How I'm Spending My Christmas Vacation

 Merry Christmas!

I hope you enjoyed all the time with family and presents under your tree.

I'm taking this holiday break off from travel, sleeping in, 

doing laundry on Christmas morning, chilling, 

taking a few days off from even working from home, 

and spending it binging on vintage movies, 

Doctor Who marathons, talking to people via technology,

working on back-logged UFO crafting projects,

enjoying a stigma free Christmas dinner of pizza and beer,

and FINALLY moving furniture and trunks that 

haven't been moved in 10 years to change out a tv for a new tv. 

A tv that's been sitting on my floor since it came back from DC in AUGUST.

(EWWWW. My carpet is gross. 

Good thing I'm putting the trunks back in the exact same spots to hide it.)

 Kids, when you open time capsules from the past, you find old technology.

This is a metronome and an answering machine.

I'm keeping one and recyling the other.

Can you guess?

Enjoy YOUR break. 

I'm also spring cleaning since it's humid enough to turn the air-conditioning on.

In New York

ON CHRISTMAS WEEKEND.

Spring cleaning. In capris.

In air conditioning.

In Late DECEMBER.

What is this? 

Seattle?

2015 Classic Christmas Movie Binge:

White Christmas with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Rosemary Clooney c. 1954
Thoughts:

• It's not Christmas until I watch this movie;
• I want Rosemary Clooney's dressmaker to come fit me;
• "What is Christmas with no snow?" As asked by Bing, Danny and Rosemary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH2KGboA35c&sns=tw … via YouTube;
• The mysteries of White Christmas: what happened to the General's kids that his granddaughter is living with him alone in VT w/a housekeeper?

The Bishop's Wife with Cary Grant and David Niven c. 1947
Thoughts:

• One of my favorite things about this movie on VHS is the inclusion of the non-trailer. They try so hard not to spoil it.;
• "Nobody expects him to be normal. He's a bishop." Truer words were never spoken.  (Pastors' kids' humor!);
• "X sent in $15." "We had them down for $10,000." Honestly, this movie is REALLY a tale of frustrated fundraisers during a stymied capital campaign.;
• "Tell me about you." Classic relationship building technique. Though usually the solicitors are the ones crying in frustration.;
• "some horrid little brass plaque" Ha, this whole scene about naming rights, a wealthy donor, & a v. patient fundraiser ... strike a little too close to home;
• "Did you have a profitable afternoon?" "Not particularly. Did you?" Fundraisers' conversations everywhere, verbatim;
• Seriously. If Cary Grant was a solicitor for my capital campaign or other fundraising efforts, we would hit all our goals; 

Desk Set with Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn c. 1957
Thoughts:

• "I have been forced to work in an atmosphere of hatred & suspicion." Ha! An angry rant of many public servants & frontline workers.; 
• The epic drunkenness and shenanigans of the company Christmas party is ... hic... Epic. Hic. Bon Voyage!  Wheee!!!;
• I love how this is basically about trained reference librarians vs IT engineers. Librarians for information literacy & authoritative sources for the win.;
• I have apartment envy for Ms. Watson's Upper East Side apartment just off 75th/Lex, esp. the built-ins for her books & her oven.;
• "Not Ms. Watson? "Well she runs it, but he's the boss." - library admin stereotypes that are hopefully changing; 
• "Maybe we're getting that air-conditioning finally." "Figures, it's November." - the librarian facility struggles endure;
• How many librarians (current, lapsed, future) watch this movie & get unrealistic impressions about office space, salaries for housing/clothes?;

Christmas in Connecticut with Barbara Stanwyck c. 1945
Thoughts:

• The "I'm tired" rant at the end of this is the best, esp Barbara Stanwyck's summation gestures. "In short... I'm tired!";
• "I am not in a flipping mood this morning." You tell them Elizabeth. You tell your boss to "flip" off.;
• Felix is probably my fav chef, with The Swedish Chef coming in a close second. Was Felix was the inspiration? Maybe;
• "Some people say yes. Some people say no." "What do you say?" "I am inclined to agree with them." I LOVE this conversational detour.; and
• MY Christmases in Connecticut certainly NEVER looked like this;

An Affair to Remember with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, c. 1957
Thoughts:

• What I really love the best about this movie, is that you don't even need to hear the dialogue, the non-verbal action is on point;
• "How do you get to Tomorrowland? (Tomorrowland). Close your eyes. Make a wish. And, you're there.";
• Oh no, Terry. Don't forget to look both ways before running across traffic. Something viewers shout every time we watch;
• "Everybody's doing it." "How nice for you. In your case, we'll make an exception." Quips. So many quips;
• Deborah Kerr's face when she flicks the champagne at the ladies at the bar is everything. I love the little gestures;
• and Cary Grant is just swooooony. So Swoooony;

Indiscreet with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, c. 1957
Thoughts:

• I have serious apartment envy;
• "I'm too old for this sort of evening. I always was."~ Alfred, the stick-in-the-mud brother-in-law;
• "Shall I see you to your elevator?" Past the doorman, lobbymen, the elevator operator, & live-ins = no privacy; 

Auntie Mame with Rosalind Russell, c. 1958

Thoughts:

• What is with these fake New York apartments, they set up such unrealistic expectations;
• "Nothing can ever really separate us." Mame to her nephew, Patrick. Yep. That's how we all feel;
• "I lived. I gotta find out what to do now!"  ~ Agnes Gooch;
• "idiotic, cockeyed nincompoopery" has to be brought back into conversation as an insult; and
• "Yes! Live! Life's a banquet..."

Quote of the Day: Sleep

“Happiness consists in getting enough sleep.

Just that, nothing more”

- Robert A. Heinlein.

Via here

 Bridgman, Frederick Arthur - The Siesta (Afternoon in Dreams)

Photo of the Day: Let Sleeping Lambs Lie

Or it will be BAAAAAAH - D.

Muscoot Farm, Katonah, NY

Taken via iTouch during a lunchtime run to the farm to drop off a donation

Photo of the Day: Hammock Time

Lockwood/Bielecki's Wild Energy installation, Caramoor's Cedar Walk

It's not even the full-on Festival yet, and already .... I have the opposite of Wild Energy. I am exhausted.

Nay, sick and tired.

I actually think I am running a fever. 
Though, it could be allergies ...

But I am TIRED.

Though, to be fair, I had a very full Reunion/Caramoor event heavy weekend AND very little sleep AND an office retreat and a few other life issues all at the same time! 

SO MUCH GOING ON FOR THE NEXT TWO MONTHS!

And the Festival doesn't start for 10 more days.

Sigh.

If you need me, I will be dreaming about being out in these hammocks (after being dipped in bug spray.)


Photo via iTouch

Signs of vacation

These are the signs of vacation:

I need smore smores and smore zzzzzzzzz.

-iTouch

Photos: parents; target (2); michael's crafts

Darling Demon Drew

You know the expression: Let sleeping dogs lie? Same goes for sleeping children. You don’t know which Drew is going to arise from a deep sleep. Luckily for Auntie Nettie, on this particular day, the nicely tolerant Drew got up and eventually consented to play around with his aunt and his Mom.

So quiet

So cherubic

Why are you people staring at me?

I said NO Photos!

Come on. Leave me alone!

SO THERE!

My aunt is quacked up. Just like my duckie.

Look at those goof offs.

I thought Jabooty was in Africa, but there it is.

Love ya kid!

Recipe for a Perfect Sunday

Recipe can be customized per individual. Family sizes may take some adjustments.

To "pre-heat," make a list of things To-Do.

To start, take:

¼ part Sleeping in Late
¼ part Leisurely Reading of many Sunday papers
¼ part talking to Friends and Family

Add equal measures of the following Sensory Delights to make up the rest:

~The sights of Indian summer light streaming in through window and dancing through falling leaves;
~The sounds of classic Pink Floyd (Echos) and/or The Who (Quadrophenia) blaring through the CD player;
~The comforting scent of fabric softener wafting from the clean laundry;
~The yummy aromas of baking spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, plus the tang of lemon zest and apples rising from the two loaves of apple bread, the apple crisp, and the batches of snickerdoodles cooling on the rack;
~The delectable tastes of the homemade soups and the wild rice and turkey casserole made for my meals throughout the week;
and finally,
~The feeling of accomplishment for finishing almost everything on the To-Do list.

Mix with a hearty sprinkling (or a dash or two) of the utter and complete Joy of:

-not having to go to work;
-the lack of appointments;
- and absolutely NO deadlines.

Bake for about 12 hours at 98.6 degrees.
Let rest six more days before repeating.

Variations could include: movie marathons, window shopping, walks on the beach, more sleeping in, reading in front of the fireplace, and lots and lots of chocolate.

Random Interaction of the Day

Setting: Work Environment, early Saturday Morning

Characters: Very-Sleepy-College-Student Worker and her More-Alert Supervisor

Upon observing the Worker dragging herself through her shift, the Supervisor somewhat jokingly asked:

“Honey, do I need to smack you with the wake-up stick?”

Question: Where does one purchase a wake-up stick and how much does it cost?

Whoops!

You know your week is off to a "good" start when:

You just have to take a mental health/sick day on a Monday.

You finally drag your butt into work the next day--very, very, very late, whereupon you pass your department head/v.p. in the hall at 9:30 with all your stuff; only to get to your desk and find an e-mail from him at 9:05 that reads:

This is to remind everyone that office hours are from 9:00AM until 5:00PM, and I expect every member of this department to be here during that time.

... all I ask is that you are here working between the hours that [the Big J's] offices are open.

WHOOPS.

later in the day, after pondering the message some more ...

Okay, dude, but what about potty breaks, what about my lunch "hour," what about those days I have to supposedly work late for events? Can you also define what you mean by "working" because it seems like to me, my definition of "working" is extremely different than other people's. Plus, you get paid about 10 times what I get paid (NOT exaggerating!) and I don't live 10 blocks away in a fancy schmancy NYC Westside apartment. Sometimes I can't do anything about the reliability and timeliness of the two forms of mass transit that I have to take to get to the office.

Huh! Me thinks it's time for an attitude adjustment (MINE!) and for me to be thankful that I'm in this industry and not another, say, further downtown, on Wall Street.

Now, who's going to wake me up at the crack of dawn so I can not get yelled at at 9:01 a.m. tomorrow? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Wednesday UPDATE:

Thanks for the two calls this morning, bro. I realize that you are 3 hours behind me, AND working on the night shift (you vampire you!) so I really appreciate it. Ummmm. If you are going to call again, can you please call me earlier? I was already on the train (still not the early one) and then in the office when you called me.

Thanks!

Speaking of Sleep ...

4 a.m. is NOT a good time to finally try and settle down and go to sleep, especially on a Sunday night/early Monday morning.

3 hours of sleep is a nap, not the recommended daily dosage for a "grown-up."

How come I can sleep fine until 10 a.m./11 a.m./noon or 1 p.m., but can't go to bed and sleep at a reasonable hour?

I have a feeling the Dt. Coke machine and I will be getting better acquainted today.


stupid stupid stupid stupid insomnia

Writer's Block Today

I got nothing exciting for the blog today.

Zip. Zero. Zilch.

No energy. No motivation. No pithy words. NADA!

(which makes this something, but still NOTHING)


It took everything I had just to do my regularly scheduled written work today -- well, that and getting up, and THAT was an epic struggle that I barely won.

Is it time to go home and just pull the covers back over my head again? I just want to sleep.

Holiday Hiatus

With apologies to Major Henry Livingston Jr. (1748-1828) :

'Twas the weekend before Christmas, when all through the house
When Auntie Nettie wasn't ready, so she began to grouse;
Her bags were not packed, her laundry not done,
Some presents not bought, with errands to run;

The house needed cleaning, the floors to be swept,
The super needed tipping, or he'd keep us unkepmt;
Her Mama, she was driving, down the long road,
To pick up her progengy and her large large load.

So Auntie Nettie goes blogging, to give an update,
Telling her friends and family, she'll be back in '08,
But you hear her exclaim, as she logs out with a byte,
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!"

Wishing you and yours a healthy and happy New Year!