mosquitos (heart) me

I spent a week in Florida without one single mosquito bite (which really is quite remarkable) and within 10 minutes of getting back to my apartment in NYC, I get two. That just doesn't seem right. Not right at all.

omg

stolen from cuteoverload.com

I FINISHED!

At exactly 2:02 p.m., I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

How did I do this if I was supposed to pick up the book this morning? Timeturner!

No, I wish. Instead, last night when I got home around 11 p.m., I thought, I am exhausted and going to bed. Then at 11:05 I thought - I think there are copies of HP7 at Duane Reade. I could wait it out. Instead of futzing around the house as planned, I got a call from Fron who was the unfortunately lucky person to be a "bride's attendant" at a friend's wedding. (HI FRON!)

So, I went to the Duane Reade by me and they didn't have any books. But then I thought, "I am not soooo tired. I will go to the one of 58th and 8th." So I started walking there and then about a block from the store, I saw someone with a Duane Reade bag that looked like it had a giant book in it. So I started walking faster and by the time I got there, they still had a few boxes of books!

So, instead of reading it all day today as planned, I read all night until 6 AM when I passed out and started again at 11 a.m. As Frertischek says, I devour books and I have to say, this one is probably a record for me.

So, when you are finished reading your book, email me. Let me know what you thought of the story.

HARRY POTTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

I am a HUGE fan geek when it comes to Harry Potter (HP). [FACT: I saw the movie twice this week] However, I had to draw the line today. I reserved my book at Borders and they are having a HP7 party tonight and selling the book at 12:01 AM. The only way you can obtain your book tonight is to go to Borders this morning and pick up a bracelet which assigns you a number. That is the number of your place in line.

Hmmph.

So, needless to say, I am going to go pickup my book tomorrow morning, bright and early. Anyone want to go have breakfast in the Time Warner Center at 9 AM? Let me know.

Also, FYI -- I will not be answering any emails or phone calls or text messages or pigeon carriers or stone tablets tomorrow. I am having a marathon read with HP7. You have been warned.

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So, for 4th of July, I went to Vermont. What a beauuuuuuuuutiful place Vermont is in the summer time. Make sure that you visit VT in the summertime: the grass is so green, the fireflies are plentious; the mountains are ... mmm ... mountainous. And at night you can see the Milky Way! Not many places left in the developed world where you can see the Milky Way at night.



That's me.

So, much thanks and love to Fren and her framily for the use of Bridgewater Hilton II, Frill and Frammy, Frannie and Frabney, Frashlee, Fron and Frill, Frilippe, Frissac, Fressie, and Frena. Goood times.

Here's a parting shot:



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So as many of you know, there was a steam pipe explosion in New York City this week. My office building is four blocks away from the explosion site and many of my colleagues and I were still at work when it happened. We all heard the blast, but first thought it was thunder. Unfortunately the sound carried on for way longer than thunder would. I have a view and noticed LOTS of smoke coming from a few blocks south; then I went into a corner room and saw more smoke (which turned out to be superheated steam). Needless to say, it was a shock. Over the intercom system at work, they announced that we should go to the boardroom. Then quickly another announcement came and said, evacuate the building. So we did. Unfortunately, my office is on the 31st floor. Lots of steps down.

Today, we are all okay and know it was a steam pipe explosion. The only side effect from this event that I (and my colleagues) have is what I call "Post-Traumatic Explosion Legs." Quickly walking down 31 flights of stairs and consequently wherever our final destinations were made our upper leg muscles (to be exact, the quadriceps, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, biceps femoris) painful, tense and sore!!!! I am having problems getting out of chairs, walking and getting down stairs. The only other time I have seen something like this was when my friend Frori began running 1/2 the Boston Marathon and then decided to finish the entire race. She couldn't walk down the stairs. She had to go backwards because she had "Post-Traumatic Marathon Legs."

Knowing how science and the study of science works, someone is probably already received a grant to study this traumatic disorder. They will probably start with mouse studies -- make mice go down the equivalent of 31 flights of stairs. If you see the abstract in some journal, let me know.

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This week's horoscopes go out to:

Frisa - you know - [Fill in our company here] should pay me to write these horoscopes weekly. Think about it.

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Check out your weekly horoscopes at
Free Will Astrology
Horoscopes for week of July 19, 2007
By Rob Brezsny
© 1995-2004, Rob Brezsny. All rights reserved.

Beaver Fever! In the morning, Beaver Fever all through the night! You give me beaver fever!

I was in Vermont this past weekend with the East-West-Mid-West crowd (HOLLA) and we went hiking (yes, I actually went hiking for the third time in my life - maybe fourth). While on Mt. Tom, we found a water fountain/well and, before Frannie could take a drink, Freondra said, "I wouldn't drink that - you might get beaver fever." BEAVER FEVER???!!!!! Well, that became the headline for the week, creating too many jokes and giggles to count. But Freondra is right, there is such thing as beaver fever and it is called Giardia, which is a parasite that infects the intestines of humans and animals. Go figure.

Drink more coffee!

Pounds Slide Off In a swap of Coffee for Diet Pop. By Maria Mooshil. Recent studies show people who drink diet pop are more likely to be obese.