Buttons Buttons Everywhere…

...where they drop, I just don't care.

My coat-- the really, really expensive Irene Van Ryb that I bought at a Soho boutique before I moved to Chicago, is shedding buttons. I have already had all of the buttons on the front of the coat (you know; the ones that keep the coat closed) re-sewn and reinforced and had to visit Tender Buttons a couple of times to match up lost souls (little tiny buttons made of some sort of animal bone that attach the detachable hood to the inside collar). But they're still falling off! It's actually gotten comical because so far in the first three days of this week I've lost three-- THREE; and (here comes the comical part), I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM. I've found 2 little guys and a big one, and I can't for the life of me figure out where they're from. I hear them hit the floor and I look down, pick them up and then do the perennial scan: front buttons? Check. Sleeve buttons (which, by the way, are stupid because they're decorative, not functional, and while I'm all for design accoutrements, decorations that make you worry about whether or not you're going to lose them are a complete waste of time)? Check, check. Inside collar buttons? Check, check, check. Where the hell are these buttons coming from!?! So now I have three buttons, definitely from my coat, sitting on the edge of my front hall mirror, wondering if they will have a home again. As though there's not enough crazy in my life.

My Today Show Family

Everyone has their morning routine: snoozing for exactly 7 minutes… three times; getting straight into the shower, or maybe dawdling over cereal before the inevitable strikes and you realize you really do need to wash your hair this week; drinking one and a half cups of coffee; scanning of the front page headlines before racing through the morning commute. But, as my near and dears will surely attest, my morning routine is the Today Show. A dedicated (and dare I say, slightly obsessed) viewer, I can't start my day without a little Katie, Matt, Ann and Al, or really, any of the peripheral, sometimes-players, Campbell Brown, David Gregory, Lester Holt, Natalie Morales, and the ever-present Willard Scott. I know where the principals went to college and what their spouses and kids names are; know that Ann is the heart and dedicated to public service; that Katie loves shoes (and has an amazing collection); that Matt is an avid golfer and has a wicked (if not sometimes covert) sense of humor; and that Al is a foodie like me. Even if I'm late and racing through my morning, I absolutely can't leave my house without a few minutes of Today… if even just to hear the comforting voices of the "family" that's always around and who follows me through my travels and continual uprooting. I still even miss Chris Cimino, the NBC 4 NYC weatherman who Al would cut to for the local weather (although, Andy Avalos of NBC 5 in Chicago does fill the gap somewhat). If I don't have my Today fix, I often go through the day feeling somewhat empty, that somehow I've missed something, and I'm a little less clued in to what's happening in this great big world of ours.

So now that you know I'm a little nuts (but I felt the intro was important to level-setting my next piece of information), Campbell Brown (the top contender for Katie's spot, should she decide to jump ship to CBS, and frankly my top choice, should anyone care; currently the "Weekend Today" anchor and also a White House correspondent) is getting married this weekend-- and when Matt, Al and Natalie (who was filling in for Ann today) sat on the sofa and toasted her with champagne, and you could see the joy and excitement in Campbell's face, I was so happy! It felt like one of my best friends was getting married, and I was right there, experiencing the joy right along with her and her loved ones.

Like I said: I'm a little nuts.

You Know You're a New Yorker When...(Part Deux)

1. YOU'RE 35 YEARS OLD AND DON'T HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE.
2. YOU GET READY TO ORDER DINNER EVERY NIGHT AND MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN THE MAJOR FOOD GROUPS: CHINESE, ITALIAN, MEXICAN OR INDIAN.
3. YOU RIDE IN A SUBWAY CAR WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE SEATS AVAILABLE.
4. YOU TAKE THE TRAIN HOME AND YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE ON THE PLATFORM THE DOORS WILL OPEN THAT WILL LEAVE YOU RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE EXIT STAIRWAY.
5. YOU KNOW WHAT A "REGULAR" COFFEE IS.
6. IT'S NOT "MANHATTAN" - IT'S THE "CITY."
7. THERE IS NO NORTH AND SOUTH. IT'S "UPTOWN" OR "DOWNTOWN." IF YOU'RE REALLY FROM NEW YORK YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CONCEPT OF WHERE NORTH AND SOUTH ARE.... (AND EAST OR WEST IS "CROSSTOWN"!)
8. YOU CROSS THE STREET ANYWHERE BUT ON THE CORNERS AND YOU YELL AT CARS FOR NOT RESPECTING YOUR RIGHT TO DO IT.
9. YOU MOVE 3,000 MILES AWAY, SPEND 10 YEARS LEARNING THE LOCAL LANGUAGE AND PEOPLE STILL KNOW YOU'RE FROM HERE THE MINUTE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH.
10. YOU RETURN AFTER 10 YEARS AND THE FIRST FOOD YOU WANT IS A "REAL" PIZZA.
11. YOU'RE NOT THE LEAST BIT INTERESTED IN GOING TO TIMES SQUARE ON NEW YEAR'S EVE.
12. YOUR INTERNAL CLOCK IS PERMANENTLY SET TO KNOW WHEN ALTERNATE SIDE OF THE STREET PARKING REGULATIONS ARE IN EFFECT.
13. YOU KNOW WHAT A BODEGA IS.
14. SOMEONE BUMPS INTO YOU, AND YOU CHECK FOR YOUR WALLET.
15. YOU DON'T EVEN NOTICE THE LADY WALKING DOWN THE ROAD HAVING A PERFECTLY NORMAL CONVERSATION WITH HERSELF.
16. YOU CRINGE AT HEARING PEOPLE PRONOUNCE HOUSTON ST. LIKE THE CITY IN TEXAS.
17. THE PRESIDENTIAL VISIT IS A MAJOR TRAFFIC JAM, NOT AN HONOR.
18. YOU CAN NAP ON THE SUBWAY AND NEVER MISS YOUR STOP.
19. THE DELI GUY GIVES YOU A STRAW WITH ANY BEVERAGE YOU BUY, EVEN IF IT'S A BEER.

YOU GOTTA LOVE IT!

Lacking Inspiration

I haven't much felt like blogging as of late... lack of exciting places and faces on which to report (where the hell was my NYT this morning?!), and I haven't had time to go through the latest CNT (cover story is "Carribbean hideaways"), and I'm downright gloomy about my sister, brother-in-law and niece going home (well, via Oklahoma). I'm considering my next move, and am having the great east vs. west debate... again. East is winning for the moment, if only because I have a job interview next week (and it happens to be in New York). But as much as I love New York... and sing its praises day in and day out... not seeing my nieces growing up is harder than I thought it was going to be. Is anything ever going to be easy?

Big Talker

Sooo... I talk a big talk-- exotic vacations, leaving the guilt of not spending time with my family behind... but then I meet this little one and all of my conviction goes flying out the window. How could I NOT spend every spare moment with her???

The Illinois Sleaze Culture

Oh it's ON! The Illinois gubernatorial primary is next week and the mud-slinging has definitely turned to mud-chucking. One such chuck by Republican businessman Ron Gidwitz announced that he would put an end to the Illinois "sleaze culture." Huh? I've lived in Illinois for nearly two years (holy crap), and admittedly, I'm much more clued into NY politics than IL but, I'm not totally oblivious... and "sleaze" seems a bit strong for the hearty people of the midwest.

But I think the most entertaining part of the race is the names: Gidwitz, Topinka, Oberweiss, Blagojevich and Eisendrath. Try saying those monikers ten times fast.

Represent!

Okay, so I got a little flack for my healthy eating post yesterday, so just to prove that I'm keeping it real, I do still love hot dogs (my childhood staple, although my health-conscious parents tended to impart vegan and turkey dogs on their unsuspecting children; but my love of Dodger Dogs and subsequent move to New York prevailed and quickly rid me of that habit). One of my guilty pleasures is Big Herm's Hot Dog and Deli (anything with "hot dog" in the title has got to be good)-- home of the Chicago hot dog (loaded up with things a New Yorker would never consider putting on a dog) and the all-important pizza puff. Yummmm.

And BEST of all?! I just discovered that Hot Dog on a Stick is now mobile. I'm totally getting them to cater my next party (and yes! HDOS is still better than the corn dogs at Cedar Point...).

And another $120 later...

...for three-- count 'em, THREE bags of groceries. I just have this innate talent for spending a hell of a lot of money for not a whole lot of food. I guess the actual definition of the words "flax seed," "soy butter" and "organic" is "lotto." But I do love Trader Joe's... even if I'm going to have to sell stuff on eBay to support my habit.

Songs that make me cry

Always On Your Side - Sheryl Crow

My yesterdays are all boxed up and neatly put away
But every now and then you come to mind
Cause you were always waiting to be picked to play the game
But when your name was called, you found a place to hide
When you knew that I was always on your side

Well everything was easy then, so sweet and innocent
But your demons and your angels reappeared
Leavin' all the traces of the man you thought you'd be
Leavin' me with no place left to go from here
Leavin' me so many questions all these years

But is there someplace far away, someplace where all is clear
Easy to start over with the ones you hold so dear
Or are you left to wonder, all alone, eternally
This isn't how it's really meant to be
No it isn't how it's really meant to be

Well they say that love is in the air, but never is it clear,
How to pull it close and make it stay
Butterflies are free to fly, and so they fly away
And I'm left to carry on and wonder why
Even through it all, I'm always on your side

But is there someplace far away, someplace where all is clear
Easy to start over with the ones you hold so dear
Or are we left to wonder, all alone, eternally
But is this how it's really meant to be
No is it how it's really meant to be

Well if they say that love is in the air, never is it clear
How to pull it close and make it stay
If butterflies are free to fly, why do they fly away
Leavin' me to carry on and wonder why
Was it you that kept me wondering through this life
When you know that I was always on your side

Welcome to the real world

Well, I suppose that it all had to come to an end... but I can't remember the last time I was so bummed to come home... Jackson was AMAZING-- I mean, bordering on Australia amazing (and for those of you who know me from way back when, I still haven't stopped dreaming of Australia, so that's a pretty big statement). Dinner last night was at Spring Creek Ranch, where I hand-picked the menu of winter squash soup with cinnamon and creme fresh; a mixed green salad with maytag blue cheese and candied hazelnuts; a duet plate of filet mignon wrapped in prosciutto and corn-meal crusted local trout on garlic mash with seasonal vegetables; followed by huckleberry "beggar's purses" pies with vanilla bean ice cream. Aaaaahhhhhh. The restaurant had a sommelier who paired a choice of an amazing Napa cab, a Willamette Valley pinot and a Sonoma savignon blanc with the meal. The restaurant (The Grainery) had floor to ceiling windows that was that overlooked the Grand Teton mountain range, and we arrived right as the sun was setting-- incredible.

As I was walking through the Four Seasons this morning, saying goodbye to our guests and the wonderful staff that truly live up to their company's tagline ("Beyond Compare"), giving them HUGS-- the STAFF (I know-- I'm such a sap, aren't I?), I was so sad. It was an unforgettable trip, and I've already put in feelers for a job with NL Wilson... ha! If only I could live at the Four Seasons year-round. So, goodbye to Jackson Hole... it was wonderful while it lasted.

Snowboarding Master!

Well, perhaps not exactly master... well, perhaps not exactly proficient. But, I did it! Thankfully there is no photographic evidence, although, are you people going to believe that I actually did it? I can pass along my instructor's name (Evan)... he'll remember me on account that I took him out within the first 10 minutes of my lesson-- and that's not in the "hey, wanna grab a drink" taken out, but rather an "oh crap, I'm about to go down the mountain and take you with me in a giant bloody mess" taken out. Yes-- thank you, thank you. I managed to totally wipe the professional out when he was trying to break my fall. All mini accidents aside, it was SO MUCH fun! My friends at NL Wilson totally hooked me up with a private lesson, and even though I didn't let go of my instructor's hands the entire time (well, he was pretty cute, in that snowboard/surfer wanderlust kind of way), I think I really started to get the hang of it at the end (and man, was that Pooh Bear run a tough trail).

Granted, there were kids that came up to my knees who were whizzing by me with no problem, but we all know it's harder to teach an old dog new tricks. On my last run I did manage to make it ALL the way down the run without stopping (or falling)-- although Evan was holding my hands the whole time and coaching me through every turn. Poor Evan. I was sort of a disaster. I couldn't get up by myself so he was just lugging my dead weight up every time I was down for the count (often). And the ski lift was just a comedy. I can't get off the ski lift in skis, so forget about it on a board. He literally had to put his arms under mine to keep me upright. But even though every single muscle in my body aches today, it was the most fun that I've had on this trip thus far... and I would totally do it again tomorrow--if I could walk, that is.

A Little Slice of Heaven...

...called Amangani. Located at Spring Creek Ranch (still Jackson, but presumably there's a creek somewhere nearby named Spring), the Amangani is the only United States property owned by the exclusive Aman Resorts. I had dinner there tonight and not only was it delicious, it was beautifully presented (which is of course what impresses me). I started with a roasted beet soup with goat cheese- a gorgeous color! For my main course, I had pan roasted scallops with lobster risotto and a vanilla butter sauce. Ahhh... I always forget that i don't really like risotto, but even so, it was pretty tasty. Then my friend and I split the "banana 4 way" which was a serving of each: sliced bananas with carmelized sugar; banana glacee with caramel bread; homemade banana ice cream with crumbled shortbread; and banana bread with chocolate sauce. But best of all was in fact the view-- with the infinity pool that drops off the edge of the mountain overlooking the Teton Mountain Range. Do I have to leave this place?!

Elk and Moose and Grizzlies... Oh My

Who could have ever thought that this place could be even MORE beautiful when covered in snow than it was when I was here in the fall. Not I, that's for sure. If I could figure out how to post music (maybe G will figure it out for me, since it was he that told me how to add more sidebars which, as you can see, I've gone hog wild with), Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" would be playing. Wyoming is unbelievable... it's the kind of place that you can't even do justice to through the written word. If I had remembered to bring the cord that connected my camera to my computer so I could, uh, upload photos to share, it would have been pure genius. But since I'm clearly not that smart, you'll have to take my word for it and close your eyes and imagine my terrace that looks right onto the mountain and the ski lift. But rest assured, I will do my best to post a few when I return home (although anyone who actually knows me and may by chance actually read this would know that I'm lying because I'm the worst when it comes to taking photos. I have very good intentions but unfortunately never remember to... even if the damned camera is in my hands).

Why-yi-yi-yippie-yi-yay yippie-yi-yo-yippie-yi-yay

Off to the wild west tomorrow. Well, as wild as the Four Seasons is, I suppose... which is not so wild, if truth be told. But it is in Jackson Hole, WY-- playground to the super rich who play the "not too cool to be real because even though I'm a mega- millionaire, I'm still a red-blooded, American cowboy" role (cue Harrison Ford). But if you've never had a chance to go to Jackson, I would highly recommend it. It's sandwiched between the Grand Teton National Forest and Yellowstone National Park and even though there are places like the Four Seasons, it's still relatively untouched due to the fact that it's protected land on account that it's in a National Forest and all. It's more expensive to buy property in Jackson than in NYC because only 5% of the land is available for development. Yeah-- pretty un-freakin- believable. But it holds a special place in my heart since I learned to fly fish there, and actually caught one-- on my own-- the first time out! Too bad there's no fishing in the winter... but I do plan to take a snow boarding lesson. Cross your fingers that I don't come home with anything broken. So in the wise words of Will Smith, "We going straight to the wild wild west."

P.S. How wrong is it to have quoted 'N Sync and Will Smith in the same entry?

Maybe You Can't Judge a Book By Its Cover...

But I firmly believe you can judge a person by the company she/he keeps. So for me, that's pretty good news because I just may very well have the best friends and loved ones a gal could have. The number of funny cards, phone calls and offers for dinner and picking up laundry (thanks, K!) I've received in the days leading up to the GMAT has been overwhelming (how do you guys even remember these things?!?). So, even if I don't get into business school, I think I'm pretty smart because of the company I keep. Not to mention most of them are Ivy-league educated, so clearly I must bring something to the table other than charm (so I keep telling myself...).