Thanks Facebook

Thanks to Facebook, I've gotten back in touch with many people I knew at my alma mater, the University of St Thomas. Whereas before we used to hear about each other through mutual friends, now FB has enabled us to network across oceans and meet up whenever anyone is in town.

So Friday I met with Lynette who was in town for a day and a bit. We know each other from the dorms because she was on the residence life staff. She's nearing the end of a 2-year work assignment in Italy, after which she will return to Houston HQ.

We ate near her hotel at the Cinema Brasserie where I had attended a dinner in the summer. Nice food, very chic. I was SO hungry I forgot to take photos before tucking in, but we ordered everything to share: a small plates taster - more like small bites - (tuna tartare, grilled shrimp on cilantro rice, filet mignon skewers, avocado salad, crabcakes) and a dim sum taster. A chorizo tarte flambe on a slate tile added weight to the starters, and we finished with a raspberry Napoleon pastry.


Cinema Brasserie on 45th St @ 5th Ave

She was staying midtown at the Library Hotel, which is a characterful boutique hotel near the Hyatt Regency where I stayed last year. I discovered it while exploring the neighborhood back then and slapped my forehead as soon as I saw it, so when she invited me to explore the place with her after dinner, I jumped at the chance.


This is how I saw it last year, the lights oozing yellow pools of warmth onto the sidewalk, inviting you in, promising comfort and satisfaction...

The hotel itself is stocked to the brim with vintage and antique books. The lobby is full of art history publications and the slots behind reception are actually card catalogue drawers. Every floor has a different theme of the Dewey Decimal System, Lynette's being Math and Science, and her hall was Zoology.
Her small but convenient room was tastefully finished in dark woods and warm tones, including a few shelves of zoological books. I found a 70 year old book of Spaniels with photos of curly-eared, puppy-eyed, um, puppies that made me happy :)

Actually, if I had stayed at that hotel you wouldn't have been able to tear me away from the books and then I would have been late to the event!

First we went up to the cute roof terrace and leaned over the gothic parapets to see the street and the surrounding buildings. It was a very mild night and quite a few people were sitting outside.

We settled in the Reading Room for tea and cookies and further chatting. There is a bar with carafes of coffee as well as an espresso/cappuccino machine, a selection of teas in a box, and cookies and pastries under glass domes for the late night snackers. Apparently in the afternoon there were cheese and crackers on offer. The music selection that night was opera but there was also a baby grand, more bookshelves, tables, and reading nooks.


1) The hotel seems very narrow from Madison Ave, though the width stretches to the back.
2) The Reading/Breakfast Room.
3) The exterior entrance on 41st St. The sidewalk outside the hotel is called "Library Way" and the paving slabs are inset with brass plaques with literary quotes and designed according to each.
4) The tiny lobby with card catalogue behind the reception desk.


1) See no evil, Speak no evil, Hear no evil on the window sill of the Reading Room.
2) A dictionary flanked by the two lions, Patience and Fortitude, which sit on the steps of the NYPL a block away.

[Food-wise (but not book-wise of course) the Reading Room at the Library Hotel reminds me of the Concierge Lounge on the top floor of the historic Beaux Arts Sheraton Gunter in San Antonio, which is a big comfy living room maintained exclusively for the 6th floor guests. We were there some years ago when my father served as best man at my cousin's wedding to a San Antone debutante. We didn't know her parents were there too, but we bumped into each other in that lounge and later spent many hours up there demolishing the chocolate-dipped strawberries and getting to know each other.]


Grand Central Station on 42nd St with the Chrysler Building shining like a beacon in the background



The cavernous interior of Grand Central at midnight
with the Milky Way on the ceiling

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I love this city, with all the beauty in its details...

Winter Prep

But first, it was Veteran's Day today, honoring those who have dedicated their lives to serving their country:


WWI Memorial at Central Park

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I had the strangest thought as I was opening my eyes this morning: maybe I should boil the frankfurter before frying it.

You see, last week I made what I call "white" pasta: olive oil, black pepper, chili flakes, minced garlic, romano cheese, capers...but I had no prosciutto di Parma on hand, so made do with sliced, fried beef franks. It was really delicious too! Who knew?

Hence the thought this morning. It's nearly time to make pasta in a red sauce and I want to use hot dogs again. They are more affordable than prosciutto but also the last time I bought prosciutto, I packed it sideways in my jute shopping bag. Five days later I picked the bag up to go shopping again, noticed it was unusually heavy, and found the prosciutto tucked in the corner! So annoyed I was!

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View from the kitchen window now that the leaves are thinning out

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Winter is coming apace. Granted, we're still above 10C (50F) and properly sunny, but I don't want to be caught short when frozen water starts falling from the sky.

My friend Chris and I met up on Sunday just for the sake of meeting up. I love how my Houston friends are so simple that way; he had called from work a few days before because he realized he hadn't spoken to me in a week and a half (well, I was out of town...). That is a true friend, you don't have to make an appointment to chat on the phone, and you can arrange impromptu visits.

We had some decent cheeseburgers at the Good Burger Co. off Union Square - just the right size and not too tall to wrap my teeth around. I had the works: cheese, onions, crispy fresh pickle, grilled tomato, mayo, and ketchup on an honest, medium-well-done burger patty. The soft bun was extremely unobtrusive, serving merely as a vehicle to get the fillings into your mouth, rather than the usual hindrance.
The fries were apparently baked not fried, but they were so good I didn't notice the difference. Conclusion: The Good Burger Co. makes good burgers.

Since we always fail at catching the movies we want to see, we have given up on that and were going to randomly walk around until Chris said, "Olivia, I need to get some winter boots!" I said, "So do I!" and as we were just across the Square from DSW Shoe warehouse, I dragged him in and taught him how to choose snow boots. Being Texan, he had no idea. And I only know from buying them a few times in Canada during Christmas visits.

Then he helped me to choose mine. I have never gone shoe shopping with anyone other than me, myself or my mother; certainly not a male friend, but it was fun. If I hadn't had the encouragement or the criticism, perhaps I would have walked out with no boots again, just as I did last month. It was funny though, at the first boot I reached for (a wool-lined dark green suede knee length boot by Merrell) Chris emitted a firm, "No", so I withdrew my hand and retorted, "How very dare you!" But then I got used to the input and ended up with a waterproof suede (seems to be the only thing out there these days) by Sporto with warm and fluffy cuffs. The soles are something to be reckoned with, having tread facing forwards and backwards, like tiny rubber ice picks.

I also bought an awesome pair of leather and waterproofed canvas chukka boots by Timberland because the sneakers I bought in summer are not waterproof or windproof, which in colder weather translates into "leaky and drafty"! The Timberlands almost look bomb proof. Chukkas are similar to the boots worn by British forces in the desert during WWII. Don't worry, I did try on a sexy pair of knee-high brown suede 3-inch heeled pointy boots, except they had no price and were sitting in a clearance box with a worryingly high price tag.



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Ooh I didn't tell you, before I went to Canada, my little chest of drawers finally arrived:



Isn't it cute? Target has free shipping, therefore I love Target.

You guys, look at the boots and look at my dresser...!

I seem to be an odd mix of utility and romanticism, tomboy and sophisticate. I guess that is what comes of being an only child, you have to be everything to both parents...Help dad in the garage, help mum in the kitchen. Play with cars and electronics in my pink bedroom. Study science, study art. Nearly get recruited to the Navy at 18, study at Christies at 25, still want to do both at 31.
It is sometimes a balance; always a conflict.
Who am I???????????

Family Reunion

We didn't fly back from Toronto in time to vote, but by the time we touched down on the tarmac New York State was blue and the electoral votes were probably already in.

Comment I made on Um Naief's blog last month re Powell's endorsement of Obama:

It will show the world that America is more sophisticated and therefore worthy of credit, if it can differentiate between Muslims and terrorists to such an extent that someone with a name like Barack Hussein Obama can be elected to leadership in an era where we have deposed a Hussein and are fighting an Osama.

My cousins had CNN on nearly 24/7 and it was refreshing to see the kids both from NY and Canada, ranging in age from 10 to 17, passionately discussing the candidates' closing speeches with each other and their parents. I mostly sat and listened, still not believing that these intelligent and articulate teenagers were babes in arms not so long ago...I remember when their moms were pregnant. I feel old. But I love that my cousins have such smart children. Well, so it should be, I mean imagine if it were otherwise for my cousin and her husband who are on the NY Board of Education and a high school principal.

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Toronto Approach

My cousins (Ryan and Andrea) and I landed just a few minutes before the London bunch (including my Mum) so we all waited and met up in the International Arrivals lounge. My cousin Pierre from Orangeville picked up the London bunch and I went with them to Orangeville, and the rest were taken to Kitchener by their brother Neil.

Much of the drive between Toronto, Kitchener, and Orangeville looks like this:



I've been visiting Canada since 1979 but never have I been so impatient with the mileage. Usually I just let the endless driving pass by but this time every trip felt a half hour longer than it used to. 1 hr 45 min to get anywhere proved too much so my London cousins and I started up with the "Are we theeeeere yet?" a couple of times!

Endless straight flat or undulating roads slice through farms, fields, forests, and provincial parklands. Roads with names like Blind Line (because you can't see round the corner), 15th Line or 168th Line (running NW to SE), Sideroad 12 or Sideroad 39 (running NE to SW), Hurontario Road (because that's where it is) or Forks of the Credit Road (because that's what it passes through). I've made these trips in the dark in driving snow, and I will never know how my cousins know where to turn.

It was lovely countryside but I couldn't capture as many images as I'd have liked, even when we drove through the Forks of the Credit River area, over the river, and into Belfountain (conservation hamlet from the 1840s). Also, the fall colors were mostly over but my cousin Elizabeth asked me if I thought the deep orange sunset bathing the tops of the sparsely yellow-leafed forest trees reminded me of Klimt. Love it when my family says random things like that.

Despite an early snow last week which had melted, the weather warmed up and for most of the trip remained mild, even reaching 20 C (60s F). My London cousins were excited because it felt like English summer!

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Some of you may remember Jay-Jay, or Jayj as I call him. He wuvs me. He's Aunty Rita's boy. My mother helped her adopt him about three years ago after she was widowed and her previous dog was put to sleep, so Mum was actually his first mum since Aunty Rita didn't really want him, and he missed my Mum when she returned to Texas. They rebonded after Mum sold our house and moved in a couple of years ago. He still loves his Aunty Ruth. When she talks to him on the phone from London now, he goes to her old room looking for her! She's the only one who tells him off so he can't get anything past her and he knows it.



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Family reunions always make me happy. I have 24 cousins and between them they have about 17 children. Add to that the aunts and uncles who can make it, plus anyone related by marriage and you always have a full house.

On Friday some of us did last minute shopping at Canada's favourite store Winners, especially me. Not knowing Neil's 50th would be at a hall and there would be evening wear, I took decent clothes expecting we'd all go to Fiona's house like we did for New Year's '04. I picked up a black and white piece much like the one I have at home which is reddish and teal, both intriguing 4-in-1 dresses by Lapis:




The softer lining is a contrasting color to the shiny crinkled exterior, but interestingly the pattern is created by attaching the inner lining to the outer layer and punching it through. This lends a comfortable weight to the fall of the material. Also, the elastic smocked top ensures a comfortable fit. Because it's crinkled it's reminiscent of the old Fortuny gowns of the early 20th century that came rolled up in a self-cloth bag, and these things pack very well for travelling.

I had left my wide belt at home, so I called my cousin hoping she'd have a substitute. She did, but it kept popping off because the buckle was defective - the prong too short and the D-ring too soft. I wanted to wear it like the model on the far right but had to settle with the style on the far left until I gave up rebuckling it and left it off. The night of the party was bitterly cold so I layered up a little bit more than I'd have liked and don't know how some women turned up in proper gowns. Even when I'm indoors, if it's icy outside I feel it under my skin. Do you?

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Rather excitingly, my mother splurged on me a bit with a pair of wool Tahari trousers and this striking red TH bag:



My cousin Ryan insists it is not "red", it is "oxblood". I would have never come up with that word unless I'd read it somewhere.

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Images from Neil's surprise 50th:


1) Neil knew he was having a party, he just didn't know so many people (close to 200) would come and from so far away.
3) Mandy's husband Cornel emceed in true high school principal style with all the right speeches. He called every table up one by one to the buffet and then stood and authoritatively surveyed the room with his hands folded in front of him before deciding he could put down the mic and go off duty!



1) There was a belly dancer who danced to Moroccan music and then Neil joined in.
2) Five of six aunts showed up (the one in the middle is my Mum).
3) Cousin Alyssa and her man Jon, who is originally from the North of England.
4) Cousin Ryan and me.



1) Cousin Alyssa and my goddaughter Jada.
2) Aunty Rita and cousin Mandy.
3) Aunts Eve and Roh.
4) Cousin Pierre and Aunty Rita.

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No rest for the wicked. We drove home to O'ville, and had to drive back to Kitchener the next day for dinner at Fiona's to celebrate cousin Michelle's 42nd birthday. Mich rarely leaves the UK, hates flying and isn't that keen on North America, so it was special to have her here.


1) Gathering for the cake and candles.
2) The cousins with a couple of aunts in the way.
3, 4) Neil and Mich cafuffle over the cutting. At Guyanese birthdays people rarely cut the cake alone. At my mother's 21st she drew names from a hat. Some English guy got called up, which puzzles most people not in the know, leading them to ask, "Who's she marrying there?"



1) Some of the older cousins chatting at the breakfast table. (Neil owns patents and a factory in Kitchener. Elizabeth (my godmother) is a non-profit consortium director in London. Michelle (Liz's sister) is a stay at home mum of three boys. Fiona (Neil's sister) also owns a company and her husband works with both her and Neil.)
2) Four of my second cousins. The two on the outside (Krystle and Tiffany) are Neil's and the two in the middle (Karissa and Kristine) are Mandy's, even though the two at the front look like sisters. Incidentally, Krystle is becoming a model and Alyssa was one briefly a few years ago.
3) Jada, Alyssa, and Jon who is really really good with Jada (whose father passed away 2 yrs ago).
4) Lala and O-o.


1,2) Jada and Sasha (a cousin's cousin on the other side).
2) Princess Kayla (Fiona's daughter) with her guitar.
3) Cousins Andrea and Mandy.

The Orangeville lot drove back but Mum and I stayed in Kitchener. That night she went to bed early but the rest of us changed into pyjamas and made lots of tea, and that's when we had the political discussions I mentioned at the top of my post. I love my family and they almost make up for my having no brothers and sisters. No matter how old we are, aunties and cousins will sit together and "hug up" as we call it. I had my turns with Fiona and Mandy, both of whom have been advising and encouraging me since I was a teenager. However, they are shameless and once they start teasing me or being cheeky, that's another story!

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The cul de sac where Fiona and her family live. When I woke up on Tuesday morning after the rain, I heard a woodpecker rapping away on a tree in the copse behind the development.

The houses are spacious enough but still there's, like, another whole house in the basement! I envy those Canadians and New Yorkers their 1.5 homes on one lot. Texas doesn't have basements due to the tornadoes and floods. These basements have living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms and endless closets. They rarely feel underground when they're not walk-out/garden level. I'd love to move in to my cousin Mandy's in Westchester - with the exercise room connecting the basement den and nanny's room to the separate apartment with its cute bathroom and front door letting out to the backyard. Man!


The End. This was long eh?

Soul Food

Today the weather is very English: rain, wind, and temps under 10C (about 47F).

I'm off to Canada on Thursday for a few days, for a big family reunion on the occasion of my eldest cousin's 50th birthday.

So I'd better catch you up before I go...

(Apologies if some of the images are clipped short by the sidebar, which detracts from their impact.)

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A couple of weekends ago, I stayed at my cousin Ryan and he drove us up to Westchester for the birthday of cousin Mandy's husband C. I enjoyed all the wonderful homecooked Guyanese food in their lovely cosy warm house, hanging out with their very intelligent kids. The guests were mostly C's relatives. His brother and sister-in-law are dentists - in fact they said if I wanted I could have an assisting job for the asking. I didn't know while I was there that his other brother is a lawyer, but I am considering legal assisting.


Skippy rules the world, and as he'd had a hard day cooking the food and supervising the kids, by the end of the night he was the sleepiest member of the family!


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Last Friday I was invited to the Chanel Mobile Art exhibition in Central Park. However, seeing as I live so far outside of Manhattan AND at the end of a train line, there was a significant delay which meant that the time slot on my ticket had expired by the time I got there half an hour late. (Fortunately it was free.)

While I waited for my friend to emerge from the pavilion, I took photos:



The pavilion designed by architect Zaha Hadid





An auxiliary building blends into the landscape.

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Afterwards, we walked a few blocks to Alice's Teacup for lunch/afternoon tea on E 81st St. and 5th Ave.(?)



This teacup really is an antique, from Bavaria



We chose the "Mad Hatter Tea for Two" which included 3 scones, 2 sandwiches, and a dessert spread. There were 150 types of tea to choose from! Predictably, I got one that would go with milk and sugar.

Scones: winter berry, oatmeal chocolate chip, buttermilk - with strawberry preserves and cream of course.

Sandwiches: 1) smoked chicken, stilton and granny smith apple and 2) chicken curry with apples and red onions (the flavor is haunting me right now).

Dessert: a hefty slice of mocha chocolate chip and buttercream icing cake, and a variety of crispy cookies.




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Then we went to the MET since it was such a lovely day, neither of us wanted to go straight home.

I snapped quite a lot of Greco Roman artefacts and sculptures but most of them didn't turn out so well with my phonecam. These are the best ones:


Roman religion required the woman to be covered during devotions


This rock crystal perfume bottle is the size of a man's thumb, so imagine the fine workmanship on the chain - I have an identical necklace which is only 40 years old, and this is about 1,960 years older than that!


Fine granulation and filigree on a gold Roman brooch



However, on this day the Egyptian images turned out better:



The Cat Goddess (Basta) in her simple Bastet form


A wooden head


Pharaoh whose name is on the tip of my tongue...



She-Pharaoh Hatshepsut, from her tomb









A scarab


These glass bead frogs are about the size of peas!


The Temple of Dendur, rescued from flooding as a result of the building of the Aswan Dam


Papyrus fronds in front of the Temple


The amazing space dedicated to the Temple of Dendur

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And on Saturday, I cooked cutlets:

Fall Days

Well, it was blustery today with a mix of clouds and sun, but other than that we are having a sparkling, crisp autumn (sounds like a description of white wine). I am on a two-day headache, possibly thanks to the new vanilla candles in the living room...or the weather change, I haven't figured out which yet.

Speaking of wine, roomie and I finished a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon last night along with our dinner. No, we don't eat together every day. Maybe once a week at the most, but this was the first home cooked meal of the season: chicken breast tenderized in buttermilk for an hour, coated with flour and egg and topped with ground pistachio and cumin; farmer's market fresh French beans sauteed in butter and salt; finally, garlic couscous (the only thing I managed to do while I waited for the Advil to ease the headache).

And...this morning before going to work this afternoon, roomie made buttermilk pancakes.
All of which only highlight the fact that I need to get back into cooking!!! I did make a few nice salads to share in the summer, but that was really it. I haven't done anything notable in over a year since my mother started living with me, taking over the kitchen domain while I went to work. My landlord in St John's Wood used to call me a foodie. Ah, the days when I used to cook for myself - and shop at Waitrose ;)

But - there is all manner of wonderful fresh markets and gourmet shops in Brooklyn, so I have no excuse!

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Heritage Ships docked at Pier 17

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I know you're not seeing all the new US series over in the UK, but here is my favorite viewing list this year:

Faves from previous seasons:

Pushing Daisies - I enjoy the witty dialogue and the Amelie-style narrative, as well as the vivid fairytale settings and the general air of innocence that pervades the show. However, Chuck needs to stop wearing trousers and get back into those sweet dresses. And Ned is adorable.

Ugly Betty - I am now attached to the characters and their stories, but if I hadn't watched it from day one, I probably wouldn't get into it now. Have just surprised myself by admitting this, but it has indeed lost some of its sparkle.

House - performing forensic research on living medical mysteries always holds my attention. Hugh Laurie is so good that the grumpy Dr House has completely dissociated him from the bumbling Bertie Wooster I used to love.

Criminal Minds - performing psychological forensics on current criminal cases always holds my attention. I also enjoy watching the team's camaraderie and hearing the high-minded quotes before and after each show.

Grey's Anatomy - once again, I am attached to the characters, their stories, their relationships, and can honestly say that if I hadn't watched it from day one I probably would still get into it. I envy some of their camaraderie too.

Family Guy - Stewie and Brian make me laugh :)


Popular shows I am now getting into:

Desperate Housewives - excellent dialogue, though I haven't figured everyone's story out yet. Also, the houses and the street are sooooooooo pretty!

New Hits:

Fringe - oh my gosh! Since X-Files reruns now feel dated and I miss Mulder and Scully, I needed something to fill the X-Files-shaped void in my soul ;) Absolutely riveting, it keeps me on the edge of my seat, holding my breath. Agent Olivia Dunham (nice name) is so real and natural, she has none of the "I'm too sexy for my face" vibe that oozes painfully from the women on, say, CSI - Dunham's perplexity over the mystery she is constantly surrounded by balances well with how her abilities as an investigator continually shine through. (Sort of like writing a research paper on a topic you don't understand, and getting an A for it...) And we ALL want her to fall in love with Peter Bishop (and no, I did not watch Dawson's Creek so am not biased). Oh, and Dr Bishop's lines are PRICELESS. I love that poor old brainiac.

True Blood - enjoying the southern setting (two kids in Dallas once thought my chicken, Silky, was actually called Sookie). The characters are quickly appealling so I watch to see how they develop. Plus, Bill Compton is hot and brooding, and yes, the actor is yet another British import to American TV.

The Ex List - I don't like the protagonist because I don't like her face and to me she is still th e deplorable Rebecca who went bonkers in Grey's last month while pretending to carry Karev's child. But I am watching it to see the ex in each episode, what they were like before, what they are now, and how utterly hunky they are. This is set in the sun-drenched surfing city of San Diego, you see.

Eleventh Hour - Rufus Sewell makes good on this side of the Atlantic, I hope. His character is so brainy and absent minded, and his voice is very calming. I saw the British original with Patrick Stewart (who, if not in Shakespeare belongs only on the bridge of the USS Enterprise). His police companion (Christine from Ugly Betty) has no protective skills whatsoever - until she introduced herself as such, I thought she was just some blonde woman who hung around behind him screaming every time someone threatened her! On the other hand, Sewell's FBI bodyguard goes over the top waving her gun around - yet, this show's characters are more clearly developed/defined.

Life on Mars (US) - I did see the UK version and it was well done. The US version is even better. I love the 70s music, and Tyler's frustration with the "old ways" is palpable. Every time he throws up his hands or rolls his eyes, I want to giggle. Plus, he's pretty fit. I like how Annie is not just the token female auxiliary officer who believes his story but here she holds a Psych degree from Fordham and today would have made an excellent partner for Tyler. I like that he tries to highlight how relevant her education is to their cases, to the disdain of the chauvinistic guidos in Homicide.

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Even though I sound like a TV Guide review, I do still watch programming on Discovery, TLC, Science Channel, etc. For instance, on Sunday I watched a good one listing the Top Ten Warplanes. What do you think was on the list? Guess which was number one?

Finely Tuned

Oh, somebody get me out of here. I hate when this happens - it's like when a relationship ends. I have a slump, staying in for days at a time, essentially housebound. I have not left the house since....hm, let me think....probably Friday when I went out with the girls. Oh, no, I did take a walk by the water on Monday evening. Sure, I have a grocery list, but there's stuff in the freezer. I even have to make returns at some stores in the city, but there's time left on the receipts...

At least it's not so bad "slumping" in a city I like. Still, I am officially bored and disgusted with myself. I feel like I need to tell myself off, like a wayward child, or get someone in here to drag me out. I was going to go out today, but maybe I will do it tomorrow. Needless to say, my phone takes a vacation sometimes too. However, on Sunday I put on Handel's Messiah and loosened up my vocal chords for a few hours. It was the first time in about....oh, two years? Felt so good.

Of course, when these stay at home periods end, my first forays out into the real world hit my senses like a wave.

So, to the point. It's going to rain tonight. Today was somewhat overcast, fairly mild, and a breeze started up in the afternoon. As darkness fell the breeze picked up. It's not cold (18C (66F)), but it is refreshing. I stood on the steps with my sleeves rolled up, taking in lungsful of air, and I had one of my life moments...

Leaves rustling on the trees and clattering along the sidewalk.

Cozy yellow lamps and pumpkins on people's porches, and the streetlights casting pinkish hues over houses and cars.

Pale patches of cloud scudding across an indigo sky.

A church bell ringing a few blocks away, carried to my ears on the wind.

After a few minutes the spell was broken, but I had enjoyed the feeling.
Then I thought I would come back and share that moment with you.



A poignant image of St Christopher, bearer of Christ, at St Patrick's Cathedral

Sleep Phases

I saw something on the Discovery Channel the other day about a father and daughter with Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome, which causes them to have a natural sleep cycle starting around 7.30pm and ending around 3.30am. Up with the larks and all that. It got me thinking, there must be an opposite condition!

Though only 1% of the population are known to have ASPS, people with Delayed SPS, also known as night owls, comprise about 15%. I suspect I'm one of them, noticeably since university. Even in high school it was difficult to go to bed before midnight even though I had to wake up every morning at 5.30am. Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome can result in a bedtime anytime after midnight and anytime up to midday.

Here's my reasoning:

1) Bedtime has always been a struggle, although once I am out my sleep is undisturbed.

2) I am often frustrated that no matter what I do, I cannot get to bed before 1am, and I am then surprised that despite having shortened sleep hours the previous night, I can't go to bed any earlier the next night.

3) If left to my own devices, my natural bedtime is between 3 and 4am and my natural waking around midday.

4) Those with DSPS often suffer daytime sleepiness: Indeed, waking up early is a monumental undertaking and mornings are not good. I have mid-morning and mid-afternoon slumps, but only when forced into a normal societal sleep pattern. On my own schedule, I'm perky all day until I am ready to go to bed.

5) I am at my most creative late at night.

* Note I have more credible web sources than Wikipedia, but the wiki articles are a more detailed amalgamation of all the others.

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So here's what I am thinking. Get a job with evening hours, like legal word processing. They give you a private car home at 1am...and they pay really well. The sacrifice is that they are very anti-social hours...granted, I don't go out that much so they're hours that normally go to waste, but that's because I'm not currently dating. What if I wanted to start that up again? (And I do.)

If I can get in, it seems a pretty safe bet to tuck myself away there in this economy, until I can find my dream gov job or dream creative role. We shall see. I have stopped beating myself up for expecting that at my age I should be in a managerial role by now. *sigh* Well, if I'd stuck to one thing since college then I probably would have. But never mind, what's done is done.

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Just thought I'd throw this in there. Greenwich Street between Downtown and the Financial District.

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Anyway, I have a List.

The main thing on this List is:

1-- furniture for my little room such as a bedside table, a chest of drawers, and either a vanity or a desk (because other than my little closet, everything is still in suitcases or flowing therefrom).

It's taking a while for various reasons: cashflow is irregular when you have to depend on your father, and the fact that furniture that's not too wide or deep is hard to find - I have very exact spaces to fill. Antiques are often dainty enough and the right size as well as being as affordable from private sellers as new mass produced furniture. However, taking pieces home from private homes is tricky in this non-pickup-truck-driving state and using a delivery service often negates the Craigslist bargain. Plus, some antiques can smell pretty pungent. I'd prefer antique style new pieces for now. Target has some sweet handpainted furniture and I like their Mission line, however those pieces may be too large. Frustrating.

When I have my own independent, secure, established, and more than sufficient cashflow, I would like:

1 -- a bird. Either a canary or a society finch. I miss coming home to a little living thing that depends on me, responds to my voice and sings occasionally. There is a pet shop on the corner two blocks away by the subway, so I pass it every day. I always want to go in and ask, "May I hug the rabbits?" I went in last week and there was a very attractive canary in a cage by itself. (The cage was too small.)

2 -- an iPod Touch! (When they've worked the bugs out.) I like the idea of accessing music, video, games, and the internet without requiring phone service. This may be my first frivolous gadget in years...

Me Free

Wow, it's past 1am and I am still awake, i.e. not waking up on the sofa from the first sleeping phase of the night. But tomorrow is Saturday and I am not going to work tomorrow, which is as it should be.

Indeed, I could feel it coming this week, and Thursday was my last day. By then (their second week) I had trained the two new assistants as much as I could - the rest they have to learn on their own with the doc - they now know more than I did when I was working alone and had to pick everything up by trial and error. By my last day they had finally eased up on the: "Olivia, Olivia, Olivia...where do I put this, what do I do with this, how do I do this, help me?" So I got to sit in the office and watch them take their first independent steps as dental assistants.

And so I was basically babysitting them - putting on band aids, tying up their hair, doing with clean hands what they could not do with dirty gloves, reminding them of little things they'd forgotten before the dentist noticed the omission (thus preventing another lengthy lecture). I was also refilling supplies, distributing deliveries, keeping a check on things, and holding it together in the background. I kind of liked that autonomy without the constant directions and the confusion of figuring out setups and materials that have been changed and modified for the nth time.

At the beginning of last week the dentist had asked me to write notes and guidance for them to learn from, as part of my "cleansing process" (his words). This week we put them into PowerPoint, and finally I printed them out under the title Training Manual 2008.

One of the last things I did was help the hygienist (who doesn't usually need help) by holding an elderly patient's weak jaw open with one hand, performing suction with the other, dodged a big insect running between my feet, wearing the mask and fogging up my protective goggles - while standing up (no assistant chair in hygienist's room). It was a fulfilling challenge, but like any other aspect of assisting, not something I could do all day every day.

In fact, I worked hard until the very last minute, directing a third new assistant in sterilizing the last batch of instruments, checking power switches, and turning off lights. The doc and I shook hands and agreed there were no hard feelings. He's a nice guy when he's not working, really.

Today I went to lunch with the receptionist (C) and the assistant who left two weeks ago. (She and I had been the "intelligent team" he was so excited about but has now lost, as people like us don't stay in places like that). We enjoyed dim sum together in Chinatown, feasting on little dishes for over two hours. And I had sunflower tea for the first time. It tastes like sunshine in a cup.

We really didn't talk about work that much, but we had fun and will do this again. Afterwards, C and I walked into SoHo, browsed a few shops, chatted about fashion; went into the Whole Foods on Bowery (much quieter and more organized than the one on Union Square) and analyzed the goodies on offer.

We had also had dinner together before my hair appointment (also in SoHo) on Wednesday, and found we had much in common regarding travelling, photography, and food. It's interesting to find the human side of people outside of the workplace. We had fish n chips and Chicago fried zucchini sticks, simple but happy food.



SoHo Spot, a quirky little place with a friendly, relaxing, airy vibe and delicious, hearty food. Yes, the ceiling is 95% skylight.



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Last Friday I met up with Chris for dinner at a Mexican place (Chevy's) we had all enjoyed when the crowd from Houston came up in August. I NEVER order beef and rarely even eat it because I find it hard to digest, but that was all I craved, so my body must have needed it. I ordered a great sizzling tender beef fajita. Never touched the tortillas, rice or beans, just ate the beef and the chile relleno on top, and the lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo on the side. Oh, and enjoyed a mango margarita.

I digested it just fine despite having a nap when I got home - though I have to say, the next day I needed extra fruits and some prunes...

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And so I am free! But at the same time, am now let loose into this economy during the latest financial downturn, or - dare I say it - recession. I'm not too worried. Despite all the fearmongering over bankrupt financial institutions (Lehman Bros, et al) and even whole countries (Iceland!), I think we're more resilient than we were during the previous recession in the 90s. I don't think we'll get to the point where there the job listings cease and everyone's lining up at soup kitchens.

Well, that's all for now folks.

Autumn arrived

Autumn is here! Last night I used my new duvet for the first time, and tomorrow I will need to wear a jacket in the day - it was like July in London ;-)

Last weekend after work I stayed with my cousin. It felt like I was going home for the weekend, and indeed I had reached a point last Thursday where I needed family. He cooked a good homemade Guyanese dinner and took me shopping in Westchester county in his car. I bought three coats ( the angora and wool one by Calvin Klein will be returned as I don't like the straight cut, though I like the velvety angora/wool blend). I do love the CK quilted waterproof jacket and the Cole Haan raincoat with detachable herringbone wool liner. The duvet is CK also. I didn't try, it's just that they were the things I was attracted to this time. (Sorry Ralph Lauren!) One reason I put off buying winter bedding and coats is that I couldn't carry everything on the subway.

My duvet cover is a lovely Raymond Waites. Again, didn't even see the (exclusive) name when I picked up the pattern, but it looks like cotton sateen and the label recommends dry cleaning. Does that mean the sheen will be lost if I send it to the laundry? Any advice? I already wash a number of things that insist on dry cleaning, with no ill effects but I have noticed that sometimes the shinier materials look dull.



Yesterday as I was coming home from work a cold front blew in, so today the landlady put the heating on. Ah, the smell of hot dust as the radiators burn off summer accumulation. The days are now around 18C (65F) and nights in the 10s (50s). Tis rather pleasant, bu the leaves still haven't turned.

Guess how long I slept last night? 15 hours! It goes up an hour each week I think! 11.30pm-2am in my homeclothes, followed by a shower and a potter around my room, then 3am-2.15pm in bed. I used to love sleeping but now I dread it. Oh, I'm so good at sleeping standing up now that one day last week on the subway I woke up with a smile thinking, "Oh my gosh, I fell asleep standing up and had a dream." I can't wait to return to my exactly-eight-hours-on-weekends routine.

Some of you have been asking how the notice-giving went last Saturday. All is well. Of course the doc was disappointed as he felt we got along and communicated well. I like to work, and I work hard, just ask the folks back in London at JLT or Makinson Cowell. Some consultants used to jump the queue to ask me to do their work. But I can't work at this frenetic pace, on my feet for nearly 9 hours, with no real breaks, and as you all know from the past year, my nervous system rests on a light trigger. So I guess it's back to the office for me, no more complaints about being stuck at a desk...

A couple of new girls have come and gone, which means he had to beg me to stay a few days more. This week I've been training one who looks like she will stay, and another starts on Monday who has relevant experience, so the doc says my job will be done sometime next week.

I miss blogging and visiting you all. Not long to go, but in my spare time I am looking for a "normal" job.