"The day the world changed."

I started to write about my morning, then trailed off.  I couldn't do it.  The entry is still merely a few sentences that don't go anywhere.  Once I got there, I spent the entire day in my office, listening to the radio, getting in touch with friends and family, crying, feeling like the safety I had always taken for granted was gone.  When I finally decided to leave, and I turned down 6th Avenue, I was struck by the absence of the towers, now reduced to smoke.  When I got to 5th Avenue, and saw the familiar arch in Washington Square Park, no longer with the towers peeking behind them, I started to cry again.  The drastic change in the familiar view hit me hard in that moment; I knew then that the world had indeed changed.

Like the rest of the world, I grieved.  I thought about all the lives lost.  I worried about my friends who worked nearby who weren't yet accounted for.  I sat for days, glued to the television.  Then I joined the legal community and got to work, and started to heal.  To this day, it is still the work of which I am the most proud.  I still notice the view.

No time for commentary at the moment, although I've got plenty to say.

The updated singles map (things start to really suck in NYC after I hit 39, apparently); here's the old one for your reference.

The "Guyland" phenomenon and where it leaves women.

My friends Michelle and John welcomed their first daughter into the world early this morning.  Yesterday morning, both of them started using Facebook's status updates to let their friends and family know how things were progressing.  All day and night, I'd check in to see the current situation — at the hospital, then back home, then back to the hospital.  There were photos of Michelle looking quite uncomfortable, sitting in a wheelchair, then a few hours later, John updated that Michelle was "on the dope" so they were both doing much better.  When I went to bed, the word was that the little one would be showing up at about 3 a.m., but I woke to find things still in progress.  At about 7:15, John posted a new status update:  "John is looking at his daughter for the very first time."  A few moments later, a name appeared, and pictures were up shortly thereafter.  Congrats to John and Michelle — and thank you for taking the time to keep us all up to date — it was a pleasure to be part of it all in some little way!  And hello to Gabriella Rose — your parents are pretty damn cool.  Let's hope you dance like your momma and cook like your daddy!

Getting a little jump start on the fall cure (although I have no idea when it starts) with some major home improvement purchases.  Thanks to a sale at the Container Store and a re-design of my original home office plan, I spent less than expected on my soon-to-be-delivered, space-saving, wall-mounted desk and shelving.  I spend the leftovers on two other big updates/upgrades/space-savers — a flat-screen TV and an iPod dock speaker system.  The only other purchase to complete my media upgrade is a proper iPod.  I am still using the first-generation iPod I got as a (very thoughtful) gift many years ago — it's only a 4 gig.  80 gig, here I come!

These purchases will go a long way in helping move my apartment redecorating/updating forward.  Once they arrive I'll be able to sell my old desk and TV, buy a cozy reading chair for the bedroom, and perhaps re-arrange the living room.  Once things are more in place I can re-hang art, shelves, etc. and the place might finally feel like a cozy home again.  It has been in flux too long and I feel it draining me — looking forward to doing some nesting in the cooler weather.

That said, I've been fully enjoying my Labor Day weekend, with parties and barbecues galore.  Today mght involve a trip to the beach . . .

Got the message — thanks for making it crystal clear.  Off to enjoy a bike ride.  Hope you're doing well. 
Love and smooches,
L

PS — thanks for the awesome friends, and for inventing a good dirty martini.

I noticed yesterday that my fridge didn’t seem to be keeping cold — my ice wasn’t freezing, and it generally seemed out of sorts.  I turned up the thermostat, unplugged and replugged, but to no avail.  I suddenly realized that it is entirely my problem — I may have to buy a new fridge.  Welcome to homeownership.

UPDATE: Extra-fun homeowner bonus — appears I have poisoned myself with a piece of steak I tried to rescue from the malfunctioning freezer.  Apparently I was too late and have been suffering the consequences since about 3 a.m. last night.  Fun times!!

When the hell did the term “stay-cation” become a part of everyone’s vocabulary?  I have heard it from three different sources in the past 36 hours!!!  Bizarre . . .

That's what we used to say to our AIDS ride training ride group after we'd been sitting around on a break for too long:  "c'mon people, it's time to get asses on bikes!"  I was a training ride leader back in the day (not in the front — I'm not that fast.  I was the sweep, the kind encouraging one in the back of the line making sure people didn't get lost, cheering them up hills and changing all the flat tires).  I finally got my ass on my bike this morning before work — it's about time given that my triathlon is on July 20th!  So far all of my bike training has been indoors.  Not good.  I also ran into Caleb biking his way to work — was good to catch up if only for a few minutes!

On an unrelated note, I had a weird moment in the shower this morning when I realized that the bottle of stuff I have been using for the past month or so was actually shampoo, not body wash.  I got it at Trader Joe's and must have picked up the wrong bottle by mistake — they look exactly alike (except, of course, that one says "shampoo").