Round 2

we went to services this morning...i had held out going to the temple for as long as possible because, well, i didn't want to be let down. our jewish identity has been such a big part of our lives and our identity that the easiest way to deal with the fact that we don't have a community in san fran is just not to think about it. but at this time of year, it's impossible to ignore and so i stayed awake most of last night itching and thinking about what we would find when we arrived today.

and services were beautiful. without a doubt the most spiritually fulfilling high holiday experience we have ever had. i mean, no doubt, we had way low expectations...but regardless we were both pleasantly surprised by what we found. we choose the late/contemporary service which was held in the main sanctuary. no robes. no choir. no organ. the best was that instead of a cantor the singing was led by MARSHA (you know, camp song leader). she continues to have the most gorgeous voice and while some might argue that i'm a bit biased..."by the waters of babylon, where we laid down, and where we wept, as we remember zion..." it took our breaths away.

Shannah Tovah U'Metukah - Translation: I Get a Wardrobe Allowance!

fair warning - i might post three times today...there is just a lot to say and i don't feel like i should put it all in the exact same post.

i was going to start for the story about the character formerly known as the king, but that will have to wait just a moment because i have much more pressing news....you might remember that yesterday i had training for my new position - stylist/personal shopper for the luxury line. we learned about how to keep a client book, what's coming in the holiday line (GORGEOUS) and discussed our personal selling goals (holy crap!). but most importantly we received the following bit of news - every season we get a wardrobe allowance!!! that's right, two monogram bottoms and two monogram tops per season for 100%, abso-freaking-lutely free! amazing. my jaw dropped so fast and i smiled so hard that i have no idea what was discussed at the meeting after this bombshell exploded. but here's the question...there are officially four seasons at pineapple nation (like everywhere else i guess) but each season is divided into at least two mini seasons...do we get to shop per-season or per-mini-season? if you know...let me know. oh, and they will pay for our dry cleaning...SCORE!

needless to say (again) i am beyond excited about my position. so excited i couldn't sleep. i've had a lot on my mind about planning my future and basically seem to repeatedly get all overwhelmed and itchy so for now...this is my answer. i'm going to stick with what i'm doing for the next six months. i'm going to see if i love being a stylist (really?...is there any doubt?). and i'm going to focus on writing. like schedule. deadline. word count. six months. we'll see what happens. but if i don't get a day off i request...i'll still quit :)

okay...and now quickly, the story involving the character formerly known as the king: last week, while my parents were in town the three of us went down to santa cruz for the day to see a family friend (side note: if i was a city i would be santa cruz). our family friend had other visitors in town: a mother and daughter from westpo. the daughter seemed to be the same age as THE CHARACTER but when my dad asked if she knew him, she searched her brain and responded no, but she also graduated from the same, small high school in 2003. while having lunch our family friend asked about THE CHARACTER. somehow i started talking about meeting his ex and how i had all of these expectations of how THE CHARACTER would be different around her. instead, even around the gf, THE CHARACTER was his argumentative, stubborn, opinionated self. to which the girl from westpo interrupted..."class of 2003? THE CHARACTER?...i know him!" ahhhhh, validation at last!

I Think of Myself as Difficult to Shock

today, on my walk to work, i noticed that i was passing more men in harnesses, latex hot pants and pleather ass-less chaps than usual. it's the kind of thing that isn't SO noticeable walking through castro but as i got further and further down market st i figured something had to be up. turns out this weekend is the folsom street fair and all these mostly naked men were headed to the same place. i haven't had time to read up on the history of this street fair, or what about it attracts men in rubber but if you follow the link i'm sure you will be educated (fair warning - the preceeding link is not for the faint of heart).

in other news, i got the promotion and beginning tomorrow i am officially a pineapple nation MONOGRAM stylist. i don't really know what any of this means, except that i believe i'm required to wear heels (god help me) but tomorrow i have training beginning at 8:30 am. i will fill you in when i know more.

my parents left this morning...it was a fabulous trip full of really good family friends and way more special time then my mom and dad would have had with us if we still lived on the east coast. it's about quality time right? the high point was dinner HERE last night. so cool. if you come visit we can go...but only if you come visit.

i have a really really really funny story about the character formerly known as THE KING...but you'll have to come back later in the week.

I Sorta (Okay Really) Want to be Rachel Zoe

i tried so so so hard not to watch - because from everything i've read she's a horrible person and she doesn't eat and that's not a good image for teen girls...but i watched yesterday and now i'm totally hooked. oh. my. god. she gets to do all my favorite things - play with beautiful clothes and beautiful people all day long. and her cocktail rings! wow. i see my possible promotion to MONOGRAM stylist at PN as my own way of being her (lite). ok. breathe. i just really love her. and hate her. life is heard.

i'm obsessed with our neighbors - surprised? dinner last night was awesome complete with a squash soup and a salad that included avocado AND shrimp...two of my very favorite things. she's a gardener/teacher/addiction counselor and he's a doctor and science fiction writer. they've lived next door since the early 80s with stories about the passed residents of our place, our upstairs neighbor and the history of our soon-to-be-gorgeous-again garden. they drop the f-bomb comfortably but only when necessary. so yeah...i'm obsessed. we'll have to reciprocate...once my parents leave.

speaking of parents...they arrive in a little over two hours...and i still have to do my hair. i have two small projects for them once they arrive which i think will be the perfect amount of work. i wish we could have fixed the closet but alas...i don't think MARGARET ELIZABETH (the upstairs neighbor) appreciated the drilling at 10:30 last night. after, my dad really should have to work for his supper.

My Apartment Rocks!

no one who knows me should be surprised to read that i have a tummy ache. for the last week i had been planning to call in sick today, because we were invited to dinner at our neighbors (i know, so nice) and in retail it doesn't seem like you can just leave early. ABN kept encouraging me that it's okay to take a day, that my feet could use it and that nothing bad is going to happen if i miss a day - after all, it's not suicide...but starting yesterday afternoon i started feeling not so hot and late last night i started downing the pepto so today, while i did just call in sick...i feel rather crappy as well...and at the same time, now that i've gotten off the phone with CHARLES, one of the managers...i'm starting to feel better. some things never change. this is why i had those horrible stomachaches my last two years of college.

still a day off is no day on the couch (after i watch THE VIEW...but that goes without saying). my parents arrive tomorrow and while sunday we were totally ready for the IN-LAWS, things have started to fall apart in the last 24 hours. first my closet broke. i know i am probably partly to blame...it was packed pretty full (imagine that!) but in the middle of the night the poll and top shelf came crashing down along with every article of my perfectly organized clothes (the closet really was quite gorgeous, i'm an expert after all you know). so now all my clothes are piled in the living room and i am off to either bed and bath or home depot or possibly both to figure out how to fix the situation. then last night, as i lay in bed rubbing my tummy and reading vanity fair, the brand new fridge started making a very loud running noise. ABN shook it, which seems have helped but i haven't had a chance to check to see if it is still cold/working...please keep your fingers crossed. then of course there are the two rugs that we have yet to lay out (bedroom/living room or living room/office or office/bedroom?!?!!?). it involves moving furniture and big decisions and i really don't have the energy and i'm sure my dad will have an opinion anyway so...we're waiting. my parents keep saying they want to help us set up our place and other than the rugs (and a few plate stands) we're good to go...so dad, get ready, there are rugs to be placed!

like i said before, tonight we're going to the neighbors for dinner - which is just so nice. they told us to come over at 8 and that the door would be opened which is basically the creepiest thing i've heard but i've decided to go with it. i could be like tori spelling and pack a knife in my bag...wait, i don't think i had previously admitted to reading this...shit.

what does one bring to dinner at the neighbors who don't drink (well at least MS. NEIGHBOR doesn't drink) and who are landscape architects and therefore have no shortage of flowers? discuss...

and now what you've been waiting for...

our living room looking into our entry hall...standing in front of the tv...notice the amazing paint color!

ari's office - we left almost all his old office furniture in boston and now he has a grown-up desk! and lots of bookshelves

the bedroom which for now is staying purple because, i can't imagine doing anymore painting and i don't hate it...although we might need new bedding eventually. look! ari hung the chuppah!
my wedding photo project in the entry hall - you have to come visit for the full effect :)

My Curly Piece of Chocolate

the in-laws are in town for a night, and after showing them around our neighborhood, eating lunch on our back deck and looking at photos from their recent trip to greece, we're about to head out to an early dinner in noe valley. MR. IN-LAW is taking a brief cat nap on our bed and ABN is explaining his job to MS. IN-LAW. i'm taking a few minutes to write, because if i don't, i fear i simply won't.

we're all unpacked which is just...lovely. i feel settled and while we have no friends to speak of...i have my bed and new towels from restoration hardware and a place for all my shoes and these are things that i need to survive.

i spoke to CURLY this morning and i know this is going to sound extremely...lame...but it was just so wonderful/calming/natural/reassuring/connecting to hear her voice. obviously we became friends in college (and in some ways before college) but our friendship only strengthened over beer in nyc in our neighborhood irish pub and then when i moved back to boston she arrived not long after because, well, it just made so much more sense for us to live in the same city (i mean, sure she was offered the job of a lifetime but i was there too!). it is hard to be away from everyone - and there are times when it is easy for me to mentally go back to my 17 year-old self, who moved across the country and lost all of her friends. i'm a different person now and i have different friends...but sometimes i still go back to that place. with CURLY i know it's okay to be far away - it's better to be together but the distance will not destroy us. today...today i wish we could drink beer in the irish pub a few blocks away, either in my city or hers, and i could hear her voice while looking at her bouncing curls. that would be a perfect sunday.

The Luxury Line - Clearly Where I Really Belong

wednesday was basically the best day of my entire life...okay that might be an exaggeration but it was for sure the best day in recent memory and the most appreciated. a day off. amazing. i'm off again today and it's great, but nothing can compares to a day off after being on the selling floor for five straight days in a row. my feet have never been so grateful.

because i had been working constantly, wednesday was filled with many errands (hey, i could have had a dentist appointment and i still would have been thrilled!) but the real highlight was a lunch date with HEBREW SCHOOL. HEBREW SCHOOL and i carpooled together to temple isaiah way back when, before both of our families became east coast transplants. there were five of us in the carpool - which i'm realizing, as i type this, is more than a traditional car can hold, because there was also always a mom driving...so where did we all sit? anyway, in the last two months we have both become transplants again, back to the west coast and had a great time catching up on the many years that we have missed in each other's lives. we'll do it again, the next time i have a second to breathe :)

ready? yesterday i'm on the floor, doing what i do best (apparently), selling, when i get called in to the store director's office (yep, there's a store director). immediately i think i must be in trouble (i always assume the worst, i am my mother's daughter). turns out - she, and the entire human resources staff from corporate - want to consider me for a new position they are creating - stylist for the MONOGRAM line - and they want to interview me...NOW! i had heard about the position but hadn't considered myself a candidate because, well, you were supposed to have done $400,000 of sales this year to be considered. anyway, i had my interview, somehow connected suicide prevention to sales, smiled and will hear more next week. i probably shot myself in the foot when i announced i would be taking all the jewish holidays off - but it did feel good to even be considered. i did ask them, in the middle of my interview...what the hell i was supposed to do about my feet (i am going to attempt to get a pedicure this afternoon but i am fearful that woman might refuse to touch me!). i'll keep you all posted...and if i do become a monogram stylist...i promise to remember where i came from.