New Year’s Eve for One
Posted: December 31, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Allison Fishman, Broccoli, champagne, fireworks, iPod, Linguine, New Year's Eve, snuggie Leave a comment »This is not a sob story. I am very happy to be spending NYE in my apartment on my own and avoiding the amateurs at the overcrowded bars. More importantly, I am happy to not get caught up in the expectations of going out.
The best New Year’s Eves for me have always been spent in someone’s home with a few close friends where you can focus on one another and not on who else is at the bar. Will we get into the VIP room? Is that cute guy the man of my dreams or the man of a hot and heavy make out session later in the evening? Why did I wear the painful heels? Dammit, where are all the cabs!?
Last year a few girlfriends and I had all the best parts of NYE without any of the drama. We grabbed a festive dinner and then went back to the apartment and filled our glasses with bubbly, danced ta fabulous DJ (thank you iPod) and toasted everything that we hoped for one another. It was the best NYE I have ever had.
I went back and forth with a few friends about getting together, but after a week of Christmas parties and family we all wanted to stay at our own apartments. So I am focusing on myself and what I want this NYE. I am not so lax as to already be in my PJs or a snuggie. I got dressed up for myself and treated myself to a spa mani/pedi – one toenail one each foot is painted yellow to encourage blessings of wealth and red fingernails for blessings of love. My feet are not in pain because I am in flip flops and I don’t have to worry about running out of Veuve. I am not making any resolutions, but I am toasting to the new year.
And I definitely didn’t order in for one. I’m making Linguine Vongole and Crispy Roasted Broccoli – both from Allison Fishman’s book You Can Trust a Skinny Cook. Simple yet delicious and I can make it for one.
In about two hours I’ll head out to see the fireworks and then come home for one last class of champagne. While it’s always nice to be with loved ones, I am very happy to be celebrating with myself.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
Posted: December 29, 2011 Filed under: guilty pleasures | Tags: Alka Seltzer, hangover, NY Times Leave a comment »Here’s a hangover article from the NY Times with some of the new patches and pills on the market as well as some homemade remedies. It’s missing the old tried and true of Alka Seltzer, who finally admitted that’s what people use the product for after 80 years.
The list is missing one of my favorites – a popsicle. It re-hydrates and gets blood sugar levels back up and is pretty tasty too.
Like Going Out to Dinner?
Posted: December 20, 2011 Filed under: Eating Out | Tags: coupons, dining out, dinner discounts, eating out, Savored, Savored.com Leave a comment »One of the coupon sites I love is Savored because it’s all about getting a fabulous meal at a great price – 30% off food and drink at some amazing restaurants.
Click the following link to sign up http://svrd.co/nowX73
Happy Holidays and happy eating!
Sloshed: How Drunk Can You Get at Your Office Christmas Party? — Grub Street New York
Posted: December 12, 2011 Filed under: Parties | Tags: holiday parties, holiday party drinking, office parties, office party drinking, office party etiquette, paga celebrations Leave a comment »Sloshed: How Drunk Can You Get at Your Office Christmas Party? — Grub Street New York.
According to this article since I’m middle management, the answer for me is not very drunk.
My first office holiday party the entire office did the macarena and one of my co-workers was potato sacked out to a cab. I’m not sure which one was more embarrassing, at least the girl who was potato sacked can say she wasn’t with it when she decided to macarena. The next year the head of my department got into a cage and danced for all of us. I am definitely not judging – glass houses. And my respect for these people did not diminish because they are some of the best in my business, who cares that they like to shake it on the dance floor.
What is it about holiday parties that even the most buttoned up office worker decides riding the mechanical is the best decision ever?
I think it goes back to our days as pagans and early Christianity. Yes, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. But all of the fun stuff came as a way for the church to allow people to let off some steam after following all the rules the rest of the year.
Holiday parties are our pagan celebrations. After spending the other 11 months working our asses off, behaving ourselves in front of clients and upper management and being okay that we have no life outside of work the holiday party is how we let loose and reset for the next year.
I’m missing my firm’s holiday party because I’ll be traveling for work. We’re heading out to celebrate with the client instead. The last time we did this the client was doing splits on the dance floor.
What I Really Want to Say on my Match.com Profile
Posted: December 11, 2011 Filed under: Dating | Tags: dating profile, match.com Leave a comment »I am an only child and a Gemini. I get cranky if I am tired or hungry. This makes me a pain in the ass at times, but I’m worth it and I respond well to positive reinforcement.
Yes, you should have a poker/fantasy football night because I will want a night away from you too. And chances are I may be a little tipsy when I get home because of the champagne I just had with my girlfriends.
I love living in the city. This does not mean I am happy to live in the city until I meet someone and then I want to to move to the suburbs. It means I love living in NYC and the only reason for me to move is because I’m moving to another country. And yes, I do want to raise kids in Manhattan or another country. Having kids does not mean having a backyard and a Volvo.
I want to be with a guy. Not some SNAG who is in touch with his feminine side. And I want that guy to court me. Don’t ask me out over text or e mail. Make a plan for the date. As successful as I am and as much as I can take care of myself, I still like to be treated like a woman and be taken care of. Open the door for me, loosen tight jars, get things off of high shelves, lift heavy boxes, etc. I know I can put together a piece of Ikea furniture but I don’t want to dammit!
Be a good kisser, because if I’m not feeling chemistry with a kiss you aren’t getting anywhere.
Honey, I Shunned the Kids: Food + Cooking : gourmet.com
Posted: December 10, 2011 Filed under: Dinner Parties | Tags: Elizabeth Gunnison, Gourmet Magazine Leave a comment »Honey, I Shunned the Kids: Food + Cooking : gourmet.com.
Great article by Elizabeth Gunnison on how to help parents cut the apron strings from their kids – at least when it comes to dinner parties. I am very much in favor of adult only dinner parties, and not because I don’t like kids.
I love my godson. He is in my opinion the smartest, most handsome, coolest kid on the planet and he is very well behaved. But the kid only eats three things – french toast, chicken fingers and pizza. He wouldn’t touch anything I cooked for a dinner party with a foot pole. In fact he would probably make a face and run away if I offered him Jerusalem Artichoke Soup, Cornish Game Hen with Fruit Compote or even a Grilled Cheese. I don’t believe in Kraft Singles, I use real cheese.
Even places that are family friendly have adult only time. My parents owned an inn and if you were a child under the age of 12 you had a separate meal followed by kids’ activities and a movie while the adults had hors d’doeuvres, cocktails and dinner.
Speed Dating – Oh My!
Posted: December 4, 2011 Filed under: Dating | Tags: Bloomspot, speed dating, Speed NY Dating Leave a comment »A few months ago Bloomspot offered a speed dating deal with Speed NY Dating, and my friend Casey* convinced me that we should sign up. I had done a speed dating night a number of years ago, went with a guy friend and we compared notes when we were paired together. I did meet a guy and we dated for a bit – but that’s a different story.
There were some nice differences – you weren’t stuck at a long table with the guy you just had a really awkward conversation with listening to you having the same awkward conversation with the next guy. And there were the things that were the same – inappropriately aged men (25-39 is not a good age range, I don’t want to date someone I could have babysat when I was a teenager), the painfully unsocialized (no, I have never LARP’d) and the creepy (Dear NYPD I may be able to identify your next serial pervert). There were also the stereotypes you find in any type of dating – the actor, the Eurotrash, the guy who is gay but doesn’t know it (when you figure it out let me know and I’ll set you up with my gay ex-work husband).
On the plus side, there is hope for the younger generation of women. Apparently the guys I could have babysat are turning out pretty well – maybe in part to my influence? They had manners, were articulate and could have a conversation. I wanted to ask them if they had any older brothers.
At the end of the day I didn’t get any matches, which is okay. All the good ones were too close to jail bait.
