Ran into my Super the other morning at my elevator. Here's how it went:
Super: (thick Bulgarian accent) "I am glad I ran into you."
Me: "Hi! How are you?"
Super: "I need to talk to you."
Me: "Okay..."
Super: "Your downstairs neighbor - she is very upset with you. She says you make too much noise at night."
Me: "Oh dear - well, I'm not doing anything particularly loud."
Super: "She says you are walking around."
Me: "Yes..??"
Super: "Late at night, like 1 or 2 in the morning."
Me: "Well, I've been getting home from work at 1 or 2 in the morning, so that's probably why."
Super: "She cannot sleep."
Me: "Well, I'm not playing music or listening to the television loudly."
Super: "Yes, it's your walking that's keeping her up. Do you have carpet?"
Me: "I have an area rug, and I usually take my shoes off when I get home."
Super: "Well, you cannot walk around late at night like that. I don't want to have to write a note." (I have no idea what that meant - is she a Resident Advisor at college who's going to write me up?)
Me: "I will try to be more mindful, but it's just a lifestyle schedule thing. That's when I've been getting home from work this week."
Super: "Well, don't do it. I don't want to get involved."
As I entered the elevator, I became pretty defensive. The thoughts raced through my head: CAN'T WALK AROUND AT NIGHT? I'm not going to be a prisoner in my own home! I'm not complaining every time a neighbor's dog barks at 6am - wanting to be taken out, while I'm sleeping! So you can bet my new nighttime ritual will go a little something like this:
80s music while getting a good calisthenics session going - in heels... big, loud, clunky heels.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Way to Go, Heather!
Time Out New York / Issue 681 : Oct 16–22, 2008
Great walks
The Inwood Peace Walk
How to align your chakras in less than four hours.
By Heather
According to many Hindu, tantric, Chinese and Western alternative-medicine models, chakras are energy focal points located along the spine and intersecting with the central nervous system. New Age enthusiasts believe that keeping one’s chakras balanced contributes to overall physical and spiritual health. For this jaunt, you’ll start at the bottom and work your way north—both corporeally and geographically.
1. Warm up your root chakra and its connection with the earth by wandering the grounds of Fort Tryon’s Heather Garden, named for the pinkish flower more commonly found in Great Britain. The terraced garden leads to the Promenade, which offers gorgeous vistas of the Hudson River, the Palisades and the George Washington Bridge.
2. Continue north along the pathway to The Cloisters (99 Margaret Corbin Dr in Fort Tryon Park, 212-923-3700; suggested donation $20), a medieval-European art museum. Your sacral chakra, devoted to creativity and emotion, will get a workout as you peruse pieces from the Romanesque to the Gothic periods.
3. Save your appetite for New Leaf Café (1 Margaret Corbin Dr at Fort Tryon Park, 212-568-5323), built in the 1930s and serving imaginative New American fare. Sit outside and activate your solar plexus chakra, the center of your life-force energy, by basking in the fall sunlight. Exit the park at Broadway and pick up litter; this engages your heart chakra, the center of compassion.
4. Walk north on Broadway and you’ll pass Dyckman Farmhouse (4881 Broadway at 204th St, 212-304-9422), the oldest remaining farmhouse in Manhattan, dating back to 1784. Adult admission is $1 and includes access to the back gardens and a tour of the lovingly restored interior.
5. Entertain your throat chakra at The Piper’s Kilt (4944 Broadway between Isham and 207th Sts, 212-569-7071). A simple brick facade gives way to a dark interior appointed with natural wood and Yankees memorabilia. Tap beers start at $4, but the throat chakra is more about communication; chat it up with regulars like Andy Macagnone, an Inwooder since 1961. “I was born on 190th Street, and christened and married in the same church on Broadway!”
6. The third-eye chakra is all about higher intuition; visit the outdoor Inwood Farmers’ Market (Isham St between Cooper and Seaman Sts, 212-788-7476) and let your psychic powers decide what to buy: just-baked apple turnovers, local honey or free-range turkey sausage.
7. Continuing west, you’ll stumble upon the 196-acre marvel that is Inwood Hill Park (184 Seaman Ave, 212-304-2365), Manhattan’s last primeval forest and its only saltwater marsh. While you’re there, snap a photo of the city’s most famous real-estate purchase: The Shorakapok Rock is across the soccer field near the salt marsh, and is believed to be where Peter Minuit bought Manhattan from the Lenape for $24 in trinkets.
8. Lastly, treat your crown chakra, responsible for spiritual consciousness, by enjoying the stained-glass sunshine at Church of the Good Shepherd (4967 Broadway at Isham St, 212-567-1300), a Roman Catholic wonder built in granite and limestone, with terra-cotta roofing and recessed buttresses. The hush that greets visitors provokes silent reverence, and it’s a fine way to revel in your alignment—even if it’ll take the MTA only 15 minutes to tie you back into knots.
Great walks
The Inwood Peace Walk
How to align your chakras in less than four hours.
By Heather
According to many Hindu, tantric, Chinese and Western alternative-medicine models, chakras are energy focal points located along the spine and intersecting with the central nervous system. New Age enthusiasts believe that keeping one’s chakras balanced contributes to overall physical and spiritual health. For this jaunt, you’ll start at the bottom and work your way north—both corporeally and geographically.
1. Warm up your root chakra and its connection with the earth by wandering the grounds of Fort Tryon’s Heather Garden, named for the pinkish flower more commonly found in Great Britain. The terraced garden leads to the Promenade, which offers gorgeous vistas of the Hudson River, the Palisades and the George Washington Bridge.
2. Continue north along the pathway to The Cloisters (99 Margaret Corbin Dr in Fort Tryon Park, 212-923-3700; suggested donation $20), a medieval-European art museum. Your sacral chakra, devoted to creativity and emotion, will get a workout as you peruse pieces from the Romanesque to the Gothic periods.
3. Save your appetite for New Leaf Café (1 Margaret Corbin Dr at Fort Tryon Park, 212-568-5323), built in the 1930s and serving imaginative New American fare. Sit outside and activate your solar plexus chakra, the center of your life-force energy, by basking in the fall sunlight. Exit the park at Broadway and pick up litter; this engages your heart chakra, the center of compassion.
4. Walk north on Broadway and you’ll pass Dyckman Farmhouse (4881 Broadway at 204th St, 212-304-9422), the oldest remaining farmhouse in Manhattan, dating back to 1784. Adult admission is $1 and includes access to the back gardens and a tour of the lovingly restored interior.
5. Entertain your throat chakra at The Piper’s Kilt (4944 Broadway between Isham and 207th Sts, 212-569-7071). A simple brick facade gives way to a dark interior appointed with natural wood and Yankees memorabilia. Tap beers start at $4, but the throat chakra is more about communication; chat it up with regulars like Andy Macagnone, an Inwooder since 1961. “I was born on 190th Street, and christened and married in the same church on Broadway!”
6. The third-eye chakra is all about higher intuition; visit the outdoor Inwood Farmers’ Market (Isham St between Cooper and Seaman Sts, 212-788-7476) and let your psychic powers decide what to buy: just-baked apple turnovers, local honey or free-range turkey sausage.
7. Continuing west, you’ll stumble upon the 196-acre marvel that is Inwood Hill Park (184 Seaman Ave, 212-304-2365), Manhattan’s last primeval forest and its only saltwater marsh. While you’re there, snap a photo of the city’s most famous real-estate purchase: The Shorakapok Rock is across the soccer field near the salt marsh, and is believed to be where Peter Minuit bought Manhattan from the Lenape for $24 in trinkets.
8. Lastly, treat your crown chakra, responsible for spiritual consciousness, by enjoying the stained-glass sunshine at Church of the Good Shepherd (4967 Broadway at Isham St, 212-567-1300), a Roman Catholic wonder built in granite and limestone, with terra-cotta roofing and recessed buttresses. The hush that greets visitors provokes silent reverence, and it’s a fine way to revel in your alignment—even if it’ll take the MTA only 15 minutes to tie you back into knots.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Red Rover, Red Rover - It's Over
So - after about a month of travel back and forth - and the difficulties of starting a relationship with distance the chief factor - Rob and I called it quits this weekend. I'm a bit down, but don't think the relationship could have sustained itself without adequate time together. C'est la vie.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Sad Sunday
The weekend was marked by some sad news for me and my family - my grandfather passed away suddenly. He was an amazing man and we'll all miss his Texas charm, intellect, and generosity.
One of my favorite memories was about 6 years ago - when he found out I didn't even own a cowboy hat. A lifelong Texas, he was completely appalled. In fact, he personally escorted me to the store to get a Stetson fitted! I'll miss him, for sure.
He led an amazing life. The obituary:
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Edward E. Monteith Jr.
Monteith, Jr., Edward E. Born January 14, 1922, Ed Monteith was a native Dallasite. He attended North Dallas High School and then Texas A&M where he received a B.S. in Engineering in 1943. While at Texas A&M, Mr. Monteith achieved the rank of Cadet Captain, was a Distinguished student, member of Tau Beta Pi Honorary Fraternity, member of an intramural sports championship team, and received the Texas A&M's Veterans Club Best Drilled Metal in 1941.
In January of 1943 Mr. Monteith began service as an Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery Officer for the U.S Army, commanding a semi-mobile gun unit. In September of that year he entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in which he served through January 1946, achieving the rank of First Lieutenant. Mr. Monteith piloted a B-24 Aircraft as part of the 13th Air Force in the Pacific. For his military service he received three Air Medals and the Philippines Liberation Medal and Star. After completing his military service, Monteith returned to Texas A&M, completing B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Petroleum Engineering in 1947.
Mr. Monteith began his professional career in January of 1947 as a Petroleum Engineer for Standard Oil Company of Texas. In September of that year he moved to Republic Bank, Dallas working as a Petroleum Engineer in the Petroleum and Minerals Division. He remained at Republic Bank until 1978 holding the positions of Assistant Vice President, Vice President, Senior Vice President and finally Executive Vice President, where he managed the Petroleum and Minerals Division for 14 years. While at the bank Ed earned a Masters Degree in The Executive Advance Management Program at Harvard University. From 1978-1982 Monteith served as President and General Manager of Thomson-Monteith, and as Chairman and CEO of the same firm from 1982-1988.
Mr. Monteith has been quite generous to Texas A&M, giving both time and money. A member of the Dallas A&M Club for the past 45 years, he served as a Trustee for the Texas A&M Development Foundation from 1972-1983 and has served as a Trustee of the Easterwood Foundation since 1980. He was a co-founder and Director of AMC Corporation, which has contributed over $250,000 to the Association of Former Students since 1961.
Mr. Monteith provided a President's Endowed Scholarship and special gifts to the Petroleum Engineering Department for budget supplementation and special projects. He has been a member of the Century Club since 1964. A member of the Texas A&M Library Development Council since 1983, he served as President of that council for 1987 and 1988.
Ed is survived by his wife of 65 years, Virginia; and two daughters: Jo Ann Houseman of Dallas and her husband Frank; and Patty Browne of Arlington, VA and her husband Bob; a son, Edward E. Monteith, III of Galveston and his wife Eve; and seven grandchildren. They are members of the Northway Christian Church, where they contributed to the building fund of the new sanctuary. Mr. Monteith enjoyed golf, tennis, jogging, skiing and photography. Services are pending at Restland Memorial Park. Donations to the charity of your choice are appreciated.
One of my favorite memories was about 6 years ago - when he found out I didn't even own a cowboy hat. A lifelong Texas, he was completely appalled. In fact, he personally escorted me to the store to get a Stetson fitted! I'll miss him, for sure.
He led an amazing life. The obituary:
.JPG)
Edward E. Monteith Jr.
Monteith, Jr., Edward E. Born January 14, 1922, Ed Monteith was a native Dallasite. He attended North Dallas High School and then Texas A&M where he received a B.S. in Engineering in 1943. While at Texas A&M, Mr. Monteith achieved the rank of Cadet Captain, was a Distinguished student, member of Tau Beta Pi Honorary Fraternity, member of an intramural sports championship team, and received the Texas A&M's Veterans Club Best Drilled Metal in 1941.
In January of 1943 Mr. Monteith began service as an Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery Officer for the U.S Army, commanding a semi-mobile gun unit. In September of that year he entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in which he served through January 1946, achieving the rank of First Lieutenant. Mr. Monteith piloted a B-24 Aircraft as part of the 13th Air Force in the Pacific. For his military service he received three Air Medals and the Philippines Liberation Medal and Star. After completing his military service, Monteith returned to Texas A&M, completing B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Petroleum Engineering in 1947.
Mr. Monteith began his professional career in January of 1947 as a Petroleum Engineer for Standard Oil Company of Texas. In September of that year he moved to Republic Bank, Dallas working as a Petroleum Engineer in the Petroleum and Minerals Division. He remained at Republic Bank until 1978 holding the positions of Assistant Vice President, Vice President, Senior Vice President and finally Executive Vice President, where he managed the Petroleum and Minerals Division for 14 years. While at the bank Ed earned a Masters Degree in The Executive Advance Management Program at Harvard University. From 1978-1982 Monteith served as President and General Manager of Thomson-Monteith, and as Chairman and CEO of the same firm from 1982-1988.
Mr. Monteith has been quite generous to Texas A&M, giving both time and money. A member of the Dallas A&M Club for the past 45 years, he served as a Trustee for the Texas A&M Development Foundation from 1972-1983 and has served as a Trustee of the Easterwood Foundation since 1980. He was a co-founder and Director of AMC Corporation, which has contributed over $250,000 to the Association of Former Students since 1961.
Mr. Monteith provided a President's Endowed Scholarship and special gifts to the Petroleum Engineering Department for budget supplementation and special projects. He has been a member of the Century Club since 1964. A member of the Texas A&M Library Development Council since 1983, he served as President of that council for 1987 and 1988.
Ed is survived by his wife of 65 years, Virginia; and two daughters: Jo Ann Houseman of Dallas and her husband Frank; and Patty Browne of Arlington, VA and her husband Bob; a son, Edward E. Monteith, III of Galveston and his wife Eve; and seven grandchildren. They are members of the Northway Christian Church, where they contributed to the building fund of the new sanctuary. Mr. Monteith enjoyed golf, tennis, jogging, skiing and photography. Services are pending at Restland Memorial Park. Donations to the charity of your choice are appreciated.
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