Random connections

One of my friends posted a video on Facebook and when I watched it, I teared up.  See for yourself:

I love humans.  Living in New York City, I'm surrounded by millions of people at any given moment.  Occasionally that can be a difficult thing, but most of the time I am surprised by the amazing interactions I have on a daily basis.

Yesterday I had a conversation with a fellow pedestrian about the dangers of cyclists (something I've blogged about before), and how we're the lowest life form on the traffic food chain.  We walked a few blocks together and chatted like old friends before going our separate ways.

Today while in line at Marshalls I had a longer conversation with a friendly gal right in front of me.  We started talking about Trader Joe's and how crazy busy it is, and why on earth doesn't the BK location not have a wine store?  We then talked about school teachers and why they need wine, travel plans for Thanksgiving, cars, leather vs cloth upholstery, kids, and personal safety.  I found out that she has a 7 year old child, has family in Georgia, and that she has a Ford Fusion (we totally bonded over that fact - I miss you, Betty Ford!).

I've helped multiple people find their way on the streets of NYC, I've had conversations with someone I'm pressed up against on the subway, I've met new friends at Meetup events, I talk to people wherever I go in this great city.

I'm sure you're all not surprised by this, if you know me at all you know that I love meeting new people and talking to strangers.  My new part-time job at Starbucks fuels that true extrovert personality trait, I had at least a dozen little random connections today alone.  I really value and appreciate these moments because it brings me happiness and keeps me believing in the good of my fellow human beings.

If you are not naturally an extrovert, give it a try.  You never know who you might connect with, who you might uplift, and you probably will at the very least make someone smile.

Me and dear ole Betty Ford - my 2009 Ford Fusion SEL.  V6, alloy wheels, leather interior with contrast stitching, Sync, fancy cool running lights, seat warmers, all the bells and whistles.  I hope your new owner is being nice to you!

P.S. I know we haven't posted regularly in a LONG time.  But I have about 50 draft blog ideas and lots to catch up on, stories and photos to share, and I promise to record the myriad random thoughts that occur in my head daily.

When football makes you cry

No, it's not the playoffs yet (which is when I usually cry about football).  But here I sit, with tears streaming down my face, doing the weird cry breathing.  

Ok, to be fair, I might be under heavy influence of hormones and be missing my parents and be thinking way too much about what I don't have in my life yet, which is never smart to do when you're a lady coming up on that particular week.  

Last week, I recorded a TV show on ESPN, "The Book of Manning."  I took a break this morning to watch it, and man was it worth it.  As a football fan, you have to be crazy to not recognize the amazing legacy that the Manning family has created.  I knew a little bit about Archie Manning, and of course I know about Peyton and Eli, but I really had no idea about the family as a whole.  This film is really about the family relationship, above all.  Sure, Archie Manning was an amazing football player, a star quarterback in high school and college, and an NFL quarterback for 13 seasons.  Amazingly, all three of his sons excelled in football and made their own names (even though Cooper had to give up his football career due to medical challenges).  But what really got to me was the relationship between Archie and his sons.  

I loved that Archie didn't make a big deal about his own football success and focused on being a dad and raising good people.  It broke my heart to learn that Archie's father committed suicide, but then my heart was warmed to see that Archie was committed to being affectionate and supportive of his own sons, in a way to make up for the lack of a relationship he had with his own father.  I'm grateful that both of my parents have been unconditionally supportive and loving, even when I was a huge jerk or making a decision that they didn't agree with.  I have never doubted that my Mom and Dad love me - they told me often and showed me with their actions and their words.  I feel so blessed to know without a doubt that my parents love me, I know there are many people who can't say the same.

Clearly, I'm a lucky girl.  I have fantastic parents and a great relationship with my one and only sister, Megan.  So then why was I crying?  I think I was just having a pity party moment.  I'm a positive and happy person a lot of the time, because I tend to lock away or ignore feelings that make me sad or regretful so they don't hold me back.  I'm grateful for the life I have and I know that the choices I've made are a part of my history and that there's no point in focusing on what I could have done or what I don't have.  But this blog is a sort of therapy for me and so I guess I should share some of what goes through my head when I'm not all smiles and sunshine.

Understanding that there is no magic genie that grants wishes, that I'm in charge of my own destiny, and that I can't change the past, here's some of the thoughts that came to my mind while watching this show... I wish I had gone to a big football school, somewhere in the midwest or the south, where the passion for your alma mater is undeniable and something that you pass on to your children.  I wish I had graduated in four years.  I wish I was married and raising boys of my own to be the best person they can be.  At this point in my life, marriage and children are not even a blip on the horizon, and that hurts more than a little bit.  I know I'd be a great wife and mom, and it feels like my time will likely never come.  I can't help but feel like I'm doing something wrong.  I wish I found something early on that I was so passionate about, like the Mannings are about football, something that I could pursue with devotion and energy.  I feel very lost right now about what I want to be when I grow up, even though I feel like something great is right around the corner.

I know I'm having a hormonal moment, because overall I feel so much better than I did a few weeks ago.  I'm back on a regular exercise routine and I have started at 12 week weight lifting regime that is making my muscles pleasantly sore.  I love weight lifting, it makes me feel strong and healthy and gives me a different feeling than the intense cardio of spin or the calm strength of yoga.  I'm still eating healthy and taking my vitamins and supplements.  I have my daily routine and I'm sticking to it.  So even though I'm continuing the activities to help keep that dark monster of depression at bay, I had a good ole cry today all thanks to football.

Whew, I feel better after getting some of those thoughts out of my head and into this digital journal.  Now it's back to the job-hunting grind, networking with family and friends, and preparing for some upcoming fun, October is going to be a fun and busy month!

Tonight I have a Meetup with the Park Slope Girlfriends at Pork Slope, and considering that pork is my favorite meat - I can't wait.  This weekend my cousin Robin and her hubby Will (they celebrated 7 years of marriage this week - congratulations!) are coming into town for a wedding and are staying with us.  I am so excited to host them in our beautiful apartment and to bop around NYC with them.  And in exactly a week, my BFF Lauren and good friend Dominic will have arrived and settled in for a week of fun with me in NYC.  I'm glad I got that hormonal cry out of the way, because I need to make room for lots of laughter that's in the future!

Oh, and if you get a chance - check out "The Book of Manning."  It's really a great story, although I can't guarantee that you won't shed at least a couple tears.

NYC life - Cyclists

Living in New York City, you might think that one of the first posts I'd write is about the taxis and how crazy the drivers are.  But I think everyone kind of expects taxi drivers to be crazy and erratic and drive like bats out of hell, right?  In one of my favorite movies, Elf, Buddy gets hit by a taxi while walking across the street in Manhattan.  I have not come close to being hit by a taxi, thankfully (fingers crossed and knock on wood!).  But I have come close to being creamed by a bicyclist at least a half dozen times.

Bikes in the city?  Yup.  Now you might think that most of them are bicycle messengers, but I don't know that I've even seen one of those (granted, I don't spend a ton of time in Manhattan during the day yet).  Most of the people I see on bikes are just regular folks like you and I, going to the park or the store or commuting to work.  I'd venture to say that 80% of the bicycle riders in NYC are buttholes, by the way, because they have no regard for rules, regulations, or pedestrians walking - even if the pedestrians have a green walk sign.  
If you don't know already, jaywalking is the norm in NYC, people walk across the street despite what the signals indicate, as long as there isn't any traffic or it's stopped dead.  I've already learned to be wary of those sneaky ninja electric cars like the Prius, which sneak up on you and you have no idea that they are even close to you.  Although I don't really see a lot of Priuses (Prii?) here, I have also learned that the other ninjas that attack without a growling engine are those damn cyclists.

Manhattan has a plethora of Citi Bike stations, so you're guaranteed to see a bunch of clunky blue bikes zooming around as you walk the busier areas in the city.  Brooklyn has a bunch of Citi Bike stations as well, but you see more standard cycles here.  The current mayor of NYC, Mike Bloomberg - a man who is talked about passionately on a regular basis by every single New Yorker, much more so than any LA mayor - has created a much more bike-friendly city.  I think it's great, for the environment, for people's health, and for the noise pollution of horns.  So props to you, Mr. Bloomberg!  How very west coast of you.  Ha...

Anyway, the cyclists here are increasing in number, which is great and all, but they need to learn some cycling etiquette and follow the rules, man!  On the Citi Bike website, it advises the following:


In NYC, cyclists must:

• Yield to pedestrians
• Stay off the sidewalk
• Obey traffic lights
• Ride with traffic

Hmmmmm, that's funny.  On a daily basis I see cyclists breaking ALL of those guidelines.  When I cross the street - legally or jaywalking - I have to look carefully in both directions because the sneaky bike ninjas appear out of nowhere without warning and race by me.  They sure as hell don't yield to pedestrians!  I also see bikes on the sidewalk a lot.  In Pasadena I regularly rebuked bike riders and yelled out, "It's a sideWALK, not a sideCYCLE!"  I continue this verbal admonishment in NYC, of course.  Obey traffic lights?  Yeah right!  Bicyclists here apparently are severely colorblind, because they pay no attention to traffic lights, or stop signs, or pretty much any rule of the road.  Hence my heightened "look both ways" policy when crossing the street.  As for the last guideline, ride with traffic, I will say that most bike riders do follow this.  However, in the increasingly hipster neighborhood that I live in, I see more folks riding against the grain.  

To be fair, some pedestrians walking along the streets or in parks are moronic and present a particularly challenging obstacle course for cyclists.  On my walks in Prospect Park, I regularly see walkers in the bicycle lanes (even though the asphalt is helpfully painted in bright white with symbols indicating where you are supposed to walk/bike).  There are traffic lights in the park that are supposed to let folks cross the loop with safety, but remember that the cyclists don't obey lights so the signals are pretty much futile.  Crossing the bike lane can be a little bit like Frogger, but since 99.99% of the bikes in the park are all going the same way, it's relatively simple.  Wait for the bikes to pass and then hustle across to the walk/run path.  I once saw two teenager girls playing chicken with the cyclists (and these were the serious guys with the abundance of spandex), and the girls did a little dance back and forth, never fully committing to crossing the cycle path.  One cyclist was stopping, trying to yield to the girls, but all of the dancing and waffling didn't help him, and the bike actually clipped one of the girls as he passed by (slowly, he wasn't speeding at this point).  The girl was clearly in the wrong in this situation, and the cyclist circled back to make sure she was ok before he continued on.  So I'll admit that pedestrians need to pay more attention too.

If and when you ever come to visit us here in NYC, and you haven't been here before or it's been a while - be forewarned.  The bikes are vicious ninjas who are full of metal and knobby tires and mean-looking pedals, and they will appear when you least expect them and it could be a nasty crash if you're not paying attention.  But if you are paying attention, and some butthole cyclist is coming at you when you have the green walking man signal, feel free to yell at them in your best fake NY accent, "HEY!  I'M WALKIN' HERE!!!"  Not only is it cathartic, but it might also save your life.

Béisbol

Oh yes, the great national pastime.  Baseball is one of my favorite sports to watch, play, and talk about.  I'm not a huge follower in regard to statistics, etc., but I love the game and when asked I will always go to a game.  I'm certainly not as much of a baseball fanatic as I am a football fanatic (Go Texans!  Beat the Ravens on Sunday!).  Funny... now that I live in Brooklyn, I'm intrigued by the history of baseball a bit more.  I think next week I'll wander over to the Brooklyn Public Library and check out a book or two on the subject.  

I always have fun at baseball games.  First of all, there's the game.  Amazing athletes who are paid to play baseball.  They are also usually big, hunky men in tight pants with broad shoulders, so needless to say it's not hard for me to pay attention.  Speaking of pants...

I greatly prefer the pants style that the player on the left is wearing.  The "old fashioned" version where you can see their socks.  The more modern version, on the right, are not my cup of tea.  I have a very serious opinion about this.

Besides the beefy men, there's other things I love about going to a baseball game.  The peanuts, for example.  I don't know what it is, but the peanuts at baseball games are fantastically roasted, incredibly salty, and perfect in every way.  They are nicely complimented by a cold, overpriced beer.  If I'm at Dodger stadium, a Dodger dog is in order.  With onions, mustard, relish, and sauerkraut if they have it.  I love the cheesy organ music, the seventh inning stretch, the camaraderie between strangers who have come together to root for their favorite team.  Games are in the summer or fall, so being outside in gorgeous weather - ah I love it!  Oh, and the bobbleheads.  Useless tchotchkes that have no purpose but always seem to agree with me.  Yes, Kelly, I agree Kelly, whatever you say, Kelly.  They just keep nodding their agreement and approval!

I found a few photos of me at Dodgers games through the years, although this doesn't document every game I've been to.  Although, there are rare occasions where I attend a baseball game at another stadium...

Me and my BFF Candace years ago, she got free tickets to an Angels game (great seats so we couldn't refuse).  I actually wore red in support of the Angels, a rarity for me.  They played the Red Sox and Coco Crisp was playing for Boston at the time, so of course I had to make a joke.  So I shouted, "Yo mama so fat she named you Coco Crisp!" Candace and I busted up laughing, but the O.C. fans were all too busy on their Blackberries to even notice how funny that joke was.  Lame.  I prefer Dodgers stadium even when they're playing the Pirates or some other horrible team.

Me with some of my ZTA sisters back in the day, rooting on the Dodgers in dear ole Chavez Ravine.  Christen, Maria, me, Marcy, and Felicia.  I love these gals.  Marcy has an amazing collection of Dodgers hats, I'm envious every time she posts a photo of a new one.

The fam-bam!  We have always tried to go to at least one Dodgers game a year.  This particular year, I thought I had scored some bad-ass tickets, but ummmmm we were four rows from the top.  Great area of the field, but way higher of a section than I thought.  Sometimes I can't read maps well, apparently...

Me and another of my BFFs, Lauren.  We've been to a bunch of Dodgers games together and we always have so much fun!  We even went on a double date there (triple date if you count our buddy Frank and his date?), which was way fun.  The double date was on a night celebrating Tommy Lasorda's birthday, so they let us onto the field (the outfield only), they played Frank Sinatra, and they set off fireworks.  My date took my hand and asked me to dance, so we slow-danced around the outfield of Dodgers stadium to Frank Sinatra while fireworks went off.  It's a shame that guy didn't work out because that is definitely a chick-flick-worthy story.

These are probably the best seats I've ever had at Dodgers stadium, when I went with Lauren earlier this year.

Megan and I went to our first baseball game in NY at Citi Field in Queens, she took me for my birthday and we had great seats.  And of course we wore our Dodgers blue!  We sat next to some nice older men (Twins! and a friend. Married and harmless), and they were very curious about us LA girls and why we were in NY and we talked through the entire game, when we weren't wandering the stadium.

Oh, and Lauren... I'll be representing Dodgers blue tonight at the Yankees game versus the SF Giants.  I don't mind being that obnoxious person who wears gear from a team that isn't even playing that night.  I miss you!

Weather or not...

So we knew that the weather would be much different here in NYC versus LA.  I mean, let's face it, LA has amazing weather year-round.  Occasionally there's a little bit of rain, the threat of earthquakes and brush fires are the biggest natural threat (and landslides if you live in an area in the landslide zone).  But most of the time it's sunny and mild and gorgeous.

I have to say, I've enjoyed the weather in NYC more than I thought I would.  I know, I know... it's not winter yet.  But the humidity in the summer was manageable (with a pocket hanky and a $5 fan from Chinatown).  Besides, everybody else was sweaty and soggy and trying to cool down so it's not like I was the only sweaty beast out there.  I have some warm clothes that I finally brought into rotation in my closet, but I know I'll have to get a bunch more.  My "warm clothes" are not ready for serious cold temperatures, methinks.  In any case, one of the biggest changes living here is that there actually is weather.  Thunderstorms happen on a regular basis.  Wind zips through the apartment and rattles the accordion things on my a/c.  Temperatures vary quite a bit.  And the CLOUDS!  Oh, the clouds.  They're amazing.  Big and fluffy, they catch the sun and create a sky on fire at sunset.  We don't have clouds like this in California.  We rarely get thunderstorms in Cali.  And man, when it rains here, it rains.  These raindrops aren't anything to mess around with.  You better have an umbrella with you or enjoy being soaked.  I'm both wary of and excited for the cold weather and experiencing living in it for the first time ever.

I'm sure there will be some updates as it gets colder and we face some challenges with the weather, but hopefully that's down the road a bit.  Until then, here's some recent photos of the gorgeous weather we have.

Ducks at the lake in Prospect Park

The view out of Megan's window, looking north toward Queens

Beautiful sunset and clouds in the summer at concert in the park

A photo of some small building in Prospect Park, via Instagram.  Follow me if you want to stay up on what photos I'm posting.  There's a lot of photos of Rufus, dinner, and sometimes I do a daily photo challenge which is fun.

Secret single behavior

Megan and I are watching the entire series of Sex and the City.  As research, both of pop culture and our new city.  I try assuring our Mom that we are not taking any relationship advice from the show, but I'm not sure that she's convinced.  Now, I could go into the characters and stories and how much Carrie bothers me sometimes, but that's a whole 'nother blog.

We're in the middle of season 4, and episode 13 talks about "secret single behavior," or what we'll just call SSB for short.  Carrie stacks saltine crackers, puts grape jelly on them, and eats them standing up in her kitchen reading fashion magazines.  Miranda puts Vaseline on her hands while wearing some funky gloves and watches infomercials.  Charlotte used to spend an hour a night looking at her pores, but thinks that Trey will think she's weird and so she doesn't do it anymore.  Samantha, of course, doesn't have any SSB.  It got me thinking... what is my SSB?

Hmmmmmm, I think that the most obvious behavior is that I use one half of my king size bed as a catchall for laundry, purses, mail, and Rufus of course.  I have a down comforter and a lovely duvet cover from Pottery Barn, and it has been friggin' hot and humid most of the summer so I fold over my duvet over the stuff on that half of the bed and I just sleep under my sheet.  It works out well, because I also use my decorative pillows to put over my head as earplugs, or I snuggle up with them and I call them my "pillow boyfriend."  I have six pillows total, and I love them all equally.  Even the one strange pillow that appeared out of nowhere back when I lived with Gabi on Allen Avenue in Pasadena.  Yes, a brand-new down and quilted pillow just randomly showed up on my bed and nobody has any idea where it came from.  Gabi didn't buy it for me, my Mom didn't sneak it into my room, and I sure as heck didn't buy it and develop some random case of amnesia.  Weird but true.  And yes of course I still used it - it was brand new and perfectly fluffy-firm!  Stowaway pillow, you're my favorite.

I know there has to be other SSB but I think it's mostly personal grooming stuff.  For example, I asked Megan and she responded, "examining my body for unwanted hairs and plucking as necessary."  That's pretty good SSB, probably something she wouldn't do in front of a boyfriend, I'd recommend saving that for marriage.  

Do you have any SSB?  Or used to have, if you're currently coupled up?

I'm not alone anymore!

If you know me, you know I'm a huge Houston Texans fan.  If you know me and you didn't know that yet, well, we obviously met this year before football season. But just so we're clear - I love the Houston Texans.  With all my heart.  More than chocolate.

You might be asking yourself, "How does a born-n-bred California girl become a Houston Texans fan?"  Well, let me shed some light on that.  

I great up in the foothills of the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, on the eastern edge of LA county.  Growing up, I played lots of sports; AYSO soccer, little league softball, high school volleyball/basketball/softball, and club volleyball.  And street hockey of course (this is where I would usually tie in a story about growing up with Jessica Alba and playing street hockey with her bro Josh and the rest of the neighborhood kids: Marcy, Nicole, Scott, Michael, Ashley B, Brett, Julene, Ashley C, etc., but that isn't really that interesting, is it?).  As a family, we would go to Dodgers games regularly, and Angels games on occasion.  I remember my Grandpa P sitting on his back patio in his pants and undershirt, smoking a pipe, listening to whatever baseball game was on at the time.  The radio is something my generation will never appreciate as much as my grandparents' generation.  Sports and athletic stuff was always a part of my life, but football was one game that kind of escaped influencing my childhood.  In high school I loved seeing the boys out on the field, and I'd root for my friends even though I really had no clue what the heck was going on out there.  All I knew is that I really wanted Darrin to notice me and my sweet letterman's jacket and the football was supposed to go toward the huge tuning fork at the end of the field, and then at some point it was supposed to go toward the other one.  And that's all I really knew for many years.

By the time college had started, I'd figured out that I really liked watching men in tight pants run around and crash into each other.  The testosterone!  The teamwork and camaraderie!  The tight pants!  The competition!  What's happening on the field?!?!  My freshmen year of college I went to UC San Diego, an amazing school that did NOT have a football team.  I finished school at Cal Poly Pomona, another school without a football team. I started watching pro football with friends on occasion, and I started asking questions and learning about the game.  I also learned that every single person I knew had a favorite team.  Candace loved the Vikings because of her ex-boyfriend.  Jamie S. loved the Packers because of Brett Favre.  Tony loved the Raiders because they used to be in LA.  Brian loved the Browns because his grandpa had played for them back in the day.  And on and on, everyone had a team that they loved and rooted for no matter what.  When asked who I was rooting for, I'd respond, "Ummmm, I don't know."  I felt like I was missing out on some big party (and you all know I have FOMO so I couldn't stand for missing out).

You might be wondering, "What about her father?  Didn't he like sports or have a team?"  Well, my Daddy-O likes sports, always loves going to a Dodgers game as a family, and was always cheering me on at whatever game I was playing - with gusto!  At 6'5'' he was always able to make himself heard over the crowd with a booming, "Great job, Kelly!"  And he was an avid runner and a great partner for playing catch in the backyard, so he is athletically inclined.  But a pro sports fanatic he wasn't, and isn't (although I keep trying to recruit him to the Texans fan base).  My Dad is a car guy, a gearhead, a motor dude, and he was always wrenching on one car or the other.  Some of my favorite memories of childhood are when Dad would get a new car (new to him), and he'd work on it in the garage/driveway.  Dad would get the engine tuned up just so, with fancy spark plugs and spark plug cables and air filters and finding more horsepower in all sorts of ways that I have no idea how to describe.  He'd polish up those old cars, bringing them to a gleaming finish, restoring them to their true beauty.  It was so much fun to watch.  And for the past decade? or so he's had this gorgeous 1929 Ford Model A Roadster:

I asked my Dad about the car, and this is a little of what he told me, "It's been a hot rod since 1948, raced on El Mirage dry lake back in the late '40s early '50s. The owner in the '60s used it as a push car for his fuel-altered drag race car called "Monkey Motion". I've drag raced it a few times my own self about 10 years ago. I think you've been with me a few times when I've hit that GO pedal so you know it'll haul a little ass. The car's been on the road all it's life, never hidden away in a barn."  I'd love to have Pops write a blog on his cars through the years and upload photos, etc.  He would do much more justice to his vehicular legacy than I can ever do.  But back to football.  Oh yeah, so Dad doesn't have a favorite football team.  He just supports my love for the Texans and even asks me about them from time to time.  Love you, Daddy-O!  My Mom doesn't have a favorite football team either, even though she was a flag girl in high school and maybe dated a player or two?

So as you can see, I was in a pickle.  I didn't have a legacy team to glom onto, I didn't have a favorite college player to follow to a franchise, and I didn't have a local team either - the Raiders and Rams had long departed Los Angeles.  Another thing you should know about me, I am absolutely bothered by bandwagon fans.  Growing up in LA, I would hear lots of friends and acquaintances claim their dedication to one team or the other, depending on how much they won.  USC always draws a lot of new fans when they're winning, and I find it funny.  "Yeah!  You were a hardcore USC fan since you went there right?!  Oh, you didn't.  Wait, how long have you liked the Trojans?  Oh since they started winning... I get it."  It drives me bonkers.  Obviously, I could never be a bandwagon fan.

Around the time I was going through such an existential quandry, the Texans were forming themselves into a team.  In 2002 I learned that there was a brand new team in the NFL, the Houston Texans, and they were playing their first franchise game against the Dallas Cowboys.  I figured, hey, I should be a Texans fan.  Lord knows nobody in California is going to be a Texans fan, I like country music well enough, and I can say I was there from the very beginning.  On September 8, 2002, I remember watching that first game and seeing the Texans in their patriotic red, white, and blue uniforms.  They beat the Cowboys 19-10 and as I was hooting and hollering in my excitement, I realized that I had found my team.  I was a Texans fan.  Little did I know that the expansion franchise was actually awarded to the city of Los Angeles in 1999, but because of challenges with ownership and stadiums, LA lost the bid to Houston and owner Bob McNair.  Fate?  They would have been my local team if LA hadn't screwed up bringing an NFL back to the city.  I still have a lot to learn about my Texans and their history.

Fast forward to the present.  It's now the 11th year that I've been cheering for the Texans, mostly by myself.  My good friend Richard claims to be a Texans fan, but fan means fanatic so I'd have to actually say that Richard is more of a Texans admirer (haha... love you Richard!).  I've seen horrible losses, been subjected to lots of taunts and jeers, I've had to see Peyton Manning (a football genius) take division rival Colts to the playoffs too many damn times, I've watched most games on TV either at home or at a sports bar, I've had to watch game updates on my computer or phone when I didn't have access to a TV, and I've even sought out the game while on a Christmas cruise last year.  I was the only XX chromosome in that cigar bar...  I've made lots of friends through the years watching football, I've learned a lot about the game, and I have amazing memories and stories about football.  I've planned to go to many games, but due to forest fires, planning conflicts, and a lack of fellow Texans fans, most plans have fallen through.  But I have been to one Texans game in person, at the Arizona Cardinals back in 2009.

Me and my friends in Arizona for the Texans game!  Richard, the Texans "admirer" is on the right.  I joke with him that he looks like J.J. Watt, the charismatic and philanthropic defensive end on the Texans, affectionately known as "J.J. Swatt" for his ability to knock passes out of the air. 

I was very excited and proud to be at the game.  It was HOT, even though I'm wearing jeans.

And of course... the year that I move to NYC is the year that the Texans plays three teams in western divisions and doesn't play anyone in the northeast.  Isn't timing everything?

When I lived in Pasadena, I was lucky enough to meet and hang out with a great group of people who loved football.  There were fans of the Steelers, Packers, Patriots, Colts, Vikings, and then there were the Bengals fans.  One of my friends, Sam - a Cincinnati native, created a Meetup group for Bengals fans in Pasadena, years ago.  Last year there were dozens in regular attendance, and I heard that this weekend there were more than 40 Bengals fans for the game on Sunday.  How awesome!  I miss those folks, and I miss the friendly chatter that would happen during the game, what great memories.  One of the things I remember the most is that I was always (with rare exception) the only Texans fan at the bar.  I grew used to getting to the bar early so I could make sure a TV was set up with my Texans game, I am not a quiet person so I can cheer loud enough for a couple standard fans as needed.  Of course, being the only Texans fan that most people know means that if my team screwed up in any way, I would receive multiple text messages, emails, and Facebook posts about it.  Talk about rubbing salt in a raw wound!  But my Pasadena football crew was always friendly and supportive, and the Bengals fans were always gracious - even the past two years when we played them in the Wildcard round, and beat them both times.  Talk about having to be sensitive with your joy, but the Bengals group were good sports even though they were angry and bitter and hurt.  I think a little part of me will always secretly root for the Bengals, except when they're playing the Texans.

Last night was the first Monday night football of the 2013-14 season, a double header starting with the Philadelphia Eagles at the Washington Redskins, followed by the Houston Texans at the San Diego Chargers.  Inspired by my Bengals friends, I had already looked up and found a Meetup group for Texans fans in NYC - located at the Idle Hands bar in Alphabet City, Manhattan.  I reserved a table for 4, even though only one guy responded that he'd be at the game for sure.  About a dozen others RSVPd for the event, but didn't respond when asked about table reservations, so I figured they might not show up.  Little did I know...

I got to Idle Hands around 7:15pm, the PHI-WAS game was already on.  It's a classic NYC bar - downstairs, kind of small, and pleasantly dark.  There were a bunch of folks seated at the bar and nobody else at the tables, so I sidled up and took a barstool.  The patrons and bartender were friendly, the food from upstairs was tasty, and they have a ridiculously large selection of whiskey (although I am no expert on this subject) and a decent beer tap.  I noticed another Texans fan down the bar, so I went and introduced myself.  "Hi, I'm Kelly, are you a part of the Meetup group?"  he responded, "Hi, I'm Eric, and no - I'm just a guy who comes to the bar to watch the Texans game all the time."  Hmmmm, strike one on the Meetup front, but add one to the random friend list!  

A bit later, the Raiders fan to my right had left and another fellow sat down.  I heard him talking to the bartender and I would have SWORN that it was my cousin-in-law, Will.  I turned to look, expecting a surprise from Will (even though he lives in San Diego with my cousin Robin and their beautiful kids), and it was a nice guy in a red collared polo shirt.  He even looked like Will!  Bizarre.  We chatted, and he's a Houston native and taught me a lot about the Texans, like the fact that the first player drafted in the expansion draft in 2002, Tony Boselli, never even logged a second of active play for the Texans.  Turns out that Lance (Will's doppelgänger) was also not a part of the Meetup group. What now?  Where are all of the Meetup people?  

Megan was a good sister and came to support me, arriving around 9:45pm. Meg is not a football follower, and not a big sports follower in general.  But I convinced her that football is a great way to make new friends, and possibly meet eligible men.  Plus, she signed me up for some Junior League orientation (so not my thing), and I told her I'd go to that if she came to MNF.  What a bargain.  Not long after Megan arrived, a guy came up and asked if I was Kelly, the organizer of the Meetup group.  I confirmed I'm Kelly, but advised that I'm not really the organizer, I had just reserved the table.  No matter, he was here for the Meetup!  Hooray!  A Montana native who lived in Houston for a while, Matt sat down and joined us at the bar (I retrieved the sign from the table so others could sit there since we were at the bar).  

Megan and I at Idle Hands in Manhattan

Much to my amazement, more Texans fans trickled in.  In ones and twos and threes, they arrived.  Wearing all sorts of Texans gear - jerseys, tshirts, hats - they just kept coming!  I expressed my amazement to Lance and Matt and they assured me that this was normal, and that usually there's at least 40 Texans fans at the bar for a regular season game.  Apparently last year for the playoffs there was something like 80 fans squished into the bar.  My mind was blown.  Finally, the game kicked off amid cheers from me and my fellow Texans fans (Megan cheered too).  The first series included an interception from our quarterback, Matt Schaub, whom I have affectionately called "Schauby" for years now - I swear I started that nickname.  But the fans stayed positive, all the way through a rough first half where we ended up trailing the Chargers 21-7.  I met some more new friends, Ben and Jason, and chatted with everyone about sports and LA versus NYC, and how much of a pain it is to get from Prospect Heights to Williamsburg via subway.  Megan asked some questions and started to catch on a bit.  The second half started, Megan took a taxi home around 11pm (didn't want to be tired at work), and the cheering and jeering continued.  I was in heaven.  Finally, other people who were as passionate about the Texans!  People who knew statistics and history and the ins and outs of my favorite franchise!  I'm horrible at sports stats, so I feel like I'll learn a lot about my team from my new friends.  The last quarter was very intense, a lot of stress and high fives and shouting, but this time I wasn't alone!  We even did a "rally shot" of Maker's Mark bourbon whisky.  Whoa boy, that'll put hair on your chest!  Whether it was that rally shot, or Brian Cushing's interception, the tide turned and our Texans gained momentum and came back for an amazing win.  We beat the Chargers 31-28.  The last 3 points were scored by our kicker, Randy Bullock, in his first regular season NFL game.  He's a cute little teddy bear of a guy.  After that kick flew through the uprights, the bar exploded with cheers!  High tens all around, happy smiles, whooping and whistling, and if I knew people better, you KNOW I would have hugged somebody.

As we celebrated an amazing comeback and a great start to the season, I looked around smiling, and just soaked it in.  There are other Texans fans!  They live near me!  I have a place in the football world!  And again I knew that I am where I'm meant to be.  New York City.  I'm not alone anymore!

Oh hello there

Yes, it's me... your long lost blogging friend Kelly.  I have returned from my journey to the depths of the Mariana Trench.  Or was I visiting the uninhabited Auckland Islands?  Wait, I think I was actually in Motuo, China.  Wherever I was, I have returned and have not actually fallen off the face of the earth.  Aren't you relieved?

Truth is, I've been thinking about blogging.  Thinking a lot.  Coming up with great ideas.  Pondering life and starting a great blog about 478392098374 times in the past month or so.  But have I clicked over and actually started typing?  Nope.  And I have a few reasons/ideas/excuses why:

• I'm a lazy journal-er
• I'm just lazy
• I feel like I have to post a huge update and I'm just not up for that
• I have this all-or-nothing 'thing' that hounds me, and I feel like if I'm not posting a daily/weekly recap, it's not even worth it
• I've been fighting depression.  I am challenged with depression on occasion, especially seasonal depression which starts in the fall (my old therapist said I'm a summer girl and my brain mourns the loss of sunshine and outdoor activities).  Exercise is my natural antidepressant, but if you've struggled with depression you know that exercise is something you have to force yourself to keep up when you're feeling blue
• My nails are really long right now and it feels funny to type
• I don't really want to let my brain run free, that's dangerous
• I want to blog about my cat getting out and lost but it's pretty emotional for me
• I'm heavier than I want to be and I feel like if I'm not job hunting, I should be working out
• I don't want to face my emotions
• I have too much to say and it will take forever
• It's much more important to get to the next level on Candy Crush
• I like reading other blogs more
• I have a pile of cards and thank-yous that I haven't written out yet
• Cooking creates tangible results so I like it more
• I still don't have a job
• I post a lot of updates and other stuff on Facebook
• I think that I should be spending every minute of my day hunting for a job, and even though that doesn't happen, I feel like if I'm blogging it's time I could be job hunting
• I feel poopy about not having a job yet and I'm frustrated and don't want to let that negativity onto our blog
• Football season is back and I'm obsessed and I can't wait to see my Houston Texans play the San Diego Chargers tonight
• I prefer taking photos of Rufus doing silly stuff or watching him run around the apartment and slide on the wood floors
• I feel like there's an entire city out there that I'm missing out on and that I need to explore more of
• I really need a job but I am having a hard time deciding what direction to go in
• I've made blogging a chore rather than an outlet for my emotions and thoughts or a record of our adventures
• I think too much
• I get digital overload - between Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare, Match, Meetup, Snapchat, fantasy football, emails, etc., sometimes it gets to be too much
• Analysis paralysis
• I can't figure out why one carton of eggs would have three double-yolk eggs.  It both intrigues and worries me...

As you can see, I'm stuck in my head in so many ways.  But while I need to continue my job hunt, I also need to nourish my body and soul as well.  So as a part of my daily routine, I'm going to go for a walk around Prospect Park, or my neighborhood, Prospect Heights / Park Slope, then I'm going to blog, and then I'm going to job search - make calls, submit resumes, follow up on applications, go on interviews, etc.  

I'm a planner to the Nth degree, I love lists, and I know that I need a simple plan so I will stick to it and get my life to where I really want to be.  So... that being said, here's what I will be focusing on:

MIND

1. Keep reading new books, they give me a digital-free escape into my imagination and inspire me
2. Blog!  Get those emotions and thoughts and experiences out there to share and celebrate
3. Hug my sister at least once a day.  I love hugs, I love physical affection, I love my sister, and hugs are good for you!

BODY

1. Daily walk through Prospect Park or the neighborhood, but I'm not going to beat myself up if I miss a day, I'll just make sure I get back on it the next day!
2. Spin class/yoga class/other classes at our gym, Crunch Fitness
3. Eat healthy, whole foods, home cooked mostly.  Lean protein, healthy veggies, whole grains, delicious spices and creative sweet treats
4. Watch alcohol consumption - aim for only one day a week if that.  I enjoy a tasty beer, a delicious wine, or a yummy cocktail, but alcohol is rough on my pocketbook, my calorie count, and my mental health.  It's a depressant and I don't need any help with that - especially as fall turns toward winter
5. Ensure proper nutrition - take my vitamins, and add in some amino acids that help me fight depression, GABA and 5-HTP.  (I know Wikipedia isn't the best resource, but bear with me on my GTS skills.  Here's a couple more links to the great Dr. Oz's website about GABA and 5-HTP).

SOUL

1. Keep going to church when I can, Megan's friend Erica introduced us to Hillsong NYC and it's a great place that speaks to me
2. Set up Skype dates with my best friends, I miss them.  A lot.  Text or email me if you want my username
3. Read the daily devotional that my sweet Mom sent me in the mail (she sent Meg one too, of course).  It can't take that much time, and I know I need it

CAREER

1. Continue my routine and job search as a job during the week
2. Get a few versions of my resume in order
1. Financial jobs
2. Foodie jobs
3. Office manager type jobs
3. Be persistent and have positive energy
4. Network with every new friend I meet along the way

So - expect more from me.  I'll be working on blogging more often, even if it's just a blurb here or there.  And Megan will still be blogging too.  

Oh, and it's nice to see you again!

XOXO - Kelly

Do You Miss It?

Last week I had one, no, make that two, encounters of, "Do you miss it?"  The first one was with a girlfriend/colleague from home and we were talking about work extra-curriculars and how I still felt very compelled to stay active and a part of the conversations for the local committee we had helped to build and cultivate back home.  After I apologized for chiming in about local-related items that I knew she had a handle o, but that I still felt drawn to contribute, she asked me, "Could it be that you are missing home?"  That question surprised me, truly.  Had me cock my head and scratch it and think to myself, "Is this why I'm still invested in this committee?"  Because I still wanted to feel like I had a place there like I was still a part of it?  I had, after all, helped to make it was today because I took ownership and because it matter to me.  People, culture, synergy, matters to me.  It's an important and integral part of life that I believe makes people, makes relationships, makes LIFE.  That was the first time "Do you miss it" came up.

Second time was after having had a talk with my Pops aka Padre aka Daddio during which he asks me, "Do you ever miss it?  Do you ever think, 'What have I done?'"  As if he knew exactly what had flickered through my mind during the third or so week I was here.  After the initial bliss had temporarily subsided and I was beginning to realize that I did not have Harper and her unconditional love to return home to and I that I could not just drive over to my folks for dinner, or that I could stop in at the restaurant where I worked at in Claremont for years, to visit my old cronies and local friends with their new babies, new homes, new lives.  That was a rough one.  I remember telling my sister that I felt that way, and she said, "You're beginning to miss home too, aren't you?"  Of course I missed it.  I lived in So Cal for nearly 30 years.  It is all I know.  How could I not miss it?  I am human.  I bleed.  I cry.  I cry a lot because I am a hyper-emotional and sensitive being.  But let me tell you, after a good cry, I always feel a rush of relief, and oh how my eyes sparkle!  Grandma Porbanic used to tell me I was washing my eyes clean with tears and that they would sparkle afterwards.  She also used to say that lying on our tummies when we had tummy aches would get the "bubbles" out.  These bubbles were farts as I came to better know them as later in life.  I digress......all the time.....

So sure, I miss Harper, I miss my family and the familiarity of my geo surroundings, I miss the control over my schedule and commuting in the freedom of driving - actually my car moreso as materialistic as that sounds.  I miss nature, both the surrounding organic beauty and the accessibility.  I miss being able to get together with my friends or family if something special came up (as in....LIFE).  But here and now in NYC, I wake up each day excited at the adventure that awaits me, because every day on the subway and in the city is truly an adventure.  How packed will the subway be?  What characters would I see on my route to and from work that day?  Would I get to see my magical stained glass water tower to the north up the east river that I spotted during one of my first subway rides to work?  Would the water glisten in the summer sun, would I exchange smiles with a fellow subway passenger, what street vendors would be out peddling their wares?  Would I get to see a personified Statue of Liberty figure on stilts today walking the streets of Manhattan?  What concerts in the park, networking mixers, NYC committees, organizations, would I discover today?  Would the rays of sunshine streak through the high rises and through my floor to ceiling windows at work?  What patterns would the dramatic eastern clouds form for me today?  Yes, for me.  Because the city, the noise, the lights and sounds, the overstimulating characteristics of this gorgeous place I now called home - is what you make of it and is everyone's own creation, own gift.  It is well time to forge new friendships, to stay in closer contact with my family and friends through hand written letters, google hangout sessions, emails, phone calls, care packages.  Time to take life by the horns and ride it into the sunset each and every day.  Time to adorn myself in new fashion, to create a new look for myself, a new persona maybe?  And maybe someday I will even get another Harper. <3

Photos of our journey out

It's been 3 weeks and 3 days since we unloaded Bridget the Budget truck and we are 99% settled in.  I say 99% only because we still have some excess stuff that we need to have picked up or something.  Just more purging of superfluous material possessions.

This was a busy weekend, but fun!  Friday we went to Ethiopian food in the east village at Awash with some of Megan's colleagues. It was delicious, a new adventure that we both savored!  Saturday we took the train upstate to go hiking, again with the OpenX crew.  What a fun and exhausting hike!  Sunday we bopped around separately, I went to Smorgasburg with Matt and his boys who are visiting, and Megan went to church and lunch with her girlfriend Erica.   

We have so much to catch up on, it feels like we're perpetually behind, but I thought you might want to see some of the photos we took on our way here.  It was a crazy adventure, for sure!  I updated the blogs that we wrote on the road with photos of the day's journey.

Day 1 - June 30th - Departure - CA, AZ

Day 2 - July 1st - AZ, NM, TX

Day 3 - July 2nd - Megan's 30th birthday! - TX, OK, AR, TN

Day 4 - July 3rd - TN, VA

Day 5 - July 4th - Arrival - VA, WV, MD, PA, NJ, NY

I really enjoyed the look back on our journey out here, I hope you do as well!

Kelly & Megan on the NJT train to Sloatsburg

Subway smiles and adventures

It's hard to catch a smile on the subway.  If you do meet some one's eyes it's usually in passing or in angst.  Whether it be attraction to what meets the eye, or in shock.  Either way whichever way you slice it, subway rides are always unique  For the first two weeks here I did not bring any reading material to busy my <20 minute commute because I had all the viewing pleasure I needed on the 2, 3, F, B, D, 6, Q trains that I experimented taking during the first few days.  In fact, I'm rounding up my third business week here in the city and I've still yet to feel solid about my chosen route. Some days - mostly those after work - I find myself so distracted, mentally exhausted (physically more so during the first week after moving in), that I just hop on to whatever train comes to the platform, without even confirming that it's the right train!  I would just emerge into the rush hour crowd and sometimes not catch my mistake until I heard either an unfamiliar stop or any stop after what should have meant my stop should have already happened.  It's happened a few times.  But I always compensate somehow.  Whether' it's catching the 2 at Atlantic or going for a walk after being dropped off at an unfamiliar stop  (which I have learned the hard way can take up to 12 minutes of waiting depending), mistakes on the Subway are usually reparable unless you get off at a one-way station and you have to pay fare again.  Every day is an adventure on the subway.

Just today there was a fella who was shuffling through the car asking for money and then I am almost certain he walked in between the cars to get to the next, but paused for a smoke on the connector platform while the train was moving!!  There are also these subway car 'street performers'.  They dance a choreographed routing in between the hand poles and in an acrobatic moment they're done swinging from the ceiling and they're out the door at the next stop, to head where, who knows?  What do they spend their money on?  Do they have day jobs?  Where did they learn to dance like pole dancing ninjas while the subway is in motion?!  

Some days when I'm supposed to be somewhere at a specific time and I'm running a bit late, I'll take a taxi instead.  I usually get into the city  (lower Manhattan, midtown) in 15-20 vs. 30-35.  Good to have options though.  Options where all I need to do is to locate one and/or hop on, and get from A to B.  I don't miss driving really.  It's quite nice not to have to think during the commute, not to have to fill up the tank, pay for insurance, worry about servicing, replace the tires, get it cleaned/clean it, park it, register it annually with the DMV.  I pay $112/month for unlimited and automatically renewing metro fare.  Versus the $50+ I spend ad hoc I'd say it's a much more scalable fare.

Just today I was headed to church, supposed to be in Manhattan by 11:45 at Irving Plaza (a concert venue hall by night, Church by Sunday, near Union Square), and because I was running behind, I walked down to a busier part of the neighborhood down Vanderbilt to catch a taxi.  They are not easy to hail in our immediate hood! After attending service I feel renewed and my soul refilled.  Armed to take on the world!

Saturday we went up to Harriman State Park for a 6+ mile, 5.5 hour hike.  What a great workout, for the mind and body.  What an adventure the whole day was!  We met at Penn Station at 10:15 to catch the 10:54 NJ Transit to Secaucus where we would transfer to Sloatsburg, in upstate NY.  From the cute little train platform, we walked into the park (estimated to be about 1.5-2) miles and actually walked past the original planned trail, Dater Mountain, than what we were anticipating.  It worked out well though because right after Kelly voiced her concern that we had long-since passed the visitor center (why does she always doubt me?), we approached the visitor center where a nice [looking] younger man helped to mark a route for us for a suitable trail for our wants.  I hope to see him again.  He sure reminded me of a long-since former boyfriend/best friend.  If there are two ideal places that I would like to meet my mate: hiking and/or church.  =)

The view at the top of the boulders was epic.  Who knew there was so much green in NY?!  A therapeutic dose of 57,000 acres of nature!  Splendid beauty!  The NYC skyline was even visible, but barely so to our eyes and would not make a picture.  I felt like my body sooo needed that hike.  Consider me hike-hydrated, although I do feel I will need to get out there a few more times before the winter.   

Kel was a champ!  At the end she confessed that it had been her hardest hike to date (that'll happen when you hike with me.)  For we may be slow, but we sure are blessed with endurance.  Kel was keeping up like a seasoned hiker!  I remember the days when she would not have been able to join in on hikes and I longed for the day when we would be able to enjoy working out in the glory of the outdoors. Hiking never feels like such a workout because of the beautiful views and scenery.  The satisfaction of an eagle's view is always so rewarding.  I swear we gained more than 500 ft. elevation (made it to just above 1,100 ft. above sea level), but that's what the maps say.  And we believe everything we're told, don't we?  

I had a soul-nourishing, mind and heart refilling week and I intend to continue my rhythm until it becomes a habitual pattern.  Yoga, hiking/nature, church/singing praise, baking-therapy, my sister/best friend, writing/journaling, NYC/exploring/discovering new places = just a few of my favorite things.