so about those 2023 photos (quick update)

When you have a problem with a company, write to the CEO. That person is going to care a whole lot more than some person who is likely working across the world and has no interest in solving your problem; they are happy to just check off some proverbial box.

So I find the name of the Mimeo CEO. And my investigative friend Robin finds his email address. 

I write at 9:24 pm on January 1. At 12:15 am on January 2 (less than three hours later), he responds. It's a very nice note, showing genuine concern. He tells me that his GM for the Photo Business will be in touch.

By 9 this morning that person calls.

We have a grerat conversation. He promises he'll be meeting with his tech team today to address the problem. We talk for awhile, and I tell him of a couple of things they should think about doing and he is appreciative. So much so, that he asks me if I would like to be part of their User Advisory Board. Whatever that is, I enthusiastically say yes.

Minutes after hanging up, he sends me a code so the book I'll be buying will be free.

Soon the CEO again follows up and in part writes,

... we appreciate your feedback and we will do our best to learn from it to become a better company.  I know that you had the choice to delete our app and move on in frustration, and instead, you took the time to reach out.  Thank You!

it doesn't get much better than that. If only all companies were this responsive! How does that song go, "What a wonderful world it would be."

about those 2023 photos...

Every year I make a book of photos I've taken throughout the year. It's usually about 100 pages with captions.

I usually start around June or so as it's incredibly labor intensive and time consuming.

I use an app offered through Apple called Mimeo. I liked the ease of the iPhoto app better but that's no longer offered.

I don't use Mimeo's template, and instead customize the book.

I choose the photos I want to include and edit many of them. I select the layout for each page. I check the dates for captioning. I choose a font, color and size (that must be recreated on every page). I bet I spend close to 100 hours on the project. Or at least it feels like that.

I finally finish. Everything is checked and rechecked. I'm tired and happy to be done.

But then I notice that the book I've been creating is 8 1/2 by 11 and all my other books are 11 by 13. Not a problem. There's an option to click and change the size. When I do, I get this warning:

Okay, I can live with changing some of the format. And worst case, I can go back to my original.

So I proceed.

I click Continue

Next I see a book that is totally empty. The 11 by 13 book is presented with all blank pages. All my work has disappeared. I literally feel my body growing warm. But I can revert back. 

I go to hit the Undo button except it's greyed out.

Now I'm a complete mess.

But there must be a simple way to get my work back.

I contact Mimeo and begin a chat with Ashmir. He begins with:

I can barely speak. I am shaking. I go from lower case to upper case. I imagine Ashmir rolling his eyes. His response doesn't change.

Oh, but he does provide an insight buried on Mimeo's support page but not as a warning in the app itself:

No option here to even Undo.

I'm shaking.

Next I call Apple and many hours later (through something called Migration Assistant) I am able to recover most of the stuff I lost. Thank-goodness for my external drive.

I am relieved and manually recreate the book in a larger size, though I'm still kind of a mess just having to have gone through this all.

Still, the year ends nicely. My two same-named friends (Robyn and Robin) come over. 

We watch an awful film, The Royal Hotel. Pick up pizza and eat it with a salad (and wine) that Robyn brings and amazing Sedutto ice-cream that Robin brings.

It's a quiet end to the year, but a good one. We call it a night at 11:30. We can all watch the ball drop from the comfort of our beds.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and joyous 2024.

a bit of culture

I adore NY.

Its energy. Its people. Its endless list of things to do.

Yet lately I've been enjoying doing a lot of nothing.

I like staying in. Having friends over. Watching movies (I'm a voting member of BAFTA so I have all 234 BAFTA-eligible films available to watch). 

For the past week and a half, I've been on vacation. And sure, I've seen the holiday decorations in midtown. Been to a couple of great restaurants (most notably The Supper Club, a newly opened restaurant that's a French Bakery by day).  Even ventured outside my UES neighborhood a few times (all within Manhattan though). 

But I'm feeling a bit guilty. I should be doing more outside my home. My apartment is overly organized, down to washing all my makeup brushes with some small inexpensive electric spinner I bought on Amazon a few years back). And my drawers and closets are all neatly arranged.

Jill is coming over later this afternoon to watch a movie. And while I'd prefer to do more stay-at-home-stuff today (I can always find something to do), I force myself to do something cultural.

I walk to the Jewish Museum on upper Fifth to see the Chloé exhibit. it's 55 degrees out and jackets are optional — certainly not the December-weather I like.

I'm glad I go. Some of the clothes on display from decades ago would still be fashionable today. It was an Egyptian-born Jewish women (Gaby Aghion) who started Chloé in the early 50's in Paris.

She chose the name because she liked the sound of it (she had a friend with that name), and also liked its curved, feminine letters.

Learning something new makes it worth the trip. I guess.

Though if I had stayed home, I would have completed organizing all my 2023 photos in an Apple photo book.

really, madam post office worker

Every couple of weeks or so I go to my local Post Office to mail off a few packages for work. 

I was there recently and also needed to mail a simple letter. You know. The kind that goes in a regular envelope with a stamp on it. Something I rarely do anymore.

I go up to the window with my seven small work packages that need to be weighed. The I-hate-people and I can't wait to retire (I know this because she tells me) post office worker leisurely weighs each package and I electronically sign something that says these packages contain no liquid or hazardous materials. All good so far.

Next I hand her a regular letter, already stamped, to put in the bin behind her. "You can mail this over there," she says, pointing to a large mailbox near the front of the Post Office.

"Can't you take it?" I ask. Not quite understanding.

"No," she responds. "I can't be responsible."

HUH?!!!

She goes on to qualify. "I can't be held responsible if the letter doesn't arrive."

I can't imagine a scenario where I'd go back to the PO. Remember the person that took my letter. Then say to them, "Hey. It's your fault. I was here a few weeks ago and my friend never received the letter I sent her. You took it, so I'm holding you liable."

Ridiculous.

I mean after all, I am simply trying to mail a letter at the friggin' Post Office.

Imagine if everyone had this work ethic.

Would the deli guy not make my sandwich for fear of my blaming him if the cheese gave me a stomachache?

Would my building's handyman not change my ceiling lightbulb for fear his family would blame me if, in the very unlikely event, he got electrocuted?

And what about the very nice man who delivers my mail six days a week? Maybe he should stop delivering it altogether because I might blame him if my Jenni Kayne catalogue doesn't arrive.

Most of my mail I do electronically. I just wish it were all of it.

my new skin

Ten years ago I buy three discounted body scrubs at a place called Tribeca Spa of Tranquility. Today I use the second one.

Amazing that A, this place is still open. B, they still have my records showing my pre-purchase. And C, that they honor it without question. Truly incredible, I think.

This treatment is now $129 (I think I paid $50) and is described as:

"An invigorating authentic Korean technique that exfoliates the skin and increases circulation."

The place is not luxurious. It is basic, but clean. And you shouldn't go unless you are comfortable being totally naked as every part of your outer body is meticulously cleaned and scrubbed. 

Upon arrival, I am given a small locker, a robe, and a pair of disposable underpants which are superfluous. Suzanne comes and gets me and brings me to the lower level. We enter an unadorned room with a table, a hose, and a barrel of water. My first thought is waterboarding. Fortuately, I am able to quickly dispel of this thought.

I lie down, my eyes are covered, and deliciously hot water is poured over my body.

Suzanne uses something like a loofah, and vigorously scrubs up and down, back and forth, again and again, until every last dead skin cell has been washed away. 

When she's done, my skin feels polished and smooth. It's as if, literally, my existing dry and flaky skin has been replaced with something new and shiny.

I hope this lasts awhile. I'd forgotten how good it feels to be wearing skin you like.

tis the season

Today I get to spend time with two people I truly adore, and don't see often enough.

I met Terri the same summer I met Eric. 1989. Together we've gone through a lot. Both of us have raised sons by ourselves. And both us have many wild stories to tell. 

A few years ago Terri moved to Florida but we still remain close friends. When we speak or see each other, we pick right up with no time lost. We both know we'll always be in each others' lives regardless of geography.

A couple of hours over bagels and lox goes by too quickly. And I love that within minutes of her arriving we are deep in perssonal stories, the good and the bad, with no filters on either. 

Later, I meet up with Lisa on the steps of St. Patrick's. 

The city is chaotic.

Since we are right there. I stop by Saks, a place I haven't been in since leaving four years ago. Two close co-workers are working, and it's a nice mini-reunion. I don't miss the place, but do miss a few of the people.

Lisa and I hang out in the rooftop Ski Lodge.. yup, upstairs at Saks. It feels nothing like the big deaprtment store one floor down. From there, we get a decent view of The Tree and the skaters beneath.

We end up having dinner at Madison and Vine. 

Then home through a still-busy Grand Central, close to 11pm.

And back to my quiet UES street, just minutes from the pulse of the city.

oh wow, love this!

Every now in then I write about some products I really really like. 

Given that it's the holiday season, I thought I'd write about some recent purchases that are worthy of a strong endorsement. They'd all make for great gifts... either to your self or someone else.

These Alicia Adams throws are great, and normally are priced much higher.

I love the feel and look. M and I fell in love with these a few years ago at some Design Show in NY. 

Ok,this may not be a great gift, but worth getting if you hate having a million trillion cable wires hanging out under your desk.

The Yamazaki site is full of great organizing things...if you are obsessed with organizing (like I am).

And maybe you know of these sweaters. I'm generally a cashmere-snob, but these are really great quality and right now pretty affortable. I bought Alexander a luxe cashmere hoodie that was so nice, I bought myself a cropped hoodie.

And then I think this thing is great if you want to charge your iphone and Apple watch at the same time For some reason I've had a problem charging my AirPods, but still love the sleekness and simplicity.

I've bought several on this site Twelve South and have never been disappointed.

Everyone probably already knows about Bombas socks, but just in case...these are the only ones I wear now; I threw all my others out. I like the ankle length. In fact, the colors are so great I want to buy socks even when I don't need them.

And finally, I have a collection of insulated mugs and these are my favorites:

This Contigo for keeping cold drinks cold...over 24 hours, at least.

And the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug for kepping drinks hot. I made boiling tea around 4pm and the next morning I burned my tongue on it. And...as confirmation... I just now read that the NYT rated it the best travel mug. "After a decade of testing travel mugs, we still recommend the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug for most people. It keeps drinks hot for hours, and its locking lid stays securely closed, even when you toss the mug into a bag."

Let me know if you try (or have) any of these. I'd love knowing. 

(Also, for those of you who do write comments on this blog, please say who you are as most come up — rather strangely — as Anonymous. Thanks.)

Addendum:

How could I have forgotten this from my list? While at M's this summer, I  became enamored with her colorful vinyl placemats. In the past, I've tried all sorts of expensive placemats that ... while beautifull initially... inevitably became embedded with food stains. These mats are inexpensive, fun, and most important, easy to keep clean.