new year, new blog.

one of my plans for the year is to start blogging here again. (i know, i know, i say that all the time...) but i really mean it. i used to love thinking about what to say here, and i want to get back to that.

we came home from a 10 day vacation last night (just to the midwest for the holidays, don't get too excited.) s watched the city lights from the window, trying to point out the landmarks as they shined, while i finished my book, clinging to my last moments of pretend-life. i was thrilled to come back to our apartment, glad to come back to work, but perhaps a tiny bit tired of coming home to new york. (don't get mad, but i might have a crush on chicago right now...)

this morning as i was walking to the train i heard adults cursing at each other on a construction site and i thought "yup! back in new york city!" and it made me laugh. this city is nothing if not a parody of itself sometimes.

every person in new york.

i am totally in love with this picture, and this project. artist jason polan is attempting to draw every person in new york. some of the drawings are highly detailed pieces and some are just quick, artful sketches. (check out his picture of marathoners on the site--so fun!) i am also in love with the idea of being drawn for the project, but i'm still trying to think of a location in which to be spotted... perhaps i'll invite him to the museum?

don't read this unless you want to be embarrassed for me

tonight i was invited to a sort-of work event as part of "a night of glamour" in celebration of giorgio gucci's new cognac (umm, ok.) but. BUT. we think it was a manufactured event for the real housewives, because i saw the following:

* jaclyn take a photo of her husband (chris?) and ashley at a table next to me
* kelly and sonja taking press photos (i had to scoot past kelly at some point so if my butt makes it in i'll be excited)--p.s. kelly is miles tall and very pretty
* alex and ramona talking in front of the cameras, cheating out and everything for their "real conversation" (plus i made eye contact with ramona, so, whee!)
* someone check in under the name danielle staub (not actually her; like i'd miss my chance to pull out her extensions)
* simon telling people that he was a housewife (they kind of didn't get the joke, but asked for a photo anyways)

but BEST: i had a conversation with dina manzo! we were in line for drinks when she walked up, and i told her that she had been my favorite (true) and she thanked me and then i said that i was sad she had left the show, and she told me she was sad that i was sad. then i asked if it was hard to watch it now, and she said she tries not to watch, and i said that made sense and i wished her luck. (um, crazy pants, right? also, lady is pretty and petite!)

also, this is by far the most embarrassing post i've ever written but i also got to taste too much of that celebrated cognac so let's blame it on that, shall we?

my best celeb sighting yet!

the scene: i am walking quickly down the street, and end up behind two slower-moving young men. they stop and i move to go around them as they turn to go into a store and we nearly run into each other.

me: oh sorry, excuse me.
michael cera: oh, excuse me.
me (taken aback): oh, um, sorry.
jason schwarzman: oh, sorry.
me: oh, sorry, um, excuse me.

so basically, i had an awkward conversation with two of the more-famous awkward-character actors of our time. and yes, we all looked each other in the face and made eye contact. (my mom asked.) awesome. also, they both looked like the characters they usually play. cera was in a plaid button down tucked into slim jeans, and schwarzman was wearing a suit. and he had a mustache.

now that both s and i have had random interactions with michael cera, my sister thinks we should invite him to the wedding. he's on the list after the obamas.

slinking back in, tail between my legs.

so this little blog baby has been neglected for some time, no? apologies all around, but i've been cuh-razy busy this summer, including:

- a get-away to montauk, where we got ENGAGED (!)
(thumbs up for weddings!)

- visits nearly every weekend from family and friends
(eating our way around the city with guests--this was at co)

- major work events (including a promotion and the departure of two of my coworkers)
(the goodbyes are killing me!)

- some wedding planning
(didn't pick this one. duh.)

- trips out of town (upstate new york, d.c.)
(miss you, spitfire lake.)

consider this my (maybe) comeback.

this is an old memory.

my friend erin just blogged (on her sweet mommy blog swonderland) about catching someone propose in a driveway as she went past, and it made me think of one of my favorite new york memories.

christmas of my freshman year of college (when i was at nyu and didn’t know what to do with myself), my friend chelsey wanted to go see the tree at rockefeller center. we took the train uptown and looked at the window displays, and gazed at the tree and went to watch the ice skaters. while we were standing there, a couple came up to us. “can you take our picture?” the man asked, and we agreed, and the woman went to stand against the railing as he showed us how to use the film camera. before joining her, he leaned in and whispered “and can you take a lot? i’m going to propose.” we squealed as quietly as possible, and instructed them to say cheese. “take another!” the woman shouted. “just in case!” and i happily snapped away as the man pulled out a blue tiffany’s box and got down on a knee.

i still think of them sometimes. i was so thrilled to take those photos that i hope they showed off and maybe occasionally still look at. it felt so magical, being asked to help someone propose to the person they love, in rockefeller center with the skaters and the windows and the tree. there is something so sweet about love in the city.

so this is embarrassing.

this evening i saw simon, the husband of alex mccord (a real housewife of new york city) in the neighborhood. i guess i vaguely knew that they lived in or around the heights but i never really thought about seeing them. though i've seen maybe two episodes of the show, i totally recognized him, which i'm kind of ashamed to admit (and i refuse to call this a celebrity sighting.) but the new york times loves the housewives franchise (especially the new jersey-ites), so i guess i'm in good high-low company.