Awesome TED TALK

"The only way to spend New Year's Eve is either quietly with friends or in a brothel. Otherwise when the evening ends and people pair off..."

"The only way to spend New Year's Eve is either quietly with friends or in a brothel. Otherwise when the evening ends and people pair off, someone is bound to be left in tears." - W.H. Auden


Was out partying last night...boxing day night. Not usually a night I associate with dancing and partying...especially since it was also a Sunday night. Why not?

It was D Squared's party at Maison on Mercer Street. A hip street of hip clubs full of pretty bois and hipster chics. I felt both in and out of place. My new obsession/hero, Blake McGrath was there. I waved/beckonned to him across the club and he acknowledged me. Later, I fabricated a chance to even meet and shake hands and make intros at the bar. Today I facebooked, tweeted and now blogged about it. I feel so....teenage girlie about it...lol!

I must say that life has become a tad dull lately. I had my big Holiday open house party last Sunday...for which I baked and prepared for weeks. It was a big success. But since then, I have been OVER the holiday spirit. So last night was a tiny taste of the fabulousity of the summer and perk of holiday energies...that I needed.

Just now as I was typing this blog in a somewhat self-pitying mood, my mobile rang and lo-and-behold there was a last second dinner invite from a guy I've been chatting with off-and-on for the better part of the last year. I finagled invited for my friends (at first he declined -- requesting a rain-check and begging for forgiveness due to lack of sufficient food -- but then he called back and reneged on his reneg). Miracles. In this great big city. With all these phone #s and facebook friends and twitter followers, it is so easy to feel or be lonely...and so completely unnecessary. Then the phone rings...and it's all over. A new life!

It's almost New Year's and I want to make the most out of 2011...so let's go have FUN!

"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult." Seneca (5 BC - 65 AD)

What are you daring to do? What are you avoiding? What are you afraid of? Why are you afraid of it? What's holding you back? What would you be doing if you weren't afraid? What are you afraid would happen? What will happen if you don't dare? What will change? What will remain the same? What will you lose? What will you gain? What will you become if you do or don't dare? Who are you? Really....

"The hottest love has the coldest end." - Socrates

The Greeks knew everything...under the sun. Life. Love. Liberty. They knew and wrote about it all....thousands of years ago. So nothing has really changed...really. NOTHING. Just different names/places and the era and scenery perhaps...but it's all human existence. Its hard not to slip into ennui or despair with that idea, but then who says it can't be fun rediscovering and reinventing. Who says you can't repeat history...and have fun.

THE HOTTEST LOVE...I had one of those once or twice. Both took a lot more out of me than the ultimately contributed...by the cold end. Both were reliefs to leave/escape. And not that there weren't "moments of joy"...but those moments were few and far between. And as the cold bitter end drew closer and closer...they were non-existent or purely invented.

Dreams and loves die hardest when held tightly. The trick is to LET GO!

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do. - Confucius

So often I have failed and let it stop me. How I have felt the depressing reality of missing the mark, of falling short, of not succeeding. But the truth is, we are never really failures til we stop. Stop trying. Stop persisting. Stop moving forward. Whether, like Sisyphus, it feels like we are pushing a boulder up a hill or mountain, it is important to know: it is OUR boulder and our HILL. In other words, your life's work is to push boulders up increasingly higher and higher hills and mountains. And if you are on the right path, just as you get to the top of one hill, another bigger mountain and another, bigger boulder will appear

"Despise not small things, either for evil or good, for a look may work thy ruin, or a word create thy wealth. A spark is a little thing..."

"Despise not small things, either for evil or good, for a look may work thy ruin, or a word create thy wealth. A spark is a little thing, yet it may kindle the world." - Martin Farquhar Tupper

It is often the "little" things that make the difference. The smile when you least expect. And extra little effort by a salesperson. A pat on the back or compliment from a colleague or lover/friend. A small, silly gift not needed or wanted but left with care and love...a surprise. Breakfast in bed. A kiss. An embrace. A call out of the blue...

All of these things can add up to a delightful moment or day or life. How much power we all have to do so much with so little effort. So go the extra little step. Give a little more. Say something nice. Make a compliment. Shake someone's hand and smile. Be real...honest...caring. It makes a BIG difference!

"Had there been no difficulties and no thorns in the way, then man would have been in his primitive state and no progress made in civilization..."

"Had there been no difficulties and no thorns in the way, then man would have been in his primitive state and no progress made in civilization and mental culture." - Anandibai Joshee


Well, I'm back from Paris and the Marathon de Paris. WHAT A TRIP!

Rachel O and I flew there and arrived on Tuesday morning. After we checked into our hotel, we were joined for lunch by Melanie and Rachel J. We had a lovely afternoon and drank, ate, talked, walked. Then Rachel O and went back to our hotel and booked tickets to the south of France! Went back out for the most extraordinary dinner at Des Ombres underneath the Tour Eiffel. We ate, drank, talked and watched the Eifell Tower twinkle all night. Then Mel & Rachel J joined us and we went out for drinks in the Moulin Rouge area. Then Rachel O and I went back to the hotel for 3-hour sleep (I had been up for 48+ hours at this point) and woke up at 4am and rushed off to ORLY airport and flew to Nice!

Once there, we rented a stunning, brand-new silver Mercedes E250 and drove to CANNES! My dream (almost) come true. We booked a room at THE CARLTON (another dream fulfilled) right on La Croissette staring into the Mediterannean Sea! Oooh la la! Then we ate and drove off into the mountains of Provence. We stopped at a tiny village called Flayosc and had drinks and nibbles. There we met a lady from.....Unionville! The same home town as Rachel O!

After chatting with her and walking around the village, we jumped back in our car and drove to St Tropez!

DOES IT GET MUCH BETTER????

Then after sushi, drinks and tons of ice cream, we drove along the coast back to Cannes and Rachel zonked out. I stayed up on La Croissette dreaming of the Cannes Film Festival I will one day attend. Then finally went to bed.

Next day we buffeted in the main restaurant and headed out. Driving now to Montecarlo! OOOOOH MY GOODNESS! How utterly beautiful. We lunched and Rachel gambled ($20 Euros in a slot -- gone in 5 seconds) and then headed back to Nice to the airport to catch our flight back to Paris!

WOW...those first couple of days were some of the most extraordinary of my recent/whole life!

LIFE IS AN ADVENTURE...thorns and all!!!!