Cough, sniffle, sniffly, cough

So I can't shake this stupid cold. I'm now on antibiotics (prescribed
by my dentist friend, aleve cold and sinus and buckleys cold syrup).
I'm self medicating and it doesn't seem to be helping. This cough is
annoying me the most!!!

I should probably be sleeping and not bitchin. :)

--
Sent from my mobile device

P.S.

Some of my new favorite shots:

It's been a while...

A lot has happened in recent weeks, so much that my blog has fallen in my list of priorities. Most things are too personal to even blog about, but I feel that I should write while I still have some sort of following.

The Short List

• I got laid off - a quote I read recently (prior to getting laid off), "getting laid is nice, getting off is nice, getting laid off, not so nice." I still haven't received my 1st unemployment payment and somehow I'm still cautiously optimistic that I will bounce back with a vengence.
• Julie & Igor got married! Inna & Alex got married! Soco & Ray got married! Yes, in that order 6/6/09, 06/07/09, 06/14/09. It was a very busy week. After the first wedding weekend, I couldn't walk. I wish all newlyweds a lifetime of happiness and my new favorite quote (no, I didn't come up with that), "Love one another and you will be happy. It is as simple and as difficult as that." - Michael Leuning
• I'm trying to catch up on doc visits and going through insurance hell, but hey at least I'm going for my 5 year check-ups.
• I'm on the hunt, not just job hunt, also apartment/house hunt and car hunt. I'm like a savage released in the wilderness. You'd think that with all this time on my hands, I'd find something, but really most of the time, I find myself with nothing to do. I started cooking more, cleaning less, sleeping more, shopping less and just being kind of dazed.
• We celebrated Sean's 1st Birthday! I can't believe that a year flew by and wish him to ALWAYS be surrounded by so many loving people.
• I need a vacation. Anywhere.
• I started sorting my gazillion photographers. Hopefully soon, I will have a best of updated folder on fotki.
• The weather is really depressing. Yes, weather talk is generally elevator conversation, but I don't ride elevators too often these days and it's really depressing. Did summer decide to just take a rain check (pun intended)?
  
• I'm working on forcing myself to go through the piles of paper, bills, etc. Maybe tomorrow?

That's pretty much all the news while I search for more inspiration . . .

Julie's Shower/Bachelorette

Click here to view this photo book larger

Cruise '09

a.k.a. Julie's/Igor's Bachelor/Bachelorette a.k.a. Julie's Bday a.k.a. Vaca

Comments Welcome

Shoegasms

I love shoes, duh! I love all kinds of shoes - flats, pumps, boots, mules, sandals, wedges, peep-toe, closed-toe, d'Orsay and even flip-flops. After many years and much more dollars, euros and other foreign currencies - I have a few pre-requisites for any shoes that I actually buy. First of all, they have to look hot and more importantly (regardless of how hot, they look, a lesson worth learning) they must be comfortable. I have a collection of uncomfortable beautiful shoes that cost a small fortune. This doesn't work. Moreover, (if you've got a fat wallet, this doesn't apply, but for us bargain savvy girls) the shoe should be timeless. Yes, trends are great, but you don't want to discard a $400 shoe after one season. I have shoes from 5 years ago
that when worn out still receive compliments. The key is originality - the Tory Burch flat with the gold (or silver) emblem doesn't fly. I have a pair of Tory Burch flats that were bought because I needed flats but they are straw with a white beaded flower and the only way to see the Tory emblem is to make me take off the shoe.

Don't be afraid of color. You have a black closet, I'm sure. We've all taken up the new diet of wearing black, so let your feet have some fun! Buy green boots, orange Jimmy Choos and red pumps. You can dress up any boring, I mean classic black outfit. Pair it with a charming bag and you're set! Remember accessories are key. Better pair an H&M top with Manolos and a Louis Vuitton, then a Gucci dress with Steve Madden pumps. Get my drift?

There's a saying that "men who design women's shoes should be forced to wear them." Well, there are quiet a few men that know what a woman's foot should feel like. A few of my favorite men include Gianmarco, Jimmy and Manolo. There are still plenty of men I'd love to meet, but in my high-heeled practice of the last decade those are pretty solid investments. Not all shoes will be comfortable for everyone. Someone has a wide foot, someone has a high arch, someone has a long toe, etc. Shoes, should be a representation of the different sides of your personality and therefore compliment YOU. If you have a hammer toe, please don't wear sandals. Same goes for unpedicured feet. A pedicure doesn't mean polish on your toes, ladies! A larger calf shouldn't give rise to a muffin top of your sexy boot and please, please wear shoes your size. Celebrities get free samples and they may be off a half or a full size, but if you're buying a $500 shoe, buy your own size! Too big is no better than too small and if it just doesn't fit, keep looking, there are many more shoes in the pond.

Unfortunately, my long time favorite shoe-store, Petit Peton recently closed (with a pair of my boots). I had a shoegasm almost every time I was there including my last purchase there of Giuseppe (another good man) pumps, boots and a pair of Luca boots. Maybe I'm getting Carried Away (pun intended), but I sure do love my shoes. Sigh. In my preliminary packing, I'm down to 10 pairs (flip-flops not included), what's a girl to do? Sigh. You see what you started???

--
Sent from my mobile device

Birthdays

A birthday is a sad reminder of turning a year older and getting on the wrong side of something. Yet it's a day of celebration. It is a day to celebrate what a disappointing year you've had, how little you've accomplished and where you thought you'd be at this point in your life. This is generally celebrated with cake, alcohol and presents. Any day is worth celebrating. Every human life is worth celebrating. Holidays are important and if you don't make them, who will? The more we have to celebrate the better. There are enough tragedies in life not to celebrate birthdays with a sweet piece of cake!

To all my April dearest, happy birthday!

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Sent from my mobile device

Ok back to iPods...

I will take the iPods with bad music to the drunk twenty-something drinking a bud and talking to everyone, singing and getting into everyone's face. The good thing is that "Jesus likes [him] sometimes" and that "[he] works hard, what just because [he] wears sneakers [he] can't work hard?" Shit, he just inched closer, the girl he was sitting next to ran away. He reeks of alcohol, but he's carrying flowers. As much as I love this city, sometimes I still get baffled.

I hate fear. I'm not afraid because I'm on a crowded train at 6 pm. I'm scared because there are worse lunatics than this.

Happy Pesach!

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Sent from my mobile device

Why?

Why do people on the subway, in the elevator and walking past me on the street assume that I share in their taste in music? While I'm not musically inclined and can listen to pretty much anything, I don't want to hear YOUR iPod on my way home.

Just ranting.

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Sent from my mobile device

Babies

I LOVE babies. They are adorable and grow up to be adults, like us. Many of our friends have recently been blessed with having children, some even two at a time. Children are a blessing and sometimes a pregnancy is planned and other times it's not. However, children born to "normal" parents are loved and cared for, regardless.

Lately, I feel that EVERYONE around me is either raising a child, having a baby, is preggers or the very least talking about it. I even had a dream about it. Maybe it's the universe telling me it's time, but what's the rush?

Granted, I always wanted to be a young mom, but 25 and 27 is not a huge difference. Thirty is young (contrary to what I thought at twenty). You can't plan for the unexpected and I want to be a mom, but I want a career and a house and a life first, while I'm still young.

(Shit, just realized that I never hit send on Fri)...since the writing of this post I've ooohd and ahhhd, fed and burped :)

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Sent from my mobile device

Peoples

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go, others stay awhile and we are never, ever the same."

That has been a long time favorite quote and I don't even know who penned it/said it. Yet, it is very true. I have always been a suckerfor conversation. All my long term relationships with people were rooted in interestic discussion. As an old friend of mine recently said in describing me, "you followed what you always follow, conversation. For you, it's orgasmic." This is true and fortunately I've come in contact with many interesting people. I was never good at initiating contact, but once I get started, I'm open, honest and often say more than I should. Recently, I've befriended a few older and wiser people and our conversations have both inspired me and given me hope.

I've recently eavesdropped on a conversation of a wealth manager at a party and was so drawn to his discussion with a dimwit that I had to apologize (for eavesdropping) and sat outside for an hour in 40 degree weather looking for the perfect opportunity to introduce myself. Of course, the opportunity never came, but I am still intrigued enough to talk about it. I had a discussion over beer and wine with someone whose life didn't start till 30. And I've become almost friends with a woman I met at my nail salon years ago. We speak almost daily and she never ceazes to amaze me. Life is an interesting thing and as I'm beginning to understand goes wherever you take it. It's not the blind leading the blind - it is what you make it.

I'm going on a tangent (as usual), but there's a reason determined people get what they want. Wishes do come true. Believing in something really does make it a reality. For those that know me, you're probably wondering, "who are you and what have you done with Alla?" It's me and I believe that I will be successful and live a long and happy life surrounded by people that matter and with something interesting to discuss. But shhh...it's "The Secret."

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Sent from my mobile device

Есенин-1998, перевод с великорусского на новомосковский

Do you live еще, моя старушка?
Live и I. Hallo тебе, hallo!
Let it flow over your избушка
Evening свет in our big село.
I am told, что ты, тая тревогу,
Miss me шибко under lonely moon,
Что ты often ходишь на дорогу
In old-fashioned second-hand шушун.
And you see в вечернем синем мраке
Holy Jesus, same shit - oh, Gosh! -
That somebody мне в кабацкой драке
Саданул под сердце Finnish нож.
But relax, родная! Успокойся.
This is only тягостная бредь.
I am not a fucking alcoholic,
Чтоб тебя не видя, умереть.
I am still такой же очень нежный,
And I dream, my darling, лишь о том,
Чтоб скорее from тоски мятежной
To get back in низенький наш дом.
I'll return, когда раскинет ветви
Our garden - старый белый сад.
But I bet you, mama, на рассвете
Wake me not like восемь лет назад.
Do not wake того, что отмечталось,
Don't excite того, что не сбылось, -
Слишком early losses and усталость
To experience мне привелось.
Don't teach me how to pray. Не надо!
To the old возврата больше нет.
You're my only помощь & отрада,
You're my only несказанный свет.
So forget about your тревога,
Не грусти and I shall come back soon.
Don't go so often to дорога
In old-fashioned second-hand шушун.

If it makes you happy

After a beer and some interesting conversation, this is the song playing in my head, so of course I must share with the world, or whatever small following I have:

Bicycles

When I was a kid I fell of my bike and hurt myself pretty badly. I haven't gotten on one since. Yet, I love driving cars. I wanted a car from probably the age of 13-14 (when I fell of my bike) and took driver's ed so that I could get my license as quickly as possible. By 17, I had a full fledged license and by 18 I leased my first car. I like the simple luxuries of life. My first car was by no means luxurious, it was a Civic, but it got me from Point A to Point B and it was reliable. I am reliable. I will never drive a hot, red Ferrari, and I will never be one. I'm the tasteful luxury brand that's not quiet a Honda but not a Maserati either, above the regular cars, a bit of luxury, but very reliable, practical and will last for many years. In order for any car to last, it needs tune-ups and oil changes and in good hands, it will ride a long time. I may never be a Lamborghini, but I'm no bicycle.

Happy March 8!

Для женщины в жизни немногое надо:

Чтоб в сумочке были духи и помада,

Брасматик и тени, чтоб взгляд был разящий,

На пальце в кольце бриллиант настоящий.

Нарядов немного… Зачем задаваться?

Чтоб за год не больше трех раз повторяться.

Чтоб кофе в постель с круасаном хрустящим

Любви как в кино, только чтоб настоящей.

Работать чтоб с часу, ведь утром так спиться,

А в два по домам, чтоб по ходу скупиться.

Ведь шопинг у женщин полезен безмерно

Системе центральной, моментами нервной.

В квартире достаток, под цвет глаз машина…

Но главное умный, достойный мужчина.

Который подарит помаду и тени,

Кольцо с бриллиантом, привстав на колени.

Пригонит машину, обставит квартиру,

В любви фору даст даже Ричарду Гиру.

А если таких еще нету на свете,

То пусть хоть подарит тюльпанов букетик,

А все остальное мужскими руками

Тихонько доделают женщины сами.

С праздником!!!

Open Your Eyes

And make reality disappear. Open your eyes and relive the vivid dream you had last night. Open you eyes and find yourself in the middle of a sprawling jungle. Open your eyes and hold your best friend's hand. Open your eyes and open your heart. Open your eyes and look inside yourself horizontally. Open your eyes and touch your nose. Open your eyes and find everything you've been looking for. Open your eyes and smell your mother's cooking. Open your eyes and forget. Open your eyes and hug a child. Open your eyes and discover your inner child/beast. Open your eyes and stop searching for a deeper meaning. Open your eyes and laugh out loud. Open your eyes and face your biggest fear. Open your eyes and fall asleep. Open your eyes and make love. Open your eyes and remember. Open your eyes and grasp reality. Open your eyes and see...

--
Sent from my mobile device

It's ALWAYS the little things

I'm on the train! Yay! It's 7 pm. Yay! I will have a home cooked or at the very least a meal at home. Yay!

What's with all the excitement? Well, for starters it's nice to leave before 9, get (at the very least eye rest from staring at the screen all day), not eat takeout and be peacefully exhausted and stressed out at home instead of the office.

It's the little things that make me happy. It's always the little things that make us happy. I don't care that I'm standing or that the dude behind me reeks of alcohol or that the little asian man pushed me out of the way. I'm happy that I'm going home. I'm happy that I can blog. I am thankful for the little things. At the end of the day, it's the details that enrich our lives. It's the five-minute call or a three word text that matters. It's the flowers on a random Tuesday. It's the question from mama, "did you eat yet?" and the statement from papa, "I bought this kolbasa" (even though he knows I won't eat it).
It's my sister emailing me 3000 hideous dresses because she trusts my taste. It's my manager saying "thanks for staying." It's my cousin diligently leaving comments on my blog. It's hubs making me dinner. It's J texting me to find out if I got home okay. It's changing the name from "Ted" to "Theodore" and "Mike" to "Michael" so that the client doesn't come back with changes. It's the rounding of $12 to the first partner. It's K convincing me to sign up for pilates. It's the extra hour of time to find an invitation, a favor, a dress. It's the extra thought that makes a great party. It's $150 for custom stamps and a tuxedo for B (a bulldog). It's the emails to the bridesmaids. It's a phone call to ask for an opinion. It's a drink with old friends. It's a Sarbucks Triple Grande Skim Latte expensed on a Monday morning because we just worked the entire weekend. It's "can I help you?" and it's "mwa." It's all the little things in no particular order that make up our existence. It's ALWAYS the little things.

Mwa

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Sent from my mobile device

Restless

I am still me, but I'm older (not wiser), my propeller no longer works with the same speed as it used to. Maybe it not me, it's you?

Maybe working over 120 in a two-week cycle is beginning to catch up with me? Maybe I'm just tired of the mundaness? Maybe I need to change my hair again? It's easier then changing my life (and it's something I do at an average of 3 times a year). I've made friends and lost friends and found them again. I've gone through school, various jobs and a plethora of names/faces/clothes. I am tired, but I can't sit still. Even if the propeller isn't spinning at the same speed, as long as whatever those things are called are turning, I will be the same'ol me. (No rhyme intended).

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Sent from my mobile device

"Argument is meant to reveal the truth, not to create it." - Edward de Bono

Random Tuesday

No, I didn't get flowers, but I did leave work early enough to take the train, and to blog. I know I've been neglecting this pastime lately. As I have many others like photography, shopping and just hanging with friends. Yes, work takes a lot out of me, but mostly it's just laziness, lack of encouragement and drama?. Maybe the drama isn't a bad thing. Life has always been complicated and with each passing day, more "stuff" happens. Maybe its the lack of inspiration.

To recap, besides work and my bed I haven't seen much of anything or anyone lately. But we have made progress in planning my friend's bridal shower. Nobody has the time. Everyone works, everyone wants to participate and everyone is tired and doesn't know where to start. Enter, Alla. I'm not tired, I don't work, I just have good ideas and I
know how to make them happen. I am so in the wrong field. Until some potential clients come my way and enough of them to make me leave, there will be no work-life balance. We are meeting the recruiter for beers after busy season to see what he can offer. I did manage to escape to a wonderful dinner with the "I" girls at the Woo on Saturday
and to see "he's just not that into you" (I realize it's supposed to be cap, but I'm too tired) with a whole bunch of girls on Friday. It was my girls and my work girls and everyone was ready to pass out by the time the movie ended. J passed out at the movie, in the car.

Oh so it's official (supposedly), which means I can blog about it. Two of my "favorite" managers are now dating. After last busy season, she is getting a divorce and transferred groups and he broke up with his long-term, live-with girlfriend. And they say office romance isn't possible! The K-1 parties till 3 am make anything possible!

There's a lot of politics at work and few are PC, but I want March 1st to come and go and see what develops. It's a shaky world with a very shaky economy, but sometimes you gotta shake it up a bit more!

Toodles

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Sent from my mobile device

Thankless

My biggest pet-peeve is feeling underappreciated. That means in terms of everything - relationships, friendships, work, etc. Is it really that hard to say "thank you"? Is it hard to let someone know that you know they took that extra step? Everyone has been and has taken
someone and something for granted. I don't need a monument, nor do I deserve one for anything I have done up to this point in my life (let's revisit in a few years), but sometimes a simple thanks would be nice. I'll be back at my thankless job tomorrow (even if I lived there, which I practically do, it still wouldn't be enough)!

Because I don't say it enough either, thanks to those of you that read my blog out of courtesy and that read it out of curiousity. Thank you to those who have it bookmarked in your phone, in you RSS feeds or just check it from your i-phone. Thank you to those who follow it religiously and to those who follow randomly and thank you to those reading for the first time.

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Sent from my mobile device

I <3 xkcd!

It's been a while...

Hello my dear subscribers, avid readers and random blog junkies! I'm back. 2009 is finally upon us and thus far it has been no better than 2008 - death, war, busy season. Some of these events have touched me personally, others just fit well into the sentence. I've spent a wonderfully cold day in Paris and it was everything that I expected itto be. I fell in love with the city of love! Although, my follow up week in Paris didn't happen this time around, I know I'll be back and fall in love all over again with all the sights and sounds and even the not so pleasant French.

I spent two and a half weeks in Israel and that has been an interesting experience to say the least. Of course it is not my first, but my fourth time there so all touristy activities were
scratched off the list. I did want to go to Jerusalem (I even wrote a note to put in the wailing wall while still in Brooklyn) but all events combined prevented me from making that trip. I love Israel. I love the people and more importantly I love my family and friends that are there. We didn't spend nearly enough time with most as we would've liked, but it was nice to see everyone, catch-up, reminisce, laugh and cry.

On the second weekend of our arrival Israeli troops entered Gaza. We found out as we were on the train from Tel Aviv to Nahariyya when a soldier picked up his "peliphone" and started talking Hebrew, he then asked whoever was on the other line if "they've heard the news?" in Russian and just when my ears perked up to listen to the news he switched back to Hebrew. We found out soon enough. Israel is an interesting place because for a country of such miniscule size you don't know that you're in a nation at war unless you're directly in the warzone. Such was the case when 4 rockets were dropped on Nahariyya on January 8. Fifteen miles south and 2 hours later it seemed as if nothing happened. Does that mean that people get used to it? According to my census, no, but they learn to deal with it. They learn to call each other to make sure they are alright, to offer help, etc.

That same day I witnessed my first (and hopefully last) siren (I'll be back in Israel in August). I was surprised at how calmly I reacted to the situation - running out of the car, kneeling down in someone's back yard and opening the door to a stranger's house to hide in their meclad (bomb shelter). The image of the twelve year old girl hysterically crying the entire time we were there is something that I won't be able to shake from my head for long. Yet, I was calm...that is until we got into the car. I can honestly say that for the first time in my many times in Israel I felt genuinely scared. Then we attended a funeral.

As my cousin told me earlier that morning (when he called to make sure the bombs in Nahariyya weren't too near us), "your trip just keeps getting better and better." It was a rough trip, but it also taught me that people are people and must always remain humane. Strangers often help more than relatives and the arab/german doc that said "gazuntheit" made the patient's day, unlike the Russian nurse who rushed in to take blood without gloves and ran out even quicker when her cell phone rang.

I can go on for hours, but I will say one thing as my stop is near, I love Israel. It is my country and yours. I don't defend all military action, I don't condemn the killing of civilians, but I support my cause. Until the world wakes up and realizes what monster we are fighting and unite against it, nothing will change. Terror happens everywhere (Israel, NY, Paris, London, Spain, Buenos Aires, Mumbai) and it's not just hatred toward "JUICE" (hyperlink to follow) it's a hatred for peace, for humanity, for progress. It's disgust with all things civilized and fanatic belief in made up stories. It's terror that makes this world a scary place.

So please, don't sit quietly and watch one-sided news - join networks, fb groups, attend funddraisers, but really, really, really support Israel in the fight against a world enemy - Terror!

(For links, feel free to email or comment)

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Sent from my mobile device

Surreal Day

I won't preach and I won't be long, but until the world sees terrorism for what it is, NOTHING will change. You don't get used to bomb fire, the wail of the siren or the loss of loved ones. Yes, the human is designed to withtand a large amount of stress, loss and pain. Yet, it doesn't hurt less each time. The War generation (as I call them, because I don't know the technical term) is slowly (or quickly, depending how you look at it) going and no generation had as much hardships as them - war, loss, immigration, sickness. Yet, they are strong, stronger than most of us that are a third of their age. They suffered greatly and as hard as it is, for some the suffering is done.

The last two weeks have been a crazy whirlwind. What was supposed to be a few weeks of rest turned into hecticism. I won't write more now, because I don't want those reading to worry, but once I'm back home, I promise to be more explicit.

L.A. may your soul rest in peace and may you know that your loved ones were with you from beginning to the end and what you weren't so sure of, really happened the way you wanted it to.

The last day of the year

Since this is the last day of the year, it's the last post of the year. I may have taken a hiatus from my blog, but life has been filled with things to talk about. Time is what's been lacking. I am currently writing this from the Holy Land. Unfortunately, there's a war going on now. The war like all wars is stupid. People that don't have value for their own life shouldn't make decisions for others. 2008 was a year of loss for so many of us. It took so many loved ones away from us, people that cherished life and had a desire to live, while others are strapping on bombs and blowing themselves up.

On the way to the Holy Land we spent a day in the city of Love. I am in LOVE with Paris. It's just so ummm . . . Paris. We took an overview trip around the city and have a picture next to most famous landmarks, but 10 hours doesn't give the city justice.

Either way, I am preoccupied now, I'll to write some more in a bit, but Happy New Year. May 2009 be a year of gain and not loss. May you and yours be healthy and may this world see clear and peaceful skies.

Shalom.

Happy Hannukah!

I wish I had something smart to say.

Something smart...
Something smart...
Something smart...

Nope, nada, not today :)

Ideas welcome.

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Sent from my mobile device

I hate this year, united airlines and pretty much everything else at the moment...

I'm # 4 on a standby list for a 7:35 flight...otherwise, I'm scheduled for a 9pm flight (with a $150 change fee)...the 3 flights before mine were delayed...4 flights this morning were cancelled and I didn't get on a flight that was supposed to fly out at 5:30 but flew out at 6:50 because I have checked in a bag...because "I can't voluntarily separate from my bag"...if they lose it, that's okay!

And now the 7:35 flight which I am NOT guaranteed a seat on is delayed half hour. Now the screen says I'm #9. Great!

Traveling has become so cumbersome, the lines out of control, the staff cut and the ones that are left are incompetent. They charge you $15 to check in a bag, $39 for an exit row seat and deliver zero service. The pilot just got himself a hot dog and standing by the gate talking on the phone. Now that sure makes me feel safe. Yet my bottle of coke was mistaken for a granade. My bag had to be searched and coke tossed out.

So voluntarily separating from a suitcase I can deal with. Involuntarily separating people from those they love is unfair, unjust and just plain wrong. My condolences are with those that have lost someone today. This year has been emotionally difficult. It separated a lot of people from those they love. It took my grandmother. Yet, for better or worse, I'm not sure, this life does go on. When the end of the year nears, people can't wait for it to be over, to start fresh. Yet, the same sh*t happens year in and year out just to different people. The last two years have been hell, but maybe the bull will be bullish. Nobody can bring our loved ones back, but maybe
He can take our prayers to them.

To everyone that lost something in 2008 - keys, sanity, apartment, love, hope, a job, health, a mother, a grandfather, a grandmother. My thoughts and prayers are with you. May 2009 be a year of gain and not loss and may I get on this flight, please!

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Sent from my mobile device

Costa Rican Pix

Some Humor

as we are preparing for the holiday season, Santa's Gmail:
















another great one from http://xkcd.com/