day 166: i can guarantee the closest shave you'll ever know

03.27.10 (posted 03.30.10) - here's my hubby and his ritual shave. can't help but have the aria largo al factotum from the barber of seville on my mind.

sing it with me now -- fortunatissimo per verita! bravo! la la la la la la la LA! fortunatissimo per verita! fortunatissimo per verita! la la la la, la la la la, la la la la la la la LA..... figaro... figaro... figaro... 

thank goodness for bugs bunny. without him i would have never known about opera and classical music! hahaha.

by the way, i'm also submitting this photo for this week's i heart faces' photo challenge, dramatic b+w.

day 165: lean on me

if what i say resonates with you, it is merely 

because we are both branches on the same tree. 

~ w.b. yeats

03.26.10 (posted 03.29.10) - i couldn't help it folks. i had to take more photos of the trees being planted on my street today. trust me, if all you see is concrete and steel for miles upon miles you start to crave any sign of nature. i'm overjoyed to know that i can look out to these black cherry trees from my window as opposed to only the sidewalk and a bunch of cars. 

day 164: a tree grows in...

03.25.10 - i woke up to the sound of a jack hammer this morning. uh, yeah, not something anyone should have to experience... ever...

well, i quickly overlooked the interruption to my long slumber when i found out what all the ruckus was for. it turns out that the concrete was being torn up to make way for trees that would be planted all along my street. nyc has a program called MillionTreesNYC that seeks to plant and care for 1 million trees in all five boroughs within the next decade. seeing that nyc for the most part is one big concrete jungle, it'll be great to see more vegetation for residents to enjoy. it's quite an ambitious plan proposed by the city but anything to make the vision of becoming a greener place to live is welcomed in my book.

day 163: let go of my eggo!

03.24.10 (posted 03.25.10) - i met up with my hubby at union square after work today. we had to make a run at a couple of paper/stationery stores to get supplies for wedding invitations he is designing.

on our way to the subway, we saw this crowd of people gathering next to a food truck. i was thoroughly amused to find out it was the waffle+dinges truck. ah, it smelled good! i especially loved the big ole waffle on the side of the truck. well, it turns out that thursday (yes, the day i'm posting this entry) is international waffle day. i'm telling you... what timing to get it as my photo of the day. somebody pass me some maple syrup!

day 162: down by the river

03.23.10 (posted 03.25.10) - let it be known that i am not a morning person. i probably hit the snooze button at least 5 times before i drag my groggy self out of bed each day. it was extra hard this particular morning. i had to get up before sunrise to make my way to penn station to catch the 7:15 am train to albany.

despite the 30 minute delay we experienced due to some flooding from 4 straight days of rain, the train ride up there was a pleasant one. here's a photo i took of one of bridges along the hudson river. not as grand as many of the suspension bridges in nyc but beautiful nonetheless. to view other sights i saw, click here.

day 161: mindless self indulgence

03.22.10 (posted 03.25.10) - do you ever get that feeling that you know it is going to be a long week? i woke up this morning with anticipation and dread. i was so swamped at work i almost forgot to eat lunch. when i finally got a chance to take a break, it was mid-afternoon. it was sprinkling outside but i needed some fresh air. a bunch of my co-workers and i made our way to crumbs bakery for an afternoon snack. ok, ok, more like a super decadent -- high calorie snack. but hey, i had a rough day. i deserve it, right?

photo challenge: "focusing on angles"

03.22.10 - this week's i heart faces photo challenge is "focusing on angles". my submission is a photo i took the other week as i was walking back to work from a meeting.

there was a frenzy of tourists near the new york stock exchange and plenty of photo opps. i thought i would try something different. i took my iphone out and set it to my go to app for picture taking, snapture. i held the iphone by my waist and kept touching the screen as i walked passed the crowds. i got some interesting results but this one was my favorite.

i learned about this technique from my buddy, pat. he told me about a photographer that takes the majority of his pictures by "shooting from the hip"... literally. he would hold his camera at his side and just start clicking away. i found this blog post from brian auer that talks about the joys of breaking the rules and what he has learned about composition and lighting from his "hip shots".

day 160: the times they are a changin'

come senators, congressmen

please heed the call

don't stand in the doorway

don't block up the hall

for he that gets hurt

will be he who has stalled

there's a battle outside

and it is ragin'

it'll soon shake your windows

and rattle your walls

for the times they are a changin'.

~ bob dylan

03.21.10 (posted 03.22.10) - tonight the u.s. house of representatives passed the health care reform legislation 219-212. whatever your opinion is of health reform, one thing is for sure... health care as we americans know it will dramatically change. the passage of this legislation is historic and it took nearly 100 years for it to come to fruition.

day 159: a mirror image of you

03.20.10 (posted 03.22.10) - happy spring, everyone! i spent the afternoon hanging out with my buddy, k, to celebrate her 33rd birthday. we had a yummy lunch followed by a little pampering at the nail salon. here's to good health and plenty of good times in the years to come, k!

on my way home, i realized i hadn't taken any pictures all day. well as luck would have it a photo opp came to me out of nowhere. i walked into the subway car and the first thing i see are these two guys. i chuckled to myself... both of them had eyeglasses, button up shirts, jeans, crossing their legs, and playing away on their smartphones. they say everyone has a doppleganger... but this takes the cake.

day 158: let the sunshine in...

03.19.10 (posted 03.21.10 ) - when i first moved to new york 9 and 1/2 years ago, i thought it was the funniest thing to see people flock to the parks and any open space, peel off all their layers of clothing, and just bask in the sun at the first sign of temperatures hitting 60 degrees. it was almost a primal instinct... see sun... need sun... soak up sun...

having grown up in california, it was just plain strange to me to see people laying out in any place other than a beach. i also never heard anyone say "the weather today is beautiful"... because practically everyday in southern california is um... gorgeous... plus i could not wrap my head around s.a.d. (seasonal affective disorder or the winter blues). huh? people get sad in cold months? and, you could get lights that simulate the sun? really? it was all new territory for me.

well fast forward to present day and i have become one of those... eeekkk, gasp... "sun worshippers". at the first signs that the temps would be hitting 70+ degrees, i could hardly contain myself. what? no need to wear 5 gazillion layers? i could eat al fresco? wear sunglasses? why, yes!

i could feel my spirits lifting at the mere thought that spring is near. i guess i wasn't the only one. as i enjoyed a nice lunch with my co-workers at bowling green park today, i saw plenty of folks taking in the warmth and glow of sun as well.... from the workers packing the benches on their lunch break, students on their field trips, enthusiastic tourists snapping pictures near the wall street bull, to a human statue street performer.

looking forward to more days like this!

day 157: concrete jungle where dreams are made of

new york!!!!
concrete jungle where dreams are made of,

there's nothing you can’t do,

now you're in new york!!!

these streets will make you feel brand new,

the lights will inspire you,

let's hear it for new york, new york, new york

~ alicia keys (empire state of mind)

03.18.10 - sometimes i get in such a routine that i totally take for granted that i live in one of the most vibrant and energizing cities in the world. as i saw the sun setting over the manhattan skyline on my subway ride home, i had one of those "ahhhhhh, i live here!" moments. it's been awhile since i felt that way and glad to have the feeling again.

day 156: off to the emerald city

03.17.10 (posted 03.18.10) - it was a sea of green in manhattan. everybody, irish or not, was celebrating st. patrick's day.

here's a picture i snapped of the stairs and escalators leading to the uptown 6 train and subway exit at the 59th/lexington stop. right above awaited thousands of excited revelers that were making their way to 5th avenue for the 249th st. patrick's day parade. 

so on this st. paddy's day,

may your blessings outnumber
the shamrocks that grow,
and may trouble avoid you
wherever you go.

day 155: sing, sing a song

sing, sing a song

sing out loud

sing out strong

sing of good things, not bad

sing of happy, not sad.

~ the carpenters

03.16.10 (posted 03.18.10) - i was treated to a "serenade" on this morning's commute to work. this guy belted it out. well i guess i would too if i had a captive audience. or maybe not... my singing is reserved for the shower. heck, i consider karaoke as a spectator sport. it would take a lot of coaxing to have me behind that mic. 

day 154: we own the night

03.15.10 (posted on 03.18.10) - daylight savings is a double edge sword... it's great that we get more hours of light but on the other hand our sleeping pattern is now all messed up. it's funny how one hour can completely throw you off. instead of getting to bed at a decent hour we started working on other stuff. it sure doesn't help that my hubby is already a night owl...

day 153: first you accomplish, paint the fence!

03.14.10 (posted 03.17.10) - oh mr. miyagi (karate kid)... it's because of you i snicker every time i see a paint brush. who knew that painting a fence would help someone learn karate moves! it's "all in wrist. wrist up. wrist down. all in wrist."

my buddies, t+j, just got a new duplex apartment and organized a painting "party" today. they supplied the food, music, and of course the paints and equipment... we were the labor. mr. migayi's sage advice came in handy. our group of friends did plenty of painting. afterwards, we were all probably just as sore as daniel-son after his training.

our goal was to finish painting four accent walls in their duplex. we divvied up the tasks. a couple of us taped off the edges, some did the cutting in, and others were in charge of putting on the primer and subsequent coats. it was one of those times that it helped that my buddies and i are all different heights and sizes. we needed the tall friends to climb up on the ladder to reach up high. my petite stature helped in crawling underneath the spiral staircase to paint the wall next to the winding banister.

even with the eco-friendly, fast drying paint (natura line) they purchased from benjamin moore, it took a few hours for us to complete the job. all in all, i think the walls looked great. i can't wait to see how t+j's new place looks once they are settled in.

photo challenge: "bundled up"

today is the first full day after we've "sprung" forward. daylight savings time is in full effect and it's just days away until spring. yay!

i'm ready for change! so i thought i'd try something new today and enter my first i heart faces' photo challenge. this week's theme is "bundled up". i instantly knew which photo to choose. here's a photo of my hubby on the first snowstorm of winter, aka snowpocalypse. we had been cooped up in the house all day and decided to venture out around 1:00 am for some "air". every time he bundles up like this -- i call him the snow ninja. 

hopefully, we'll be able to put away our coats, scarfs, gloves, and hats real soon. i can't wait for longer days, lots of sun, and plenty of warmer days ahead.

day 152: float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

03.13.10 (posted 03.14.10) - they donned their "pac-man" gear with pride. their beloved boxer would have to prove that he is still the "pound for pound" champion. tonight pac-man would not disappoint. however, there weren't arms raised in the air, exuberant cheers, shrieks, or even angry words exchanged from these fans. too bad pac-man's challenger, clottey, wouldn't take a chance. that would have fulfilled their expectations of an exhilarating match indeed.

day 151: eat and run

03.12.10 (posted 03.14.10) - today is the first of three days of expected heavy downpours. so you can guess i was pretty shocked to see one of the many local street food vendors in my neighborhood was working this evening.

it just confirmed to me that nyc has been and always will be about the hustle. even more so in this economy.  i have to admire this man that even in the worse of this weather he is out there doing his thing. it was the end of the week. while the rest of us were relieved to be going home and welcoming the weekend. he was here on this busy street corner cooking up some tasty eats. more power to him. i hope he got plenty of customers tonight.

day 150: eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight

03.11.10 (posted 03.14.10) - i've channeled my inner rocky tonight and endured an amazing feat. it wasn't a grueling boxing match or anything athletic for that matter. well, unless you consider eating my way through a 10-course chinese banquet as a competitive sport. tonight i attended a lunar new year celebration and fundraiser. it was everything you would expect from a party... crowded (say 800 people crowded), boisterous, and festive. of course, it included the traditional dragon dance for good measure. here's to the year of the tiger. looks like 2010 will be a "roaring" good time.... bah, i know... that was pretty corny.

day 149: so this is jetting

03.10.10 (posted 03.11.10) - let me start off this post by saying that i have totally forgiven jetblue for the valentine's day fiasco i had to endure in 2007. you'd think after suffering through a grueling 11 hours on that forsaken plane on the icy cold jfk tarmac i would have written them off. but, i didn't and today it paid off.

jetblue is celebrating their 10th anniversary and doing a bunch of promotions. i got a text from my hubby this morning that he saw a tweet that jetblue was giving away FREE (yes, FREE!!!!) roundtrip tickets in manhattan today. the catch was you had to follow them on twitter, be ready at a moment's notice to meet their employees at a given location in the city, and give them a requested item. it was kind of like a scavenger hunt if you will.

luckily, the first spot that jetblue chose was walking distance from where i work. people needed to buy a birthday card and then meet at the designated spot. i had told a co-worker about the promotion and she was game. good ole l was vigilant in following the jetblue tweets all morning. i was out of the office at that time but luckily got her text that she was going to the duane reade downstairs from our building to purchase a bunch of birthday cards. i meet her there and we made a mad dash to the designated spot.

we saw a few folks carrying birthday cards and running in the direction we were headed. there were people that already got their vouchers and would yell out at us, "just keep going straight. you are almost there!". wooooohooooo!

of all the darn days that i decided to wear a dress with 3 inch high heel boots. aaahhhhhh!!!! i tell you... 6 blocks seemed like an eternity. my feet were throbbing. i had to tell my co-worker to run and go ahead of me because i simply couldn't run fast enough. there were times i wanted to stop in the middle of the street, take off my boots, and bolt. goodness, it was like a scene in a war movie... "don't worry about me.... save yourself, l!".

i finally got to the location without a second to spare and got in line with l. what a spectacle! lots of fanfare. jetblue employees made a human tunnel and as each winner passed through they cheered us on. passerbys had no idea what was going on and when they realized it they got in on the fun too.

so there you have it. insane... but such a thrill! thank you, jetblue. my next vacay is on you. hmmm... now where to go, where to go.

day 148: a big bowl along 5th avenue

03.09.10 (posted 03.11.10) - i was on a express bus from the bronx this afternoon and snapped this picture of the guggenheim museum. since its opening in 1959, this building has been surrounded by controversy. from the choosing of frank lloyd wright as the architect to many people saying the building itself overshadows the artwork it houses. some folks aren't too keen on its shape as well. woody allen once called it a lavatory basin. ha!

one thing is for sure. it is really a sight to behold. its spiral shape is a stark juxtaposition to the rigid lines and boxy shapes of most of the buildings on the upper east side. it kind of just hits you. you can be walking or in a vehicle along 5th avenue... then boom it comes out of nowhere.  one step into the guggenheim you instantly see its complexity with its shifting plays of light and shade, concave niches, and unconventional use of space. while it can be frustrating for some, i personally have found it inspirational.

frank lloyd wright once said, "if you want to experience man, to know him, go into his buildings". he really must have been some man to know.

day 147: darkness falls across the land

'cause this is thriller, thriller night

~ michael jackson

03.08.10 (posted 03.9.10) - it's funny how you can pass by the same street every day and not pay attention to certain things. i feel like sometimes i am on autopilot going to and from work. i guess something was different today and i saw my subway stop in a different light. it was the first time i really noticed how massive the trees are surrounding the park and how the curviness of the branches look very similar to a spider's web.

i took out my iphone and started taking pictures of the trees. i couldn't get the composition right on these shots because i couldn't fit all the trees into one frame. i decided to take a different approach and take snippits of the area instead. i used an app to stitch the pictures together and came up with a pretty decent panorama of the museum, subway stop, trees, and gates of the nearby park. on my subway ride, i started experimenting with more apps and came up with this. i originally didn't intend for the photograph to look so ominous. however, i thought the processing i chose for the photo was the best way to accentuate the lines of the branches and glow of the buildings near by.

day 146: life imitating art imitating life

03.07.10 (posted 03.08.10) - thanks to my buddy, j, i got a chance to attend the scope art show in nyc today. scope prides itself in "introducing artists, curators, and cutting-edge galleries to new audiences internationally" and this "has made SCOPE the most comprehensive destination for the emerging art world available anywhere." featured galleries included those from china, colombia, spain, germany, japan, korea, italy, ukraine, northern ireland, united kingdom as well as throughout the u.s.

my favorite pieces included those from mixed media artist, hector de gregorio. the curator told me that each piece involves an extensive process that combines research, costume making, photography, digital imaging, and hand finishing. i also really liked cara philips' ultraviolet beauties. she's a local artist based in brooklyn that uses uv technology with b+w large format film to capture models' "future skin". here's a few pictures i snapped of the various exhibits.  

day 145: what's that smell? oh, it's new jersey!

03.06.10 (posted 03.08.10) - ok, ok. this post won't be about taking a stab at new jersey and reinforcing stereotypes about big hair, the turnpike, the shore, and toxic waste dumps and superfund sites. it's actually a really beautiful state with lots of interesting towns and a scenic coast. besides, how awesome is it that frank sinatra and bruce springsteen were born there? eh, and not to mention that many of my closest friends call it home... so i figure it can't be too bad, right?

this morning i got up early to catch the path train to jersey city. it was quite an interesting ride. who would have thought there would be a mob of "green people" at 10 am on a saturday making their way across the hudson. unbeknownst to me, it was hoboken st. patrick's day parade. well the party certainly started early! haha.

i finally made it to jersey city and came across this interesting building. it was mix matched with bricks of all different shapes and shades. the funniest thing was a small side door that was probably no more than 4 foot tall. however, the detail that struck me the most was the green fire escape that wrapped all around the building. i also noticed a manhole cover that had neon orange spray paint on it. it almost seemed to glow even on a bright, sunny day.

day 144: i'm tuning you out

03.05.10 (posted on 03.07.10) - TGIF! the close of another jammed packed work week. i'm ready to tune out the world and get some quality "veg" time. i think i'll curl up over a good book or listen to a few of my favorite tunes. what are ways that you relax?

day 143: hitting the snooze button

03.04.10 (posted 03.07.10) - i am a zombie. i took an 11 pm flight from san francisco back to nyc last night. i arrived a few minutes shy of 7 am. under normal circumstances, i would have taken today off or telecommutted from the comfort of my home office but not this time. i had to attend a 2-day work retreat.

once i got off the plane, i made my way to the airtrain and then hopped on the subway. about an hour later, i was home. i had just enough time to change clothes, wash up, and make my way into the city.

i don't know how i lasted but i did. all i could think about was my bed. so the first thing i did when i got home was eat a light dinner and then called it a night.

day 142: it's child's play

03.03.10 (posted 03.06.10) - the great thing about having business trips to the bay area is that i get a chance to also see my relatives while i'm there. after a very productive all-day meeting, i met with up my cousin and her family at their home in berkeley. my cousin, rl, prepared a delicious dinner... butternut squash lasagna, baked brussel sprouts, and beets. yum!

while she was cooking, i hung out with my niece, s. i couldn't get over the fact that s is talking now. the last time i saw the kiddo i remember i was in awe by the fact she was walking (or more like running)... and now she is talking in complete sentences. wow, time goes by fast.

well, s has quite a personality. she pulled out one of the stainless steel mixing bowls. then put it on her head and proceeded to walk around the kitchen with it. a pretty hilarious sight i must say! she has a toy kitchen set complete with a sink, oven, coffee maker, and blender. hehe. s was "baking" us some goodies. she wanted us to have a "picnic" in where else but the living room. our meal was of course the finest that a 2-year-old can dream off... ice cream with "chocowit" and "gumilla" flavors, cupcakes, and for good measure an orange. well... you know, she is concerned that we get in our fruits for the day.

i only wish i could have spent more time with my cousin and her family that night. i had to catch a red eye back to nyc. hopefully, i'll get to see them again real soon.

day 141: i'm just wingin' it

03.02.10 (posted 03.06.10) - i woke up at the crack of dawn to head over to jfk airport to catch my early morning flight. had i known that my flight would be delayed and i would be sitting on the runaway for another hour i would have stayed in bed to catch a few more zzzzzs.

perhaps i am traumatized from the jetblue valentine's day fiasco. yes, i was one of the 99 passengers of flight #351 headed from nyc to burbank, ca who were stranded (or held hostage if you will) for 11 hours on the freezing tarmac in jfk. that experience i hope to never go through again or wish it on anyone. it probably is also cemented in my mind because my hubby and i were taking that flight to the los angeles area for our wedding. suffice it to say, i get a little anxious when i hear that there are possible delays of any sort on my flights.

luckily, that wasn't the case today. after the pilots found out the reason for our delay was the weather in san francisco (and the not the construction on one of the jfk runaways), we got the clearance for take off. the flight was pretty empty. i had a whole row to myself. woohoo! i stretched out, got some shut eye, and when i finally felt rested i spent the remaining part of the flight watching traveling shows. all in all, not a bad trip cross country.

day 140: seeing the light

03.01.10 (posted 03.06.10) - i left work an hour earlier than usual. i had a bunch of things i needed to do before my flight the next day. i'm off to the bay area tomorrow for a business meeting. the nice thing about leaving work before 6 pm is that i got a chance to see the sunset. such a rare occurrence for me as i usually leave work when it's already dark. an extra bonus was the sun was shining extra bright today.