an accident

I'm out the door by 7am. It's Monday (December 19), my long-walk day.

With me is only my AirPods and iphone.

I'm listening to a crime podcast on Casefile, only a block or two from my apartment. And I walk right into this big pole in the middle of the sidewalk.

I fall to the ground, face down. The fall isn't what hurts me, and I don't lose consciousness. I put my hand over my face, and know I'm bleeding. I'm lying prone on the very cold sidewalk when some lovely woman sees me.

In a calm voice she says, "I'm going to call an ambulance. You are bleeding a lot. And I will stay with you til the ambulance comes." A saint, really. Meanwhile, poor Suri keeps asking over and over, "Do you need help?" I love my Apple Watch.

The ambulance comes. I am required to remove my hands from my face. I'm scared as I have no idea where the blood is coming from. The ambulance people tell me it's my nose, and I'm relieved.

But still, I don't look good.

The ER experience at Weill Cornell is awful. Since I'm not dying, I am mostly ignored. I have a CAT scan on my face and a CAT scan on my brain (required, I guess, after a fall). My brain is fine, my face, not so much. Two crushed bones in my nose. Abrasions all over. Deep cuts on my lip and nose. 

My good friend Shari  drops everything to come over. I know I'll be in the ER for a long time, and I at least need my glasses so I can use my phone. Judicially, though, as I don't have a backup charger.

I get stitches on the outside of my nose, and stitches on the inside and outside of my lip. I'm sent home around 5:30.

It could have been much worse. 

My son sends me flowers, which helps immensely.

The pain is minimal; the discomfort is great.

But within a week, I'm healing well. It's my mouth that bothers me the most. Eating and drinking is challenging. The stitches in my mouth are about an inch long and really annoying. Plus I have major scabbing under my top lip.

Tomorrow I am having what's called, a "closed nasal reduction surgery." It's only 15 minutes or so, though it's done in a hospital under general anesthesia. My doctor, Adam Jacoby, is well-credentialed and nice. I hope he's exceptionally competent too. My nose right now is not straight, and hopefully (no guarantee) this surgery will make it straight.

Otherwise, all is good.

two small coffee-related must-haves

I'll make this one short, since it's just a couple of recommendations.

I bought this Zojirushi insulated travel mug for the days I go into the office (although I now find myself using it at home).

It does two things, and those two things it does exceptionally well...better than any of the many others I've tried, including YETI, Contigo, and Swell.

It keeps hot beverages hot for a really really long time. And it doesn't leak. So far, it's perfect.

The other item I am now loving is this small desk vaccuum by IGOKOTI. I use it every morning to pick up all the small coffee grounds that lay sprinkled on my counter, after using my much-adored Baratza Encore Electric Grinder.

For $14, this tiny vacuum has made my morning routine a lot easier.

 

working and fasting

Today is Yom Kippur and I am fasting.

I always do. No food, no water, nothing.

But I do it more out of fear. Fear that if I don't, something terrible will happen.

I know this rationale is not a good one.

And, I work today. 

My fasting is probably canceled by my working on the day I should be atoning.

I know. This isn't at all the day's intent.

In late afternoon, I go to Fairway to buy some traditional food for my solo break-fast.

I decided not to join my family as I didn't want to leave work early, although I'm sure it would have been fine.

I'm at the Fairway deli counter, ordering. 

Lox. Creamed herring. Bagels. Cream cheese. And asking about the chopped liver.

That's when I see this adorable (albeit much younger) guy standing next to me. He asks for, and then samples, the chopped liver. He looks at me and says, "You should buy it. It's really good."

We start talking. He, too, is making a solo break-fast . And he too, is both working and fasting. 

"You're fasting?" I ask. "But you tried the chopped liver."

"Oh, no!!! I totally forgot," he says.  "I just tasted it on impulse. I am fasting."

Our banter continues. I feel young and flirty. It's a nice feeling.

But soon it's ruined.

I check out.

And while I'm walking home,  I look at my receipt, and see this.

How depressing! The $4.08 discount is hardly worth the reminder.

The cashier never even asked my age.

Hmmm.

Maybe this story would have had a different ending had I not both worked and fasted.

Addendum

So after I post the above, my friend Ellen texts me, 

As always. Laughing from you, but taking it a step further….: guilty about working on Yom Kippur but no guilt of buying shrimp and prosciutto to accompany your traditional break-fast food. Lol! L’shana Tova.

first three weeks

So, week one.

New programs to learn (everything is on Office) and I am used to all the Mac programs.

A million different sources.

A new computer (that I love, a 16 inch MacBook Pro that the tech experts hate, since most of the company uses a PC). But it still takes time to organize all the settings.

An office with an incredible view:

In fact, my office is so nice that I am one of a few who prefers going in to not. I like separating work from home, and the office is an easy commute.

The building is new and high tech. The security is great — no lobby directory. ID's that are programmed for individual floors.  You scan your card, and the turnstile has a scanner that tells you what elevator to take. And of course there are no floors listed in the elevator.

The area around the office is beautiful too. It's in Battery Park, a section of the city that's been entirely rebuilt since 9-11. Stores and restaurants are everywhere. As well as trees. Boats.  And a lot of water. I feel like I've left Manhattan.

Weeks two and now three feel a lot more comfortable.

I'm getting used to all the programs, though I still have a ways to go.

Everyone I've met so far is incredibly nice. Very helpful. And respectful.

And the best part? 

No messy dressing rooms, and zero returns.

why I hate my cable company

Four visits from a technician.

Two trips to the Spectrum store.

Multiple calls to Spectrum, varying in hold time from nine to 25 minutes.

Multiple calls to Spectrum with many many different people with every single one of them  giving me conflicting information.

And the outcome?

I turn in my DVR cable boxes and DVR service saving $35/month.

I cancel my HBO service and buy it instead directly though HBO, saving $100 for the year.

I add a DVR cloud service for $5/month (I record a lot).

The result?

The app loads slowly.

The interface is just okay.

And the DVR service doesn't work on my bedroom TV.

I call again and spend about an hour on the phone with the most senior level technical supervisor.

He has me signing in and out. Plugging and unplugging. All sorts of useless activities.

Still, it doesn't work. I schedule an appointment.

A technician comes to my house. While very nice, he says, "We only handle equipment problems. This is an app problem."

I call Spectrum. 

Twenty minutes later I reach someone, and ask immediately for a supervisor.

This time, I am lucky. 

I get Carlus. 

The only one in the entire company who happens to know Spectrum's cloud DVR service is not compatible with Samsung TV's made in 2016 (that's my bedroom TV, not my newer living room one). 

I guess this is a big secret at Spectrum that only Carlus has been told about.

Carlus is fantastic. And Derick the technician who has come to my house twice is too.

But they are only two people in a company of over 93,000.

Good luck sorting through all the misinformed and rude people to find the few hidden gems.

Addendum, only for those who care about getting rid of cable: 

I end up buying a great little ROKU for $40 and can now DVR shows in my bedroom. In addition, I can now watch Apple TV and DIscovery Plus which I couldn't before because my 2016 Samsung Smart TV was, I guess, not smart enough. 

I also buy a digital antenna so I can get NBC, CBS, ABC etc. with the hope of saying a complete goodbye to cable. The set up is easy. But, I don't like the interface and it's far too unwieldy, so I return it.

But just by doing the things I did do, I cut my cable bill by $50/month without much of a compromise.

So yes, it is worth it. But the process is a big pain, unless you have a better cable company than I do.

at long last... big news

I got a job. A real one!

No more getting up at 4am to travel through a dark city and then sit around for hours and hours hoping for a sliver of an on-screen appearance.

In a million years I never thought that this very blog might lead to a job, but it has.

Someone reading it — someone I had met once and hadn't seen in over 30 years — thought of me for a job they knew was open.

They contacted me through Facebook Messenger at the beginning of August.

And then, over the course of the next few weeks, I spoke via Zoom to four key people at the company. 

I start tomorrow.

It's a full-time job. I'm Director, Office of the CEO.

The company is Cumulus Media;  it's the third largest owner and operator of radio stations in the US, with corporate headquarters in NYC and Atlanta.

But mostly I'll be working remotely. 

I couldn't be more thrilled.

rainbows and roses and whiskers on kittens...

Every now and then, and always unexpectedly, someone will tell me that they bought something I had recommended and how much they, too, love it.

Inspired by this bit, here's a short list of a few favorite things.

Dyson V7 Motorhead Vacuum

I live in a relatively small NYC apartment and hate to vacuum. I love to organize, not to clean. And vacuuming is such a chore. Even my small Miele is heavy.  And then there is the plugging and unplugging.  But this little Dyson is great. Maybe not for a big house, but perfect for a small apartment.  It's light, easy to use, holds a charge, does a very good job, and makes vacuuming regularly something I now do.

The Cheese Knife OKP2

Not much to say about this knife, except it does what it's supposed to do, and does it flawlessly.

Twelve South Forte for iPhone | Modern Desktop Stand for MagSafe Charger and iPhone

This is something you might not think you want or need, but once you have it, you'll love it. It both holds and charges your iPhone. I love the aesthetic and its ease of use. And, it has a very small footprint. Another plus.

Baratza Encore Burr Coffee Grinder

Never used to care that much about coffee. But that changed when I was at a friend's house and they had one of these coffee grinders. It does make a difference. This coffee grinder is fast, consistent, and makes your first cup of the day something worth getting up for. The one minor issue is the spray of little coffee grinds that always end up on my counter.

Breville Die-Cast 2-Slice Smart Toaster

Easy, fluid adjustments from light to dark. Not too much to say. Just think this small toaster is great, if you need one.

Sowaca Ceramic Cooking Pan

If you live alone, or frequently cook for one, this pan is great. I use it all the time to heat things up. Easy to clean. Just the right size for most things. Comes in a few colors. And oh so adorable.

Then there's this app called...

Too good to go

I'm not sure how useful it is if you don't live in or near a big city, but if you do, it's a great little app to know about.

Contigo Ashland Chill 2.0 Water Bottle with Autospout Lid

Have tried many many water bottles and this, I think, is the best. It really keeps water cold  (and ice cubes frozen, for over 24 hours). I also like the silicone sipping spout. You just need to drink from the bottle while it's held vertically.

And finally, if you don't have an ice maker in your refrigerator and you buy ice...

Manual Ice Crusher

I don't drink often but I like an occasional Cosmopolitan with a friend. I buy a bag of ice and really have no way to crush the ice. So I purchase this little set on Amazon. It's now been ages since I've made a Cosmo, but I do need ice cubes. The big bag of ice I bought a while ago has basically morphed into one big block of ice.  (As a side note, I recently learned that bought ice should always have the IPIA label). Last night I try the small mallet above and use it on the bag of ice. One small smash and I have tons of ice cubes. Perfect to add to my Contigo above.

Yup.  Even small things in life can make me happy.