HAPPY HALLOWEEN! MWWAHHHHHHAHAHAHA!!

That's my evil laugh by the way... in case you couldn't tell... may you all make it safely across the covered bridge tonight, away from the Headless Horseman and Brom Bones ...





And Snow White! Do you remember this record that we had when we were little? I saw this on someone else's blog and he was writing about how this was so scary to listen to and how it started him loving Edgar Allen Poe stories - remember they had the wind howling and whistling in between stories? I remember turning off all the lights and listening to this with you...the Headless Horseman was scary fun and so was the Tell-Tale Heart....aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

"A terrorist is the product of our education that says that fantasy is not real, that says aesthetics is just for artists, that says soul is only for priests, imagination is trivial or dangerous and for crazies, and that reality, what we must adapt to, is the external world, a world that is dead. A terrorist is a result of this whole long process of wiping out the psyche."
~ James Hillman

And along those lines, please check out the Museum of Make-Believe http://www.ruinedeye.com/MOMB/MAKEB.htm

Vron, if you go to the second floor, you can check out Baba Yaga's comb! And Mom, also on the second floor, you can see the Little Match Girl's apron...the saddest fairy tale of them all...

I'm having a good day by the way ... can't say exactly why - shhhh its a secret - but I am and I hope the good vibes in the air are flowing out to all of you reading this now ... its rainy and cloudy and chilly this morning, as it should be, finally, at last, the fall weather seems to be here to stay and that means that winter isn't far off and we all know I'm happiest when its cold outside and the snow is falling and Christmas is upon us and I can bundle up and drink hot cocoa with visions of sugarplums dancing in my head ... and here's a recipe for sugarplums wouldn't you know it ... http://www.godecookery.com/friends/frec74.htm

Well my second favorite team is now in the World Series! Aren't I lucky, I can still enjoy baseball even if the Mets don't make it into the playoffs...I love the Red Sox too so I watched the past couple of games happily - favorite players? Jonathan Papelbon and Mike Lowell...I just like their whole vibe - even Manny Ramirez doesn't bother me...so as much as I like the Rockies - I always have to cheer for the underdog, you know - my heart is for Boston and so it goes...

So, you know, this weekend was quite busy apart from BaseballGameWatching ... Saturday I saw Elizabeth the Golden Age and had a funky dinner in Astoria - Turkish/Argentinian - how's that for a mix? They had this delicious dish called Red Sonja, made out of red lentils that you scooped up with lettuce and this yummy as hell dessert - semolina and honey with some vanilla ice cream and pistachios and walnuts and almonds. Yum indeed. Sunday, I was proud of myself. Yoga has returned to the schedule and we almost had a private class, just me and Floating Head - finally two other people showed up and I felt very stiff and creaky and today I'm a touch sore since its been so long but I made it back and lets make a promise that its back for good. Then it was brunch time with Jany at East of Eighth and some shopping and walking around and all in all - a good weekend.

ALSO. I must mention - although I plan to send an actual thank you of some sort - I have to do a blog shout out to Vron and Larisa. I LOVED LOVED LOVED your gifts - and your "gifts" a.k.a. TALENTS. The paintings were so wonderful, seriously, I was really touched that you took the time to make me something so beautiful and I'm framing them and putting them on the wall effective immediately. Also a bit inspiring too, because I've been wanting to try painting and sketching - so maybe I'll send you some NicoleArt someday - but most likely it will look like this:

See, that's me and Veronica flying a kite last October when she was visiting. And the sun is shining. Just know that. Larisa, should I add action sparks?

BOO! All are welcome to the Scary Spirit of Halloween!

I’m so in it…I decorated my apartment, I bought pumpkins for carving, I put up cobwebs, orange lights, bats, black candles - Snow, I hung the glow in the dark Mr. Bones you sent me!!! It’s in my hallway and if you go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, its right across from the toilet to scare you! But most importantly, I’ve decorated my office … this is all to bring back the Spooky but Fun Spirit of Halloween back into my life. Not that it was ever really missing but I kind of felt like well, I don’t have kids so why am I decorating or baking or making a jack o’lantern, etc, but one of the gifts that was given to me by my parents was a very magical childhood that went hand in hand with a love of celebrating holidays and that you are never too old to enjoy them and somehow I’ve missed that gift of mine the past couple of years. For example, my mom was one of those people who dyed everything green on St Patrick’s Day – we’d wake up to green oatmeal, green OJ, and some holiday appropriate treat to bring to eat at school, like cupcakes, and she’d get out our shamrock pin so we wouldn’t get pinched (or Snow, do you remember those pins we had that would swivel open and there was solid perfume underneath?) and we ALWAYS ate corned beef and hash and potatoes for dinner that night.

So to honor the Spirit of the Parents Who Are Still Young At Heart, I brought in a fun candy bowl with a hand that grabs you and says spookily “want some candy?” and some other decorations and last night I made mini cupcakes and decorated them in Halloween colors and guess what? Everyone here is laughing a LOT, smiling a LOT, and is in a good mood … and do you know is having the most fun? ME. That’s the secret I think that my parents knew all these years – its fun to watch other people get a kick out of the little things you do, its fun to watch other people laugh and scream at a silly spooky bowl, and if a tiny cupcake can make someone more friendly or have a better day, then why wouldn’t I feel good too?

So there you go, lesson for the day from Joyce and Charlie - if you make someone feel good, you’ll end up feeling good as well. They would also like you to know that they will be celebrating Oktoberfest next week, so drop on by if you are in the neighborhood, but don’t you DARE bring any guacamole – it’s not German!! Wear your lederhosen should you be so inclined and to really get a laugh out of them, knock on their door and announce in your best Clark Griswold voice, "My family and I are looking for sex"!

"This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body."

--Walt Whitman

Na und?

A bit groggy this morning...I had a yummy belated birthday dinner last night with some friends at El Quixote - a broiled 1.5 lb. lobster and a pitcher of sangria, who could ask for more? Followed up with a glass of celebratory champagne and - well now you know why I'm a tad bit groggy!

Saturday I met Floating Head for Culturefest in Battery Park which was only kinda interesting ... mostly just museums and cultural institutions giving away programs about what they are offering in 2007-2008, some performances - musical and dance - but not a whole lot of anything else so we were a little disappointed, although I did learn how to have an snotty attitude in German. "Na und?" means "Yeah - AND?" Come on, say it with me...and then roll your eyes exasperatedly and turn away sharply as if you can't be bothered.

So for kicks we crashed Jany's apartment in Forest Hills for some baked ziti and beer and had a good time mocking Keira Knightly's duck face and her "I'm so witty - DON'T YOU LOVE ME?!" Britishisms.

So that was my weekend! Hope yours was fun too! Don't forget to try and use "na und?" in conversation this week...because German bad attitude is fun!

Happy Friday Y'all - Ding Dang!

For all of you TMZ.COM readers out there, you'll recognize the Britney-speak...anyway, I'm just sitting here finishing up my workweek, eating some Peanut Chews with my afternoon coffee and feeling very glad for Mr. Gore for winning the Nobel Peace Prize...how cool is that man? I urge you all - should you be so inclined as I was - to sign the petition at http://www.draftgore.com/ - I don't think he'll run for President, but it's something hopeful...and after all, he really won in 2000 so its just sort of reclaiming what was rightfully his from Sauron Cheney and Sauramon Bush...save the Shire indeed!

So this weekend? Yoga hopefully, both days, maybe some time at Culturefest 2007 in Battery Park, finished up on Sunday evening with my Lobster Dinner - lobster, at long last, my love..how you've been missed - with some friends. And that be that.

Some Birthday Pics

"Feliz Cumpleanos a ti
Feliz Cumpleanos a ti
Feliz Cumpleanos a Nikki
Feliz Cumpleanos a ti!!"

We got toys in our margaritas - my toy was a set of fake icky teeth, perfect to use at the dentist next week...

Floating Head was too tipsy (and too giggly) to climb up the ladder

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!

As sung to me by cool 80's band Altered Images:

Happy birthday, happy birthday
Happy birthday, happy birthday
Happy birthday, happy birthday











Happy, happy birthday in a hot bath
To those nice nice nights
I remember always, always
I got such a fright
Seeing them in my dark cupboard
With my great big cake
If they were me
If they were me
And I was you
And I was you
If they were me
If they were me
And I was you
And I was you
If they were me and I was you
Would you have liked a present too?

Happy birthday, happy birthday.......

Yes today, I am 29...again...so far this day has been just OK - I'm trying hard to keep the birthday shield up, but I came into a mess at work this morning am now in the middle of trying to fix the mystery mess so its been stressful so far. And I got my presents on Saturday, but was out getting blonde, so I got up early today to to stop at the post office to claim them when lo and behold, someone forgot it was Columbus Day and therefore - POST OFFICE IS CLOSED!!! Presents for me have to wait? Man...oh well...

Birthday Shield = ACTIVATED.

Pomegranates and Pumpkins

So the wheel has turned 'round again and it's officially fall and that means its the time of year for my favorite fruit to start appearing in the markets ... they are small right now and not at full flavor but yummmmm... I picked one up for a dollar last night along with a pumpkin that I will carve and roast seeds once it gets closer to Halloween...I remembered that last year I had forgotten to get one and then all of a sudden it was Halloween and no Jack O'Lantern to set the scary mood...this time, I'm prepared...

Nothing else of real interest going on here...as you know, Monday is the Birth Day and for some reason this year, I'm not really into it...its another year older dammit and more gray hair to cover (which I'm having done tomorrow) and more creaky bones to stretch out at yoga (which I'm doing on Sunday) so I'm just keeping it mellow this year, some dinner with friends kind of thing and then let's move on. Basta!

In the meantime, check out http://menwholooklikeoldlesbians.blogspot.com/index.html . I hope this guy keeps the site going, there are a TON of men out there getting way too much plastic surgery and end up looking like women - he takes suggestions, so if you have any to add to his list, go on and contribute!

Exciting!!! I got my first birthday present in the mail this morning...from my lovely SS Aunt Judy!!! Mom, you'll be proud to know that I did NOT open it yet...I'm trying really hard to wait until the actual moment of birth, 7:56 am next Monday...can I do it? We shall see...I'm not exactly known for my self-control...

The Mets 2007 Season R.I.P.

And that’s all I’m going to say about this weekend…my bottom lip is going to be perpetually stuck out in pouting mode until baseball season swings around again in April… boo hoo!!!

Despite the overwhelming sadness, I had a really fun weekend...on Saturday I met The Two Cousins on St. Marks and we were off to the Sunburnt Cow for lots of mimosas and laughing over silly family stories…they had never heard the Tale of Grandma, Dan, and The Enema…but we all agreed, that’s how we knew Dan was a keeper and with that, the standard has been set – no man shall enter into the family without passing The Daniel Test…a bit tipsy and still giggly, we walked around a bit, went to a street fair, got some vanilla lattes and sat outside in the luverly fall weather and then saw Eastern Promises with fellow Met Mourner, Viggo Mortensen…awesome movie, a little brutal – a word to the wise, beware of Russian men with stars tattooed on their knees…then to a bar for a two for one special while we waited with Kara until it was time for her to meet her other friends and abandon us … I had a lot of fun with the Two Cousins and hope hope hope that both Kara and Adam find their way here to live eventually – come on, think of the fun you’ll have!!

Sunday we went to the Medieval Festival at the Cloisters – you know, last year they kindly held this on my birthday in honor of me, but this year, it was moved to grandly open my Birth Month instead – let the celebrations begin, let the libations to me be poured! I'M GETTING OLD!!! WOO HOO!!!! Then we headed down to the same place I ate dinner last year with Vron and Larissa – remember the good margaritas guys? And remember we saw Prince Vocabulary from the Massive Attack concert walk by and we decided that was an omen to buy a lottery ticket? HA! I realized the secret to me and margaritas and feeling “good” is: real juice, not mix, and good tequila. It’s the cheap stuff that gets you ill…after 3 hours of A LOT of laughing and commenting about things and people we hate and trying to figure out Dumb Boys, it was home to watch my newest reality TV must see - Kimora, Life in the Fab Lane...so all in all, a nice weekend capped off the right way and the fun I had took the sting off of the Mets game – I’m glad I wasn’t home to watch it, it would have been hard to take…OUCH indeed. Until next year, boys…