Ready? Let's Roll Into Something New

You know, every time I'm at the gym, I either hear The Killers on my ipod or I see them on the fancy little tv attached to my treadmill...and it really drives home the fact that I *heart* Brandon Flowers. Sigh. He is so dreamy. SO dreamy. especially in the Mr. Brightside video.

And why am I still awake, watching Bring It On Again? Clearly, my husband is out of town, because there is no way he would stand for this.

China all the way to New York

Day 6 of M's business trip to Hong Kong...but he's coming home any minute! It was just weird to have him be on the other side of the world, literally. Every night when we spoke before I went to bed, he was in the middle of morning meetings. I did continually ask him, "So what does Tuesday look like? Am I going to enjoy it? Did you get the lottery numbers already?" You know, important stuff. I think he's jetlagged beyond words right now, although thankfully he had some pretty awesome business class seats that recline fully flat.

Say my name, say my name...

Apparently, my name is quite confusing to people from other countries. And some Americans even seem to have trouble with it.

Since I started working at the United Nations, I have been called "Befany," "Stephanie," "Beverly" (which was really appalling, because that guy is an American whom I emailed many times and had multiple conversations with, and was formally introduced to - what's it going to take?!), and my personal favorite mistaken name of all time, "Daphne." I'm kind of digging Daphne. Maybe she could be my alter ego? One of the guys I work with says that when things don't get done, we should all just blame it on Beverly. "Wasn't Beverly supposed to do that?" "Is Beverly even IN today?"

To say nothing of the 2 men so far who have referred to me over email as "Mr." Repeatedly.

Daphne is getting a little irritated. As is בֵּית עַנְיָה.

Long Time Gone

I'm going to appropriate the titling procedure of a fabulous acquaintance of mine, whose "savvy mom" blog is captioned with song lyrics...something that my friend Janie and I did a lot of in days past, so I was reminded of how much fun that is.

Anyway, what a long time between posts! Here's what's up - we've landed in New York, living on the Upper East Side. M loves his job, and I was appointed to a position at the United Nations, which (if the first week is any indication) will be a remarkably interesting experience. I guess I just can't get away from civil service...V has a nanny, a wonderful woman from Jamaica who takes great care of her (and yes, we are paying taxes on that).

We've had so many visitors already, at least 5 to my count, plus some that didn't stay with us, and many more to come in the next few weeks. New York is great, I still can't believe that we live here! And luckily, we already have friends here, from law school and high school, which have made the transition that much easier. We enjoyed a wicked game of 500 last night, with lots and lots of Oktoberfest beer and the traditional Pim's with lemonade. Sooooooooo.......that's life in the big city so far...more to come.

And the winner is....

New York City! Manhattan, to be exact. We leave in about 3 weeks. Actually, V and the cats and I leave in 3 weeks...M is already there 4 days a week. Thank goodness for Amtrak. It's hard to believe that in less than a month, we'll be living on the Upper East Side...with a Thai place, coffee shop and sushi restaurant each less than a block away!!! Heaven. Pure heaven. And for what we're paying, it'd better be.

Oh dear...

Once there were no options....now there are many....how's this going to play out?!

Another day, another interview...

Looks like someone is popular! Things are moving along much more quickly than expected...this might all be settled by Memorial Day!

So it begins...again...

Today was the first in-person, different-city interview for M in his quest for a new job. Up the coast a little ways, go a little east, and there you are...Boston. Seems like things went well today, and for his first trip to the city, he seemed to like it just fine. So, one down, two more to go (potentially)...and we'll see if we end up a few hours north on I-95 in Boston or NYC, or all the way out west in Seattle. At this point, your guess is as good as mine.

I'm obsessed.

It's kind of horrifying and wonderful, all at the same time. I don't want to watch tv - we have 5 episodes of Battlestar languishing on our DVR - nor do I want to go to bed at a reasonable hour. I'm head-over-heels in love with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07. No, I'm not a 15 year old boy. Yet, here I am.

And since we got a new controller yesterday (apparently, our other one was played out over the last week or so), suddenly I'm winning it all. So sweet!

Of course, I should be working on Vivian's baby book...but Tiger beckons...

Guess What I Did, Y'All?!

Wow. I mean, you just can't make this stuff up. Poor Britney. Who knew the change in my heading would have been so prescient? Actually, I give Bill Simmons all of the credit, seeing as it is his quote and all. The man's a genius.

A matter of taste.

So we finally got around to seeing Match Point. It was pretty good, a little long - we both got tired of seeing Nola whining and behaving like a desperate shrew - but we were both really pleasantly surprised by the twist at the end. Didn't expect it, but liked it. Much better than I (and my husband) had anticipated.

However....

Still don't see what the big fuss is over Scarlett Johansson in this film. She's pretty, sure, and she's got a pretty filled-out chest that doesn't appear to be artificially enhanced...and I can definitely see her as a Lancome or Estee Lauder spokesmodel with her glowing skin...but I don't understand how people keep saying that she blew their minds, is the hottest woman ever, etc. For example, Matthew and I have had this conversation at least 6 times with various people:

One of us: Well, who do you think is hot?
One of them: Scarlett Johansson.
One of us: Really? I disagree.
One of them: Have you seen Match Point?

Well, we've seen Match Point now, and I perhaps find her even less attractive than I did before.

What's the obsession? [and please don't answer that unless you have actual new information to share, because I believe I've heard it already] Why do people think she's the most beautiful/most alluring/sexiest woman in the world? Because her character told you so in the movie? Because she talks like she has a cold? Because she has boobs? Or because we blindly trust Woody Allen and his excellent taste in women? Yes, she's beautiful; yes, she's not an unnatural weight; yes, she is well-maintained and a good actress; but no, she hasn't changed my life, and I'm okay with that. And so should you be.

Updating

The time has come to add new links to the list, and maybe cull a few of the old. Washingtonienne? Old news. Democrats.org? Well, now that EVERYBODY hates the administration, I don't feel so special anymore. So, to that end...

Pink is the new blog. Oh, I could gossip about my friends and loved ones -- Someone recently came into some (well-deserved) money, someone else gave an anonymous tip that may bring down a government official (again, well-deserved), someone might get a job on the other side of the country (also well-deserved, I guess this is a theme) -- Now, that's all well and good, but you probably don't know them...so celebrity gossip is more likely the thing that binds us.

IMDB. Don't watch tv without it. This has added a whole new level of interactivity to my television habit.

Fabulous baby clothes...and toys. How come my mother didn't buy me this stuff when I was little?

There she is...the winner of the competition hosted by the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women...

This year, I only watched the last 15 minutes of the Miss America pageant. Well, that's not exactly true - I kept pausing it and reading the biographies of the contestants. Who knew there were so many musical theater and vocal performance majors that also want to be attorneys and governors and veterinarians and broadway performers? At the same time?! Yeah, I wish I was making that up.

Anyway, of the final three, Miss Georgia (a teacher who wants to eventually be an elementary school principal) gave the VERY BEST answer...by far...to an inane question that went something like "What would you do if you were President of the United States?" She answered the question succinctly, with a bit of humor, and then a nice zinger at the end re: No Child Left Behind, and how children are tested too much. Nice! The other two (Miss America and first-runner up, respectively)...were shallow, incoherent, ill-informed, and...let's just say shining examples of why the United States lags behind most industrial nations in educational achievement. Good thing Miss Oklahoma is winning that $50,000 college scholarship...

Wait, I get it, I get it!! How silly of me...Miss America is a NEED-BASED scholarship organization!!!! I wish someone had told me sooner.

Vivian Kate at Christmas

Almost six months old in these pictures...she didn't quite understand what Christmas was, but she certainly loved all of the attention from her grandparents!

Don't cha?

Too good. This is too good. From Lisa DeMoraes' blog...First, the fact that a tv executive characterized the search for the newest member of The Pussycat Dolls as "third-wave feminism" with a STRAIGHT face...and then the juicy little tidbit about Isaiah Washington's homophobic Tourette's incident - totally worth reading.

Oh, I guess I should put some pictures of the baby up here...will do.