The Surprise Proposal!

George got me good! After planning our wedding for about 4 months, he finally formally popped the question New Years Day morning after breakfast. He'd planned on asking me in NYC the night before but I got suddenly ill and he was exhausted from getting up early that day to help his dad out.

I had NO IDEA he had the ring with him in his pocket for nearly 2 days! The jeweler has been particularly slow in getting his ring ready but it was FINALLY ready NYE afternoon. I love it and it's more beautiful than I ever imagined.

We called a bunch of our friends yesterday before George left for a ski trip with his friends for the weekend. I was suppose to go but wasn't feeling up for it after the night before did not end elegantly for me.

I still can't believe I'm actually getting married and I get to see George more than twice a week but the end of the summer 2010. I'm looking forward to making a move into more work that I love rather than what simply pays the bills- that's when the opportunity is formally presented. Hopefully it will not be stuck at the jeweler's store!

Silver Bells

Silver Bells lyrics by LIVINGSTON AND EVANS

Christmas makes you feel emotional
It may bring parties or thoughts devotional
Whatever happens or what may be,
Here is what Christmas time means to me.

City sidewalk, busy sidewalks
dressed in holiday style.
In the air there's
a feeling of Christmas.
Children laughing, people passing,
meeting smile after smile,
And on every street corner you'll hear:

[Chorus]
Silver bells, silver bells,
It's Christmas time in the city.
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring,
soon it will be Christmas day.

City street lights,
even stop lights,
blink a bright red and green,
As the shoppers rush home
with their treasures.
Hear the snow crunch,
see the kids bunch,
This is Santa's big scene,
And above all this bustle you'll hear:

[Chorus]
Silver bells, silver bells,
It's Christmas time in the city.
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring,


I spent the weekend covering 3 arts events for my freelance gig. I heard Silver Bells a total of 3 times and now have songs from "Fiddler on the Roof" stuck in my head. I must confess that "Silver Bells" is on my top ten favorite secular holiday songs and I'm going to ask my work friend Nick to sing it with me at our office party.

I've got my holiday shopping mostly done (thank you Amazon!) and have decided to forgo the proverbial holiday card because email has kept me semi- connected to my far and dear ones.

There's one thing I'm really looking forward too. George and I have been getting asked about our permanent future A LOT and I'm keeping my manicured fingers crossed that after the 12 days of Christmas I will have a little bling :) It's been getting harder and harder to say good-bye to George after the weekend's done or date night comes to a close but hopefully by this time next year I'll get to see him every day!
I don't know when but I know he has my high school ring- the rest is up to him and his jeweler.

Time Passing By

I've been writing at my newspaper gig, seemingly non-stop since my last post. It left me completely forgetting about this free-space, so to speak. There's a lull (and I have some time to kill)so inspiration calls me to my keyboard once again.

The opportunity to write for myself comes and goes and I have a few half-full journals to prove it. Getting it into a cohesive project has yet to happen, however, the opportunity may be on my horizon. Last month, George and I talked about him supporting my desire to teach full-time next fall. The next week, my boss at the college where I adjunct said she would "try" and slot me for a full-time temporary position. Hooray- but I'll believe it when it's affirmed next spring.

A year ago, I was beyond miserable with my city job and was about to eulogize my grandmother at her memorial service. I stuck it out, thanks to George's seemingly endless amount of support and here I am a stronger, wiser woman. Central Park used to be my sobbing ground, now it's the sanctuary it should be for me during lunch breaks.

Last year, my relationship with my older sister was getting better but still a little awkward. Last night, we went to a concert at the Garden and the rapport we used to have before she got married returned. It just showed up over pad thai and carried us on the train ride home. Even though I'm the younger sister, I took the train part way home with her and made her call me when she made her connection. She doesn't like the city much and it was so late at night I just wanted to be sure.

My life as a writer continues to expand and change as well. My friend from grad school started up an ezine which I want to submit something to. I have to dig through my work and see what's worthy of submission.

At the newspaper, I've written theater reviews, concert reviews, walked through a golf course converted to an outdoor concert space to review a festival, and the list goes on. Sure, I'm getting paid peanuts but it does pay a bill or two that finds its way to my mailbox every month.

The one part of my life that I cannot write about is the specifics about George and me. Partly it's to protect our privacy and partly because I simply cannot put it into words.

I could list adjectives: enthralling, romantic, comfortable, helpful, supportive, predictable.

I will say this: we are the Tortoise (me) and the Hare (him) when it comes our approach to life. This will take some struggles to adjust to if we ever change the status of our relationship. I want to both move forward and hang back where we are at the same time. He tells me how he feels (sometimes) but I cannot put it into words here.

A year from now, I really hope I'm not writing a blog entry from this desk where I sit. I want to be home, making dinner and having a glass of wine. And I want a puppy next to me too :)

Citizen Spitzer

I was walking up Fifth Avenue to work this morning and across the sidewalk was no other than Mr. Spitzer. When the scandal revolving around him broke the day I began my current job, 16 months ago, I thought that it was good he was knocked off his high horse. He spent the last year in "hiding" and has gone back to work I guess. But looking across the street at someone who was such a public figure made me think of the Icarus story in Greek mythology.

For those of you who did not take 3 years of Latin, Icarus was the figure who built wax wings so he could fly. His father, Daedalus, warned him not to fly too close to the sun. But he did and plunged to his death into the sea.

I believe both Mr. Spitzer and John Edwards (see my blog post last month) suffered a similar temptation with wax wings of another kind, women. I guess you could also call it rock star syndrome but still I admire Mrs. Spitzer and Mrs. Edwards (despite her using it to launch her memoirs) for forgiving their respective husband.

An old friend reminded me the other day not to throw the first stone when it came to criticizing other people's fidelity but it doesn't mean I can't use it as a lesson in my own life. Fidelity is a cornerstone to my relationship with George because it's bound up with trust.

However, I'd have to be outta my mind to look at any other guy the way I do at him. George says he has never noticed a beautiful woman walking down the street and while I tease him about that, I really believe it's true.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

I want to break up with you, NYC. It's been great but you are high-maintenance, expensive and stinky at times. Deep down, I'm a Jersey girl through and through. I even have a hoodie to prove it. I daydream about Memorial Day weekend at the shore and taking walks in parks that, while they pale in comparison to the largeness of Central Park, are still just the right size. In fact, George and I were thinking about taking a walk the other day. Then April showers came upon us and we headed to the movies instead.

By the way, do not see "I Love You, Man" unless you have insomnia. It was one of those films which has its best parts in the trailer. The only thing I liked about it was the funky wedding tent made from cloth draping and the bridesmaids dresses. I kept whispering to George "I'm so sorry I owe you two guy movies for this dude." As usual, he was very reasonable and said "don't worry about it." That answer is so typical him but I'm thrilled to hear it just the same.

In other random news, I had a dream last night that I couldn't find the bottle of sunscreen I own. Okay so it's about two plus years old. I think deep down, I'm really hoping to go on a vacation sometime this year to someplace warm.

A Holiday Abroad

Today, as everyone worldwide knows, is 11 days before my birthday. Oh wait- I mean it's St. Patrick's Day today. The drunken noises below my office building are revelers in the New York City St. Patrick's Day parade. Inside, there's a suave luncheon with traditional Irish food wafting up the staircase. However, it stops at "Danny Boy"-I don't like the song, never will and right now a marching band's marching down the street playing it!

In the last month, I've entered myself in two contests to win a trip to Ireland. I have no idea what my odds are but for some reason it's been kicking around in my head for a while that I want to go there. I own more than more movie that has scenes in Ireland. While I'm a bonny lass by ethnicity there's something ethereal about visiting Ireland as an American.

I am a U2 fan as well as the Corrs so that means I like Irish music, right? Actually as I believe I mentioned in a post last month, George took me to see the Dublin Philharmonic (I still don't know the difference between a symphony and a philharmonic by the way). So I guess you could say I like traditional and contemporary Irish music. I have a feeling that by the end of the day one of the street musicians will play a stirring (or disturbing) rendition of "Danny Boy".

NYC in the Winter-What I love and What I despise

It's wicked cold here in the big,bad city. The street corners are not cleared (thank you Mayor Bloomberg for canceling alternate side street parking on Monday). The wind is harsh but it's manageable for the 7 blocks I have to walk to get to work from the subway.

Right outside my subway stop is a very nice breakfast cart. Since my train was 1 hour late today- I missed breakfast at work. So I decided to grab this amazing pastry (which is not to be eaten except in such a time as this) . I could describe the tasting of it to how I feel when I get to see George after a few days absence- deliriously happy. But it's just a sugar rush that will get me only so far whereas seeing George well it's just better for me (and has fewer calories).

What I also love about New York City is having a great meal. Here are some of the places I've eaten at and would go to again:

Hill Country (W. 26th- near Madison Square Park)

Alice's Tea Cup (the Upper E. Side location)

Havana Central