Team Conan 4-Eva

I miss him already.

It didn't work out...or maybe it did.

With much excitement and relief, I am happy to announce that after three months, I am leaving the newsroom. This is my last week at the broadcast news job. It seems like the economy is picking up (knock on wood) and I am going back to magazine freelancing.

This job saved me during a time when my financial situation was bleak. So why leave already? I have to say that after day one I knew that this job was not the right match for me. I tried to give it a chance but as time went on, my experiences only confirmed my feelings and I would look at the people who were "above me"--the show producers and editors and anchors--and while they obviously had an admirable skill and profession, none of it appealed to me at all. When I told people where I worked, they would say, "That sounds amazing" or "Wow!" I kept waiting for that spark, that enthusiasm--even when I got to do something considered "cool"--but nothing flickered inside of me.

Working in breaking news requires a kind of competitiveness, a tenacity and a feeling of entitlement to get the facts that I just don't possess. I do like writing, and I do like stories so I haven't given up on journalism completely. I'm more suited for feature writing. I would rather delve into subjects more deeply and write about things that sincerely interested me, rather than write about what just happened that day and try to be the first to get the story out.

Meanwhile there is a kid who I worked with, same lowly position as me, who absolutely loved our job. While I used to wait until a minute before my shift started to arrive at work, he would come in hours before just to hang out. Seriously. If you questioned him why, he'd say things like, "I have nothing else to do." I watched him eager to do anything that was asked of him, oblivious to the fact if it was menial, going above and beyond every time, trying at every chance to pitch ideas, get himself out there and be noticed and create opportunities for himself. All of this was done with the utmost sincerity. He had told me more than once that we have the coolest job. Even though I obviously did not share his passion, I admired it and couldn't help but root for him.

Watching him for the past three months put things into perspective for me. One, I sure don't feel that way about broadcast journalism. Two, I desperately want to feel that way about something, too. I imagine it's the greatest feeling in the world.

Mmmmm......s'mores

January 4th officially kicked off Wedding Madness. Based on the premise of the original March Madness, Dan and I are trying our best to eat right and get in shape for our May nuptials. (And seriously, it goes beyond the wedding. I ate waaaaay to many cookies this holiday season and my body is craving a vegetable or two).

But before the madness began, we had to try out the new contraption my sister got us for Christmas.

Introducing the s'mores maker.



This genius device--a must for every household!--makes the most delicious s'mores right in your microwave. The trick is the water vaporizer that makes the marshmallow melt just right and the little arms that hold the crackers, chocolate and marshmallow neatly in place.



Comes out perfect every single time. Come over....we've got more.

Happy Birthday Pete!

A shout out to my big brother Peter, who turns the big 4-0 today.

I remember when he turned 30 and I thought, wow that's so far away. Yikes!

Pete is such a great guy who loves to bike, fish, go to Metallica concerts, relax in the hot tub, and hang out with his wife, daughter and two grandkids in New Jersey. Here's to 40 more years of doing just that....and then some! I love you man!

Christmas Week & Friends

They're baaaaack.

Usually during the week between Christmas and New Year's, Dan heads off to California and I spend some time in New Jersey, which includes Christmas Eve dinner with the family, lazy days next to the tree, and trips to the movie theater. Not the case this year. I had to work every holiday, so I was stuck in the city...which could have been a recipe for absolute suckiness.

Luckily, it wasn't so terrible. Working the morning shift on Christmas Day made it easy for me to go to NJ for a few hours, where I got to hang out with my mom, stepfather and my sister, complete with a holiday meal. I was sent home with an abundance of tuperware filled with all the delectables I missed on Christmas Eve so it's like I got to have my holiday dinner spread throughout the following week.

I wasn't for lack of company either. My dear Danish friends from Belgium (aka some my favorite people ever) decided to come visit New York City during this week, so instead of being cooped up alone in my apartment, I got to go out and do as the Euros do: shop until you drop! When I wasn't working, we spent every free moment together viewing all the sites: Bloomingdale's, Banana Republic, J Crew, Nicole Miller, FAO Schwarz, Betsey Johnson, Urban Outfitters, Free People, Sabon. When I wasn't with them, these ambitious shoppers hit American designers Tori Burch, Cole Haan and Diane Von Furstenberg and braved the crowds at Century 21. They brought only old clothes to wear on this trip, which they planned to toss, filling up their suitcase with all their new American purchases! It was fun to be a spectator and I think they did their part in reviving our American economy.

Anna and Gerda shop for shoes at Bloomingdale's.


Katrine with her new toy.

In between these shopping sprees, we stopped for dinners and coffees and desserts....the rascals refusing to let me pay for anything. (This is MY hometown! They are MY guests!) Dan joined us for our last outing together, and the Danes indulged us by doing the touristy things that *we* have always wanted to do--ride the gondola to Roosevelt Island for a view of the city and dine on frozen hot chocolate and gigantic ice cream sundaes at Serendipity 3. There is a reason why we have never been to Serendipity before. There was a three-hour wait for a table! For ice cream! But Dan was on mission and we timed everything just right. We got our table and we ate our ice cream which ended up being our dinner. It was hilarious to see how appalled Gerda was over these American dessert monstrosities. But the rest of the family ate it up (well, as much as we could--with the insanely large portions, it was impossible to finish).

Mmmm frozen hot chocolate.

Ah, the Danish. As always, I found them endlessly entertaining, fun, wonderful, interesting, great. I was terribly sad to see them go. I would have packed myself in one of their suitcases but they bought way too much stuff so I didn't fit this time.

By the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.

My New Year's Eve was spent in a television control room, working for the midnight show as the prompter. They popped open a bottle of champaigne at midnight but other than that, it was business as usual.

Since I was in the city and either working or shopping, I didn't do my yearly tradition of sitting by my mother's tree and mapping out my New Year's goals. So I have decided to keep it simple this year:

1. Exercise and eat more vegetables

2. Hang out with my friends and family more and/or stay in better touch

3. Get through the 100 list

4. Get married! (that's easy!)

5. As always, seek (and find!) direction for my life and career

Actually this blog says it much more nicer than me. I am looking forward to a fresh start!

2009: A year in review

Let’s see how I did with my 2009 resolutions.

1. Be more frugal.
Being unemployed for 6 months and then working a very low-paying job for 2 months, I had no choice but to be more frugal. I wrote this goal with the intention to stock up on savings and that wasn’t possible this year.

2. Cook and bake and eat adventurously.
I tried honey buns, crepes, Mexican feasts, Cooking School. When it comes to cooking and baking, there is so much to learn that I feel like I barely made a dent. But I did okay. Not great. But okay.

3. Write when I can.
I did work on my fiction from time to time but not enough to consider it an accomplishment.

4. Plan a kick-ass wedding.
This I have done and am still doing very well.

5. Start a new personal project/venture.
Thought lots, did little.

6. Take care of myself and be healthy.
Had a strong start in the spring with eating well and exercising regularly, but once I stopped working, it was hard to motivate myself.

7. Take lots of pictures.
Probably took less pictures this year than in the last four years.

8. Travel.
Small budget calls for small trips: San Francisco, Boulder & Denver, New Orleans. All were great.

9. Focus on the things that make me happy.
Hmm.

10. Be fun!
Not really.

*Be a better dresser and stop wearing the uniform.
No money for new clothes and I haven’t worn the poof since that day. The uniform lives strong!

Resolutions: Total fail.


2009: The Good
The year started promising with a fun New Year’s movie marathon.
Barack Obama’s inauguration
Sully
My sister Annette: Pet Detective!
Wedding fun: Kim and Nien, Nate and Susannah, Adam and Nell.
Dan cooks me gourmet dinner for Valentine’s Day and Thanksgiving
Spaghetti cat
The Airborne Toxic Event-my new fave band
Dan buys new running shoes--FINALLY
Giant Cheetos
Trip to California and meeting Holly
A Day in Brooklyn with Michele
Everyone has a baby! Arrivals of babies Michela, Kathryn, Drake, Will
Bo Obama
The High Line
Governors Island with Heather
The Mexican Feast
East Side Picnic
Cooking School
Flower arranging
Cupcake apprenticeship
Boulder, CO and Chewy the dog
Beatles Rock Band
Long Beach with Adam and Nell aka the best day of the year
Platon at The New Yorker Festival
Become your dream
Great musical theater: In the Heights and Rock of Ages
New Orleans
Mad Men
The Danes visit NYC at Christmastime

2009: The bad
This picture
Michael Jackson dies
My growing internet addiction and how it makes me procrastinate
Not getting tickets for Shakespeare in the Park’s Twelfth Night

2009: The ugly
Barfing for the first time in 20 years.
A year spent in job hunting anxiety and defeat (Seventeen minutes)
Working on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Overall: too much depression

I think of 2009 as being a bad year for me. Still, looking at this list, it is uplifting to know that the positives do outweigh the negatives. And it can only get better from here.

Favorite books read in 2009 (not necessarily written in 2009):
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith and Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher

Favorite movies seen in 2009 (not necessarily made in 2009):
12 Rounds, Star Trek, The Wrestler, Man on Wire, Precious, The Hangover

Cookie Bonanza 2009

Spoiler alert to my family who will be seeing (and eating) these very, very soon.

Cookie Bonanza!

the outsides!


the insides! (mmm....the insides)


2009 flavors!


And something I have always wanted to do...and now crossed off the list:


Homemade Christmas cards!

I could not spend a lot of money on Christmas this year so instead I made everything with a lot of love! Merry Christmas, everyone.