One of those lists...

25 Random Things About Me

[I'm doing this for Samantha, this actually makes me really nervous, because I don't have 25 interesting things about me. So I will make some up.]

1. I love chocolate, not Skittles, not Yellow Cake, not Strawberries, not Cheesecake, not Sweettarts, yechh. I don't put sugar even in my coffee. Example, when I dated someone years ago, I asked him on his birthday, "What kind of cake would you like for your birthday, honey?" He replied, "Lemon Cake with Raspberry Filling." Being the excellent girlfriend that I was, I ran all over the city trying to find the best Lemon Cake with Raspberry Filling that NYC had to offer. On my bed, we sat crosslegged, opened the box, and oohed and ahhed at the most excellent cake I could possibly find that fit what he wanted. What a fun evening.

My birthday came a few months later. I waited for him to ask me, "What cake would you like for Your birthday, D?" Waiting...waiting...and he shows up on the day of my birthday, box in hand, smile on face. I was doubtful when I opened the box.

What was in the box? Lemon Cake with Raspberry Filling. Sigh.

My opinion is that the federal government should mandate that cakes are only made out of dark CHOCOLATE, in the form of a layer cake with creamy frosting...mmm.

Moral of story? ALWAYS ask what cake the birthday girl wants. Not what you want. Even if you think you're bringing the "best cheesecake or whatever" in the world. They may not want it. It may cause some eyerolling.

2. To continue with the theme above, French Chocolate, dark and yummy. Think...Maison du Chocolat, Vosges, Marie Belle, Jacques Torres, Richart, Michel Cluizel, Patrick Roger. Not Hersheys Kisses, (whatever!). In San Francisco, I loved Ghirardelli of course, and lived near Ghirardelli Square, visiting chocolate festivals every year, and sipping hot choco overlooking the smoky bay.

3. Other notes on luxury. Spoil yourself, enjoy yourself!! You need it, you deserve it. I'm not a spa person. I don't like being touched by people I don't know, especially so intimately while wearing very little. Gives me the Heebies.

To spoil myself, I get fun haircuts and strange haircolor. I buy excellent shoes and handbags and coats in all colors, for all seasons. I'm starting a collection of quirky and fashionable blouses I love. Some people like t-shirts. I do occasionally, if they fit right.

Fashion's about what looks good on ya. What takes 10 pounds off the silhouette. What makes you tall and slim and glam.

My formative years were spent in Ocean County New Jersey, mecca of mallrat ripoffs, haphazard skater-wear, and blue eyeshadow...BIG hair. In the 80s. It was embarrassing.

Thus, in fashion, I’m attracted to sleek simplicity and slimming colors, something flattering but comfortable, permitting movement with grace, where one can scale a 40 story building in Midtown, flash my cool techno-gadgetry, and slip into a short slim gown in the elevator on the way down for a drink at some dark, swanky bar with a giant mural, take rides in the limo, and claim a seat at a show during Fashion Week. I love clothes that go from work to exciting nights out. (I'm heavily influenced by James Bond movies, obviously).

4. I moved to San Francisco, then to Boston, to see what's out there. My 20 some-odd years in the Big Apple were action packed, fulfilling and interesting on a minute-by-minute basis, but when the opportunity came to see the world, I took it. Um...saw alot. Ate alot. Met alot of people. Ran back home to NYC after less than 3 years. I clicked my red heels and said, "there's no place like home."

5. I'm certified in sailing on SF Bay. The experience was amazing. I wasn't a total newbie though, since I grew up on Barnegat Bay in NJ, another center of sailing culture. We'd spend whole weekends fighting fierce winds, choppy waves, and getting tangled in our own canvas and lines. One time we blundered haphazardly into a professional regatta as the sun went down and wind turned. More seasoned and more suntanned gentlemen and women were swearing at us to get out of the way. I met some great people, and had some good hard practice. I never did sail in Boston, where the public marina lets you sail on the Charles for less than $300 for the entire summer.

6. When I was 16, I accompanied my cousin on a tour of Europe in the 1980's. Europeans generally seemed much much more aware of American politics than the average american teenager. After my 3 week tour through more than 15 countries, I studied International Relations and Journalism at NYU. I visited Europe about 3 times since then. It's been about 10 years since I traveled like that. I miss travel, but it's so darn expensive to pick up and go nowadays... One day though.

7. My favorite country to visit is Italy. Food, culture, music everywhere, food everywhere, people smiling and friendly…and the ART. The frescos, the architecture, just walking down stone galleries, winding streets, wide staircases and shadowy doors…most romantic country I can think of to fulfill the senses.

Followed by that and for similar reasons, France. Not as friendly, but so much to do. Reminds me of NY, actually.

8. I have a theory that sitcoms have changed the way Americans communicate. (Yes, I watch too much tv). Doesn’t work start to feel like that NBC TV show, The Office? Aren’t we speaking a bit snappier since Seinfeld? Sex in the City? Yup. Ouch.

People are a lot of funnier and more bewildered than ever before.

9. I love McDonalds. I eat there 3 times a week. I only eat the Big Mac meal. When I was very tiny little baby in Queens, my grandmother from the Philippines took care of me while my parents were gone all day at work. From birth to 4 years old, she fed me, took me in the Stroller on the subway to go shopping, taught me to read and write, and hugged me every day. Eventually she had to go back to her life….and then she was gone.

As a baby, I couldn’t understand what was happening. I cried for three weeks. I couldn’t sleep. I crept about the apartment, looking in the oven, looking in closets, in pantry cabinets, but she wasn’t there. My parents grew alarmed, then frantic. I looked at them with tearstained face, not recognizing them for who they were.

In the middle of the night on the third week of not eating or sleeping, my father and mother took me for a drive through Queens in the middle of the night to stop my night terrors, hoping the motion of the car would rock me asleep. My mom was crying. It was very late. Down Queens Boulevard, before the overpass, a sight inspired me to stop crying and I lifted four-year old self to the window, then pointed. My mom immediately understood.

“She wants to go to McDonalds,” she told my dad, and we sat on the formica plastic seats, near Hamburgler and Ronald, under yellow arches, munching fresh French fries quietly. I didn’t have trouble eating or sleeping again after that night. My father decided I had separation anxiety from my grandmother and wouldn’t let me be imprinted by anyone else but my mom and he ever again.

27 years later, I relayed this touching story to my friends in a NY city cab one late night after rounds of drinks. They howled with laughter, rolling around on the floor of the cab.

“LOLA….” Laughed my friend, mimicking my childhood grief, imagining mini-me chasing a plane down the runway, taking my grandmother away.

Whatever.

They wanted me to sell that story to McDonalds. McDonalds saved my life. Seriously.

10. I wish I spoke Tagalog. Then Carol and I could make our snide comments in another language. (Just kidding, we’re really nice people.)

11. My dream is to have 3 homes, one in each place:

A. New York
B. San Francisco
C. Venice

12. Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.

13. I don’t ski, although I have, once. I do swim though. Long ago, we were on the Metedeconk River Yacht Club swim team, and no matter how athletic the guy is that I am with, I still swim better than he does.

14. I read Sci Fi. Most girls don’t. I was part of a book club about 10 years ago, full of intelligent, high-end, glossy, college-educated women. We read Proust (well, we read a lot of interesting books)…EVERY time I brought up sci fi, I was looked upon with pity and disbelief.

I looked elsewhere for my sci-fi camaraderie.

My favorite night was not with them, but around the same time, when my group at work would meet at some dingy bar in the financial district after work, our dot-com sadly winding down, and after most of the people had left, we moved our wooden barstools into a circle and discussed Stephen Hawking’s Universe in a Nutshell. I miss our talks!

15. I love Vinyasa Yoga. There are some great studios here in NY, where I get a better workout than NY Sportsclub has to offer, and have met some spiritually intereting friends along the way. In my heyday, I could do pushups on 3 fingers of each hand. Easily.

16. I’m a Catholic.

17. There are 3 criteria for a movie that I will spend money to watch:

A. Magic
B. Kung Fu
C. Spaceships

No teary-eyes, please!

18. September 11th was pivotal to my world outlook. I was in the city during the time, and when I opened the shades of my apartment and looked South, I watched Tower 2 fall.

The days after were heroic and hysterical, outpouring of emotions, lots of hugging and crying. Old friends called to check everyday, although we hadn’t been in touch much before.

It was incredible.

19. Lawschool, well, I don’t regret it one bit. I am one of those non-practicing attorneys that wanted to spend my days NOT talking much with other lawyers. I’m glad I found a rewarding career NOT being a lawyer. I smile more than they do.

20. I love NJ. At least the shore. I know every exit on the Garden State Parkway, and drove my friend’s convertible from NY down to Atlantic City when she had a whim to play blackjack. I need a red convertible sportscar, badly.

21. I don’t have kids or a husband. Yet.

22. I write a lot. About different things. Kept journals all my life, mostly titled after my boyfriends…”The Book of S”, “The Book of R”, “The Book of H”.

I burned them soon after.

23. My friends are my family.

24. I love being back in NYC.

25. I am waiting.