Eeeek!

I saw the mouse again last night. It’s getting brazen now and I’m no longer scared. I’m mad. Last night as I was going to bed and walked by the kitchen (lights on), there it was. So, now the only question is should I get a cat or a trap to snap its neck?

Go away critters

I walked in the door last night, headed straight for the kitchen, flipped on the light switch, and there the little fucker was. Scurrying across the tiles to disappear in the space between the stove and the cabinets. It’s been about 6 months since I first saw a mouse in my apartment. That time it ran over my feet when I walked into the living room. Both times I screamed. Now I stomp loudly when I walk in the door so they know I’m around. And when I turn on the light, I keep my eyes closed for a few seconds. What I can’t see, can’t make my scream.

I live in a nice building. I’m relatively clean. So, why must the mice come to visit us? I’m totally grossed out by it. I found mice droppings in the drawer where I keep the dish cloths. How the hell did they get in there? Since our first sighting we’ve been patching holes and cracks like crazy. Anything we see where we think they might be able to squeeze through. We don’t see our bitty enemies for a while, declare success, and then before we can knock on wood, the tell-tale droppings come back. I guess it’s time for the traps to come out. But, I don’t think I’ll be able to deal with it if I actually catch one. I’m pretty sure I’ll puke.

I feel like this is my dirty little secret. I can’t talk to my friends about it. I feel like it signals my failure as a homeowner/housekeeper. But then again, who knows what secrets they might be hiding!

TIVO, or not TIVO?

We’re having a TIVO/DVR power struggle in my household. I think I want one. My husband thinks he doesn’t. Neither one of us is totally sure, just leaning more in one direction than the other.

First of all, I would love to pretend that TV (let alone TIVO) isn’t an integral part of my life. There was one girl I went to high school with who didn’t have a TV in her house. She got a perfect score on her SATs, but was incredibly socially awkward. I think the same would be true of me if I gave it up. Sure, I’d do lots of writing and even more reading, but much of my "small talk" centers around the latest TV crazes. Reality TV, Lost, and Entourage conversation keep me in the center of things at work. Without them, I would have nothing to talk about with my co-workers.

So, giving up TV all together is not an option. Which is why TIVO might be a good option. The argument I hear all the time for TIVO is this: TIVO makes your television viewing more efficient. You watch what you want, when you want and you get to fast forward through all the commercials. So, in theory you could cut down your total TV viewing time while watching the same number of shows.

BUT, with all this TV efficiency at your finger tips, isn’t it tempting to watch MORE TV? The unpleasant commercial breaks are magically gone, but you can still get up to get more chocolate ice cream without missing a word thanks to the pause button.

I can honestly see it going either way. But, I really don’t want to rush home on Wednesday nights anymore to catch Lost. Maybe we could time how much TV we watch and cut ourselves off after a certain hour?

Black and Gold

In light of the way the Steelers kicked the Bronco’s bums yesterday, I’ll start today’s post with a tribute the Steel City.

Pittsburghers have some unique pronunciations of words.

You’ve probably heard that the beloved Steelers are really the "Stillers." But, did you know the coach is "Bill Cahr" (Bill Cowher) and fans like to wave their "tear-ble tahls" (terrible towels)? Some other of my favorites:

Yinz – As in, are yinz coming over to watch the game?

Iggle – Everyone’s favorite grocery store: Giant Eagle

Buggy – That thing you push around the grocery store and put your food in.

Jimmies – Sprinkles on your ice cream. As in, I’d like a vanilla cone with rainbow jimmies.

Think you can speak Pittsburghese? Test yourself.

Anyhow, great game yesterday. I was so excited for the Steelers, but because I was watching with a die-hard Broncos fan and he seemed to be taking the loss rather hard, I couldn’t outwardly show the full extent of my joy. I would venture to say I enjoy watching NFL games as much as any guy. I get into the games, know the players, know the match-ups, etc. but I have not developed this deep relationship with the team the way guys do.

When "my" team loses, I’m dissapointed. But when my husband’s team drops a game, he spirals into full-on depression. I know to give him a few hours to absorb the loss before trying to even speak to him. When "his" team wins, I know it’s going to be a good night. He’ll cook dinner, open a nice bottle of wine, AND do the dishes afterwards WITHOUT me asking. His mood is so elevated that nothing bothers him and he wants to spread the love. For my sake, could you all take a moment to say a prayer for the lowly New York Jets. Without our collective prayers, the next few years could be a bit rough for my marriage!

Writer’s Block

Are you scared to succeed? I am. I find myself running towards the finish line, then sitting down right before I cross it. It must feel good to cross that line, but somehow I can’t bring myself to do it.

My latest race is to be a freelance travel writer. I’ve done my training. In college, my senior thesis was a collection of travel stories. But, since I hadn’t written in a number of years, I just completed a 10-week travel writing class to get my juices flowing again. I know what I need to do, but I’m scared.

I feel like an imposter when I send out my query letters. "Why would an editor want to read something I’ve written? I’m not a real writer." This is what the scared voice inside of me says. The dueling, rational voice calms me and tells me that I’m a good writer. I haven’t been published yet, but that’s because I haven’t tried before, not because I stink. I just need to develop a thick skin. A rejection doesn’t mean I’m bad or a failure.

Right now I’m struggling with myself to keep going. It would be so easy to quit. I joined a writer’s group to help carry me along and keep me writing. And I’ve started this blog to make myself write more often. The race is on.

So many places to go

Saturday I visited the Adventure Travel Expo at Jacob Javitz. There were representatives from states and countries there to show off their "stuff". I already have a few trips planned for this Spring, but it gave me inspiration for my next, next trips. Here’s a few things that caught my interest:

Palace on Wheels
India is one of those places that I really want to visit, yet I’m just not sure. I love Indian culture, but the country just seems totally crazy – the crowds, the pollution, the poverty. Palace on Wheels is an 8-day luxury train journey through Rhajasthan. On the surface, it seems like a great idea – travel by train (seems romantic -right?), see a new site everyday, leave the craziness of the city for the quiet of the train at night. But, I’m not sure you’d really "experience" India this way. You’d only see the sights and not really mingle with the people. Oh, and it’s CRAZY expensive.

Iceland
Iceland’s been on my radar for awhile. It just looks like an amazing place. Reykjavik is supposed to a charming, hip city with some great nightlife. There’s year-round outdoor swimming in the thermal pools. Lots of outdoor activities. Temperate climate. Short flight from NY. What’s not to like?

Here’s my map of where I’ve been so far in the world. I have so much ground left to cover!

create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide

Intervention

Somebody help me. I just spent 10 EXTRA minutes on the stationary bike at the gym so I could see Drew Lache do the quick step on Dancing with the Stars. I recognize that this is not the behavior of a normal and sane person. Yet, I just can’t stop myself. This dancing show is just the latest stop on my ever-winding B/C-List Celebrity journey.
When I flip through the dial and come across one of these mind-numbing celeb vehicles, I pause. I cannot resist. My eyes qickly glaze over and my hand on the remote goes limp.

I don’t remember how or when it started. Maybe it was Newlyweds? Did Nick and Jessica do this to me? Did they lead me down this path towards Surreal Life, Celebrity Fit Club, and Gastineau Girls? Oops. Did I just admit to watching Gastineau Girls?

Try not to judge me. I’m a smart person.  Really. I just have a few indiscretions in my intellectual pedigree. I work with a B-list celebrity (think Melrose), but I swear that was just a coincidence. I didn’t take the job because of him. As long as I’m embarrassing myself, let’ get it all out there:

I (sometimes) read the New York Post.

But I skip the editorials!

Do me this favor – Could you just not schedule the intervention during Dancing with the Stars? Next week they’re doing the cha-cha.

Gift Wrap-up

Now that the holidays are over and the January lull has set in, it’s time to take stock of my new loot.

Best Gift: DeLonghi Indoor Grill

Behold the mighty indoor grill.This thing KO’s the George Forman grill! Whoever said you should never buy a woman an appliance as a gift had obviously never met this baby. This is no ordinary appliance. I’ve used the grill at least a dozen times already – It’s really revolutionized my kitchen time. I’ve been lamenting (and whining) about how much I miss being able to grill and have the good old-time summer BBQ for several years now. I still don’t have my yard, but I have food that tastes like it’s straight from the grill. Finally something that tastes good AND is good for me!

Worst Gift: The Clapper

Ok, so this wasn’t technically my gift. My so-called friend gave it to my husband. Ha. Ha. She must have overlooked the fact that when you give someone the clapper, you’re really giving it to everyone in the household (and their neighbors). I’m sure she wouldn’t cause me so much pain purposefully.

We’ve all seen the commercial: "Clap on. Clap off. THE CLAPPER." Ha. If only it were that easy. It’s more like this: Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. [Rest raw hands] Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Ah – Light. A miracle. Let me just get my book and read here in silence. 3 minutes later: Sudden darkness. This thing has a mind of its own. Suffice it to say, The Clapper now lives next to the George Forman grill in the bottom of a bag by the curb. Good riddance!

Are you ready for some football?

Today marks the start of the NFL playoffs. I’ve been watching NFL for about 5 years now. My dad wasn’t a sports guy so I didn’t see much action growing up. But, I’ve really fallen in love with football. I know the rules better than most men and love the opportunity to explain the odd call.

I’m a fan divided and my two teams couldn’t be in more different positions. Let’s start at the bottom.

1. NY Jets. I became a Jets fan when I met my husband. Living in NY, I felt it appropriate to adopt a hometown team. Now I’m learning what he tried to tell me. The Jets WILL break your heart. We had high hopes for this season. Four quarterbacks later, we’re left disappointed and heart-broken. Adding to our misery, we now have no head coach and the prospects look grim.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers. Growing up in Central PA and going to college in Pittsburgh, I’m also cheering for the Steelers. Despite some hiccups along the way, the finished strong and I’m excited to cheer them on in the playoffs. I have my Terrible Towel ready to wave!