Tuesday, April 29, 2014

coffee color

I get up early and walk to my required Ethics class, given by the Real Estate Board of NY.  On the way, I stop at a street vendor to pick up some coffee.  I am very particular about its color.  I like a little more than a tablespoon of half and half…not too light or it tastes milky and not too dark or it’s bitter.

So I’m trying to describe the amount of half and half I want added and the guy who is serving me says, “Ya mean ya want it to be about the same color as me?”  I look at him and his face is a lovely medium brown.  I smile and tell him yes.  So confident am I in his ability to get it right, I don’t bother checking.


When I get to class, I take the lid off my coffee and it is, of course, perfect.  Exactly as I knew it would be.

Monday, April 28, 2014

suitless in Manhattan

So I’m meeting this woman (I’ll call her Sofia) I hope to partner with.  She’s another Bellmarc agent and my boss (whom I love) has recommended this fix up.  Sofia is very busy right now; she has many buyers and needs some help in managing them all.

It takes me far too long to decide what to wear.  This is a casual, just-the-two-of-us get together.  I can’t believe I am giving the fashion element of the meeting this much thought. I mean, it’s not like we’re meeting to discuss the latest color trends, or Stella McCartney’s fall line.

It’s a cool afternoon.  I choose a pair of black leggings with a crisp, white ruffled blouse, Fiorentini & Baker boots and a short black leather jacket.  Casual, but chic, if I had to describe the look.

I am speaking to M before leaving and she asks what I’m wearing.  I tell her, and she says, “You can’t wear that.  I can tell from Sofia’s picture that she will be dressed.”  I decide I’d rather be safe than sorry and change into a black skirt, Prada boots, a LV leopard scarf, and a black Transit coat.

We meet at Le Pain Quotidien, just a few blocks from my apartment.  Sofia arrives stylishly and professionally dressed — nice pantsuit, Louboutin heels, and an Hermes belt.  I’m glad I listened to M.

Sofia and I talk for two and a half hours.  She is smart and ambitious, and I think we would complement each other well.  She knows real estate; I know marketing.  We’d make a great team.  She asks if I can help out on an Open House this Sunday, and I tell her yes.

Later in the conversation she asks me how I dress.  I am taken off guard, but answer honestly.  When I’m not working, I am a casual dresser.  Jeans.  Boots.  Leather tote.  And a nice coat; I love nice coats.  She accurately describes me as more downtown than uptown.  I think I am, at least in theory, if not in practice.

Sofia tells me she only wears suits for work.  I am sure she has many as her previous career was on Wall Street.   I do a quick inventory of my closet and come up short on suits.  My career was in entertainment marketing, and there, the required dress did not include suits.

I have skirts of all styles and lengths.  Casual and dressy pants.  White blouses in different fabrics and styles. Wolford tops.  Cashmere sweaters. Stylish wraps. A few dresses.  But only two suits and one of those can only be worn in winter.

I think I’ve landed on a good reason to go shopping. But first, a pay check— something that’s been missing from my life for over 18 months.  Once I get one of those, I'll be better able to justify a new suit.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

talking to strangers

Beautiful Sunday.  Nothing to do.  I love that feeling. 

I clean my apartment; it’s the only time it feels big.  I want to go for a walk, but one with a destination that involves no money.  I know.  I’ll take my camera and photograph people.  It turns out to be a great way to spend the afternoon.

I walk to Central Park.  Most everyone is friendly.  I am brave with my camera.  I approach people with an introduction that goes something like this. “Hi.  I’m just taking pictures today of people in New York.  Can I take your picture?”  9 out of 10 say yes.  Some ask what I do with the pictures.  I tell them about my blog and give them the address.  Others ask if they can get the photo, so I give them my email address.  I meet all kinds of people: young, old, black, white, local and foreign.  I meet a couple in an illicit affair, two older sisters from Canada, musicians, families, and lovers.


I take hundreds of pictures and meet all kinds of friendly people.  Here are just a few.



































Friday, April 25, 2014

40 vs. 5

I notice that the Theory pants I bought in 2011 are wearable but tight.  When I bought them, I weighed 121.  A year later I was 124.6. In 2013 I had jumped to 129.  And today I am close to 132.  Not horrible, but not good. 127 or so is a good weight for me.

I think losing 40 pounds is easier than losing five.  There are so many ways you get cheered on. Excitement when you’re down a size.  Good excuses to buy new clothes.  Accolades from friends and family.  And self-satisfaction in knowing you’ve really accomplished something.

But five pounds?  I’ll know because my clothes will fit better.  My scale will tell me.  And I’ll be marginally happier.  But there won’t be any reason to buy new clothes.  And no one is going to say, "Wow.  Did you lose a few pounds?  You look amazing."

Tonight I have dinner with Zelia and Pam at my favorite burger place, Burger Bistro on the Upper East Side.  It ‘s a fun, spur-of-the moment get together, but I come home and feel guilty and fat. Pam ordered a salad instead of fries.  Zelia skipped the bun.  And I got and ate the bun, the fries and an 8-ounce burger topped with guacamole and caramelized onions. 


Okay.  I’m going to try.  I’m really going to try.  Summer is coming.  That should be incentive enough. We’ll see.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

my new itty bitty book club

First of all, I can attend wearing anything I want.
Everyone will have read the book.
No need to dress up.
Make-up not required.
Timing is flexible.
No commuting time.
Weather irrelevant.
No food to worry about, either preparing or eating it.
No wasted chitchat.
No time constraints.
100% attendance guaranteed.
No complex coordination of schedules.
Compelling insights.
Brilliant analyses.
And lots of humor.

A few days ago M and I discover, quite by accident, that not only are we both reading the same book (The Headmaster’s Wife by Thomas Christopher Greene) but that we were at the exact same place in the book.  Today we both finish it, so we decide to discuss it tonight.


I call M around 9, but she’s cleaning up from dinner.  See, that’s the thing about this book club.  No problem. She calls me back a little later. We have a solid, 45-minute discussion.  At one point, M’s husband interrupts to ask her a question.  “Hey, I can’t talk now.  I’m at book club,” I hear her tell him.

In the end, we agree that-

The book is worth the read, but flawed. 
The author should have focus-group tested the ending to make it less contrived.
Gone Girl was better.

Still, it’s a good book for our first meeting. 

We chose Watching You by Michael Robotham for our next book.  Oh, that’s another benefit.  It’s easy picking books.  Only two people need to agree.