How lovely life can be…

…if one takes time to be friendly. I read that in Julia Child’s memoirs  on the train home tonight, and I silently connected with her on that note. Thinking back on the days in which I made the extra layer of effort, working and living life, but with a consciousness  to the connections I made with the people (strangers and not) around me. The more effort I made with them, the more satisfied and full the day seemed to me.

And yes, we have heard this all before, that relationships with people are one of the main purposes of life. But my point is that we have so much control over how grateful we feel about our own lives, and in most cases, it relates to the effort we make with people, and what we get from them in return. So, to me or anybody listening, the next time you stop for your morning coffee, or ask someone about their day while trying to get back to your desk…be present in that moment. Be patient. Listen, and I think, you will get so much more out of it, then by keeping to yourself, and keeping that undivided focus on the other thing you thought was more important. I definitely don’t think this happens for me everday, but, like Julia Child, I notice it when it does.

Music of note:
The Horse by Alessi Lauren-Marke
Games Again by Peter Broderick (this song is like taking a big, gorgeous breath, in and out…just to feel its renewal)

Get a billionaire to invest in your business plan.

The Mark Cuban Stimulus Plan

“You must post your business plan here on my blog where I expect other people can and will comment on it. I also expect that other people will steal the idea and use it elsewhere. That is the idea. Call this an open source funding environment.

If its a good idea and worth funding, we want it replicated elsewhere. The idea is not just to help you, but to figure out how to help the economy through hard work and ingenuity. If you come up with the idea and get funding, you have a head start. If you execute better than others, you could possibly make money at it. As you will see from the rules below, these are going to be businesses that are mostly driven by sweat equity.

I will invest money in businesses presented here on this blog. No minimum, no maximum, but a very specific set of rules.”

http://blogmaverick.com/2009/02/09/the-mark-cuban-stimulus-plan-open-source-funding/

Ugly Betty shot taking over 28th St.

So, in the show Ugly Betty, which premiered last night, Miss B gets an unrealistically big dumpy apartment in the Flower District on 28th Street. Just so happens the place is adjacent to my work building. So I get to walk through amazing catered food, bored-looking PAs, and miscellaneous obstacles that litter 28th street during shooting.

Happy Birthday Blummer!

 

It is my good friend Erica’s birthday today, and we got her a cake. Of course, me needing to be cute, I had them put Happy Birthday in Hebrew, and bought her a tiara.

Happy Birthday, princess!

Brain Power.

My friend Amanda sent this to me. I think it is sort of alarming that our brain can change perspectives without us being conscious of it!

If your brain works normally this is neat. If your eyes follow the movement of the rotating pink dot, the dots will remain only one color, pink.

However if you stare at the black “+” in the center, the moving dot turns to green.

Now, concentrate on the black “+” in the center of the picture. After a short period, all the pink dots will slowly disappear, and you will only see only a single green dot rotating.

It’s amazing how our brain works. There really is no green dot, and the pink ones really don’t disappear. This should be proof enough, we don’t always see what we think we see.

Isabel Myers-Briggs typology.

 

A really useful tool for relationships-personal AND work-to understand the way you interact with others and perceive life. I learned a lot about how my mom, and boyfriend handle things this way.

The Navy used this constantly to know how to communicate well with each other.

There are many full blown tests available but this website was very simple, easy, and had some useful tidbits (what careers you would do well at, how to love your partner, etc.)

The Quiz: Personality Type

This is what I am: ENTP

 

Straight up.

So today is the day for my great friend Katie and I to venture to The Players Theater to see Straight Up. We are definitely looking forward to finding out if this show is any good…as of now we are wondering why there is a power-drill mixer on the cover. Hmm, we will keep you posted on that one. Also, tonight is resume night, Ms. Sherman will use her magical powers of the pen to revamp the “Tracee-that-exists-on-paper”. It should be a great night! Can’t wait to see what we come up with. 

Anybody else looking forward to the fact that it is almost Friday? Raise your hand.

Hump-it-out.

Busy day folks! I went from producing a Spanish ad for a Latin NYC paper, to rushing around Chelsea trying to find a embroiderer/seamstress to make a custom patch for a pro-Boxer, to depositing my tax return and Vespa Sale money! (jello Trip fund for me!)–and finally on to more elusive plans that I cannot tell you about at this juncture–but know this, it will be great. Definitely defeated the boredom of hump day, and helped release the doldrum memories of yesterday. Now I am on to creating a webpage sample of photos of a sailing trips to be possibly used on a website/collateral for Shearwater Sailing.  

Then I want to go through my cousin Kori’s wedding photos to send them out to the fam. There are some great shots there and most of them contain family members that have not been together for several years.  It was a special time and almost served as a beautiful family reunion. My cousins are spectacular. Oh and can I say that Ashton Gardens is the most gorgeous wedding chapel I ever knew existed? Bravo Kori for the idea, it was transcendent. Harp music, sunlight, trees, flower petals, *tear.

Well-on to jump the B (or Q) home. Does any other New Yorker out there try to beat their commute time everyday? I am always in competition with the fastest commute time home, I can’t help it. It keeps things interesting for sure, I thought it was mostly a guy thing. The best time I have done is 35? Lets shoot for 34 today. Oh, and I’d love a seat, too.

Been awhile.

I know I haven’t written much in awhile, for that I am sure it does not matter to you in the least.

Just want you to know that is going to change. Now.

Today: the office was so quiet you could hear a mouse scamper–and they often do. It was so damn BORING that it made me realize my own conundrum. I do stimulating, creative work; but only collaborate with myself. Most agencies, shops, etc. have “collaborative” environments with smart, creative people.  Being the only “creative” person makes for a very “uncreative” place to work. I need to fix this. I try music; I try self-explorative creative training. And yet still days like this; normal, no-name Tuesdays filled with silence and keyboard tapping. *sigh*

On an even sadder note I sold my Vespa today to a very nice French girl from, well, France–more recently a new inhabitant of Sunset Park. I will never forget the last moment. The title transfered, the keys swapped. Now she is wearing my old favorite army green military-style riding jacket…donning my signature white helmet and revving my little 150CC engine. But alas, it was not mine anymore. I kept my white leather gloves…they were trashed from use, and I had to keep something to remember the two years of being a Vespa owner. Maybe one day I will need them again. I guess now I can use this money for my “Travel Fund”. Look out world.

Well that is it for now, I must retire to a bath with my Amazon Kindle, reading my favorite “Pendergast” shenanigans. I may mourn my Vespa a bit, but I no longer have the worry of a vehicle on the streets of Brooklyn. It was surely good to me though, adieu lovely Vespa, adieu…