the most wonderful time of the year

we're almost 3 nights into channukah, 6 days away from winter break, 12 days until christmas. it's been bitterly cold in ny for the last couple of days...no snow yet. it's an odd time of year. the city is packed with people shopping, going to theater and museums, visiting the tree in rockefeller center or just milling about. if you suffer from claustrophobia, it's hard to be in midtown now.

this time of year can also be a bit depressing. the finality of a year - unfulfilled plans, projects, promises makes me wonder where the last 12 months went. and january looms with its clean slate. there are more commercials on tv for nicorettes and weight watchers and viagra. would have thought the third would be condoms...in keeping with taking care of yourself. but it's obviously the time to re-evaluate.

i've never been one to write down new year's resolutions and i'm happy to say that we're still 18 days away from actually needing such a list. i'm such an organized person, a list maker, a to-do person that i would think i'd be a natural for a resolution list. if i put a list together for 2010, i know i don't want to disappoint myself so i'm going to choose carefully and be realistic.

wwcd: maybe my resolution is to make a list of resolutions

he's at the dmv

if you're looking for god, he's at the dmv in harlem. if you've been following this blog, you'll know that i forgot to renew my drivers license. no, i did not receive the renewal by mail either. it expired in july and i realized it in october and it took me until today to go the the dmv office. there was much prodding by the son to motivate.

growing up in ny, the only dmv office was the one down by the court buildings. you'd get there first thing in the morning, get on line, fill out papers, get on another line, ugh that was the wrong line. and then find the right line, wait some more only to be met by a dmv worker obviously not enjoying their career path. you were easily looking at 2 hours of your morning wasted. then the dmv opened the xpress office on 34th and 8th avenue. by far a huge improvement, but still quite busy and not very convenient.

last night, in my rush to download forms and fill them out so i wouldn't have to do it at the dmv, i noticed the list of dmv offices in manhattan. 159 east 125th street. in old ny days i would have passed it right by in favor of west 34th street.  but now, harlem is the new "it" neighborhood. so this morning i got up, got all my papers together, hailed a cab at 8:25 and went to harlem. i was in the dmv for 20 minutes, 2 lines, a picture, and $50 later i am the proud owner of a new license. well, a temporary one until the offical one arrives by mail in 2 weeks.

wwcd: i was in my office at 9:05 - 40 minutes after trying something new  

what to buy

it all starts tomorrow night. 8 nights of presents - some that are meaningful and others that are fillers. zach is the only recipient of 8 gifts, but i try to make them more meaningful.  kiva.org has become a gift i give many times. not to zach over the 8 nights, but at least one of the nights he receives money to invest in an entrepreneur in another country.

for friends i have a hard time balancing my love of buying just the right gift and knowing there are people who don't have...anything. i feel in my heart that we are all so fortunate - we have the basic necessities and way more. so when do i say, "i'm not buying gifts and instead i'm making contributions where they are needed"? i have decided to take a percentage of what i would normally spend and make a contribution instead.

i would also rather have lunch or dinner with a friend and spend that time together.  as my life is now, time is the greatest gift i can give. nothing makes me happier than running out of the office to meet a friend for lunch in the neighborhood. it takes me out of my day, let's me catch up in person with a friend and i come back to the office relaxed. i'm having lunch with a friend tomorrow who - with love - calls me a lunch ho.  she knows i'm really more of a friend ho.

wwcd: toys break, clothes shrink, ipods become outdated...but friends are always just right

my generation

i heard from several people i know who think i'm brave for writing this blog. "no way" they say could they do something like this - exposing themselves this way. as i planned when i started writing this - i would not write anything that would embarrass me, my family or friends. of course i have things in my past that are embarrassing - probably in my present too, but i don't feel that what i write about it so personal. i tell everyday stories. i read other blogs and facebook posts and am dumbstruck at the total lack of judgement and inhibitions.

several years ago i introduced a speaker who led a discussion about internet safety. in preparation for this, i opened a facebook account and learned what i could in a short period of time.  what i realized and what i focused on in my introduction was the lack of modesty and embarrassment this generation seems to have. i told my story of growing up and having a diary where i used to write my most secret thoughts. it had a lock and key. i locked it and hid the key. today there are no keys. no one even wants a key.

i worry about some of these kids (ages 12 to, well i know 50 year olds who say too much) who need to live every moment and emotion online. they're up, they're down. they broke up with their boyfriend, they found a new girlfriend. their friend betrayed them, they have a new best friend. they got drunk at a party, they posted the pictures online in case you weren't there. they say too much, they're mean, they're angry, they love each other. if you don't check facebook every day you can miss an entire relationship.

wwcd:  there's definitely a place for this amazing technology, but why do you want me to know what's happening in your life every minute of every day

i'm a jewish christian scientist

i've been sick with a cold for the last 5 days. it's moved from my head to my nose and has settled in my chest. people who don't know me well all ask, "what are you taking?" so if you know me, you're already saying, "um, medicine, not her." you see, since i was 25, i haven't taken more than an advil or two during the day when i'm sick and at night a 1/2 shot glass of scotch. this is what i call the dynamic duo.

i know, you're thinking i'm crazy and no, i don't own stock in advil.  i've been lucky health wise. i do believe that for most of the ailments i've had in the last few decades, the body has healed itself.  i think not taking antibiotics has increased my immunity system and made me stronger.  that's not to say that i don't get sick. i have a 14 year old at home, work at a school and live in a city where people are too close and breathe on each other. i am surrounded by germs.

i remember being 25, getting sick and going to the drug store to buy some over the counter medicine.  i could not get over the choice in front of me. decongestants, decongestants with codeine, expectorants, and all with alcohol. the shelves were lined with products.  but this is what freaked me out - reading the side effects. they sounded worse than my cold.  dizziness, excitability, headache, nausea, anxiety, trouble sleeping. i liked my cold symptoms better than the side effects. it was that day i decided to buy a big bottle of advil and scotch, and started praying for good health.

wwcd:  the dynamic duo is still working for me 25 years later