MAILBOX 214

The people that lived in our apartment before us still receive a ton of mail and some of it is good stuff. Like magazines that I would never buy, but don't mind browsing through when they're just sitting there in our mailbox. Magazines such as Metropolitan Home and Runner's World (not that I'm a runner, but it has good fitness ideas in general in it) and New York Magazine (which I already get, but it's nice to put it on the shelf in the mailroom and know someone is happy about getting a free magazine). They also get a ton of catalogues, especially catalogues for kids, which is great. I had never heard of Boden (a company based in the U.K.) until we got a catalogue from them with a gift certificate attached that I didn't want to go to waste. Hello, new mini Boden clothes for Jack! But they also get bills from medical offices and laboratories and even official mail from the IRS - all stuff that I "return to sender" wondering the whole time where they went and why they didn't forward their mail. It's all mighty strange, if you ask me.

MOVIE NIGHT

When Adrian agrees to watch the movie "Sex and the City," you don't write a blog...you run to the living room as fast as possible!

BEDTIME

I swore that I would be in bed by 9:30 tonight, and it's already 9:14 and I've yet to brush my teeth, wash my face, or write a blog. We used to go to bed around 9 - this was when Jack was waking up between 5 and 5:30 in the morning and it wasn't a big deal. But lately, with Jack waking up later, we somehow seem to go to bed later. There are magazines to read, Netflix to watch, photos to upload, people to call...too much to do and our bedtime got pushed back to 10, then 10:30, and occasionally now even 11, if we watch a long movie. It's so late that I now drink a morning coffee at least three times a week to make it through the day (and yes, I understand the coffee is also probably one of the reasons for the late bedtimes). So tonight I vowed to go to bed early...I would take my New York magazine crossword and give myself 30 minutes to work on it and then lights out. I better be off then - I have six minutes to get into bed.

ASICS IT IS!

We ventured up to Harlem today to check out the shopping on 125th Street and came away with a bunch of goodies. New sneakers from Modell's for me and new clothes from The Children's Place for Jack. Great deals all around, but my sneakers take the cake. I thought they were decently priced at $49.99, so when the cashier said "Your total is $10" I thought maybe she had misspoken and had meant to say I saved $10. But when I looked at the cash register screen, it said $10, so I slipped my hand away from the credit card, pulled out two five-dollar bills and got out of there fast in case there was some mistake. The only negative was that we waited in line for at least ten minutes in every store - I guess the economic crisis hasn't hit Harlem yet, or everyone is just pretending it hasn't.

CALLED FOR RAIN

Having slept for less than four hours last night due to Jack's second cold of the season (woo hoo! - isn't fall fun?) and the fact that today is an extremely rainy day, the outside excursions have been postponed. We all took needed naps in the late morning and then made it outside for a quick lunch, but we are homebound for the rest of the day. We have provisions to eat, steamy showers to loosen stuffed noses to take, and Thursday night TV shows (plus the debate!) to watch. A happening Friday night in the Liang family if there ever was one.

ADIDAS - NEW BALANCE - NIKE - ASICS

I need new sneakers and I need them badly. My current ones are old, dirty, and falling apart and yet I have a special attachment to them. You see, I designed them years ago on Nike.com with the NikeID technology and I picked the colors and I picked the style and my name is even on them. I received a compliment about them just the other day at the gym. I don't want another pair of the same shoes, and I have yet to find the time to go to a store to peruse the current selections. I've looked at Zappos.com, but I don't know about buying sneakers without trying them on. I'm very particular about certain features and about the actual shoe weight, so I keep wearing the old ones. But tomorrow is Friday, and we have nothing planned, so maybe I can convince Adrian and Jack that sneaker shopping is what we need to do.

IF ONLY I READ BRAILLE

I wish I could figure out why my forehead has suddenly decided to break out with pimples that just won't go away. Are zits in for fall?

LITTLE BOY BLUE

A huge congratulations goes out to my good friend Michele who just found out that baby #3 is going to be a boy! I just know that his two older sisters are going to smother him with love and affection - as will everyone else! Congrats again - I'm sure everyone is so excited!

P.S. Tell DJ that we're slowly becoming big fans of "The Backyardigans" - we can't stop singing those darn songs!

WHOLE FOODS COMES TO THE UWS

There have been rumors for some time now that a Whole Foods Market was going to be opening in the new apartment complex being built near us, but we never knew what to believe. We had heard that many current residents of this part of the Upper West Side were very much against the chain coming into the neighborhood, spouting claims of gentrification and such. We are very pro Whole Foods and would love to have them near us, so when we saw an official Whole Foods Market banner on the new building that is closest to us - literally, one block away! - we were very happy. Through some internet sleuthing, Adrian believes the store is set to open no later than summer 2009. I have a feeling we might turn into some of its biggest supporters and most frequent customers.

IT WAS EVERYWHERE IN COLLEGE

When did Patagonia get so high-end? $100 for an infant's jacket?! and $300 for a woman's rain jacket?! I don't think so.

WORKOUT VISITORS

There's a reason husbands and babies shouldn't be allowed to visit training sessions. It's not good for the morale when seeing your wife take a small break to yell out "Hey, that's cheating!" even if it makes the trainer laugh. Nor is it good for actual exercise to have a baby crawling over you when you're trying to do crunches, but it's good to see the baby interested in exercise at such a young age.

MY HUSBAND THE VEGETABLE

Ever since Adrian started practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I've had to endure him coming home with bruises and scratches all over his body. Half the time, he doesn't even realize they're there until I point them out to him. But today, while taking off his sweatshirt after our morning walk outside, he noticed that his ear felt weird. So after we both examined it, we agreed that it was swollen and without treatment had all the makings of cauliflower ear (a common condition among various martial artists). I've always told him he better not get himself any broken bones in his classes, but I never thought to worry about his poor ears. After a quick phone call, off he went to the medical clinic to have his ear drained and a huge bandage applied. He is on antibiotics and must be diligent about keeping constant pressure on the ear so the fluid doesn't build back up again. He is now walking around the house with his jiu-jitsu belt tied around his head (and over his ear) like he's the Karate Kid of the Upper West Side.

T.G.I.T.

It's Thursday! Which means for three plus hours, Adrian and I head into the city baby-free for lunch and adventure, while Jack has his lunch and adventure with the grandparents. (Though almost the best thing about today is the look on Jack's face when he sees us come through the front door.)

LOSER = WINNER

Man, how I love NBC's "The Biggest Loser." Even my trainer, Charlotte, is getting sick of hearing how much I love it (though she should really be overjoyed being that it makes me super motivated and keeps me working out - now on a thrice weekly schedule no less). Last night was the first episode of the new season and I laughed, I cried (but everything I watched yesterday made me cry - Oprah, a National Geographic mini-movie), and I went to bed telling Adrian about all the happenings on the show. It's that good. If you ever need a kick-start on your fitness regimen, just watch one show and you'll no doubt think like I do - "if they can do it, I can do it!"

CS/28

Having lived in New York City for awhile now, it's become quite easy to spot film/tv crews when they've set up shop. You see the trailers, the cables, the lights, the dozens of random people milling around, the signs pointing out "this way to set," and sometimes you get lucky enough to see actual filming going on. Today, while walking just two streets away from our apartment (on 95th), we saw all the usual trappings and then we saw a crowd of real people with their camera phones out, so we figured it wouldn't hurt to walk by. On our way, we saw some dollies with "Law & Order" written on them, but we weren't going to presume anything. But when we saw the rolling camera following Vincent D'Onofrio and his "Criminal Intent" co-star Kathryn Erbe (sorry Kathryn, but you're not famous enough in my book to get a CS - at least Mr. D'Onofrio was in "Men in Black"), we stopped to watch them film for a few minutes. They were filming the two characters descending a set of stairs from a brownstone landing, like they had just stopped by to interview a suspect. Or whatever they do on that show - I've never seen it.

BPA-FREE

I spent a good 30 minutes yesterday researching non-BPA straw cups on the internet, only to come away with very little to my liking. The only cup I really like is aimed more for toddlers - it's too heavy for babies to pick up. I figured we'd just plop a straw in his sippy cup bottle until I found one I liked, and I didn't hold high hopes that it would be anytime soon. Then, today, in the baby section of Fairway supermarket, I came across a BPA-free straw cup that I'd never heard of before and it was only $4.99. I couldn't believe it. I felt like it was a sign for all my work and related stress from last night. And the best thing is that Jack likes it!

WHITE TEETH*

I'm on day three of using Rembrandt whitening strips on my teeth. I have yet to notice a difference. I hope these strips can pull it out in the next four days, or I'll want my money back.

*This is also the title of an excellent book by Zadie Smith.

COMIDA DELICIOSA

In the past few weeks, we have discovered three (as-authentic-as-they-can-be-in-NYC) Mexican restaurants and we can't seem to stop eating Mexican food. Two of them are in our new neighborhood so we frequent those a lot more than the one on the East side, but they're all really good. Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana is a hole-in-the-wall that has four tables, no room for strollers of any size, and no highchairs. We've only eaten there once, but ordered delivery a bunch. Noche Mexicana is an actual restaurant with plenty of space for strollers and highchairs - and we're headed there today for lunch. Sabor a Mexico, on the East side, is a combination of the two. It has maybe eight tables and a tiny bar. (I'm sure all you Californians have stopped reading this blog by now, thinking..."blah, blah, blah...who wants to hear about Mexican food in New York? The cooks probably aren't even Mexican. I can get real, REAL Mexican food down the street from my house.") Well, so can we...sort of.

CHORE LIST

When we moved into our new apartment, I made a vow that we would be religious about keeping it clean. Instead of worrying about having to clean the whole house every once in awhile, I decided to make a chore list so that we would only have to do one or two things a day and that way, we'd never feel overwhelmed by apartment maintenance. Here is what we do in case you want to make a chore list of your own.

Monday: Heavy Scrub - Kitchen Counters
Tuesday: Heavy Scrub - Stovetop/Clean Windowsills
Wednesday: Vacuum
Thursday: Toilet/Clean Baseboards
Friday: Bathroom Counter and Sink
Saturday: Clean Dining Room Table
Alternate Sundays: Clean Dining and Living Rooms; Clean Bedrooms
Monthly: Refrigerator Shelves; Kitchen Floor; Heavy Scrub - Shower

And trust me, if it's not on here, it still gets done, but this helps guide us and helps divvy up the workload (that little Jack just loves to vacuum).

SICK IN THE CITY

It was bound to happen (for all you Garth Brooks fans, I can't help but think of "Papa Loved Mama" when I write that) and it did. Just two days after his first Gymboree class, Jack has both a runny nose and a slight fever. Of course, there could be a number of different ways he caught this recent bug, but I'm placing all my bets on the aforementioned class. While the cons of having a sick baby are many, there are also a few pros. For instance, today, Jack sat on my lap while I read him close to ten different books. He didn't try to eat the books; he didn't slap them from my hands; he didn't get fixated on one page from one book. He simply sat there and quietly babbled while we went and visited some wild things before visiting the giving tree and encountering a grouchy ladybug. Obviously, it breaks my heart that he's sick, but he's just so cute and cuddly at the same time. I still hope he gets over it as fast as possible.

Update on 9.07.2008 blog: One day after calling American Express to take the eBay charge off my bill and leaving nasty, nasty feedback for the seller, what should arrive in my mailbox, but the dress I won. Quite a surprise! I then had to turn around and call American Express back and leave a little bit nicer feedback, but not by much.

BABY DATING

Neither I nor Adrian have ever been good at small talk, and yet, when you have a baby, and you take that baby anywhere, be it the park or Gymboree class or the subway, you are forced to make small talk. It honestly feels like when you're single and you're busy dating. Instead of "What's your name?" and "What do you do for a living?", it's "What's your son's name?" and "How old is he?". Sometimes, it doesn't get much farther than this and you simply have to nod and smile at the other baby or caretaker and be on your way. But sometimes, the conversation extends to such trivialties as "How many teeth does he have?" or "When did he start walking?" - it's not that I don't want to talk to these other people. It's just that I'm not good at small talk. It's hard for me to force caring about another baby that's not my own, especially when the likelihood of me seeing this set of baby/caretaker again is minimal. There are exceptions, of course. One little guy we kept seeing at the playground across the street from our apartment ending up living in our same building and we've gotten to know him and one of his two mommies more than most. The worst is when I attempt to initiate conversation by asking, "What's your daughter's name?" and the person informs me it's a boy. I've done that twice now. I tell you, I was never good at the whole dating thing. And I've been out of the game for too long now to know how this whole thing is done. I guess it just takes practice.

A NEW PROFESSION

Let's see...we've been through the bartending, the football punting, the lock picking, and now we're at the professional gambling. A recent spout of good luck on our trip to Vegas has Adrian considering becoming a professional gambler for a living. He placed third in a poker tournament he was in at the Venetian, which garnered him a cool grand (minus the $150 buy-in fee). Then he hit his 3-team parlay this past weekend based on the outcome of various NFL games. That makes him up another $450 on a $75 bet. Basically, he made enough to pay for our airline tickets to and from Vegas. Which isn't bad, but to me it's not enough to uproot a family to the desert. To that, I say, no thank you. However, if he wants to take me and Jack for small outings to Atlantic City or Connecticut and throw in a baby-free day for me with some spa time and a massage, I say, I'll think about it.

JACK'S "CLASSMATES"

(F): Drew-Julia-Karys-Selma
(M): Hudson-James-Keanu-Layne-Max-Max-Rowan

BEWARE OF SELLER

My first transaction with eBay was great. I stayed home one Friday night early last year to bid on a crib bedding set that normally retails for over $200, and that I eventually won for under $20. I received it in a timely manner and even though it had a few small stains on it, those eventually came out with numerous washings. Like I said, a great experience. I haven't been on eBay since. That is, until a few weeks ago when I commented on my friend Emilee's dress in a photo she sent, and she told me she had bought it on eBay and she went and found me one that I could bid on. I eventually won that auction too. I paid promptly on the day I won (August 26) and I have yet to receive the dress or hear back from numerous emails and messages I have left for the seller. I know her name - I recently requested eBay to send me her contact information, and this morning I left the first voicemail message on her phone. I know she lives in Connecticut and that she is on Facebook. I really hope she contacts me back, even if it's to say she doesn't have the dress, so that I can go forward and file an eBay dispute to get my money back. Though, I really wanted the dress - two weeks ago.

RETURNS/EXCHANGES

I have had the best luck lately returning items to stores. The first exchange happened about a month ago when we had bought two items from Bed Bath & Beyond that were sold in that horrible plastic that you can't help but rip open. Neither item worked out in our new home, so even with receipt in hand, I was not optimistic about them taking the items back. However, the girl didn't even bat an eyelash when I placed the items on the counter, loose screws rolling around under the cash register, and asked to be refunded for the items. Back went the credit on the original gift card used and back we went to enjoy the rest of our day. Today, I was even less optimistic because I didn't have the receipt for the items I was returning/exchanging. A week ago, I purchased some small travel things at Barnes & Noble for a friend who was stopping in New York on her way to Europe. Truly disappointed when this friend came down with the flu and was unable to fly out, I was determined to return the items. But, for the life of me, I couldn't find the darn receipt. And I save all receipts! I believe this one somehow found its way into the recycling bag that I just took out a few days ago. Anyways, off we went to B&N this morning and since we found some things we wanted, it turned out it was going to be an exchange, not a return. The first cashier we went to gave us this whole speech about how only the head cashier can do returns and that without a receipt, we could beg and plead, but that we were facing "an uphill battle." So, we approached the head cashier, and I pleaded my case, and she listened (probably bored out of her mind), and she finally said she'd make an exception this one time, but that B&N doesn't normally accept items without a receipt and especially not magazines, but she did it anyways! I couldn't believe it. And you should have seen how deliberately she stated, "I'm placing the receipt IN THE BAG." Thanks, lady. I'll try not to lose this one.

SEPTEMBER IS A-BLOG-A-DAY MONTH!

Aack! How did it get to be the 5th of September already? I really wanted to get back into the swing of blogging and use September as my month to write every day. (How many times have we heard that one, right?) Anyways, I was in Las Vegas for the first three days of the month and yesterday I spent all day unpacking and doing laundry and going to the gym and looking after an almost 10-month-old, so here we are...the 5th of September. Wow, how this year is flying. Jack will officially be 10 months in two more days; Adrian will officially be 34 in three more months (but don't let him know I told you - he hates people knowing his birthday). Jack starts a Gymboree class on Monday. We keep telling him he's starting "school"; not that he understands anything we say to him. It should be interesting though. He's fascinated with other babies/kids and adults too. The class is for 10 to 16-month-olds, so it will be fun to see him watch (and hopefully, try to copy) the older kids. That's our big September plan...Gymboree. We have nothing else going on until we head to Chicago the first weekend in October. But hanging out here at home is always our favorite, so September should be a great month!