Odds n' Ends

Things I'm loving lately:

Kashi Organic Promise Strawberry Fields cereal: Just can't get enough of this lately. I eat it for breakfast and I eat it as a snack in front of the TV. It's only 2 points for a cup of it. I love the simple ingredient list: rice, cane juice, whole wheat, freeze-dried strawberries, sea salt, brown rice syrup, freeze-dried raspberries. All organic. It's expensive everywhere except Whole Foods, where it's $2.99 for the box. Bless them for feeding my addiction.

Nice n' Easy Root Touch-Up: Lengthens the time between salon color visits by about 3 weeks, it's less than 10 bucks for the box, and takes less than 10 minutes to use. Oh, and the Clairol helpline is DA BOMB. They are SO helpful! And nice too.

The Body Shop's Pink Grapefruit Soap: They had this back when I worked there in the early '90s, and now it's back. I still adore it. They brought back the shower gel too. My former co-workers have been nice enough to give me lots of samples of the Pink Grapefruit Body Butter to tide me over until I can actually buy it.

M.A.C.'s Viva Glam VI Lipstick: I bought this a while ago, at the suggestion of one of the artists there, and I love it to pieces and wear it every day, pretty much. I fully support M.A.C.'s Viva Glam line because they give every cent from it to the M.A.C. AIDS Fund.

A Good Friday

My brother Dan and I walked all around the city as we usually do, and ended up in the village, so we had walked a roundabout 3 miles. Walking is good. I get exercise without really feeling like I'm getting exercise. And maybe I worked off the Lindt Lindor truffles Dan was nice enough to spring for at the Lindt store on 5th Avenue. Place was packed for Easter candy shopping. I hate holidays. LOL They get in my friggin' way. :o)

This morning I was a good little girl and did the routine on a beginner's Pilates DVD I bought a long time ago. I suck and have no strength or real flexibility yet, but it will come. Damn, I lost everything I was able to do when I did the Pilates moves with Amber a year ago, when I paid for those personal training sessions at New York Sports Club. What a difference a year makes, in more ways than one. I love the mind-body connection with yoga and Pilates. I like Pilates even more because besides strength and flexibility, the moves lengthen the body and strengthen the "core" -- the midsection -- which affects everything else. It's also nice that 30 minutes of Pilates makes a difference in how I feel immediately. I figure if I can get myself to do Pilates three times a week, and do a good about of walking in between those times, or maybe even on the same days, since the weather should be getting better any day now, I'll be getting a decent workout.

Has it been a year already? Sheesh!

As I look out the window at the pouring rain, I think about what a good indication it is of my mood exactly one year ago today.

On April 4, 2006, I said goodbye to my feline son Elvis... kissed his face and held him. Although he no longer shares life with me in a physical form, I think he sends his love through his brother Peter, who now sleeps with me every night. Elvis was the one who hung out with me all the time, no matter which room I was in or what I was doing. I see him in other cats, like my brother's, who - even though she's a girl - looks a bit like him and makes some of his movements from time to time. It's enough to have me staring at her with my mouth open.

I miss my boy every day. And I hope that no matter where he is right now, he's happy.


Until we meet again, my baby.

Use it or lose it

I spent today filling in for someone at a radio network, writing music news for the AC, Hot AC and CHR (Pop) formats. She's a friggin' machine. She cranks out so much on a daily basis. It was tedious, and I took such effort to do the job well, that I am completely exhausted and my body aches. I get myself so worked up. I'm not in bed yet because when I have things in my mind I want to spill out, I can't sleep until I empty my head. This is what blogging has done to me! LOL

As much as I had forgotten what it was like to crank out a prep service (Um, TWO in this case, three formats!), it was nice to have my brain engaged in something. It felt good to use it. LOL Doesn't that sound funny? I have been here, in my lonely world, for too long, recycling the same thoughts. It was kind of nice to go to an office, with people in it, during daytime hours and use my fucking brain. I know this sounds insane.

I just hope I did a good job. I have been out of the loop, and it's odd to jump back into music-news-writing mode. I am continually impressed with the system they have there. It's so... efficient. I know those guys don't think it's that great, but it works. They get the job done. I spent so much time spinning my wheels at my last job and sitting in meetings about meetings, because things were done in the stupidest manner. I sure hope things have gotten better for my friends who still work there.