A year of friends

My, this year was filled with friends, and today was no exception. In spite of the weather, Mr. and Mrs. Boot and I zipped all over town in search of art and food and did well on both counts. We said our farewells in the late afternoon and after a too-brief nap, M. Panique and I headed out into the bitter, bitter cold to meet Eileen and Justin for dinner and a show. We said another farewell, to Dirty on Purpose, who are giving up their rock star lifestyles for, well, I suppose for something else. We scurried from Mercury Lounge to The Magician and rang in the New Year in blessed quiet (Justin has a head cold and I'm coming down with something).

A happy New Year, indeed!

New cravings

Thanks to a visit from One Red Boot and Mr. Boot, I've now made it to 2nd Ave Deli, and now I will be craving matzo ball soup and noodle kugel all the time!

Eggnog latte

At Pacha. Doesn't get any better.

Old faves

I squeezed in my walk around Town Lake while Sommer ran 10 miles. Better her than me. We had Kim Phung's fantastic hot and sour soup for lunch, I think for the first time since we moved to NYC.



Later in the afternoon, Sommer had to go to work so I left the boys playing golf from the sofa and went out to practice my driving and poke around the post-holiday sales. I finally made it to The Domain, which sprang up since we left, but didn't buy anything.

The day after the day after

Today we completed the family portion of our trip to Austin and commenced the friend portion. The closing ceremonies were lunch with M. Panique's folks at Polvo's. Opening ceremonies yielded sexy new dark skinny jeans for the aforementioned monsieur at Service on a SoCo shopping trip with Jim and Sommer. Score!

You wish...

...your niece was as cute as mine.

Jeebus Day

Thank you, tiny baby Jeebus, for the brand spanking new jetBlue terminal, hassle-free travel, and Jamba Juice for breakfast.



Austin has replaced the traditional tinsel candy canes and holiday bells on Congress Avenue with rainbow-hued dancing LEDs. Viewed from the terrace of our hotel's bar, this was a real treat.

Merry everybody!

Jeebus Eve

I did last-minute shopping and went to yoga. We had an oyster feast, then chicken pot pies, then I sipped a shot of Godiva liqueur with two ice cubes. I re-sized a tutu and wrapped a puppy (plush). We watched the new Monk holiday special, which was good, but could not compare to the big post office dance number in the new Muppets holiday special. We exchanged gifts.

Behold the tutu's satin-wrapped maw.

It's a Christmas... what's the Sanskrit word for miracle?

I did a headstand at yoga tonight! All by myself! For the first time ever! Of course, as soon as I realized I was up, I started worrying about how I would get down. It turned out to be no problem, and I look forward to doing it all again very soon.

Nothing in the Bible about tutus, right?

I made something for my niece. Using twenty inches of elastic and SEVENTY FIVE YARDS OF TULLE.

Today feels like this

Matthew Barney at MoMA, Luc Tuymans in the background.

'Tis the season to be surly

One last gift to take to the post office this afternoon, and I passed a crazy old lady dragging a wheeled cart of poorly wrapped packages. Since she didn't seem the slightest bit infirm, I just hurried past. Not fast enough to be out of earshot when she berated someone for being a stupid idiot after he failed to yield to her cart.

I was deeply entrenched in the line for the APC by the time she barged in and inserted herself in the queue for the front counter. She yelled at someone she thought was jumping the line, then when he failed to respond to her, she loudly accused him of treating her like a potted plant.

All the while taking swigs from a sports bottle of something that I'm guessing was not water.

Merry Christmas, NYC-style.

Today's exercise routine: cardio, yoga, futility

Because I asked, my MIL graciously provided a tip for what M. Panique and I could buy for my FIL for Christmas. She gave specific, but not restrictive, suggestions as to its style, size, and composition.

Sadly, it does not exist. I have exhausted my resources, virtual and brick-and-mortar. M. Panique will be enlisted in the search tomorrow, and something will be purchased, but I am more than a bit flummoxed. You would be, too, if I told you what I'm looking for.

No room at the inn

Because walk-ups don't have front yards, but they do have stoops.

"I live my life in the city / there's no easy way out"

"Tonight, I'm a rock'n'roll star."

Oasis at MSG.

And now its snowing.

Tee hee hee.

I went into Bath and Body Works for something Christmas tree-scented to augment my faux tree and when I came out it was snowing fat, slow tufts.

Too bad this photo looks like rain.

Whatevs

It's about 70 degrees today. WTF?

I know the feeling.

Found paper scrap on 55th Street between Eighth and Ninth.

What the hell happened to all the curling ribbon in New York City? I bought the cutest wrapping paper at Kmart and all I need is some shiny red curling ribbon. It's Christmas, dammit!

Attempted snorgling

M. Panique is not actually asleep, and Molly is having none of it.

What sheep?

We went to a benefit for Indego Africa at a gallery space in Chelsea last night, and someone had clearly forgotten to remove this sign after clearing the artwork from the room. But now I have to go back. Because who can resist an opportunity to not touch fragile sheep?

Mon nouvel atelier portatif

This afternoon I took my portable studio (equipped for a beading project) to Bouchon's take-out counter at the Time Warner Center. It looks sunny here, but in real life the light there is bad bad bad. Still, I stayed for about three hours and got a ton of work done. And yes, the sudoku there is part of the work. I swear.

More holiday spirit

You know those big soft molasses cookies that come ten to a package, like Archway cookies but generic brand?

At least I didn't need to worry about dinner when I got home tonight.

Silver and Gold

Above: The Pond. Below: The Tree. Both at Bryant Park.

Got the spirit

On my way home from the work/study gig today, I shopped for a faux Christmas tree at Kmart and Macy's. I didn't find one that called out to me, but I did find one on ebay. So how's that for getting in the holiday mood?

Ohmygodcan'tbreathelaughingtoohard.

Tiny prancers

How did I not know about this?

TJ I love you!

If Trader Joe's was a man, I would marry it. If it was a woman, I would marry it in Connecticut or Massachusetts. The quality and value are just that good.

Of course, every time I shop at the one at Union Square, I want to run screaming, pulling my hair out in bloody clumps. I was in the 12 items line today, with twelve items, when some crazy old lady peered into my mini-cart and asked me if I had too many items. To which I replied, "Mind your own beeswax, you nosy bitch."

But only in my head.

Last bloom of Autumn

This beauty grows on the chain link fence surrounding the neighborhood elementary school's tiny garden.

OMFG

If I hadn't experienced it today, I would not have believed my head was capable of such a prolonged and intense ache. Here's hoping tomorrow is a better day.

Deeez Nuuuts

Now that I'm blogging it, I can't remember the joke. It was something about how America's most important export should not be, as Obama suggests, our values, but something tangible. Like trucknuts. Or corn nuts.

Maybe you had to be there.

Coach ate my soul

I love this whack sweater.



It has patent leather trim, and it is haunting my every waking moment.

Aurora Urbanalis

Note to CNN.com

Dear CNN.com:

This headline is f*cking unforgivable.

People died.

You should be ashamed.

Sincerely,
Mme Panique

La Famile Panique

Mon frère, mon mari, mon père, ma mère... et moi.

Heartfelt thanks

Happy Thsanksgiving!

YOU ARE HERE

Actually, you are at the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, but you are looking at Chez Panique. You can almost see right into the lobby! Awesome!

Now let's get back inside where it's warm.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

You know, cr'mberry sause time.

Goat's milk is magic!

I made cajeta this morning, and in the process learned that I like goat's milk. I think it would be the perfect thing with a slice of chocolate cake. Or on cereal. A little sweet, but a little tangy. Yum.

Blood on the linoleum

It was a free-for-all in Fairway this afternoon, but my meds make these things so much easier. Also the fact that I wasn't driving.

Big thanks to Big Kitty, who took the natural childbirth route while I had the emotional epidural.

A project to be completed later

I do think it's off to a good start, but I'm not sure what comes next.

Rubbing it in

Last night we saw All My Sons, and Katie Holmes wasn't half bad, even if she did take the stage glistening with Vicks VapoRub.

Tonight we saw the new Bond movie, and Daniel Craig did not disappoint. Speaking of VapoRub, that man could rub me with an emollient of his choosing, any time he wanted.

TMI?

Watching

A very small detail of a very small assemblage I finally finished.

More than a year after I started.

Is it so very wrong...

...that I have been completely ready to put up a Christmas tree since before Halloween?

Fall flowers

Bought these for myself on the way home from yoga, because... why not?

Socky McSockersons

Um, Bee?



Whatcha doing with that baby sock?



Nifty, huh?

Too late for your pleading looks, G-Love...

We already ate all the whipped cream.

Better days

I stopped on my way to yoga to take a photo of this... photo, on the sidewalk in the rain.

It's an underexposed view of someone's living room, with the Red Sox on the tv.

Elevated subway platform, 225th Street

Crossed feathers, on a warmish grey day. I think I'd like these on my coat of arms.

Third time's the charm

Well, I almost wiped out twice in today's raininess, but the third time my feet slipped I landed on my ass on the stairs down to the subway. It was a fairly soft landing because I had a hold on the railing. Every muscle in my body went into spasms, though, and even after yoga tonight I still feel shaky and sore.

Happy birthday to me!

I got so many sweet birthday wishes from friends and family today.



At the work/study gig, I got cupcakes (from Cupcake Café, my favorite in New York City) and coffee and a lovely letterpress print. Thanks, guys!



John and I had a delicious meal at BLT Fish, and I got home in time to open some cards and packages while watching my shows.

What a day!

The new patriotism