Confessionals

I likely posted this photograph once before in the early stages of owning my Nikon. I've since adjusted it in Aperture but I still have yet to transfer more photographs from Craig & Kristin's PC to Annie MBP13 because of little time and energy to do so. I suspect I'm going to go for it and purchase Aperture in 11 days when my free trial ends; that will pile on additional motivation (that I paid for it, and a steep price, at that!) to figure out what's going on photographically. This is a huge goal prior to traveling to Europe this fall: to better understand the Nikon so that I don't spend precious time fumbling with settings (I will be doing very little bracketing because the trip is too short) and to figure out a decent photo organization plan. I've been declaring I'd do this for months and have found every excuse on this green earth to avoid the task. I suppose having acquired a laptop and iPhone and dSLR and a Facebook page and on and on and on has been like waking up after having been asleep for 100 years, because that's just how quickly technology has advanced under my very nose. I suppose I could have kept up better, but it was never my thing. Not that it is now my thing, but I feel as though photography and journaling my meagre existence are more convenient now.*Anyway, the office is being shut down at the end of September. Happy September, by the way! This marks our 4th September and our (hopefully complete) 4th Autumn in New York. I'm so sorry to all of the other cities where I've lived but that can't have held a candle to this one, and I love you all for your quirks and corners, but New York just trumps every, single, last, place, I've, lived. As if I haven't said so enough! Tonight on the 7 (sardined with the damn US Open enthusiasts, agh! I can't stand these 2 weeks each year!) I glanced up and caught a glimpse of Manhattan and I was humbly reminded that I can't for one second take it for granted if we land this job in Brooklyn that I live here. So many millions (like, 11) live here, and who knows what percentage of those millions actually care that they live here? Many, I'm sure, but overall? Is it enough? There's this peace that resides within the chaos. It pulses steadily while the chaos spins. And the layers, and the texture, and the skin, and the skies and the trees and buildings and beliefs and foods...not much can compete with this town, I am convinced*Oh, speaking of foods! I just (by virtue of being quite slow in the day currently) discovered, over the course of a few days, that the restaurant critic for the Times has resigned after 5 years of writing restaurant reviews. His name is Frank Bruni and he's got such, such an interesting background thing going. He is stepping down from the position at 44 because he finished and has near-published his memoir about his relationship with food his entire life. Evidently, he believes he was bulimic as a baby (what the...??) and the bulimia grew into a full fledged way of life for him in order to maintain what he felt was a "healthy" physique. So he studied journalism and covered a presidential campaign and wound up, strangely, as the Times restaurant critic (a hugely prestigious position that does not just get handed to anyone!) I read a few of his articles on the Times website, and definitely he's a talented guy. I particularly appreciate the fact that a recovered bulimic would engage in a career so closely associated with his poison (food) and be so completely successful at it. Nevertheless, he felt that in order for his relationship with food (how I love that in theory!) to be best represented in his memoir, he could not continue, in good faith, to act as the Times' critic. So I'm fully engaged in this thing now: I want to read all of the history of Bruni's articles, and I want to stay current with the new critic, who will not begin until October. I love new exciting little gemstones to cling to!*Meanwhile, tonight rocks: Craig is on dinner duty. A little anecdote: I asked him to purchase 3 things in prep for making our dinner (the menu of his choosing, mind you) - chicken broth, orzo and a side vegetable. Should I even go on? Yes, he forgot something. Yes, it will hamper dinner. Is he trying to find a clever substitution over there (I can see him from my post on the couch!)? Yes, he is. Who knows what it will be...he's toying with a few things verbally that have me nervous! Being honest here. But it is nevertheless so kind for him to cook for me. I needed this night off from the kitchen, to hang with Annie, to have a chill night of my own for once. Sheesh, my days are so chill right now...I wish I could swap out some of my day hours for my night hours - get crazy at work for a few hours, and have nothing scheduled for the evening hours. I will say and say so emphatically that I have absolutely no idea how people my age juggle their own lives: careers, extracurricular activities, spouses, travel, etc. - and sprinkle children on top of that! Hello?*Confession: the Jade Plant shown above has officially kicked the bucket. I feel terrible about it. And I haven't pitched it yet, either. I'm such a bad mom! See? No children for me just yet! I can't even keep a JADE (the plant with a countless number of lives) alive! Eek.