Straight Country

How great is it that I have youtube vids of Cash on the PA farm?! Don't get me wrong, I don't I think your animal needs to determine where you do or don't live, or what you can or cannot do (it's about working together to make your situation the best possible) but I do wonder if we haven't moved to the entirely wrong place for our pups temperament.

Wedding March

One of my favorite things about Darling's sister's wedding (woof, that's a mouthful) was the music choices for the ceremony. I can't shake this one from my head. The story goes that she had been planning on using a Richie Valens song for damn near a solid decade. It was her, "this-is-what-I-want-to-walk-down-the-aisle-to song" for years and years (admittedly, its a fantastic choice) and one of her close friends used it to march down the aisle just a few months before her own wedding. Not that it would have been inappropriate to use it as planned, but she just couldn't go through with it anymore--I definitely understand the upset and sentiment of someone "stealing" something from under you (this is exactly why folks are weird about sharing their unborn child's name). Yikes, right?! So a few days before the ceremony she settled on using this Air song for her wedding march. So pretty, so perfect. I keep listening to it on repeat.

Bookish {- Adjective. 1. given or devoted to reading or study.} 2011

Billy Bathgate - E.L. Doctorow

The story of Billy Bathgate is one of a uniquely 'orphaned' boy from the Bronx taken under the wing of one of the deadliest gangsters in 1930s New York, Dutch Schultz. At just fifteen years old, Billy's cunning and drive to work hard propels him to find he is not only a good luck charm but a key player, and protege to Mr. Schultz himself.  But the lifestyle of gangsterdom (my favorite word in the book) comes at a cost and the stakes are high, too high I believe for anyone fifteen years old to comprehend. The quality of storytelling is as good as the writing. Small, profound nuggets are woven into a wonderful, full work driven by action, violence and the seedy underbelly of Depression era gangsters. Darling's aunt & uncle gave us this book for Christmas last year and to be honest I picked it out from the shelf because of the cover illustration. Its a book I think Darling will really fall for, different from my usual flavors of fiction, but an excellent read that went by too fast. On that note, I've actually been reading up a storm since the move. Take all the time you spend driving during your day and replace that with reading. It's the best thing about public transportation and is probably going to be a game changer. 

The Teekies Came By Accident {A Traveling Story}

We have been having a bit of drama with Delta airlines (we were involuntarily denied boarding on the 2nd leg of a confirmed flight and not properly compensated). Although it was terribly inconvenient and caused slight emotional turmoil, all things considered, I can think of a lot worse places to be stranded than Seattle, WA. I hadn't been to the city since 2007 and it has been even longer for Darling, which is interesting considering we both love it there. I learned that a new light rail system has been put in place with a convenient last stop at the airport. The weather that day was perfect, making for a rather dreamy afternoon filled with sunshine and breezes and long walks up hills and along piers, of seafood and ham bows and markets with flowers, of comic books and cheeky humor, of sailboats on the sound and jackets in the evening and book stores filled with the flutter of childhood memories. The teekies went on accident...

 

I completed A Moveable Feast on the plane and in honor of Hemingway I felt it was only appropriate to enjoy the delicate flavor of oysters and local micro brew as soon as it was available. Also pictured, calamari in jalapeno aioli--we did our best to consume as much seafood as possible in those 14 hours.

I have wanted to live in the Pacific Northwest since my first visit when I was 14 years old. Each time I find myself there that feeling is reaffirmed. Something about the unique energy, clean streets, incredible food, and beautiful/accessible nature continues to capture my heart.

Notes On Style {Fourth Quarter}

Esska

THESE!

Finding these shoes saved my sanity just now....

Darling's sister is getting hitched this weekend (yay, congrats Natty!) and you know that figuring out what I was going to wear to the wedding is something that waited until the last minute. (Back to shopping conundrums and everything we've been over a hundred times.) I started looking for something back in Memphis but I thought to myself, "Surely there is no need to try and go through *another* online ordering deboucle if I'm going to be in New York soon..." Isn't what I order most likely coming from New York anyway? Which I do still think is an incredibly valid point... except that its ME we are talking about, and I also forgot to add into the equation the time factor--that we would be leaving just 2 weeks and 3 days after we pulled up in the moving van, which doesn't allow much time for browsing--but you know that I always find myself in this situation, no matter what the circumstance, or how many valid-to-me excuses I can create. (Libby, did I ever tell you that I bought what I wore to your wedding reception on my way from the ceremony to the reception?! Whoops, well, I did. I totally still made it on time, at least I think so, I made it for pictures ;-).) So. I need to look for a dress! I grab my dear friend from Bushwick on his day off and we have a beer with lunch to loosen up (I get terrible anxiety when shopping) and we tromp all around Broadway/SOHO to no avail, although he was able to pick a few things up. Don't get me wrong, we had a great time, it was a good day, but not necessarily a successful one according to the agenda.

Next morning, pre-all-day-errand running (for the pup, omg, I have to tell you about the dog another day, but it crossed my mind for about 30 minutes that I wanted to give him away), I run up the street to Brooklyn Industries and find not one but two dresses that I like! Very daytime appropriate (read: casual), I justify that the little seersucker one might work for the low-key, outdoor, lakeside ceremony and reception. Slap that on Rosey's Facebook wall for some approval (shameless!) and observe her tip to belt it.

When I start looking at what I need to pack and I realize that I don't even OWN a summer shoe that isn't a saltwater sandal or flip flop... (okay. I own ONE, but its patent leather and looked terrible with the outfit) I start to panic a little. Damnit! Surely you've already guessed that I spent all afternoon looking for a shoe instead of doing much more productive (read: nessary) things. Sore outta luck... I get home and start pulling shoes out of my closet, every. pair. I am not exaggerating when I tell you nothing I own looks appropriate, and shit, we leave tomorrow! Being slightly crazed and wild-eyed, I googled "Park Slope Shoes" at 5:50PM, knowing that most places close at 7, and biked to Boreum Hill...

Those shoes, the ones at the top? Yup, they just saved my sanity. I'm so thrilled with them. For all I know they could be hideous and something I would never purchase normally (I'm hoping its not the case) but I'm just so dumbstruck with love for them--they're beeaauuttifuuull. Note: they feel just like wearing tennies. F'real. And, they were on sale (what what). Feelin good y'all, feelin good right now. Trust me, I am fully aware of how wordy this post is and how neruotic I've been about the whole deal when, ultilmately, "it's just shoes." But I hope you see that its totally not about the shoes, at the same time, right? 

And that's an entirely seperate conversation, one that we're not having now... but my story might just provide you with more insight into my transition to New York life than I could tell you straightforwardly at this moment. 

Although I haven't had much time for posting here, I got back on to say I'm going away again. I know, can't believe it either. But a few days in the Pacific Nothwest?! I think it'll be great for our souls. Little Cash is in Williamsburg until Friday and then he's going to a farm in PA for the weekend. So ridiculous, I know. Okay, I have to go finish/start packing, f'real.

Take care, friends!

Be in touch soon

xoxo 

Travel Log

The better moment's of Cash's travel story.

Safe and sound.

NYC

We are here!

So I am hoping that we will have the intrawebs at home tomorrow, for now I find myself in a little space on the LES with a coffee and wi-fi. Simple pleasures. For all that has happened, it has happened with as much grace and ease as I can imagine is possible. Driving in the moving van with Darling, Cash and myself sharing a bench seated cab was an adventure, to say the least. I think the climax was really the first evening when i marched the pup's sorry ass to the van to sleep in the cab at 5 in the morning as i simultaneously prayed he would not get us kicked out of the hotel. Cash also has an immunity to Xanax, I'm sure of it. It seems to have had virtually no affect on the boy much to my dismay.


In reality, Cash has been the primary concern of our attention and also the primary cause of our problems during the transition. It has been no easy task moving a large, high energy, mutt to such a drastically different environment. I am currently reading, The Other End Of The Leash by Patricia McConnell and have arranged for a dog trainer to come to the house next Monday in hopes of fixing the behavior issues and helping us learn what we need to do in order to communicate with Cash our expectations for his behavior in clear and meaningful ways so that life with him is more joyful than stressful. Fingers, elbows and knees are all crossed.


Yesterday I saw a pup walking himself down 7th avenue... Wtf?! F'real y'all, holding his own leash in his mouth and quietly and happily heeling to his owner. It was like a kick in the balls. If only? One day? Siiiiiggggghhhh.


As for the slope, i couldn't be happier. I love the neighborhood. It's perfect, I think it really might be. We have a yard! And it's pretty bitchen although it needs some work as it has been untended for years, which I have a hard time understanding... How does one ignore the luxury of a yard in NYC?? I do have suspicion to believe that the previous tenant was bat-shit nuts, cramming pennies into crevices and duct taping over outlets, crack head crazy. The space is wonderful, it needed loads of cleaning, goo gone to clean the cupboards cleaning, but I haven't sat down in a few weeks at this point and we have gotten unpacked and things together faster than I could have imagined. Its livable albeit not finished. But its seriously like darling and I have moving down to a science at this point, which we are both grateful for. It has and will continue to be a change adjusting to the tiny kitchen and lack of sq. footage, but the open floor plan and high ceilings help to keep us from feeling like we are living in a shoe box. One of these days I may post a photo for you, but don't bet on that happening any time soon!


I was fortunate to have a friend working for NYCDA nationals and she was able to supply me with a few days work immediately after getting here. Other than that, there is no news on a job front. Tbd...


It's still new, it's still surreal.. The only time I have cried was after receiving the sweetest package from my Project:Motion friends, but otherwise we are all working hard to hold it together and make this shit happen. I truly appreciate all your good energy and notes and comments of love and encouragement. Will do my best to be in touch soon..

Xoxo