I wanna go camping!! (said in a whiney voice)

I can't wait for the dave concert - me, the desert, some cousins and really freaking good music...oh, and a tent. Flippin - A! I can't wait!

People should dare to live up to their own expectations of others

Is it a crazy thought? We expect so much from others - perhaps we should include ourselves.

In training

Today marks the month marker - one month until the Dave concert at the gorge. A weekend in the desert. Good food. Camping. Big skies. The Gorge.

To prepare myself for the awesomeness, I'm in training - Dave is the only thing I'll be listening to from here on out. Contrary to other training, this won't be the least bit painful.

Its a scary world out there - how did it get like this?

Its crazy out there. Just in the past few days, here are only a couple of headlines:

Iraq suicide blasts cause carnage
Turkish PM links PKK to bombings
At Least 45 Killed in Explosions in India

Whenever I read things like this, I always wonder to myself, how people must feel to take an act so horrendous as killing other people, on themselves. I'm sure so many emotions go into a decision like this - being at the end of your rope, having no where to go, being poor and feeling like you have no control over your own life. There also has to be an element of pride - of the thought that I know better than they do, or I'll teach them.

Whatever it is, it makes me sad. Its like a world-wide columbine highschool shooting. From every angle, its sad.

Purity balls & Petophiles

In this week's Time Mag, there is an article called the Pursuit of Purity. Its about the now 5-year running purity balls for fathers and daughters. The caption under the title: "Striking back against a girls gone wild culture, many fathers & daughters are choosing a much different path. Inside the world of purity balls..."

Uh - what the fuck?

An excerpt: "When Kylie was 13, her parents took her on a hike in Lake Tahoe, Calif. 'We discussed what it means to be a teenager in today's world,' she says. They gave her a charm for her bracelet - a lock in the shape of a heart. Her father has the key. 'On my wedding day, he'll give it to my husband,' she explains. 'It's a symbol of my father giving up the covering of my heart, protecting me, since it means my husband is now the protector. He becomes like the shield to my heart, to love me as I'm supposed to be loved."

Uh - what the fuck?

There's even a vow for fathers to recite during the ball: "before God to cover my daughter as her authority and protection in the areas of purity, to practice fidelity, shun pornography and walk with honor through a culture of chaos" and by doing so guide their daughters as well.

Uh - what the fuck?

Does anyone else think these girls are insane? And these dads are either WAY overprotective or petophiles?

My reactions: First off, woa. Can anyone say control much? What kind of girls are they trying to raise? Girls that are submissive and need protectors? Girls as supporting cast to their future husbands? Girls that look to controlling men for everything? Come the fuck on.

Secondly, why is it either girls gone wild or abstenance? Umm, some of us have had experiences that put us between those extremes - in fact, I think most of us have.

Third, since when was expermentation a bad thing? Learning your own limits is such an important part of becoming an adult. We need the time, space & opportunities to do this.

Fourth, why does our culture have such a hard time with sex? Don't things like this demonize it even more?

Articles like this just piss me off. I understand the urge to be protective. I understand the want to do right by your kids. But doesn't that mean trusting in your parenting and allowing them experiences for themselves? Respecting them enough to give them the space to form their own opinions, their own minds, thoughs, view points? Even if they run counter to yours?

Isn't that the kind of respect we should be affording EVERY human being on this planet - the right to form their own opinions - including daughters?

Mama wha?

I'm not one to laugh at another's craft...but last night was an exception. I went to see Mama Mia - and boy was it a sensational flop. First off, not one of the characters can sing worth a damn - although they tried really hard, I'll give them that. But the first note uttered in song by Pierce Brosnan had the audience in stitches. Everyone laughed out loud. Note to him - don't sing on screen please! The movie continued with awkward singing and dancing. Its one thing to see it on a stage - and another to see it on the big screen. The whole experience left me feeling uncomfortable and kind of sad for the actors. Perhaps it would have been better to do more of an adaptation of the play, rather than put the play into movie format. A dark mama mia anyone?

There were a couple tender moments that brought emotion other than laughter to the audience. But not nearly enough to redeem the awful singing and dancing. Overall, not the worst $12 I've ever spent, but definitely not the best. And hey, at least my gut muscles got a workout!

Mission: Accomplished

one month without drinking - check!

And what a way to end it, with restaurant week in NYC. Clarali and I grabbed some shnazzy french cuisine and a chilled glass of wine last night to celebrate many things. Weddings, babies, vacations & accomplishments.

life is good. crazy, but good.

perfection woudn't be perfectoin without the flaws

ain't that the truth.

My life, myself, are full of flaws. But it feels pretty damn perfect right about now.

New job, New York, New nephew.

Its official, I have a sweet new title

Auntie Betsy.

It has a nice ring to it, just like his cry.



Welcome to the big show, Lincoln John Herrick. I can't wait to see what you become.

Week 2 sans boire

This test of will power has gone well so far - until last night I woke myself up because, in a dream, I was so pissed at myself for taking a sip of red wine. I remember it tasted like a fruity explosion of alcohol and my taste buds danced. The pissed feeling came only after swallowing.

I'm pretty sure I'll make it to July 21st.

Evolve or Perish

I believe our generation will be the deciders. Will we live up to our ideals?

love is like porn...

...it is hardly definable, but you know it when you see it.

I've had so many recent conversations about love. Who's in it, who's changing their lives because of it, who doesn't have it but wants it, etc. The biggest question people seem to grapple with is the knowing that they're in love. Apparently simply knowing is hard enough. And allowing yourself to feel something comes in a close - and difficult - second. Much like an orgasm on the 10th take.

Perhaps another way to know is to try to surmise what type of music would play in the background of a particular moment. Would it be the titanic love theme or the i loved being in you theme? For those of you that don't know, perhaps you're not in love...or in a porn for that matter.

A complement from the french on my french

Anyone who speaks french knows that it's not so much what you say, but how you say it.

Today I had a conference call with a colleague who sits in Paris. We got to talking, waiting for others to join the call, and I mentioned to him that I studied in Paris. he immediately jumped into speaking in french. now, I haven't spoken french with hardly anyone in over 4 years, but i somehow survived the conversation. halfway through, he even complemented me on my accent - which i consider one of the highest complements you can get from a french person.

its pretty freaking cool when you can still amaze yourself, and it reminded me, even while sitting in the nexus of one of the most amazing cities in the world, how much my heart beats a la parisienne.

I can see you, but you can't see me

An article in the NYT this morning really starteled me as to how we can be tracked these days.

"...the government can get such information from cellular operators, like Verizon Wireless and AT&T, which generally know the location of their subscribers within about 300 feet when their phones are turned on."

You can read the whole article here.

If this is connected to the system of cameras that abound in major cities, holy shit!

Its ironic that this article was published this week...just two days before the US independence day...

Celeb sighting numero trois

Today I saw my third celeb: Nina Garcia from Elle mag & Project Runway. My boss had sent me on an errand to visit the Austrian Consulate to get gift ideas for an event we're doing in Vienna in September (the cool part is that I might be able to go!), and who is trying to flag down a cab on but the project runway judge herself. I didn't stare as much as when I saw Michelle Yeoh, but it was still cool.

This puts the PR (proj runwy) celeb sightings at 2. I had previously saw Chris March on the corner of 26th and 6th - in chelsea of all places. He looked as huggable and cool as he did while I watched the show religiously this winter. I liked the human hair he used - it was dark in a way that others woulnd't even dream of going - pure creativity.

Its so freaking cool to live here, to see these people in the nonchalance of every day. It doesn't make the city, but it definitly helps to keep my eyes lifted higher and higher.