Order has been restored.

I do love potatoes...

Up until yesterday afternoon, Dr. H and I had been living in our new apartment sans cable or internet. With so many areas impacted by recent storms* the earliest appointment FiOs could give us was 5 days after our move-in. Given our affinity for vegging out in front of the tv (serious love for our "programs") this was a pretty gaping hole in our ability to "settle" into the new place. We'd been meandering through our evenings, lost souls with nothing to do but unpack boxes, assemble furniture and bicker out of exhaustion about the placement of stuffed animals (Dr. H is not pleased that his Joe Montana Wrestling Buddy has been relegated to a closet). 

But with the television back in our lives, it's like we've re-located our center. Last night I cooked dinner, we watched some shows, Dr. H did the dishes and we snuggled, little productivity-less zombies on the couch. I sighed and thought to myself "here is our routine, order has been restored." Those night stands that got delivered and require assembly? Tomorrow. The fact that our hall closet is mostly a heap of shizz with a giant stuffed penguin on top? I'll get to it. Maybe it's ridiculous to allow the tv to play such a vital role in our home, but honestly, I don't care. Life requires so much doing and organizing and thinking, that sometimes the anecdote has to be mindless entertainment. So thank you Carrie Matheson, Ron Swanson, Dwight Schrute and Jon Stewart for bringing normalcy back to our home. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a week's worth of television to catch up on.

*Ed. Note: Dr. H and I feel truly lucky to be in living in a heated home, with electricity and no storm damage. I recognize that quibbling over cable is a blessing relative to so many other NY'ers in truly dire circumstances. Make a difference by clicking HERE.

Normal(ish)

Hey Sandy, NY has a message for you...

Today is going to be a normal-ish day. I'm back at the office... but the majority of my colleagues are not. I'm packed and ready to move... but my new apartment is not able to welcome me (powerless). My family is safe and mostly unscathed... but my city and so many friends, are not as lucky. It feels a little strange to act normal-ish. Yesterday I went on an exploratory bike ride:

Even where there's power, it ain't safe in the street

Our neighborhood crane is still dangling

...and downtown, is a ghost town (Meatpacking Dist)

Pumps in the West Village are working overtime

You no longer need scuba gear at the
Brooklyn/Battery tunnel 

Thankfully, NYC has not lost its sense of humor:

"Bill Clinton" & a lady friend attempt to hail a cab
on First Avenue yesterday afternoon

Tomorrow we will shoot for "normal", but today I think it's ok to settle for "normal-ish".  Once again, I quote my favorite poet:

Just like moons and like suns,

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still I'll rise.

First comes love, then comes marriage...

It seems that once a woman gets married, people immediately want to know when she’s going to start a family. I’m amazed by how many people have followed their marital congratulations with “when are you planning to have children?” The (extremely personal!) topic explodes in your face mere seconds after the volume on “what color are your bridesmaids dresses?” is turned down. Sometimes I just want to yell “WHOA there! One life milestone at a time please!!”

What’s really weird about my reaction to this question is that I actually think about having children all the time; but not in the “ohman I want one RIGHT NOW” sort of way (stay calm Dr. H), more like “someday when I do this baby makin’ thing it is totally gonna rock!” I love imagining what Dr. H and I will be like as parents: I love envisioning our little family adventuring in NYC and knowing I’ll have the perfect excuse to indulge in all the “little kid” activities I find so entertaining (arts and crafts, circuses, playgrounds!) I love the idea of being a mom. But I’m also well versed in known “lesser joys” of parenting - the exhaustion, deciding whether or not to leave the city I love and navigating how to be a career rock-star like my Dad AND a supermama like my stay-at-home Mom (can it be done!?) In the see-saw of my mind, couples getaways and date nights are still far more appealing than having any tiny 3rd parties join us. Is this normal? Is there a normal? I keep imagining some day I will wake up and magically “be ready”. Until then however, I will smile politely through the Baby Inquisition while mentally planning bicycling trips in France, boozy Tuesday nights and awesome Saturdays where I hide in bed with Dr. H until noon.

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