Yesterday was a Great Day All Around

Walking down Fifth after leaving the offive for the day, I noticed a familiar head of hair bobing up and down ahead of me. Could it be, I thought, could it actually be Professor Benjamin? I took her for Jewish American Literature and Multi-Cultural American Lit and really loved her. She did this thing where she'd meet with each student individually in her offive to discuss what kind of paper they wanted to write (for Multi-Cult. we were allowed to write an informal essay about anything we wanted as long as we could relate it to something we learned or a piece by a writer we read). Her office was small and cozy, illuminated by just a couple of lamps. We didn't have much to discuss because she already knew me from Jewish-American Lit. (which I LOVED) but still, she was incredible.
I checked out her face out of the corner of my eye to confirm that it was her. It was. As I was about to turn to say hello, the little boy whose hand she was holding said, "Grandma, Grandma!"
"Yes?"
"In the winter, it gets very cold and then when it's wet in the sky it gets too cold so it becomes snow."
They were walking so slowly and deliberately, one of her hands holding his and her other holding his tiny backpack, that I couldn't interrupt. It was just too cute. Well, she's more dignified than cute, but her gorgeous grandson made up enough cuteness for everything. Also, I always wonder about older people and hope they don't live alone and even if she doesn't live with her grandchildren, at least she has (ADORABLE!) family. I just thought of a much better way of writing this but I haven't written in forever so excuse me.

Calm! I'm Calm! I'm Always Calm!

The guy who works at the garage came around to the driver's side to give me my ticket.
"I'll be here around 5:30," I said.
"Okay...what's your name?"
"Dina."
"Are you always calm like this? You're always so calm."
I smiled.
"Well, it's the morning...calm's the best way to start your day."
He laughed and got into my car as I walked outside to buy a coffee.

Did You Know the Song "Levon" is Named After Levon Helms?

I realized I was up when I realized the light was coming from the hallway light I left on before going to sleep. I realized it was 3-something am when I realized I didn't know why I was up. And let me tell you--of all the nights to not sleep, this is quite a surprise for me. I did a ridiculous amount of relaxing things today (yoga class, pedicure, etc.). But no. No, I can't sleep. After fighting reality for twenty minutes, I started coming up with ideas. Perhaps the air conditioner is too loud and I keep waking up when it goes into power save cycles. Lower went the air conditioner setting. Perhaps I need music to calm me. I put my ipod on and found myself having thoughts such as, "you sing it, Elton!" Clearly, I was well beyond the hope of intervention. Plus, every time he says, "frozen here on the ladder of my life" I laugh. Something having to do with frozen hairs on a ladder...long story.
On another vaguely related note, I'm experiencing sharp hunger pains. But it's 4 am and I'm not eating now. Why can't a 9 pm falafel tide me over at least until morning? I'll just have to sit these pains out.
So this morning, a woman wheeling a double stroller nearly ran me over. I know they're hard to handle, but seriously, I was walking in a straight line at an 8:15 am pace (read: slow). Really, that was my first thought. My second thought was more along the lines of, "how did I miss a double stroller barreling across the park directly across my path?" and then I felt bad. Later when I was walking down 5th I sneezed. The only person who offered her blessing was a woman wheeling her toddler in a stroller. So you see? Moms are awesome.
In other news, I'm never going to rid my habit of walking in on people in the bathroom at work until said people learn to use the little lock. You're not the only one privy to knowing the code to get into the women's bathroom. Hence, the little lock. I'd love it if you could please lock me out when you go in there.
It has now officially been an hour since I woke up for good this morning. It wasn't all that great a sleep to begin with and I'm starting to fantasize about ice cream sandwiches. But I hate eating in the middle of my sleep; it's so disruptive. Remember when Steve used 78 semi-colons in one paper and got a C for making the teacher laugh?
I wanna have a baby.

Summertime is for Lunch at the Park

And Preferably Smart and Tall

For the record, I spent the morning taming a cranky baby. Which makes me this much closer to being prepared for motherhood. It would have been even more realistic if I had had a screaming three year-old tugging on my skirt for noodles with cheese right that very second, but I'll take what I can get. So all ye boys with red and/or curly hair genes, please make yourselves known.

Talk With Your Ears.

This morning, I met a dog and its owner. The dog raised its tail to me and sat at its owner's feet. Then the woman said, "oh look--you have a friend! Talk with your ears." It was a pretty dog, but very dirty. Don't you have to take extra care when you have a white dog to keep its fur beautiful? Plus, the shirt she had on it was stained--pink (I hope the dog was female, but you never know nowadays) with stain marks. Otherwise I might have tried to pet it. Just to clarify, I had nothing else to do since the woman was getting food at my coffee/bagel place and there's only room enough for one customer in the store at a time. Which reminds me that I haven't seen Zoe (a dog I've known since her birth a few months ago) in over a month. Shabbat Shalom.

Yay Hooray for Spring

I was lying on my stomach in Bryant Park when I noticed something moving to my right. Turning my head, I saw an adorable toddler with curly hair crouching next to my face as if to take a closer look. I took out one of my earphones and said, "hi!"
"Aaaahaha!" he said while jumping back up.
He ran away and his father and I laughed.

Like She's All Powerful

Recently, someone I know asked me why I'm not married yet. He asks me this often, so I decided I'd skip the usual answer and be honest. I told him it's because I had seen my soulmate the night before but couldn't work up the nerve to go over and talk to him. When he asked why I hadn't, I told him I didn't know. But I'm pretty sure it had to do with me being tired because it was late and sober because I was only drinking soda.
"Why didn't he come over to me? I guess I was thinking maybe he wasn't interested in me."
"Y'know how you can tell if a guy is interested in you?"
"How?"
"If you catch him trying to glance in your direction. Because then you know he keeps wanting to look at you but he doesn't want you to know that he wants to look at you."
"I think he saw me."
He then advised me that I should have walked past the guy.
I told him I did.
"Oh, well then I don't know."
"I should have gone over."
"No. Because if a girl walked up to me I'd be scared of her like she's all powerful and stuff."
"Yeah," I said, "but I'm not thirteen." Then I asked him for more M&Ms and he continued telling me about how his shabbos was.

Knock, Knock! Who's There? Keith. Keith Who? Keith Me, My Thweet Preenth.

There's always the possibility that my children will not inherit my awesome sense of humor. But I like planning for the best, so I have come up with a plan. I can have my first kid on 07-08-09. Get it? Because 7 ate 9! Which is the punchline of the greatest joke ever.
You must be asking, "are you sure that's the greatest joke ever, Dina, that seems a bit much?" And to you I respond, "yes. Yes indeed." It has simplicity, brilliance, and was there under your nose the whole time.
Just imagine the possibilities! Someone will ask, "so, when's your birthday?" and my child will respond, "why was six afraid of seven?" Naturally, the someone will be confused and say, "pardon?" Ever calm, my child will repeat "why was six afraid of seven?" Awkwardly, the someone will offer "because seven ate nine?" and my child will shout "THAT'S MY BIRTHDAY."
To quote a friend, "Dina's plan proves her to be on par with Newton in brainial capacity."

She's a Summer Love for Spring, Fall and Winter

I passed an old man on my way up the mountain. He was on his way down. When I saw his lips moving, I turned my music off and asked him to repeat what he had said.
"It gets real sloppy up there!"
"Yeah," I said, "it's very hard walking up in this mud."
Sometimes Gd speaks to me in the weirdest places.

When Chances Breathe Between the Silence

There is nothing this clear, spring-smelling weather makes me want to do more than go hiking all day, have a baby, and bake for Pesach. Don't ask me to explain--I don't know. I went hiking for a little bit yesterday and because no one was able to join me (sorry Sara, I didn't know!), I just went to the waterfalls and back. Over the course of the winter, or at least since the last time I was there, the waterfalls froze into layers and layers of very thick white ice--pure beauty. But what made it breathtaking was that there were pockets where the ice must've melted and broken off and through those little windows, there was visible rushing water. I can't describe it so well, but it was so beautiful it made me cry.