Oh This Crazy Adventure

I wake up on a cool, dreary Sunday morning knowing my exact plan. This is a rarity, but it seemed like a perfect Sunday: "Where the Wild Things Are," brunch with Emily, football with Lauren, and then home to relax before my long week on late shift. What more should I do on a Sunday?

Plans never happen as you plan them. I wake up and start the plan. I move a little slowly this morning. Of course as I am getting ready to walk out the door, my roommate confronts me: "Maura, can you take out the bathroom garbage?"

"Is it full?" I ask. Says its not and I say that as its my week to do the bathroom I get to decide when to take out the garbage. Its not full I will take it out later.

She tries to object, but I have to go... she starts complaining as she always does. But I actually am on my way somewhere, so I go.

Great, now I am running late. I get to the theatre, buy my ticket and notice I have two missed calls... from my roommate. She left me two messages, long and confusing... that I only deciphered after I called her to apologize for running out. She thinks my verbal cues in my conversations are all wrong.

I go to the movie, love it and forget about her. Post movie, Emily calls to say our brunch space is full for a football game, so we change locals. Mara calls me and asks if I want to go to a show in Peirmont NY. I detail to her my perfect Sunday, but say maybe.

Em and I brunch, but half way through I get a call from my boss asking if i can send out a few things that need to go out. I say yes and he tells me I have about an hour and half until he can send it to me. I have to be home at four, damn no football with Lauren.

I call Lauren, but she admits she never made it to the game... awesome I'm not missing a thing. I head home to Brooklyn. As I get home, both Mara and my boss are calling me. I concede to go with Mara tonight and I assure my boss everything is fine with the pages.

As I run out the door, I miss the shuttle bus (because the train is messing up) wait 15 minutes and the bus doesn't come. I call Mara panicked and walk to the train. I of course beat the next shuttle bus. I get on the train and am making pretty good timing, until I transfer trains. I have to go two stops once I transfer and it stops for 10 minutes in between stations. I can't even get off the train and make a run for it.

I finally get off the train 5 minutes before the bus is supposed to leave, Mara is waiting with tickets. I sprint, through the station to the bus to meet Mara. I am at the top of the escalator, I can see Mara standing outside the bus. The bus driver closes the door. Mara bangs on the door but to no avail.

We meet up and she calls her friend who' show were going to, to decide whether to wait for the next bus or take a cab. Her friend goes on at 7, we dash to the ticket window to return the tickets because of the stupid bus driver. We have to fight with him but he gives us a full return. Score!

Now we just have to find a cab to take us to this town in NY. After about 10 cabs we find one willing to adventure with us. Its supposed to be about $50, not including tolls or tip and the route we wanted him to take did not involve a toll.

Problem... we are using our phones to direct him because his GPS didn't know where it was going. He then decides to stop listening to us, and we start to get scared. Then the guy gets pulled over. He was speeding and got pulled over, and because of us the nice cop let him off.

He FINALLY gets us there, after getting us lost. A half hour trip took us an hour and then he had the audacity to try to charge us 150. umm no Hun, we did our research. We paid 70.

We got to the show as it was starting, and ran into one of Mara's Coworkers who had two seats at his table. Happy accident and then we shared our story with everyone there.

The show started and I was taken a way to a magical place where all emotion is conveyed through guitar and lyrics. Jill Hennessy was sheer brilliance and exactly what I needed after such a crazy day.

Mara and I made it back to the city in one piece, by bus and we all lived happily ever after.

Take a Chill Pill

I was talking to my friend last night. What was he doing? Just wasting time. At the time I was a little jealous. When I got home at 10:45, my intention was to simply waste time. What did I do though? Watched TV shows I missed during the week, I journaled, I talked with friends, I had 2 glasses of wine, and I did some reading. This wasn't entirely productive, but it certainly wasn't wasting time.

This morning I woke up at 830 am when my super was supposed to come fix my bathroom sink. While he did that, I compiled my laundry and changed into running clothes. When he was finished, I went out, put my laundry in and ran 3 miles while it washed. I came back, put everything in the dryer and did yoga until it was done. I folded my clothes, took them home, took a shower and then got dressed. I was out doing errands in the city by noon. (I think somewhere in there my roommate also complained to me about something or another).

Is there such thing as being too efficient, or too active? Is it bad that when I do one thing, I am thinking of 10 more I need to do? As much as I want to, unless I have a few people with me, I don't go to sports bars because I can think of a million grander things to occupy my time. How much of any of it is really important? I feel like i spend my time filling it with things I don't really need to do, but in some way feel some need to do so. I shouldn't spend my 20's like that. I shouldn't be that girl who is told at work "relax," "go home and take a load off." Then again, I have always taken after my mother. I have always been that go, go, go girl. I think I need someone to teach me how to slow down.

Rambling Thoughts of an Unfocused Mind

I'm sitting here in my usual coffee shop, two tables back from where I usually sit, playing with the foam at the top of my cappuccino while looking out at the very gray day. Its the perfect fall day and yet today feels a little off. I never order caps, minds a little burnt, when I paid for it neither myself nor the barrister could remember whether I gave him $3 of $4. We decided 4 and I tipped him $2. I am feeling very generous as I made $100 more after taxes this week.

I watch the barrister outside on a smoke break. He's got facial expressions like Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl. As I think this it starts to pour outside and I wonder if its worth it to go home and get my rain boots? We will see how I feel when I leave. For all I know the rain will have subsided. Then again, maybe its one of those days where I just don't care. Its Friday, I'm wearing jeans, a tee shirt and my snuggly sweatshirt.

I'd be willing to bet that right about now everyone is glad we are on the stages today. I'm already starting to think that I should have gotten that extra shot of espresso. No matter, I'm sure I will have an espresso at work. Along with a bagel or pastry to tide me over until catering. Mmmm catering.

I see a penny on the ground. I look at it, acknowledge it an the thought that someone is thinking about me. I do not pick it up. My two childlike notions of pennies: 1. find a penny pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck- translation, heads up pennies are good luck and tails up pennies are bad luck. 2. when you see a penny it means God or someone is thinking about you. Though I love the second thought, I still play by playground rules. Its a bit like four square, school rules all the time.

I pull out my planner to write down my friend's wedding, but come to find its already there. I flip through and wonder how. I carry it around with me everywhere and have five things written in it, including my contact information. I guess I seriously cant be tied to a planner. Part of me wishes I could be, and part of me loves not tieing myself to any specific schedule. Its so hard for me to think in terms of dates. Maybe I have been freelancing for too long, and maybe I have simply found some career suitable to my needs.

A woman walks in with her 3 year old daughter. She is bundled up, wearing a pink chucks and carrying a pink carnation. She has braids in her hair and says "HI" to everyone repeatedly. I want one, one day... not now but one day.

I take the final sip of my coffee and examine the foam residue on the inside of the cup. The intricate burnt brownish pattern on the white ceramic cup is most mesmerizing. I shake my head and come back to the real world. It's 10:45, I should get going so I can get there early and take the mail. Why can I never remember to grab the mail.

The chalk sandwich board outside this place says "They should have given the Nobel to coffee." What a wonderfully random thought.

The rain has come and gone, I will not be stopping back by home for my rain boots. I wish I could actually have written something profound or interesting this morning. Alas, I haven't and now its hi ho, hi ho its off to work I go.

Time is of the Essence

Typical for so many kids my age, my friends don't wake before noon on weekends. I on the other hand am lucky if I am able to sleep until 930. I suppose years of baseball and mom trying to wake me up at 7 and college friends who rarely slept in either have chiseled into my head that if you're not up when the sun is up, you're wasting your day. Does this mean that I am destined to one day be that crazy mom who tries to wake her kids up before they need to be on the weekends?



Already I have been up for 2 hours. I walk down 2nd Ave on my way to Starbucks, I pass a street fair along 10th st. Initially I pass it, thinking that all I want to do this am is grab a coffee and write before I do brunch with Emily. It's 1030, the street fair is just getting started, I have 2 hours before brunch, a little side trip won't hurt me.



I peruse the little antique booths, hoping to find some unique piece of jewelry with character that I just cant say no to. If I were to stumble across a pocket watch I could wear as a necklace, life would be wonderful. I had one, but it was cheap and it broke so I am now looking for a replacement.



No luck on the pocket watch. I do find some cute clutch bags, with out having to ask the woman selling them I know they are from the 1920s. I could very easily get it and add it to my collection of unique accessories... wait a minute, I already have one of those but mine is way cooler because it was from my great aunts. I don't need another.



Seriously though, how much of it do I really need? None of it. I continue to browse, but not intending to purchase anything. If I lived by myself there were a couple glass sets I would be all over, but I don't so right now I wont. I wonder if, when I one day get married, register for vintage items instead of at Macy's or Bed Bath and Beyond, or Target.



I leave the street fair having found no new treasure. A nice, quiet little detour on my way. Alas, I continue on to the coffee shop.



Its only 11:15, I have plenty of time to write before brunch.



What am I doing at a coffee shop at 11:15 on a Sunday morning. Already I have gone for a run, gotten ready, went to church (only sometimes right now), been cornered by one of my roomies, and made it into the city. I swear, I'm even strolling instead of walking at my quick pace. I like the feeling though. I like feeling like I have done something already today. This is why I need to move into the city. I love Brooklyn, don't get me wrong, but in my neighborhood nothing really starts until 11am and sometimes that's too lazy for me. If I want to watch a game or go to a movie or just hang around later, I want to feel like Ive accomplished some of the mundane things I'd rather not do.



Yes, I might be that girl that wakes up 9 at the latest on a weekend, well unless wicked tired OR hungover. And, yes, my friends might have forbidden me from calling or texting before noon (for the record where I grew up it was okay to call anyone after 8 on a week day and 10 on a weekend) this whole noon thing is an adjustment.



I suppose working 75 hours in a week will make you appreciate the time you have a little more. My time becomes so sparse, and where I value sleep, other things become more important. My biggest struggle right now is making a distinction between work and life.