some more thoughts on subways.

I was on the slowest subway in all of the world this morning. We were stopped for 15 minutes at the bottom of the East River because of "signal failure." Under the East River for crying out loud! The longer you sit there the more you're aware that you're trapped under some five million gallons of water and I might be exaggerating but it was a lot to think about.

I asked The Husband if his train experience was similar to mine, as he'd left for work 30 minutes earlier than me and left me to put on makeup and make vital wardrobe decisions all by my lonesome, and he said no. (No!)

CHRISTMAS

And now it is Christmas! We have our tree up and everything. Our very first Christmas with a baby. Who is a puppy.

Peter Pan is growing up so fast. We stripped his coat for the first time and now he's quite the striking gentleman. The Husband has taken his LSAT and has finished his admissions essay. All that's left to do is make cookies wait till Christmas comes along.

This photo is obviously THEEEE most flattering photo ever taken. 

And They Call It Puppy Love

I've told you all about this new puppy of ours who just happens to be a genius, haven't I? He's so smart that in just three days he's figured out paper training and will quietly excuse himself from the living room to take a piddle on the pad and then come back for big praise and a treat. He’s a genius, I really mean it.

In other news, the Christmas tree is up (aluminum and in all its tiny glory) and we're watching one of those claymation Christmas movies with the Burgermeister Meister Burger and questionable songs about kids sitting on strange men's laps.

P.S. Brandon takes his LSAT tomorrow morning. He's studied for months and lost about 5 pounds of worry weight. He needs lots of support. And a 180, if you please. Pray for him.

And The Winning Numbers Are...

Last night the New York Mega Millions was up to something insane like $360 million and The Husband was feeling lucky. He bought a lottery ticket at the news stand down the street and then proceeded to ponder exactly how he would spend it, whether he wanted it lump-sum or in payments, and he even promised a friend of his he'd pay for his medical school if he won. Did I say he was feeling lucky? I would almost say he was feeling assured, like he had a spiritual prompting. We were about to be millionaires. There was excitement in the air. Only a few more hours until we were rich beyond measure! He stayed up until midnight, refreshing the browser on the Mega Millions website over and over until the results were posted.

And then somebody in Anaheim won.

Manhattan All Over My Feet

The Holbs and I decided to hold our 1st Annual Holbrooks Walk The Island.

The idea is you start at the bottom of Manhattan and then just walk walk walk all the way up on Broadway. Like the pioneers.

We started at Fulton and Broadway and walked. And walked. It was a little chilly but sunny and there were a lot of tourists downtown for some reason, and it got me to thinking about stuff.

We flew into Manhattan for the first time so Brandon could train for his new position. The company flew me out too so I could have fun, but those first few days when I was by myself and didn't know how the subways worked or where anything was and it was summer and all hot and sticky, I was just dead intimidated. When the cab from the airport dropped us off, a random guy ran up and offered to help us take our luggage into the hotel if we'd give him twenty bucks, and I remember feeling so overwhelmed by all the noise and the smells.

That night we had dinner in the hotel restaurant, which had these big windows facing ground zero. I looked down at that gaping hole and then at my husband and I realized that for a whole year he was going to be the only person I knew. It was all I could do not to cry into my pasta.

The city feels like second nature by now. I'm so much braver than I was when we first moved here. The crazy people make me smile and I've learned to breathe through my sleeve in stinky spots and I don't feel like I’m ever in any danger. The crazy packed streets seem exciting. I can't believe how lucky I am to be here. Every day that I don't spend exploring feels like a day wasted.

Our walk today was a so much fun. We walked all the way up to 96th Street on the Upper West Side, and right around 72nd we got what I'll now call the Upper West Side High, where suddenly everyone is beautiful and the leaves are crisp and the sugar from the cupcake we ate is just starting to set in.

Now that we're back home, safe in our little nest in Brooklyn Heights, and my feet are still throbbing but the delivery guy finally brought my groceries and life is perfect, I will tell you a little secret:

Having your groceries delivered to your door is something I think I should expect for the rest of my life.