oooo, glassy

In my final architecture class we looked at the more modern and post-modern buildings built during the 1920s and later. We started out at 15th and Market (which back then was Broad Street train station) and walked west and north. As per usual, we didn't get far, thanks to my professor's penchant for sharing a lot of information about every building she sees. (this isn't bad, just long).

the only pictures i took were of the new comcast center and some of the surrounding areas. We did discuss the 'penn center' buildings, which have a lot of asymmetrical touches and are all skyscrapers with different tops. There were a few major architects in the 1920s and 30s that were important in Philadelphia, Louis Kahn being one of them. I can't remember the names of the other ones right now, but maybe they'll come back to me.

So here are some photos:
This is the new comcast center. its all glass and shiny and reflective and stuff. Very modern, although my teacher doesnt' like it. i think it's too much glass for her. She says she doesn't like the way it touches the ground, and there should be something between the glass and the sidewalk to slow the progress of the building. Me, I think it's fancy shmancy.




The inside is really cool. Above the elevator bank there's this huge screen, and they show random relaxing images that are crystal clear. it's AMAZING. An odd touch is that above the lobby there's this weave of poles with fake people walking on them. It's very bizarre, but interesting enough to photograph.

I am tired so the buck stops here. But overall I really enjoyed my architecture class. It was definitely worth the $95, and you get the knowledge for free!!

And without further ado....the weekend is over....

Quiet is Overrated

So I will post about my last architecture class tomorrow. I haven't uploaded my pictures yet, but it wasn't as fact-filled as the previous. So don't worry.

My first week of work is over. I survived, and it wasn't bad!
Overall this week I went to the gym a few times and hung out with friends. Leslie and I had our fav dinner at maoz (falafel and eggplant and hummus = yum) and went to a free concert at Louis Kahn park around the corner. The band was called 'the hoppin john orchestra', you should definitely look them up if you like jazz. i believe the website is www.hoppinjohn.net

so of course, we get there and i immediately spot the trumpet player. he's hot. i always look at the trumpet player first because i love the trumpet. I definitely should have played the trumpet in elementary school, instead of the lowly alto clarinet. Alas, i was not cool enough to know that the trumpet is awesome. and mainly, trumpet players are hot. so leslie and i are scoping out the band (she likes the keyboardist)- and we then check out the park for their potential followers (read: girlfriends). the trumpet player is talking to a nice looking blond in a skirt. damn. damn damn. leslie spots this girl sitting next to us staring intently at the keyboard player, toting an extra coffee. at their break it is confirmed that these designated girls are with our hot band members. we left. but of course i took out my trusty camera and took throw-back stalker pictures of our favorite players first. they're kind of blurry, but you'd get the point. (again, they're not getting posted now. still on the camera).

and here's the main event. today i had a happy hour date with eharmony #2. the male nurse who's not assertive and potentially ashamed of himself. well, it started off that he was late. i thought i had gotten stood up, but he showed up 15 minutes late. i was on the stoop across from the restaurant, on the phone with rachel. i saw him approaching, and he proceeded to walk all over the place except to the door of the restaurant. i was like, 'what is this?' what if i was actually inside? and he's like, wandering around not going in. so anyway, i put myself in his path, so when he came toddling over towards me i was like 'HI.' as it turns out we didn't go to that place, because there was no one else in there and i did not want to have a first date as the only people in a restaurant. the last thing i need is the entire staff watching my awkwardness. we walked to Doc Watson's (a bar) a block away. During this walk i'm pretty sure I learned all there is to know about #2. He's quiet, and when he does talk he's soft spoken to the point where i'm straining and leaning towards him to understand what he's saying. What is with this? We ordered some drinks and appetizers, and proceeded to ask each other polite questions every few minutes for the next hour. Luckily there was a baseball game on in the background, which I watched. I also thought about various things, like what i was going to do once the date was over, and what kind of girl would actually go well with mr. quiet. clearly, it was not me. polite questions and blank stares do not go far in my romance department.
the best part was- when we were done, i walked him to his car and he actually asked me to go out again! like, that was enjoyable?

more like overrated. when i'm the 'outgoing' one in the relationship (and the guy is quiet as a country mouse) there is a problem. period.

well friends, another one bites the dust. stay tuned for the architecture finale.

Brain Freeze

....more like brain mush. its late thursday (late in my own language, its almost 11) and after almost a week at the new job (doing a lot of...nothing) i feel unusually tired.
so i'm sitting here, watching kathy griffin, thinking- 'you know what, on my blog i tend to write about what i do everyday, but i'm not writing about the weird shit going on in my head'.

so without further ado: my thoughts.

ok i just went blank.

ok no, here we go. you know how sometimes when things are going right, and everything seems to be going in the right direction, somewhere in the back of your head you're like 'wait. really?' well thats my head. because my new job seems like its going to work out ok. pretty much anything is ok after my last job.... but so far, so good.

and yet, i keep thinking about the GRE, and how my math skills are bordering on third grade. and i'm not going to able to do some of the random difficult analogies or whatever. i think, 'yes, over the summer i will devote myself to studying', and its almost july, and i'm studied a few hours spread out over 3 days. so there goes that plan. (seriously i'm sure i'll be fine).

and then there is this upcoming date this weekend. i am not excited. like, couldn't care less if i go or not. the guys is 5'7" (shorter than me, strike one) and a nurse. its cool that he's a nurse, but he tries to hide it on his eharmony profile. under profession he listed 'healthcare'. i'm sorry, are you Ashamed of being a male nurse? has 'meet the fockers' gotten this society nowhere? who cares? i dont care that you're a nurse, you shouldn't either. and i mean that in a nice way.
as you can tell, this date is already going well, and its only in my head.

plus. i think it's a shockingly awful prospect that i'm a born again virgin. i might never have sex again. this summer marks a sad anniversary. and i think my hymen has grown back. i have been thinking about this lately (i'm getting my period so with ovulation comes like, thoughts about sex. its natural. shut up) and i'm in my 20s. i'm supposed to be whoring it up and 'experimenting' or whatever so that i can 'settle down' when i get married to the eventual man of my dreams. and yet, it seems i've chosen the road less traveled. that of 25 year old jewish nun. wtf. this is not how i planned on living my 20s, and frankly, its starting to get a little disturbing. and if this upcoming date to mr. short nurse is any indication, the drought will continue indefinitely....

and finally. i saw my therapist today. and i love my therapist. she's fabulous, and i not-so-secretly want to be just like her. and there i was, sitting in her office, telling her about all the normal good things going on in my life. and i want to tell her about the crazy things going on in my head, but i don't. because i don't want her to think i'm crazy. i realize, this sounds off. i'm a therapist, and i'm afraid to tell my therapist what i think about. but hey, i'm not perfect. and i realized in the elevator leaving my appointment that i think i'm lacking in the 'brave' dna. i'm too critical of myself, and hold myself back from living sometimes. it's like i need to just let loose and not give a shit and see where it goes. but i'm not quite there yet. instead i'm bullshitting to my therapist about the bland superficial in my life instead of getting down to the nitty gritty.

i am not an ideal patient. do not try this at home.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Part 2

Ok. So, the new job starts tomorrow. In less than twelve hours actually. I have been nervous and excited, and nervous again. Overall, there isn't much to be nervous about, as tomorrow I will have orientation all day so I won't be expected to actually do anything (that I know of, at least). And i'll have the opportunity to find out more things about my job. Which is a good thing. So see? Nothing to be nervous about.

A little while ago I was just looking at my list of goals for my two week vacation. As it turns out, i've accomplished all but one! I went to Independence Hall, walked across the Ben Franklin Bridge, tried two new recipes (which were delicious), got a new pair of shoes at DSW, got all the paperwork done for new job, went on a date! I did not go to the gym four times a week, more like four times in two weeks- but hey, I was on vacation!

I feel pretty good about the way i've spent my time. I read four books- all of which were enjoyable. I watched seasons one and two of Dexter (which is Really good- anyone who doesn't watch it already should start). I've also started watching some good/bad summer tv. I say good/bad because I'm not sure how good it is, but it's good enough to watch for the summer while i'm bored.
Weeds is back on- Mondays. Thursdays are busy with Swingtown and the new Kathy Griffin. And then there's the horrific 'so you think you can dance'- i hate the judges but like the dancing. And i'm still waiting for the end of Battlestar Galactica (I believe there's one episode left?). And saturdays has the new Robin Hood on BBC America (Robin Hood is dreamy). Then sunday has Design Star and Army Wives. So as you can see my tv schedule is as busy as ever. And soon Project Runway will start! Hurray!!

As for now, i'm going to finish de-stressing and snuggle into bed with Gizmo and book number five. Wish me luck with my new beginning!

The Grandest Hall of the City

So. This week in architecture we talked a lot about city hall, and walked all around it as well. We couldn't go into the courtyard because it is once again blocked off for some sort of renovations. But this is what I learned about City Hall:

It was started in 1871, a few years after the end of the Civil War. As it turns out, Philadelphia made bucket loads of money during the Civil War because we served as a major supply source for the Union. So City Hall was a statement in the grand-ness of the city. It took thirty years to complete- and look at all the detail!

The building has many tiers and double columns, as well as a lot of detail on the pedements in between the layers.

Also, the tower upon which sits William Penn is apparently the largest masonry build tower standing- ever. That means there are no steel beams in the tower. Masonry is that the walls are meant to hold the support of the entire building. It's pretty cool actually.

We then looked at Reading Terminal and the PFSF building. I learned a lot about the Terminal. It turns out all the trains used to come in above ground there until about 1981! When it was closed down the main building in front of it (what is now the convention center) was abandoned for a while. My teacher was on the project to fix up the place.

The PSFS building was a bank- the Pennsylvania Savings Fund Society. It was the first high rise built in the International style anywhere in the world. It has this cool curve on the corner side and is built with both light and black materials, which makes the building look separated when actually it's not. My pictures of it aren't very good- but you can kind of get what i'm talking about.



We then meandered through a few blocks near my neighborhood- until we ended up on Broad Street talking about a lot of the buildings up near City Hall. My favorite of which is the Union League:
I just think is a very pretty building, and really stands out among the skyscrapers. The Union League was also build after the Civil War, for those who aided the Union effort. It's an exclusive club that even today you need to be a member of to go in or hold events there. I've never been in, but one of these days I will!!
Those are the highlights of class this week, more later on a wrap-up of my vacation....

The Dorkiest Person I Know

Today I accomplished one of the last big goals on my vacation 'goal' list. I went to Independence Hall!! I got up early to go and get a ticket, then came back in early afternoon for my 30 minute tour. I have to say- it was AMAZING. I mean, yeah, the tour is short, but you get to roam around on your own inside the grounds that I usually see from the other side of the rope. I never wanted to leave. Ever. I wanted to sleep on the old benches, hug the old walls, listen forever to the stories about the state house and the hall of congress and the assembly room where the constitution was signed. I photographed everything, so I can look at them and remember fondly.
What I found out is that you only need a ticket to actually get into the building. I can walk around inside the sacred grounds just by going through security! Anytime I want! How cool is that?


Here are some pictures.....

They're all a mishmash of the assembly room (with the grey walls) the senate room (dark green) and the state supreme court (yellowish). And then me of course, looking like a kid in a candy store. I am officially the dorkiest person I know.

Saturday Night at the Rodeo

Ok, so another busy saturday. I had my second architecture class. We discussed a lot of French/Gothic Revival and Philly in the 19th Century. We spent a lot of time looking at PAFA- the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. It was designed by Frank Furness, a prominent Philly architect who had a unique style. Here are some photos:


I like the floral touches on the building. They are everywhere, but its really beautiful. And look at all the detail at the top of the building!


This is the inside, if you walk to the main lobby by the stairs and look up. Its amazing. I wanted to move in. All of the colors and the skylight and the celestial ceiling, it was very different for it's time (the 1870s) and I think has beautiful contrasts.

We then moved to Walnut St., where we observed some stores that clearly used to be townhouses and a lot of different styles. My favorite is the Art Deco style:
This is the door to the Metropolitan. All the geometric shapes and contrasting metals are typical of the Art Deco. I think its cool.



We ended at Rittenhouse Square (although I didn't take pictures there) and I learned that it used to be a 'brick bath', that is, a place where they used to make bricks. Paul Cret, a french architect hired to teach the Beaux-Arts style at Penn, developed Rittenhouse in 1913 into the park it is today. My professor thinks it works so well because it is so accessible, with a low fence and entrances at every possible pedestrian path, which helps encourage as much foot traffic as possible. The neighborhood, a mixture of residences and stores, helps as well.

So after class I went and got my hair done. New color and a trim! Exciting. I like catching up with my stylist, Eleanor, about movies and Ann Rice novels (I've never read any but they are here favorite). She understood my criticisms of 'The Happening', and said she gave up on M. Night long ago. That made me sad, but que sera...

Tonight I went to my second annual Cowtown Rodeo!! I went last year with Kara and Leslie and had a blast (as well as acquired a plethora of cowtown souvenirs that were completely unnecessary). This year we skipped the souvenirs and focused on the events. They have steer wrangling, bull riding, stallion riding, barrel racing, and lasso-ing events. Here are some shots from tonight:



Let me tell you. There are some interesting people at the Cowtown Rodeo, but I was glad to be one of them. I wore my Nashville cowboy hat proudly! That is, until they tied up the little baby cows... (don't worry, they always let them go after 6 seconds).

Here ends my saturday night. On the couch, watching bad tv. The usual....

Double Feature

So today I was lazy. L-A-Z-Y. I did not go to the gym. I didn't do much of anything. I did however, end up seeing a double feature, for $8 and the price of a small diet coke. I started off with M.Night Shamalyan's "The Happening". Frankly, it wasn't all that happening. I miss the M. Night of yore, where his movies were exciting and suspenseful. I mean, Marky Mark is fun to look at (even the high school girls sitting behind me squealed when he made his first appearance), but the movie is missing something. Namely, a plot anyone cares about. And as much as I love Zooey Deschanel (love love love, everyone go buy her album 'She and Him Vol. 1), she sticks out like sore thumb in this movie.

However, after it ended (thankfully its only about an hour and a half) I found 'The Incredible Hulk" (thank you riverview for not having more security). I missed the first few minutes, but I read a review this morning so I basically knew what was going on. And this was impressive. Obviously, I love Edward Norton. Who doesn't? And Liv Tyler is one of my personal favorites (by the way I want her to play me in the movie version of my life). I just thought the movie was well done, exciting, good mixture of CGI and actual action, good acting (well, except for maybe William Hurt, but he seems to only have one emotion these days). I was glad I stayed for the extra movie (seeing it for free was only a perk). Oh and Tony Stark shows up in the last scene. Which reminded me that the movie did have that "Iron Man" feel to it (I liked that movie as well, btw). So, if you liked that one, you'll like this one too.

Nothing like a double feature in the middle of the day.

But I have to add- I saw these movies in the early and mid-afternoon. and there were SO MANY PEOPLE THERE. I was like "hello isn't there school? doesn't anyone work in Philadelphia?" It was bizarre. I know it's June, but its only mid-June. My high school was still in session at this time, and I didn't start skipping til senior year. And the squealing girls behind me were definitely not seniors... how things change, and yet stay the same (I have vague memories of being a squealer once too...)

Nothing Like a Walk on a Bridge...

Yesterday I accomplished another one of my 'vacation goals', I walked across the Ben Franklin Bridge!! I documented my journey, for your viewing pleasure:


This was the start- I approached the bridge from 6th and Race. I was surprised to find a jeep coming towards me as i started my walk. It was the Delaware Port Authority, i guess they patrol or something?

So I started off, a little before 11am. Unsure of how long it would really take and what kind of fun things i'd see along the way...




This was the first thing I saw, clearly some people in Philly support Obama! Hurray!! What a good way to start.





This is a secret little staircase, used by workers to get from one side of the bridge to the other. It is kept locked, obviously, but I did see some workers sitting on the stairs on my walk back. I wanted to join them, but thought that might be inappropriate.



This here (on the right) is the Camden waterfront. I think the aquarium is down there somewhere. It's not as pretty of a view as the Philly skyline, but the waterfront is more accessible.




When I turned to come back to Philly this was my view!! It's so pretty!! I love it, and I love this city. What a perfect day for strolling on the bridge :)




And then there's this view....Lovely isn't it? It was a bit windy up there on the bridge.

Well. Today is Friday the 13th. I have no real plans, but i'm thinking I might blow off the gym and go see 'The Happening', cause its scary and takes place in and outside of Philly. I'll let you know how it goes....

What I'm Doing on My Summer Vacation, Part I

So...what am I doing? Nothing really. This is the longest amount of time i've had in years to really do nothing. And so i'm going for it all the way. Frankly, last night (Tuesday), i was bored. And i was sitting at my table, reading, and I realized, shit. I'm bored. And it's only TUESDAY!!!
I decided to get out of the house and go see a double feature. Seeing as there's nothing out I haven't already seen, I was forced to see....."What Happens in Vegas" and "Kung Fu Panda".
Pathetic. I know.
Although, I'm pretty sure my dad would not see a problem in these choices. (Which is one of the reasons I love my dad so much).
Even more outrageous- I liked "What Happens in Vegas". Like my dad told me weeks ago, it really is better than you think it'll be. Ashton Kutcher is likable. Who knew?

On to other highlights of my week:

I got new rear breaks on my car. I walked all over in the disgusting heat, and when it came time to go pick my car up I decided to cab it out of self preservation. So I got in the cab, and told my driver where I wanted to go. Typical New Yorker, I also told him what route I wanted him to go, in order to avoid all the traffic. We go a few blocks and he starts mumbling something to me that was definitely not English. I was like, "i'm sorry- what?" at which points he waves a letter at me and points down the block. Ohhhhh, you want to mail a letter. He stopped the cab, and mailed his letter. What? Is this normal? It was only like 10 seconds, but this has never happened to me before. And I shrugged and thought "oh yeah, I do need some stamps. Where's the post office?"

I also finished my book, The Year of Yes. So one book down, one to go (according to my goal list). The book is awesome. Really funny. I recommend it to anyone who wants to hear a good story about finding love in a big city. Cause it can be anywhere. While i'm not instilling my own "year of yes", i'd like to think it's possible in this city as well.

Finally, today I was walking around the city a bit, running errands, enjoying the new less humid weather. However I noticed something. Philly smells like BO. Seriously. You could be on random corners and it'll hit you- ew. I looked around and thought- "ok, which one of you is not wearing deodorant?" I realize it's hot, and so no one specific is to blame (I hope), but it was gross enough to notice nonetheless.

Well, tomorrow is another day, with lots of possibility.

Lovely Day for Some.....Sweltering Heat

Well i've had quite the Saturday. It started with my very first "Great Architecture of Philadelphia" class, which I am taking every saturday in June at Temple. The class consists of an hour or so lecture, followed by a walking tour of whatever part of the city we studied that day.

Today, being the first class, we started with a brief history of main styles of architecture, and William Penn's layout for Philadelphia, in 1682. COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE! YAY! You can imagine my glee.

Would you like to know what I learned?

Well, Independence Hall was built in the 1730s (or 1740s? I wasn't taking notes...) and it is in the Georgian style. You can see this by the windows, and pedements. The top spire/bell tower was added later, as were the buildings on either side, which housed the Congress and the Supreme Court ( i think). These side buildings were in the Federal style, which was after Georgian, and they had smaller window casements. (I don't have a picture of this, we were walking, i was in a hurry).


We then moved down Chestnut St, where we saw what had been the Second National Bank, designed by William Strickland, Philadelphia's first architect. Here it is:Notice that it looks like a big monstrous Greek Temple. I never quite understood how this came to be right down the block from all these brick colonial buildings. I learned today that it's in the Greek Revival style. See, this building was built post-Revolution. Georgian style, from before? That comes from England. Post-Revolution us Americans were not feeling anything English, so we went back to the Greeks, who, as we all know, were our role model for democracy. It's starting to make some sense now, right?

I also learned that one of my favorite movie theaters, the Ritz 5, was in the International style, as seen by the exposed steel beams and basic geometric shapes. And the cool-looking building across the street from the theater, I learned today was the Mercantile Exchange! And the beautiful curved part of the building was the trading room. Interesting indeed.
So at this point we have gone over our time limit on the walking tour, its 90-something degrees out, and i've started to melt. And by started, I mean am sweating through my tank top and feel like i'm going to die. So I came home to my nice air conditioned apartment and vegged on the couch.

Here is where I found my next surprise- Army Wives. There was nothing on tv, and I was still too hot to do anything productive. So I stumbled on an Army Wives marathon on Lifetime. I never was too interested in the show, since i'm not a huge fan of the army. But after watching way too many episodes, I kind of like it. Although Kim Delaney needs to tone it down a notch. I think she would be hard pressed to overact anymore than she already does. But some of the other characters are actually interesting. So good. A summer show to watch, on Lifetime no less.

Around 5 I went on my drinks date with eharmony guy. Kicking and screaming, I got myself dressed and ready, and met him at Tria on the corner (it was too hot to walk much farther). There we had a drink, and I had an awesome duck salad. I learned that he's from Colorado, lived at home for college, moved to Jersey for Rutger's law, likes Jersey, and plans to eventually go back to school to get a masters of Divinity. Divinity. Quick show of hands for all the many things I have in common with this particular gentleman. Now, he was a gentleman, he paid, he agreed to go for ice cream when I suggested (i'm going to breeze past his choice of chocolate banana- ew). And he tried very hard. So I definitely give him credit. But come on. There was zero chemistry. I can already hear my therapist telling me to give him another shot, but i'm sorry Laura, I don't think I can do it.

And so here I am, back at home, having finished the Army Wives marathon, getting ready for bed. Kind of a busy lazy saturday, if I do say so myself. And it's only day one of my vacation!

Crabby Cakes

It's Friday night at 11pm. I'm in my recliner, exhausted, watching 'What Not To Wear' on TLC.

And i'm crabby. I'm tired, and I think i'm in shock. Today was my last day at work. I have spend a year slaving at a job where I was never particularly appreciated, and often felt like smacking my head against a wall. I've finally procured a new job, and am at the beginning of an oasis taking the form of two weeks of vacation. Yet I don't feel excited. I feel tired, like, 6 months worth of tired. Tired I didn't realize was there.
So I came home and did nothing. I watched tv and laid on the couch. I did not go to the gym, despite eating approximately one billion calories in celebratory food this afternoon. I attempted to organize my coffee table instead of vacuuming and dusting, and was snippy at my mom on the phone for no apparent reason.
(Thankfully, she is used to this. She should be, because I get it from her-where I get most of my, lets call them- idiosyncrasies. )

I did not expect this on my last day, since i've been looking forward to it for so long. But in the end, I was really sad saying goodbye to my friends there. The job might have sucked, but having good people to suffer along with you makes the road easier to travel. Even saying goodbye to my clients was kind of hard. I know they will have to adjust to the changes, which is hard on anyone, more-so for people already in a fragile state.
I also have no idea what to do with all my free time. I mean, I have goals. I have things I want to Do. But like, now that it's here- I feel somewhat overwhelmed.
Let's make a list of things i'm going to do:
1. Call Penn to order the recommendations needed for the new job.
2. Call my doctor to drop off the physical form (basically beg them to get me in)
3. Go to Independence Hall, and get there early enough to get a ticket inside. Bypass the Liberty Bell, of course (what a whore of a monument).
4. Try at least 2 new recipes.
5. Clean my apartment.
6. Go on a date.
7. Walk across the Ben Franklin Bridge, and back, obviously.
8. Read two books.
9. Go to the gym four times a week
10. Take a trip to DSW to check out some new shoes.

Ok. Well that clears things up. This should be doable in two weeks. I will be a new woman when I start my new job!

Now for the bed.

Update

Just an update- I made the call to Mr. eharmony date. We spoke for like 2 minutes, are not getting together tomorrow, but are getting together for drinks on Saturday at 5. I have to pick a place.


God I hate talking to strangers on the phone. His voice was ok though. At least he seems normal.

No Sex in My City

So.....


I just saw the Sex in the City movie. Obviously. I went with a group of seven other girls. Of course. And I loved it, naturally. It's a really long movie. It doesn't need to be this long, and frankly they could do without the whole 'Samantha is miserable so she gains weight and the girls freak out' bit. Come on, it was kind of insulting.
I did love the Miranda/Steve plot. I cried when they reunited on the Brooklyn Bridge. Oh my god who doesn't want to reunite on the Brooklyn Bridge!! And their relationship is so much more natural and believable than Carrie and Big. Who meets and marries a big-shot financial wizard who can afford a penthouse on 5th. No. The real story is the couple who don't fit together perfectly, who have class/money/job/sex issues, who move to a suburb (even if it is Brooklyn) and have rough patches. That I would take any day.

Which brings me to the fact that I have no relationship to work on, except the one with myself (which Carrie does say in the last episode of the series is the Most important relationship...). But how much longer can I keep watching movies and tv shows about love while standing on the sidelines pretending i'm part of that world? I'm not. It's waaaaaaay on the other side of the street. And the thought of taking my feet off the curb makes me want to vomit a little bit in my mouth.

Truthfully, I may have a date on Wednesday. So obviously I don't want to go. Dating is scary. Dating is actually have to look someone in the face and say "ok, here I am. let's talk and see if this can go anywhere". To other people that is exciting or fun or whatever. To me, it's diarrhea. The thought of dating makes me feel like crapping my pants, much like Charlotte in Mexico....

Ah, perhaps that's why there is no sex in my city, and I have to settle for the movie version.

Let Me Introduce Myself...

First of all, I never thought i'd have a blog. Ever.
Luckily, I just finished reading this great book, Julie & Julia, in which the main character has a blog where she documents a year long cooking project. In doing so, she finds herself and her future, yada yada happy ending.

I don't think this is one of those blogs.

I am 25 years old. I recognize this is not old, per se, but it took some getting used to. I don't feel 25. I tend to make the same mistakes, have the same insecurities, go to see very similar bad movies. And yet life seems to progress around me. I'm just trying to keep up.

So let me give you some basic facts about myself:
1. I am a therapist, and was one well before I got my degree. People tend to talk me- on the street, on the train, in coffee shops. I enjoy it, I like hearing about people.
2. I have a cat, an orange persian named Gizmo. I inherited him from my father, who is now a full-fledged dog-person. I never used to like cats, but its hard not to like gizmo, as he's the cuddliest and best cat that ever existed.
3. I tend to be a loner. I prefer 'independent', but that's just a fancy word for loner. I have great friends and family, and I love spending time with them. But I tend to do a lot of things by myself, and i'm cool with it.
4. I don't have many fears. Large bugs, like say, the cockroach as large as my palm that I encountered last year, or snakes and stuff, fine. But I love heights, trying new foods, talking to strangers, and climbing on things without having a way down (hence, my profile picture). The two things i'm really afraid of are debt, and dating. But more on that later.
5. I'm blunt. I'm known for having a mouth, not in the secret-spilling kind of way, but in the 'that dress makes you look fat' variety. I've been working on tact for a while now. Jury is still out on how that's going.

There are a few things i'd like to accomplish in the next year or so, and i'm hoping this blog might help me sort through them. I'm deciding whether or not I want a doctorate degree, and whether I should move back to New York or stay rooted here in Philly. I'm trying to lose weight, 20 lbs by next May, when my beloved sister is getting married. And i'd like to date. Heck, i'd like to be in a relationship. (Well, at least be able to say that I tried)

So here I am. A work in progress. The way I see it, my life is kind of like climbing up a proverbial tree. I've grabbed onto another branch- and i'm still swinging. Welcome to my tree.