Cost vs. Quality

Is it better to buy things that are expensive with the idea that said item will last longer and therefore be worth the money? Or is it better to spend less and if the item then breaks, at least it didn't cost that much to begin with?

My current dilemma: I am going away in two days. I do not have a sufficient piece of luggage. I want a bag that I can carry on, that will fit what I need for the long weekend and still go nicely into the overhead compartment. I am done cramming my heavy, overstuffed bag up there and I don't want to wait to check any baggage. I never got the expensive luggage that sometimes comes with getting married. We have mismatched bags of varying sizes, most of which are splitting at the seams. Though I just need the one piece for this trip, I went into the Kmart next to where I work and saw that they are selling 3 piece sets with a bonus garment bag for $69.99!!! If I want to really splurge, I can get the 5 piece set (also with the bonus bag) for $99.99! They nest within each other so it makes for easy storage in an apartment that only has two closets. They are not hideous... I have my choice of red, black or green.

It seems smart to buy the cheap nesting luggage, than to spend more than that on one name brand piece of higher quality. The way I see it, the bag can get beaten up, lost, spilled on, etc. and I won't be upset. Now if it were a $1000 Coach leather bag, I would be pretty upset. But then again, I am an adult and really should invest in nicer things. In all honesty, though, I'd rather spend the money I save on umbrella drinks and a massage. Problem solved.

98 and Counting

My grandmother, or Nanie as she is known to most, is 98-years-old. She lives in her own house and takes care of herself and that house still to this day. My grandfather died before I was born. For a while she had a boarder, a man from Canada named Jean. As children, we adored Jean. Looking back, it's rather surprising that he wasn't a child molester. After all, he worked as a janitor at the elementary school and he was an unmarried bachelor living with an elderly woman. We didn't find that at all weird. All we knew was that he was an excellent ice skater and he always had sucking candies in his pockets (another red flag, but whatever!) and when we saw him sweeping the floors at school, we would think nothing of running over to give him a big hug and a kiss. At one point, I think Jean proposed to my grandmother. My father and uncle both were adamantly against this and thought he was just looking to get her house. My grandmother is old-fashioned and would never marry again anyway, so she said "no". Eventually, Jean moved out and ended up marrying an older, sickly woman back somewhere outside of New York. Maybe my father was right about his motives after all.

Now, back to Nanie. She has really been lucky, healthwise, her entire life. I think the only time I have known her to be in the hospital was when she had her appendix out. Lately she has become a bit lightheaded and passed out a few times over the last year. But the thing about Nanie is, she will go out and trim her hedges or mow her lawn and won't drink water for fear of having to use the bathroom when she is not in her house, so it's no surprise to me that she has lost consciousness once or twice. Luckily, many family members live right down the street from Nanie, so help is never too far away.

I don't know where I am going with this one. Nothing witty or pertinent to share. I just saw Nanie this weekend, and thought "man, she's looking old." What the hell did I expect!!!??? She's 98 for crying out loud. But it still made me wish she had someone like Jean sharing her home to fill her days with small-talk and company.

Get On It, Geniuses of the World

Jeez, it's hard to stay in touch with people! It seems the more means of communication we have, the harder it is to find the time to do just that. I have friends and family in California, Virginia, Texas, Ohio, Florida, etc. I dislike (ok, HATE) talking on the phone, but when I do finally work out the space to make a call to a long-lost friend, they end up not being home. I spend 15 minutes chatting with their husband and then just hope that the message gets passed along that I called. I try to email. Email addresses change more frequently than the season. Except for mine, which has been the same for almost 10-years. Problem there is, I am more likely to shoot you a line than to pick up the phone to call you. I will even go so far as to send you a card through the MAIL.

But my days are filled with guilt about the people I haven't spoken to in ages, the friends that I feel I'm neglecting. Then I think, well, they could call me, too. But don't. So I am not the only one who does this, I know. Am I the only one who beats myself up over it, though? I keep thinking I should have a party, and invite all the in-town folk out, so I can see everyone at once. But again, not really my thing. I would be too stressed about mingling with people and ensuring that everyone has someone to hang out with to have a good time. At my own wedding, I chose to have people come up to me rather than to make the rounds... although that was the best option for me, I still left the night feeling like I didn't talk to everyone or that people feel left out. Does this mean that I am a -gulp- NICE person or am I just still the shy girl that I was growing up? I'm just waiting for the development of worldwide telepathic communication... then I will DEFINITELY get in touch, since I think about it all the time already as it is.

Down Time

I need suggestions of great websites to visit when you are bored at work. I know a few, but if anyone were to check my web browsing log, my activity would border on obsession. I tend to check and re-check the same sites over and over again, for lack of anything better to do. So please, get me out of my rut. I need some clean, work-friendly sites with lots of new and exciting content. These are the sites I already visit rather frequently:

1. CNN
2. The Onion
3. Overheard in New York/Overheard in the Office
4. Netflix
5. The Smoking Gun
6. Craig's List
7. E! Online
8. WeBoggle

Help me to pass the time!

Me Speak Pretty One Day, But Do YOU?

I have a serious question. Do some people who immigrate to the US think that they should not have to learn English in order to live out that "American dream" which they have come to seek? If there are people out there that do indeed feel that way, and I know there are, I am pretty disgusted.

America is nothing without immigrants. I know that. My maternal grandparents were born in Norway/Denmark and my paternal grandparents were from Germany. I only knew my mother's (adoptive) father and my father's mother. Both spoke English better than I do, though my grandfather pronounced his "J" sound as a "Y" sound (for example, his favorite dog was named Judy, but he called her Yudy), but I found that endearing and a reminder of where he came from. There was NEVER a question of whether or not they would learn English. They did, either when they arrived or before they arrived, because it was a privilege to them to be in America. Even if they snuck in, as many people did, they learned to speak English. It was about acclimating to their new surroundings, and making the most of it.

I would never dream of moving to Japan or Italy and not learning to speak the language. So why do these immigrants believe that they should not have to? I know this does not go for every person who comes to the US seeking out a better life. My dry cleaner has broken English, but she tries. And every time I see her, I understand a bit more, and she does too. It's the people that don't try and just expect that they will get by. And most likely they will. Because dreams do come true here, and Americans are very accepting (or maybe that's just New Yorkers) of all types of people. But if you want to be a FILL-IN-THE-BLANK-American, then act like one. Learn the language. And when you have trouble, we'll all be here to help you along.

Brit + Baby = Front Page News

Don't get me wrong. I am not a fan of Britney Spears. But the latest front page photo of her has made me feel a bit sorry for the 20-something multi-millionaire mom.

As you have all heard, I'm sure, Brit's parental instincts are taking a little time to show that they do indeed exist. First, the driving with young baby on her lap. Seriously dumb. Then baby falls out of highchair and cracks skull while under the supervision of the nanny. Hey, stuff happens, but one would hope that perhaps the nanny hired had the skills to back up what one can only assume is a massive paycheck. (Hey, Brit, I'll watch your kid for whatever you're paying your current nanny and I bet he won't be cracking his skull again.)

Now, in the latest turn of events, Britney trips with baby in her arms - lucky for her, right in front of a manic-snapping photog. Photos are pasted all over the papers. And now I feel bad for her. Because I'm sure there are plenty of non-celeb women out there who have had mishaps with their babies. I'm sure the guilt is enough to make them watch what they do in the future. But will Britney ever learn her lesson? And in a short time, there will be another child for the pop star to care for. The mommy guilt for Britney is compounded by the media scrutiny, and I am a part of that. But I feel like we're all waiting to see what she'll do next, and not in a good way. So when she trips again we can say "Oops, she did it again!", big grins across our faces, and just be glad that it wasn't us.

The World is Against Me

So, this has been a bad week for me. Not terrible; just little things piling up that makes life seem so dumb and predictable.

1. EQUIPMENT FAILURE: I bought a new (expensive) printer for my home. I expected it to work perfectly, but it prints things slightly askew. I need it to print things centered and precisely, so I called to complain. Initially I was told that my printer is not meant to print on the stock that I was feeding it. Fair enough, but the problem occurs on regular color paper as well. Contacted the online store directly and had a wonderful tech support guy walking me through various problem solving techniques. Still not fixed. He promises to call me the next day with someone more schooled in Macs. The next day I forgo running and go straight home, to wait for his call. He doesn't call. He seemed so nice, I was shocked when 8:PM rolled around (the end of his office hours) and still no call. I chalked it up to the complete lack of regard and incompetence of human beings. Of course he wouldn't call!!! It's like, why would the UPS guy show up when he's supposed to... when I'm home?? I get to work this morning to find three messages from Tom. He called me at work instead of on my cell. That restored my faith in HPs tech support division, but now I have to go through it all again since Tom doesn't have a direct line. I don't even know his last name!

2. TEST RESULTS: Get a call from my OBGYN. Message: "This is Blair. Give me a call back." I call back immediately. I had just had my annual exam and they don't normally call. "No news is good news" is their slogan. Blair is busy. I ask the receptionist if everything is okay. She says that if it were urgent, Blair would be available. So, Blair is sitting around and doesn't feel like talking to me just then is what I'm gathering. I spend the night worrying that I have some terrible disease, believing that the receptionist had no idea if it were something serious, and that Blair just didn't care enough to pick up when I called. I call back the next morning. Blair is in with a patient. Hours go by; finally she calls. She found some abnormal cells, but nothing to worry about. The tests for anything serious came back negative. They'd like to retest in 3 months just to be safe. Fine. Whew. But she couldn't have told me that yesterday?????????

3. FRAUD: Get a call from my bank. Somebody has made a replica of my debit card and has been purchasing gas in Brooklyn for the past couple of days. Now this made me love my bank so much. They called to tell me this, and to issue me a new card since the charges were fraudulent. I am not responsible for any of it. But I hope they catch the person who did this!!! And how did they get my card info? I swear, nothing is safe anymore. Plus, no money card for about 10 days. I will have to bank (gulp!) in person!!!

Perhaps it's over... Mom always says things happen in 3s. But maybe that means multiples of 3. The worst part is that I despise talking on the phone, yet have spent the past two days with it glued permanently to the side of my head. Why does everything have to be so hard? (said in the whiniest voice you can imagine... that's how I'm feeling today!)

Weather, Again

I love weather. I love it when it rains, thunders, lightenings (though that word always gives me trouble. I can't say it, nor can I spell it!), snows. I love it when the sun comes out after a rain storm. I love gray, cloudy days. Sleet is fascinating.

I just wish I could get an accurate forecast. I NEED to know the weather for tomorrow!!! I do not have a car. Hubby has a motorcycle. We need to go upstate. I won't get on the motorcycle if it's raining. The train schedule does not work for us. I have rented an (expensive) car for the day, but would rather take the bike if the weather will be nice. Yesterday, it was rain all week, according to the weather. Today it is sunny and hot outside. Rained last night, and was a bit gray this morning, now it's perfect. Weather for tomorrow now doesn't mention rain. What is the story??? WHY CAN'T I GET AN ACCURATE TRUE WEATHER FORECAST FOR TOMORROW!!??

Chloe Blow-ey

Just a short aside: for those of you out there who watch American Idol and who have the McPheever, I hate you! I can't believe that Chris got voted off, but I have to say that he deserves more than to be crowned the next Idol. He has left the cheese factory and will go on to become something so much better. But if Catherine, the broadway showtunes singing Scientologist wins it, I will have to forever ban the show. I despise myself so much already for even being a viewer (but vote for Elliott!)

Now for the meat: I walked past Chloe Sevigny on the street by my apartment yesterday evening. Recognized her because she had on black socks pulled up to her knee and that is a pretty random, yet stylish, sight so I looked up to see her dour face looking at mine. Why so sad, Chlo? Perhaps she was just in character for Big Love. Or else the fact that rumor has spread that she gave a REAL blow job for a artsy film is getting her down. I researched it and saw photos... I cannot confirm that that was a real penis (perhaps a prosthetic a la the South Park movie?) but whatever it was, she was sucking away. Can she justify it because she's an "actress" and not a porno star? Does she just view a penis as being part of a person, as innocent as a thumb, say? Regardless, she could still smile since she probably lives in one of the swanky Central Park West apartments that she was walking by. So what if you're a dirty whore? At least you have a nice place to go and hide in until it all "blows" over.

First a Mouseketeer and Now This?

Britney is pregnant again. She has made all the money in the world before she turned 20, and now she is free to walk around public bathrooms in bare feet and pop babies out one after the other. Kevin really turned her life around, hey? And I'm loving every second of it. She is destined to become the next Sally Struthers. Pretty, fit blonde with the world as her oyster, doomed to late night infomercials and yo-yo dieting. Please somebody come up with the next brand of condoms bearing Kevin Federline's face on the packaging. "Don't let him do this to you! Wear a rubber... better make it two!"

Beg and Ye Shall Receive

How does anyone in the world manage to save money? I feel so incompetent. I don't own a thing, other than the stuff that is crammed into my rental apartment. More than half of which I acquired through marriage.

I want really badly to own a home and a car. I mean, seriously, I am going to be 34 this year. But every year it is the same thing. Start the year off recuperating from holiday spending, then the rest of the year trying to keep up with all of the birthdays, weddings, bachelorettes, engagements, showers, babies, trips, visits and general costs of living. Add in a few purchases - a new computer, tickets to a summer concert, a new coat. Throw in some weekend getaways to visit friends who are starting to get angry that they never see you anymore. Every month I see myself dipping into my savings just to get me to the next payday. How is the rest of the world doing this? I demand to know!!!

One guy had the wherewithall to "trade up" using Craig's List as his medium. He started with a giant red paperclip and ended with a free year to live in a house. Now everyone is trying to follow in his footsteps. I am not that resourceful. I will resort to begging.

Wanna lend me a room in your house somewhere close to Manhattan (pool and transportation also required) so I can abuse the priviledge of having a backyard this summer??? Pretty pleeeeease? I'll bring a huge supply of boca burgers and tofu dogs for the grill and I'll only be there on the weekends... think about it.

Pick Up Your Sh*t

When I was a kid, there was a commercial that showed an American Indian man looking over the land, littered with garbage, while a tear rolled down his cheek. That hit a chord in me and I have been an avid non-litterer since. I HATE HATE HATE people who litter. I think that it shows a person's true character... a feeling of being better than everyone else, of indifference to the world or people around them, of taking for granted the people who have to clean up after them. Disgusting.

And in New York, there is a trash bin on every corner. If you can't hold that candy wrapper or tissue or paper plate for one block, you are lazy, to boot. I don't know what would be appropriate punishment for litterers, other than making them live in a world with no garbage pails, no sanitation workers, no streetsweepers. Let them experience what life would be like if they weren't so priviledged to be able to toss their debris wherever and whenever they want.

On a related note, if you are a pet-owner in the city, it is YOUR JOB to clean up after them. Your rotties giant pile of poo is not welcome on my block. You do not deserve a dog if you consider pooper-scoopering to be beneath you. I don't even want to tell you what kind of punishment I have in mind for you.

(I think it's getting close to the time when I go live in a shack by myself in the middle of nowhere, away from the human beings that make me crazy. A nice, neat, quiet little shack...)

A Dollar and A Dream

People work for a variety of reasons. Mostly to pay the rent/mortgage, I would guess, with anything extra going to food and entertainment/shopping. I work to travel (after rent and eating, of course). I have a trip coming up in June. A short weekend getaway with my sister and a friend to the Bahamas. That has not even come and gone and I already have my next trip practically planned. It's a Portugal/Spain adventure in October. I know where we'll be staying, our itinerary, how to get from one place to another and have already requested the days off at work.

Is it a mental condition? Am I too afraid of being depressed after returning from one vacation, that I need the next trip visible on the horizon? Possibly. Or is it a way for me to ensure that I won't storm out of my job one day out of mere frustration because I must keep my job in order to keep my accrued PTOs and my monthly income so that I can see all the places I dream of.

And to top it off, not only am I constantly planning something, I am selfish about it as well. I don't want to stop traveling once I have children. Some of the locations may be skewed towards more kid-friendly locales, but I don't mind having the grandparents or aunts/uncles babysit for a week while the hubby and I traipse around without the munchkins in tow.

So I'll spend what little I have, while I have it and hopefully fulfill my lifelong dream of seeing as much of the world as I can before I die. We may not end up with the most beautiful house or the nicest cars, etc. but those photo albums showing the trips we have taken will be worth more to me than anything else. So prepare yourself, when you come to our shabby-chic home, for hours of browsing through photos and "Oh, that carpet? We got that on our trip to Bangladesh." Obnoxious, I know. (Perhaps I should be warning the hubby of my future plans instead of you... after all, his lust for travel is a lot less strong than mine and he would prefer the luxury car to a trip to the mountains of Russia to discover his roots...)

Mid-Afternoon Snack Attack

Foods I Hate:
1. Creamed Corn
2. Sweet Potatoes
3. Anything orange-flavored (except real oranges)
4. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (but I like it on crackers or matzoh)
5. Cherries
6. All melons except cantoloupe
7. Cooked celery
8. Baked beans
9. Ginger (though I like ginger ale)
10. French dressing

Foods I Love:
1. Chocolate
2. Pasta
3. Cheese!!!!!
4. Toasted anything
5. Garlic
6. Raw stringbeans
7. Bananas
8. Thinly sliced deli turkey breast
9. Mushrooms
10. Peanut Butter

Either I have nothing important to write about or else I am really hungry...