independence, gratitude and sangria

i'm pretty sure they say that the way you celebrate your birthday is a good indication of how the rest of the year will unravel. if that's the case, i've got it made.

the weekend started on thursday night, when katie, her boyfriend david, todd and i had a cupcake making party complemented by some hookah, champagne and grey goose. things got a little crazy when decorating went from american flags and happy faces, to boobies and other forms of anatomy. the 4th of july paraphernalia was brought out in honor of BOTH our birthdays being on independence day. the following morning i was graced by an impromptu visit by joanna and her boyfriend tim. they treated us to a yummy lunch at 333 bayside overlooking boats and crystal blue newport beach waters, and brought me the most beautiful flowers and of course an owl card!

since friday was my momma's birthday, the whole family (well, okay, minus one little sister) dined at our family favorite, cucina alessa. cousin josh never ceases to act like a wise-ass around other people but we love him dearly, even when he slurps spaghetti and meatballs all over our brand-new dresses. the night ended at muldoon's to wish chelsea a bon voyage to san francisco and at midnight, my amazing friends handed me a blue bag from tiffany's. holllaaa!

saturday--my birthday and america's--was spent just the way it should have been. we were in my parents' backyard from 12pm til after 12am with a constant flow of family and friends, sangria, food, cupcakes, beer and good music! the only time we got up out of our rocking seats was to bring out more food or venture to "suicide hill" for fireworks. i felt so lucky to be in the company of amazing family, perfect friends and the best boyfriend! the best part was, none of it was planned out! the only thing i was left wishing for, come sunday, was a repeat!

back to life, back to reality...when's retirement?