Life Lesson From My Parents

I've been given many life lessons from my parents, mostly about money now that I think about it, but in 2011 I have been really good at sticking to one of their cardinal rules.

I've been prepping the coffee maker at night so that I have coffee first thing in the morning. I know...not really a hard lesson to learn, but it does require organization and preparation.

I realized when I was at home for Christmas how nice it was to have hot coffee ready and waiting in the morning. I joke with people that going home is like visiting a bed and breakfast because the coffee is always ready and as a "guest" I don't have to worry about the prep or cleanup. But....I also decided this was behavior I could adopt.

I don't have a programmable coffee maker but I've got a good system figured out: prep the water and coffee the night before, turn the pot on while brushing teeth in the AM, hop in the shower. When I'm out of the shower, the coffee is ready to go, enjoy that first cup while checking email and then begin the day.

Not to say my only learnings from my parents comes in the form of caffeine, but as anyone who has met the Cal-Christo's knows, we're a happier crew when we have coffee in our systems.

Only with a sister...

Only when your sister comes to visit can you:

watch Season 1 of Greek on the ipad in bed
return laundry detergent to Costco
make a small meal out of samples at Costco
plan part of the day around 90210 reruns
share a whole bloomin' onion
have a Lifetime Movie Marathon and watch two back-to-back
split a bag of brussels sprouts
....and so much more!

Thanks for a great visit Paula

Over My Christmas Vacation.....

Remember in elementary school when you'd come back from Christmas Vacation (later renamed Winter Recess) and you'd do a journal entry on what you did over the break? My memories were of listing presents, movies watched, and occasionally talking about any parties we had or relatives who visited. I thought I'd sum up my adult version of Christmas break (my office closes bet Christmas and New Year's so it really is an official break) with a little list of things I did in California, in no particular order:

- went to In-N-Out burger
- visited with my grandma, my nephews and my godfather
- went shopping on Christmas Eve (not as crazy as expected)
-walked on the beach
-read a ton of magazines
-watched a lot of sports, including going to the Laker game on Christmas day
-spent New Years with friends
- drove on the 405 freeway (and around Santa Monica a little)
-witnessed my dad set up and continue to use a Facebook account AND get an iPhone
- missed the SoCal rain storms
- missed the NY Boxing Day Blizzard
- wore flip flops :)

All in all, it was a low key fun week with family. Can't say I'm really ready to get back to work because who wants vacation to end, but it is time to get back to real life in New York City.

And apologies for any formatting/spelling errors- this was composed via iPad.

New Favorite iPhone Feature

Okay, I can admit that I'm kind of a workaholic. And sometimes, my efficiency and habits from work move over to my personal life. But certainly not all of them (my personal filing system is quite relaxed, my office filing is quite anal).

However, my new favorite thing to do is conference calls on the iPhone. It started when I called Paula on Friday to talk about Sara coming for Thanksgiving. Then, while we were talking, Sara called. So, we restarted our conversation and conferenced her in. It was super fun to talk all three of us and hear about new apartments, first days of school, weekend plans- conversations we would have had separately but this way, it was all done together.

I tried to set up a 3 person call the other day to discuss travel plans, but no one else was as excited as me by the idea.

Either way, I'm going to try to use the conference feature on the iPhone more because sometimes it really does get things done faster and its fun.

Visit with the Parents

The last time my parents were in New York together and with me, they were moving me to the city the day after graduation. It was a stressful trip, I'm sure there was rain, and I don't think any of us remember it being a lot of fun.

So, when they said they were coming for a long weekend on the way to Boston, I was really excited. My mom and I have things we like to do when she visits and my dad unfortunately is the champ of going with me to Home Depot, the grocery store and also sporting events. This past weekend was a combination of old favorites and a few housekeeping projects.

I moved to the couch bed and planned out the weekend. We had a great time- beautiful weather on Saturday was perfect for walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and having famous Grimaldi pizza in the park. Dinner at Mesa Grill was also delicious. Sunday was rainy so we did church, brunch very near church and then headed to Costco to see about getting me a family membership (didn't work out) and also to have helpers for carrying the loot home. :)

Then we went to the Mets game Sunday night. It was damp and misty when we got there, then the heavens opened up to rain and we fled our seats. We got some dinner and ventured back to our seats, but the mood was down and the crowd was sparse. They told everyone we were welcome to move to any seat on any level outside of the dugout (so the coveted behind home plate seats were not an option). We were much happier under cover and closer to the field, especially when the heavens opened up again in the top of the sixth- we sat through some of the rain delay (in part to eliminate the walk to the subway in the downpour) but finally gave up and learned this morning they ended up calling the game.

I am a lucky girl; I got help rotating my mattress, hanging some pictures, got a clock fixed and just had a great time showing off my city and apartment.

All the pictures from the weekend are on my mom's camera, but I'm sure she'll share.

Easter Weekend

I'm pretty beat from Easter Weekend, so this is just a quick look at what all Paula and I did.

Brunch at Brasserie 8 1/2; it was a lovely buffet and we sampled pretty much everything. (lo-res because we had to use the iPhone...)

Walking around 5th Ave enjoying the gorgeous 75 degree weather!

With memories of childhood, we dyed some eggs.

And we got pictures of our new nephew! Wish I could have been closer but I'll get to see the little guy (kinda, he was 9 lbs, 12 oz) in about a month. Here's Derek Ryan Marshall:

The combination of great weather, Paula's wonderful company along with silly Easter activities and the excitement of a new baby- it was a great weekend!

Home is....

Home is where:

- You know where the Brita pitcher and cups are
- You know how to work the TV
- You can make plans on a Monday to be there Friday
- Mom's recipes are, even if Mom isn't cooking

Paula, perhaps having a case of the Februaries, came to visit last weekend. Being 3000 miles from home is tough, but luckily, I am a short 4 hour bus trip away and am happy to be her east coast home.

We had a great weekend; shared my big comfy bed, made pancakes, cookies and Mom's beef stroganoff, saw a movie, did laundry and homework. It was a mix of normal weekend stuff and a few special things since she was visiting.

That's the true experience of going "home" in college- things are the same but yet, the host is happy to have you back, so there are little special treats throughout the weekend like chocolate chip pancakes.

I'm glad that I can be here for her, but also glad to have her come and visit. It is truly awesome when your sisters become your friends and you get a great weekend together.

A Case of The Februaries...

Please review for further reference:

The Februaries- when the cold dreary month of February gets you down, you have a case of this. You want to give up your normal life and go to warm places like Florida or California. You miss the excitement and fun of Christmas and you know Lent is looming. You may have more self pity than usual but luckily, you can wear sweaters to cover the extra pounds that may result from February antecedents like chocolate, wine, and hearty soups/stews

Christmas

I think the best two presents I got this Christmas were not technically material items and they were sort of presents I gave myself, but they definitely helped me relax and enjoy the holidays.

1. 10 days in California. I left Dec 23rd super early in the morning and didn't come back until Jan 2. Even better, my office was closed Dec 24th until Jan 4. It was an amazing break from the cold and hustle and bustle of New York, as well as a true break from work. I came back refreshed, though I don't think anyone on Jan 4 was really ready to be back at work.

2. I flew business class both ways! This was truly the best thing I could have done for myself this trip. I used airline miles in June to book my holiday ticket and lo and behold, when you book 6 months in advance, business class can be the same amount of miles as coach. I was completely spoiled and literally never want to go back, to the back of the plane, in coach. I had a blanket, reclining seat, watched movies, and felt like I was really a VIP. Can't wait to save up some miles and try to do it again.

Thanksgiving

It was a quintessential New York Thanksgiving this year; Paula came down from Boston a few days before Turkey Day to relax and come visit me at work. We prepped with chex mix and pies on Wed and got up early Thursday to check out the parade. The weather was great and we wished we had left even earlier to get a prime viewing spot, but the balloons were my favorite part and we could see those with no problem.

After the parade, it was home to start cooking. And yes, I can now say that cooking a full Thanksgiving dinner for two people is crazy. So much work (dishes!) and so much food! But we were full and happy and Paula is a great sous chef.

Here's our feast:

And the bird:

Fall Visits

I had two back-to-back fall visits last week. I went up to Boston to see Paula for Northeastern's Parents/Family weekend. Mom was already there so she and I got to see the sites of Northeastern and shop with Paula. The little one realized that between the cold weather and business casual dress code in classes, she needed a lot of new clothes.

Then, Mom and I took the bus from Boston to New York, where we hung out and played a bit in the city. I took three days off of work to enjoy the time to relax and hang out. We went to some needlepoint stores, went to the little Italy area of the Bronx, hit a museum, and tried out a couple of new recipes.

During both visits, it was a lot of eating, shopping, and hanging out. Fantastic time was had by all! I can't wait for the next opportunity, but I think the next visit will be in California at the beach for Christmas.

Missing College, Missing Boston

The "baby" of the family has her first day of college today. She moved in on Sunday, had convocation on Monday and is off to classes today.

She happened to pick one of the best cities to go to school in- Boston. Thinking about all the fun and excitement of starting college made me go down memory lane. Here are some pictures of "My Boston".

The T, running straight through BU's campus, heading into downtown Boston.

The Prudential Center (aka The Pru) cheering on the home team.

Sailing in the Charles River with downtown in the distance. I took sailing as PE one semester.

My freshmen dorm after one very big snowstorm.

California here I come...

...Right back where I started from.

The title and first line are lyrics from Phantom Planet's California, which is the ringtone I use for my family on my cell phone. Apparently, I'm into music as blog titles this week.

And I'm off to CA for the rest of my vacation! Flight leaves NYC at 6am and I get to the golden state at 11am. We have lots planned and I'm sure I'll have some pictures to post next week. Going to see the family, my good friend Claudia, and hopefully get a little bit of a tan.

4th of July

I am a big fan of the 4th of July. It is one of my favorite holidays, but the nice thing is that I don't have any traditions that need to be fulfilled each year besides fireworks. As long as I can wear red, white and blue and be with friends and family, I'm good.

This year was fantastic. I went up to Boston where the weather was perfect, nicer than it has been there or here in NY in a while. I stayed with college friends and spent the weekend hanging out with them. Then, my parents got in Sat afternoon so I saw them for fireworks on Sat and then brunch on Sun.

I love Boston and seeing my college friends and being back in the area just makes me happy. I really feel like I've left a little piece of myself there.

Here's a few pics from the weekend.

Getting in the red and blue mood with berry cobbler (this is the before).

With the wonderful Laura!

Quick shot of the parents in the public garden; gorgeous sunny weather!

With "the baby" who is in town for college orientation! Crazy!

Plans

A good friend of mine once pointed out how nice it is to have benchmarks of plans in place. Things like trips and holidays to count down to. After a couple of busy weeks at work, I have organized myself for some trips and holidays of my own and I already feel more motivated! Look at what I have to look forward to...

4th of July Weekend in Boston 7/3-7/5
Vacation 7/20-7/24
Cape May with the girls 8/7-8/9
Vegas with the girls 10/8-10/11
Christmas in CA 12/23- 1/2/10

And things I'm still working on....
St. Louis in Sept
CA anytime before Christmas

And yes, I am a crazy person that already has plans for 2010. What can I say? When the mood strikes to plan, I go all out!

Pomp and Circumstance

I love graduations. I love the music of pomp and circumstance, the caps and gowns, all the smiles people have, the big diplomas tucked under their arms and flowers in their hands. I got teary watching the Gossip Girl characters graduate and it wasn't even a real ceremony. I smiled when I saw a random girl carrying her Columbia gown down the street this morning. This is my favorite time of year.

My college graduation was nothing like I imagined, there was no champagne with the roomies before the big outdoor ceremony because it was freezing rain and we hadn't decided if we were actually going to go. I didn't wear my cute dress (for the same reason) and in fact, I wore yoga pants and my BU flip flops.

But it wasn't bad- just different than I expected. There were amazing moments, like my favorite advertising professor handing me my diploma and one of my best friends being the commencement speaker. And being super comfortable in my yoga pants :)

Its a priceless day, as these pictures show. How hot are those ponchos?

And now I'm off to Sara's college graduation, where I know she'll make her memories and have a great time. I just hope the rain stays away. :)

Goodbye House

Today is moving day in Bakersfield. My parents are officially moving out of the house where I grew up. We moved in when I was almost 8 years old and I lived there until I went to Boston for school, but I always went back for the holidays and was really home.

The new house in Seal Beach is awesome; it is such a cute area and a beautiful house, but there is something sad about saying goodbye to the rooms I know, especially my bedroom that overlooks the pool, my palm tree decorated bathroom, the entryway where we performed plays and dance shows. There is the closet under the stairs we used as our barbie room and the laundry chute that lets out into "the Christmas closet" a closet that doesn't even really contain Christmas decorations.

I never really said goodbye to the house, I was there last May and knew that it was likely the last time I'd be there, but the housing market wasn't great, so I figured I'd have one more Christmas or one more swim in the pool. Alas, that was my last trip and I remember everything in its place, just like home is supposed to feel.

So, I'm making today my "thanks for the memories" day. And someday, I'll go back to the house in Bakersfield and check it out, to make sure the new family is enjoying as much as we did growing up.

Goodbye 8901 O'Meara Ct!

Visitors!

The best thing about living in a big city is that people come to visit all the time. I love having people come to NYC and staying at "Hotel Teresa".

My sister came yesterday so we could go see the New York City Ballet perform and it is her last impromptu visit since she's leaving Providence and will be a 5+ hour flight away rather than a 4 hour train or bus ride away.

She was an awesome ballet dancer back in the day but hadn't yet seen City Ballet perform. So, I had an opportunity to get half price orchestra seats and we had a wonderful Friday night in Lincoln Center.

Then, this morning we got to have breakfast with Uncle Dan, Lisa, Jonathon and Rebecca since they are in town for the weekend as well.

It was great see everyone, I hope more people come visit soon!