Stormy weather = boring Saturday nights.

So my would-be fabulous excursion to the meatpacking district tonight - where I would actually get the chance to skip the line and go right into Highline (I'm not the VIP - my friend is) is... cancelled. I thought she was exaggerating about the storm. Then I almost fell over trying to run next door to the deli.

My boring night will now result in a new list. Aren't you lucky. 

10 Random Things I Hate... in no particular order.

1. Kathy Griffin's bangs. As if she isn't ugly enough without them.  

2. Salads that come with olives that are not de-pitted. Are they trying to tell us not to eat them or to play with our food to take the pits out? 

2. Subway "dead zones." Trying to get from FIT to NYU? Better put on your walking shoes (or your cab-hailing shoes). 

... I hear the Verizon network gets rid of dead zones. They should contact the MTA. 

3. 24-hour delis that close whenever they think it won't be busy. They can't call themselves 24-hour delis. They are pick-and-choose-hour delis. 

4. Feeling so rushed while you're paying for something that you feel guilty for taking the time to put your change away. Is it really that inappropriate if you stand at the counter for three seconds?!

5. Larry King's shoulders. I can hear them screaming "please feed my country." 

6. Italian restaurants that don't bring you bread. And Mexican restaurants that don't bring chips and salsa. We all know that's the real reason we go there anyway.

7. Running out of gum. It always happens after you ate that piece of garlic bread or the sour cream and onion chips. 

8. Ordering a drink at a bar with the thought that it must be cheap since the bar is such a dive. Then being told "That's $16." I hope I'm not the only one whose next thought is... "oh, can i just give this back?"

9. That guy who keeps looking at you but is not cute... and then you just happen to look in his direction accidentally a few times and it seems like you're looking back at him. Those times when you want to walk over to him and say "Hey, man, I'm not actually looking at you b/c I think you're cute. I just keep forgetting you exist and then I notice someone looking at me so I look up. And it's you... again." 

10.  Pedicure-ists who look up at you and giggle if you have not shaved your legs within the past... i don't know... hour. Do they really think we should go out of our way to shave right before we go to the nail salon? Sorry, lady - you're not my type. 

So that's all my venting for now. Feel free to add some more obnoxious things we all probably hate. 

The pre-marathon Running Crunch

So today is October 12... which means there are 27 days until the day I am so excited for / dreading is here. Marathon day. November 9. I was supposed to run the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC later this month, but when my marine friend was injured, I decided to run a much smaller venue in Harrisburg, PA. 

According to the website (credible source?), it seems like an intimate setting, small (800 people), lots of foliage, and very mom-and-pop-esque. I was becoming increasingly more nervous about running the HUGE Marine Corps marathon, filled with military men and intense runners, so the thought of running this smaller one has definitely made me less anxious. 

I don't know whether I feel relieved and comforted or even more anxious now that my parents and sister have decided to accompany me. I guess it is much easier than finding my own way down there and my own hotel room, but what if I don't make it to the finish line?! They will have trekked all the way down there to see me fail. I have been training - but in all honesty, what do I know about training for a marathon? My training regimen is as follows: Run. Run a lot. 

Today I ran about 18 miles. That is definitely a decent amount, and I felt pretty good post-run, so I take that to mean I could have gone a few miles further. I just hope I could have run at least 6 miles further. But I don't know what the protocol is for these long runs... should I stuff myself beforehand? Should I stuff myself afterward? I opted for cereal and oatmeal before, omelet and fries after. 

Most people eat "goo" during the race - neon green globs of carbs with peanut butter consistency and drink lots of water. I have never done either. I just run. Would these tricks help me out or should I keep to my routine? They say not to switch anything up for the big race.... but what if I am putting myself at a disadvantage?!

So many questions. So many worries. Apologies if this post is excruciatingly boring, but this is always in the back of my mind and it's time I start getting answers! Any suggestions, by all means let me know. 

All the World's a Stage

I've been reading a lot of Shakespeare lately, and I think any Shakespeare fans out there will agree that no matter how absurd, unrealistic, historically inaccurate, and overdramatic Shakespearean plays can be, they really are timeless because we can completely relate to the relationships between the characters. 

There is awkwardness, love, rejection, absurdity, and an infinite amount of emotions... all of which we experience (whether we admit to it or not) in our romantic experiences (mishaps). But one thing that is persistent in Shakespeare (or what I've read at least), is the phoniness and superficiality of love. People fall in and out of love over and over again... and usually all in one day! 

So it's got me thinking, can we all just love anyone?

As I'm writing, I'm sitting in one of my favorite coffeehouses... it's called B Cup Cafe in the East Village. There are only a few people here, but each one of them looks perfectly... lovable. Everyone has their own story and history, their own tastes and preferences, they all have jobs (or auditions for those starving actors) and they are sitting in a coffeehouse, wondering and people-watching just like me. 

I guess my point is, I think most people are good people. It may take a little while to figure out where that goodness is within someone, but if it's not obvious... there is usually a reason for it. Tough childhood? Trust issues and emotional baggage? Whatever the reason, if we take the time to figure it out, suddenly that human connection that comes from really understanding someone may start to take hold. And it really is all about that understanding, after all, right? 

Shakespeare makes me wonder... could we all grow to love any one of the people we interact with on a daily basis? Maybe we aren't all meant to be with one person, but rather we choose people we could be with... and because people are good and people want connection and intimacy with other people... we grow to love some person so much that they become our one person.

Wouldn't that explain the high divorce rate? I doubt that the world we live in today is cursed with the inability to find "soul mates." Maybe our grandparents and their grandparents were just taught to be more tolerant, accepting, and appreciative of their spouses. 

They are still in love after decades and decades of marriage because they still pay attention to the person they are with and continue growing to love them... whoever they are. 

Here's my concluding thought: Maybe if you "stop to smell the roses" of any person (within reason, of course), it is easy to become infatuated with their idiosyncrasies, thoughts, and the general world that they live in to the point of love. And if it's mutual? Well then my friends, you just may have yourself a love saga destined for the silver screen.