something silly

Per usual, I'm frantic trying to get everything done before I leave for Nicaragua this Sunday. In the meantime, I thought I'd post something ridiculous. Riddle me this: Is there anything cuter than boys and their pets? Here's Erik and Dap with their respective furballs. (Dap is a video editor, and he and his cat work side-by-side all day. Adorable.) By the way, I fully realize that my last three posts have been feline-related. I promise to stop being a crazy cat lady when I get back from vacation.

city of dreams

World, meet Clarence. He's a giant lucky cat that's going to hang out in Erik's new store in the Lower East Side. It's kind of amazing how much Erik has achieved in the past decade: After dropping out of art school, he basically taught himself design programs while waiting tables and passing out flyers (and living in a shower-less loft). And now he's a staple of Manhattan's streetwear/music scene and, in his words, "an OG in the game." That got me thinking about how far I've come as well. When I moved to NYC in 2001, I didn't know a single soul. Not one! To make matters worse, it was also a few weeks shy of September 11th, which cast a dark cloud over the city. I remember walking home from work that horrible day, seeing friends and families huddled together, and crying on my creaky futon. I soon learned that there are few things more lonely than being all by yourself in a city full of people. There were a lot of tears my first six months in the Big Apple, and I was so miserable that I seriously considered moving back home. But my stubbornness willed me to stick it out, and I'm thankful I did. I eventually landed some terrific friends, an exciting career, and my true love. Of course, my life now isn't always perfect, but when I think back to those rough days, I'm so grateful for how much I've achieved.

6 things...

...I did this week.

1. Roasted a chicken with this recipe. You need to make this ASAP, and then use the leftovers to whip up a pot pie from scratch. I felt like the Barefoot Countessa herself.
2. Gave my self a summer (spring?) Friday, walked into Manhattan, and shopped at Trader Joe's. Love!
3. Bought my and my parents' plane tickets for my brother's wedding. I also have to go down to North Carolina beforehand to help them find their outfits in time to get them tailored. This Chinese daughter thing is no joke. Good thing I love them so much.
4. Got two giant plastic adirondack chairs and a side table from K-Mart in Manhattan...and proceeded to carry them on the subway home. My frugalness is out of control sometimes. On the upside, a lot of sweet strangers offered to help me as I was struggling on the train. I heart New York.
5. Had dinner with friends two nights this week (including at this scrumptious restaurant), but otherwise, holed up and worked like a maniac. Have to wrap everything up before vaca. Volcano-boarding, here I come.
6. Freaked out over my beautiful friend's engagement. I couldn't be more thrilled. Yayayay!

office space

My new desk came! I was tempted to get the lovely, pricier version from West Elm, but wound up buying the cheap knock-off from Home Decorators. I think it turned out nice, though. I also got the tack board from them (still need to hang it) and the awesome file organizer from the Container Store. All I need is a simple lamp. Maybe a splash of color? Or a standard pewter one? Anyway, my little office is so nice and peaceful...and then I turn around and see Erik's desk. His workspace makes me wants to break out into hives. They totally sum up our personalities!

little letters

Dear man behind me in photo above,
Really? Did you run all 13.1 miles with a face mask and Superman cape? I'm impressed.

Dear woman with blown-out hair and no ponytail,
Thanks for being so fast in the half-marathon. Your shiny, perfect locks whipping around in the wind inspired me to push myself to keep up.

Dear Brooklyn,
Why are there so many people on your streets at 2 PM? Are there that many people who don't work day jobs like me? I guess so.

Dear Google Phone,
You've saved me from a sky-high AT&T bill. Bless you.

Dear childhood,
Even though we went through some rough times, thanks for making me the person I am today. You taught me to trust in myself and make things happen and, for that, I'm so grateful.

sheer willpower

Remember how I said that I had fallen off my half-marathon training plan? Well, today was judgement day! I have to confess that I was more than a little nervous this morning. I hate doing anything half-assed. And since I barely ran in the past two weeks, thanks to deadlines and a cold, I knew that this wasn't going to be my best performance. But instead of adopting an all-or-nothing attitude, I decided to make this race about enjoying the experience. There's something so amazing about waking up at the crack of dawn (with the super-moon still out!) and shivering in the start corrals with thousands of people of all ages, sizes, and backgrounds. So I fought my natural instinct to track my pace and took the time to soak up the scenery as I ran through Central Park and past the giant buildings of Times Square (one of my favorite NYC memories to date!). Even though the last three miles down the West Side Highway were a little stretch of hell, I let my determination take over and forced myself to jog until the very end. And you know what? I did surprisingly well—finished in 1:52:55, just shy of my personal record of 1:52:48. I'm chalking this one up to sheer willpower. It's incredible how far that can take you!

reason #394012390...

...why I love my life: I have a boyfriend who, when he mixes leftovers, thinks up a restaurant chain for them, complete with name, cartoon character, and jingle. And then acts out the commercial for me. :)

socializing

Since my natural inclination is to curl up at home, I've been making more of an effort to make plans and see friends now that I work from my kitchen table. (Still bootleg freelancing while waiting for my desk and chair to arrive. Oh, the glamorous life.) Monday I met a friend for yoga, and yesterday we went to walk the dogs at the local animal shelter. Tomorrow I'm having dinner with an old coworker, and my calendar is pretty full for the next few weeks. The other good thing about staying home? I have more energy, so I'm more apt to go out. In fact, I feel so much healthier these days: I'm logging more sleep, eating fewer crappy treats and snacks, and experiencing less stress. This decision has probably added a decade to my life. Also, I'm finding it ironic that I had to stop working for a fitness magazine to start getting fit.

weekend fun

I've been likening my post-office life to the movie Pleasantville: what used to be black and white is now turning into brilliant color. This weekend was a perfect example. While I'm a pretty outgoing person, I can be a little shy when it comes to meeting new people. But yesterday I decided to step outside of my comfort zone in honor of my "new adventures" mindset: I went to a brown- girls-in-media brunch hosted by a friend-of-a-friend and had a blast. It was rad to meet such a cool group of interesting, inspiring women. Then, last night, I rocked out to Sarah and Amanda's 80's prom fundraiser, and—as always—it was the best time. We sang at the top of our lungs to Whitney, Journey, and Bon Jovi, and I danced until my feet hurt. I guess what I mean to say is that sometimes, when we get super busy or simply fall into a rut, it can seem like life passes us by. But lately I feel I've been making the most of every moment, and finally seeing in full-spectrum.

happy Friday!

Okay, folks, first week as a freelancer down. How was it? Kind of crazy, to be honest! A few last-minute assignments came down the pipeline—which I was grateful to get—but that meant working around the clock. Literally. As soon as I rolled out of bed, I jumped on my computer and then pretty much interviewed, researched, and wrote until it was time to hit the sack again. The only breaks I took were for meals and to get drinks with some pals on Monday. I know there will be times when I'm going to *wish* I was this busy, so I'm not complaining one bit. But, needless to say, I'm looking forward to the weekend...I have yoga, brunch with friends, and a prom party on tap, and I'm excited!

P.S. I guess I was more stressed out my final weeks at work than I thought. Not only did I get a doozy of a cold sore, but I've also been sick all week. Yuck!

6 things... (freelance edition)

...I've learned about self-employment.

1. You can get soooo much more done in a day when you don't have to shower, choose an outfit, iron said outfit, dry your hair, put on make-up, and then walk 10 minutes and take two subways to work. I feel like I've done a week's worth of work in two days, people!
2. There is a whole lot of paperwork involved in freelancing: contracts, invoices, etc. The irony: I don't own a printer yet. Or a desk.
3. My cat is a lousy officemate. She tries to lure me to the couch.
4. It's really, really hard to set home/life boundaries. So far, I've worked through the weekend and from 7 a.m. into the evening. (Ah-ha, so this explains point #1.) Granted, I've been kinda sick and on deadline, but I need to get better about this or I'll burn out.
5. There's still stress in my life, but a much better version of it. Now it's more self-imposed and less "Hey, guess what, you're going to have to stay late tonight. So go ahead and cancel last-minute with your out-of-town friend you haven't seen in two years."
6. I *love* the freelance life, especially these things: I can make lunch in my own kitchen. It doesn't matter how late I have to work, because I can do so from my couch. My mid-afternoon break is a long walk around Williamsburg. I don't have to wear heels or pantyhose. And last, but not least...I can see the sun ALL DAY LONG!!!

endings and beginnings

On Friday, I finished one chapter in my life: I left my job of five years to be my own boss! For those of you who know me, this is nothing short of momentous. I've always been a careful planner when it comes to big life decisions; I'm like that chess player that keeps her hand on the piece for three minutes while studying the board. And while I did make some Sharon-esque moves—squirrel away an emergency fund (I love you Suze Orman, despite your scary tan!), line up freelance editing gigs, and map out a contingency plan/life goal—venturing into uncharted territory still scares the bejeezus out of me. There are so many unanswered questions (How do I set up my web site? Will the social isolation turn me into Piggy from Lord of the Flies? What if I wind up penniless?), but I'm taking inspiration in a quote my friend and former office mate Alice shared with me: "At the end of your life, you rarely regret the things that you did, but you'll always regret the things that you never did." And already it's ringing true: I'm just two days into Sharon 2.0, but simply knowing that I'm in charge of my own destiny and taking a gamble on myself makes me realize that I won't look back.

sunny outlook

As I've mentioned before, the subway have been a madhouse lately. Usually, the ticker tape going through my head is "GetMeOuttaHereGetMeOuttaHere" or "IHateThisIHateThis." But tonight I started giggling when two sets of people smooshed me into the subway pole. The woman getting squeezed on the other side caught my eye and also started cracking up, and it evolved into a sweet, funny moment. I guess it really is true: Laugh, and the whole world laughs with you.