Goals

I’ve had a lot of changes in my life lately.  Finished my book.  Looking for a publisher.  Became Managing Editor of my magazine. (Yeah me!)

But now that I’m in the “get the book published phase”, I’ve been feeling at loose ends.

I recently took a job with Lululemon.  They are a yoga apparel company.  I had far too much time on my hands, and I didn’t want to go back into corporate America..so retail it is!

Life sometimes gives you what you need if you are open to receiving it. For me, that could just be the personal development and goal training that is so very much a part of the Lululemon culture.

(I’m a bit of an underachiever by most standards. (The whole glorified housewife/writer gig seems like a terrible waste of a 143 IQ.) But I digress.

Because I was feeling lost an unfulfilled, I decided to really dig-in and examine why.  I’ve started doing yoga, started seeing a shrink (ok, so maybe it was obvious to EVERYONE else that I have severe ADD…whatever) and now, started goal training.

I had an interesting session today where after listening to Brian Tracy CDs (cringe-worthy indeed, but if you can get past that, actually kind of eye-opening) we had an exercise in goal mapping.  Now I have been tasked with making a visual representation of my “ideal life” or my 10 year goals.

Goals by Dagney

Best Job EVER

Yeah!

I did it.  I landed the best job EVER.  Are you ready?

I am officially a chief blogger for a “Preppy Lifestyle” site.

For realsies!

See: Life in the Cove, THAT’S ME!!!!!

Since I was a little girl, all I ever aspired to be was a paragon of taste…MY TASTE.

So my job is to write about East Coast Preppy Lifestyle.  Since that is more or less what I live, I basically just spend all day thinking and writing about myself.  It is sublimely self-indulgent.

FINALLY, someone really cares about my opinion of the most mundane of life’s details.

Oh, and the swag, I tell you it’s divine.  I received a gigantic box full of the cutest accessories.  It was all pink and green, whale embroidery galore…sniff…it just doesn’t get any better than this.

Excuse me, I have collars to pop.

Impromptu Fine Dining

Last night I had the best meal of my life.

It was a 2-part win.

In the first place, the food was sublime.

In the second, I got to eat said meal, sitting at a bar, which is superior to eating at a table in every way.

Usually when one thinks Le Bec Fin, they think formal, big deal, classic French dining…and well they should because this is EXACTLY what you get in the main dining room. It’s all silk wallpaper, fine silver, orchids and course after course of the most exactingly prepared cuisine you can eat in Philadelphia.

While delicious it’s all oh so very VERY formal.

But walk downstairs after you enter the lobby, and you will find a whole other world.

Oh Le Bar Lyonnais, how do I love thee?

The menu is a la carte. (and a BARGAIN I tell you!)

The gentlemen aren’t wearing coats (well, not all of them anyway.)

And you can pop in on a whim without reservations!

Bernard (not sure his exact job, perhaps professional charmer?) is my favorite person on earth at the moment.

It’s worth visiting for his delicious French kisses alone. (My god that sounds risque, but they were relegated exclusively to the cheek, OBVIOUSLY) Alas, now my eyelids are sprained from all of that coy batting they were doing at him.

Oh, and you still get the whole silver dome theatrics at the bar…the whole experience is delightfully contrived!

Top 10 things I’m buying to punish my husband.

1. A lobster from his LEAST favorite restaurant. $20

2. A new purse. $395

3. A toaster. $380

4. The new David Sedaris Book. (Which Dr. Mean DIDN’T buy me the last time we were at Barnes and Nobel. TAKE THAT FUCKER!) $20

..And 6 puppies. PRICELESS

How Cliché

Hi.

I’m a 32 year old white woman with shoulder-length, subtly-highlighted, hair.

I’m married to a doctor. (Well, a Ph.D.)

I have one (step) son. (It’s like motherhood light, sans stretch marks.)

On occasion, we all wear matching polo shirts embroidered with our last name (and yes, I ‘pop the collar.’)

I have a purebred Irish Setter. (She is neither stupid nor crazy…she is adorable, and that’s final.)

I live in the most expensive zip code in my state. (Granted, my house is the size of your closet.)

I’m writing a novel (based loosely on my life in my twenties.  WEEE!!!!)

We are members of a private club.

I work out with a personal trainer.

We are remodeling our kitchen this summer and debating which gourmet range to purchase.

And we just bought a BMW.

A BM-Freakin-W.

Do we want to be walking clichés?  Apparently, we do.  Reading the above summary of the current state of my life sure as hell makes me look soulless doesn’t it?

Fuck.

You see, it’s because of all of this STUFF, that I sometimes fall into a deep soul-rendering panic.  This is what happens when you have everything you want.

Want to hear another cliché?  I’m worried about loosing touch with gritty reality.

So I just signed up to run with Back on my Feet.  They are an organization that brings together runners from different social statuses i.e. homeless and non-homeless runners.

I’m hoping it will at least lend me a little depth, before it’s too late.

Good Karma, how very apropos.

Wow…apparently this coffee shop (my fave) is aptly named.  Yesterday, I witnesses 1/2 of a tree being severed and hurled through the air by a truck, only to land inches, INCHES!!! from patrons’ feet as they sat enjoying their double-mocha-skim-lattes.

DUDE!

Imagine a scene that is a 50/50 mix of nature and action…Nova meets Jerry Bruckheimer.

There was

• Drama (scary snapping tree sound.)
• Suspense (Will poor Bill Scott meet his fate, while sipping fair-trade Mexican Coffee?)
• Intrigue (Just what WAS that delivery truck doing in the bike lane anyway?)
• Mystery (Is it a coincidence that Larry Becker - eponymous Gallery owner- was sitting not more than 5 feet away, calmly observing the scene?)
• Redemption (The mean old neighbor and Dr. Woo, the car detailing savant, worked shoulder to shoulder, clearing the road…Woo even said “that’s the nicest that prick’s been to be in seven years.”)
• Romance (OK, maybe just a soupcon, but I’m pretty sure that barrista Barry and the delivery truck driver shared a “moment” in the aftermath.)

Oh, the best part of the whole drama was that all of this happened just as the City Health Inspectors showed up…not that it had anything to to with health code violations (of which there were none!!! Good Karma is squeaky-clean.)

One Divine Concert

The Breeders, Sunday June 8th at the The Fillmore at the TLA

The show was SO good. I remember seeing Ms. Deal about 10 years ago at the same location, then it was just called the TLA, but you know, other than the branding, it remains unchanged.

The last time I saw her perform, I went to the show with my boyfriend, his brother, and their roommate. All Irish boys and all desperate to be ‘cool’, especially in their taste in music. If I remember correctly they all stood around, careful not to move or bop their heads, or indicate their appreciation of the music through any physical manifestation.

Last night whilst bobbling my head around ostensibly to the beat, I noticed a few men exhibiting this dance-floor rigger mortise.  I mean, they were still beyond still. In a sea of pogoing 80’s throwbacks, these islands of flesh were immobile.  They did not so much as a sway, a twitch or even nod FOR 1.5 HOURS!

We’re not talking about a couple of guys simply not dancing.  This was an all out, full-body PROTEST.  It’s like they were proving they were completely unmoved by the music at all. I started imaging them exhibiting signs of great disdain for their fellow, more mobile, concert-goers.

Thank god I was there with one of my girlfriends, a woman after my own heart who danced and pogoed unabashed, an unbridled, breasts asunder.  We were totally in the moment and we LOOKED it.

Newsflash to stoics, even serious music is fun.  It’s OK to look like you are, in fact, HAVING fun.

After the show while waiting for MK to purchase her tee, a line of three boys walked past me, slightly fatter, slightly balder, and still very Irish.

Brett has Bionic Eyes

Brett invited me to his room last night. Sure there were 1000 other people at the Flight of the Conchords concert, but I know he was talking to me. I’m pretty sure we shared a ‘moment’. He must have, like, bionic eyesight since I was in the 4th row…in the balcony.

(But seriously, he said he was staying at the Sofitel in room 921.) You know that some poor roadie was harassed all night by star-struck drunken cougars.

The concert was jaw-droppingly amazing. Hubster and I BOTH laughed riotously, not necessarily at the same parts, but whatever, we don’t need to examine that too closely.

On the way home we spent the car ride discussing just what makes them so appealing.

You can easily imagine Jemaine and Brett back in their dorm room when you see their act. You don’t need to read their bios to “know” them.  Watching them is kind of like watching my friends John and Pete, but with guitars, and a script. They’ve perfected their selfconscious /imaginary world-influenced skit.

Last night they played all their hits.  If you don’t know them (like if you are poor and can’t afford HBO or something.) Watch them play “Business Time”.

The philly crowd received the Conchords well, especially since they apparently googled “Philadelphia culture’ before going on stage. There were plenty of shout outs to “West Philadelphia Born and Raised,” “Boys to Men,” and powdered wig-wearing “Ben Franklin.” The effort was mightily appreciated by their fans.  Shit, I screamed like a schoolgirl.

Last night I slept in my “Brunettes not Fighter Jets” tee, and had sweet sweet kiwi-filled dreams….

The Dog’s Dinner

I’m officially cooking for my dog now. Yep, that’s right. Home made meals from scratch. ORGANIC home made meals from scratch. HA!

Until Saturday, when I can get her new food from the vet, I’m making the dog’s dinner. Last night she had organic free-range chicken breast with Yukon Gold potatoes and La Seur baby peas. She had a little grilled salmon for dessert.

You see, my vet (and good friend) told me about the studies he has learned about the non-gluten food and their effect on seizures and he said that even the animals fed a high gluten diet can affect the dogs if used in their food, thus the whole free-range thing.

My husband is jealous. I haven’t been cooking for HIM at ALL lately. To be fair, that is mainly due to my whole oral surgery ordeal…that, and really…he COULD have made his own dinner. Not that that’s likely…just anatomically possible. Whereas the dog could not.

I promised him that if he ever starts to have seizures I will cook him boiled chicken and potatoes too. I know, I know, I’m a startling good wife.

A very bad night

This morning at about 4:00 Trip and I woke to the sound of Scarlett slamming herself against his closet door.

It was confusing. At first I thought she was just rolling around or having a dream or caught on something…

But she was having a seizure.

I petted her and tried to soothe her and then held her. When I held her she went completely rigid in my arms with her legs out straight. I thought she was dying in my arms. I tried to stay calm and soothing and tell her she was a good girl. I thought those were her last minutes and I tried to make them peaceful instead of screaming and flipping out like the basket-case I am.

Then she stopped. Her heart was racing and she was disoriented and couldn’t walk at first, but she had stopped seizuring.

Trip called the Vet ER and I carried her down to the living room. He got some shoes for me and drove us there while I sat in the back with her. By then, she seemed totally fine.

The Penn Hospital took her immediately and ran a bunch of tests. They couldn’t have been nicer or handled it any better. All of the tests came back normal and now I’m just watching her. They think she may have canine epilepsy.

I spoke to my Vet this morning after we had a nap. He said that his dog was actually suffering from seizures, sometimes 2 a day and that he had changed his diet to a low gluten one. Apparently he had recently attended a talk on the subject and the test results showed a very strong correlation to the diet and the seizures.

Today was a normal day. We went to the dog park and played fetch.