Hello Again

Above please find a pictorial explanation for why I haven't blogged recently.

As many of you know, I've been going to LA on business trips. The best part about this is that I get to see my West Coast-based family, especially my little cousins. As you can see, a prerequisite for being a member of my family is to have brown, curly hair. The pics are of my cousins Eden and Everett - two adorable, adorably-named kids. Don't be alarmed, Everett does not have some sort of purple rash, he's in a dragon costume because well, why not. I picked Eden up from school with her Mom and we did her homework together and made brownies. She calls me "Cousin Sue." Everett is pretty quiet and chill except for when, with no warning, he yells out "coo coo la la!" at the top of his lungs. My last trip to LA was great - a perfect combination of work, family, and (free) meals. Plus, I rented a car and drove around LA for the first time ever! (Shout out to the Hertz navigational system "Never Lost" which saved my life and made Mapquest seem like an old-timey, old-fashioned compass). I'm actually really proud of myself, which is something I don't say all that often. But driving in LA - on the freeway in particular - was nerve-wracking and I did it (sweaty palms and all) and I felt brave. Of course being the Jew/foodie that I am, I decided to test out my driving skills on day 2 by taking a trip to In-N-Out burger. For all you New Yorkers like me, who'd heard the hype and the buzz ("even celebrities eat there!"), I have to say - rest easy, it ain't all that great. It makes the Shake Shack (bad hygiene rating and all) look like God's gift to the burger. I'm off to LA again tomorrow, this time I will be staying at the Chateau Marmont so hopefully I'll get to do some crack with Lindsay Lohan.

Remember how on the Golden Girls when they were upset, they ate cheesecake? Well, cheesecake scares me. So when I was sad this past Friday, I bought a pair of sneakers. I go in waves with sneakers. Lately I've been into these Asics, pictured above. I'm not sure white sneakers are good for fall/winter but I couldn't resist because of the great color of the dark pinkish/red stripes and because I was blue. What caused my ennui? 'Twas a couple of things. First of all, my favorite work friend left. That was a blow. She was the person I got coffee with in the mornings and often went to lunch with, we vented to each other about work people and boy people, she was smart and funny (gems like "my boyfriend should not be lecturing me on jobs. The only job he's ever had was when he was 15 and swept the floor of a pharmacy.") So, I was really bummed that she left. Another sad thing - without going into too much detail - let's just say I no longer have a gentleman caller. This was my doing, but tough nonetheless. I have guilt and remorse and the glaring reminder of how much dating sucks. So, to use a word my roommate aptly applied to the situation, I've decided to go on a dating sabbatical. But Jake Gylls, if you're reading this, call me, the sabbatical does not apply to you. Why else was I sad on Friday? I can't remember. But I'm happier now. I have new sneaks (which fit into my overall look, I like to call it 'production casual'). And I had a very nice Rosh Hashanah dinner with the fam + friends. Bring on the atoning!

Justin Timberlake. Sigh. He really knows how to wear a suit. Seriously. I'm a big fan of his new album - despite the whack title (which I will not even name here because it's so silly). Although I don't love every song, a lot of the songs are GREAT. I know I'm risking alienation and judgment by including the JT pic and commentary on my blog but I just wanted to be honest - Justin has been taking up a lot of my time lately (both audio and visual - as people at my Rosh Hashanah dinner can attest to after I made them watch the fabulous one-two punch of Justin and Sarah Silverman on Leno, just as Adonai originally intended for the dessert portion of the evening). I'm still waiting for the day when my sister doesn't look at me weirdly every time I mention Justin Timberlake, that look of pity, mixed with why-are-you-still-a-teeny-bopper disdain, mixed with mild curiosity. But I can't help it, Justin's music is a welcome distraction and it's important to have new music to listen to on these 5 hour + flights.

These pics and accompanying explanations are some examples of why I haven't blogged recently. I like the balance of having both valid and embarrassing reasons for my absence (and the list continues along this path - writing with Willa = good reason, fall TV season has begun = not as good a reason). I appreciate your patience, hope you enjoyed the visual aids, and I hope to be back sooner than later.