2010

My initial thought about this past year was that it was fairly uneventful: I stayed in the same apartment, job, and relationship. No one had any catastrophic illnesses (knock wood), and there wasn't a long worldwide trip. But, when coming up with this post, I realized that I did do plenty of cool stuff this year: I appeared in on a national news show and a rap video. In February, I went snowboarding with John and Tim in Park City; they tricked me into going on a black diamond slope (yikes!). Then I hit up Sundance and rubbed shoulders with celebrities. Throughout the year, I took a series of super-fun trips with my adventure girls: We went surfing with Matt in Long Beach Island, camping and hiking in the Catskills, and snowboarding on Butternut and Hunter mountains. On the flipside, Erik and I lounged like sloths in Puerto Plata (profiterole!) and Montauk (where I gave him hair spray instead of sunscreen). Some good buddies, like Tricia, Bill, Laura, Shawn, Meg, Mehdy, Tim, John, and Tim E., came to visit; plus, I caught up with Lisa when I went to Chicago on a business trip. As for achievements, I started this blog and one for work, and ran the New York City and Philly half-marathons. Love was in the air, too: We toasted and danced at Sarah and Craig's gorgeous fete in the city, Ro and Mag's sweet shindig on Shelter Island, and Dwayne and Sarah's garden wedding in Portland, Oregon. Finally, I spent plenty of time on the couch with my two favorites! Not too shabby, 2010!

6 things... (christmas version)

...I did over the holidays.

1. Hung with Tim and the parents.
2. Ate some delicious Shanghai-style Chinese food. Best xiao long bao in the south east!
3. Got our family portrait picture taken at Sears.
4. Made a trip to Chapel Hill, saw Chip and Kelly, and had some Time Out.
5. Experienced the gigantic blizzard and got trapped in Raleigh for FOUR extra days.
6. While stuck in my house, watched a bunch of DVDs, finished two excellent books (Little Bee and The Lacuna), and went to bed at 9 p.m.

stepping up

Becoming a responsible, for-real adult is kind of like learning how to ride a bicycle: All of a sudden, you look around, and there’s no one holding onto the back of your seat. The first time I noticed that I was pedaling on my own was when my dad got sick after college. My mom can’t handle stress (to put it mildly), so I took time off of work to help keep them afloat. It felt like life fast-forwarded a decade when I signed the paperwork for my dad’s medical guardianship. That’s the moment I realized that my brother and I were the only ones helming this ship, and that our parents needed us to get by. Over the years, Tim and I have done our best to care for them, and, as countless others already know, it can be super-stressful at times. But, as I was sitting at home over the holidays, watching my able brother help fix their car, plumbing, light fixture, and medications, a huge wave of gratitude crashed over me. There’s no other person in the world I’d rather be in this boat with than Tim. He’s the calm in a storm, the quiet but hilarious comment, the helping hand you didn’t even realize that you needed. I’m lucky that he’s my brother.

snowed in

After a lovely holiday, the skies opened up and blanketed the entire East Coast with snow. Here's the rundown:

Flights cancelled: 2
Hours on the airline help line: 7
Extra days stranded in Raleigh: 3
Books read: 3
Days without coffee, TV, exercise, and Internet (minus this escape to Borders): 6

Please. Send. Help.

homebody

My Chinese name is Xie Lun, which, roughly translated, means "close to the home." It fits me perfectly. Because even though I enjoy a good adventure—cliff diving, backpacking, snowboarding, and surfing are a few of my favorite things—padding around my apartment in sweatpants my idea of bliss. Sometimes, living in New York, I feel like I should be doing more; seeing more bands play, hitting more bars, and schmoozing at more parties. But, having done all those things, I've come to realize that what makes me truly happy is lounging on my couch with Erik, Monkey, and sometimes Julio Iglesias.

6 things...

...I did this week.

1. Celebrated G and T's engagement. Eee!
2. Hung out at Erik's new store in the Lower East Side. My job: Saying "that looks good on you!" to dudes trying on clothes.
3. Met up with Tim E. and his lovely girlfriend Lauren, who were visiting from Florida, at Dumont Burger. Lovebirds and delicious burgers, two of my favorite things.
4. Made my first batch of homemade custard-style mint-chocolate ice cream. It's dangerously good.
5. Went snowboarding at Hunter mountain. We totally turned a corner, and now we can carve! (Well, somewhat.)
6. Chatted with Liberato at G's shindig. I see him every so often. Only in NYC can you go from grocery store checkout guy to celebrity manny/skateboard teacher to theater/movie producer. Amazing!

true love, true friends

Last night, we headed to ring in Glenna's birthday in the East Village...and wound up celebrating she and Tony's engagement! I seriously have not stopped smiling all day. Glenna and I met when I went potluck on a Craigslist apartment ad during our "freshman year" in New York City. Tony came up for weekend visits, and we've stayed tight ever since. Both are them are full of such life, love, and passion. So when Tony stood up, clinked a glass, and announced he had popped the question (in a really freaking adorable way!), something just felt so right in the world.

letters

Dear New York City,
Your holiday decorations are magical.

Dear free food in the office,
I just can't resist you.

Dear skinny jeans,
I'm sorry. I'll see you in a month.

Dear running shoes,
We shall meet again. Soon.

Dear office party,
I mean, Bud Light, Jell-O shots, salsa dancing, smoke machine, AND a cow bell? You truly outdid yourself.

unexpected joy

Tonight the subway was an absolute mess. Because of service disruptions, the car was jam-packed. Someone elbowed me in the back. I had to tip my head upwards to get a breath of air. It took 20 minutes to pass through three stops. Finally, I pushed my way through the angry throng and dragged myself out of the subway stop. As the cold air shocked my face, I felt a soft, wet patter on my head. I looked up at the night sky, decorated with a swirl of white flurries. It was as if a mini-Milky Way materialized above. The sluggishness of the day and the commute instantly melted away—and then I felt it: pure, unadulterated happiness. I love it when that happens.

rap video cameo

Life is so funny. Some days I get up, sit inside a windowless office all day, go to the gym, and eat a sandwich for dinner. On others, I dine with Will Smith. And then there was the day I made a cameo on a rap video. I had almost forgotten about this until I heard the song on TV recently; it's on a Converse commercial. Erik and I dropped by his pal Donnis' shoot while running errands one day, and wound up helping out. I shucked the oysters and tagged "monkey cat" on the graffiti wall. Only in New York...

this month's lunch money

Isn't this pic too funny? It's from a high school 70s-slash-Christmas party. Anyway, I posted it because it's one of the only digital pics I have with my friend Pat, who's in the middle with the glasses and corduroy suit. He was one of my best pals back then; we carpooled to swim practice, nicknamed each other Patio and Sharo, and did hip-hop body shop for fun. The thing I love about Pat is that he's the kinda guy who is adored by everyone—parents, coaches, teachers, jocks, and misfits alike. It's because he's always been such a gentleman, full of kindness and grace, which he learned from his loving family. Last week, sadly, Pat's father passed away after a long battle with cancer. So this month's lunch money goes toward cancer research in honor of Pat and his pops. I donated via my friend Amanda's Team in Training campaign for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. Although it's not much, it felt good to something, anything against this senseless disease.

love this

"There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life." — John Lennon

former self

Back when I lived on Bedford Avenue, my roommate and I threw a few fun theme parties. My favorite was a "former self" bash, where everyone had to dress up as a past version of themselves. It was pretty epic—there were ravers, preps, grunge kids, and athletes. It was so fascinating to learn what people were like in their teens! Although you can't really make it out in this pic, my outfit was circa 1996, when I wore Hanes V-necks, men's work pants, hoop earrings, and thrift-store sweaters. I thought it was utilitarian chic, but really it was just mothball ugly. Oh, high school. I had the good fortune of going to a brand-new one, so the social cliques weren't yet set in stone. That's how I wound up kind of doing my own thing...on the swim team, Honor Society, Latin club (nerd alert!), winter formal/homecoming court, and yearbook. Also I was voted "most likely to become a novelist" and "most original," probably because by senior year I decided to become a raver, and (a) had my tongue pierced and (b) wore hoodlum baggy pants. Cringe. Thank goodness Facebook didn't exist back then!

6 things...

...that make me happy. (Not much to report from this week; I was bedridden with a horrid cold most of the time.)

1. Sunday evening dance parties in our apartment. It makes me laugh so much.
2. Long, rambling, and always entertaining walks around Williamsburg. There's always something to see.
3. A big plate of gooey nachos. Enough said.
4. My cat's little one-toothed squeak when you yell "Monkey!"
5. Curling and uncurling my toes when I snuggle beneath the covers, especially on a chilly day.
6. The dusky sky over the Williamsburg bridge on my morning runs.

P.S. Pic from a sting ray and shark snorkel from Belize/Guatemala trip.

home home home!

In exactly 18 days, I'm headed to North Carolina to ring in the holidays with my family, and I am beyond excited. We don't really celebrate (thanks to a logical, yet uneventful, blend of Buddhism and agnosticism) and, being the crazy doctor he is, my brother often has to work through Christmas. But this year, Tim's flying home and I'm joining him. I don't know why I'm so psyched: My parents' house is hardly a vacation. There's no cable, Internet, newspapers, or snacks. My dad refuses to crank up the heat, even in the deepest frost of December, and insists that we all wear our winter jackets inside. It's so spartan that even Erik calls it "a little piece of communist China in the United States." But all of that wackiness is familiar, nostalgic, and wonderful. Tim and I will giggle and read our books as our parents blast the Chinese opera downstairs. We'll head to the local cafeteria (where the steak dinner is still $3.75), seafood spot (where everything on the plate is beige), and new Target in town (where my dad will exclaim "wow! so big!"). But, best of all, I'll hold their little hands, soft and spotted with age, to steady their stroke-affected shuffle as we go from house to car, and they'll say, "Thank you, meimei. So proud of our good girl, our daughter." That's why I can't wait.

P.S. The icing on the cake: We're going to get a new family portrait taken Sears this year! Boo-yeah!

december

Can you believe it's already December 1st? Man, time really flies. I was talking to Amie today and we both agreed that once you reach your thirties, life hits warp speed. She's preggo with her second munchkin, so her argument carries a little more weight than mine. Oh, well, I guess it's all about perspective. In other news, I'm disgustingly sick. Right now I'm laying on a bed of used tissues. I wish time would slow just a tad so I could get better, pick up this mess, and finish up my assignments before I go back to work tomorrow. Ah-choo!

television star!

Okay, I deserve girlfriend-of-the-year award. Last night I stayed up way past my bedtime (midnight! on a school night!) and watched a good hour of rap music videos (and we're talking less Jay Z, more Gucci Mane) to see a full segment on Erik and his company on MTV. How proud am I?!?!? I could just gush all day long, but I don't, for the sake of my friends and family. Luckily, no one reads this blog (except maybe MaryBeth. Hi MBPD!) so I can go on and on to my heart's content. Did I mention that he rushes my cat to the vet with me, always makes my blue moods go away, and helps support his family without ever complaining? Swoooooon!

Edited to add: Here's a link to the clip.

brooklyn thanksgiving

I love, love, love spending a few days at home. That means I have time to make homemade pumpkin-cinnamon rolls and snuggle with Monkey.

philly half-marathon

Holy cow, we really did it. Even though there were bumps along the way (Anthony was fighting a cold, a crazy work project kept Sarah from running the month beforehand), we all did a-mazing this past weekend. Each one of us scored a personal record! The course was scenic, the crowds were fun, and the weather was perfect. Even though it's super intense, I love races now. There's so much more to it than running fast. I enjoy meeting up with friends every weekend to train, setting a goal and being awestruck when you achieve it, and laughing about the shared experience (whether that's due to sweet people with adorable babies and kidnapper vans or unfortunate running wardrobe choices). Plus, the post-race pumpkin ale is pretty sweet, too.

giving thanks

Today I am most thankful for...
* True friends who don't judge me and pick me up when I'm feeling blue.
* An awesome boyfriend who is also the best cat father a girl could ever ask for.
* Faith in myself.
* A sweet one-toothed cat.
* My health and ability to love openly and unconditionally. I have my parents to thank for that.

life lesson

Today I did something pretty sucky. It was thoughtless and not nice—though unintentional and not malicious—and I am disappointed in myself. :( The silver lining is that I'll walk away with a lesson and that I managed to follow this piece of the Dalai Lama's advice: “When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.” The other good thing about life is that there's always a tomorrow, and that means you can always strive to be a better person.

my week

Ever since my best friend Amie and I moved to different cities nine years ago, we've emailed almost every day. And when one of is having a crazy time, our favorite saying is: "What a week I'm having!" (preferably with your eyes all squinty and your arm crooked like Eugene Levy's in Splash). That's exactly how I feel about this week. Here's the Cliff Notes version:

On Sunday...a group of us cheered our friends Mara, Christina, and other runners in the New York marathon. Then Amanda and I jumped into the course and knocked out 7 miles through Brooklyn and Queens, then over the Queensboro bridge to Manhattan. We finished our 13-mller back over the WB bridge, and then I collapsed at home.

On Monday...After working like crazy, I went with Alice to the premiere of The King's Speech at the Ziegfeld theater. Harvey Weinstein, Helena Bonham Carter, and Colin Firth (!!!) all gave short speeches. The movie is amazing, BTW. Oscar-worthy.

On Tuesday...Monkey was bleeding from her mouth so I skipped a photo shoot I was supposed to go to and rush her to the vet. Many hours, lots of nerves, and hundred of dollars later, we found out she had a mouth infection and lost all of her teeth, save one. Poor snaggletooth!

On Wednesday...I popped by Glenna and Tony's amazing fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association before ringing in four happy years with Erik at Choptank. Phew!

four years!

One day, nearly four years ago, I went to a hip-hop magazine party with my friend Glenna. We sipped free drinks, gossiped about life, and bobbed our heads to the deejay. Near the exit, a boy gave me his business card out of nowhere. I didn't think much of it—until he called. He was quietly confident, and made a joke about designing Jamie Foxx's album cover ("I'm going to give him so many abs that he'll look like a centipede!"). This guy is hilarious, I thought, and agreed to go on a date. Now, there are certain moments that define your life—like those slow-motion, cinematic scenes in the movies—and meeting Erik by the Astor Place cube is one of mine. His smile, his eyes, his warmth—all of a sudden I went from nonchalant to very, very nervous-excited. That first date turned into many, that guy became my boyfriend, and somewhere down the line, Erik turned into my best friend in the entire world. I admire his courage and confidence, love his passion and humor, and am grateful for his loyalty and kindness. Happy anniversary to us!

this week's lunch money

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

When it comes to money, you could say I'm my father's daughter. China's Cultural Revolution forced him to live on the bare minimum, and his frugal traits have passed down to me. That, coupled with the fact that I live in an expensive city on a not-so-ostentatious salary, makes me crazy cheap. I'm obsessed with Mint.com. I bring my lunch every day. I always take the subway. But I've been thinking about people less fortunate than me a lot lately, and I've realized that I'm ridiculously blessed with a warm home and food at every meal—things that I often take for granted. I donate my time and cash as much as I can (especially proud of my cancer fundraising!), but lately I've been a bit remiss. That's why I've decided to start a "this week's lunch money" campaign for myself. Once a month, I'll make a meal instead of going out or resist buying that cute new shirt and put that money to a worthy charity. This week I put my dollars to Project Medishare in support of my friend Laura, who is helping fight cholera in Haiti. Just as suspected, that made me feel so much happier than any shiny new bauble ever could.

P.S. The video has nothing to do with the post. I just love it.

giving thanks

I'm finally catching my breath after an exhausting week. There seemed to be something crazy in the air...or was that just me?! Hm, probably the latter. In any case, the dust is finally lifting and I'm getting psyched about all the fun stuff lined up this month: Cheering on my pals in the marathon, celebrating fake Thanksgiving (pictured here) and the real one, and running my own half-marathon. Yay! And, speaking of giving thanks, I have been thinking a lot of my friend Laura lately. She's a nurse who works with Project Medishare in Haiti. She's there now, with her husband, helping to battle the cholera epidemic. I couldn't be more proud to call her my friend.

cover story

Did I ever tell you about the time I was on the cover of Reader's Digest? I was 22, and I had written a first-person story during my internship at Washingtonian magazine. A very kind editor suggested that I write a short piece about a vacation I told her about, and—in my youthful naivete—I handed in a 2,500-word feature. Fortunately, they liked it, and Reader's Digest picked it up. It ran worldwide and even appeared on the cover of the Asian edition. That story helped kicked off my magazine career; it helped land me my first full-time job at Reader's Digest as a fact-checker and gave me the confidence to move to New York City. I'm in the process of scanning in the piece itself. Will post it soon!

keeping perspective

There's no rosy way to put this—even for me—so I'll just go ahead and say it: This week blows. I'm feeling overwhelmed, run-down, and downright whiny for various reasons. Still, it's hard to take my problems seriously when there are so many things that put them in perspective. Last week I learned that a vivacious woman I interviewed for a story lost her battle to ovarian cancer. When I wrote her husband to express my condolences, he mentioned that he, too, was fatally ill—and he was worried about his two young daughters. The news broke my heart. It made me so grateful to be alive, healthy, and surrounded by the people I love. It sounds hokey, but I am channeling my love and positive energy his way.

my avatar

Erik always says that Monkey is my avatar. It's so true! We both love to eat, sleep, and lay in the sun. And whenever Erik sits on the couch, one of us immediately cuddles near his side. Plus, we kind of look alike, don't you think?

6 things...

...I did this week.

1. Went to two CMJ shows.
2. Worked a few consecutive 11-hour days and developed a splitting, two-day migraine. :(
3. Pretended to cook on-camera.
4. Caught up with Ben, Mara, Ali, and Adam at Amanda's b-day shindig.
5. Got out of bed the same time Erik went to bed two mornings in a row. (It was a rough week for us! I had to do two early-morning TV things and Erik had a huge meeting on Friday. Blech.)
6. Fueled a 10-miler with pork gravy, apple cider, cheese, and chocolate. We stopped at a greenmarket near South Street Seaport. And, yes, it was a bad idea.

exciting stuff

Last night Erik and I went to a party where his friend Theophilus was performing. We used to see his shows at small venues throughout Brooklyn, and now he's on MTV and sponsored by huge companies like Mountain Dew. It's so thrilling to see people's dreams come true right before your eyes, and lately a handful of my friends are making it happen! Take Erik, for instance: On our very first date, he mentioned that he was going to quit his job designing albums at J Records to do this clothing full-time...and now their stuff is in hundreds of stores worldwide. And there are so many other exciting success stories. An old coworker's book is being made into a TV series; another buddy is publishing her novel this year; and a friend's husband scored a development deal for his comedy show. I couldn't be more proud and inspired by my pals! Hooray! [Pic: Erik's clothes. These shirts are from their collaboration with Wu-Tang.]

my mom

After college, my mom got a job working on a cruise/business ship. She visited Europe, Brazil, and Africa (and Disney World!)—all before her 22nd birthday. Then, at age 23, she became engaged to my dad—and moved to New York City for him, despite the fact that she didn't have any family in this strange country and barely spoke the language. She even lived on her own in the old YWCA on 58th street for a few weeks before they got married. Talk about a leap of faith. I like to think I inherited my mom's sense of adventure. I also like to think that I inherited her skin. Beautiful, right?

travel itch

Today I worked 11 straight hours. Boo! Hiss! So on the train ride home, I daydreamed about my past and future adventures. I conjured up images of the sun rising over the Nile river as the felucca's sail billowed above; Lisa and I jumping from a waterfall into a crystal-clear pool in a Thai rainforest; and a million motorcycles whizzing by me on a crowded Taipei street. I also remembered the cool drizzle as I swam next to Costa Rican mountains and the smoky mustiness of the overnight train from Beijing to Inner Mongolia. Running through my memory reel made me realize that traveling is worth every single penny and frustration/panic caused by taking time off of work. Next on my dream list is Vietnam and Cambodia. Then I'd love to go to Barcelona to see the architecture; Greece to soak up the beautiful white-and-blue scenery; India to walk around the Taj Mahal; and Japan to eat delicious food with good friends. Ah, life is so exciting! [Pics: Taipei, Ko Samet, Abu Simbel]

6 things...

...I did this week.

1. Stayed out until 2 a.m. wining, dining, and partying on a work night. Whooaaaa. Who am I?
2. Hiked the beautiful and rocky Giant Ledge trail.
3. Went to a haunted house in an old hay barn. So hilarious!
4. Ate a giant s'more by a campfire. (Warning: When it comes to marshmellows, bigger isn't always better.)
5. Played egg-on-spoon, memory, and other fun games. The girls rallied respectably! (Side note: Those guys are cursed to have such a level-headed group of ladies. They tried to scare us by cutting the power and rattling the doors, but we instantly started looking for flashlights and the fuse box. Haha!)
6. Brunched at Sweet Sue's, the most delicious breakfast place ever. Pancakes the size of frisbees.

the chalet life

A group of us go camping in the Catskills twice a year. We pile into a barebones bunkhouse (read: no heat or electricity), play "beerlympics," and hang out by a smoky campfire. I always come home exhausted, stinky, and happy. This year there was a double-booking snafu, so we wound up staying in the fancy chalet about a mile from the farm grounds. There were beds, bathrooms, a kitchen, television, and—wait for it—LAUNDRY. Still, tradition was upheld: Winter beerlympics was played, including an amazing Irish dancing opening ceremony. (I especially liked Anthony's body wave-slash-Riverdance!) Hot toddies were sipped. A gorgeous trail was hiked. And we stayed warm and toasty despite the cold, rainy weather. Hmm...I may be more of a chalet kind of person than I thought.

gone camping

Come 7 p.m. tonight, I'm off to the Catskills for a weekend of hiking, boozing, campfire dancing, and ghost story telling. I can't wait to see the brilliant firecracker colors of the leaves and eat gooey s'mores. The drive up is equally fun: Let's just say singing "Party in the USA" and shotgunning beers at a random parking lot and/or taking whiskey shots at a local bar are sacred traditions.

instant smile

Today was a bit of a wash (rainy, dreary, busy, grumpy), so I kept looking at this picture on my phone. Isn't it so cuteeee?!?! Erik texted it to me while I was in Oregon. There's something about the idea of him teaching our cat to give little kisses that makes me incredibly happy.

three-two

Holy macaroni. Today is my birthday, which means I've been on this earth exactly 32 years. Whoa! But, as Aaliyah once sang, age ain't nothing but a number. I have to agree; I'm finding that life gets more fun with each passing year. And, so far, my birthday has been happy indeed. I rang it in last night at the top of the very fancy Standard Hotel (even their stairwells are stylish!). Erik and Kenshin are featured in the latest issue of Day Trip magazine, so we headed to the release party and soaked up the beautiful view and fun tunes with friends. Since I have the day off of work today, I've spent the morning doing my absolute favorite things: sleeping in, eating, giggling with Erik, snuggling with my cat, running, and chatting to friends and family on the phone. I'm realizing that all of the old adages are, in fact, true: Material things matter less and less as you age; the most important gift of all is time.

6 things...

...I did this week.

1. Go to Grand Asia Market in Cary, NC, with my adorable parents.
2. Attended a four-course "scent" tasting dinner at Tom Colicchio's new restaurant, Riverpark. Did you know that 95 percent of your taste is based on smell?
3. Received a heavenly massage at Great Jones Spa and ate burgers and profiteroles at DGBG in honor of our birthdays.
4. Hung with MaryBeth and Kelly. I've known those girls since I was 12.
5. Went to yoga twice and ran a total of 23 miles. (Half-marathon, here I come!)
6. Made roasted tomato soup and whole-wheat rolls from scratch.

neighborhood walk

Today Erik and I took a long stroll around our neighborhood. We browsed stores, took pictures, and people-watched. We also snacked on tacos and a scuttlebutt sandwich from Saltie. Delicious! It made me feel so lucky to be alive.

cccaa

When I was 13 or 14, my friends and I formed a club called CCCAA. The name comes from a long, silly story, but membership pretty much included giggling at swim meets and practices. Most of us parted ways at college with lots of fun memories. And as we grew up and found our places in the world, our lives headed in the most separate ways possible. MaryBeth is a mom of two in Cary; Kelly is moving to Texas; Meg is a Phish follower in Colorado; Jenny is a world-ranked Ironman triathlete; and Eva is a corporate lawyer in NC. And I'm here in NYC. But we're still all dear friends and CCCAA members at heart.

top chef

I don't watch much television. But the one show that I follow is Top Chef and, of all the contestants, Fabio (from season five), is my favorite. So I was pretty psyched to meet him at a press event this morning. He radiated charisma and charm, and had all of us editors swooning and starry-eyed at his stories of Grandma in Italy. His delicious eggplant carbonara and sirloin steak with tomato confit was the icing on the cake. It was a fun way to spend my morning. Also, I Googled him when I got to my desk and found out we're the same age. Hellooo?! That blows my mind.

roots

This is the wallpaper in my parents' kitchen. They built that house in 1978, and have not redecorated since. Seriously. There's a rotary telephone in one of the rooms. But that's all part of the charm! In that house, I took my first steps, called my first boyfriend, and packed/unpacked for college, D.C., and NYC. It's where my memories live. I love that place.