day 78: nice+toasty

12.29.09 (posted on 12.30.09) - there a few things we all do when the temperatures drop. for example, i have been known to wear up to 4 layers from head to toe. some folks load up on coffee, tea, or shots of liquor. others crank up the heater. perhaps the most ingenious way of fending off the cold that i've seen is my cat sitting on top of the dvd player. hey, you gotta do what you gotta to do to stay warm.

day 77: the roof, the roof is on fire

12.28.09 (posted 12.30.09) - i'd been stuck all day indoors because 1) i was a crazy, organizing freak and wanted to finish filing 2 boxes of paperwork and 2) it was too darn cold to venture outside unless absolutely necessary. around 4:30 pm, i was getting cabin fever bad and wanted some fresh air. it was probably no better time to head to the grocery store to get ingredients for this evening's dinner. the instant i walked out, it hit me... the most beautiful sunset i've seen in my neighborhood ever. i quickly grabbed my iphone and snapped this picture. when i got home from the grocery store and looked at the photo again, i noticed it looks like the rooftops are ablaze.

day 76: cuckoo for cocoa

12.27.09 - i'm on a quest... a quest to make the perfect cup of hot chocolate. sure i can just buy instant hot cocoa but it just isn't the same. besides, i have a bunch of chocolate that my friends t+j gave me from their honeymoon in oaxaca, mexico. oaxaca... the chocolate capital of mexico if not arguably the world. ah, the chocoholics' paradise!

here's a picture i took of my brew this evening. maybe i'll try a few of these kooky recipes one of these days. um... peanut butter and cayenne pepper? wonder how that tastes.

day 75: um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay

12.26.09 (posted 12.27.09) - against our better judgment, hubby and i ventured into manhattan today just as it started to sprinkle. we were determined to run an errand, snap photos at rockefeller center, and stroll through MoMa. the sprinkles quickly turned into a down pour and of course, i was wearing the wrong shoes. it was one of the those times when i should have let function win over form... rainboots would have kept my toesies warm and dry. it's hard to look cute when you are dripping wet.

oh well, i was still able to take a few interesting pictures despite the bad weather. cloudy skies and rain make for a unique backdrop. here's a photo of a woman i took gazing at the christmas tree, fountain, and ice skating rink at the rockefeller center.

day 74: view from down under

12.25.09 (posted 12.27.09) - merry christmas! after a fun filled christmas eve that lasted well into the early morning, i woke up around 9:00 am ready to start the day. it was bitterly cold and any thoughts i had to venture out and about in the city quickly changed. i decided that it was probably best to stick around the house and finish up some chores like washing the pile of dishes from the day before. here's to an easy christmas and a clean apartment.

day 73: it's the most wonderful time of the year

12.24.09 (posted 12.26.09) - happy christmas eve! while nearly all our friends rushed out this past week to join their families throughout the country, hubby and i decided we would spend the holidays here in new york. we joined a friend for dinner at one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants, mundo. the owner, willy, was looking dapper as usual and greeted us with the warmest welcome. i always feel like i'm going over for dinner at an old friend's home every time we visit there as opposed to a restaurant. i always feel at home. the place was decorated in full holiday splendor with colorful lights and hanging gift boxes from the ceiling. although our festivities this year were low key, i was surrounded by lots of love, lots of laughs, and lots of great food. everything a holiday celebration should be. so, cheers to that! i hope you all had a wonderful christmas eve as well.

day 72: "i'm about four skyscrapers behind"

12.23.09 (posted on 12.25.09) - i became more and more interested in architecture when i moved out east 9 years ago. i didn't give it much thought when i lived in california because the mindset there is to pretty much bulldoze an old structure to make way for a newer, flashier building. don't get me wrong -- there are pockets of amazing architecture in california and historic preservation is alive and well. however, the unfortunate result of the suburbanization of california is the "shake and bake" effect. "model homes/model communities" look virtually the same no matter what city you are in. i've gotten lost many times because it's the same white stucco house with the terracotta roof tiles wherever you go!

now i live in a building that is over 100 years old. it's certainly not perfect but i adore the little details that give it character like decades old wood floors, picture rails and wall molding. i have a constant reminder that the beauty of architecture surrounds us everyday with a 2' x 3' poster of american architect, philip johnson hanging in my and my hubby's art studio. here's a distorted picture i snapped of "pj" gazing down at me... interesting what the tilt of my iphone will do to his demeanor.

day 71: a long way home

12.22.09 (posted 12.23.09) - i wish i could say that my time away from work has been restful but frankly it hasn't. i've been busy completing errands and tasks i've neglected for weeks now. slowly but surely i'm checking off my "to-dos". on my way to the post office, i took this picture of two brothers and their mother as they were walking home from school.

day 70: men at work

12.21.09 (posted 12.23.09) - happy winter solstice! my friends and i from got together to celebrate our dear friend, j's birthday, this evening.

on the way home, i snapped this picture as a group of mta workers piled onto the train car. looks like even on the shortest day of the year, many folks are still having a "long" day.

day 69: wake me 'til the morning after

12.20.09 (posted by 12.22.09) - i woke up the next morning to lots and lots of glorious snow. before the snowplows cleaned up the streets, hubby and i decided to take a walk to get breakfast and snap some pics. here are pictures of one of our neighbors on his moped turned snowplow and of snowed in cars.

day 68: oh, the weather outside is frightful

12.19.09 - the east coast is getting hit with its first big snowstorm of the year. washington, dc/virginia/maryland got slammed with close to 2 feet of snow. the storm is now making its way up to the northeast. the worst of it will come over night. here's a few shots i took from my bedroom and kitchen windows.

day 67: check one, check two

12.18.09 - i'm working on a short video project and provided the voice over for it. the biggest irony is that i hate hearing the sound of my voice. i always cringe when i listen to my voicemail greeting. eekkss... who's that, i say! here's a picture i took from the recording studio.

day 66: at a crossroads

12.17.09 (posted 12.18.09) - this evening i attended a farewell party for a colleague that is leaving nyc. she's at an interesting crossroads in her life. i guess there's no better time to start fresh than as we begin a new year and a new decade. i wish you the best of luck on your next journey, c!

here's a picture i snapped from my hubby's office window right before we left for the party that was a few blocks away.

day 65: give it to 'em queen(s)...

12.16.09 (posted 12.17.09) - my friends started the slow migration to queens from other nyc boroughs about 10 years ago. it started with one friend and then about 12 friends later everyone somehow ended up in my current neighborhood of astoria. of course, some of us didn't stay in the nabe. a couple moved to manhattan and brooklyn but there are still 10 of us living within walking distance of each other. i think queens gets a bad rap for not being as desirable or "cool" as other boroughs like brooklyn or manhattan. i like it that way... the stigma keeps the mass migration of hipsters from moving in and my rent from skyrocketing. it's also one of the few places i lived in nyc where i actually feel like i'm part of the neighborhood and at home. so i wouldn't change a thing. besides, how awesome is it to live in the neighborhood that is the birthplace of tony bennett, where law+order and sesame street are filmed and produced, where steinway pianos were originally built, and where the largest green spaces are along the east river and have a view of the manhattan skyline?

here's a couple of pictures i took of an asics nyc marathon ad that i saw today at the bryant park subway stop. i couldn't have said it better myself.

day 64: owner of a lonely heart

12.15.09 (posted on 12.17.09) - i've been looking forward to this day for months. it was my last work day for the rest of the year. woohoo! i'll be on 'stay-cation' for the next two and half weeks. i'm guessing that others are in vacay mode too. when i got on the train this evening, i was one of only two passengers in the subway car. here's the picture i snapped before the train car was flooded with people about two stops later.

day 63: folksingers, beatniks, and protests

12.14.09 - i lived in the west village for about three years right after 9/11. one of the reasons i was able to was because rents had plummeted in the area and pretty much all throughout downtown manhattan. thus, making it much more affordable for me and many others. i have fond memories of living in the neighborhood. there was always something to do, tons of interesting people, quaint shops and restaurants everywhere. the village also has such a rich social and political history and it was great to be surrounded by it. i rarely make my way over there lately but today i happen to be at a conference at the nyu kimmel center. here's a picture i snapped of washington square park, the arch, and 5th avenue.

day 62: festival of lights

12.13.09 - the holidays are in full swing. today i went to my third holiday party in the last week. this time the festivities were at an old co-worker's home on the upper east side. although a bunch of us no longer work at the same place, we all have stayed in touch and make it a point to get together for the holidays and other special occasions. not only are they great colleagues but these folks are fabulous cooks! the food was out of this world -- from appetizers all the way down to the crepes, turkish tea, and coffee. yum!

in the spirit of inclusiveness of all the various holidays celebrated during this time, another friend brought "hanukkah" 3D glasses for all of us to enjoy. these were such a hit! it turns any light source into holographic images with the star of david. here's a picture i took of the view from our hosts' apartment of the east river, the triborough/rfk bridge, hellgate bridge and astoria, queens.

day 61: santa claus(es) are coming to town!

12.12.09 (posted on 12.13.09) - today thousands of santas invaded manhattan for the annual santacon. we heard a group of santas from our local neighborhood would be gathering and heading into the city together. we ran into these guys while waiting for the subway. by far, my favorite was the mr. t santa donned in layered "gold" necklaces, feathered earrings, mohawk, and a santa hat with the words "i pity the fool". however, the most memorable santa was the jolly, inebriated fellow who sang jingle bells and feliz navidad our entire subway ride. i can hear him now, "what would you like? peace on earth? bling... you got it! coffee? bling, you got it! a laptop? bling, you got it!". now, only if he can grant my wish of winning the lottery, i'd be all set. ha!

day 60: i scratch your back, you scratch mine

12.11.09 (posted on 12.13.09) - the kitties/kiddies got a bunch of new toys this week. one of which is this scratching post. they've been fighting like crazy over who will get to play with it. it's mine (whack)... no, it's my scratching post (growl). now repeat.... ahhhh... looks like at the moment doña has won the battle. it's ok, pepe. tomorrow is another day and another chance at victory. 

day 59: oh, christmas tree

12.10.09 (posted 12.11.09) - today was the new york stock exchange's 86th christmas tree lighting. a custom since 1923, is believed to be the city's oldest. it was too cold this afternoon so i didn't get a chance to check it out. only the tourists were brave (or silly) enough to stand in 30 degree weather to watch the ceremony. i, on the other hand, prefer my toasty office. before i jumped on the train, i took this picture. 

day 58: peek-a-boo, i see you

12.09.09 (posted 12.10.09) - after hours of heavy rain and gusts, the sun decided to make an unexpected appearance in the mid-afternoon. i haven't seen it this sunny since the summer! hooray. it was a nice change from the gloom of this morning even if it was short lived.

day 57: you know joey joe's ready!

12.08.09 - i was attending an event in the lower east side this evening. along the dimly lit street i was walking on, this poster caught my eye. it was massive -- probably about 6 feet tall and equally as wide. someone had tagged "joey ci" all over it. i wonder who joey ci is? hmmm...

day 56: the matrix

12.07.09 - after work i stopped by the uber discount store, century 21, to pick up a few things. on my way back, i heard holiday music and realized there was an all men's choir singing at a nearby plaza. i decided to check it out and snapped this picture.

day 55: parol(ees)

12.06.09 - the city is fully decked out for the holidays. everywhere you turn store windows are colorfully decorated with whimsical images of the season. here's a picture i took of the window display of filipino christmas parols (star-shaped christmas lanterns) at the philippine consulate on 5th avenue today. 

day 54: the stars are brightly shining

12.05.09 - all the holiday decor is up. temps have dropped and some flurries outside. i made a batch of hot chocolate. christmas music playing throughout the day. i'm definitely feeling the holiday spirit!

day 53: shadow people

12.04.09  (posted 12.05.09) - it's said the nyc public transportation system is one of the best in the world... errr... when it works! my 35-40 minute morning commute turned into an hour and a half. i was frustrated for so many reasons. there were no signs about service changes, the mta workers told commuters different information, and when i finally got on the train it went local instead of express. grrrr (raising my little fist in the air). so much for trying to get to work early. definitely not how i wanted to start off an already crazy work day with 5 back-to-back meetings and conference calls that awaited me.

here's a photo i took of other commuters on the platform across the way before the commuting madness.

day 52: midnight oil

12.03.09 (posted 12.05.09) - i simply ran out of time to finish everything i needed to do. after a quick dinner, i spent the next 4 hours completing a report and prepping for a meeting i was facilitating the next morning. what a week. can it be saturday already?

day 51: the tale of the sad panda

12.02.09 - a few months ago, i noticed someone dressed in a panda costume posing for pictures with tourists near bowling green park. i had always been curious who he/she was or whether he/she was affiliated with some sort of company catering to nyc visitors. about a month ago, my supervisor forwarded me this video clip revealing the identity of the "sad panda". i felt very heavyhearted after learning that this man was forced into retirement, has been unable to find a job because of his older age and most likely because jobs are few and far between in this economy. as an alternative, he has been dressing up as a panda to earn a few measly dollars a day in order to contribute to his family's expenses. as someone who works in health advocacy, i was especially saddened to learn that while his wife works seven days a week as a nurse/caregiver, his family will be losing their health insurance.

i saw the panda again today; but not in his usual spot rather in front of the stock exchange amongst waves of tourists. such a poignant and ironic sight. while we are bombarded on a daily basis with images of consumerism this holiday season, it was also a stark reminder to me that many families are continuing to struggle during these difficult times.

day 50: wiggin' out

12.01.09 (posted 12.02.09) - as i was waiting for the bus this evening, i caught a glimpse of the colorful wig display at the beauty supply store. i think it was remnants from halloween and that the owners didn't get a chance to switch out the wigs back to the usual pieces. i love how these add hints of vibrant colors to an otherwise dull window display. bring on the pizzazz... let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in...