Reasons for my Behavior.

-It seemed like a good idea.

- I forgot.

-Someone else made me.

- It just happened.

* This note represents my public awareness that my words or actions in some way upset, hurt, or otherwise alienated you. In light of this understanding…. I WILL do it again.

xoxo. Happy New Year.

I arrive back Christmas Eve.

Family. Love. Home….

* Important moments over Christmas break include but are not limited to…

Christmas Eve dinner with my entire extended family

Christmas morning coffee

Watching The Help with my great grandmother.

Sleeping

a typical Wednesday night… 12 hour pub crawl

a trip with my parents and sister to Gatlinburg, TN.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo movie night with my sister

Running in the rain at Lakeshore Park| Mental Health Hospital

Drinks at Public House….every night.

Dinner at Calhoun’s on the River

And I found that I was in the unlucky 50% who eneded up with a crazy roommate.

I lost $500.00 due to cleaning needs….

I asked EVERYONE I met in New York…is that normal? AND EVERYONE I asked responded. You just got scammed.

Now…I am homeless.

I lost track of the time, like so many do on vacation. And as quickly as I had arrived, I once again was headed back to the airport. The sun set across the vast Florida sky.

The trip, even if short, was a testament to the importance of travel for me. For friends, and for a breath of fresh air.

Again on the plane I see families and couples wearing Mickey Mouse ears and everyone has a little bit more of a pep in their step.  I smile as I close my eyes. I am wearing all black and preparing for the cold that awaits me.

I skim my iPhone photostream. Moments of joy captured in time.

Butterbeer. Not the frozen kind. Tastes like cream soda and butterscotch glory. The snow capped dormers of Hogsmeade glisten in the sunshine. Once within the spell limits I was able to visit  Zonkos, Dervish and Banges, the Owl Post, Ollivander’s Wand Shop, The Three Broomsticks, and Honeydukes Sweetshop.

I withheld the desire to buy a chocolate frog and instead decided to muster up the courage to face the Hungarian Horntail and Chinese Fireball in the dueling dragons of the Triwizard Tournament.

The day was truly magical.

We somehow ended up at Epcot in Disney before making it back to dinner.

This has been a dream of mine since I was in middle school. Since the first chapter when introduced to Harry Potter and his friends Ron and Hermione I have been enthralled and secretly wishing I was part of this Wizarding world.

Not only was the 70 degree weather much appreciated but the escape from New York’s cold weather and somewhat hostile environment. Once on the plane I felt I was already on vacation. Children drill anxious parents about the odds of meeting Mickey Mouse and begging for a chance to go to the beach. The three-hour straight flight was so fast. I only carry my small backpack and run to see one of my friends past baggage claim.

Almost instantly I am hit by the heat and humidity and am aware of my unsightly appearance in Florida. I am reminded I no longer need to wear my all black assemblage and heavy coat. The night air is clear and my friend arrives perfectly on time.

Whisked away I am again aware of the clear night sky uninterrupted by light pollution.

We are able to roll the windows down and blast music.

Florida is beautiful. It’s interesting to note that I feel it’s the middle of summer. The only reminders of the season are the wreaths and holiday lights that adorn the houses we drive by.

Per usual I made my way onto an overcrowded subway this morning. Feeling a bit homesick and looking forward to Christmas break I was pleasantly surprised to see the new ad displayed throughout the entire train.

Like a beacon of light shinning on this dreary morning, I read, Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey.

Come home to celebrate the holidays…

Music- My Morning Jacket.

Favorite Song(s): One Big Holiday and Mahgeeta.

“Finally- winter has arrived.”

And with its arrival of cold winds and rain I arrive at my office at 9AM most days now, disheveled and breathing like I just ran a race.

Here in the office we are starting to receive baked goods, candy, fruit, and cheeses. Everyday the office manager puts out the holiday treats in the kitchen and within five minutes the entire office has meandered into the common space with an inconspicuous attempt to get a little piece of the holiday calories.

On Thursday a new friend of mine suggested that her and I go to George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center the next evening for a classic night out in New York City.

I was immediately excited to participate in an annual New York tradition, since I failed at the Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting.

The New York City Ballet has performed The Nutcracker every Christmas season since 1954, with more than 1700 performances.  I was so excited to see the David Koch Theater, experience the music of Peter Tschaikovsky and the exquisite sets of Rouben Ter-Arutunian.

The evening began with picking up the tickets and walking across the street to P.J. Clarke’s at Lincoln Square for a cocktail and conversation. Walking around Lincoln Center was like falling into my architecture textbooks. Being able to walk around, experience and see the interaction of the people solidifies my happiness and confirms my choice of profession.

Transforming Lincoln Center

Once inside, I hear my high heels across the marble floors. I look at the people filtering into the theater dressed up and ready for the weekend, ready for the ballet.

The ballet is beyond words. Seeing the iconic moments like a on-stage snow storm, a Christmas tree that grows from twelve feet to forty feet in seconds, a giant mice battle, candy canes jumping through hula hoops, the Sugarplum Fairy with her million pirouettes, and a “flying sleigh” that carries Marie and her prince twenty feet in the air.

Side Note: SantaCon 2011 was also today. 50,000 white-bearded Santas walking around New York for a very popular pub-crawl. Probably one the funniest sites in New York City so far.

I am a cotton-headed ninnymoggins!