dear weather.com, why do you hate me?

Weather.com frustrates me every day and yet I continue to look at it.

Why. Why. Why.

Do I love how it always tells me it’s going to snow when it’s really going to rain and vice versa? Do I enjoy toting around an umbrella when there turns out to be not one cloud in the sky? Do I love getting a shower before going home to shower?

My favorite tease is that it keeps claiming that it will get warmer in the future but it never does. I feel like I could do a better job of predicting the weather.

Today: still cold.

Tomorrow: probably still cold.

Chance of rain/snow/hail/flooding/tornado/hurricane/meatball downpour/raining men between 20 and 60 percent.

I love when it’s already raining and it’s says that there is a 70 percent chance it is going to rain today. What is this, Mean Girls?

i know ’cause my boobs told me so.

The weather is especially important in New York because it’s not like I’m entering my driveway and getting into my car. I’m walking to the crowded subway station where I will wait in the rush hour line for my turn to enter the land of rats. I will then proceed to pop out of another subway station and walk some more. So I’m not about to love flats when it is pouring rain. Hello, nastiness on my feet.

Does anyone know a better weather site or am I doomed? Please inform me.

it’s not all that bad.

New York City can be harsh. Lately, as you can tell, it’s been taking a toll on my soul with the crappy weather (snow forecasted again for today) and the subpar job experiences, etc. But there are some little things that, for whatever reason, truly make me smile about this place.

1. I love how when I enter the 86th street subway station, there is a screen that highlights one train system that is running on time. Like “the C has good service.” Well, great, I take the 6 and you would have given a shout out to the green line if it were doing well this morning.  So it’s clearly not. What do I care if the freaking C is doing okay. This never fails to make me smile. It’s an “eff you” that I appreciate. Even the MTA, forever content with its mediocracy, enjoys screwing me over. Somehow it just makes sense.

good service on the 4?! impossible.

2. I love it when tourists try to hail cabs and they yell “Taxi!” “Taxi!!” and are running all over the place like crazy people. I feel like I actually live here because I can smile smugly with the natives. I don’t even know if I want to be thought of as a New Yorker, but the greater feeling of belonging is pretty cool.

i hope i look as casual as serena.

3. I love that I walk all over the place which has caused me to remain roughly the same weight despite the increased presence of three B’s: bagels, booze and brunch. And when I walk all over, I get to see all kinds of people and all kinds of places. One day, I’ll be in some kind of suburbia and it will be the same few people who all walk their dog at the same time or whatever. And that will be good, too. But, for now, I get to see everyone.

people, people everywhere.

 

counting down ’till spring.

When I moved away from the San Francisco Bay Area, land of mild weather, I was under the impression that December was the coldest month of all. After all, some people had *gasp* snow on Christmas. Little did I know that January is usually worse. February is not that much better, and March doesn’t start off great.

I remember my sophomore year of college when I went to a journalism conference (always keeping it nerdy) in San Diego. I was literally sunbathing (with SPF 55 of course) in the late February/early March weather. Upon my return to college at Wake Forest, I was shocked to find the Charlotte airport parking lot covered in snow.

not sandals weather.

Last weekend’s weather was kind of acceptable, but I’ll be more happy when it’s finally spring and I’m not wearing my heavy Northface jacket that I used to reserve for trips to Lake Tahoe. Seriously. California spoils you, okay?

Three spring weather musts that I am looking forward to:

1. Walking around the reservoir near my apartment as everything is blooming. Note to self: allergy medication is a must beforehand.

1.58 miles of beauty.

2. Partaking in the beginning of “drinking outside” season. The rooftop at 230 Fifth is calling my name.

party all night.

3. Wearing pastels like I just don’t care. Please, can my closet just transform into a Lilly catalog.

which sweater should i wear? #firstworldproblems

Any other springtime favorites?

overscheduled and underslept?

I’m fairly certain none of my audience reads Parents magazine. But they ran a great article on “Sadderdays” that kind of hit home for me. The author was saying that she gets stressed out on Saturdays because there is so much to do and so little time. I don’t even have kids, but I feel the same way.

First of all, let me just say that I am the type of organization freak who has Google calendar up at all times just in case I need to schedule something or see what’s on my agenda. Even right now I am fighting the urge to check my calendar. Why am I so obsessive? I don’t even know.

I also feel horribly guilty if I turn anything down without a proper reason. Which means I’m running around the city like crazy on the weekends. At ballet I’m thinking of my boyfriend’s flag football game. On the sidelines, I’m mentally calculating how long I can stay at the post-game bar celebration before I have to go home and get ready for dinner. The subway ride to dinner takes “forever.” At dinner, I’m wondering if I’ll make it to drinks in enough time to finish a beer before I have to get back to the Upper East Side.

Remember when we didn’t set alarms on the weekends?

bummer.

The funniest part of all of this is that virtually all of my weekend activities are completely frivolous. I do most of my chores on weeknights. I pack my lunches the morning of work. It’s not like I have a big house to clean.

I don’t have to do any of the stuff I do on weekends (except work sometimes). But I feel somehow obligated to do everything.

My friend and I were recently talking about how we feel restless we feel if we aren’t actively doing something at all times. Is it because we live in the city that never sleeps? Does everyone feel this way?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some things to do before my 7 p.m. yoga class.

only pose i can do.

is everyone moving on without me?

After college graduation, everything was in flux. People were moving back home, people didn’t know what was happening. I was like, “Yeah! I’m going to go to New York and do this publishing program and then have this fancy publishing job and see ya lata, all figured out.”

movin’ on up to the big city.

But then, something strange happened.

Everyone started doing amazing things. Getting engaged, getting married, moving in with their boyfriends, getting real people jobs. And I was thinking … what?! You don’t use falling-apart IKEA furniture that’s been partially chewed at by mice to furnish your apartment? There’s not a bizarre frat-party-like experience pounding on top of you every Friday night? You don’t get paid hourly but have an actual salary? You get paid sick days? You can afford a vacation not with your family? (You can afford anything?)

at least i didn’t eat the horsemeat.

Call it the Facebook effect but I started feeling kind of bummed. For example, at first I would be so happy that I got up early and went to ballet at the Y. But then I would be like, wait, this other person on my newsfeed got up at 5 a.m. and ran a freaking half marathon. I can’t even get exercise right!

this will never be me.

I do have a few things. I have a dishwasher that sometimes works. A true Manhattan luxury. The other day I emailed a former Glamour blogger to fact-check something. She’s practically a celebrity.

I’m also naturally interesting because I’m from New York, according to Girls.

wise words from hannah.

And it’s probably horribly self-absorbed of me to look at people’s accomplishments and then say, “Crap! Why am I doing none of the above?” I’ve never even been that competitive of a person. I only applied to two colleges and when Tulane accepted me I was like, “Sweet, totally happy with this or Wake.” I wasn’t off competing with perfect-SAT-score for a spot at Harvard. Well, I would have lost. But that’s not the point.  Something about this early-20′s post-college experience has got me green with envy, and I can’t quite put my finger on it.

my own week in the life.

Something that never fails to crack me up: the ELLE section where they follow a “real” person around for a week and see what she wears to certain events. This month’s was particularly amusing. The 27-year-old featured has insane clothes and an insane life. That is not happening to me in four years … or ever.

always down-to-earth.

Anyway, I took the liberty of chronicling my own “Week in the Life” last week. This is how it went:

Monday, 1:00 p.m. President’s Day. Prudential Center for the Devils game. Wearing: Youth Large Devils T-Shirt, clearly designed for someone pre-pubescent; jeans that have stretched out so much that I can easily wear leggings under them. And I do. It is cold.

Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. Home. Wearing: oversized t-shirt, leggings, fuzzy socks. Judge me.

Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. Hall of Williamsburg for Atlas Genius concert. Wearing: Michael Kors dress, Banana Republic cardigan. Hipsters be jealous that I’m still in my work clothes.

Wednesday, 11:30 p.m. Still at Hall of Williamsburg. Wearing: beer-soaked Michael Kors dress and Banana Republic cardigan. Even better.

Thursday, ?. I don’t remember this day. I’m pretty sure only two things happened: I went to work; I went to bed.

Friday, 7:35 p.m. Saloon for comedy show. Wearing: black shirt, jeans, a necklace that I realized was rusting. Another solid purchase from H&M.

Saturday, 10:00 p.m. Roseland Ballroom for Imagine Dragons. Wearing: blue-green tank top from Anthropologie, Madewell jeans.

Saturday, 10:15 p.m. Roseland Ballroom. Wearing: beer-soaked blue-green tank top and jeans. Two-for-two this week.

I mean, if ELLE ever wants to give me a call …

cute way to look at romance.

I’ve been catching up on the Mindy Project and just viewed the Valentine’s Day episode. I loved how Danny, who is clearly the best male character on the show, points out that places are romantic because your experiences make them that way. To prove his point, he takes Mindy to this pizza joint that is really nothing special and explains that that place is romantic because that’s where he met his wife.

love him.

Now, I’m not sure I would ever call McFadden’s romantic, even if I did meet my boyfriend there. Still, it means a lot more to me than the Empire State Building, which is what Mindy thinks is the most romantic place in Manhattan, maybe even the world.

The other message here is to not go looking for love. It will find you when you least expect it. Easier said than done, of course!

valentine’s day.

What is everyone doing for Valentine’s Day? I have to admit that I not-so-secretly love this holiday because, hello, it’s about love! What could be sweeter than love … and chocolate?

I am crossing my fingers for a better Valentine’s Day than last year. We went to a wonderful steakhouse and had a great time, but I had strep throat. It was so painful to swallow! Not to mention at one point I had a fever of 105.

This year, we are eating at 1742 Wine Bar. I’m so excited! We ate there once before and they kept refilling our wine glasses.

yum.

The only thing is that our reservation is so late. On the one hand, I’m happy that I have plenty of time to go home and get ready. On the other hand, I’m totally that loser who eats at like 6:30 so I’m probably going to have a mini-dinner beforehand.

nyc girl tips for going out.

No intro necessary.

ON DRINKING

1. Don’t forget to eat. Yes, it’s more calories, but if you are anything like me, you will get sick and be considerably more hungover in the morning if you don’t eat before you go out. If you are seriously concerned about lbs., make an effort starting the day before. Eat healthier and a little bit less at every meal. But don’t starve yourself; you will over-drink and be sloppy. Like this:

sorry if this is you.

2. Water is your best friend. I often “double fist” water and my alcoholic drink. This is also great because I don’t have room to hold things for other people while they go to the bathroom or whatever. Just kidding I’m not that mean. Kind of.

3. No one cares. Sure, at the time, people might be nudging you to drink another beer or take a shot. But no one will remember in the morning whether you did or not. Except you. So don’t worry about it. Pace yourself. 

ON ATTIRE

1. Don’t wear shoes you are going to regret. You are NOT going to want to put on flats and then carry your shoes everywhere. No way. You’ll probably kill your feet or leave your shoes somewhere. And there ain’t nobody looking at your feet in a dark space, so don’t be so self-conscious.

2. Check the dress code before you go. Some places do not allow jeans or ask for heels (unfortunately negating attire tip #1). I’ve found that if you are a 20-something-year-old girl, they usually look the other way. But you can never be too careful. And you don’t want to look out of place anyway. Overdressing is almost always better than underdressing … except for the shoe thing.

3. Crossbody purses are amazing. It’s like a leash for your purse. I snagged one from work and it’s still spacious enough to fit a small wallet.

yes.

ON SPENDING

1. Cash > credit card. Some may disagree with this advice, but I think a. leaving your CC behind a bar or b. spending much more than you anticipated because you are telling someone to “put it on your tab” without knowing the total is not good stuff. Bring enough cash for the bar and a cab ride home just in case and you’re solid. Or bring your boyfriend. That works too.

2. Tip well. At least $1 for a beer and $2 for a mixed drink. Your bartender will treat you a lot better. This is especially important if you are planning on coming back. You might even get a free shot or two down the road. Also, don’t forget about karma.

3. A responsible pregame makes for responsible spending. Everyone knows drinks at home are cheaper (unless you have an open bar deal, then you might as well wait). But keep in mind that if you over-drink you might be so far gone that you keep ordering premium drink after premium drink, therefore spending same amount of money or more than if you hadn’t pregamed. Get a nice buzz going but keep it under control.

no.

THE END. Stay cool, friends.

that time i went to four concerts in two weeks.

Sometimes, when living in the city, you do some ridiculous things. This includes going to four concerts in two weeks. Below, a summary of what went down.

Cool, bro.

1. Youngblood Hawke & Keane (Thursday, 1/31)

The Venue: Radio City Music Hall

Favorite Song: We Come Running – Youngblood Hawke (out of Keane’s: Somewhere Only We Know of course!)

The Experience: This was my first time in Radio City since going to see the Rockettes whenever I last saw them. Anyway, the venue was fancy. The restroom even had an area to do your makeup or whatever. Admittedly, we went to this concert for Youngblood Hawke, which was actually the opener. None of us had heard a Keane song since roughly 2006. This turned out to not really matter, as they played a lot of old stuff. However, by Thursday night, we were pretty wiped from the work week and the music was putting us to sleep.

White pants for the win.

2. FUN. (Saturday, 2/2)

The Venue: Radio City Music Hall (again)

Favorite Song: Some Nights

The Experience: I think I would have actually preferred to drink less for this event. Having been at a bar since roughly 4 p.m., the calorie ratio of alcohol to food was like 4:1. Once we arrived, I demanded $13 champagne. It was going okay until I had to go to the bathroom and then forgot where we were sitting. This was very stressful and I missed part of “We Are Young.” Still, there were two encores and it was very exciting.

on the floor for this. nbd.

3. Mumford & Sons (Wednesday, 2/6)

The Venue: Barclays Center (Brooklyn?! Really?!)

Favorite Song: I Will Wait

The Experience: Amazing. Too much for words. I loved every second of it. BUT the subway ride back to the Upper East Side was beyond miserable and I never like getting home at 1 a.m. on a work night. Still, this is a truly unbelievable band to see live.

my jam.

4. Passion Pit featuring Matt & Kim and Icona Pop (Friday, 2/8)

The Venue: Madison Square Garden

Favorite Song: Take a Walk

The Experience: Believe it or not, I had never been inside MSG prior to this concert. Kind of crazy, right? It was an awesome venue; the renovations made it what a new stadium should be. There was a blizzard going on outside which was kind of crazy, but this concert was totally worth having snow attack my face. The encore was Sleepyhead, but I actually liked Take a Walk more. What surprised me was how young the crowd was. It was high school central. What does this say about me? I’m not sure …